#*shaking* i just love ted kord so much

[itz-bug]

Saw blue beetle today !!!! And i am happy to say it was very good and fun :D definitely go see it if you can

Gonna talk about it lots under the cut! To be honest, this post is more for me to just record my own thoughts for myself, but you’re welcome to read if you’re looking for the movie opinions of a certified Blue Beetle Enthusiast, or if you’re desperate to feed on the Ted Kord crumbs the movie leaves for its viewers. (To be honest most of it is me talking about Ted sorry. hes my bbygirl)

- very minor spoiler warning -

First things first:

Jaime was so good!!!! His character was so sweet and earnest, and they aged him up to around 22 (he’s literally just graduated from college), which I think makes him a very unique superhero. He’s just returned from school as a first gen college student and feels like he’s finally in a position where he can provide for his family, only to realize he’s still totally unprepared for the real world.

Speaking of family, the Reyes family is the backbone of the film, and each of Jaime’s family members is given their time to shine. Another breath of fresh air for comic book movies! Not only does the hero have a family, but the family consists of fleshed-out characters who all bring different strengths to the group. I liked Milagro a lot specifically. Like Jaime, she’s also been aged up and is now probably 17-18. I thought she was written super well. She’s sarcastic and relaxed, and her relationship with Jaime is perfect sibling representation. Milagro is given a surprising amount of emotional moments, adding to her depth but also not taking away from any of Jaime’s development. Honestly, if you’re on the fence about going to see the movie, go see it just for the Reyes family dynamic. They’re seriously all great.

The other main supporting character is Jenny Kord, Ted Kord’s daughter. Jenny is smart and resilient, and I enjoyed her a lot, despite her bearing very little resemblance to Ted personality wise. I know why she exists: to push the plot and act as the link between the two blue beetles. She’s also Jaime’s love interest because of heteronormativity reasons. Still, I thought her character was done very well. Jenny is half brazilian and thankfully NOT Beatriz da Costa’s daughter. Her relationship with either of her parents isn’t explored much. Her (unnamed and presumably unimportant) mother died when she was young, and Ted disappeared off the face of the earth when she was only eight— I think. To be honest, the timeline confused me a little.

Anyways, Ted Kord is portrayed very interestingly in the movie. Not in a necessarily bad way, though. Ted makes zero physical appearances in the film outside of a single, vague painting of his likeness where he has a mustache and maybe a beard (wow!). That being said, his face is totally unremarkable and unrecognizable. Which is fine. I’d almost prefer them to keep him vague unless they give him a full-fledged appearance.

BUT, there is a scene where Jaime has to change clothes, and Jenny offers him some of Ted’s old clothing, and Jaime walks out in a bright blue windbreaker tracksuit. It’s totally 80s, totally silly, and totally Ted. The nod towards not only Ted’s outrage fashion sense but also his 80s dad vibe was very much appreciated.

There are lots of little moments in the film where Ted’s silliness seeps through. His lab is one example. Jaime describes Ted’s gadgets as “batman but if he had ADHD.” In the Bug, the computer has a female robotic voice that addresses him as “Teddy,” which Jaime’s uncle compliments as sexy. Ohhh the Bug. Easily one of my favorite parts of the film. It’s beautiful. It looks just like it’s comic book counterpart, with the little trapeze rope swing and everything. It also has a “beast mode,” where, when triggered, the Bug plays 80s rock and starts destroying everything around it. It’s also capable of poison gas farts. Perfect. Ted’s personality shines through everything he’s left behind, giving me hope for whatever might be in store for his character on the big screen.

The only reservations I have about Ted’s transition to film would he his relationships. His sister, Victoria, functions fine as a villain but isn’t anything special. She’s a capitalist. She’s evil. Like Jenny, lacks similarity to Ted himself. As for Ted’s dead wife (sad but also it’s hard to care), Jenny describes her mother as the one who “showed Ted the world was worth protecting,” which doesn’t sit quite right with me. For one, it seems weird to make a dead, non-comic-canon character so relevant to Ted’s superhero origin, and also, I think Ted deserves a little more credit than that. I’d like to think he’s always been a good guy, plain and simple. It also means Ted couldn’t have been a superhero for very long, which I think detracts from his coolness. I think Jenny even said Ted became blue beetle when she was a young girl, so it sounds like he couldn’t have been a hero for more than like 10 years? It just seems like a strange and unnecessary change to make. Then again, I realize most of the people watching the movie care very little about the second blue beetle, so I guess I can’t complain too much while knowing the intended audience.

That’s not gonna stop me from talking about boostle though!!!!! Unfortunately, Booster Gold is not so much as even hinted at in the movie, which I kind of get but still mostly hate. It just feels wrong to have a movie where Ted Kord’s career is one of the driving plot points and Booster is nowhere to be found. They are a package deal, DC!! I wasn’t even really expecting a verbal mention of him. Literally just a gold star somewhere in the lab, or a pair of yellow visors, or a blue and gold poster, or SOMETHING.

The life of a boostle fan is one of disappointment.

Still, the optimist in me is saying to hold onto hope. There’s a Booster Gold series in the works, so maybe DC is saving up for a totally reinvented blue and gold origin, or there’s some connection between the two that has yet to be discovered. Hopefully. Surely DC wouldn’t be stupid enough to overlook one of its most iconic duos? haha?

Okay. This post has run a lot longer than I thought it would. Ultimately, Blue Beetle is a very good movie that does the characters of Ted Kord and Jaime Reyes justice. It’s fun and silly but also heartfelt. Even though there’s a few minor things I’m hung up on (because I’m insane), Blue Beetle did a lot of things right, and I feel like this movie has been one of the best comic book adaptations yet. Here’s to hoping we see a live action Ted one day, and he doesn’t totally suck ass.

#this is superrrr long like probably one of the longest things ive ever posted #*shaking* i just love ted kord so much #also adhd ted confirmed! sort of? its good enough #bug talks

[moviemunchies]

Alright! Finally something that isn’t The Fast and the Furious!

Back to superhero films.

Jaime Reyes came back from college graduation to find his family is broke and is about to be evicted by the corrupt Kord Industries. He and his sister Milagro pick up minimum wage jobs, which they quickly lose; but not before Jaime leaves a good impression on heiress Jenny Kord, daughter of disappeared tech billionaire Ted Kord. She offers a meetup for a job at the family company (which is now run by her aunt, Ted’s sister, Victoria Kord, who has turned into a militarized and corrupt corporation), but when Jaime finds her, she’s just taken something out of the lab and asks him to hide it.

Of course, Jaime opens the box (at his family’s urging), and it turns out to be the Scarab, which quickly activates and fuses to his spine, creating an alien super suit. However! Victoria Kord will stop at nothing to get that Scarab, as she plans to use it to help her super cybernetic soldier program. Now Jaime and his family will have to figure out how the Scarab works, how to disconnect it, and most importantly, how to survive.

This film was originally produced to be released only on HBO Max, but with the shake ups at Warner/DC/Discovery/HBO, it was shifted to a theatrical release. Perhaps this was to try to avoid the backlash that came from canceling Batgirl? I don’t know. It’s not expected to do well financially, and thus far, it really hasn’t, though I’ve seen good reviews. But I have a soft spot for Jaime Reyes, so I wanted to give this movie a go.

Admittedly, this movie feels a lot like a made-for-TV movie, just with a much higher budget. The main criticism that’s come up in reviews is that this movie is a stereotypical superhero origin story. And that’s true! In terms of actual Plot, there’s not much that makes this different from a dozen other superhero stories that you’ve seen before. When this was an HBO Max original, that is a lot less egregious, but as a theatrical release it’s a little frustrating. The difference (and one that most reviews also bring up) is that this is a Hispanic superhero, and the movie’s emphasis on his identity is a highlight that makes this movie memorable.

How many Hispanic superheroes have been shown in live-action theatrical films? Not a lot! And certainly not that many that shine so brightly on issues that Hispanic people face today–gentrification, not being taken seriously, and being constantly stereotyped. These are things that theatrical superhero movies rarely touch on, and I can’t think of any that make it a thematic focal point.

And it’s not just doom-and-gloom! There are a bunch of really fun shout-outs to Hispanic pop culture that stick out to people in the know–from Selena music to Hispanic superhero media. There’s a few references to El Chapulín Colorado, and while some people laughed because it was silly, at least one person in my theater was guffawing because he definitely got the reference.

A quibble, though, but a big one: the whole thing about the Reyes family is that they’re all so together and strong because of it. They’re a loving family. And yet all of the family’s struggles are news to Jaime when he arrives back home–the family business closing, the upcoming eviction, his father’s health problems: he didn’t know about any of them! If Jaime having been distant from his family and having to repair his relationship was his character arc for the movie, then yeah, it works. But it isn’t–that he’s completely blind to their problems is a non-issue in the long run, and it feels wrong with how important family is to the story’s themes.

The worldbuilding reminds me a little of Black Adam in that this is a world with history, especially with superheroes. Jaime’s uncle is a fan of the Blue Beetle, and brings up Superman. While the reaction to the Scarab’s extraterrestrial nature is alarm and surprise, no one expresses disbelief. In a world with superheroes, these things are apparently not too unbelievable.

The Scarab feels a bit weird to me. I guess this is in part because my exposure to Jaime Reyes is Young Justice, in which the Scarab has a specific, robotic personality that’s hyper violent and has to be reigned in. The Scarab also turns out to be an agent of the Reach, an alien nation bent on galactic conquest. The Scarab of the movie ends up bonding with Jaime and connecting to his brain, and so some of its dialogue at the end uses Spanish and slang, which felt jarring to me. Maybe that makes sense for the character in the movie–they’re mentally bonded, after all. But it just seems weird to me from my experiences with the character.

The villains are… functional, I guess? Victoria Kord is a bit over-the-top, but given the world right now, a villain running a technology corporation maybe should be over-the-top. That’s kind of how life is sometimes with these people–as is their disdain for those not useful to her. Carapax is a bit more, though I think the movie waits too long to give him his much-needed depth. If we got stronger hints of that earlier, I’d have appreciated it more.

There is an odd bit with the soundtrack that stuck out to me. It's fine, mostly, but the part where Jaime fully bonds with the Scarab has swelling, heroic music playing. What makes it strange is that this is also while Carapax is getting his full powers, and we're shown him powering up at the same time, and the music continues its heroic tones.

It's just a weird juxtaposition, with the music going the way it does.

Overall, it’s a fun movie, though it’s not hitting too many unfamiliar beats. The main draw here is how unapologetically Hispanic the movie is. But after years of continuity-heavy superhero films, and several attempts to tell stories about the multiverse, a back-to-basics approach to a superhero movie is appreciated. I liked it. It isn’t blowing my mind, but it’s a good movie to watch if you’ve got the time.

#Blue Beetle #Movie Munchies #Jaime Reyes #reviews #DC

[olicitysecretsanta]

One Day

This fic is my gift for @feilcityqueen who loves missing moments. By @tangled23works

Rating: Teen and Up    Words: 1500    Relationship: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak

I hope you’ll enjoy this one, my friend. It is set in Season 2, a little after Oliver makes that stupid mistake in Russia. Have fun reading!

November 2013

Felicity stared at the stupid gadget that her annoying friend from college had sent as a prank. The thing was built like a watch but it obviously didn’t function as a one or at least like any watch that she knew. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure what it was. She was tempted to break it with a hammer and claim it had been an accident but a bet was a bet and if she lost she would have honor it. Yup, that was not allowed. 

The continuous sound of metal clanking on metal disrupted her concentration. If her vigilante boss-slash-friend could stop doing that for one minute, she might have a chance to actually concentrate.

  As if he had heard her thoughts, he jumped from the salmon ladder on the unforgiving concrete. He made it seem effortless, moving quietly like a jungle cat but she knew it was the exact opposite. Felicity had once tried to climb on the thing, while Oliver was on a mission of course. Thankfully, Dig had caught her trying to get to the second rung before she could get hurt. It was higher than she had expected which had made her dizzy in seconds. That was the day she discovered her fear of heights was legitimate and not just a remnant of their break-in last year in Merlyn Global.

  “Fe-li-ci-ty”

  She jumped and turned around so fast that her ponytail smacked Oliver on the arm.

  “You need a bell. A big, brown, cowbell that rings whenever you move.” She made a mental note. “Yup, that’s what your Secret Santa is bringing you for the holidays. Not that I drew your name during this year’s Secret Santa at the office but if I had, I would definitely-”

  “Breathe, Felicity.”

  She fixed her glasses. “Why are you so sweaty?”

  His expression showed nothing but she could tell that he was amused. “Have you ever tried the ladder? It’s impossible not to be sweaty after thirty minutes on that thing.”

  “Wow, that’s the most words you have spoken to me since Russia. Are you sure you don’t have a fever or something?”

In hindsight, mentioning Russia and referring to Oliver’s escapades with TheOneWhoShallNotBeNamed might not have been such a great idea. The humour vanished from his expression and he reached for the nearest towel, turning his back to Felicity.

  “I know things have been fraught between us…”

  “Have they?” she mocked. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Felicity,” he sighed. 

  “You know, Oliver, saying my name isn’t considered a full sentence. Could you please use a little more grammar and syntax?”

  He grunted and threw the towel away.

  “And you’re back to brooding.” She threw her hands in the air. “Whatever, Oliver.”

  He put on a gray henley with a lot more force than was necessary.

  “What do you want me to say? I already explained-”

  “Yeah, let’s not revisit that particular discussion, thank you very much. It was hard enough to stomach the first time.”

  Their eyes locked for a few moments. In his gaze she could read the remorse and guilt eating him alive. There were a few other emotions buried under that but she had not mastered the art of deciphering his feelings yet. Suddenly, with a clarity that had been missing from her life for days she realized she didn’t want that. Making him apologize over and over would not make her feel any better. And Oliver Queen had enough things in this lifetime and the next to feel guilty about. He didn’t need her adding to that pile of misery.

  Russia had been a blessing in disguise. Her inappropriate dreams had just started to take shape when Oliver’s one night stand had delivered a blow more powerful than any lecture she could have given herself. The thought was like a bucket of cold water thrown to her face. Oliver didn’t see her that way. Sure, he liked her and she would bet her entire Doctor Who tea set that he respected her but it wasn’t the same. Still, the fact that he slept with that woman of all the women in the world, the one that tormented her and spread vile rumours in QC, rumours he had no idea about by the way, was a low blow.

“So,” she said with a forced lightness she didn’t feel, “I’m in trouble.”

  “What’s wrong?” He took a menacing step forward as if there was an invisible enemy he would have to fight.

  “Calm down, big guy!” Felicity rolled her eyes, then blushed a bright red. “I didn’t mean big like big down there,” her gaze dropped towards his cargo pants without meaning to, “even though I’m sure that your penis must be at least average-sized considering the size of your-”

  Oliver grabbed her shoulders before she could go on. 

  “Oh my God,” she squeaked and fell on his chest, “someone kill me now. Where is the damn league of assassins when you need them? Call Sara! I could use an assassin right about now.” She kept mumbling even though the sound was muffled because she was way too embarrassed to stop and apparently her brain to mouth filter was permanently broken. 

  Oliver’s hand was stroking her back softly, gentling her as he always did whenever she said something mortifying. He didn’t seem to mind that he was more often than not the focus of her inappropriate babbling. Most of the time he found it amusing and he never hesitated her to hold her. At least, he had never hesitated before Russia. These days they were overly polite and kept making sure no hands or arms or legs were ever close enough to touch. It brought tears to her eyes.

  “Hey,” he breathed.

  Felicity looked up at him biting her lip. “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

  She took a deep breath, inhaling soap, leather and something that was pure Oliver and stepped back. He let her go but one hand lingered on her shoulder.

  “So,” she pointed to the device on her workstation to shake some of the awkwardness, “I have a friend from college. The only one I’m still in contact with and every year we place a bet. We find a gadget, something that is not accessible to the public yet and we send it to each other. This year it was her turn and this thing is driving me crazy. I know it might seem silly to you but I can’t lose, I just can’t.”

  “What happens if you lose?”

She loved the fact that even though he was a tough, scary vigilante he never mocked her concerns or laughed at her.

  “I have to wear a Christmas headband. A red one. With reindeer antlers.” She shuddered at the thought. “And I don’t know if I told you but-”

  “You’re Jewish.”

  “Yeah, which makes it even worse somehow. Anyway,” she stopped abruptly and stared at him in surprise. “You remember that?”

  “I remember everything about you, Felicity.”

  Cursing herself for her inability to control the flush that spread on her face, she harrumphed and picked up the watch that wasn’t a watch.

  “Wanna help me figure out this thing?”

  It was an olive branch and he knew it so he smiled and stepped closer. Felicity wanted to giggle at the thought that Oliver Queen, the man who couldn’t figure out the apps on his brand new iPhone would be able to help her in this case. It would be akin to her trying next Wednesday to shoot the bad guy with a bow and arrow.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “No reason. I just remembered something.”

  “Huh,” he replied frowning and turning the device upside down.

  “Careful with that. I don’t know what it does and I don’t think that Martina would ever purposely send anything dangerous but still…”

  “This was made by Kord Industries.”

  Felicity grabbed the watch and lifted it closer. “How do you know? The Kord Industries logo is distinctive and I don’t see it here.”

  He took her finger and stroked the metal. “Do you feel the carving? It’s a beetle. That’s Ted’s idea of a joke.”

  “I don’t get it.” Felicity didn’t like the things she didn’t understand. Mysteries needed to be solved.

Oliver ignored the question in her eyes. “Guess who owes me a favor?”

  “Mr. Kord himself?”

  He nodded and smiled like a kid at Disney store. His eyes were filled with excitement and something else. Pure pleasure. Solving this small mystery together, working as partners was important to him. Perhaps, more important than she had realized. For a moment, she could see the child he once was, mischievous and happy, causing trouble along with his best friend Tommy. It was so rare for the Oliver that she knew to show any kind of enthusiasm that she felt a painful pang in her heart. So, even though things were still complicated and she was by no means ready to forgive and forget, Felicity knew in her bones that they would get past this. One day.

#arrow #olicity #olicity secret santa #goodbye Olicity #submission

[renaroo]

Some Time (Time and Time Again) (5/8)

Disclaimer: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and associated characters are the creative property of DC Comics. Warnings: Canon shaken not stirred, Heavy canon references to Booster Gold (2009-2011) and Blue Beetle (2016-2018) Pairings: Boostle Rating: T Synopsis: Booster Gold and the rest of the Time Masters are still straightening up things in the wake of the most recent universal Rebirth. But Rip Hunter is still missing in the aftermath, leaving Booster in charge with Skeets, Michelle, and Rani. But there’s a distraction for Booster, one he can’t keep himself from ignoring.

Ted Kord, miraculously, is still alive. And that makes everything more complicated than Michael could have ever imagined.

A/N: I love writing character dialogue so I let this one get away from me but, hopefully, you all will be understanding lol

And of course a wonderful thanks to @spiralcass, @secretlystephaniebrown, @babybatbrat, @mcbangle, @shibascarf, and @tardigradetheking for your lovely feedback and support!

Ted Kord

Ted is concerned about Booster’s condition long before he lands chin first into the concrete.

All the teams and all the fights that they had been through together over the years had shown Ted that Booster is as capable of taking a beating as any other hero. But there was intimate brutality to the fight between Ted’s mysterious attacker and Booster Gold that left far more questions than there are currently answers.

Of course, Booster’s fall is a helpful kick into high gear for switching between fight mode to oh shit mode.

Even though Ted is closer, he reaches the unconscious Booster’s side at nearly the same time as Michelle.

As if that isn’t weird enough on its own.

Without hesitation, Ted begins checking vitals and timing Booster’s pulse. The swelling and bruising are already looking nasty beneath the splattering of blood from Booster’s cuts and nose.

“Oh my god, can we move him?” Michelle asks, clear panic in her voice.

“Yeah, carefully,” Ted answers, using a momentarily free hand to point toward the steel locker by his desk. “I stocked a stretcher in the first aid cabinet. If we’re getting him out of here without messing with his neck then that’s going to be our biggest help.”

“I’m on it!” she yells, propelling from the floor and straight to the cabinet. She is back in the blink of an eye. “Tell me what to do.”

“Okay, when I say so, let’s lift him up just enough to slide the stretcher over and —“ he catches himself in the moment and then looks at Michelle curiously, “We have somewhere to take him, right? I’d say a hospital but—“

“No, we’ve got somewhere that Black Beetle shouldn’t be able to follow us,” she immediately replies. “Um. Hopefully. It’s the first time I’ve been in charge of moving places and cloaking us without…” Michelle shakes her head violently and then looks back at Ted with fiery confidence in her eyes. “We’ve got somewhere. If Skeets can help out with the transport.”

“Of course, Michelle!” the robotic voice drones.

Ted glances up and sees Skeets. The robot has an appendage out from his compact body and is using it to rather securely hold the wrist of the little girl from before. The girl has her free handheld tightly over her eyes, two clear streams of ongoing tears crossing her cheek as she breathes unevenly.

There is still so much that Ted can’t even comprehend enough to ask proper questions about, but he focuses and compartmentalizes as best he can be given the circumstances. Later. There has to be a later.

And beer. God, is he going to make Booster hold up his end of the deal so far as the beer is concerned.

Securing Booster’s neck and then securely taking hold of his shoulders, Ted takes a deep breath and looks to Michelle. “Okay, if you can get his legs, lift on three.”

Quickly, Michelle gets hold of her brother at his knees. “Ready!”

“One, two, three,” Ted presses, lifting Booster’s limp body up and using his foot to slide the stretcher closer to position before they lower him again. Booster is a lot heavier than the last time Ted can remember having to carry him — and it’s all hard muscle. Which is definitely something considering that Booster was never one to lack tone, to begin with.

The jarring of Booster’s body elicits a low, throaty groan from him, but it is only momentary. He is still completely out when Ted reaches up and brushes back blonde hair to feel and better see Booster’s forehead and face.

The adrenaline is wearing thin and the horrors and near-misses of everything are starting to catch up with Ted. His chest feels tight and on fire.

“I am going to transport all of us to Time Lab, but it will require some calculation considering the relative size of our party compared to… the limited surface area available at the moment,” Skeets announces.

“Just do it, Skeets!” Michelle begs.

Ted takes another moment to look her over and can’t help the commentary he has been holding back.

“Hey, so, fancy seeing you here,” he says. Michelle looks to Ted’s face, curious where this is leading. “Haven’t seen you since your funeral. You look good.”

“Thanks. Haven’t seen you since yours,” Michelle counters quickly.

Blinking with surprise, Ted turns his head slightly but any verbal response is cut off by the winding up and BOOM of their transportation, followed by the bodily jerk of material displacement and replacement.

They go from Ted’s utterly destroyed personal lab… To something that looks to be in a fairly similar state.

“You have a laboratory?” he asks, taken aback. “What does Booster need with a laboratory? The closest I’ve seen him to 'experimenting' is whatever he put together from the fridge’s leftovers.”

“This laboratory and compound are originally the property and creation of Doctor Rip Hunter,” Skeets’ voice offers as the robot flies past them.

And that is a name which Ted has not heard from in a while. It’s enough to make him take pause just before helping Michelle lift Booster’s stretcher. He’s still trying to put in place the variables he knows together but the time travelers just keep throwing new ones at him.

Figures.

Realizing he has no concept of where he’s going, Ted gives Michelle a look. “Uh, where’s a good place to—“

“Michael’s bedroom is down the hall, but the living room’s closer if you think a couch could work,” Michelle answers.

“Yeah, closer the better,” Ted agrees before allowing Michelle to lead the way.

He continues thinking — medical supplies to list out for them, monitoring his swears for the literal child present, concerns about the safety of this lab both from its broken nature and the transporting assassin after him, so on and so forth. But some things are drawing together.

“So… Michael lives with Rip Hunter… in a laboratory where he can… transport places and fight with guys infringing on my copyright,” Ted puts together as they reach the couch.

“Among other things,” Michelle says almost cryptically.

They slide Booster onto the couch and the failed attempt at conversation gets shelved. There’s pressing matters — all that other stuff on Ted’s mind.

Ted immediately checks on Booster’s neck. He didn’t like the way Booster’s head hit the ground, let alone the other times he crashed headfirst into the Bug. Or any walls. Or the Bug again. And the bruising was already purpling. Maybe there is a stake when being fashion-forward because Ted can’t imagine that the popped up collar would have let Booster’s neck jerk in that fashion.

The thought crosses his mind so naturally that he almost doesn’t question it, just smirks to himself in amusement. But then Ted does think about it.

When did Booster ever have a popped collar? Why is he thinking about that? How bizarre…

“I’m going to need some supplies—“ Ted begins to say.

“I’ll get them,” Michelle answers, getting to her feet.

“Do you need me to tell you what we need?” Ted asks as she leaves the room.

“I’ve got a good handle on what we’re going to need, Ted,” she replies before disappearing out into the rest of the lab.

Ted’s at a loss for words by the time Michelle gets back and they get to work taking care of the immediate stuff. A neck brace, ankle bandaged and up, a few scrapes closed up, a few scrapes stitched up. Cutting off the tethers of Booster’s ruined suit, the works.

It’s no Doomsday fight — which, Ted reminds himself, they weren’t there for, were they? — but this Black Beetle really did a number in a short amount of time.

It almost makes Ted question how badly he would be looking if Booster hadn’t shown up at the right time and place. He’s not sure he would like the answer, especially after Michelle’s commentary about funerals.

“That’s the most immediate stuff,” Ted says, spooling leftover suture. “But, uh, if I still know Booster—“

“You do,” Michelle says almost fondly.

“Right,” Ted answers awkwardly before coughing into his fist and looking back at her. “Well, he’s going to have a lot of complaints if his nose is crooked when he wakes up.”

Michelle throws her head back and laughs. “Oh, yeah. Definitely.”

Ted waves to Booster’s face. “You want the honors?”

“Please,” Michelle continues laughing, shaking her head. “I am but a lowly twin sister. I mess that up and it will never be forgiven. I’ll hear about it forever.”

“What, and I won’t?” Ted asks, already changing out his dirty gloves for a new set.

“He’s going to be so happy to see you when he wakes up that I think you could probably get away with a lot more than a crooked nose,” Michelle says warmly.

Slowly, Ted frowns as he examines his gloves. So many variables. More every minute. But they’re beginning to get distracting.

Almost as distracting as the fact that he hasn’t talked to his best friend in years, and the first day they’re back in each other’s orbit, everything goes to hell in a handbasket and Ted almost has to watch Booster die.

Some things just can’t be ignored any further.

“Listen, I’m playing along with this because, even if I’ve not been in a suit myself for a while, I’m familiar with how this hero game goes,” Ted says lowly. “Prioritize then summarize. I’m not even expecting to walk away today knowing half the stuff I probably need to. But I think… I think I need to know something that’s going on. Because I almost watched my best friend die today, and that only happened because I was almost killed.”

Michelle stares at him for a moment, looking genuinely sympathetic. “I’ll be honest, Ted,” she says, finding a seat on the coffee table just behind him, “I’m not sure what I can say and what I can’t. Booster and I were trying to figure that out already before… Well, before all of this happened and left us ungrounded.”

Ted furrowed his brow. “So, what? Just trying to figure out if It’s worth telling me the sister I went to a funeral for was actually alive? That there was a reason I haven’t heard a peep in years? That he has a kid — and, by the by, Jesus Booster has a kid?”

“Hey! It’s all a lot more complicated than just not telling you things,” Michelle argues.

“You told me you went to my funeral,” Ted points out. “I’d like that implication ironed out. Please and thanks.”

Michelle blinks in surprise, putting a hand to her chest. “Oh. Did I say that? That is… almost exactly the thing that Mikey would have preferred to put on the back burner.”

“Oh, great,” Ted sarcastically spits back. “That’s good to know.”

“No! I mean. Oh, shoot, I’m…” Michelle takes a breath and pinches her nose. “Dammit, Carter temper!” She then looks at Ted apologetically. “What I’m trying to say is, first off, I’m sorry if I’ve been. Um. Short with you. It’s just that… Michael’s literally the last person I have left who’s family. Hell, who’s known I’ve been alive for the past few years. With Rip gone and Rani still so young… All I’ve got is Michael. And he’s being…”

“Booster,” Ted offers.

“Exactly,” she yells, throwing her hands up. “Idiot! He’s got all this shit he’s in charge of and all these people counting on him and he goes up against Black Beetle with his force field projected onto someone else.”

Ted flinches at that. “Me.”

“Well, yeah,” Michelle groans, rubbing her face. “Big dummy. Big idiot. God. I hate how stupid he is sometimes.”

“Yeah,” Ted utters, glancing back at Booster. “Well. He saved me with it this time. And most of the other times it involved pranks I initiated. And I guess he’s the dumbest when it comes to having a big heart about stuff. Maybe. Actually some of the things with making money, we were also pretty dumb about. But in general, it’s the big-hearted stuff.”

He trails off in thought, realizing his grin is one he hasn’t worn in quite a while. His ears heat up, no doubt turning an awful shade of red, and Ted ducks his head slightly as if it would help.

When he feels the weight of Michelle’s gaze, Ted can’t help but look her way. He sees a bit of hesitation in her face and she tucks strands of blonde hair behind her ears carefully.

“This is going to sound like I’m putting off answering any of your questions,” she admits slowly. “I promise I’ll answer what I can, but to get a proper frame of where to start, I need to ask you something that seems probably obvious to you. Something I bet Michael’s never going to get the nerve to ask.”

“Oh, okay,” Ted answers, feeling a catch in the rhythm of his heart yet again. He’s not certain he’s ready for this.

And he certainly isn’t prepared when he hears her ask, “Can you tell me exactly what it was that you and Michael had a falling out about?”

Ted blinks, frankly surprised. For some ungodly reason, he has been stressing about a much more intimate question.

This seems both easier and harder.

“It’s kind of a misnomer to call it a falling out exactly,” Ted admits, a little more reluctant than he expected of himself. “We didn’t fall out, we had just this period of, well, not clicking. Which is weird. Because it’s us.”

Michelle nods in a way that might seem like she understands what us can entail. But Ted feels, coldly down to his core, that even if she’s Booster’s twin sister there’s certainly no way she can understand this feeling he means. There’s not anyone Ted thinks can fully comprehend what he’s talking about with him and Booster.

For a long time, he liked to think that Booster understood.

But years of silence has made Ted begin to think it could very well just be on his side after all.

No one gets it.

“It started out with just little things, not meshing,” Ted continues. “And I was… well, I started getting more irritable. Everyone says so, I didn’t think so at the time. Maybe I did. I was having a hard time and Booster is usually so good at getting what I’m feeling and he just wasn’t. And after a while, I moved cities. Lost my company to corporate espionage. Went into cardiac arrest.” Ted can’t help the flare-up of anger he feels as he adds, “Booster never checked in. I didn’t bother reaching back out.”

In response, Michelle looks positively horrified. “When did this all happen?” she asks quickly.

Ted raises a brow in her direction. “I don’t know. Two years ago? Little more?”

She bites onto one of her fingers and turns her head, holding something back with all her might. Then she gazes back at Ted, apologetically. “I… I think there’s been a misunderstanding in all of this,” she admits. “Because Mikey… God he would never miss being there for you again.”

Squinting, Ted can’t tell how much he’s being played anymore. “Again?” he presses.

“Dammit!” Michelle grabs her hair and pulls. In her frustration, Ted thinks she couldn’t look any more like her twin if she tried. “I hate keeping track of this time travel shenanigans! I hate it! I don’t have a knack for it like Michael.”

“Calm down,” Ted tries to say evenly and politely. “I’m sure there is something else going on. Hell, I know there has to be because… look where we are… look who we are. That’s what I’d like to get to the business of, honestly, because this is making my head spin and I’m worried more and more each second you’re letting me fill in my own blanks.”

Michelle inhales sharply and closes her eyes. After a few moments of furrowed brows and mixed expressions, she nods her head and looks at Ted. “Look, honestly, I want Michael to be the final word on what is shared and what’s not. But you’re almost being assassinated by time travelers, and you met Rani, and you know I’m alive, and Michael — allegedly — spills his guts any time he’s around a fifth and you, so… Here we go.”

Easing back into a more comfortable position, Ted tilts his head and looks at Michelle expectantly. “Here we go,” he agrees.

“Well, we work… kind of like Time Cops,” Michelle announces in wind up.

Which is already enough to make Ted take pause.

“I’m sorry, did you say Time Cops?” Ted asks critically. “What does that even mean?”

“Well, the time stream has important moments that can’t be changed… but sometimes they get fuzzy, or moments leading up to them get weakened, and people who can manipulate the time stream can abuse those moments to alter history as we know it,” Michelle explains. “Rip Hunter, who discovered the time stream and invented time travel as we know and understand it now, has Mikey go-to moments in time where he’s needed and repair them. Sometimes they make sense and sometimes they don’t, but each moment is important and Mikey — sometimes with my help — goes in, makes sure things happen like they’re supposed to, and comes back. Hopefully with being seen, heard, or felt as little as possible. But sometimes it means punching people. I haven’t figured out which kind of intervention he prefers yet, really. It depends on the day.”

Ted blinks a few times, looks to his unconscious friend, then back to Michelle.

“We’re talking about Booster, right?”

For a brief moment, a flash of protective fury crosses Michelle’s face. She tempers it quickly, though and smirks to herself. “Yeah… well, people rise to the expectations you give them sometimes, you know?” She looks fondly toward her brother. “Rip gave him that chance. Gave it to me, too. Saved me from my death and, through a loophole, made it less of a second chance and more of an opportunity to be someone I was always meant to be.”

Searching Michelle’s forlorn expression, Ted takes a breath and nods slowly. “Yeah,” he agrees softly. “Honestly, yeah. You guys always were great — naturals at this whole hero thing. From the start. Even being thrown off the same way I would if you put me back at the Revolutionary War, I guess. But… I knew Booster was capable of being greater than any of us,” Ted clarifies. “It’s just… last time I saw him, he wasn’t exactly taking those steps.” He frowns and looks off, a bit red in the ears again. “Maybe it was because of me. Maybe he couldn’t take them while we were being goofballs.”

“No, that’s not it at all,” Michelle says, approaching Ted and gently placing her hands on his shoulders. “Ted, he only did any of this from the beginning because of you. Because… Because the time stream is shifted and some of the things we’ll tell you for the next while aren’t going to make any sense with what you know is true, but… our time now is different than the one Michael and I still remember. There was a huge event, a huge change that we couldn’t do anything about, and some of it is still not figured out. But one of the biggest changes is that these few years of you two being apart… for us, it wasn’t some falling out or misunderstanding left on the back burner.”

And, suddenly, it all begins to click into place.

He turns and looks at Michelle with widened, horrified eyes.

“You’re saying I’m supposed to be dead now?” he asks her critically. “That that’s the reason I’ve not seen him?”

“No! Yes! I mean, hold on,” Michelle shakes her head. “Yes, that’s where the confusion is, but… no. No, we don’t think you’re supposed to be dead. You were and now you’re not, and maybe this is how things are meant to be but before they weren’t.”

“This is not comforting at all,” Ted heaves, feeling like he can’t get any air all of the sudden. His heart is racing. “Wait, that assassin… is he trying to kill me because I’m supposed to be dead? Was it the heart attack!? Oh, god, I faced down a lot of alien invasions over the years and if it was a heart attack that got me, I swear to god—“ He pauses and breathes. “Actually, no, okay, that’s pretty funny, Big Guy, a few points there.”

Ted thinks he’s being fairly humorous, all things considered, but when he looks to Michelle for at least a complementary laugh, all he gets is a stare that makes the rounds somewhere between sympathetic and embarrassed. Which is not the reaction he was looking for in either case.

“It’s weird knowing you’re supposed to be dead, but, trust me, it’s not as weird as you feel right now,” Michelle attempts to comfort him.

“Alright,” Ted responds, throat feeling a little dry. “I’ll have to take your words for it.” He then frowns and rubs at his chin in thought. “Okay, but that still leaves the question of this Black Beetle character. What’s his deal? Why does he want me dead? Is it because of the time stream shenanigans you mentioned?”

Michelle frowns and runs a hand through her hair. “Black Beetle is a weird one to explain. He’s… Michael’s been dealing with him for quite a while now, but there’s not a whole lot we know about him. He claims he’s from the twenty-seventh century and he claims there’s something particular about the Blue Beetle legacy he hates. But I never made sense of it.” She shrugs. “Honestly, I can’t fill you in on most of that stuff. It was mostly before I was back on the scene. That’s all Mikey and,” her mouth twitches a bit, uncomfortable and sad, “and Rip.”

“Rip Hunter,” Ted clarifies. “If he’s basically your and Booster’s boss, and this is his lab, where’s he hiding at?”

The very mention of Rip has left Michelle paled, but by the end of Ted’s question, she looks positively heartsick.

It’s almost enough to make Ted regret bringing it up.

“We don’t know,” Michelle admits quietly. “Most of our time for the past year has been split between patching up messes in the time stream and looking for him. But, honestly, with all his secrets, we don’t even know where to start looking for him. It’s like the new universe opened up and swallowed him whole. He’s just gone.”

“So, what, he never existed?” Ted asks. The concept of someone being swallowed up by time and space is enough to make any lesser man stare at a spot on the wall for a few hours in existential horror, but Ted has the pressing concerns of catching up with his best friend’s not-dead sister and dealing with time-traveling assassins to helpfully distract him.

“Well, Michael doesn’t think so,” Michelle says, sounding rather unsure of herself. “At least not yet. He says we would have a harder time remembering him by now if that’s the case. But… Rip’s been a part of our lives for a long time now. He’s… he’s family. It’s hard to think of anything keeping him away like this without any signs.” She pauses. Her finger daintily taps on her bottom lip. “Hm. But he… or someone, at least, gave us a clue of some kind. It’s what got Rani on her little adventure to find you, Ted.”

“Okay, I guess that sounds promising for Rip,” Ted says, though it honestly doesn’t sound like anything to his ears if he’s being honest with himself. “But what about this Rani girl?” Ted asks.

Michelle’s entire demeanor softens. “Rani is… Well, at this point, she’s an anomaly. Michael saved her from a planet which was destroyed and, well, she wasn’t supposed to be. There weren’t any survivors, according to records. She’s one of us, now.”

Ted stares at Michelle in partial horror. “What? Is that… how… Wow.” He scratches his head before continuing, “So Booster’s basically a dad now.”

“Well,” Michelle pauses and then nods reluctantly. “Actually, yes. In a way it kind of. Fell onto him. But he lives up to it beautifully.”

There’s a gasp that Ted can’t retain, despite himself. “He pulled a Batman.”

“Yes,” Michelle agrees.

“S’dop dalkin’ aboud me.”

The words catch Ted so off guard, he nearly jumps to his feet from the floor. For her part, Michelle does jump to her feet.

Booster’s eyes are still closed and he looks positively miserable even then, but there’s an unmistakable control of his breath and a blush of red in his face. He shifts, slightly and painfully, as if beginning to adjust himself before realizing it’s a very poor idea.

After he settles again, Booster’s lids lift up just slightly and he lets out a sigh.

“Seriouthly,” he slurs through a heavily blocked nose, “I’m right here.”

“Mikey! You’re okay!” Michelle yells out with relief.

“D’at’s a sd’re’dch,” Booster continues with a low moan. “I d’ink I go’d hi’d by a d’ruck.”

“Close,” Ted joked, settling back into a haunched position close to the couch. “You kind of hit the Bug. A few times.”

Immediately, Booster’s eyes flicker open and he locks in on Ted’s direction like a honing rocket. His expression is difficult to make out, a flurry of different emotions flooding across all at once. “Ted,” he manages to say carefully enough it’s clear even with his nose in the way.

“Hey,” Ted says back, mouth feeling strangely dry. He tries to think of something more serious to say but all he can manage is, “Sorry I couldn’t reset your nose while you were asleep. I was too busy taking selfies with you while I still had the better face.”

“You always had… d’e be’dder face,” Booster manages with a crinkle of a smile on his swollen lips.

Ted smirks and shakes his head just slightly. “Liar.” He feels the uncomfortable warmth rise up to his face and ears yet again and turns his head slightly to avoid Booster’s gaze just for a moment. But not too long. “Guess it’s kind of cheating to claim best looks after you take a few assassination attempt hits for me just beforehand. Very unsportsmanlike.”

“Very,” Booster says breathily. Annoyance flashes through his eyes for a moment. “Wha’d abou’d my nose?”

“That’s my cue to let you take the brunt of this one, Blue Beetle!” Michelle declares, walking up to the side of her brother and leaning over to affectionately pat his cheek. “Have fun, bro.”

Booster takes his eyes off of Ted for the first time since they opened and and regards Michelle carefully. “Rani?”

“Scared. Fine, safe. Scared,” Michelle recites easily. “I’m going to go check on her and Skeets.”

“D’anks,” Booster mutters as Michelle passes.

It leaves them alone in the room together, and Ted realizes he has wasted a lot of potential questions and conversation starters already and isn’t sure where to go next.

Which helps when Booster chimes in with, “Are you hur’d?”

Baffled, Ted looks at him. “Heard? I don’t know can you hear me?”

“No, I mean…” Booster huffs a short laugh. “Asshole.”

“Of course I’m not hurt, you protected me instead of yourself, nitwit,” Ted says. His hand moves without him thinking, like it’s possessed, and takes hold of Booster’s normally soft and perfect hair. It’s not perfect after a beating, but still soft. He teases it a bit, shaking Booster’s head just enough to make a point without testing his no doubt sore neck. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“‘Course I did,” Booster says easily enough. “Didn’d feel like… losing you…”

“I didn’t want to lose you again either,” Ted says pointedly. “Imagine how I feel now.”

Booster’s eyes sharpened, a little more lucid and serious. “You never lose me.”

“What? You got all the timelines down to a science, Time Cop?” Ted asks. When he sees the brief flash of shock, he realizes that Booster wasn’t awake for nearly as much of Ted and Michelle’s conversation as he thought. “Your sister shared. Just a bit. Still super confusing, though.”

“Dammit ‘Chel,” Booster groans. “Now go’dda kill you.”

“Nope,” Ted says, leaning over, “not letting that happen either. Not even for your nemesis with the very lame copyright infringement.”

“So lame,” Booster agrees, breath a little stilted. He begins to move his head closer but flinches back as his neck strains. “Dangerous, d’ough.”

“I get that,” Ted says. His mouth seems to be the only thing capable of movement. He’s not sure why, but his heart is irregular again, but not in the way that makes him concerned. It’s something, well, a lot more juvenile.

His mouth is still dry so he tries to lick his lips before continuing.

“Listen, Booster,” he says slowly, “I’m going to fix your nose.”

“Oh, good,” Booster says lightly.

“But it’s going to hurt like a you know what and… I kind of want to take care of something else before we get on to that part. Something that’s been bothering me for years. Before this weird… whatever cosmic misunderstanding there’s been between us,” Ted explains, doing his best to balance thorough detail and utter vagueness in a way that would make the Question proud.

Booster looks at him warily. “Okay?”

They stare at each other in silence. Booster is expectant and slightly nervous. Ted is certain he would have lost his lunch by now if he hadn’t given the grease bucket stuff to Rani earlier.

As soon as the awkwardness of hesitation is more than the nervousness of action, Ted launches forward and kisses the corner of Booster’s mouth.

He can feel the touch of their lips, the slight five o’clock shadow forming the outline of Booster’s mouth. He tries to mind Booster’s bruises and aches, but the rush of adrenaline presses Ted’s lips hard into the other man’s skin. It could, after all, be the very last time he even has the opportunity to do this.

When he pulls back with the thrust of a man breaking through water to the air again, Ted feels like he could pass out. He looks, horrified at himself, toward Booster and sees a surprised expression, too.

Booster blinks multiple times before, against Ted’s grunts of disagreement, shifting to push up on his elbows and lift his torso off the couch.

None of this, especially the lack of words, is helping Ted wonder if he can throw up the day before’s lunch in today’s stead.

“Wow,” Booster finally says. “I wan’d my nose fixed.”

Ted feels like he can crawl into a hole and die. “Okay.”

“Bu’d,” Booster huffs, looking at Ted deeply, “firs’d, you go’dda no’d miss.”

For a moment, the comment doesn’t register. Either because Ted is emotionally comatose in the aftermath of his big leap of faith, or because the dulled words Booster has to use with his blocked nose are distracting. Either way, it does finally come together and make sense.

“Oh!” Ted answers. “Yeah. Whoops. Total accident, let’s redo that. I’m sure you understand. Going back and fixing time stuff.”

He leans forward and, this time doesn’t miss.

#writing #dc fic #DC: Some Times (Time and Time Again) #Ted Kord #Booster Gold #Michael Jon Carter #Blue Beetle #Boostle #Michelle Carter #Skeets

[souliebird]

[[The Subtle Grace of Gravity]]

The whole reason I started writing this series again; Jaytim Multiverse Series 

Timothy fixes the travelling device. 

The device is blinking slowly up at him, ethereal blue and white lights making it look even more exotic than it already is. Which is pretty hard given it is alien technology from another universe. 

If Timothy wasn't already so used to the concept, it would have left him in wonder. Well, even more wonder. He is pretty amazed, more so with the fact he actually managed to fix the device. He was able to fix broken alien tech from another universe, without aide.

And he can't even put it on his resume. 

He wonders if he should make a joke resume that includes all the accomplishments he can't put on his real resume or if that would be too pompous. His real resume is stunning enough as it is, he doesn't need to make himself look more arrogant.

He scraps the idea and looks back down at the device with a small smile. 

He actually did it. Jason is going to be so pleased when Timothy-

All of the joy and pride drop from Timothy’s stomach and is it is all replaced with dread.

Jason is going to be pleased that Timothy fixed the traveling device because it means he can finally leave. He's been stuck in the universe for half a year, it is time for him to move on. To go back to his travels, to his own world.  

It was why he had come to Timothy in the first place; so Timothy could fix the thing. 

The friendship, everything that had come with it, and the kisses they had shared meant nothing to Jason. He was just waiting around until Timothy could fix the traveling device. And now he has, so Jason can leave.

Timothy takes a few steps away from his workbench, away from the device.

He doesn't want Jason to leave. 

He likes Jason. He likes Jason a lot. Jason makes him laugh, makes him smile. He gets Timothy to stop being an anxious mess, even if only for a few hours. They eat all the ice-cream they buy together in one sitting and marathon bad movies Jason insists will be good. They work out together, Timothy mostly actually just watching how Jason moves, because he is so big he shouldn't be that graceful, and Jason teaches Timothy new things. They work together on Jason's patrols and Timothy loves listening to Jason tell him about cases and the people he busted that night, even if he gets squirmish.

It is nice. It's all so nice and Timothy doesn't want to give it up. It's all a cosmic fluke he got it in the first place, Jason could have gotten stuck in any number of multiverses, so Timothy can't be selfish. He can't want Jason to stay, to stay with him, to hold him at night and give him soft butterfly kisses when Timothy has had a Bad Day. 

He can't, as much as he wants to.

The dread in his stomach turns and tightens and Timothy finds himself backing up until he hits a wall, then sinking down into a crouch. Tears gather in the corner of his eyes and breathing is getting much harder. He gasps for a breath, but it feels like nothing gets down his throat. 

He’s working himself up but he can’t stop. 

He hunches over and presses forehead to his knees, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

He doesn’t want Jason to go. He wants Jason to be the person to stay. He needs someone to stay. He can’t handle anyone else leaving him.

He’s never had anyone else to leave him, not since his parents. 

He’s never let anyone in, too scared they would leave him, that he wouldn’t be good enough. He was never good enough, he could always be better. He can be better, he can be so much better, and maybe, if he was just better, Jason wouldn’t want to leave him.

What can he even offer Jason to have him stay? Nothing. He can offer nothing. All he’s done is make things harder for the vigilante. If he had just focused harder, he could have fixed the travelling device months ago, then Jason wouldn’t be stuck in this universe, having to deal with people he was trying to avoid. Which is also Timothy’s fault. Jason is off, meeting with Bruce Wayne and the Bat Family, again, because Timothy fucked up and then fucked up worse when he couldn’t handle the Bats trying to figure out the truth. His stupid threat that he honestly thought would work, all to protect Jason. But Jason didn’t need protecting, and to keep Timothy from getting locked up in Arkham, Jason had done the one thing he hadn’t wanted to do. 

He’s a mess and no wonder no one has ever cared about him. 

Jason is going to be delighted to leave. He’ll disappear into another universe and never look back. There would be no reason for him to come back. 

Timothy doesn’t mean anything to him.

Timothy has never meant anything to anyone. 

The only thing he matters for is his work. Just like it always has been. Jason having come into the picture changes nothing.

The thought grounds him, makes him completely numb, and he finally registers the beeping in his left ear. It’s low, timed in short intervals, and if Timothy could feel anything, his heart might ache. 

It’s Alpha’s breathing program, trying to get Timothy to calm, breathe in time with the beeps. The AI developed it on his own, after seeing Jason trying to help Timothy during a breakdown.

Timothy pushes his head into his knees and follows the pattern the best he can between his dying sobs. 

He feels so empty. So tired. He doesn’t want to move anymore, or even try to. He wants to stay where he is, curled up, until he can remember and reaccept his place in the world as Nothing. 

The beeping continues and suddenly the memory of sitting in a hospital bed completely alone, knowing nobody cared enough to come see how he was rushes back to him. He has always been alone.

He reaches up and slowly pulls out his aides. He hears Alpha start to protest, ask him what is wrong, but the words don’t really register. Timothy drops the aides on the ground and curls back up.

The world is quiet. The sounds of machines whirring and clanking is gone and the only thing his damaged ears can pick up is the muffled, deafening to most, thrum of the servers that line the walls of his lab and his own heart beat. 

He curled his fingers into his pants and closes his eyes. 

He doesn’t know how long he sits there, not sleeping but not awake, not aware of anything, but eventually something bumps into his leg. Timothy looks up and blinks slowly at the beachball sized metal sphere sitting in front of him. Hesitantly, he reaches up and with fingers that ache from being curled too tightly, touches Alpha. He’s not sure how the AI got out his physical form; Timothy knows it has been locked away in storage on another level. 

A projection light shines down, splaying the words ‘It is six fifteen’ across the floor in front of Timothy. It causes him to squirm in place, because he’s lost so much time and now he has to go home. 

The guards can’t leave until his does and Tim doesn’t want to keep them from going home to their family. He doesn’t want to be even more of a burden. 

He grabs his aides and pushes himself up into standing. Alpha bumps himself into Timothy’s leg, like he’s trying to offer comfort, like a dog or something, but all it does is unbalance Timothy a bit. He can’t bring himself to care or to reassure Alpha he will be alright.

Because he doesn’t know if he will be.

He doesn’t know if he ever was alright.

He follows his packing up routine, simply out of habit, then leaves the lab. Alpha rolls to a stop right in front of the door rolling after him, instead of just watching him from cameras. 

He debates putting in his aides again, but decides against it. He doesn’t want to hear anything, including Alpha worrying over him. 

And part of him hopes that maybe he won't be able to hear a truck approaching him at a high enough speed. 

He still looks both ways when crossing the street. 

Dying would cause some issue. The company has poured so much money into his research he should at least finish it and he needs to finish the upgrades to Alpha’s servers, so the AI can take up his new role as a security bot for all of  Wayne Enterprise’s buildings, because that is still a thing and he hasn’t worked on it at all. And Timothy has to tell Jason the device is fixed so that he can leave.

Maybe after all of the he can lay down and just stop. 

He’s so tired. 

No one cares.

No one needs him, beyond his work, but he knows his mind isn’t anything special. The world is full of Bruce Waynes and Ted Kords. They probably could have fixed the travelling device quicker than Timothy ever could have. 

They probably could have completely built a new, better one in the time it took Timothy to figure out what was wrong in the first place. 

He slumps up the steps of his building, telling himself he doesn’t deserve to take the elevator. Elevator is for people who have places to be, things to do. 

Timothy just wants to lay in his bed and not move.

The door to his apartment is open and waiting for him. The air is icy cold, turned down to the lowest setting, making a shiver go up his spine. 

Alpha is making things easy as possible for him, trying to give him what he thinks he needs. Timothy likes the cold, likes to get under all his blankets. 

Alpha is trying to help.

Because he is programmed that way. It has nothing to do with caring.

Timothy mumbles out a thank you anyways and shuffles to his bedroom. He drops everything onto the floor,  kicks off his shoes, and falls face first into bed. After a long while, minutes, hours, eons, he doesn’t know, he pushes himself up so he’s properly on the bed and crawls under his blankets. It is warm and he feels confined and small and it is comforting in a way that only being wrapped up in blankets can be. 

But it’s not enough and he feels empty. 

He wants to go back to half sleep, to lose himself to not thinking about how worthless he is and how no one will notice if he dies once Jason is gone. He can reprogram Alpha, make him forget Timothy Jackson Drake ever existed. Let him do what he was designed to do, not act as a caregiver. It will be better like that. 

He's thought about it before, about dying and disappearing, but he's not felt it this intensely in such a long time. Part of his mind tells him to get help, but from who? There is no one, only Jason, and telling him ‘the thought of you leaving makes me want to die’ is manipulative and Timothy is not going to play that.

Jason is too good of a person to do that to, even if Timothy knows Jason doesn't think he's a good person. 

Jason is the best person Timothy knows.

It hurts to think of him, so Timothy tells himself he won't. He curls in on himself and starts mentally reciting equations to keep himself from thinking of Jason.

It works until his bed suddenly dips with an added weight and Jason is sitting beside him, looking down in concern. 

Jason reaches out for him and Timothy doesn't know how to react so he doesn't. Jason takes the non action as permission, cups his cheek, rubbing his thumb over the skin there soothingly. He's talking, saying words that sound too far away and muffled for Timothy to hear and Timothy can't seem to process the shapes his lips are making.

Jason looks up to the ceiling. Alpha must be telling him something, but Jason nods along, then looks back to Timothy. His eyes are softer. He looks sad. Timothy can't understand why Jason would be sad.

Jason says more things, but Timothy just stares up at him, taking in all the little features of his face. He has a scar on his lip. It's faded. Timothy wants to touch it, but his body can't seem to move. 

Until Jason starts to pull away from him.

Hot panic surges through him and Timothy’s hand jump up and he clings to Jason's wrist, holding him as tightly as he possibly can. He pushes his face into Jason's palm and closes his eyes. 

He doesn't want Jason to go. Not now, not ever, he needs him to stay.  He needs Jason so much. He cares about him so much.

He might love him but Timothy doesn't know what love feels like. But he thinks, maybe, it might be close to what he feels for Jason and he just needs Jason to stay touching him, just so Timothy can pretend, for a moment, his feelings are returned.

Jason taps his fingers against Timothy's cheek and he manages to open his eyes, to look up at the other man. Jason says something, something soft by his expression, but Timothy can't understand. His brain isn't processing.

Jason seems to understand. He brings his other hand up into Timothy’s line of sight and begins to finger spell in ASL. 

It's hard. It's harder than it should be, but Timothy slowly comprehends what Jason is telling him.

‘I am staying.’

He's staying. He's not leaving Timothy. At least not now, but he will, soon, when he can finally be told the truth. Timothy squeezes the wrist in his hand, the panic and dread of the idea of Jason being gone for good filling him again. Maybe if he just holds on tightly enough, Jason will not move away, he'll keep touching Timothy, let him soak up the feeling of being cared for, even if it isn’t Real. 

Jason's thumb rubs over Timothy’s cheek again and he starts to move around, all while keeping his hand in place. Timothy watches, confused and lost, as Jason lays himself down beside Timothy, before dragging Timothy to his chest. 

Timothy greedily curls against him, pushing flush against him and tucking his head under Jason's chin.

This. This is what he wants. This is what he doesn't want to lose. 

This is still a new feeling for Timothy, even if it's been weeks since it first happened. Laying in bed with someone, being held. Being made to feel so small and protected and cared for. It is all an illusion, Timothy knows that, but it is so so nice. He closes his eyes and relaxes into the hold.

Jason's arm is around him, rubbing soothing little circles into his back, while his other hand still touches Timothy’s face. It must be uncomfortable, but Jason isn't protesting. Or Timothy can't hear him protesting. He can feel Jason’s lips moving against the top of his head, saying words Timothy can't understand. Timothy wonders if Jason knows he can't hear or not. Alpha would have told him.

Maybe he's talking for his own benefit.

Timothy doesn't know, doesn't care at the moment. He finally, finally feels somewhat warm now that Jason is wrapped up around him. He feels like he will be okay.

His own hand goes up, slowly, unsure, and he tries to grasp at the front of Jason's shirt. His breath hitches when there is nothing to grab onto. There's no give to the fabric.

His eyes crack open and he looks down Jason's chest. He's met with Red Hood’s armor. Jason doesn't look like he undressed at all beyond taking off his helmet and domino. Timothy lifts his head just slightly, to peer down all of Jason's body; gun holsters are strapped to his thighs and his boots are still on. 

Timothy makes a soft questioning noise, confused because Jason always takes off his boots right as he comes inside. He makes a fuss about tracking blood and dirt everywhere, but now those boots are on Timothy’s bed and he doesn't understand.

He's tugged back, so he is once again tucked under Jason. The arm around him tightens and words are breathed against his temple. They feel soft. 

He closes his eyes again and clings the best he can to Jason.  

Jason is here. He's here and he's going to stay, at least for the moment. It's all Timothy can ask for.

It calms him, Jason's presence, enough that his body readily drifts into the thoughtless half sleep, then quickly into a full sleep.

#jaytim #soulie writes #fanfiction #multiverse series #heres the Angst

[spaztronautwriter]

The Proposal: Ch. 5 (an Olicity fic)

Summary: When Felicity Smoak finds herself in a bind, she enlists the help of her assistant Oliver Dearden to help her keep her from being deported and losing her job. The problem is, in order to do so, they kind of have to get married…

A/N: I feel like I should point out that I’m sort of using this fic as a motivator to write/post more often, and I’m not putting as much effort or editing into it as I normally would. So if the chapter lengths and the pacing seems all over the place or you notice a lot of mistakes, that’s why. Hopefully this chapter’s alright, though. It’s longer than last week’s at least.

Read Chapter: One | Two | Three | Four | Five

Read on AO3

###

By the time the town car pulled up outside the Queen’s mansion, Felicity was exhausted. Both physically and emotionally. She took in the huge, stone estate with an unseeing eye. Oh, she saw the perfectly manicured lawns, surrounded by gardens and lovely wooded areas. Saw, with some amount of awe, the impressive, almost castle-like structure before her, but it was fleeting. Her only substantial thought was which of the many windows belonged to her room.

She’d never been a fan of flying to begin with—it always seemed to leave her groggy—but the flight mixed with the stress of finding out Oliver had been lying to her for years… All she wanted was to crawl under the blankets and stay there for the next forty-eight hours. Oh, but of course she couldn’t! Because she was about to go inside the actual castle that was his childhood home and meet his family for the first time to announce their engagement.

What the hell had she been thinking?!

What the hell had he been thinking when he’d agreed to this stupid plan?!

The driver came around back to open the door for them and Thea gracefully slid out of the back seat. Oliver leaned over, ducking his head a little to address his sister.

“Can you give us a minute, Thea?”

Thea smirked, tilting her head to look past him and directly at Felicity. “Not changing your mind, are you?”

Little did the girl know that that was exactly the question Felicity needed to answer. Was this—Oliver’s parentage—going to derail this plan of her’s? Was it easier to just call it quits now or should see stick it out, despite all of her doubts?

The answer would largely depend on Oliver’s explanation.

“We’ll be right in,” Oliver assured her. He nodded once at the driver, who politely shut the door, giving them a moment of privacy.

As soon as they were alone she turned on him. “What the hell, Oliver?” she hissed, slapping the back of her hand into his bicep.

“Ow.” He glared, making a show out of rubbing his arm. “I’m sorry, alright?”

“Why didn’t you at least warn me?” she demanded.

“I meant to tell you on the plane, but you wanted to go over the project budget again. And then I was going to tell you on the way here, but Thea ambushed us at the airport.”

“Those sound like excuses.” Felicity narrowed her eyes. “You’ve worked for me for how long? You could have mentioned it at some point.”

“It never came up,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve been avoiding my past for years and I’ve done a pretty good job of it up until now.” Blowing out a breath, he leaned back into the plush leather seating of the town car. “I like my life now. I like my job. I really didn’t want to lose it because of my family’s business.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to stem a headache. She really needed a nap. “You wouldn’t have lost your job, Oliver.”

He crossed his arms in front of his chest, tilting his head challengingly. “Tell me, honestly, that the board would be okay with your executive assistant being the son of Robert Queen.”

Felicity sighed. He was right. If there was one thing the Palmer Tech board of investors wasn’t known for it was being understanding. They’d have fired him in a heartbeat, or worse, made her do it.

“Yeah, well,” she said, shaking her head, “they’re going to be even less thrilled when it turns out their Vice President is Robert Queen’s daughter-in-law.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think anyone would ever have to know. I wasn’t prepared for my boss to volunteer me for marriage.” She leveled him with a look that had his shoulders slumping. “Look, we can still keep this between us. My parents aren’t exactly bragging to their friends about my position at Palmer Tech. They’ll keep our marriage quiet as long as we do.”

Felicity took a long, deep breath. That could work. Oliver was clearly estranged from his family, and it wasn’t like it was illegal to work for your father’s competitor. Maybe she was making way too big a deal about this. It would be fine. They’d spend a quiet weekend with the Queens celebrating Thea’s birthday. She’d keep out of the public eye while she was here and they’d head back to Central City on Sunday to get married by a justice of the peace.

It would be fine.

“Okay,” she said, feeling calmer now that they’d talked. “I guess we need to go inside now, huh?”

Oliver smiled. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure Thea will come looking for us soon if we don’t.”

Felicity bit her lip, looking back towards the mansion. “I wish I could take a nap first.”

“Me, too,” he sighed, opening the door. “But if we get it over with now it’ll be easier. Like ripping off a band aid.”

Felicity groaned, but allowed him to help her from the car. The mansion really was lovely and under any other circumstance she’d probably love to spend a quiet weekend here. Swinging open the solid oak door, Oliver led them into a large foyer. She took in the marble floors and the staircases—one on each side of the entrance, twisting up to the second floor. It looked more like a hotel than a home.

A woman in a housekeeper’s uniform entered the room, her face splitting into a large grin when she saw them. Or, saw Oliver, more accurately. “Mr. Oliver!” she exclaimed, rushing over to give him a hug.

Oliver laughed, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s good to see you, Raisa.”

“It’s been too long. You should come home more often,” she clucked.

He smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek before pulling back. “Where is everyone?”

“They’re in the sitting room, waiting for you.” Finally she turned to Felicity, her eye appraising, though not unkind. “Who is your friend, Oliver?”

“This is Felicity,” he replied, his hand belatedly shooting to the small of her back. “My fiancée.”

Felicity’s hands twitched at the title, but she managed to put on her best smile. Raisa’s eyes widened as she looked back and forth between them, eventually settling on Felicity.

“Another reason he should come home more often,” she teased, reaching for Felicity’s hands. She took them both in hers, squeezing affectionately. “It is nice to meet you, Ms. Felicity.”

“You, too,” she said, her nerves lessening just a touch at the warm reception.

“Oliver, sweetheart?”

Felicity turned to see a woman coming from a room to the right. She was somehow both charming and intimidating with her honeyed voice and glowing smile.

“Thea said you brought a friend,” she said, pulling him in for a hug and kissing his cheek, before turning to Felicity. “I’m Moira Queen.”

“Mom,” Oliver said. “This is Felicity Smoak.”

“Hi,” Felicity said, trying to remember the last time she’d met someone’s parents. Had she been this nervous then? “Oliver’s told me so much about you.”

At least, he’d mentioned quite a few times how overbearing his mother could be. That counted, right?

Moira smiled politely, if not as warmly as she had at her son. “Everyone’s in the sitting room. Why don’t we head in so you can say hello?”

Oliver took her hand, nearly startling her, but she was glad for the support as they walked into the sitting room. There weren’t many people waiting. Just Thea sitting on the sofa with an older man that Felicity recognized immediately as Robert Queen, and a younger man with dark hair and a wide smile standing beside them.

“Ollie,” the younger man crowed, rushing over to embrace Oliver. Felicity had to quickly step back to avoid getting in the way. “It’s been too long.”

“Tommy,” Oliver laughed, patting the man on the back. “You were in Central City, like, two months ago.”

“Yes, I was,” he agreed, his eyes skating over Felicity as he pulled back. “So why wasn’t I introduced to your enchanting friend here?”

Oliver shook his head. “This is Felicity Smoak. Felicity, this is my best friend, Tommy Merlyn.”

Tommy grinned, his eyes playfully raking her figure. “Now I understand why he refuses to leave Central City.”

It was a cheesy line, but something about Tommy’s overdone charm set Felicity at ease and the last vestiges of nerves faded. “Now I understand why he never introduced us,” she said with a smirk.

Tommy grinned in delight, probably unused to women not falling for his charms.

“I’m Robert Queen,” the older man said, standing from the sofa. He approached with a grin, reaching out to shake her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Ms. Smoak. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Oh,” Felicity said, shooting Oliver a teasing smile. “All good things I hope.”

She hadn’t forgotten what he’d said about her to his sister. Masochistic dictator, she believed was the term. She wasn’t about to let him live that down.

“From colleagues,” Robert corrected. “You’ve been doing excellent work at Palmer Tech. Ted Kord speaks highly of you.”

“Oh.” She tried to temper her blush, but it was nearly impossible. Robert Queen was a giant in the industry and he’d heard of her. She just hoped she wasn’t grinning like a total dork.

“So what brings you to Starling?” he asked. “Is it too much to hope you’re in the market for a new job?”

Over Robert’s shoulder, Thea smirked, settling into the couch to watch the show. Moira stepped over, smiling as she wrapped her fingers around Robert’s arm, her wedding ring glistening in the light from the windows. Felicity’s nerves fluttered back to life.

Oliver took a deep breath, holding it for a moment before he said, “Mom, Dad. We have some news.”

Moira’s smile tightened. Tommy’s head cocked to the side. Clearly Thea hadn’t spilled the beans. It probably would have been easier if she had.

“We’re…” Oliver paused, looking down at her. All of her fears and anxiety were reflecting back at her from his eyes, and she reached out instinctively, taking his hand. His lips twitched, the ghost of a smile pulling them up at the corners, before he looked back at his parents. “We’re getting married.”

Robert huffed, but smiled. It was… not exactly happy, but it wasn’t unhappy either. Felicity didn’t quite know how to judge what the older man was feeling. “I suppose that's the best news we could have hoped for,” he said, clapping his son on the back.

Oliver smiled stiffly at his father’s vaguely insulting form of congratulations, then turned to his mother. Felicity had little problem determining what she was feeling. Moira looked deflated, her shoulders slumped, her smile thin.

“Congratulations,” she said, her tone too polite to be genuine. Not that Felicity needed anyone to feel happy about this marriage. She herself wasn’t very happy about it, but Oliver’s stiff posture and weak smile made her wish his parents could at least pretend to be happy for him. After all, they didn’t know the marriage was a ruse.

“Well,” Thea said, hopping up from the sofa, “I, for one, could not be happier. We could use another woman around here.”

“Congratulations, buddy,” Tommy said, slapping Oliver on the back, before turning to Felicity and sweeping her into a hug. She was almost startled by the fervor of his embrace, but she was glad to know she’d been right in her assessment of him. He was good people, and a good friend. When he pulled back he went on, cutting through the awkward tension in the air, “So how’d you meet? How’d he propose? Tell us everything.”

Robert and Moira stepped back, murmuring to one another. It made Felicity nervous, but she was quickly distracted when Thea stepped up beside Tommy, waiting for her to tell the story of how she and Oliver met. The two of them looked so much alike—both with their dark features and eager smiles—that they could be siblings.

After a quick glance at Oliver, Felicity explained that they worked together at Palmer Tech. Oliver chimed in, telling them the same story they’d told the man from Immigration. They’d met at work, fallen in love, and he’d proposed.

“That’s it?” Tommy asked, sounding personally offended that they didn’t have a more interesting story. “You just… asked her?”

Oliver laughed. “How else would you suggest?”

“You have to be romantic!” Thea exclaimed. “Take her to a nice restaurant and have them hide the ring in the dessert!”

“Or the champagne glass,” Tommy added.

“It was fine,” Felicity said, laughing off their suggestions.

Thea rolled her eyes. “Fine is not how you should describe your proposal.”

“Remind me not to come to you guys for suggestions when it’s my turn,” Tommy said.

Thea’s eyes dipped briefly to Felicity’s hand. “So where’s the ring? I noticed you didn’t have one” —she glanced at Oliver— “and you didn’t ask Mom for Grandma’s so…?”

“It was kind of spur of the moment,” Oliver said with a shrug.

“But you said you proposed in March! You still haven’t gotten her a ring?”

Oliver opened his mouth, then closed it, and glanced down at Felicity for help, just as Moira stepped back into the room, followed by Raisa with a tray of champagne flutes. Felicity hadn’t even realized that Moira had left.

“We’ll make sure she has a ring befitting of a Queen,” she said, handing both Oliver and Felicity flutes, before taking one for herself.

Robert raised his glass in the air once everyone had one. “To Oliver and Felicity,” was all he said, before taking a sip.

It was, without a doubt, one of the most awkward situations Felicity had ever gotten herself into, and that was saying something. If it weren’t for Thea and Tommy she’d seriously be considering deportation as the preferable option.

No sooner had she thought that, then Thea grabbed a pen sitting beside a stack of books on the table and used it to clink her champagne glass.

“Kiss!”

“Thea,” Oliver sighed.

“Oh, come on, Ollie. Kiss her!”

When neither of them made a move to do as she suggested, Thea took Felicity’s arm and turned her to face Oliver. She looked up to see he was already watching her with a somber expression. He looked calm, maybe even a little amused—on the surface—but Felicity could see the tension in the way he held himself. She could see it in his eyes as they flicked over her face, measuring her reaction to his sister’s demand.

Felicity shrugged, trying to keep any reluctance she might have felt off her face. She didn’t need Oliver’s family wondering why she freaked out about a tiny kiss. And that was all it had to be, right? Just a peck on the lips.

It took everything in her to push down her nerves and shoot him a small, imploring smile. Her way of asking him to just do it. She nearly jumped when his free hand settled on her waist. He was a perfect gentleman, but his fingertips felt scalding, even through her blouse. Though, she was so worked up right now even Thea’s hand, still on her elbow, was overwhelming.

Oliver leaned forward, stopping just as his nose brushed hers. His warm breath skated over her cheek, but he left a few inches between them, waiting for her to meet him halfway. She pushed up on her toes, pressing her lips against his for a moment before pulling back.

There. That wasn’t so bad. She’d barely even felt it. Both of their lips were chapped from the flight, and, if her lips tingled just slightly where they’d brushed his, that was to be expected.

“Boo!” Tommy cried, and Felicity turned to see him grinning at them. “You call that a kiss? What happened? You used to actually have game, Ollie!”

“Yeah,” Thea agreed, and Felicity noticed that the girl had moved back over by Tommy at some point without her noticing. “That was weak. Give us a real kiss!”

Felicity looked back at Oliver just in time to see him roll his eyes, then he was leaning back in. It was so fast, she didn’t have time to brace herself. His arms, wrapped around her waist, not the gentle way he had before, but full on encircling her waist and tugging her into his chest. She nearly yelped, but he cut her off, his lips descending on hers and stealing her breath. There was a moment where everything stopped, and all she could do was feel. His lips, urging hers to move with them. His strong arms, banded around her back. His chest, warm and solid against hers. She melted, her back arching, free hand flying to his shirt to give her something to grab onto.

He pressed one last kiss against her lips, one she eagerly leaned into, before pulling back. Just enough to rest his nose against hers as they breathed each other’s air. Her hand tangled tighter in his shirt and braced herself to push up again, to meet his lips one more time, but a loud woot! pulled her out of the haze of Oliver’s kiss and back to his parents living room where they were pretending like that wasn’t their first kiss.

Once she was able to clear her head a little, she was pleased to note that Oliver looked just as dazed as she felt. He blinked a few times, before finally he pulled back and putting way more space between them than was probably appropriate. Not that anyone seemed to notice. Thea was actually in the middle of giving them a slow clap.

“Damn, big brother. I think you just got her pregnant.”

Oliver’s ears went bright red, and if Felicity hadn’t been so embarrassed herself, she might have laughed at him too. Instead she chugged her champagne, ignoring the way the bubbles made her want to sneeze.

“I apologize for those two,” Moira said. “Thea and Tommy can be… a bit much when they get together.”

“I can be a bit much all on my own, thank you very much.” Tommy grinned.

Moira’s lips flattened out into a thin line and she shot him an exasperated look, before turning back to Oliver. “Why don’t you bring your… fiancée… up to your room, and let her get settled in, Oliver. She probably wants to freshen up before dinner.”

The words sounded innocuous enough, but Felicity had a gut feeling that they were meant as an insult. Really, though, she’d take any excuse to get herself out of the spotlight right now, even going upstairs to Oliver’s room, so she wasn’t about to complain.

Oliver sighed in what Felicity was pretty sure was relief, turning to take her glass and set it beside his on the table. They said their goodbyes quickly, then she let him guide her from the room, one hand on the small of her back.

“Well, I like her,” she heard Tommy laugh as they made their way through the foyer to the staircase. She tried not to wonder if he was just announcing his own opinion or replying to someone else’s.

#olicity fanfiction #olicity fic #olicity au #the proposal (an olicity fic)

[writing-yj]

Blue Beetle x Reader: Finally

Anon: 25 with jaime!!! i love fake dating aus man i need one with my blue beetle boy (that isn't ted kord lol) also love your writing it's beautiful and congrats on the followers love ❤️

25: We’re supposed to look like a couple; act like it!”

I WROTE OUT THE ENTIRE THING OUT BUT I FORGOT TO USE THE PROMPT, IS IT OKAY THAT I DIDN’T USE IT? I’M REALLY REALLY SORRY.

Word Count: 1921

Warnings: Nothing, really

A/n: I’ve memorized this prompt already (even though I forgot to use it, I’m so sorry bby) I’m not adding it on the next prompt list xD It’s good to know that people love Jaime! I hope you enjoy this, m’dear!

Jaime’s hand felt warm as your fingers comfortably locked together. When it came to going undercover as a couple with your best friend, there was no reason to say no. You had no shame in showing that you were romantically interested in him; you didn’t care who knew. You weren’t entirely sure if he knew, but it wouldn’t be a problem if he did.

Unlike you, he fought tooth and nail to hide his feelings from you, but from others? They knew exactly what was going on. Almost the entire team was frustrated that you two wouldn’t get together when the attraction between you was so damn obvious. Bart regularly wants to force you two to kiss, but that was quickly shot down by Robin when he heard Bart planning it.

“So, babe, where do you want to go first?” You beamed as you cheesily used the endearing term.

“I’m not sure, babe, are you feeling hungry yet?” Jaime asked, doing the same thing, and he laughed. The strong friendship you two had made the act no problem at all. Hell, people thought you were dating on the reg anyway.

You put your head on his shoulder and his heart fluttered. “Starving, believe it or not.” 

“Oh, I believe it.” Jaime cautiously kissed your forehead. This ‘fake relationship’ came almost naturally, with some hesitation here and there.

You gasped dramatically. “Are you implying that I eat too much, Jaime? I’m so wounded!”

“You inhale food almost as often as Bart, mi amor.” Jaime rolled his eyes playfully.

His use of Spanish made you quietly giggle. “...You’re not wrong.” You admitted.

“Glad to know you agree,” Jaime scouted for a good food place along the busy street, whilst you searched for the target. No such luck, for you. He pointed to a place far down the street and said, “We’re eating over there and you have no choice, their food is the best.” He then pulled you in the direction of the restaurant with determination.

You yelped at the sudden action. “Okay, I’m coming! I’ll take your word for it!”

The small restaurant had a cozy, warm feeling to it that made you feel right at home. A wave of good-smelling food hit you the moment you came in, and your stomach growled at the same time. It was obvious that it had good food, but no one made food like Jaime’s mother could.

After ordering, Jaime picked a two-person table and pulled your chair out for you. For show, he grabbed your hand and kissed the back of it while making eye contact with you. The action made you smirk with a barely visible blush, and you sat down as gracefully as possible. What was an undercover game for you two, other random bystanders thought you were two teenagers in an unbreakable love.

“And you say I’m dramatic.” You teased as you propped your head up with your right hand. “I gotta admit Reyes, I’m a little flustered; you sure know how to make a girl feel special.” You sent a wink his way, and his blush made you snicker. You were having the time of your life on this mission.

“I-I do my best.” Jaime stuttered just a little bit. “You’re satisfied with it?”

“For now; I might need more later.” You chirped and thanked the waitress who brought you your drinks. After taking a few long sips, you continued. “But really, thanks for doing this Jaime. I can’t imagine what it would be like to date anyone else.” It was one hundred percent true, whether it be going undercover as a couple or truly being one.

Jaime was internally screaming. “No problem, (Y/n); I didn’t want to waste a good opportunity.” He was nervous as heck and tried his hardest to not trip over his words.

You raised an eyebrow and smirked. You tried to say something, but it came out as an embarrassing but love-struck giggle, and it made Jaime choke on his lemonade. He smiled, too, but not after he was done almost dying.

Bart slowly and subtly looked over the top of the newspaper he was ‘reading’ and looked at you two from a couple booths over. The plan was certainly in motion, and it was going perfectly. He heard every word, and he saw the genuine meaning behind them.

“It’s working!” Bart whispered into his comm. “They’re flirting. It’s going to happen!”

Barbara and Cass were looking through the window at a safe distance and they squealed happily. They were getting you together or someone was going to die today. “Yes, yes, yes!”

However, Bart was one of the worst whisperers in the world, and you were often renowned for your excellent hearing. While Jaime was lost in his fresh-cooked food, your head snapped over to where Bart was hiding behind a newspaper. 

Bart went pale as a sheet and he pulled the newspaper back up to completely hide his head. “I’ve been compromised! She knows.” He couldn’t just run out of there; someone would notice!

“Jaime, I’m going to the bathroom; make sure my food doesn’t get cold.” You said cheerily and he nodded. You rose from your seat casually and walked over to Bart’s booth, where Jaime wasn’t able to see.

The young speedster was quite literally shaking in his shoes when you were standing just a foot away from him. You could barely see a tuft of his red hair, but it was definitely Bart’s. You cleared your throat and inncoently asked, “Hello, uhm, sir?”

“...Yes?” Bart tried to sound masculine, but it came out as a shaky squeak. 

“May I borrow your newspaper? Just for a moment; I have to check the advice column to see if my mother’s submission was printed.”

He didn’t know if he wanted to scream or cry. “N-no, I’m reading it at the moment. It’s a really good article see, and-”

“Just give me the damn paper, Bart.” Your voice dropped to it’s normal pitch.

Bart dropped the paper and looked terrified. “I’m sorry! We were just trying to get you guys together because you guys were oblivious to see that you liked each other and neither of you are going to make a move so we wanted to help and we-” His stress over the situation came out in the speed of his talking, and he was going a mile a minute. 

“Jesus Christ, kiddo, calm down. I was going to give you a ‘thank you’ but I’d rather not add to your current and unfortunate emotional crisis; wish I could help!” 

Knowing that he wasn’t in trouble, Bart left the restaurant as soon as possible and ran at full speed to safety. That was terrifying for him; the last person who made you furious, conveniently a villain, got several bones broken.

A few moments later, you walked back over to Jaime, who was already halfway done with his meal. “It’s still warm, but I don’t think it will be for long.” He gestured to your food. “It’s really good.”

“How would you know if mine tastes good? Did you steal a bite?” You asked and narrowed your eyes.

Jaime looked up at you with a straight face. “Because we ordered the same thing, idiota.”

You put your hand on your chest and feigned a look of hurt. “Jaime! How could you say that?!” You dramatically fell back into your seat. “Were all of your loving words a lie?” It came out as a whimper as you started to solemnly eat your food.

“Why would they ever be a lie, mi amor?” Jaime reached out and grabbed your hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. It was such a loving gesture that it made your heart skip a couple beats.

“We are undercover for this... You’re a pretty good actor.” This was your chance to see if he really does like you back. 

Jaime inhaled sharply. You thought it was an act, and you looked sad about it. He hated it when you were sad. “W-Well, I uhm, I-” Jaime exhaled the breath he didn’t know he was holding and he looked down at his food. “I... I wasn’t acting, (Y/n). I meant what I said.” He was self-conscious about it, and his face was very red. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way-”

“Jaime, I have been flirting with you for months.” You interrupted him with something he was shocked to hear. “It wasn’t always friendly banter, bug-boy. I thought at least your scarab would know that.”

He hissed to his beetle, “I thought you were wrong, shut up!”

You put your hand over your mouth to muffle your laugh. So even the Scarab knew about it, but Jaime didn’t believe it. Now that you told him, he felt like an idiot for not noticing; the first thing you said when you met him was: “Well, hello there. You’re pretty cute.”

“At least one good thing came out of this mission,” He chuckled and looked out the window. “I haven’t seen anything suspicious all day.”

You grinned. “Actually, it was just a plan to get us together; I caught Bart trying to hide and watch us. I somehow scared him into confessing without even asking.” Granted, it was a smart plan, but you felt it was just a tad unnecessary.

Jaime’s embarrassed expression turned to one of annoyance. “That little-!” He stopped as he tried to find an appropriate word to describe his wicked-fast friend. “You know what, it’s fine, I have no complaints.”

“Well I’d hope not!” You picked up the fork with the hand Jaime wasn’t holding and took a bite of your relatively warm food. “Damn, you weren’t lying; this is good.”

Jaime smiled for probably the fiftieth time that day, but then his cheeks reddened greatly. “Since we, uh... Since we both feel the same way, will-” He could barely ask his intended question.

“I’d greatly appreciate it if you became my genuine boyfriend, does that sound okay?” You asked casually after swallowing your food. “I personally think that you’d be a great significant other, seeing as how today went.”

“I-I was about to ask that, actually.” He was trying to register that you wanted to be his girlfriend.

You teased him, “You seemed to be having trouble, so I helped.” He was cute when he was nervous. Well, he always is, but especially when he’s nervous. “So is that a yes?

“Of course (Y/n), how could I say no?”

Bart ran through HQ while screeching, “They’re finally dating guys! Blue and (Y/n) are together! Officially! Our plan worked!” The OTP of the group was legit at last. No one had to go through the torture of watching two teens skirting around their obvious love for each other.

The PDA wasn’t even that bad; you and Jaime kept it to a minimum, but it wasn’t a secret that he treated you like a queen. He thought you deserved nothing less than that.

I told you to court her sooner, Jaime Reyes. 

I’M SORRY THAT I FORGOT TO USE THE PROMPT, DO YOU STILL LIKE IT THO

#jaime reyes #jaime reyes x reader #jaime reyes imagine #blue beetle #blue beetle imagine #blue beetle x reader #young justice #young justice imagine #young justice x reader #young justice season 2 #prompt #prompts #300 followers special

[pyramidhead316]

Mon-El Sucks (Or how the staff at CW will bend over to please a formerly misogynistic, now self-entitled white man)

So, I’ve just heard that Supergirl will travel into the future to be with Mon-El, in the series finale.

MOTHERF*CKING CHRIST!

Jesus, is stupidity a requirement for working at The CW? This is literally the worst decision they could have done!

The reason Kara left to go to the future in the DC “Justice League” animated universe was to go be with Brainiac-5. BRAINIAC-5!!!

Who here is very much in love with Nia, and not leaving the present anytime soon, I assume. There’s no need for Kara to go to the future!

And what happened to William?! I thought Kara was supposed to fall in love with him this season! Sure, he’s not as good as Lena or Lucy, or someone like Ted Kord, if they ever let him make an appearance, but goddamn at least he’s not as bad as Mon-El!! F*ck, I can’t believe I’m actually rooting for Kara to fall in love with William here, just so we can avoid this shitshow!

Jessica Queller, I don’t know what kind of lady hard-on you have for, or if you wish you could be married to the character himself, or if you want in on Melissa and Chris’ marriage, but enough’s enough. Just because Melissa and Chris are married in real life, doesn’t mean the characters themselves have to be married in the show! Ben Browder was married to his wife all during the filming of “Farscape”, but John Crichton and Aeryn Sun remained the premiere couple all throughout the series!

Here are my full Twitter posts on it:

“Ugh, I just heard the rumor that Supergirl will go to the future to go be with Mon-El. They just can't let that piece of shit go, can they? Mon-El, who dumped his insanely hot, brilliant, sweet wife to chasing after his former girlfriend.

The whole reason Supergirl left for the future in the DC animated universe was to be with Brainiac-5. BRAINIAC-5! Who here is in love with Nia, and presumably not leaving the present. There's no reason for Supergirl to go to the future!

Good idea, Kara. Go to the future, where all your family is dead and you don't know anyone! (Except for Winn.) And it's still not Krypton! And now you have to use a time travel machine to go back and forth, in order to visit them.

I realize that Melissa and Chris are married in real life, and with a child. And I'm glad for them. (Honestly.) But the whole show doesn't have to revolve around fuckin' MON-EL!! It's called "Supergirl", not "The Mon-El Show". We didn't sign up for this.

I get the feeling this is one of those seasons that the majority of fans will end up disowning. Like that garbage 9th season of "The X-Files", that destroyed the show. Or like I do with "Lexx" and most of season 4, except for "The Game" and the finale.

There, my rant is done. As far as I'm concerned, "Supergirl" ends with season 5, with Kara continuing to work with Alex and Lena to take down Lex Luthor. This is just some alternate timeline, with a less brilliant Kara who isn't quite as bright.”

There, I’m done. Also, isn’t the whole point of the future that superheroes such as Kara aren’t really needed as much anymore, with the Legion of Superheroes being around, since they can pretty much simulate any power with their Legion rings? So, Kara is going to the future to be...less useful?

Maybe she just misses the advanced technology. It must be so hard to make do around the house without those advanced toilets. It’s like condemning Captain Kirk or Captain Picard to live in the 20th century, I guess.

There is so much wrong with this, with this plan the CW has cooked up, that I don’t even know where to begin. *shakes head*

Jessica Queller, I don’t want to say you’re as dumb as a bag of rocks, but you’re as dumb as a bag of rocks. And what’s going to happen with Alex and Lena? Don’t tell me they’re going to kill Alex and Lena, too?! That would be the only reason for Kara to leave, if she no longer has any family residing in the present.

God, I hope not.

I guess this means Alex should hook up with Lena now, and we should change our primary pairing, since it’s obvious Kara isn’t worthy of Lena now? She’s not quite brilliant enough for Lena, it’s pretty obvious now.

#Supergirl #Supercorp #The CW Supergirl #The CW #FUCK The CW! #CW is Dumb #WHY couldn't they give us a good ending? #R.I.P. Supercorp #Mon-El sucks #Fuck Mon-El #Can we banish Mon-El to another dimension now? #We have to get rid of him somehow! #This sucks for the Arrowverse

[dccomicsimagines]

Clark? - Superman x Reader

Requested by Anon -  a superman request from man of steel where y/n works at the office with Clark and they like play with each other when their bored and Clark is like in love with her and one day she meets Bruce wayne and he flirts with her and all she could think about was Clark. And then like the whole building gets attacked by evil people and Superman saves y/n when one person grabs her and pushes her off the building and she like immediately recognizes him and shes like "Clark.

***

Clark sat at his desk at the Daily Planet. He was checking his email when his instant messenger binged, revealing a message from you. Rising up slightly from his seat, he peeked over the cubicle wall to find you smiling at him. He sat back down, opening the message.

 Are you up for a game of 20 questions? I’m bored.

He chuckled, typing an answer. 

I’m ready when you are.  ;)

His super hearing picked up on your laughter. He smiled at the sound.

Okay, I got something. Ask away.

Is it a person?

Yes.

Clark raised an eyebrow as he heard Perry make his way through the office with the week’s assignments in hand. 

Is it Perry?

He heard you gasp and snicker as your next message came through. 

How did you guess that?! Are you a mind reader?

No, I just know how you think.

“Kent and (Y/L/N), you both will be covering the Wayne Enterprises merger with Kord Industries. It will be a series of three articles. I want the first one by Monday morning in time for the presses,” Perry ordered as he passed, throwing a thick file folder onto Clark’s desk. Clark smirked at the idea of working with you, listening for the impact of a similar file hitting your desk.

Clark began to look through the file as you walked to his side with your own file in hand. “So, how do we want to go about this?” you asked, glancing through the file. 

“What do you mean?” Clark replied, rising his head to study you. You happened to be dressed in the blue shirt today. Clark always thought it looked amazing on you.

“Well, since we have to conduct intensive interviews with the executives of both Wayne Enterprises and Kord Industries, we might as well each take one company,” you explained, waving your hands around as you spoke. A small smile grew onto Clark’s face, his eyes following your movements. 

“I guess you are right. It would make things easier,” Clark agreed, blushing slightly when you noticed him smiling at you. You smiled back at him innocently. Clark sighed, too taken by your beauty.

“Okay,” you began, glancing back through the file. “How about...I take Wayne Enterprises, and you take Kord Industries.”

Clark blinked, frowning when he came across a picture of Bruce Wayne in his file. “Are you sure? I mean, you would have to interview Bruce Wayne.”

“Yeah, and you will have to interview Ted Kord,” you said bluntly. “Is that a problem?”

Clark stood up from his chair to face you. “It’s just that Bruce Wayne is known as a player. He might try something.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Clark, it will be an interview. He always a professional at interviews.”

“Wait, how would you know that?” Clark asked as you turned away to head back to your desk. Clark followed you, wanting an answer. 

“Well, I may have interviewed him before,” you admitted, smirking at Clark’s dropped jaw. “What? It was back when I was interning at the Gotham Times. He even bought me dinner.”

“Dinner? He bought you dinner,” Clark gasped, drawing a laugh from you. “I bought you dinner,” he mumbled softly. You almost didn’t hear it.

“That was pizza, Clark. It’s a different thing,” you replied, typing on your computer. You picked up the phone, glancing through the file to find a number. “I’m going to call Wayne Enterprises’ publicist to set up the interviews.”

Clark pouted for a moment before going back to his desk. He tried to go back to work, but he found himself too nervous to work. You were talking on the phone, distracting him to no end. An image of you and Bruce Wayne kept playing in his head, driving him insane.

Ever since you started working at the Daily Planet, Clark had been completely smitten with you. You seemed oblivious to the fact though, never noticing any of his hints. So far, Clark had been content just to work beside you and be your friend, but recent events left him wanting more. He even debated telling you about his alter-ego to form a closer connection to you, but the opportunity never came up. 

Pursing his lips, he quickly sent you a message.

Do you want to get Chinese after work?

He waited, listening to you hang up the phone and go back to your computer. 

Sure, the place around the corner?

Clark grinned, standing up to peek over at you. You met his eyes, giving him a smile of your own. It took his breath away. He sat back down to answer. 

Sound good. I’ll pick you up at your desk.

LOL.  ;)

“It’s nice to see you again, (Y/N),” Bruce greeted as you entered his office. You smiled at him, taking the hand he held out. 

The jealousy in Clark’s chest soothed a little bit. He went back to work, anticipating the end of the day.

***

“Yes, it’s nice to see you too, Bruce,” you replied, blushing slightly. He was still as handsome as he was when you last met him. 

Bruce guided you to the chair in front of his desk before retaking his seat. You opened your bag, taking out a notebook and pen. “Too bad we can’t do this over dinner, but unfortunately I have to be back in Gotham by tonight.” He sent you a charming smile.

Much to your surprise, you felt nothing. His charming smile did nothing to you. However, you smiled back at him just the same. “Yeah, that is a shame,” you replied kindly. “May we begin the interview now?”

Bruce studied you for a moment before nodding. “Of course, whenever you’re ready.”

You cleared your throat, settling in your chair. “So, Mr. Wayne, how do you think your company will benefit from the merger with Kord Industries?”

The interview went well. Bruce subtly flirted with you during the interview, and you were surprised when it did nothing for you. Obviously, Bruce was an attractive man, but every time he flirted, you kept imagining Clark saying the same words. You found it odd for you never felt that way about Clark before. Of course, nobody had ever flirted with you this much before either. 

Nevertheless, you made it through the interview, having a new revelation about yourself. It made you want to call Clark right away to admit your newly realized feelings.

When it was time for you to go, Bruce got up to show you out. 

“So, (Y/N),” Bruce began, opening his office door for you. “I’m planning to be back in Metropolis next week if you would want to have dinner with me?” You sensed he meant something more than just dinner. 

“I’m sorry, Bruce,” you replied, giving him a gentle smile. “I’m afraid I already have a dinner date.” You frowned slightly in thought, wondering if you should just ask Clark out on a date. 

“Oh, who is the lucky person?” Bruce questioned as you both walked towards the elevator. You eyed him, debating what you should say.

“Just a guy I...” you started to say before the elevator doors opened to reveal a group of armed men. One of the men grabbed you as the rest attacked Bruce. You tried to scream, but the man’s hand slammed over your mouth. The man holding you held a gun to your head.

Bruce allowed the men to knock him down when he saw the gun to your head. 

“Mr. Wayne, we want the codes to your bank accounts now or your friend dies,” the leader of the men demanded, gesturing to you. The man who held you pressed the gun against your head, making you squeak. Bruce looked at you calmly.

“(Y/N), everything is going to be alright,” Bruce reassured you as the men dragged him to his personal office. Your eyes went wide, your breath coming out in jagged bursts. Once Bruce was out of sight, the man holding you pushed you onto the floor.

“The boss said I could do what I wanted with you once Wayne was in his office,” the man sneered. You crawled away from him as he stalked towards you. 

“Get away from me,” you shouted, scrambling to your feet. You backed up until you hit the giant window. The man pointed his gun at you.

“Come here,” the man growled, firing a warning shot above your head. The window shattered. You ducked as the glass fell around you. Bruce’s shout came from the office along with the sounds of a fight. The man holding the gun on you started forward to grab you. You jumped away from him only to find yourself toppling out the window. 

You screamed as you suddenly became weightless. Wind rushed passed you, your heart stopped when you realized you were falling. You closed your eyes, knowing you were about to die. 

Suddenly, you found yourself slowing down as if you were falling into someone’s arms. You opened your eyes to find yourself staring into familiar blue eyes. Taking in the S on his chest, you realized you were in the arms of Superman.

“Are you alright?”  Superman asked, the concern in his eyes brought Clark into your mind. Everything clicked.

“Clark?”

Superman’s mouth dropped, his arms tightening around you. 

“It is you, isn’t it?” you demanded, placing your hands on the sides of his face. You used your thumbs to close his mouth. He started to speak, but before he could say anything, you pressed your lips to his. 

“(Y/N), what are you doing?” Clark whispered when you pulled away from him. He slowly started floating you down to the ground, studying you with his beautiful blue eyes. 

“I’ll tell you later when you got your glasses back on,” you mumbled into his ear as he set you onto the ground. “You got a job to do.” Superman gave you a smile before taking off towards the top of the building. You watched him as he flew, almost not believing your eyes. 

It was a shock to learn Clark was Superman, but somehow that was only a small discovery compared to your new-found feelings for him. A few police officers ran up to question you. You ignored them, keeping an eye on the blue figure above as you eagerly waited for later to come.

#superman #superman x reader #superman imagine #clark kent #clark kent imagine #clark kent x reader #dc comics imagines #dc reader insert

[renaroo]

Some Times (Time and Time Again) (6/8)

Disclaimer: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and associated characters are the creative property of DC Comics. Warnings: Canon shaken not stirred, Heavy canon references to Booster Gold (2009-2011) and Blue Beetle (2016-2018) Pairings: Boostle Rating: T Synopsis: Booster Gold and the rest of the Time Masters are still straightening up things in the wake of the most recent universal Rebirth. But Rip Hunter is still missing in the aftermath, leaving Booster in charge with Skeets, Michelle, and Rani. But there’s a distraction for Booster, one he can’t keep himself from ignoring.

Ted Kord, miraculously, is still alive. And that makes everything more complicated than Michael could have ever imagined.

A/N: My gosh we are so close to completing this thing! Just two chapters left, hard as it is to believe!

And of course a wonderful thanks to @shibascarf, @babybatbrat, @bibliofilariidae, @mcbangle, @secretlystephaniebrown, arouraleona, and boopinbabbit for your lovely feedback and support!

Michelle Carter

“God, I’m such an idiot sometimes!” Michelle hisses to herself, feet stomping down the corridor toward Rani’s room.

Her conversation with Ted Kord is still rattling around in her skull and she can’t tell what half of her she’d like to strangle more — the overly sharing side unable to keep a coherent secret or the crude and cryptic mistress of time she feels no right to even claiming.

Coming to a stop mid-stride, Michelle closes her eyes and lets her shoulders droop. She tilts her head back with a sigh. “No wonder Rip and Mikey trust me with next to nothing other than babysitting duty,” she groans. “Throw one little moment of emotional conflict and I utterly lose those salutatorian's brains.”

Opening her eyes, she looks toward Rani’s still distant room and feels a wave of conflict and shame that hasn’t pestered her in a while. But this is the feeling she should be used to by now — it’s just like their father used to always say when he bothered to be around.

“Been playing second best to nothing since the womb, huh, Michelle?” she mutters under her breath. “Could place second in a game of solitaire.”

She takes a moment to suck in a deep breath, steeling herself for a smiling face and positive disposition when a single voice knocks the wind out of her lungs yet again.

“What’s solitaire?” Rani’s tiny voice questions.

Michelle blinks in surprise just before Rani’s mousy haired head pops out from her room’s doorway.

Despite herself, despite everything, Michelle manages a softer and more genuine smile than the one she has been building up to and shakes her head slightly. “A really boring card game,” she answers easily. “Should have known better than to think you would be asleep.”

Skeets, the ever unhelpful bot, hovers out from Rani’s room and bops in the air. “It would have been an unlikely scenario even in the most forgiving of circumstances, Michelle! Which, unfortunately for us, the last twenty-four hours or so have not been.”

“Try the last twenty-nine years for some of us, Skeets,” Michelle jokes, closing the distance of the hallway and scooping Rani into her arms with a simple bow.

“That is much too small to be your correct chronal age, Michelle—“

“Skeets, shush,” Michelle snaps as she enters the bedroom. “Or I’ll give you to Batman to dissect. Again.”

“Three experiences too many, I will heed the warning,” Skeets banters back.

As they enter Rani’s room, Michelle slows her approach to Rani’s bed and adjusts her hold on the younger child. Her thoughts are nearly as heavy as Rani is getting as she lives and ages with them. It’s not going to be long before picking her up isn’t an option for Michelle or Michael.

“Are you going to make me go to bed?” Rani asks critically.

“Eventually,” Michelle admits, turning to sit on the edge of the bed while still keeping her grip on Rani. The girl sits easily in her lap and leans away, giving enough space for them to look into each other’s eyes. “We need to have a talk about everything that’s happened first.”

Rani’s cheeks grow slightly pale and she squirms uncomfortably. “Oh,” she says. “I think I’d rather sleep.”

“Well, that’s tough, kiddo, probably should have put yourself to bed before I got over here then,” Michelle jokes, poking at Rani’s stomach playfully.

In response, Rani turns and twists, but the enthusiasm is slow and dull compared to Rani’s usual behavior.

It’s one of many signs Michelle, Michael, and Rip have learned to pay careful attention to with Rani. She is a sensitive little girl, and her traumas are numerous. When she’s not bopping around she’s almost assuredly in some state of regressive isolation or pure shock.

Watching the man she loves as a father get beaten to a pulp by an evil man they have encountered before is, at the very least, a trigger. Michelle can be certain of at least that much.

“Rani, listen to me,” Michelle says, firmly but without any heat to it. It’s enough to draw Rani’s wide eyes to her. “We love you, and we want the best for you. You know that, right?”

After a moment of clear confusion, Rani manages a small nod.

“Good, because we do,” Michelle reinforces. “And we know you love Rip and want to find him. We do too! But you are a very little girl and this is a very dangerous multiverse we live in. You absolutely cannot, under no circumstances, leave Time Lab without either Mikey, myself, or Rip.”

“I had Skeets,” Rani says quickly.

On instinct, Michelle turns her head to acknowledge Skeets’ floating presence. She immediately turns her eyes back on Rani but it’s a moment too late as Skeets already feels acknowledged.

“Young Rani does have quite an argument on that account,” Skeets says supportively.

“Yes, Skeets, you did a great job,” Michelle says with a roll of her eyes that threatens to continue right out of her sockets. “What were you even doing allowing any of this, Skeets? Aren’t you programmed with safety protocols and whatnot?”

“Yes I am, Michelle, however, there are no proper babysitting protocols. And while I advised against rash action, it was best to make do with the situation at hand,” Skeets returns promptly. “Might I point out, this is not far off from my calculations when dealing with your brother.”

There isn’t much she can give to deny that fairly abundant fact so Michelle releases a groan instead. “Why can’t anything just be simple?”

Rani squirms and meets Michelle’s gaze. “Please don’t be mad at Skeets, Michelle,” Rani pleads. “It’s my fault. I just wanted to find Boppy, and he did leave me a message.”

Michelle feels her chest tighten and she squeezes her grip on Rani sadly. “We all want Rip back, Rani, believe me.”

“In further defense of both Rani and myself,” Skeets spoke up, hovering closer to eye level with Michelle, “following clear instructions left by Rip Hunter is often an important and practical step for all of us here in the Time Lab. And those newly chalked directions were fairly direct considering the usual clues.”

Blinking, Michelle thinks it over.

“That’s… actually pretty true, Skeets,” Michelle remarks thoughtfully. “And it did lead to saving Ted… and getting a bunch of us almost killed, but definitely the saving Ted part.” She presses her lips together, still deep in contemplation. “But even then there wasn’t any sign of Rip, even when Michael was almost certainly in trouble. And that’s not like Rip at all. I can’t even count on my hands and toes how many times, when Mike’s taken too much, Rip has shown up and tipped the scales for him. It’s almost his signature at a certain point.”

Following the conversation, Rani draws her own brows together in concern. “Michelle, you don’t think Boppy wrote the message? But who did? I’m the only one who’s ever written on the board before… and Boppy made me switch to making my unicorns and butterflies on paper so I don’t do that anymore.”

Sighing, Michelle shifts Rani’s weight to her other knee. “I’ll be honest, honey, I’m not sure yet what exactly I think about anything.”

Rani’s bottom lip puckers out as she studies Michelle carefully. “If we don’t know what’s going on, how do we know I did the wrong thing?” she asks pointedly.

“No, no, missy, you’re not philosophizing out of this one,” Michelle stops her quickly. “This isn’t a matter of right or wrong at the moment, it’s a matter of keeping you and everyone else safe so that we can all be together again as a big, happy family. And if you’re flying around to random times and places without us, we can’t do that. Because I know for me and Mike, losing you is the absolute worst thing imaginable these days, and I’m not going to let it happen. Okay, girlie?”

While she ducks her head down to avoid Michelle’s gaze, a coy smile finds its way to Rani’s face. She knows when Michelle says these things that she’s speaking from the bottom of her heart. She has to know by now.

And if she does, considering the emotional mess Rani was when she first came into their lives, maybe that means they’re doing something right after all.

When Rani breaks the silence again, it’s with a deceptively simple question. “Is Ted Kord now in our family? Like Boppy?”

Thinking about it, Michelle takes a breath and then leans back. “I honestly don’t know what’s in store with those two, Rani, love,” she admits. “I don’t think he’s going anywhere any time soon. Either because Michael and he need to sort things out or because of the whole… assassination stuff. That makes it kind of difficult to picture this arrangement ending too fast.”

Before Rani can respond, there is a loud shout followed by laughter.

“Welp, that’s the nose, and no sounds of murder,” Michelle jokes. Rani looks at her questioningly so she rubs her shoulders. “What I mean is, things are definitely looking like we can be expecting to see more of the former Blue Beetle.”

“Okay,” Rani nods. “And if he’s family, then Boppy will be okay with him staying here, like me, so that’s good.”

Michelle has a hard time arguing with Rani’s peculiar logic on that accord.

That is until Michelle looks over and notices the little girl is still furrowed in thought, her eyes darting back and forth as if she’s reading something on her room’s wall. Then, looking at Michelle cautiously, Rani asks, “If he’s not family… how is Black Beetle able to always get in and out of Time Lab? Or write on the board, if it’s him?”

If Rani hadn’t always been so innocent and young, Michelle thinks the questions would have been laced with more accusations. It’s already enough to make Michelle’s heart seize.

They are, after all, very good questions.

Playing up to the role of an adult, Michelle looks toward Skeets instead. “Skeets… how is all of this stuff possible from Black Beetle?” she asks, more worry in her voice than she intends to let on.

For once, Skeets’ response is not immediate and overly explanatory. The droid hovers, a strangely ominous look to his screen in the wrong lighting.

“Apologies, Michelle,” Skeets says in a flat and altogether unapologetic tone. “Information about my scans and records for Rip Hunter and Black Beetle are blocked as of update two-two-seven-dash-eleven-dot-thirteen. Courtesy of Rip Hunter.”

“What?” Michelle asks, aghast.

“Why would Boppy do that?” Rani asks again, only now her pointed questions are accented by the shake of Time Lab’s very infrastructure itself.

The little girl in her lap screams and throws herself into a fit before Michelle can even blink. She can’t draw a single coherent thought before leaping to her feet, Rani in tow, and looking at Skeets.

“I am receiving an intruder alert!” Skeets says loudly, a red exclamation popping up on his screen.

“You useless, toaster!” Michelle sputters in frustration. “Tell me where this is coming from!”

“I believe it does not require much deductive reasoning,” Skeets answers, following Michelle through the door and out into the corridor, “to assume that the laboratory is the most likely option!”

She would die before admitting it out loud, but Michelle knows that Skeets is right. She turns on her heels and takes off to follow the continuing noises of clattering and shaking.

Their home is under attack, their family, everything they still have of their old world and time — and Michelle cannot be nearly as upset with that as she is with the haunting premises that Rani and Skeets have given her.

Black Beetle or not, the real attack is on the understanding Michelle has had of their everything in the last few congruent years. And as much as she wants Rip Hunter safely back with them, she needs a serious word with him about that alone.

#writing #dc fic #DC: Some Times (Time and Time Again) #Boostle #Michelle Carter #Booster Gold #Michael Jon Carter #Ted Kord #Blue Beetle #Rani #Skeets