#Tim is catching on that Nightwing may be playing with his brother's heart

[rboooks]

The Adoptive Son. Part 3

A pair of large, cornflower blue eyes stare across the living room of a luxurious penthouse at a nervous-looking man. The pair belong to a young teenager named Tim Drake, who, for the past few weeks, had spoken only a handful of words with Dick since Operation Honey Pot had begun.

They were waiting for Crowne to go get the surprise he had special ordered for Drake from an acquaintance

He tended to stare at him whenever he was around. Sometimes Dick didn't think Drake would even blink. It felt a little like Drake was starstruck by Dick- but he couldn't figure out what he had done to earn such rapture from Drake.

Other times, Drake would study him the same way a scientist would study a newly discovered bug- fascinated but weary, as though he didn't know if it was dangerous. So the scientist needed to pin the bug to a board and take it apart to understand it.

It sort of made Dick uneasy.

The night Crowne had brought him back, Drake happily played some video games while his babysitter- a sweet college student named Nancy- had been working on her assignment at the table.

Drake had turned to greet Crowne and had promptly choked on his own spit at the sight of Dick. Crowne had run off to cook them a meal, insisting Nancy finish her homework and not worry as he cooked.

She had smiled gratefully, turning back to her books while Drake had been rooted by the tv, with the most awe-struck expression Dick had ever seen.

Dick is a little surprised by how well Crowne treats Nancy Salazar.

Nancy is studying to be a pediatric occupational therapist. She adores children and is fascinated by the physical therapist aspect of the medical field.

Dick had learned that Nancy had been struggling to pay her Gotham University tuition after losing her job to a rouge attacking her workplace and the company deciding they needed to make budget cuts to complete the repairs.

She had also fallen behind on her bills due to her father suffering a medical emergency and the family pooling together what little they had to help him get life-saving surgery.

Her dad had been the family's primary provider for as long as Nancy could remember. Since neither of her parents could speak English, they had limited employment options. Nancy's siblings were all younger then than her, so they couldn't help much with the bills.

She had tried to take over as the eldest daughter, but soon it became apparent she was close to losing the house her parents had left their home country for to build a better future for their children. It devastated her.

She had been on the brink of becoming desperate for any job when she had run into Crowne at a wifi-cafe shop. She had seen Tim struggling to get through the door with his wheelchair and had gone to help him. (the child had seen internet videos of parkour and chosen to attempt the tricks himself. He had broken his leg from jumping from one roof to another.)

Her kind actions got Crowne attention, and he invited her to sit with them, then witnessed her have a meltdown when the owner of the cafe told her he had just filled the barista position she had come for an interview for.

It must have all piled up until Nancy couldn't hold back.

Crowne and Drake had consulted her, listening to her woes. After she calmed down, the two adults exchanged contact information to get to know each other. He had offered a babysitting job with complete benefits and a full-ride scholarship. Crowne had even gone far and beyond, paying off all her father's medical expenses and debts.

Dick knew all this because he had done a background check on her to see if she was involved in Crowne's schemes. Her story felt just a tab bit too far fetch for all the good fortune of meeting Crowne that fateful day.

She even admitted that she was sure she would have resorted to a life of crime with how desperate she had been back then.

When she came back clean- just the eldest daughter of immigrants trying to make it in this hellish city- Dick had thought Crowne was infatuated with her.

Nancy was a very attractive young lady, and it would not be the first time a rich man took advantage of a woman in finical distress. He hadn't found evidence yet, but Dick would keep an eye on her to ensure she was safe.

Her involvement was a lot easier to dismiss than it was for Drake.

"You and Danny are dating. He told me last night." Drake says after about half an hour of Scientist-looking-at-bug staring.

Dick throws on his best Wanye smile, making sure it's both charming and besotted. "Yes. We've agreed to become official. I hope you don't mind."

Drake tilts his head, looking ironically enough like a bird. "That depends."

"On what?"

"On what your intentions with Danny are." Drake puts down his Crowne laptop, which Danny had been programming and designing back when they started talking. The design is still the slimmest Dick had ever seen, small enough that it sat comfortably in Drake's school back and robust enough that it worked for all his gaming and photo developing.

It took Crowne about two months to complete what he called "modern," but it wouldn't be out to the rest of the public until Christmas when Crowne planned to reveal it to raise profits as high as possible.

The only reason Drake was allowed to have a model so early was simply that Crowne obviously saw him as a younger brother and sometimes maybe even a son. Dick certainly pick that up in the two-month undercover mission.

He must win over Drake as soon as possible for the sake of the mission. So far, he's come up with nothing incriminating, but more kids have disappeared. If the other boy can't stand him, it will seriously risk his access to Crowne's home and any clues on the missing children.

"I want to give him the life he deserves." Dick settles on. He's noticed that Drake is crazy intelligent. There was no reason to outright lie and get caught if the boy was smart enough to connect the dots.

"Danny deserves the world." Drake nods, stating the words like a fact. "Whatever you searching for, you won't find here."

What?

"Do you not want me to date Danny?"

Drake pauses, carefully turning the question in his head before answering. "I want someone to date Danny because they like him"

"I do like him."

"Do you?" Drake's eyes are practically ice, and Dick gets the sense he just walked into a trap. Carefully, he double-taps his left belt loop sending a warning sound to the Batcave. They won't pull him out yet, but it will have either Babs or Jason nearby in gear, just in case.

A soft click is heard from his right earring, and he knows Alfred is listening.

"I really do." He says in a warm voice.

Drake seems skeptical.

"Danny always had people falling for him. I had to tell him Jenny Wilson wasn't asking him for a private tour of his kitchen when she tried to get him to bring her back to the penthouse. He honestly thought she cared about his grape peeler. He's like that, you know? Though thoughtful, caring, kind, intelligent, and strong, Danny can't see that people generally think he's what they would want in a romantic partner. I think he was bullied a lot as a kid before his adoption, and it's ruined his ability to see his worth."

Dick tries not to scowl. Yes, he's suspected the same thing. He just hopes it's not why Crowne has inflicted so much pain.

He can't stand people who use bullying as an excuse. It doesn't justify anything they do, it also demonizes the victims, and they get too scared to report what they are going through. ''I can't claim to not be like the other people because I don't know them. I know myself, and I can promise that every inch of me wants to see Danny living the life he deserves."

Whatever Drake is going to say gets cut off by Crowne walking back from the elevator carrying a box. "Tim, come look!"

He settles the box on the coffee table, so Drake can reach over and open it. There is a small gasp of delight from the boy as he pulls out a well-done Robin hoodie. It's not over the top like most Robin merch, but it's not subtle either. It's so nicely done. Dick can even tell it's based on Jason rather than him.

The second Robin is Drake's favorite. The teen prices it by holding it up and cheering, "Oh my gosh! I love it, I love it! Where did you get this!?"

"One of Nancy's friends is majoring in fashion design. She overheard me say I wanted to get the second Robin merch that wasn't a blatant grab for money, and she had her friend draw up some designs. I will sponsor her and sell her work in our stores."

Crowne is wearing a Robin hoodie of his own, but this one is based on Dick, and for a moment, his heart soars at the sight of Crowne in his family colors. It's a dangerous thing.

He knows one of the pitfalls of undercover work is getting too attached to the lies. He couldn't allow himself to actually fall for someone like Danny Crowne. Nothing good would come out of it once he saw him jailed for everything he's done.

He hasn't gotten anything to show Crowne's crimes, but Bruce had enough proof for the shell companies doing strange and dangerous experiments.

They needed to figure out what the experiments were attempting to do. Still, they found small clues: systematics showed weapons that didn't intend to harm humans, half-erased research on "eco-energy," what looked like machines attempting to rip holes in reality, and glowing green liquid that made Bruce pale when Jason brought back a simple.

It made Dick angry that the liquid prompted his ex-mentor to contact Talia al Ghul to ask, but she claimed to know nothing of Danny Crowne. Bruce felt she was lying, so after asking Wonder Woman and Superman for help, the big three went to Nanda Parbat to look for clues.

Dick wasn't sure what they found, but Bruce had a surprise for him back at the cave once he finished visiting his "boyfriend."

They could take down Crowne Co. with what they did have, but there was a chance Crowne could claim that his scientists went rogue and let them take the fall. Also, they didn't have any names of the scientists. It was like the invisible man was conducting them on his own.

Dick had to wait a little longer. See the big plan and unravel it so everything can never be rebuilt.

Yes, he's only seen a good man who may be socially awkward once you get past his regal composure, and his speech may be a bit too formal. A passionate inventor who always tried to find a new ways to improve people's lives, especially in medicine.

A man who cooked because he liked feeding people.

A man who offered a helping hand because his parents were often mocked for their careers- Dick suspected they may have been prostitutes based on the small comments of people thinking "it wasn't real jobs and they should be ashamed for themselves"- but most of all, Dick found a man who seemed lonely.

Someone lost after life displaced him, desperately trying to find himself again. It made Dick feel better knowing someone like him was doing the same.

"What is your opinion, Dick?" Crowne asks, doing a slight turn. Dic can't fight the urge to lean in for a quick kiss, telling himself it was all for the mission and the butterflies he felt in his stomach were terrible indigestion.

Crowne smiled into the kiss, pressing a second one on Dick's lips before leaning back, looking a little flustered still, and over his shoulder, he saw Drake's eyes narrow.

Maybe the kid was jealous?

He didn't know, but he better keeps an eye on Tim Drake. Something told him not to underestimate that boy.

"I got you a Nightwing too. The first Robin and Nightwing are one of my favorite heroes. They make me feel safe. I know I shouldn't worry with them guarding me at night." Crowne says, and Dick fights hard not to flinch.

You have no reason to feel guilt. It's for the mission.

He hopes he finds proof soon.

(Part 1), (part 2)

#dc x dp crossover #The adoptive son #Part 3 #Death Defying #Tim is catching on that Nightwing may be playing with his brother's heart #Nancy is just another person luckly enough to be under Phantom's protection #Can you guess what bruce found? #Dick is starting to catch feelings

[yeaaabudddy]

A Little Crossover (4/4)

Ship: Peter Parker x Batsis!Reader (Y/N)

Characters: Peter Parker (Spider-Man), Reader (S/H/N), Bruce Wayne (Batman), Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Jason Todd (Red Hood), Tim Drake (Red Robin), and Damian Wayne (Robin)

Type: fluff

Requested: Yes, by @wolfiemichele and @comicsgirlimagines

Words: 3 115

Notes: You can read this separate to the series as well. Warning - there is a bit of making out.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

-

You and Peter had been on quite a few dates together in the past few months. You’d gotten much closer to him and he’s come by to your house more often. You did manage to introduce Peter to your brothers (separately, of course). You introduced him as your friend because you knew that Peter was really intimidated by them and you didn’t really want to tell them because of how dramatic they are.

They would not leave you alone if they knew you were dating and you decided it’d be better to just enjoy your time together as ‘friends’ before telling them.

Peter got nervous at the aspect of hiding it but he realized that he should be happy because your brothers didn’t give him much of a hard time knowing that you guys were only friends.

Of course, they were still hesitant about him especially since they knew he’s Spider-Man but they trusted you enough and they couldn’t control who you’re friends with.

You would invite him over and watch movies in your big living room when most of your family was gone. Jason usually hung out with the outlaws so he only came around sometimes and Dick was usually there during weekends. Tim was either working in his room or in the cave and Damian just minded his own business for the most part.

Sometimes Damian did join you guys for a bit when you were watching TV but then deemed that it was useless to spend that much time watching so many movies and would leave. Tim would sometimes see what you were watching and make a few comments on his opinions before leaving to continue his work.

When you knew you were alone in the house you would often cuddle up to him and relax, the best way to spend your dates.

You’ve been to many dates outside of your home, you did visit his apartment as well and met his aunt, May. He introduced you as his girlfriend and you both blushed so hard but aunt May just laughed and said you were cute together.

His home felt so close and nice to you as opposed to your manor because there was no extra space, everything was utilized. It felt so comfy and not intimidating and you loved going. Your brothers weren’t too strict anymore about you going to Queens after meeting Peter because even though they hate to admit it, he is so sweet and wouldn’t hurt you knowingly.

You met Ned as well, the boy apparently knew your identity which you glared at Peter, giving him a lecture about secret identities. You knew that if Peter trusted Ned with his life than you can trust him too but you still wanted to make sure Peter knew what it meant when people close to him knew who he was.

“Peter shh.” You whispered at him, you both giggled, a bit too loudly, as you looked at funny twitter posts and threads. You both laid on your bed, your books atray on the end of your bed. You’re cuddled up to his chest, his phone up to both your faces as he keeps showing you funny posts.

“Sorry.” He said back with no real regret. You put down his phone that he kept scrolling through to bring his attention back to you.

Peter felt so warm and nice and the hand on your chest could feel all the muscle underneath especially since he took off his hoodie and kept on his thin shirt.

“What?” He asks once you’ve gotten his attention. You bit your lip looking at his form. Peter was really attractive and your heart always warmed up at seeing his smile. His soft curly hair always gave you an urge to run your hand through it. You always told Peter you loved his hair naturally and more often he’s left it like it is.

“Nothing, I just… can’t believe you’re my boyfriend.” Peter blushed, the thought still made him shy. You loved how shy Peter was sometimes, it really is cute but recently he has been more shameless.

You always knew what a hopeless romantic he was and for the first few weeks, he found any excuse to call you his girlfriend. He still was shy when you said some sappy stuff as he was not used to it coming from you.

“Please, if anything. I can’t believe you’re my girlfriend.” Peter’s hand brushes your hair, tangling itself in it which he knew annoyed you because of how many knots would end up in it but Peter loved playing with your hair so you let him.

“Yeah, not sure how that happened.” You tease him and he glares at your joke. Peter pouted jokingly, not finding your joke funny and taking his hand out of your hair, pushing your body away from his.

“Aww Peter, don’t be like this.” You whine and reach out for him again, missing his warmth.

“Nu-uh.” He shook his head, turning away from you.

“Peter…” You climb on top of him, turning him to face you and he allowed you, knowing that he could totally win you in a strength match but he loved when you both were in this playful mood.

He looked at you, still pouting and you looked at him with so much warmth. You giggled at his face and properly straddled him. You cupped his face in your hands, you brought your noses together and Peter looked at you expectantly.

After a few seconds of you not moving, Peter got restless underneath you. When it sounded like he was about to start whining at you, you closed the small gap and locked your lips together.

His lips instantly moving against yours, his hand curled up in your hair again. You move your hands to his muscled chest, laying them against him. His lips moved fast against yours with a newfound urgency. One of his hands moves to your waist to grip and provide more contact. His hand warming up the skin under your shirt as he softly caresses the exposed area.

You’ve made out a few times before with him and it always felt like a dream. You both getting lost in each other with no worries about others.

You bit his lip as you part from him to catch your breath, Peter pushes you onto your back and kisses down to your neck. His body now laying down on top of you, you made space for him by parting your knees and laid between your legs. Your hands around his neck and Peter’s on your hips, under your shirt fully now.

He kept kissing your neck, lightly biting as he made his way across the expanse of skin available to him. He made his way from your neck to your collarbone, making a trail. He went over his work with his tongue, licking them up and making you gasp at the sensation.

You brought him back up to your lips, your hands making their way to his back.

His tongue made an appearance, wanting entrance to your mouth. You gave in and let him in, kissing him with a new passion.

You kept going for a few minutes before Peter parted with his wide eyes, pupils blown and lips swollen.

“What happened?” You ask as Peter’s face looks panicked as he reaches for his forgotten phone beside the both of you.

“Shit.” He says when he sees the time and makes his way to get off of you. “Aunt May was expecting me for dinner, it’s almost 8!” He stood up by your bed, grabbing his sweater and stuffing it in his bag. He exchanges his clothing in his backpack for his Spider-Man suit.

He takes a glance at you staring at him as you sat on your bed and moved to go change in the bathroom instead.

You just laughed at hs shyness and moved to go open the window so he could take his leave. You manage to see your reflection in one of your mirrors on your desk and see your badly tangled hair. Your lips were also swollen and your clothes were ruffled up.

You were going to have to lecture Peter about his obsession of turning your hair into a nest. Peter rushes out of your bathroom after a few seconds.

“I gotta go but we’re still on for tomorrow, right?” He asked as he made his way out of your bathroom and to you, his mask in his hand as he puts his hands on your waist giving you a quick kiss.

“Yup, we gotta watch the other half of the Harry Potter series, we only finished 2 movies last time!” You complained and he made his way to your window and wore his mask.

“I’m sorry! You were so distracting though.” He teased and you rolled your eyes at his stupid comment.

“Shut up! Anyways, be here by 3.” Peter agreed and then jumped out your window, making his way back to Queens. You always felt guilty for making Peter come here but he said it’s easier for him to make his way to you because of how much swinging cut time.

You changed for your own assigned patrol and leave to make your way around the night in Gotham. The night went by quick but your brothers had got caught in some business with some huge thug organization, making them late and they ended up returning to the manor to get checked up on.

You were all in the cave, you had taken off your suit because you finished your patrol before them but decided to come help patch them up as only Alfred was there at the moment to help them out. You were cleaning up Jason’s arm that had gotten a bit cut up by a knife that a thug had been waving around.

“What the fuck is on your neck?” He asked as he brushed the hair off of your shoulder. You froze not realizing what he was asking before remembering what you and Peter were doing earlier.

You make space between you and Jason, you grabbing your hair and trying to cover your neck.

“Nothing! It’s just some… rashes.” You told him, making your way to get some antibiotics to apply to his wounds. When you came back to finish your work, Jason grabbed your arm to stop you, his hand making its way back to neck to inspect what it really was.

“I’m not an idiot, I know what a hickey looks like Y/N.” Jason glares at you because of your attempt of a lie. “Who did it?” He asked, looking into your eyes wanting to know who had given his sister a hickey so he could search him and make sure he was good for you.

“I’m telling you it’s not what you think it is.” You kept up your lie hoping he would drop it.

“What’s going on?” Dick asks as he sits down on the chair next to Jason, getting Tim to clean his wounds.

“Nothing!” You said at the same time Jason said louder, “She has a hickey on her neck!”

You glared at Jason, hoping that you would have solved it between you two. You definitely didn't want all your brothers in on this, it’s embarrassing.

Dick looked at you, mouth agape. “What! By who?” He questioned, trying to get a look at what Jason was talking about but you made sure it was hidden by your hair. You’re such an idiot for not hiding it with your makeup. Your suit had covered it whole but when you took it off you forgot about it.

“You know we’ll find out eventually.” Tim spoke up as he listened to the whole conversation going on.

“There’s nothing to find out!” You say confidently, trying to keep up the lie as best as you could. You finished up on Jason and try to clean up so you can make your way out of the cave.

“Was it Peter?” Dick guessed, he saw him around here a lot so he thought if it was anyone, it could be him.

“Don’t be stupid, Grayson. Parker’s just a friend to Y/N.” Damian piped up by the computer. You didn't even know he was there as he quietly looked at cases.

“Yeah but it’s not really out of the question.” Jason commented.

“I’m leaving!” You walk back to your room thankful that they let you leave in peace. You really hope they don’t harass Peter about the issue, you can’t believe how idiotic you were by not hiding your marks.

-

Dick and Jason ended up staying the night at the manor because of how late it got. You managed to wake up at 12 pm, lazing around for a while before realizing that Peter’s coming by in minutes. You go to the kitchen to see Tim and Damian awake and having some food.

“Where’s Dick and Jason?” You asked as you poured a cup of coffee for yourself.

“Still asleep.” Damian informs you. You sigh in annoyance hoping that those two won’t ruin your time with Peter. You gulp down the coffee fast, needing the caffeine in your system.

“Is Peter coming by today?” Tim asks, still aware of the fresh accusations from yesterday.

“Yeah, he’s coming in a few, we’ll be in the living room so don’t bother us!” You yell at Tim before going to gather some blankets to put on the sofa. You go on to set up the movies but before you can, you hear the doorbell ring.

You run up to the door, yelling that you got it so Alfred didn’t come.

You open the door to see Peter there with his hair ruffled and clothes messed up from quickly changing a few minutes ago.

“Hey, Peter!” you let him come in before locking the doors and guiding him to the living room. “Just set up the movies, I’ll go get the snacks. I’ll be a few minutes.” You told him. The kitchen was empty this time around, you shrugged it off knowing that your brothers all had something to do.

You whip up a few snacks, putting some popcorn in the microwave and making some hot chocolate.

Peter copied what you usually did when you set up for your movie dates. He set up the movies, putting in the CD and sitting on the couch, texting Ned. He heard some movement and he thought you were back so he went to make some room for you on the couch.

To Peter’s shock he didn’t encounter you but instead your brothers. He sat up straight, seeing all your brothers in front of him, he held his breath in anticipation.

“Are you and Y/N dating?” The one he met as Jason asked. Peter didn’t know what to say, should he lie? Should he tell the truth? They’ll hate him if he lies but you didn't want to tell them the truth yet.

“Todd, Y/N said they were just friends!” Damian had believed your word that you were nothing more. You said you didn’t have a boyfriend.

“Peter doesn’t really seem like her type though…” Dick observed the shy boy, he thought you would go for someone who was basically the opposite of Peter, someone… darker.

Peter doesn’t know whether to be relieved or offended at the fact that they seemed less suspicious of him.

“Yeah, I don’t think he would try anything on her.” Tim observed, he was always so shy around you and he doesn’t think you guys do anything but send memes to each other and cry about movies.

“I think I hear Y/N coming.”

“Yeah, nevermind. Let’s go before Y/N kills us.” They all shuffle out of the living room quickly to not get caught by you and not even a minute later you come into the room with a bowl of popcorn and drinks.

You look at him with a questioning gaze, his posture stiff and his eyes wide.

“Are you okay, why are you being weird?”

“It’s nothing.” Peter said, making himself comfortable again on the couch as you sat down beside him, setting things down on top of the table in front of you.

“Alright… If you say so.” You reach for the remote to play the movie and put the bowl of popcorn in your lap so you both can share. You rest your head on Peter’s shoulder, loving the close contact between you two.

Your brothers didn’t bother you for the rest of the day, by the time Peter had to leave it was 7pm and his aunt wanted him back in Queens.

“Do you have to leave?” You pout as Peter got up to wear his jacket. Peter looked at you, him wanting to give into you so bad as he doesn’t like to say no to you.

“I have to, May would have my head if I don’t go back now. She’s been a bit protective over me coming to Gotham so often especially in the night.” Peter gave you a quick kiss unable to resist your pout, before grabbing his backpack to leave.

“Oh.” You both heard a voice behind you and you turn to see Tim standing there, surprised to see you and Peter kiss after all of them deciding that Peter wasn’t your type.

“Tim-” You warn but before you could say anything, he turns to leave.

“I have to tell Jason!” He shouts and you turn to look at Peter who looked terrified.

You quickly drag Peter to the front door, giving him a quick kiss and shoving him out of the house yelling at quick, “I’ll text you later!” You close the door hoping that Tim will take his time telling everyone so Peter has enough time to leave. You really didn’t want Peter to get chewed out especially when May wanted him back.

You did not want to get in the bad graces of May because she was Peter’s aunt and you know that Gotham does get really dangerous at night. You understood her concern and you still wanted her to like you so you sent him off knowing if he was here when your brothers came down, he would not be allowed to leave right away.

“You’re dating Peter?” A yell came from up the stairs followed by loud and quick footsteps. You just groan in annoyance as you have to deal with calming them down and having to tell them the truth that you and him were dating for quite a while.

It was going to be a tough night.

-

Thank you for reading this, I kind of went overboard with the whole thing, I wrote more than I thought I would. If you guys want to just talk then feel free to message me. I have a few more fics planned out as I’m trying to finish the requests I have!

#peter parker x reader #peter parker imagine #peter parker imagines #peter parker fluff #spiderman imagine #spiderman x reader #spider-man imagines #spider-man x reader #spiderman fluff #dick grayson imagine #jason todd imagine #tim drake imagine #damian wayne imagine #batsis #batsis reader #tom holland imagines

[sassycassie-s-writing]

Trouble in Gotham

By: SassyShoulderAngel319

Fandom/Character(s): DC, BatFam, The Flash - Jason Todd/Red Hood, feat. Barry Allen/Flash, & BatFam

Rating: PG

Original Idea: This is what happens when you’re still over-obsessed with the BatFam but try to catch up on the Flash TV show at the same time... (Season 3... I’m way behind.)

Notes: (Masterlist)(By Character)(About Me) This is what is referred to in the Sanders Sides fandom as a Mud Fic---or a muddled fic---because I didn’t want to write any context.  Also this one is LONG! @welovegroot @batboys-and-other-messes

^^^^^

I slid to a stop next to the Batmobile in the Batcave. "Whoo! That was fun!" I said brightly.

"Welcome back, Volt. Decent patrol, I assume?" Batman asked from the computer.

"What do you mean? I was out for two days. You didn't seriously assume I was patrolling the whole time, did you?" I asked.

"You okay, Volt? Did you hit your head?" Tim asked. "You were only gone for like two hours."

"Sorry. I guess it felt like two days. That happens when your mind can run as fast as your legs," I said. "So where's Jason? I thought he'd wanna give me a welcome-back kiss."

"Who?" Damian asked, not looking up from where he was sharpening his sword.

"Jason. Jason Todd? Brash, impulsive, flirty in the right mood, complete literature nerd who could probably quote the entirety of The Complete Works of Jane Austen? Red Hood? Ringing a bell?"

"Volt, I think Alfred needs to check you for a concussion. There's no Jason Todd here. The last member of the Red Hood Gang fell into a vat of chemicals and then reemerged as the Joker, like, decades ago," Tim said.

Dick pointedly ignored me.

"I know that. And then Jason took up the name when he came back from the dead. He replaced Dick as Robin and then the Joker killed him," I said.

Bruce, Tim, and Damian all glanced at each other. Dick continued to ignore everything---which seemed really unlike him. The three of them looked back at me. "Volt… Tim replaced Rich as Robin ages after Rich took up the name Nightwing," Bruce said. I blinked in confusion, looking between the three of them.

"Rich? Since when has Dick gone by Rich?" I looked over at Dick for an explanation, but he continued to act as though I wasn't even there, turning in his chair so he back was to me. I scrunched my eyebrows.

"Since he was twelve," Bruce replied. "Kids at school made fun of him so he changed what he went by."

"What about the kid that tried to hit you with the tire iron after you caught him stealing tires off the Batmobile?" I pressed, zipping over to the computer.

"That kid didn't try to hit me with a tire iron. He'd been on the streets for a while and it traumatized him. He was scared and alone. I took him to the orphanage three blocks away from Wayne Tower."

"No, you took him in and trained him to be Robin so he wouldn't turn to a life of crime, right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Volt. Go get some rest. You're obviously confused. You might have depleted your blood sugar so much that you're hallucinating."

"Guys, seriously. I haven't run back in time recently and screwed with the timeline or anything. Stop messing with me. Where's Jason?"

"You know just as well as the rest of us that we and Father do not 'mess with' each other," Damian said, attention still on his sword.

I scrunched my nose. "Uh… right. Be right back," I said.

I bolted out of the Batcave at top speed.

The wind whistled through my hair. I tapped my comm link. "Hey Bruce, can we talk for a sec on a private line?" I asked.

There was a click. "Private line established. What's on your mind?"

"Why is Dick ignoring me? I mean, usually he's, uh, all over the place."

"The two of you broke up three weeks ago. Give him time," Bruce said.

"Broke up? I never dated Dick!"

"Volt, you and Rich were in a relationship for two years."

"No, I dated Jason for this past year," I muttered. "I never dated Dick."

"Young lady, I want you to return to the cave right now, take off your suit, eat a decent meal, and go to bed. You're talking nonsense. There is no Jason Todd in this family, and there never has been."

My heart cramped, so I slid to a stop. Panting, I leaned against a building for support. "I'll be back in a few minutes," I said, killing the comm link connection with a whack at my ear, ignoring Bruce protesting.

I looked at the building across the street.

The orphanage three blocks away from Wayne Tower.

It took me all of five minutes to find Jason's records from the orphanage, trace them through the foster system, and find where he ended up. I felt like I was going crazy. At least Jason Todd existed. I ran all over the city trying to follow his life, and finally skidded on the pavement in front of one of his current places of employment---according to bank records, he had two jobs.

Buuuuut it was one in the morning so, obviously, the place was closed.

I sighed, shook my head, and sped back to Wayne Manor---where I got told off by Bruce for five minutes (that felt like five years) about keeping my blood sugar up and staying well-rested before being sent off to eat and go to bed.

Alfred tried to say something to me, but obviously wasn't sure of what to say so he just told me he hoped I'd enjoy my meal and left the kitchen.

I ate at a normal human pace---because if I didn't I'd get a stomachache---and went to bed.

^^^^^

I slid to a stop around the corner from where Jason worked at ten the next morning and fixed my hair so it wouldn't look like I'd just run five miles at nine-hundred-miles-per-hour. Painting a neutral expression on my face, I strolled around the corner and looked at the sign.

Harper & Todd Garage---Car and Motorcycle Repair

There was Jason, looking the exact same minus the white streak in his hair, sitting on a low stool and using a wrench to twist a bolt on a huge Harley Davidson bike. He didn't have headphones in nor was there music playing from speakers. He didn't even see me approach because he was so focused on his work.

"'Scuse me?" I asked, tilting up onto my tiptoes and back down again.

He glanced over at me shyly and went back to looking at the motorcycle he was working on. "May I help you, miss?" he asked.

"You're Jason Todd, right?" I asked.

"Yes," he said quietly, not looking at me.

"I don't mean to be rude, but do you know who I am?" I took a few steps closer and crouched down so we were closer to the same eye level.

He snuck a quick peek at me---but not one fast enough for a speedster to miss. "Should I know who you are?" He spoke as though he didn't want me to hear, and shied away from me, trying desperately to shrink into himself to avoid this interaction.

It was weird, seeing a six-foot brick house of a man try to occupy as little space as possible. It was nearly impossible. He was just built to be huge.

"Well yeah. I mean, we've been dating for a year," I said.

For the first time, Jason looked at me for longer than a split second, though he still preferred to look at my forehead than my eyes. His eyes swept me up and down and he went back to looking at his motorcycle.

"Miss, I think I'd remember dating a girl like you," he mumbled timidly. "But I've never even had a girlfriend. I think you have me confused with someone else."

"I guess I must. My apologies, Mr. Todd." It broke my heart to call him something besides Jay or Jason. "Excuse me for a moment." I pushed myself back to a standing position and jogged over to the end of the parking lot so I was out of earshot of the man who I'd shared countless moments with who now no longer even remembered my name.

I pulled my phone out and searched my contacts for a familiar name. Selecting it, I held the phone up to my ear.

"Hey what's up?" a familiar voice asked when the call connected.

"Heeeeey Barry… so… did you run back in time recently?" I asked, striving for casual. "Like, say, maybe fifteen years back or so?"

"Uh, yeah, actually. I did. But it was an accident. Why what's up? How did you know?"

"I'm, uh… I'm having a little trouble in Gotham. Because my boyfriend is no longer my boyfriend. He doesn't remember who I am, he was never adopted by Bruce and never trained to be Robin or Red Hood, and he has the exact opposite personality to the one he's supposed to have. He's supposed to be brash and loud and impulsive and flirtatious when he's in the right mood and now he's scared of me---me, a five-one pipsqueak who looks like a middle-schooler---and acting shy. Jason is not supposed to be shy. Jason is the bravest and one of the most gregarious men I've ever met. Oh, also, supposedly I just broke up with his older brother---who I never dated and is now not his older brother---three weeks ago," I ranted.

"Wait. So, if the timeline shifted and changed, how come you can remember it? Usually I'm the only one," Barry said.

"I don't know, and I don't care. I want my life back. I want Jason back. Am I particularly angry at the fact that he's no longer a somewhat-reformed killer? No. But I want my Jason back."

"Volt, you know I can't go back and try to fix it. You know that awful things happen when we meddle with time too much. If I go back and try to fix what I did yesterday, I might just make things worse."

"What if you just go back to yesterday then and stop yourself from jumping back in time farther?" I suggested.

"I, uh, I don't think that will work either."

"Fight me, Allen. I'll do it," I snapped.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. Don't do that. You're just going to mess up the timeline even more."

"I doubt that. I'm doing us both a favor." I hung up my phone, shoved it in my pocket, tied my hair back in a ponytail---that I tucked down the neckline of my shirt---and glanced over my shoulder. Jason was still working on the motorcycle, covered in grease, and paying me no attention.

I bent my knees, shook my head, and bolted forward.

I ran to Central City first, skidded to a stop in front of Barry, slapped him for being an idiot, and then sped off again before he could catch up to run through time. Just to yesterday to stop Barry from running back even farther.

Which I did. I tackled him into the pavement, both of us going sprawling. "What is your problem, Volt?" yesterday-Barry demanded, staggering to his feet. "What are you even doing in Central City? I thought you lived in Gotham."

"Listen Flash, you were just about to run back in time way too far. Tomorrow-you told me it was an accident. I'm choosing to believe him. But by running back by accident, even if you didn't change anything, changed my entire life. So don't. You. Dare," I snapped. "You made my boyfriend lose all knowledge of my existence---and become the exact opposite of who he's supposed to be. Whilst also changing it so instead I was dating his older brother and just broke up with him. A relationship I don't even remember! So don't even think about breaking the space-time continuum today."

"Okay. I'll slow down," Barry said. "I really wasn't intending to travel through time today."

"Good. Keep it that way. Because if you do run back in time, you'll ruin my life."

"I won't. Sorry, Volt."

"I'll accept your apology tomorrow when my life is back to normal," I said before taking off again.

I ran back to tomorrow, the right day, and left Central City, heading for Gotham.

I slid to a stop in the Batcave. It was empty of people, but the equipment was still present. "Bruce? Dick? Jason? Tim? Damian? Cassie? Alfred? Steph? Babs? Anyone here?" I shouted.

No response.

I ran through the city to the place where I'd last seen Jason---the garage.

It was boarded up and rundown with Gio's Garage painted over the door.

I bolted back to the Batcave, up the stairs, and through the manor, looking for my family.

"Miss Watts, what has Master Bruce told you about running in the house?" Alfred asked as I slid on my socks all the way across the ballroom with my momentum. I stumbled and fell over before scrambling back to my feet.

"Sorry Alfred. Where is everyone?"

"You've all been out for two days on a mission. The rest of the family went out shortly after you did with no way of telling you they were also leaving. You're the first to arrive back. I suggest you eat something and get some rest. I shall alert you when the others return."

"Thanks Alfred."

I did as he suggested. Ate a lot of food and then went to take a nap---but I did it down in the Batcave on a gurney so that I'd know when the others came back.

^^^^^

The roaring of Jason's motorcycle engine woke me up---I'm not sure how long after I went to sleep.

The Batmobile followed right behind it into the cave.

I leapt off the gurney as Jason slung his leg off his bike.

At a normal human speed, I ran at him. "Jason!" I exclaimed.

He threw off his Red Hood helmet and held his arms out.

I jumped on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist, peppering his face with kisses before drawing him in for one long, relieved kiss. His hand found the back of my head and he kissed me back enthusiastically.

"Ugh. Get a room you two," Tim complained.

"For once, I agree with Drake. Todd, Watts, you are revolting," Damian said.

"What was that for?" Jason breathed against my lips, ignoring his brothers.

"Two days apart is twenty-one-hours too long," I whispered. Jason held me close.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You're not usually like this. Even after missions longer than two days."

"I'll tell you later," I promised. "For now, just hold me. Please." I let my legs down, so I was no longer climbing on him like a jungle gym, but I didn't let him go. He wrapped his arms around me.

"Okay lovebirds," Dick teased. "You're not the only two people in the world you know!"

"Shut up, Dick!" Jason snapped, a smile in his voice.

Everything was okay. For the moment, everything was perfect.

#Trouble in Gotham #Jason Todd #Jason Todd Imagine #Jason Todd FanFiction #Red Hood #Red Hood Imagine #Red Hood FanFiction #DC #DC Imagine #DC FanFiction #BatFam #BatFam Imagine #BatFam FanFiction #featuring #Barry Allen #Flash #The Flash #Batman #Bruce Wayne #Dick Grayson #Nightwing #Tim Drake #Red Robin #Damian Wayne #Robin

[fyeahwonderbat]

Can you please write me a ficlet about wonderbat's first kiss, that would be really cool thanks!!!!!!!

WonderBat Week 2018: Day 5 - Meet the Family

Title: Shut ‘Em Up

Author: MaidenOfTheWorld

Universe: DCAU (something along the lines of Young Justice, if it included everyone)

Rating: PG

Word Count: 3,005 words

‘Batman.’

“I’m a little busy - Gyah!” exclaimed the man who was waist deep in the Gotham City Sewage System in his fight against Clayface. His heart raced as he was being submerged into the dreck, his only hope of escape relying on one impossibly accurate fire of his BatClaw at a set of pipes overhead. The smell was nauseating and he did his best to fight the urge to cover his face in order to line up the shot…!

As soon as he heard the grappling hook collide with the metal overhead, Bruce pressed on the button that would send him flying into the air and away from all of Gotham’s waste. He wrapped his body around the pipes like an animal clinging to a tree, not for his own security, but in the hopes of scouting the sewers in the hopes of having his opportunity to catch up to Clayface still. He had hoped to convince the troubled man to return to Batwoman’s team, but it seemed that discussion would be left for another night.

Of course, his eldest son - ever demanding of his attention - knew how to fill his father’s evening now that his schedule had suddenly cleared. ‘Meet us at the BatCave when you’re done. We have something to discuss.’

“Us?” Bruce repeated back into his communication link, suspicion clear in his voice.

‘Just hurry up.’ Was the rather rude way Dick ended the call.

Bruce felt his calculative mind try to unearth what possible motivation Nightwing could have for summoning him to his own BatCave in the middle of a Tuesday night. Based off of his wording, Bruce assumed that the ‘we’ Dick referred to would be the two of them, along with either Barbara or Jason. Or, most likely, there was yet another complaint about something Damien had done. But would he interrupt his work in Gotham for that?

It would depend on what Damien had done to anger Dick, truth be told.

And yet, none of that mattered at the moment. As an odd bubble popped in the stream of sewage beneath him and made the smell in the pipes gain an almost physical state, Bruce decided he would simply deal with the matter when he got home. 

His first concern would be breathing clean air again.

His second concern was the size of the party in his BatCave.

It wasn’t merely Nightwing and his girlfriend or one of his troublesome brothers. His entire BatClan was waiting for him when he exited the BatMobile and headed towards his computer. Dick sat in his chair, with Barbara positioned next to him in her wheelchair. Jason stood like a bouncer at a night club while dressed in his anti-hero attire, which was surprising to no one, most likely. Tim leaned against the keyboard while Stephanie seemed to be discussing something private with him in a hushed tone. Even Duke and Cassandra were present for this sudden intervention, but standing in front of them all was none other than his biological child Damien, arms crossed and glower strong.

Thankfully, his cousin Kate wasn’t asked to be apart of whatever sort of semi-private lynching his children had planned for him. There was, however, a surprise guest to take her place.

And it took all of his strength to not blurt out her name in surprise. “What is Diana doing here?” The tone he used to ask his question was much angrier than he intended to sound, but he refused to abbreviate himself in a setting such as this.

“It’s nice to see you too, Bruce” - she teased him gently as she prepared to make her way over to his side, until her nose visibly twitched and instead, she took a step back - “but maybe it’s not so nice to smell you.”

“Where the hell were you, Gotham Sewage?” Duke grumbled as his face became stony.

Bluntly, Bruce barked back. “Yes.”

“Go shower then, father. We’ll be here when you clean yourself up.” Damien issued an order rather than suggested a course of action to him. Still, though the smell was truly awful, he refused to step aside as the frontal figure of their makeshift pack.

“No,” clarified the Batman. For Diana’s sake, he would have, if not for the impression this gathering left on him. There were too many people present for the conversation to be typical, let alone delicate; whatever they wanted to say to him was something they intended to drill into his head with all of their voices. They could handle the smell he brought in with him. “I want to know what is so important that you’re all neglecting the people of Gotham and Bludhaven for this, as well as the calls from the League.”

Diana jumped to her own defence. “I was summoned here the same as you, Bruce. This is even the first time I’m meeting a few of these people.”

“Sorry, Di’,” Dick softened when he looked to the Amazonian princess, just like anyone but the Batman himself did. “I didn’t realize that you only knew me, Jason and Barbara. Though, knowing the person who connects you to this family, that’s not a surprise.”

Bruce could have gagged on the way his eldest sucked up to Wonder Woman. Always a charmer, that one.

“Dick, enough.” Sighing, Barbara came to Bruce’s defense. She put a hand to her forehead, most likely with a few motivations behind the act.

“Yeah, we’re sorry this is so sudden. But it’s something we all felt had to be done.” Stephanie piped up in the hopes of being the mediator figure between the obviously different parties - the Justice League members versus the Titans, young and old.

“Is this an issue concerning the League?” Bruce brushed past Stephanie’s attempt at peace to cut straight to the point.

“No, trust me,” Jason chuckled, his voice rumbling a bit inside his mask. “Relax, Bruce. You’re getting so tense.” So he said, but the man known as the Red Hood was clearly enjoying his obvious discomfort.

As Bruce opened his mouth, it was none other than Cassandra who stepped forward and tried to shield him from those who were there to watch him squirm. “Stop it. Just start.” Then, she looked up at her adoptive father through her mask. He nodded to her and put his hand on her shoulder as a sign of gratitude.

“Yeah Dick, just get on with it already. Some of us did have other plans.” Tim scolded the organizer and ratted him out in the process.

Nightwing glared through his face plate and decided to begin. “Bruce, Diana, we need to talk to you both about something that Oracle found.” He began the impromptu conference as if there hadn’t been all of the smalltalk beforehand. In Bruce’s opinion, he should have started with that as soon as everyone was present, but leave it to the son he trained the longest to do things his own way.

“What was it?” Diana asked, reminding Bruce that she was also apart of this, present and forced to endure the insanity that was his family. When she grew more serious about the matter, so did he. Perhaps he underestimated his children and cohorts, perhaps there was a deeper meaning to this that genuinely required all of their combined efforts.

“Well,” Barbara began, “I had finished gathering information for Bruce on Clayface’s last sighting the other night, and I was about to deliver the information. I was preparing to contact him via the computer and–”

Jason couldn’t take it anymore. “She saw you and Diana locking lips!”

The room fell silent as the blurted out words registered with everybody. It was now Dick’s turn to hold his head, disappointed and yet seemingly unsurprised by his brother’s behaviour.

Bruce, however, was floored. “What?” The word shot out somehow between his gritted teeth.

Duke shifted his stance to appear more like the authority figure before he decided to take control. “Normally, this wouldn’t be our business, and some of us realize that.”

“But you’re a mess with women.” Damien flat out accused his father of such a thing in a room full of people and would never, ever retract his comment. Still standing in the dead center of it all, he was not put out by the topic, but rather appeared to be highly invested.

“And this is Wonder Woman.” Tim motioned to Diana, looking confused and flattered all at once, as he smiled sheepishly as a form of some kind of respect.

“Thank you, everyone,” Barbara raised her voice in order to reclaim her place in the conversation. Hre words echoed in the underground cave and forced the consistently rowdy group to obey her. “Now that we have gone completely off script, I’d just like to say that I wasn’t the one who panicked and told everybody.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Bruce snapped. He released his hold on his most respectful child, walked past the disgruntled Damien and stood in the middle of them all. The scent he carried with him was no longer dominating his sense of smell, but it crashed into everyone around him the moment he came closer. “Whatever concerns you may or may not have about what happened between Diana and I is none of your business. Any one of you.”

Tim decided to play a less diffident role and held up his hand. The other one pinching his nose closed, of course. “Unless we want what’s best for you and hope you two will succeed, romantically.”

“I didn’t realize that a single kiss meant we were expected to exchange vows.” Diana mused, shocking the room with her lighthearted words. All eyes fell upon her, but no one’s heart was as abnormal as Bruce’s as Wonder Woman herself weighed in on concern of the volatile Bat-family.

Stephanie, perhaps because she was the closest to Diana at that moment, leapt forward and tried to change her perspective on the entire situation. “That’s not what we are trying to say, really. But this is a big deal - you work together, you’re figureheads of the Justice League, and a lot of us know what it’s like to date a coworker.”

At once, Tim, Barbara and Dick looked away from the direction Stephanie was in.

“Well, if Bruce and I do decide to date, that is something we will need to figure out for ourselves. I’m sure that, even if Bruce had given any of you advice about relationships, you would have ignored his warnings and proceeded to date anyway.”

“Definitely.” Dick wasn’t even shy about his rebelliousness now, as he once tried to be.

“That doesn’t matter!” Damien shouted in frustration.

Bruce frowned. “Damien!”

“Why not?” Diana asked, looking down at the young man as though she was ready to accept his challenge.

Damien knew what her gaze meant and faced her head on. “Whether he takes our advice or not, you have to understand that he is unable to give himself to anyone. His first love is Gotham City, and a relationship that tries to get in the way of that will ultimately end in pain and suffering.”

For a second, right near the end, Bruce wondered if those had been words of thoughtfulness rather than merely sharpened predictions.

When he glanced at Wonder Woman for her take on the admission, her baby blue eyes seemed to have liquified as she stared back at the young man before her. “I know that,” she promised, before glancing up at the group of young vigilantes. “I may not know that fact as well as some of you, but I am aware of what this city means to Bruce. If Themyscira wasn’t shielded from the rest of the world, I can only imagine how frightened I would be if it came under attack.”

“Those are Amazons - the people here are just regular people.” Damien fired back, unfinished in his quest to make them see his ways.

Cassandra huffed, Duke sighed, and Jason shouted from the opposite side of the huddle. “That’s why we’re here, genius.”

Damien whipped around with a fire-like energy. “I wasn’t talking to you!”

“That’s enough!” Bruce had had his fill of the entire conversation. The accusations were one thing, but the screaming was a sign that they were all about to descend into dangerous territory and he had already lost his patience for the entire debacle. In fact, so angered was he that he tossed his hand through the air as if it could cut through the conversation and the tension, killing it that very moment. “Your concern is duly noted, and that’s the end of it.”

“Hey, we’re allowed to care about what happens to Diana.” Jason shot back as his voice hardened suddenly. No longer relaxed, he dropped his crossed arms, prepared to go toe-to-toe with the Batman if he had to.

Bruce knew he was mirroring his son when he spun on his heel to acknowledge Jason, but he didn’t care. “You don’t know what you want from this. You’re all firing off different opinions and it’s become a mess. Whatever your goal was, you failed. Now accept whatever happens - or doesn’t happen - after this, and keep your thoughts to yourselves.”

A hand fell onto his shoulder, one that was warm and familiar. He looked over to his left and there was Diana, trying to ease his riled spirit. She wore an aura of confidence - as if she could handle all eight of his children by herself when he had never mastered that ability himself - as she tried to speak again. Not before making a face at his smell though. “We’ve heard you. After all, it’s hard to ignore an intervention like this.”

“Good.” Cassandra sounded much more pleased to hear that, compared to how she looked rather intimidating while still in her crime fighting suit.

“Hopefully next time I encounter all of you, it’s under less invasive pretenses. And should Bruce and I consider taking things beyond that of mere kissing-”

“Diana!” He admonished with a hiss.

“-we will see how things go from there, the two of us, on our own.” Then, she did something phenomenal.

She turned Bruce towards her.

She asked, “How deep were you in the sewage?”

He answered, “To my waist.” And nearly asked why.

But he didn’t need question her further, as that was all Diana needed to know before she pulled the biggest power move and kissed him in front of his entire BatClan. The only sound heard as their lips met was the distant cry of one of the many bats living in the BatCave.

Just as quickly as she claimed his mouth with hers, she released him and waved to the room. Then, she proceeded to the teleporter control pad and stepped on, leaving for the Watchtower without so much as a second thought.

Her control over the room shattered the moment she fazed away. The power she possessed was indeed godlike if she could silence every single person she left behind.

Of course, the first to speak up was the level-headed Duke, but his words were fitted with a soft chuckle. “Well, I think we’re done here.”

“I’m not gonna chase after an Amazon.” Jason agreed.

Slowly, the lot of them started to disperse. Just like that, the meeting they organized was drawn to a close and Bruce himself felt rather ineffective when he reflected on the entire conversation. “That’s it?”

Damien sighed as he headed upstairs, very clearly over the entire ordeal. “If she said she’ll be smart about your engagement, then I’ll wash my hands of this.”

“Same, only…less cruelly-worded.” Tim’s agreement came in softer terms. Stephanie nodded as she looked at her own boyfriend - for which there were no meetings held for their relationship - and took his hand as she led him away.

“Good night, everyone.” She bid them farewell and led them both behind Damien.

As they climbed the stairs to the manor, Duke found his helmet that sat on the computer desk behind him and placed it back on his head. He said not another word, but merely patted Bruce on the back sympathetically before heading out through the garage. Cassandra saw who was left and with a toss of her head, she left with Duke, ready to escape the scene.

And then, there were four.

“I’m sorry if this felt like an ambush.” Barbara acknowledged the event for what it was once it was over.

Bruce scowled, but Dick jumped in to cover for her. “I was the one who arranged this–”

Jason held out his hand to his brother as he snorted with derision. “I doubt he thought it could have been anyone but you. You’re sitting like a crime lord in his chair.”

That comment shocked the typically stoic Nightwing, and his mouth fell open, flabbergasted by the comparison. He looked down at his chair before removing himself from it with an unceremonious hop. Clearing his throat, Dick stated with weakened pride, “We thought we were doing what was best for you.”

“But Diana showed us there really is nothing to fear.” sang Barbara with a smile on her face.

“Yeah,” Jason’s grin could be heard through his metaphorical hood.

Dick explained, “If she’s willing to kiss you when you smell like that, I honestly don’t know why it took you two so long to get together in the first place.”

Bruce was ready to chew every single one of them out, but he recoiled when they mentioned the smell. She had mentioned it too - had his nose become numb after being drenched in the sewers? He smelt nothing, but he remembered what it smelt like when he first entered the pipes. It did truly give him pause that Diana was willing to kiss him when he definitely smelt absolutely putrid.

She truly was a Wonder Woman.

“And don’t you forget it.” Bruce ordered with a pointed finger before he finally took the opportunity to head towards a well deserved shower.

#wonderbat #wonderbatweek2018 #maiden writes #batclan #clayface

[ladysdork]

I Have Questions

“You’re… you’re gay,” Tim blinked up at the men kissing in front of him. One of Midnighter’s dark gloves was hidden in the length of blonde hair that seemed to surround Apollo like a sun’s halo. Two white gloves stood out like stars against the black of Midnighter’s clothing. Everything about the movement screamed of habit, familiarity, love. The way their heads tilted before their lips even touched, hands reaching without fumbling to find a home.

After a second, they parted and turned, arms still around each other. Apollo arched one light brow, lips pressing together into a faint smile. His high cheekbones were dusted with freckles and Tim couldn’t stop staring until his partner moved. Midnighter grinned, feral and pointed, he hadn’t really known what a hostile grin looked like until now. Or, one that wasn’t covered by clown make-up.

But at M’s look, the one that screamed of tension and a history of judgment, Tim swallowed. He wasn’t entirely sure what the right reaction was after stating an obvious fact that could be interpreted as some kind of opinion since he was an idiot and had to go and blurt only…

Only he had been staring at Kon for two years.

Every time they were alone, Kon meeting him after school or playing games in Tim’s room at the Titan Tower, he willed himself to man-up, to something, to just say the words that pounded in his heart every time he saw those blue eyes shining down at him, that made him lose track of what he was originally saying because the other thoughts were so loud.

I like you.

I love you.

You are gorgeous.

But the image of Kon looking at Tim like he was an alien, of Kon saying their friendship was ruined, that what they had was never there at all, that he was leaving the team because of Tim… god people would die if Tim got this wrong.

“Yeah, kid. Have been our whole lives,” Midnighter broke Tim’s thoughts and pulled him back to the bloody sidewalk under his feet and the angry superheroes in front of him. Or at least one angry superhero and one smirking one. Which didn’t seem much better. “Got a problem with it?”

But something about his face and relaxed posture gave Tim the sense that he already knew the answer.

“No. Not at all, just…” he bit his lip, rolled his shoulders, and swallowed again. He could do this. He had questions, they had answers. He had just fought side by side with them to get past over forty guards while Bruce ran after Dick. “How did you two go on your first date? Were you worried about fucking up your friendship ever? How did you get over it? How did you know he would say yes? How did you ask him? Where did you go?”

Apollo laughed, a low warm sound that ran down Tim’s back like the heat of a summer day, like the way he felt running around the Kent’s farm in the pure sunshine listening to Connor laugh. He took a step closer, long fingers trailing down Midnighter’s arm before reaching out to touch Tim’s shoulder.

“It is never without risk, regardless of the gender, Robin,” he smiled gently, looking over his shoulder at M who had settled into a relaxed stance. “But the risks worth taking all the same. And if you’re as into him as you seem, he probably knows. He either feels the same, or likes you enough he won’t run away even if he doesn’t return your feelings. Things may change for a little while, but have faith.”

“You’re so cheesy,” Midnighter grumbled. “But he’s also right, kid. Keeping it inside won’t ever work out. Just tell him you think you like him. He’ll either be over the moon or turn you down.”

“Which would be awful for a little bit,” Tim’s face must have betrayed his panic at that idea because Apollo immediately stepped in. “But your friendship would survive. And you would be able to move on.”

“What if he hates me?”

Both men frowned slightly at that, Apollo’s fingers reaching for Midnighter’s.

“I highly doubt that will happen, but if it does, kid. Just call us. We’re pretty good at fighting the homophobes away.”

“Why are you fighting homophobes?” Dick’s voice called from behind them. “Whose butt do I need to help wipe the floor with?”

“No one’s, Dick. We got the ass-kicking under control,” Midnighter’s smirk was back as a dark eyebrow cocked. “Just like we took care of most of the bodies while you flipped around some lasers to save a blueprint.”

“Excuse you, you could not flip anywhere close to my level,” Dick’s face bypast outrage so fast that Tim almost missed it before his features settled into the familiar smug as his hips swung with confidence. Tim had spent hours trying to copy that, but knew he would never learn to do it when he wasn’t undercover for a case. Even Tim Wayne CEO was more uptight than Nightwing and Dick Grayson combined.

“True, but Apollo can fly so-”

“Was your mission successful?” The blonde broke into the banter with a fond expression of exasperation and patience. Dick answered by holding up a reinforced tube and extending fully on his tiptoes as if they couldn’t all see clearly from three feet away.

“Yep! Thank you for the help, and for… well I see you pulled some punches maybe.” Dick glanced around their feet. “You didn’t scar Robin did you?”

“Actually, they helped me figure some stuff out,” Tim said. Bruce’s eyebrow raise was hidden by the cowl, but Tim could feel it from several feet away as he hovered over Dick’s shoulder. No doubt Bruce was itching to get the blueprint added to the computer index and move away from Dick’s morally questionable murder friends. Tim probably wasn’t helping. “Not, not fighting stuff. But… personal stuff. Just, I’ll tell you later can we go home?”

“Please,” Bruce turned, cape swishing and the cockpit to the plane opening as Dick made a stricken face.

“Relax, ‘Wing. Your big-brother role is secure,” Midnighter soothed. Dick frowned a little, but the tension that had crept into his shoulders relaxed, but his eyes narrowed. He made the same face during family Clue night, so Tim was never able to take it seriously in the field. Jason called it “the Nightwing-Blue-Steel”.

“Well, okay then. You ready to roll, Robin?”

“Yeah, just one sec,” Tim turned to look back up at Apollo and Midnighter. “Thanks, for… sorry if… just, thanks.”

“No problem,” Midnighter saluted with two fingers, a smile still tugging at his lips.

“Tell us how it goes,” Apollo winked and Tim felt his blush heat even further. “Get home safe. Wherever home for the bats is.”

“It’s a literal cave,” Dick offered while Bruce hummed the plane to life. “Thanks again!”

“No problem,” Apollo waved, one hand wrapping around Midnighter again, who muttered something before a glowing door appeared. The couple stepped through and the portal closed instantly behind them.

“Well, they sure do know how to exit,” Tim offered as Dick waited for him to catch up.

“Yeah, they do,” an arm fell around his shoulders as blue fingers squeezed him closer. At least he would always have this, even if everything with Kon blew up in his face. “Now, what did you talk about?”

#tim drake #robin #red robin #dick grayson #nightwing #bruce wayne #batman #kon-el #kon #connor kent #superboy #midnighter #apollo #my writing

[kindaangelic]

BatFam Week Day 2: Shennanigans

Day 2 of BatFam week! Yippity skip! Prompt: Shennanigans ------------ Dick honestly did not know what he had done wrong. All he had done was to mention Wally taking him out to dinner, and Damian had chucked his mashed potatoes across the room and had ran out in tears. Bruce sat at the head of the table, stunned, with mashed potato dripping down his face, while Tim and Jason offered commentary and recorded the debacle. Dick had more pressing issues on his mind than his spud covered father figure, and rushed to see what had gotten Damian into such a tizzy. Dick opened the door to Damian's room to see the boy sobbing and stabbing at a messily drawn picture of what looked like the Flash on fire. "Damian, what's wrong?" Dick cooed. Damian continued to sob, but somehow managed to string together a coherent sentence. "You-you're going to g-go away with the Red Speed De-Demon and you'll forget about me!" Damian wailed. "Then Dr-Drake will take over the house, marry Father, and he'll ma-make me sweep and mop and he won't let me go t-to the ball!" Dick listened to the hysterical boy with growing dread and horror, and when he had finished, held him close, rocking him to and fro. "Hush, hush, now," he whispered. "There's been a huge misunderstanding here. Why don't you tell me what happened, from the beginning?" "I'd like to know that as well," Bruce grumbled, walking into the room smelling vaguely of seasoning. "As the main victim in this-" "Bruce, be quiet!" Dick hissed, silencing the vehement man. "Damian, you go on. Why'd you attack your father? And why is Tim going to marry Bruce?" "I didn't mean to," Damian said. "I just...Todd said he would!" Bruce gaped in horror, while Tim closed his eyes and waited for the sweet embrace of the void to take him. "Jason told you," Dick repeated. "Can you tell me what exactly he told you?" "Well, he said..." ___________ "Where's Dick?" "Grayson is with Flash," Damian answered with a sniff. "Titans business." "Hmm," Jason hummed, pondering. Damian looked blankly at him for a minute before sighing and walking away. Jason followed his small, retreating, figure with his eyes and just as Damian turned the corner, called him back. "Hey, Dami!" Damian flew towards Jason and socked him in the stomach. "Don't call me that!" "Dick calls you that all the time," Jason wheezed out. "Well...that's Grayson. Only he's allowed to call me that," Damian pouted back. Jason nursed his sore stomach and glared at the brat. Slowly, a plan began to form in his mind. "And what will you do once Dick's gone, huh? Who's going to call you Dami then? Who'll love you then?" "Where is Grayson going?" Damian asked curiously. Jason looked at his brother with his innocent expression and tilted head, and felt no mercy. "What, you think Dick's going to stay home forever? Nah, he's going to get married, move out, and have his own kids. That's why he's with Flash right now - they're dating, and soon, they'll get married." Damian's look of anger grew at every passing sentence. "You're lying!" He cried, lunging forward to strangle Jason, and missing. Jason circled easily around the distraught boy to catch him by the middle, and whispered in his ear. "And once Dickie's gone, who's going to be on your side here? Bruce? He's a dolt. Tim? He hates you. In fact, he'll be looking to make his claim on the house stronger with Dick out of the way." "H-huh?" "He's going for the classic scheme. Who's going to be next in line to inherit after Bruce? Not Dick, he's going to get married and leave, and live happily ever after." "Father would split things evenly between his children-" "Oh ho, but what if there was another? Say...a spouse?" Damian was shocked into silence, and Jason took full advantage of the moment. "Tim's going to be an adult soon, and why look around for a partner when the most eligible bachelor in Gotham is right under your nose?" "No-!" "Yes," Jason hissed, bending down to Damian's level, coming nose to nose with him. "Tim will wed Bruce, and he'll be your step-father!" "Aagh!" "Yes! Now you're getting it! He's planned the seduction, the wedding, the control, and once he's Mr. Wayne, he's going to do to you exactly what was done to Cin-" Jason choked off, stuffing his fist in his mouth. "Cinderella," he rasped out. "What? What is that?" Damian cried. Jason's shriveled heart danced a merry jig. This was unbelievable. The demon assassin baby didn't know about Cinderella. Talia couldn't have been big on reading her son bedtime stories; she would have probably put him to bed with A Handy List of Stabbing Techniques. It was what Jason was given when he was Talia's protégé. "Cinderella was a girl," Jason started sadly. "A girl whose step-mother forced her into servitude. She swept the chimney and sewed dresses all day long, when all she wanted to do was to go to the Prince's ball." "Was she...able to go?" Damian asked softly. "No," Jason said sadly. "Her step-mother wouldn't let her. Do you know what happened then?" Damian looked at him with wide eyes and shook his head. A better man may have stopped the prank then, but this was Jason. "She never got to go out again, and she never married her prince." Damian gasped. "I will never be able to wed Jon? No!" Jason smirked. Well, that was news. The baby bat wanted to get hitched to SuperBrat? Bruce wasn't going to be pleased, but Clark was going to be tickled pink. "Yup. No wedding, no ball, no Jon, and guess what?" Damian leaned in. "No Grayson." "AAAH!" Jason cackled as he watched Damian run away, and sat back to plot the next stage of his grand plan. ---------- "How was patrol?" "It was fine, B. I actually busted Fal-OH!" Tim squeaked as he fell forward into Bruce's outstretched arms. Tim's nose was squished into Bruce's chest, and Bruce's hands were gripping Tim's back tightly as he looked down at the smaller hero in his arms. They stayed locked in that position, Tim falling asleep in the safety of Bruce's arms and lack of caffeine, and Bruce taking advantage of getting to discreetly hug one of his children - the only way he would ever hug anyone. The moment was broken when Bruce heard a withering gasp by the corner, just in time to see a small, tri-coloured child run up the stairs. Bruce frowned, but settled for lugging Tim over to his bed, to put his clever, little, sleep deprived pup to sleep. He never did see the marbles that Tim had slipped on, or his second son snickering from inside the t-rex. ----------- Finally, there was a peaceful night in Gotham. No one was stirring, not even a minor gangster, and all the Arkham inmates were trussed up in their straitjackets, dreaming of breakouts and planning what to do once they escaped. In Wayne Manor, family movie night was in full swing, and Damian was content, cuddled up against Dick. He had previously snarled at Wally that he was not invited, and had successfully scared him off. Jason looked at Damian's contented face, and thought that he looked not unlike a very small Emperor Palpatine who had just enacted Order 66. Dick, of course, suspected nothing, because he was an oblivious, hug-loving, boob that was currently busy smothering Damian with his love. Jason spied Tim sitting next to Bruce and cackled, a plan already concocted in his mind. He hurried to the kitchen and whipped up a batch of hot chocolate, and added sleeping pills in Tim's mug. "Here," Jason said sweetly, handing the cups out to his family, who took them with due suspicion. "Why?" Tim asked cautiously. "Because I care about you," Jason replied innocently. Well, it was true in a way, he thought to himself as he watched Tim down the hot chocolate, the pills would help his sleep deprived little brother some. Jason patted himself on the back. He was such a good sibling. Within minutes, Tim had dozed off. Jason nudged his sleeping brother and sent him sprawling all over Bruce, who caught him and held him close, while continuing to watch Finding Nemo. Dick cooed and went to fetch a blanket, and busied himself with draping it over Bruce and Tim. Jason shot Damian a pointed look, and watched the boy's face take on an ungainly puce coloration. Just as Dick was about to sit back down next to Damian, Jason purposefully pulled Dick towards himself, leaving Damian all alone in the corner. Out of the corner of his eye, Jason watched Damian get upset, his rage shaking his tiny frame until fat, angry, tears started dripping down his cheeks. Jason silently mouthed the word "Cinderella", and looked over at Tim sprawling over Bruce. Damian immediately jumped up and ran to his room, with Dick watching concernedly. "What happened?" "He probably identified with Nemo," Jason supplied sagely. "Nemo left the ocean and found a new family in the aquarium, just like Damian left the League of Assassins and came here." "You're so smart, Jay," Dick said in awe. Jason chuckled and slung his arm around Dick's shoulders. "I've got hidden depths, Dickhead, hidden depths." ----------- "Hey, Flash." "Hey, Red Hood. Nice to be cornered by you," Wally replied guardedly, shrinking against the wall Jason had herded him towards. "The pleasure is mine," Jason said benignly. "Here's fifty bucks, go and take Dickie someplace nice." Wally looked at the money that Hood was waving in front of his face and took it. "Um...why?" Jason frowned. Why did everybody suspect him of being up to no good? Oh, yeah. He wasn't. "Dickie's been really stressed lately, what with sharing Batman, being Nightwing, and mothering his brothers. You could show him a good time, get to know him, grope him-" "Hood!" "Don't play coy, West, I know where your hands have been," Jason said, shrugging the interruption aside. Wally blushed, and Jason continued, "So go show my brother a good time. Take him someplace nice, buy him a little something." Wally nodded and took the money before zipping away, leaving Jason to practice his evil laugh alone, in the privacy of one of Gotham's sleazier alleyways. ----------- "That's a nice necklace, Dick," Bruce commented over after-patrol dinner. "Thanks, Wally gave it to me. He said to wear it when he takes me out to dinner tomorrow." "That's nice. Where is he taking you? Tim, pass the salt, please." "Here you go," Tim said, his fingers absentmindedly brushing Bruce's as he passed the shaker over. "Right, Dick, you were saying?" "He's-" "Father, you absolute FOOL!" Damian cried hysterically, and flung his plate aside and ran away. Everyone watched, horrified, as the mashed potatoes soared off of the plate, into the air, and landed with a wet plop on Bruce's head. Silence resonated in the dining hall until Alfred moved to carefully remove the spuds from Bruce's hair. "Tremendous execution by Damian Wayne, did you see that wrist motion, Timmy?" Jason commented, channeling a 1950's radio sports commentator. "I did, Jay, I did. The parabolic arc of the throw was perfect. A graphing calculator with an y = x2 formula would have been jealous." "Plus ten points for the sound," Jason added in his baseball commentator voice. "Didja hear that wet splat?" "It was superb - like a thousand slugs hitting the pavement, Jay. We've witnessed history today." "Too true, Timmers, too true." Bruce sat glued to his spot, horrified, while Dick ran out to check on an obviously distraught Damian. It took a good five minutes for Bruce to finally regain his senses and follow Dick, intent on grounding Damian until the next Crisis. ----------- "-and, and Father is too dull to realize, and Drake is going to enslave me! I won't be able to go to the Ball, or marry Jon, and I won't ever see you again because he'll chain me in the basement!" Dick was torn between horror and awe at Jason's sheer gall as he cradled a hysterically crying ten-year-old in his arms while Bruce recovered from being called foolish and dull. "Damian, I won't leave you-" "But Todd said-" "Jason was lying," Bruce said harshly. "Dick isn't getting married, Wally's too broke and classless to have a proper Wayne style wedding. I won't accept getting hitched at the registar, Dick, just do you know. Furthermore, Tim isn't seducing me, and I'm not going to marry him, he's my son." Tim puddled to the floor in disgust, and sought to become one with the carpet. "See? Tim is horrified!" "Tim is disgusted," Tim corrected him. "Tim is traumatized at the thought of wooing his adoptive father, who is old and has grey hairs, and the emotional quotient of a prune. Tim is also offended that Damian thought that I would imprison him and make himsweep the chimney." "That's right-" "Damian wouldn't be able to reach far enough to do a good enough job of cleaning-" "Not helping," Bruce gritted out as Tim's words evoked a fresh wave of wailing from Damian. "But the Cinderella Plan-" Bruce groaned. "Jason lied," he said, sitting down. "It's a fairy tale. Cinderella had a fairy godmother, went to the ball, got her prince, got married, and lived happily ever after." Damian sniffed morosely and swung his little feet in silence. "Promise?" He asked, finally. "Yes," Bruce breathed in relief. "I promise. I promise that Dick isn't going to have a slap-shod wedding, I promise that he's never going to leave, I promise that Tim isn't depraved enough to want his own father, and I promise that when I find Jason, I'm going to make him wash the batmobile with his own tears." "Bruce!" "Shut up, Dick," Bruce grumbled, getting up. "Take care of your brother. Tim, come with me, we're going to find Jason." "Yes, daddy," Tim breathed heavily. "TIM!" ------------- Later that night... "You ought to be ashamed of yourself," Dick seethed at Jason. "How could you manipulate your little brother like that?" "I feel nothing," Jason hissed as he wrung out his sponge and scrubbed the batmobile. "Also, you should be grateful. You got to cuddle Demon brat for a whole gen minutes because of his little meltdown. I also lent Wally that fifty bucks for your necklace!" "Aww, really?" "Dick, you are hopeless," Tim sighed. "Jason, keep scrubbing. Damian, keep whipping him." Damian grinned freaky and cracked his whip at Jason, catching his bottom and eliciting a cry from the older man. That would teach him to mess with Damian Wayne. ----------- Meanwhile, at the Watchtower... "...Batman, you're staring." "I'm aware, Superman." "Um, okay." Clark paused for a beat. "Why?" **Because I'm slowly dying inside contemplating the near future where our sons may force my lawful bonding to you through their marriage, and if I could kill you now, there could still be time for me to mould your son into someone that I could approve of Damian marrying.** "In preparation." "Of...?" Bruce swept out of the room in silence, leaving Superman with a cold feeling in his bones.

#batfamweek #batfamily #damian wayne #jason todd #dick grayson #bruce wayne #tim drake #mentioned Jon kent #clark kent #Jason stop it #crack #humor #fluff #dick and dami