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anawrites3 · 1 year

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King Bruce having nightmares every single night after "giving up" his son - about horrible things his mind keeps telling him happen to him under Wilson's "care", about Dick calling him, begging and crying when he's being raped and abused by his new husband, about his head coming back to him in pretty box one day...

(How's he dealing with whole situation btw? Knowing Bruce he's grieving already...)

Before we'll get to the story I'd like to apologize for how long it took me to answer your ask, anon. I'm very very sorry and I feel so awful about it but life's been crazy lately and i barely had any time to write at all. I want you to know that the moment I got your ask I literally gasped and went to writing it right away, that's how much I loved your idea. But after I started it and outlined the story a bit, I went back to finish other stuff I was working on earlier, thinking "hey, I'll finish those quickly and then I'll get back to this to write it properly." Annddd of course that didn't happen as life went "lol, good joke" and then kicked me in the shin, throwing stuff on me, because it's a little shit like that.

Again, I'm very very sorry. Thank you for being patient with me while I sorted out my stuff - it's better now so you won't have to wait this long for answer again, I promise. And anon, I want you to know that I love and appreciate you and that I'm very thankful for your ask because your idea is great and writing it was a pleasure. Thank you. Feel free to send me another ask to yell at me for taking so long haha

And now - finally!! - the story;

/ / / / / / /

"N-no... no, please- please!"

Dick desperately tried to crawl away, as much as he could with all the injuries he already received. The blood continued to seep from his wounds, leaving a red trail behind him while he did what he could to get as far away as it was possible.

He didn't manage to get far.

A broken scream, as loud as his already damaged throat allowed, forced itself out from between Dick's lips as his hand was crushed under a heavy boot. The sound of crunching bones, breaking under the weight of it was sickeningly loud in his own ears.

"Where do you think you're going?" Slade Wilson asked calmly, almost as if they were talking about the weather over the dinner table. He put even more pressure down on Dick's shattered hand and Dick trashed, desperate to pull away. Slade didn't even budge. "We're not quite done yet, my prince."

"No please- please, no more!" Dick sobbed. He was no longer fully aware of the words that were spilling out of his mouth, he didn't care, he just wanted it to stop. He just wanted to get away, he wanted to go back home, to his brothers, to Bruce. "Please, stop it!"

"Hm, no, I don't think I will." Slade smiled like a wolf hungry for blood, but he finally took his foot of Dick's hand.

Dick immediately cradled it against his naked chest, instinctively trying to protect it from getting hurt any further but he knew it didn't matter much anyway. If Slade wanted to hurt that hand more, he would, regardless of what Dick did.

"But you can keep begging. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind?"

Slade pressed his boot against Dick's shoulder to forcefully turn him onto his back and Dick just sobbed again.

"P-please! Anyone! H-help me, please, anyone!" he screamed.

Like every other time he tried this, no one answered. No one rushed to save him. But he had to keep trying, he couldn't give up his only chance. There was no way he would be able to win against Slade alone (he knows, he tried that already) but maybe some of Slade's knights - even one, just one of them would be enough - would take pity on him and help him get away.

"Shh. There's no need to yell, sweetheart, no one will come anyway." Slade hummed, crunching down by his side.

He caressed Dick's bruised cheek almost gently and wiped off his tears with a thumb before trailing his fingers higher, to burrow them into Dick's hair. They were wet and sticky with sweat and blood but Slade didn't seem to mind.

"Why would they?" he continued instead, arching Dick's neck to expose his throat more. "After all, you're spending a nice night with your husband right now. You wouldn't want anyone to interrupt us, hmm?"

"No no no-" Dick babbled. He tried to shake his head but Slade's fingers just tightened in his hair and he could just yelp at the painful tug.

Slade ignored him for the sake of pressing his lips against Dick’s neck. The kiss was gentle, with Slade's lips barely brushing against the skin and the deep bruises in the shape of fingers that bloomed there. Dick's breath heaved and he forced himself to keep breathing, to not choke on another sob that tried to escape him.

Even with the touch so gentle, it felt as if Slade's lips were burning him, painting his skin with their touch. Even when he pulled away a moment later, Dick still could feel them there, marking, branding him. New silent tears fell down his temples.

"Just look at you." Slade murmured. His hot breath caressed the sensitive skin of Dick’s throat, as he struggled to swallow. "Pretty little thing."

Slade’s teeth closed over the side of his neck and Dick screamed.

"Please, please! L-let me go!"

He managed to grab at Slade's nape and his nails dug into the skin there but it was as if the man didn't even feel it.

"Let you go?" Slade repeated with a mocking laugh. He pulled away to admire the mark he just left and fondly traced it with his thumb. "Now, that wouldn't be fun at all. Apart from that, where would you even go? Defiance is your home now, little prince. No no, I'd rather have you here with me."

When Slade jerked him higher, manhandling him any way he liked, Dick couldn't do anything but let it happen. He was forced into a not-quite-sitting but not-quite-lying position and his hand slipped on the wet floor a few times when he tried to support his weight and not strain his muscles any further. Slade hummed softly, satisfied.

Their lips crashed together in a bruising kiss Dick had no way of escaping. It was hungry, savage almost, with Slade taking everything he wanted from him and showing in yet another way how little power Dick held now. The meat he got to eat earlier that night, the wine Slade could still taste on his tongue, Dick got them only because Slade agreed to it. As the king's consort he was stripped of any privileges he had as Gotham's crown prince. Now he wasn't anything more than just a pretty thing perched on Slade's arm.

Slade's teeth tore into Dick's lower lip and he didn't even have the time to whine before blood flooded his mouth. Slade tilted his head to be more comfortable and licked between his lips to taste him better, not caring for the way Dick choked a little.

Dick wondered if spitting the blood on him would be worth it.

"I hate you, I hate you-"

"I don't care, boy." Slade laughed, pulling away. His teeth were red from Dick's blood. "Hate me all you want, wish me death, try to take my life. I'll win either way. You'll just make it more interesting for me."

He pushed Dick back almost carelessly and the young consort fell down, his back hitting the floor painfully with a thud. For a moment, Slade just looked at him - taking in the bare skin, every bruise and cut he made that night, admiring the work of his hands, teeth and knives. Hm. Perhaps he will use a whip next time.

In that time, Dick managed to get a few meters away but it really didn't matter much. Slade crossed the distance in a few lazy steps before he drapped himself over Dick, settling on his hips to hold him down again.

"And now," Slade purred out, leaning over him. He placed his hands on either side of Dick's head and Dick no longer could see anything else, not even the ceiling of the room. Only Slade, always only Slade. "we're getting to the fun part."

"N-no, please..." Dick sobbed again. He squeezed his eyes shut so he didn't have to look at how pleased Slade looked. At Slade's lips, stretched in a smirk still red with his blood, at that cold eye full of sick cruelty. "B-Bruce! Bruce, please please, help me!"

"Calling your daddy now?" Slade laughed. "He won't save you either, boy."

"N-no, he will!" Dick argued, almost hysterically. "He'll help me, he won't let you-!"

"Oh, but you're forgetting about one little thing." Slade drawled, as his fingers closed over Dick's chin hard enough to bruise, to force him to look in that cold eye. Slade waited for him to open his eyes before continuing, "I own you now, little prince. Your father was the one to sell you out. And now you belong to me..."

"Dick!"

Bruce woke up with a gasp, sitting up so abruptly that he almost fell off the bed. It took him a moment to realize that he was the one screaming and then a few more to fight off nausea. Oh Gods. Oh Gods, it was a dream, just a dream... was it really only a dream?

"Your Majesty?"

Bruce looked up. The doors to his chambers were wide open, knights guarding them were inside and looking over the whole room and its balcony, while the kerosene lamp illuminated them all.

"Your Majesty, are you alright? We heard you scream."

Bruce could just nod in answer. His hands were shaking so much that even clenching them into fists didn't stop the trembling.

He stood up from the bed quickly and stumbled across the chambers to get to the doors. His knights - who already made sure that their king wasn't in any danger and that no one broke into his chambers - observed him with concern. Bruce didn't pay them the slightest of his attention. He needed... he needed to-

"No, please- please!"

He felt as if he was drunk, stumbling and bumping into everything on his way but he didn't care. The bruise on his hip from hitting into a wall will heal. The knights he pushed out of his way will be okay. He didn't give a shit about any of it.

"Something's wrong. Quickly, go get sir Alfred!"

"And what about lord Kent?"

"There's no time, go already!"

Bruce stopped before Jason's chambers, swaying on his feet. He wanted to vomit, he wanted to yell, cry, slam his fists into the stone wall until his hands were broken but he needed to know that Jason was safe first. It was his fault, all his fault that Dick had to leave and marry that monster. He already lost one child, sold him out, he couldn't bear to lose another one.

"Get out of my way." He ordered the knights guarding his son's room. They eyed him, concerned for his almost delirious state and didn't step aside to let him pass. "I said, move!"

He pushed them away, reaching for the handle. His elbow throbbed from the force with which he hit the knight to move him away but he didn't care, he didn't give a shit right now, the knight had an armor on, Bruce is paying him anyway-

Empty.

Jason's bed was empty.

Bruce rushed deeper inside the chamber. The bed, the bed was empty, as well as the armchair Jason liked to read in, the sofas, the balcony, the ensuite bathroom, it was empty, it was all empty, he wasn't here-

"Where's my son?!" Bruce yelled. The walls seemed to shake from the volume of his voice, or maybe it was because of his rage, of his despair?

Knights didn't answer him fast enough and so he ran out of the chambers and down the hall. His legs didn't want to work properly, he was shaking so much that he wasn't entirely sure which way was forward. He didn't even notice when tears began to blur everything around and oh, maybe that's why he was choking.

"Jason!" he screamed, completely hysterical. He moved around the knights that tried to stop him. "Jason!!"

Someone grabbed him from behind and Bruce didn't think before whirling around and punching them straight in the face. He won't let anyone stop him, he has to find Jason, make sure he is safe.

"Master Bruce, stop right now!" Bruce recognized Alfred's voice but he didn't listen.

He just kept running, opening random doors and yelling for his son. Because Jason had to be there, somewhere, he didn't just disappear. There were so many people in the castle, the knights, servants and maids that were still finishing their duties or simply making sure that the fire in their chambers was still burning. Someone would see if Jason left, or if-

If someone took him away.

Bruce's legs buckled under him and he distantly felt the dull pain in his knees where they hit the floor. Everything, everyone around him seemed to stop as well, now that he wasn't running around anymore and they didn't have to chase him.

"Master Bruce." Alfred breathed out softly, kneeling down beside him. His arms wrapped around Bruce and he let himself be held for a moment, just crying quietly.

"Alfred..." he sobbed. There were people around them but he didn't care if they saw him break down. He was paying them to keep quiet of the things that happened in his home. He can always throw them in a cell too. "Alfred, Jason's gone, I can't find him anywhere. I failed Dick, I sold him out to that monster and now... now Jason too is-"

"Bruce! Bruce, what happened?!"

Bruce looked up just in time to see Jason push through the knights surrounding them. His hair was tousled as if he just woke up but he was still wearing his daily clothing and not sleepwear.

Jason basically ran to him, face twisted with worry. He let Bruce embrace him, despite being a maturing teenager and those never wanted to hug their fathers (except for Dick, Dick loved hugs, he loved all the contact he could get-) and buried his face in Bruce's collarbone.

"Jason, oh Gods, Jason-" Bruce babbled, hiding his face in his son's curly hair.

He couldn't get rid of the image from the nightmare from his head, he could still vividly see Wilson's smirking face, dirty with Dick's blood and so full of sadistic pleasure.

Bruce, please please, help me!

"I'm here, dad." Jason said, his voice quiet but firm and Bruce could breathe again, however shaky his breath was. "'m here and I'm alright. Everything's alright."

No, it's not, Bruce wanted to scream but couldn't push the words past his lips, Dick is still with that awful man, helpless and so far away from home.

Alfred rubbed his warm hand between Bruce's shoulder blades and Bruce trembled, holding Jason even tighter. It had to be at least a little bit uncomfortable but Jason didn't say a word about it.

"Let's get you both to bed now." Alfred suggested in a warm voice. "It's the middle of the night and a lot has happened in this short time. I bet you are quite tired, my king."

Bruce let them help him to his feet and led back to his chambers but he still didn't let go of Jason. For once, Jason wasn't opposed to it at all, keeping close and making sure that they were pressed together so Bruce could feel him and know he was there. And Bruce wanted to start crying again because the action was so Dick that it physically hurt his chest. The way Dick always cared for them all and how he always made sure that they got enough of hugs and human contact, how he teached their siblings about how important it was to get at least one hug a day.

So lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice when they entered his chambers and the doors closed behind them, separating him, Jason and Alfred from the rest of the castle. Jason sat down on the bed's edge with him and he rested his head on his son's shoulder. Suddenly, he felt so damn drained.

"Jason?"

"I'm still here." Jason immediately answered, squeezing his hand.

Bruce breathed out slowly, "I'm... I'm sorry for- for this. I didn't want to worry you."

Alfred didn't argue that it wasn't his fault, no matter how much he wanted to. They all knew that Bruce wouldn't agree with him and they'd just start arguing about silly things, while there were more important matters at hand, such as making sure that Bruce was well.

"It's alright." he said instead, handing the man a glass of water.

Bruce took it gratefully, finally feeling how sore his throat was from all the screaming and crying. He felt much better just after a few sips.

"What happened?" Jason prompted after a few minutes of silence. When Alfred didn't scold him for it, he continued. "I heard you screaming and came as fast as I could but..."

"I behaved like a child." Bruce sighed. The glass shook slightly in his grip. "I... I had a nightmare and- wanted to, no, I needed to know that you're safe and uninjured, Jaylad. When I went into your chambers and saw that you weren't there... I'm sorry. You shouldn't see me in a state like that. I shouldn't let all of the stuff see me like that."

"Oh come on, Bruce, it's not your fault!" Jason scoffed, pressing even closer to him. "Even if you're a king you're still only a human, just like we all are. That had to be one hell of a nightmare to scare you like this."

Alfred frowned at the words and he parted his lips to scold Jason for cursing but before he could, Bruce nodded, "Yeah... it was."

"...What was it about?"

"Master Jason!"

"What?! I'm just curious!"

Bruce shook his head but a small smile finally tugged at his lips.

"Not important right now." he breathed. It really wasn't. It was... it was just a dream. None of this was real. "I'd rather know what you were up to that late in the night, Jay."

A blush climbed onto Jason's cheeks and he turned away, as if that would make Bruce unable to see the way the tips of his ears turned red as well.

"I went to read in the library." came the shy, mumbled answer. "And then fell asleep there, in the window nook."

Alfred murmured something about reading in the lamp's light and bad eyesight. Bruce didn't really understand much of it because he was too busy laughing. He actually felt a little bit sick from it again but he couldn't help himself. The library. Of course.

"How did I not think of that?" he chuckled. "Of course you were in the library, Jaylad. Did you find anything interesting?"

Jason shrugged but he was nodding at the same time. "I did, actually. Why else would I stay up?"

"We both know that it's not a real issue for you, Master Jason." Alfred sighed. "You could always be reading one of your favorite titles again."

"Maybe but not this time, Alfie! Bruce got us new books from Defiance writers and I was looking through them all evening."

Bruce's smile faded a bit at the mention of Wilson's country but he quickly pushed the thoughts about him away. There was nothing he could do about it now anyway.

"Anything interesting?" he asked and Jason perked up, as he always did when he got to talk about his books.

"Yeah, the one I'm reading right now is actually pretty cool! The story takes place several centuries ago so I get to know about Defiance's history and its customs and- um. Maybe it's a little late to tell you all about it." he cleared his throat, scratching at the back of his head in a nervous habit both Bruce and Alfred tried to teach him out of. It only made his bed hair even more messy.

"That's alright." Bruce hummed, placing a kiss on his son's forehead. "How about you tell me all about it in the morning instead?"

Jason didn't beam at his words - not like Dick would - but it was a close thing. He pulled Bruce into one last hug before standing up. "Alright. That sounds good. I'm... I'll be in my room this time, if you need me."

Bruce smiled fondly.

"Thank you, Jaylad. But hopefully I won't and we'll get to sleep through the rest of the night without any further troubles."

Jason bid both him and Alfred goodnights with a smile before walking out of the chamber. Bruce waited a few more moments, to make sure he was far enough, before he turned to face Alfred properly. Alfred was already standing by his side, waiting.

"We are leaving for Defiance first thing after the breakfast." he ordered, not even a trace of his smile left. "Please make sure that everything will be ready by then."

"Very well, Your Majesty. Shall I inform lord Kent about the journey?"

Bruce shook his head, eyes hardening. "No. I don't need Clark's help to kill that bastard if I see even a scratch on my son."

Masterlist of the au

#thank you so much for waiting ahhhh #hope you'll like this one as well #fun fact #at first the story was supposed to be the nightmare and then Bruce actually going to defiance in the middle of the night #but then i thought this one will be more fun #poor bruce #sladick #sladick royal au #my writing #and remember when i said that another part won't be that long?#yeah #this one has 3.3K words instead #noooo it's not long at all #oohhhh and i just realized that i should be using ''guards'' instead of ''knights''#hmm

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koalas-koalas-everywhere · 9 months

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About a month ago (I thought it was longer!) I posted some ficlets with the promise that a longer Lancelot Lives Alt Season 4 full fic was coming. It has been going slowly. Like, "less than 15k words since then" slow. I started alt Servant of Two Masters literally with Mercelot Week and they've just found out that he's trying to kill Arthur slow. And I thought, you know, I could post another sneak peek.

A few days ago, I made myself sad writing the first conversation between Lancelot and Merlin since the latter went missing (not that the scene itself comes off as all that sad, it is from Fomorroh!Merlin, but I thought of how sad Lancelot would've been and well). Yesterday, I made this fic into a comedy:

“It’s probably best that we get there first,” Gwen tried to demur.

“We think Merlin might have been enchanted to kill Arthur,” Gaius said.

Gwen made a sound like a mix between a boiling kettle and a cat whose tail had been stepped on, but Lancelot didn’t pay it any mind.

“What?” he yelped and didn’t wait for an actual answer before breaking into a run.

Fortunately, while the physician’s chambers were on the top of a tower, isolated from the rest of the castle, they’d also been placed close to the Royal Chambers. He burst through the doors not a minute later, just in time to see Merlin pull an arrow out of a pillar. Thinking only of that weapon in his hand (the danger to Arthur’s life, to Merlin’s life if he was caught after the act, how it’d break his heart if he hurt Arthur or worse) and not the startled look on his face or the bewildered question from behind the privacy screen, Lancelot launched himself at him.

They went down in a tangle of limbs.

“What on earth— Lancelot?!” Arthur exclaimed, running over. “What is going on?!”

“Get off me!” Merlin struggled like a fish on land.

“I just… hadn’t seen him since he came back!” Lancelot said, barely dodging an elbow to the face. “I’m so happy he’s alive!” he insisted, finally managing to wrap his arms around his torso to immobilize him.

“What are you talking about? We just saw each other in the Armoury!” It was a good thing Merlin had dropped the arrow when they fell, because Lancelot was pretty sure he’d have been stabbed by now otherwise.

“I think you imagined that.” Lancelot was half trying to pin Merlin’s legs under his own, half trying to avoid a kick to any sensitive spot when Gwen arrived at the door, out of breath.

“Arthur, they need you at the Throne Room,” she gasped out. “You have to go.”

“Why would I ever torture myself by imagining more conversations with you? The ones I have to suffer through in reality are more than enough for any sane being,” Merlin said, still wriggling.

Lancelot shot Arthur a wide beam. “He’s so funny.”

Merlin took that moment of distraction to twist suddenly, getting his legs under himself. He might have gotten enough leverage to shake Lancelot off and stand up if Gwen hadn’t jumped on him as well.

“You too?!” Arthur demanded, arms spread. “You saw him this morning!”

“I missed him so much,” she explained, holding on for dear life.

Gaius appeared at the door and Arthur turned to him.

“Let me guess.” Arthur gestured wildly. “Do you want to drop to my floor?”

“No, sire,” Gaius answered, eyes narrowed. “Do you?”

Arthur made a strangled noise that choked itself into a laugh.

“Back to normal, then,” he sighed. He walked across the room, past the wrestling figures in the floor that became a lot more active when Merlin saw Arthur come within reach, and grabbed his ceremonial sword. “I better get going. You” —he waved a hand— “have fun.”

“Wait,” Merlin shouted after him. “Don’t you need me to—?”

Arthur slammed the door behind himself pointedly.

#Merlin BBC #alt season 4 #lancelot lives au #WLWAAOD #(that's When Love Was An Act Of Defiance btw)#Merlin #Lancelot #Mercelot #this is not the first time this has happened #the funny 'sneak around the camp base to get the triskelion and climb to the tower of ashkanar' was directly preceded by a heavy convo abou #dragonlord culture and how much had been lost and destroyed beyond repair #Arthur Pendragon #Gwen #guinevere pendragon

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