#i dont really know where i was going with this just that bruce is surprisingly not as polished with dealing with media as i thought hed be | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

clementine-writes-things · 1 month

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"Run Rabbit, Run!" pt.3 - E.N

Summary: Edward is released from Arkham Mental Hospital, having been declared 'sane' and keeps his promise about coming after y/n. (I don't believe he would be let go, but let's pretend m'kay? <3 Also, for this fanfic trilogy, I made it so that the Riddler person is like the embodiment of his anger/darkest desires/hatred etc. So, like an alter ego except Edward is in full control of everything. Ykwim? You'll see lol.)

pt.1 here pt.2 here

Content Warning: 18+ MDNI, explicit language, angst, mental illness and coping with it, Bruce being a good older brother, dom!Edward, egotistical!Edward, megalomaniac!Edward, stalker!Edward, yandere!Edward, Edward being a HUGE perv (just in an extremely sexual way, not weird.), sub!Reader, AFAB!Reader, she/her pronouns, mentions of violence/death, threats, alcohol, fluff, smut, penetration, bloodplay (i dont like it, but it fit Edwards personality in this fic), sadism/masochism, bondage (belt/tape/gag), taking pictures/videos of sex, unprotected sex (wrap b4 u tap pookies), REALLY rough sex (like seriously), choking, hair pulling, slapping, spitting, biting, scratching, daddy kink, daddy issues, degrading, praising, semi-public sex, humiliation, orgasm denial, post sex blues, aftercare.

Word Count: 16k+ (oh gosh, i didn't intend for it to be this long i'm sorry)

Songs for Inspo:

MONTAGEM - PR FUNK - S3BZS

✻H+3+ЯД✻7luCJIo0T6... - vyrval

Princess - Ayesha Erotic, Petey Plastic

LET ME SEE YA MOVE! - Lumi Athena

Thirst For Me! - Lumi Athena

She's So Nice - Pink Guy

Disgusting - Lil Mariko, Zheani

~Read Below Cut~

It had been over a year since Edward was put in Arkham. Y/n tried to distract herself with acts of community service. She even started to visit Bruce more often. Everything sounded better than being alone in her apartment. When she was alone with her thoughts, she ended up going in a dark place. She would blame herself for what happened to Edward, telling herself that she could have done something and stopped it. She could have helped him, but she didn't. Now, none of this was true. Edward made a choice and nothing could change his mind. But, y/n was so distraught by losing her love and her friend that she blamed herself every single day. And on top of that, she was paranoid about Edward showing up. What he said was true, he was still a criminal after all. A mentally unstable one at that. Yes, he was a kind soul to her, but to everyone else he was a menace to society. Y/n feared that he would crack and break into her apartment and hurt her. Because of this, she spent most nights in Wayne Tower, though she didn't like it.

Y/n stumbled out of her childhood room, the walls still painted a soft pink from when her mom had painted it with her. It was nostalgic to stay in it once more, but also melancholic. It reminded her that her parents were no longer with her. But, she was lucky to have Bruce and Alfred still, that much was true. It was actually sort of funny, how cute her room was, surrounded by gothic interior. She remembered how her dad always found it to be humorous.

"Good morning Ms. Wayne, breakfast?" Alfred asked.

"Alfred, please, you've known me for 28 years. I'm pretty sure you can call me y/n." She laughed.

"Right, sorry, it's just been a while since I've seen you." He admitted

"Yeah, well I like living in the city. It's got a sort of gritty charm once you get past the drunks and dropheads." Y/n snorted.

"Sounds...charming." He forced.

"Where's Bruce? In his cave, I suppose?" Y/n asked, grabbing a waffle and eating it plain.

"I believe so. I don't think he's had a wink of sleep. Speaking of, how did you sleep? Is the old bed still as comfy as it was all those years ago?" He asked.

"Surprisingly, yes! Thanks for asking, Alfred. How did you sleep?" She asked, taking a bite of the waffle.

"Quite fine, really. There was a nice drizzle of rain last night, lulled me right to sleep like a baby." He chuckled.

"That's good, heaven knows you need the rest due to watching after Bruce. I know he's the oldest, but I feel like he's the most reckless." She shook her head.

"That is an astute claim, one that I'm inclined to agree with. Why don't you go down and bring him some breakfast? I doubt he'll eat it, but if you tell him to he might. He's missed you terribly, you know."

Y/n took the plate from the table, grabbing the glass of juice with the other hand. Groaning, she resorted to holding the waffle she was eating in her mouth. Giving Alfred a thumbs up, she walked towards the elevator. Using her sock covered foot, she pressed the basement level button. It reminded her of how she used to do the same exact thing as a young kid, but with her nose. She was a strange kid for sure, it was a miracle she didn't get sick all the time. Y/n, alone in thought for a little bit, though about Edward instantly. She missed him a lot, and she wasn't ashamed to admit that. Bruce knew that y/n loved Edward, but she never told him about what went on in that visitation room. No way. Instead, she told him that her and Edward agreed that they would try and move on from each other. But, Bruce was smarter than that. He knew that y/n still loved Edward, it was so obvious to see. It was a little jarring to know that his 'rival' was the person his sister was in love with, but he tried to be understanding. After all, she never knew until it was too late really. And, in all honesty, it did seem like he treated y/n well when they were friends. Bruce hoped that Edward would get the therapy he needed and would be released, that way his sister could be with the man he loved again. Yes, he murdered people, but it's not like he killed any innocent people. Murder is still bad, of course, but at least he killed the weeds in the garden instead of the flowers. The doors of the elevator opened. Y/n walked out and saw Bruce standing in front of the computer screens, looking pale and like death itself.

"H-" When y/n opened her mouth to talk, her waffle fell out of her mouth.

"FUCK!" She screamed.

Bruce flinched, grabbing a 'bat-a-rang' next to him and holding it up. When he saw y/n, he rolled his eyes and placed it back down, hand on his chest. Her scream scared the shit out of him, nearly giving him a heart attack.

"Sorry! I...I dropped my waffle..." She frowned, placing his plate and glass on the table.

"How did you drop it?" He asked, looking at his food.

"I tried to call you a cumstain but I forgot I had a waffle in my mouth." She huffed.

"Oh, that's charming, it's good to see you too." He shook his head.

"Yeah, it's good to see you. Look, you've been up all night, eat some breakfast, ok?" She sighed.

"I'm really not hungry." He answered simply, looking back to the screen.

"Bruce..."

He looked back to her, sighed. Glancing back down to the food, he did feel his stomach rumble slightly. Opening his mouth, he went to say something but just scoffed.

"Alright, fine. But, we're hanging out today if I eat." He said.

"Ok, that works with me. But, I get to pick what to do!"

"There's always a catch with you, isn't there?" He chuckled, taking a bite of some bacon.

"Always. You know this. Anyways, I'm thinking we go to a club!"

He hummed in amusement, taking a sip of the orange juice. Placing it back down, he swallowed it.

"A club? Really? You?"

"What!? I party!" She scoffed.

"Alright party animal, but are you sure it's safe for us to go to a club? I mean, we are Waynes. I don't doubt there are a few people who would love to get a chance to do something fucked up to us, especially you."

"We'll go to a spot I frequent! And, we just won't drink. I usually don't drink anyways." She shrugged.

"Ok then, when do you wanna go?" He asked, eating another piece of bacon.

"Well, tonight of course. I think afterwards I might go back to my apartment. I kind of miss it." She sighed.

Bruce frowned, but he understood. He just didn't think it was smart for y/n to be alone.

"Ok, but you're always welcome back here. I miss hanging out with you." He smiled.

"I know, Bruce. Don't worry, I'll come back soon. I just want to stay at my apartment for a week or so. Now, eat your breakfast!" She ordered.

"My mouth is only so big, ok?"

"That's what she said! Now go! Double time, go, go, go! Eat that bacon! Eat that bacon!" She cheered.

Bruce looked at her with a piece of bacon hanging from his mouth. His eyes were narrowed, bags underneath them. Slowly, he reached his hand out and put it over her face. With a push, he shoved her back lightly, causing her to stumble. She squealed, gasping dramatically.

"Oh I'm gonna kick your ass little man!" She huffed.

Groaning, he reached out his hand and covered her face with it again. She swung her arms everywhere, flailing aimlessly. He held her there and continued to eat his breakfast casually. The sound of the elevator dinged, but the siblings were too caught up in their 'intense fight'. Alfred stepped out, watching the scene before him.

"My, my, what happened here?" He asked amusedly.

"Alfreddddd! He pushed me!" Y/n whined.

"Master Bruce! Is this true?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, but she started it. She was being weird..." He mumbled in between bites of bacon.

Y/n continued to swat at the air, moving around every now and then to get a better angle. But, every time she moved, his hand followed her in suite. She tried to bite his hand, but it was just far enough from her mouth that she couldn't reach. Alfred sighed, a smile spreading over his face.

"You dress like a bat! What's weirder than that!?" She counteracted.

"W- It's armor that looks like a bat because it's ominous! Batman stands for vengeance!" He scoffed.

"Batman? More like Twatman!" She snickered.

Bruce's eyes widened, turning slowly to look at her. She stopped swinging, backing away slowly. He put down the piece of toast he was about to eat and stood up from his chair. Y/n looked at Alfred for help, to which he just shrugged playfully.

"Brucey my man, my brother, my compadre! It was a little joke, a goof if you will! A simple guffaw!"

He quickly grabbed a handful of bolts from on top of his toolbox and lunged towards y/n. She screamed bloody murder, running away from him. Bruce chased her down, tossing the bolts at her, making clinking noises as they hit the ground. The two siblings, both adults keep in mind, ran around the basement yelling and cursing at each other.

"ALFRED! HE'S THROWING BOLTS AT ME! STOP HIM!"

"CALL ME TWATMAN AGAIN!" Bruce threatened, nearly tripping over his feet.

"ALFRED HELP!"

"I'm afraid I can't help you, y/n. Master Bruce seems very passionate and I'd hate to interfere." He said.

"FUCK YOU ALFRED OH MY GOD! BRUCE STOP!" Y/n cried.

"Language, Mistress Y/n."

"I'M GONNA RIP THE FUCKING HEADS OFF YOUR BARBIES Y/N I SWEAR TO GOD!"

"WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE INSANE! DON'T TOUCH THEM! I HAVEN'T PLAYED WITH THEM IN YEARS, THEY PROBABLY MISSED ME!"

Alfred chuckled, watching the two run around. Bruce was still throwing bolts at y/n. She was running away from him screaming for her life. He sighed.

"Just like old times."

That night, the two siblings did exactly as they said they would. Y/n gave Bruce directions to the club, and they both went inside. Everyone in the club was happy to see y/n, she did not lie, she was a regular there. However, they were shocked to see Bruce. Who could blame them? He never left Wayne Tower. It was amusing to see the difference in personalities between the two Wayne's. Y/n was as bubbly and friendly as could be, while Bruce was quiet and reserved. However, they quickly became the life of the party.

"Y/n you're fucking stupid! Get down from there!" Bruce scolded.

Even though y/n had said she wouldn't drink, she did. Bruce had one cocktail, but y/n was 3 drinks deep. And he knew that she could not hold her alcohol well at all. Currently, she was standing on top of the bar counter, wearing heels. She looked down at Bruce, blowing a raspberry at him.

"NO! I'M D-DANCING!" She hiccupped.

"Oh that's really mature! I'm so glad to see you've grown past the raspberries!" He shouted at her above the music.

People surrounded the bar, laughing along with y/n. She truly was a frequent goer here, as it appeared to be normal to the people there. But, Bruce was still worried about her safety, so he repeated himself.

"Get down! You're going to fall and hurt yourself! I'm serious!" He said.

"W-Whatev-"

Just like he said, she slipped and fell on her butt on the bar counter. Drunk as hell, she burst out laughing. But the laughter slowly faded into drunken cries.

"W-Why did you let me do th-that!" She whined.

He just stared at her, amused and annoyed all at once. But, he could see that she was sad, and he had an idea as to why. Sighing, he helped her off of the counter, apologizing to the bartender. Everyone seemed fine with it though, which he was grateful for.

"Alright, I think it's time to take you home sis." He said softly.

"B-But, I wan' keep partying! The people are crying my name out! They want an encore~!" She giggled.

Bruce wanted to laugh because no one was even paying attention to her anymore. No one was calling out her name. She was so shit faced, but luckily, she was easy to sober up. He had learned from past experiences at parties with her. It was funny, she was horrible at holding her alcohol yet she could sober up within an hour after drinking. She was a strange girl for sure.

"Well, we're all taking the party back to your apartment!" He said, faking a cheerful tone.

"What! B-But, I haven't cleaned up!" She frowned.

"Yes you did, you just can't remember." He said.

"Oh! Ok! L-Let's go!"

Bruce waved goodbye to the other partygoers, leading y/n out of the club. Little to both of their knowledge that someone was following them. Watching them. The cold air sent a chill down y/n's spine as they walked outside. Her brother led her to his car, helping her get in. But, she quickly bolted out and hunched over the side of the building. Bruce winced as she puked, feeling bad for even letting her drink. Her throat was going to hurt like hell in the morning after that. He wasn't so worried about her having a hangover, as she didn't usually get them. Again, it was so odd that she could get sober easily, not have hangovers, and yet not hold her alcohol. It was truly strange to him.

"Ok, ok, that's it. Let it out." He cooed, walking over and holding her hair back.

Y/n choked out a sob.

"I-I miss him so m-much, Brucey..." She wailed before puking again.

He sighed, ignoring the weird looks he got from people walking by. Instead, he patted her back, comforting her through her sickness. His heart hurt for her.

"I know you do, sis. I know."

"W-What if I n-never see him again? W-What if he doesn't get be-better? I l-love him so m-much..."

She dry heaved, making him cringe. The smell was awful, but he did his best to overlook it and focus on cheering her up. The cold air was hopefully helping her sober up, maybe then she would stop crying, as it was only making her throat hurt more.

"Don't think like that, y/n. You need to stay positive. If he really does love you, he'll do his best to get better. I bet he's thinking about you right now, doing whatever he can to get to see you again." He mumbled softly.

"Y-You think so?"

Upbeat music blared from the club they left, causing y/n to bob her head to the rhythm. Bruce watched in slight amusement, helping her gain her balance as she stood back up. A dribble of vomit stuck to her chin. He pulled out a handkerchief he carried around, wiping it away and putting it back in his pocket. He didn't really care about the smell or anything, he'd just wash his clothes when he got home.

"I do."

Bruce led her to the car again, helping her get in. A rustle was heard behind him, making him whip his head around. He didn't see anything, but he felt on edge. The music got louder in the club and y/n drunkenly giggled, clapping her hands.

"THE VENGABOYS?! I H-HAVEN'T HEARD THEM IN F-FOREVER! BRUCEY! IT'S THE VEN-VENGA- THE VENGABOYS!" She cheered.

"Oh Christ, that band? Weren't you like obsessed with their music as a teenager?" He asked.

"YESSSSS!"

"Ok, ok, shhhh! Use your inside voice."

"BUT WE'RE OUTSIDE!" She yelled.

"Um, use your inside a car voice?" He asked.

"Oh, ok!"

He rolled his eyes, getting in the car. Paranoid, he did one final check around. The noise he heard really made him uneasy. Sighing, he started the car and drove to y/n's apartment complex.

"Ok, can I have your key?" He asked.

Y/n handed him her keys. The lanyard it was attached to had Sanrio characters all over it. Bruce chuckled, realizing it was the same one from their childhood. It was neat that she still had it. Fumbling with the keys, he managed to finally unlock the door and open it up. Y/n ran into the apartment, not entirely sure where she was running to. Bruce rolled his eyes as she face planted on the couch, closing the apartment door behind him. He felt cold, looking around the apartment. His eyes landed on an open window, making his eyes widen.

"Y/n, you can't leave your windows open when you leave!" He scolded.

"B-But, how else will the stray kitties get in?" She pouted.

"Oh my fucki-, I can't with you right now." Bruce groaned, closing the window.

"Whatttt?" Y/n slurred.

"If you leave your windows open, who knows what kind of sickos could get in? It's not safe, sis. Promise me you won't leave them open when you're not home, ok?" He asked.

"F-Fine, you're right..."

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. Walking into the kitchen, he opened up her medicine cabinet. Y/n groaned dramatically as he fished out two Tylenol pills. He placed them on the counter before grabbing a glass from another cabinet. Bruce yawned, pouring some juice in it, because God forbid y/n had to take medicine with water. She hated that ever since she was a kid, she said she could practically taste the medicine if she took it with water. He opened up the fridge, making sure that she had enough food for another week. He knew that she could take care of herself, but he was still her brother. No matter what, he was always going to look after her. Satisfied, he closed the fridge.

"Alright, take these tonight, ok? Make sure you take a cold shower as well, it'll help you sober up. Are you going to be ok alone?" He asked softly.

"Y-Yeah, I'll be ok, thanks B-Brucey." She hiccupped.

He walked over, seeing how drunkenly she laid on the couch. Sighing, he placed her lanyard that he still had on the coffee table. She wasn't asleep, just wanted to lie down. Bruce walked towards the front door, stopping when y/n called for him.

"B-Bruceeeee!"

"What is it?" He asked.

"C-Can you..." She pointed at the T.V.

"Oh Jesus, really? You've watched that show thousands of times, aren't you going to get tired of it?" He scoffed.

"Never! Now, put it on!" Y/n ordered, sitting up lazily.

"Fine." Bruce groaned.

He walked over to the T.V, bending over and grabbing a C.D from a small cabinet. Y/n had brought a lot of C.D's from Wayne Tower to her apartment, as it was a comfort to her. She would watch movies that her parents, Bruce, and her used to watch, Alfred as well. There were also entire box sets of shows that she owned. And, a show that she watched a lot and never seemed to get tired of was: Breaking Bad. It was hilarious, actually. Bruce had watched it first, and y/n would sneak looks behind his back. Eventually, they watched the entire show together. Y/n got more obsessed with it than Bruce did. He remembered very vividly about her 18th birthday party and how it was Breaking Bad themed, a picture of Jesse Pinkman on her cake. It was strange, but surprisingly a fun party.

"Ok, which season?" He asked.

"Season 4!"

"Good choice."

He put the C.D in, pressing play on the first episode and giving it to y/n. Smiling, he ruffled up her hair and walked back to the door. Bruce waved to his sister.

"Good night, y/n. I'll call you when I get home. I want to make sure you're ok." He said.

"Ok, I'll keep my ri-ringer on, I looooove you Bruceyyyy!" She slurred.

"I love you too, sis."

The door closed, y/n groaning as she got up. She knew that she had to lock the door, but she was still irritated that it required her to get up. Once she made sure it was secure, she walked into the kitchen. Wincing, she took the two pills Bruce had laid out for her. She looked like a mess, honestly. Her thin strap dress ended at her mid thigh, the silver material glimmering in the dim light of her kitchen. Her makeup still looked good though, puppy liner, natural toned eyeshadow with glitter in the corner of her eyes, blush on her cheeks and nose like always, and glossy lips. Although, the gloss had been rubbed off from her vomit from earlier. That reminded her, she needed to brush her teeth, as her breath smelled terrible. Hurriedly, she tossed off her heels, forgetting she had them on. Y/n tossed them to the side, discarding them by the edge of the sofa. She went into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush, putting toothpaste on it and brushing her teeth. She peeked out, looking at the T.V as she continued to wash away the vomit breath she had. Jesse Pinkman came on screen, and y/n drunkenly cheered, toothpaste dribbling down her chin.

"Shit!"

She spat into the sink, rinsing out her mouth. Cleaning the toothbrush, she placed it back in the container. With the back of her hand, she wiped away the toothpaste from her chin. She came back outside, too tired to even take a shower, she didn't need one that bad. Because she was walking around and actively doing things, she could already feel herself sobering up. It was good. Humming, she sat back down and watched the show. But, out of nowhere, she remembered something that Edward had said during their visit. All of her drunkenness left her body, becoming extremely aware. He could be in the dark corners of her room. He could be watching her right now. It sent shivers down her spine. Swallowing thickly, she looked around the room. From what she could see, there was nothing there. But, she had a sneaking suspicion. Carefully, she stood up. Turning her back to the T.V, she looked out of her window. She looked across at Edward's old apartment, feeling fearful. Her eyes widened as she felt someone's presence behind her.

"I've found you, rabbit."

Before she could do anything, Edward had wrapped his arm around her waist. His other hand went to her neck, gripping the front of it firmly. She could still breathe, but the shock caused her to gasp. He wore gloves, the fabric feeling crude against her skin. Edward hummed in her ear, muffled slightly.

"Now, you won't scream if I let you go, will you?"

She shook her head.

"That's my girl." Edward released her from his grip.

Y/n turned around, looking at him with wide eyes. Heat pooled in her stomach as she saw what he looked like. It had been over a year since she had last seen him, and yet it felt like she had been aroused the entire time. Desperately waiting for him to come back to her. He was in his 'Riddler' attire. Y/n had never seen him in it in person, but oh, he looked so good in it. She felt dirty for thinking that, but it was true. Edward took in her shocked state, smiling sickeningly under his mask as he reached out and brushed hair out of her face.

"W-What are you...why are you...how...?" She panted.

"I've been released from Arkham, isn't that obvious? I was going to escape, but I figured I'd get 'better', for you."

"Get better? Edward, you're dressed like the Riddler." She scoffed.

"Yes, that's because I faked it, y/n. Those doctors are so ignorant. Do I look better to you?" He asked sarcastically, leaning in to her face.

Y/n looked into his wide eyes, they made her feel threatened. Pupils glimmered behind his glasses, glazed with insanity and lust. She felt like she was in danger, but that could probably be because of his attire. Again, she had never seen him dressed like The Riddler, and it was more terrifying than she could ever imagine. He had a roll of duct tape hooked to a utility belt on his waist, along with a knife and a rag. She hoped that they weren't intended for her, and yet she did at the same time.

"N-No, you don't." She said.

"Oh, I can see the fear in your eyes, rabbit. You're so afraid of me, yet so delighted to see me. You've missed me so terribly, haven't you?" He hummed.

God, there he went again. He made her feel so small once again. Just like a year ago, she was putty in his hands. She was so pathetic. It was embarrassing.

"Y-Yes..."

"I know. I've been watching you alllll day, rabbit. I heard what you said to Bruce outside of that club. You love me still. You miss me. You want to see me again." He chuckled, stepping closer to her.

"Of course you were stalking me, I- did you get in through the window?" She asked.

He ignored the question, as the answer was obvious. Instead he looked her up and down, taking in her appearance. Scoffing, he slid his finger under a strap of her dress, letting it snap back against her skin. She flinched, every movement he made making her nervous.

"I'm gone for a year and you're putting yourself in harms way? Getting drunk around strangers, leaving windows open in your apartment, I'm disappointed, y/n. Extremely disappointed." He scolded.

"I-, I'm sorry..." She frowned.

"Have you been with anyone else, hm? Have you let someone's lips touch yours before mine?"

She shook her head frantically.

"No! I-I couldn't get you out of my head. I didn't want anyone else, Eddie." Y/n admitted.

He smiled behind the mask, happy that she hadn't moved on. As he looked at her facial features more, as he was admiring her makeup, he noticed how sad she looked. He tutted, stepping forward and pulling her into a hug. As soon as he did it, y/n broke down into tears, hugging him tightly. Edward came here to ravish her, intending on keeping his promise from a year ago, but he could see that she needed a little bit of gentle love first. So, he repressed his animalistic urge and brought out his nurturing side. As she cried into his chest, he removed his mask, tossing it on the couch. He cursed himself for wearing the cling wrap, ripping it off and shoving it in his pocket carelessly. Planting a kiss on the top of her head, he let her cry.

"I-I m-missed you so much. I know i-it's bad, but I f-felt so lost without you." She sobbed.

"Oh I know, rabbit. I missed you too." He cooed.

"I-I had no one to watch movies w-with me. N-No one to feel safe with. N-No one to hug. N-Not like I did with y-you daddy..."

Edward squinted his eyes shut. He hadn't heard that name in a long time, and he missed it dearly. Swallowing his lust, he continued to stroke her hair. He wasn't sure how long he could restrain himself.

"But I'm here now, rabbit. I'll never leave you again, ok?"

"P-Promise!"

"I promise."

Y/n sniffled, pulling away from the hug. She wiped away the tears on her cheek, lucky that she was wearing water proof mascara. Edward smiled at her, she did the same as she finally saw his face since he removed the mask. He looked just as good as he did that last time he saw him, though, he looked a little more skinny. That was most likely due to living in a hospital for a year.

"There's the smile I love so much. You feeling better, rabbit?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I am. J-Just lots of emotions, I guess." Y/n sighed.

"That's good. Now, look at me."

She looked up into his eyes.

"Do you know why I'm here, rabbit?"

Y/n furrowed her eyebrows, not sure what he was referring to. He was here to see her, obviously. Right? She stood still, thinking about why he could be in her apartment. He watched her carefully, smirking as he saw the realization in her eyes. She wasn't scared about the realization, more so caught off guard and anxious.

"Oh, fuck..."

He laughed, nodding his head.

"Oh, fuck indeed!" He mocked.

He watched as she backed up slightly. Again, not because she didn't want it. It was because she was trembling in anticipation. She was anxious for what was going to happen, it excited her and scared her. It was an intoxicating feeling. He reached down and grabbed the roll of duct tape from off of his belt. Sighing, he held it in his hand, pointing it at her.

"You see, I thought about this a lot in Arkham. What I would do to you. Oh, so many twisted fantasies crossed my mind, but none of them really..."

He pulled the duct tape out, ripping a piece off. The harshness of his movements made her jump. Edward chuckled darkly.

"...jumped at me! But then, I thought a little more about it. Although I faked being 'sane', I do want to be a better man for you. Call me sentimental, but my love for you has a hold over my cold heart." He hummed.

Y/n nodded, listening to what he was saying. Edward looked at the piece of duct tape he ripped, shaking his head. He didn't think it was long enough for what he was planning. Crumpling it up into a ball, he threw it behind him.

"So, I thought, you know what would be better therapy than what I got in the hospital?"

Y/n shook her head, curious.

"A good fuck. No, a godly fuck. A fuck so passionate and depraved that words would never be able to describe it!" He explained, slowly getting closer to her.

He took y/n's silence as a signal to continue.

"The 'Riddler' persona, what drives it is my desire for power and recognition. When I get in it, I just want to...destroy someone. I believe that if I..."

He grabbed her neck tightly, gloved fingers digging into her skin. She whimpered, instinctively holding his hand. Edward's eyes were wide as he looked down at her, a twisted smile on his face.

"...take those desires out on you, maybe it'll suppress those urges for a while. Think of it like a shot you get every few months or so. It hurts so bad, but it makes you feel so much better afterwards." He explained crudely.

"E-Edward...I-I, fuck, this is all so sudden..."

"I told you that when I got out I would be coming for you. I told you what I was going to do to you, y/n. You knew this day was coming, and from what I remember, you wanted it to happen as soon as possible." He whispered in her ear.

"Well, yeah I did. B-But, I can't just jump right into sex...it's not easy for girls to do that." She said.

Edward looked at her like she was explaining simple addition to him. He knew what foreplay was. He knew how to get her ready for sex. Even though he hadn't fucked her before, he was still pretty skilled at making her wet. He was skilled at making her desperate.

"You think I don't know that, y/n? I'm not a fucking idiot. Who said I was going to bend you over and fuck you right now?" He raised an eyebrow, hand still around her throat.

"S-Sorry, you're right. I-I'm just nervous...you're really, um, intimidating me right now..." She mumbled shyly.

"Oh, I can tell rabbit. I can feel your pulse against my hand." He hummed.

"C-Can we make a s-safeword like you said during our visit?" She asked.

"If it will make you feel more comfortable, of course. What about..." He looked at her eyes, seeing the sparkles in the corners of them.

"...glitter?"

"That works, yeah." She smiled.

"You look so good, y/n. I missed your pretty little face so much." He sighed happily.

She blushed.

"I-I'm not really sure how to start..." She admitted.

"Oh, I know exactly how. I've been dreaming about this day for over a year, rabbit. All you need to do is relax and let me do the work. Well, unless I tell you to do something of course." He smirked.

He looked at her for a second, waiting for her to give him a signal to start. Once she did, he used his free hand to cup her face. His lips pressed against hers, moving in a gentle dance. Y/n couldn't help but melt into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. He slid his tongue into her mouth, pulling away and leaving sloppy kisses on her jaw line. Saliva was already smeared across her lower lip. Edward looked down at her, the T.V show still playing in the background as he hoisted her up, legs wrapping around his waist. Y/n gasped as he brought her over to the 'L' shaped couch, dropping her on the long part of it. He did this so he could climb on top of her, straddling her hips and pinning her down. Because of how clumsily he placed her down, her dress had pulled down slightly, exposing the tops of her breasts. Edward realized she had no bra on and he groaned, dick twitching in his pants. He gripped the sides of the couch, taking a deep breath

"You're ok with this, right? I don't want you to think I'm forcing you to do this. It's ok if you don't want to." He said, looking down at her.

She didn't respond, only whined as she bucked her hips upward. Edward groaned again. The action was hot, but it was not an answer. He wanted a verbal answer from her. Reaching down, he gripped her chin roughly.

"Use your words." He ordered.

"I want this, daddy." She whispered softly.

"Fuck, call me that again." Edward said, running his thumb over her lips.

"Daddy..."

Edward couldn't wait any longer. He had been waiting over a year for this moment. He quickly removed the jacket he had on, tossing it haphazardly across the room. He was left in a dark green, almost black, tank top and the pants he was wearing as well. The sight of him in a tank top, arms shown off and accentuating his pecs, it just made her melt. Her thighs squeezed together, but Edward reached down and placed his hands between them. Tutting, he slid off the couch, kneeling down and pulling y/n closer towards him.

"Fuck, ok. Here's how this is going to go. This is the last time I'm going to ask you if this is ok. If you say yes, I'm going to just...fuck...I'm not going to stop unless you say the safeword. Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, I understand. Please, Eddie, I w-want you..." She whined.

Letting out a shaky breath, he lifted up y/n's dress and bunched it around her waist. But, he scoffed, instead he removed it entirely from her body and tossed it away. Her chest was on full display and he felt his pants getting tighter and tighter by the second. He stood up, roughly grabbing one of her breasts. Her back arched and he admired the sight. But, he changed his demeanor quick, pinching her nipple harshly, twisting it. She yelped, sitting up and glaring at him. Edward grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked her closer to his face.

"That's for being fucking stupid and getting wasted in the Narrows." He spat, pushing her back on the couch.

"I-"

"Don't you ever do something like that again, I don't give a shit if you were with your brother. Got it?" He scolded.

"Y-Yes, daddy I won't do it again. I promise!" She whined.

Grunting, he lifted her legs up and rested them on his shoulders. He shivered at the sight before him. Y/n's panties were completely soaked through. It should be no surprise to him though, as he was able to make her wet with a snap of his fingers. He buried his face in between her legs without warning, inhaling her scent deeply. It was so vulgar and strange, but it made y/n moan. Edward was like a kid who was playing with their new toy on Christmas. Except, in this case, he was finally getting to break and use the woman he had been stalking for months, in love with for many months after that, and thinking about for a year. It was a dream come true for him and he wanted to enjoy every single moment. He was in charge and he was going to enjoy that power.

"Fuuuuck, you smell so sweet. I bet you taste even sweeter." He mumbled.

Edward planted a soft kiss against her clothed heat, making her buck her hips. He did not hesitate to slap her thigh harshly, signaling for her to quit. It was sharp and left a red mark on her skin. He continued to kiss her, slowly licking a stripe up the fabric. Y/n whimpered and shivered underneath him, filled to the brim with lust and anticipation. A burning sensation shot up her hips, startled by Edward ripped the fabric off of her. She scoffed, her legs burning slightly.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" She exclaimed, exasperated.

He looked up at her from between her legs, not yet looking between her legs. His eyes were dark and heavy, they were always like that though. It was hot as hell. Edward said nothing as he looked at her from between her legs. The silence made her extremely unnerved, feeling his gaze pierce her soul. What made it even more ominous, is that his face was completely neutral. He did not look mad, angry, frustrated, anything. He simply just looked at her. That was all it took for her to shut up and apologize meekly. But, he continued to look at her for a little while longer, making sure that she knew he didn't approve of her language towards him. Sighing, he looked down between her legs. It was his first time ever seeing her like this. Even though he had stalked her and watched her before, he never violated her in any inappropriate way. It was his first time seeing her naked body. He was so mesmerized by the sight, taking his time observing it. Humming to himself in delight, he used his thumbs to spread her open. She was absolutely soaked, dripping on his fingers as he poked and prodded at her like a science experiment. Now, he knew that he didn't need to eat her out. If he really wanted to, he could get a quick fuck, cum, and leave her helpless. But, he wasn't an asshole. He was so hopelessly in love with her. Yes, he could focus on his pleasure, but that wouldn't be fun at all. If he just focused on himself, then he wouldn't be able to make her squirm underneath him. He wouldn't be able to make her beg for him. He wouldn't be able to make her squirt all over his fingers, in his mouth, and on his dick. And if he couldn't do that, then what was even the point? He was going to make her orgasm so many times that she'd look like her soul had been drained from her body. A groan left his throat, but his arousal made it sound like a growl. His hands gripped her thighs tightly, still resting on his shoulders. He leaned down and pressed his lips against her dripping center. A pathetic whine left y/n's throat. A ring echoed throughout the room, making both of them jump slightly. But Edward ignored it and continued to sloppily kiss and tongue her clit. Y/n had reached over, grabbing her phone from off the couch. She groaned.

"I-It's Bruce, E-Eddie." She whined.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he slightly flicked his hand at her. Y/n took that as a 'Answer it' motion. She shook her head, biting down on her lip.

"B-But, you have to stop i-if I do!"

Edward kept his lips against her skin, snapping his fingers and pointing at her.

"Pick it up." He grumbled, voice muffled against her.

Y/n silently cursed Edward out in her head. If she said any of it out loud, he might pinch her again. Taking a deep breath, she tried to gain composure of herself before answering the call. Y/n put the phone on speaker, knowing Edward would want to hear.

"Hey Brucey!"

Edward circled his tongue around her clit. His lips came together, sucking on the sensitive nub. Y/n covered her mouth with one of her hands, legs squeezing around his head between her legs. A quiet chuckle left his throat as he watched her struggle.

"Hey, just got home. I wanted to call you and make sure you're doing ok." He said.

He slowed his onslaught on her pussy, letting her answer. Edward didn't want her to get caught. Instead, he wanted her to think that she might get caught. It was a fun little game.

"Yeah, I-I'm ok. I took the medicine you put out for me. I'm..."

She looked down at Edward.

"...pretty sobered up now." She squinted her eyes shut.

"That's good. Hey, um, I just found out that Edward was released from Arkham today. Did you know that? Apparently it was earlier this morning." He said.

She looked down at Edward, wondering if she should tell her brother that he was at her house. Edward could tell what she was thinking. He thought about it, not seeing any harm in it. After all, he had been released legally, even though he sort of cheated the system. As long as he didn't know about what he was doing to his sister, nothing was wrong with telling him. He nodded at y/n, shoving his tongue inside of her and sucking on her skin softly.

"Um, yeah. Shortly after you left he came over. He's here right now actually." She said.

"He is? A-Are you...are you safe?" He asked.

Edward scoffed, squeezing her thighs in frustration. How absurd Bruce was for thinking he could ever hurt y/n with intent of malice. That was impossible. He would never cause harm to y/n. Not without her wanting it of course...

"Yes, Bruce I'm safe. He's not going to hurt me. He's actually trying to be a better person, in his own way..." She trailed, looking down at him.

It was true, he was.

"Well, that's good. Um, is he nearby? Can I say something?" He asked.

Edward rolled his eyes. If he said no, he would get suspicious. Damn it all to hell. He silently groaned, pulling away from her pussy, a string of her arousal and his saliva attached to his bottom lip. With the back of his hand, he wiped it away. Y/n nearly moaned, biting on her tongue to prevent it. He nodded at her, irritated that he would have to 'pretend' to be shy little Edward once again. Though, to be fair, he was shy little Edward. It was his Riddler side that made him the complete opposite. But, that's what they were working on right now, in a strange way.

"Yeah, I'll give the phone to him. Um, he might be a little shaken up. Be nice with him, Brucey." She said.

Y/n gave Edward the phone, watching as he held it in his left hand. With his other hand, he brought it to y/n's clit, rubbing circles on it. Of course she wasn't going to get a break. Not with Edward around. Roughly, he pressed his thumb against it, moving it very subtly every once in a while.

"Um, hello?" He mumbled softly, staring at y/n's pussy.

It was impressive how good he was at acting. His facial expression was cold and focused, his actions were vulgar and erotic, and yet his voice was meek and pitiful. The whole situation was so messed up.

"Hi. So, I'm not really sure how to start this conversation. Um, you understand why I might be a little nervous of you being around my sister, right? Last time I saw you, you weren't exactly 'sane'." Bruce said awkwardly.

Edward rolled his eyes yet again, pinching y/n's clit between his fingers. Her back arched, gripping onto the back of the couch. He smirked, focusing back onto the call.

"Yeah, I understand. But, I'm not that person anymore, Mr. Wayne. I was in a really...dark...place. I know I did bad things, but I can't take them back." He said weakly.

"Look, y/n likes you a lot. She trusts you a lot. If she trusts you, then I'll do my best to trust you too."

"I like her a lot, too. She's the first person to have shown me kindness in my life. I...I want to...I want to be a better person for her." He fake cried.

"Uh, it's ok. I believe you. Just know that I've got my eye on you. Can you give the phone back to y/n?"

"Yes, Mr. Wayne. S-Sorry..." He stuttered.

Rolling his eyes, he tossed the phone back to y/n. He instantly snapped out of his 'shy' act. Though, he didn't really lie about anything. Everything he said was true. It was just his tone that he lied about. If he had been cocky and confident, well, that would have probably raised some red flags. As y/n talked to her brother, Edward sunk back down between her legs, resuming his sloppy tonguing.

"He seems so...small?" Bruce said.

Y/n winced as he dug his nails into her skin. She knew he was feeling insulted. Even though he most definitely was not small at all. He was just acting like he was.

"Well, he's going through a lot right now Bruce."

"I guess. He's not staying over there, is he?" He asked.

"Um, I'm not sure. E-Edward, were you able to get your old apartment back or do you still need to find a new place?" She asked, irritated that she had to make him stop eating her out.

"No. They took everything out of my apartment and put it in a storage unit." He said before getting back to work.

Edward had lost his apartment when he went to the hospital. The person who was in charge of the tenants talked with the police and decided to just keep his things in a storage unit. As soon as he had a place to live, he would go and collect his possessions.

"He doesn't have a place to stay. He's staying Bruce." She stated.

"I don't know how I feel about that."

"Well, it's not really your decision, is it? I'm not going to kick him out into the streets of Gotham late at night." She scoffed.

Edward grimaced.

"I'm perfectly capable of defending myself..." He mumbled against her skin quietly before biting her.

She bit back a whimper.

"Fine. Just be safe." He said.

"I will, Brucey."

"Alright, I love you sis."

"I love you too. I'll call you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night."

Y/n hung up the phone, tossing it to the side. Edward groaned loudly, spreading her open and devouring her. The wet slurping sounds were so vulgar and sickening. He was acting as if he hadn't eaten anything in weeks, and y/n's pussy was a four course meal. She squealed when he bit on her clit harshly, tugging on it with his teeth. He pulled away and stood up, spitting on her heat as he removed his gloves, tossing them behind him. Without saying anything as a warning, he shoved three fingers inside of her as he hunched over her body. The sensation was so tight for both of them. Y/n let out a loud cry, throwing her head back into the couch. He watched as he fingered her at a rapid pace, stretching his fingers apart inside of her to further elevate the feeling. Grinning from ear to ear, he remembered that he still had his utility belt. He had ripped off a piece of duct tape earlier, intending to gag her, but the time just wasn't right. But, it was now. Oh it most definitely was. He abruptly slid his fingers out of her, sticking them in his mouth immediately. He relished the taste, humming in satisfaction as he sucked every bit off. Removing his fingers from his mouth, he slapped his hand lightly across her face, smiling at her.

"I was right, you do taste sweet. Like pure sugar." He hummed.

Y/n moaned from the slap, making him chuckle. He slapped her again, a little firmer this time. She winced, humming in response. Edward knew she'd like to be slapped around a little bit. Like he said a year ago, she was so easy to read. He grabbed the roll of duct tape, ripping a piece off. He held it in front of her face, dangling it like a cat toy.

"I have a strong suspicion that you're going to be very loud with what I'm about to do to you. We don't want your other tenants to think you're in danger, do we?" He smiled sadistically.

"W-What are you gonna do?" She asked.

"No! That'll spoil the surprise! But, if you get uncomfortable, just give daddy a little tap or hit, I'm pretty sure I can take it, on the shoulder ok?" He cooed, ruffling her hair humiliatingly.

Before she could say anything, he smothered her lips with the duct tape. Looking at her, he shook his head, deciding that it wasn't enough. Roughly, he ripped it off, making her wince. He grabbed the rag he had and shoved it in her mouth forcefully. It was the perfect fit.

"That's much better. Hm, I did really want to use the tape though..." He frowned.

He thought for a moment, thinking about what he could use it for. Not sure yet, he decided to just tape over the rag with a few pieces. Once he was sure it was secure enough, he stood up completely. Y/n laid below him, gagged and bare. Edward crossed his arms over his chest after adjusted his glasses. He stood in front of the T.V, which was still playing Breaking Bad albeit quietly, creating an outline around him.

"You look so weak. Like I could just..."

He made a 'snapping' motion with his hands.

"...break you."

Y/n moaned through the gag, watching as he walked into her bedroom. She looked at the T.V seeing Walter White come on screen. Rolling her eyes, she groaned. She loved the show, but holy shit did she hate that bald motherfucker. Her mouth was dry and she so badly wanted to remove the gag. She was fully capable of doing it, as her hands weren't bound. But, she wouldn't because Edward wanted her gagged. Edward always got what he wanted. She was happy to give him it. She sat up, grabbing a blanket and covering her body with it to protect herself from the cold. A few seconds later Edward came back in and something was in his hand. Y/n couldn't tell what it was, but she was sure he would show her soon. He knelt down in front of her, resting his arms on her covered thighs. Acting like he was a magician revealing a dove underneath a cloth, he lifted his hand off of the other. Y/n's eyes widened, it was her vibrator. He faked a shocked expression, looking at the hot pink vibrator and then back to her.

"Look what I foundddd!" He chuckled in a singsong tone.

She tried to say something, but the gag prevented her. He held up a hand, a cheeky smile on his face. He was so flamboyant with his actions and words, just like he was in the livestreams he did. It was scary, yet exciting.

"Now, I know what you're thinking. How did I find out about this? You're probably expecting me to say that I spied on you, watched you use it once, right? Well, really, I just opened up the wrong drawer while looking for the spare clothes I kept here. I can't believe it was still in the same place, and you kept my clothes too." He grinned.

Y/n rubbed her thighs together underneath the blanket. Edward grabbed it, and removed it from her legs. Though, he knew she was cold so he covered her chest with it instead. Fascinated, Edward turned it on, watching it vibrate as he held it between his thumb and two fingers. He lowered it slowly to between her legs, watching as she closed her eyes. Making a 'tsk' sound, he pulled away.

"Have you been using it? Better yet, do you think of me when you use it?" He asked.

She nodded frantically.

"Oh, you have, have you? Interesting..." He trailed.

He lowered it back down between her legs. But, yet again, he pulled away before it could touch her. He tilted his head to the side.

"Why do you have my clothes, still? Did you hold on to them because you awaited my return? Probably. Hm, do you wear them, y/n?"

She nodded again.

"Oh, you really have missed me. That's so precious." He cooed.

Harshly, he pressed the tip of it against her clit. She squinted her eyes shut, arching her back. He watched, mouth agape slightly as he took in her helpless form. An amused chuckle left his chest, sliding the vibrator inside of her slowly. She moaned, muffled by the gag, but still audible just barely.

"It's so pitiful that you had to resort to this cheap...toy...in order to get pleasure. If only I had been here to help you after those wet dreams that you no doubt had while I was away." He sympathized.

She nodded, whimpering into the gag. Edward turned it up to a higher intensity, watching her squirm. He grinned, rubbing his thumb over her clit in addition.

"But, I can promise you that once I fuck you, this is will never satisfy you ever again. It'll feel like a mere tickle compared to how I'll make you feel." Edward teased.

Y/n kicked her legs slightly, hitting Edward in the side. He knew she didn't mean to, so he didn't get mad. The overstimulation of the vibrator and his finger was just driving her near the edge. And that's exactly what he wanted. She continued to flail her legs around, though Edward held them down, almost like she was begging him to stop. But, he said she needed to tap him on the shoulder if she wanted him to stop. She knew that too, and she did not want him to stop, so she didn't do it.

"Oh, looks like someone's getting closer and closer, isn't she?" He taunted.

She had her head thrown back. Her cheeks were red from the arousal she felt. Eyes were closed shut tightly, focusing on reaching her orgasm. Edward smiled, turning the intensity up higher. That was what broke her. She moaned loudly into the gag. Edward groaned as he pulled out the vibrator, putting it against her clit. She shook under the sensation, back arching. He dove his head between her legs, cupping his mouth over her pussy after taking the vibrator away. Closing his eyes, he turned it off and rubbed her thighs as she squirted in his mouth. It was almost too much for him to handle. He growled, reaching under her and grabbing her ass. He lifted her up, desperately trying to get her closer to him, almost melt into him and join as one. Edward practically made out with her pussy, tonguing, licking, and sucking as she climaxed. Once he knew her orgasm was over, he slowed his attack on her, swallowing what was in his mouth. He brought his lips away just slightly, letting his breath fan on her sensitive skin. He let out a shaky laugh, moaning afterwards. His hands still gripped her thighs roughly as he lifted his head up completely. He needed another taste. He brought the vibrator to his lips and licked off whatever was on it. Sighing, he placed it on the coffee table next to him and swiped his tongue over his lips. He felt drunk off of her taste. He removed the tape and the gag from her mouth, placing the rag on the table and crumpling the duct tape up, placing it down as well. She panted immediately, hands covering her eyes as her chest heaved up and down. Edward hummed, bringing his thumbs down and spreading her pussy open, amused at how sensitive she was.

"Oh, don't relax just yet. I'm not even close done with you. Rabbit, I think you're ready for me. Do you think you are?" He asked.

"F-Fuck, yeah, b-but just g-give me a minute..." She panted.

He laughed, picking her up and wrapping her legs around his thighs. She whimpered as her exposed skin brushed against the fabric of his tank top. He walked over to her window, the exact one that he came in through. Y/n looked confused as he opened it, but he just smirked at her. In one fluid movement, he bent her over the window sill. Edward removed his pants, kicking them away. Y/n tried to come back inside, but he pushed her head down as he stepped behind her.

"E-Eddie..."

"Oh no rabbit, call me something else." He corrected.

"Daddy, it's cold a-and people are gonna see me!" She pouted.

He laughed, grinding his clothed dick over her pussy. She moaned, covering her mouth with her hand. Edward leaned over, grabbing her hair roughly.

"That's the entire point of this degrading act. I was able to get in because this window was open. You're practically asking people to break in and harm you. You already had yourself on display for people, I'm just making it more obvious." He spat.

"P-Please, I wanna come in!"

"You can come back in after you do one thing." He rubbed her back.

"W-What?"

Without warning, he shoved himself inside of her, head leaning back at the tight feeling. It was better than he could have ever imagined. His hand came nowhere close to it. Y/n covered her mouth, nearly screaming into it. Edward stilled inside of her as he bent back over.

"All you have to do is yell my name out. Yell it right into the street. Let everyone on this block, all the people trying to sleep, let them all hear you take this dick." He smiled sinisterly.

"W-What! No, daddy, th-that's humiliating! P-Please..." She whined.

Edward gripped her hips, ramming in and out of her. Y/n bit down on her lip, tears forming in her eyes as she held back her cries. He kept up the brutal pace, mouth agape as he admired the arch in her back. It was twisted, but her humiliation fed his ego and made him so power hungry.

"Rabbit, I know you're holding it back. Just let it out. I want everyone to know who's fucking your needy pussy." He groaned.

"I-I-I, p-please...c-can't take it..." Y/n pleaded.

"Oh, but you can and you will. You know why? Because..."

Edward slapped her ass harshly, leaving a bright red handprint. She whimpered and a tear trickled down her cheek. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, lifting her up slightly. He brought his head down to hers, raising his voice, and making it echo down the street.

"...I. Fucking. Told you!" He shouted between his thrusts.

He had no shame. Someone could walk in on him railing her and he'd pay no mind to it. He'd just pick up his pace and continue to fuck up into her. But, he knew y/n felt shame. And that's what made it more fun. She was mortified and he knew it. Y/n wanted to come back inside so bad. She had no choice other than to do what he said. But, if she was so mortified, then why was she enjoying it so much? Easy answer: because it was Edward doing it. If any other man had treated y/n like this during sex she would have kicked him out, slammed the door in his face, and called the police. But, with Edward...it was so much fun.

"E-Edward! Fuck! P-Please! It feels so good!" She cried out.

Edward hummed in satisfaction. He brought her back in, pulling his dick out of her. Closing the window, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and pushed her to the floor. Y/n's eyes widened when she saw his dick. It was well over average. Very well over average. He straddled her lap, hands wrapped around her neck the entire time.

"You know why I did that?" He asked.

"B'cause I l-left the window open?" She mumbled.

"Partially, yes. But I wanted to show you that I have no problem fucking you when you need to be fucked. I'll bend you over a windowsill, I'll push you up against a wall, I'll ruin you in an alleyway, I'll take you to a bathroom and fuck your brains out, and I'll fuck you on this floor. I don't need a cushy bed or couch to rearrange your pretty little guts." He seethed, tightening his grip on her neck.

"Ohhh, fuck meee daddy..." She moaned.

"No. You don't sound desperate enough. I don't think you really want it." He scoffed.

Y/n whined, trying to turn over. Edward noticed and lifted himself up slightly. She flipped on her stomach, completely naked on the floor as she stuck her ass up and backed it up against his dick. He watched in amusement, taking in how whorish she was acting. Laughing, he grabbed her ass, grinding against it agonizingly slow. He reached over to his pants and grabbed his phone from them, glad that he hospital held onto it for him.

"Ohhh rabbit, smile for the camera." He taunted.

She looked at him, batting her eyelashes. When she saw the phone, she didn't get uncomfortable. Instead, she increased her arch, shoving her ass up higher. Edward scoffed, taking a picture of the erotic position, his dick in the picture as well, poking at her pussy. She moaned, wiggling her ass back and forth as a way of asking him to fuck her. He rolled his eyes, flipping her over and slamming her hips down. Edward propped his phone up against a chair, angling it so it only had their bodies in frame before pressing record. He looked down at y/n.

"Are you going to be a good little rabbit and put on a show? Make a little movie for me?"

"Oh f-fuck, yes daddy please! A-Anything, j-just need your dick...p-please..." She begged.

Edward groaned, shoving himself inside of her completely. Y/n arched her back, letting a lewd moan leave her lips. He shushed her, covering her mouth with his hand as he continued to fuck her slowly.

"You already screamed out into the street, don't you think the people below you will hear you moaning my name? Do you really want to draw more attention to yourself?" He mocked.

She shook her head.

"That's what I thought. Oh, you look so pretty when I'm fucking you." He cooed.

He grabbed one of her hands and placed it over her lower stomach, near the pelvis. Pushing down, he held it in place while he continued to slowly yet fluidly rut into her. Y/n couldn't suppress the shocked moan as she felt his dick, albeit faintly, moving inside her. Again, the feeling was extremely faint, but she could still feel her skin move just slightly. It was enough to make her lose her mind though. Edward nodded his head, laughing as he pushed her hand into her stomach more, making sure she could feel it as much as she could.

"You feel that, rabbit?" He asked, groaning as he did a quick thrust, angled slightly upwards.

Y/n whimpered and nodded her head. She couldn't even get a single word out, let alone a syllable.

"That's how it feels to get your guts fucked." He spat.

Edward picked up his pace, grabbing her legs and wrapping them around his waist. The heels of her feet dug into his ass as he pummeled into her. She slid up and down the floor from the force of his thrusts, moaning the entire time. Edward was extremely careful not to push himself near the edge, as he wanted this to last as long as he could make it. But, y/n had a different idea in mind. She tightened around his dick, making him groan and hunch over. He hissed, going faster and faster, giving her a slap across the face. Needing her to be closer, he grabbing her waist and drew her close to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held onto her thighs. Edward continued to fuck her, wincing as she bit down on his shoulder to remain quiet. He moaned, feeling her tighten around him once again. She was getting close to her second orgasm.

"You're so filthy, letting me take you like this. And now you're about to cum on my cock. It's fucking pathetic." He whispered in her ear.

She whimpered, sobbing into his neck as her orgasm washed over her. It was so overwhelming and made her whole body go numb. He held her close as he felt her loosen around him. Her pants and whines echoed in his ear and he listened to them as if it was his favorite song.

"That's it, my filthy little rabbit. Worn out like an old glove, aren't you?" He cooed mockingly, turning off the recording.

"M' so tired..." She mumbled.

"But, I'm still not done. You've gotten to cum twice, and I haven't once. Does that sound fair?" He hummed.

"N-No daddy."

"Then get the fuck up." He spat.

Y/n whimpered, lifting herself off his dick and standing up. Edward grabbed his phone, stopping the recording, and pointed towards her bedroom. He slapped her on the ass before she scurried to her bed. Edward followed, ego inflated and attitude cocky. He saw her on her back, legs spread out, putting herself on display. Slowly, he closed the door, staring at her blankly. She practically shrank under his icy gaze.

"I've been gentle with you, rabbit."

She whined, rubbing her thighs together. Her eyes moved to his hand, freezing as she saw a belt. Edward could see that she looked uncomfortable, so he figured he should clarify.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you with it. I'm not comfortable with that." He reassured.

She nodded, relaxing instantly. Edward approached her, motioning for her to get closer. When she did, he quickly wrapped the belt around her neck, not hooking it, and tugged on it. She choked slightly, as when he pulled it, it tightened. He didn't say anything as he shoved her down in the mattress, hand keeping her head down. Y/n moaned, remembering that this was something he said he wanted to do to her during the visit. She cried out as he fucked down in her. He pulled on the belt, silencing her cry, pushing her head down with his hand firmly.

"No, no, NO! Stay STILL!" He ordered.

Y/n nodded, whining as a bit of her slick trickled down her leg. Edward saw and brought his finger down, wiping it up and licking it off. He groaned, slapping her ass as he abruptly started to animalistically drill down into her. She whimpered, the noises she could make being restricted by the tight belt around her throat. He laughed, enjoying the scenario a little too much.

"You're pathetic. I hope you know that. But, I love you for it. I love how you risked your entire reputation while I said all those vulgar things to you in that visitation room. I love how you let me eat your pretty pussy while you called your brother, when you easily could have made me stop. I love how you're such a perfect angel in public, but as soon as I even look at you, you grovel at my feet. I love how you'll do anything I tell you to." He groaned.

"A-Anything you want d-daddy!" She choked out.

Edward tightened the belt.

"Did I say you could fucking speak? No! So just shut the fuck up!" He seethed, spitting on her back.

He pushed her head further into the mattress as he got on the bed. His knees on either side of her, letting him get a better angle. He bent over, giving no warning as he bit down hard on her shoulder. Y/n screamed into the mattress as he broke skin. He said he would do this too. He told her he would mark her. He told her that he would sink his teeth into her skin and make her bleed. She knew him well enough to know he doesn't lie. He tightened the belt, continuing to fuck her as he sucked and bit her shoulder. Y/n knew that it would hurt like a bitch later on, but she didn't care in the moment.

"Fuck, you wanna cum again?" He asked, lips on her skin.

She whimpered, mumbling a soft 'yes' into the bed.

"Yeah? Oh I bet you do."

He pulled away from her shoulder. Edward felt himself get close to his orgasm. He grunted, pulling out of her and flipping her over. Leaning forward, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and turned her around so her head hung of the edge of the bed. He bent over and thrusted his dick inside her mouth, touching the back of her throat. He spread her legs open, hungrily licking and sucking at her clit. Y/n whimpered, clawing at the backs of his thighs in desperation to pull away. He moaned, shoving two fingers in her pussy and stretching them apart as he fucked her skull. He curled his fingers before pulling them out, gripping her thighs as he reached his climax, hot thick ropes shooting down her throat. She gagged, tears trickled down her face as her mouth was filled up with his cum. He pulled out of her, moving away and looking at her face with a blank stare as she hung upside down. She swallowed the thick liquid, grimacing as she did it. Edward slapped her across the face, squeezing her jaw to force her mouth open. He looked inside, watching as a string of cum trickled off her tongue. He caught it on his finger and shoved it inside her mouth, feeling her tongue swirl around it before pulling it out. He stood up once he was satisfied, sitting down on the bed and leaning his back against the headboard. Y/n whined, slowly sitting up.

"D-Daddy..."

He looked up at her dully. She had her hand between her thighs, squeezed tightly together. The bite mark on her shoulder was a dark red-purple, but it wasn't bleeding. He grimaced, upset that he hadn't caused her to bleed. Sadistic, yes, but he wanted to see if her blood was just as sweet as the rest of her body. Edward scoffed, motioning for her to come over to him. Not needing to be told twice, she crawled on his lap, legs straddling one of his thighs. Now, Edward was spent, that was for certain. Could he have done a lot more than what he did to her? Yes. But, he didn't. Maybe in the future, if he needed to have another 'therapeutic' fuck, he would be more rough and kinky. Yeah, he was already rough and kinky with her, but he could have done so much more. Not now, of course. But, some time soon. However, he could still rough her around a little more. After all, he could tell how desperate she was for an orgasm. Why wouldn't he toy with her a little?

"What is it, rabbit? Hm?" He cooed in a sickly sweet voice.

"Y-You didn't let me cum..." She whined, rubbing back and forth on his thighs.

Edward feigned innocence, though y/n knew he was toying with her. He shook his head, brushing hair out of his face.

"No, I made you cum twice little rabbit. Or do you not remember? Did I fuck you dumb?" He hummed.

"N-No, I mean right n-now..."

He made a shocked face, tilting his head to the side. Pushing his glasses up, he softly said 'ohhh'. Y/n continued to grind on his thighs, biting on her bottom lip.

"Is that what you're trying to do? Cum? Is that it?"

She nodded, gripping onto his shoulders. Edward stayed silent for a bit, letting her go a little longer. He watched the way her hips rolled as she moved back and forth. Her arousal was coated his thigh, smearing it all over his skin. After a few more seconds, he used his hands to hold her hips firmly in place. Y/n groaned at the sudden inability to move. Looking into her eyes, he let his nails dig into her soft flesh. Her face contorted and she hissed.

"Do we not ask for permission anymore? Huh?" He questioned lowly.

"I just r-really need it!" She stuttered.

"Yes, I can see that, I'm not fucking blind. But you're not the one in charge here, are you?"

"Well..."

"Are you?!" He raised his voice, digging his nails in further.

"No! I'm not!" She shrieked.

"Who is?"

"You are!"

"And what's my name?"

"E-Edward!"

"So, who's in charge?" He asked, yanking her forward so his leg grinded against her heat.

"F-Fuck! Edward is!"

During the conversation, Edward's dick had gotten hard again. He didn't think he'd be wanting a round two, but he just couldn't help himself anymore. Roughly, he pushed her on her back, hovering over her on the bed. Y/n instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, practically begging him to take her again. He felt something inside of him change. It was as if the 'switch' determining his persona was balanced in the middle, and now it was fully on 'The Riddler'. He felt that this was progress, hopefully this second round would be enough to suppress his alter ego for a while to come. Y/n could see it in his eyes, she could see the fire and craze. It was startling, as if she was looking into the eyes of a murderer. Well, that's the thing, she was. Except this time, it was the true murderer, not Edward. The Riddler was the personification of his darkest desires, his darkest thoughts, his hatred, and his anger. He was absolutely positive that this fuck would help him deal with that side of him, but he did know that he would also have to go to therapy sessions. He was ok with that. But, currently, he couldn't think about anything other than ruining y/n once again. It was as if he was back in his 'early days' of becoming the Riddler. After all, it was his research he did as the Riddler that led him to getting interested in y/n. It was the Riddler that gave him the confidence to go after her. Sure, Edward's 'normal' self helped with it too, but if it weren't for his alter ego, he never would have been here with y/n. Edward knew he would never be able to fully get rid of his persona, and he was ok with that. But, he wanted to learn how to push it down and make it more 'tame'. And, since y/n was ok with it, he figured he could just 'tame' it in the bedroom. Y/n could see the switch flip in his brain, and it excited her. It was obvious that he was fully in his alter ego state now, as he had the same insane look in his eyes as he did in that visitation room. Oh, y/n remembered it so well. Edw-The Riddler, looked down at her, a familiar wide grin spreading over his face. It sent a chill down her spine and made her ache between her legs. She knew that things were going to be more...harsh. Severe.

"Ohhh, rabbit, sweet, gentle rabbit. Enticing and delicate beneath me." He breathed out, gliding his knuckled over her cheek.

Y/n hesitated to speak, not entirely sure what she should call him. When she visited him, he was 'The Riddler' and she called him Edward. He didn't seem to mind. After all, he still was Edward. Just the 'darker' part of him. She had also called him daddy a lot, and he really seemed to love that. Though, it was surprising, he seemed to prefer being called it in sweet moments, granted with the occasional sexual moment.

"Edwa-"

He backhanded her across the face, way harder than Ed had ever done. She whimpered, bringing her hand to her face and feeling it sting. Laughing, he grabbed her face with both of his hands, the grip very tight.

"SHUT UP!" He yelled.

She nodded softly, restricted by his hands. His pupils were dilated, frantically scanning her face. Y/n dared not speak a word, not even a peep. He breathed heavily as he looked over her body and y/n could feel his dick poke at her inner thigh. His focus was on the bite mark on her shoulder, the slightly smudged mascara under her eyes, and the glitter that was in the corner of them and on the tip of her nose. She sparkled below him, ethereal and heavenly, despite being run through by his dick twice already. He licked his lips, gripping her hair with one of his hands roughly.

"Oh, there is so much potential...so many things to do to you..."

Y/n lifted her hand up, wanting to touch his face. But, she was cautious, as if she was trying to pet a wild animal. He smirked, knowing that he was making her nervous and wary. Oh, but that's what he wanted. He was a sly fox, baring his teeth at a jittery rabbit. And he so badly wanted to clamp his jaws around her supple throat.

"You can touch me, rabbit. I won't bite..." He hummed.

Leaning down to her, he hovered his lips near her ear. Y/n wrapped her arms around his neck, unsettled by how sweet he was being. In fact, it was gentler than before. Something was up. She just needed to be prepared for it. And she was right...

"...softly." He chuckled lowly.

His teeth sank into the bite mark already on her shoulder. It wasn't gentle at all, he was not holding back. But, as if his canines piercing her flesh wasn't enough, he reared his hips back and thrusted himself inside of her with brutal force. He went so deep that his tip hit the bundle of nerves inside of her, making her stomach drop and mouth hang open. The multiple sensations, painful and pleasing, overwhelmed her and she couldn't muster a scream. She was choking on her words. But, just to make sure she didn't get too loud, Edward brought a hand to her face and covered her mouth with it. He was gripping the skin of her face in an attempt to shut her up, and it was working. It was impressive how good he was at multitasking, but he was good at many things. Pearly white teeth grazed over her skin as he tried to draw blood. He wanted to tear her flesh away, but he didn't want to ruin her pretty complexion. So, he settled on a little bit of blood. He bit down harder, y/n screaming into his hand as he did so. Just like he wanted, a few drops of blood slid down from the small wound he inflicted. Again, he made it small as to not maim her pretty skin. But, it was still sure to hurt like a bitch. He pulled away, a tiny amount of blood smeared on his bottom lip. Panting, he watched as the dark liquid trickled down her collarbone. His hand was still over y/n's mouth, giving her cheek a firm slap while it was still near her face. His tongue rolled out as he lowered himself back down to her neck, continuing to fuck her ferociously. He was practically drooling as he licked up her blood, a horrifyingly erotic moan leaving his throat. His eyes rolled back in his head and he took a moment to enjoy the taste. He was right about it. It tasted like pure sugar. Liquid sugar staining his lips, tongue, and teeth a violent shade red. Y/n moaned into his hand and he gave a harsh thrust, signaling for her to be quiet. Sighing shakily, he pulled away from her neck and sat up straight as he ran through her. It looked like a scene from a horror movie. The killer, bloodstained and crazed. The final girl, helpless and scared. But, this was more erotic of course. This was like if the killer held the knife to the final girl's throat and she moaned, asking him to fuck her. She knew it was dangerous, but she loved the thrill.

"You taste better than I could have ever imagined. Than I have imagined." He shivered.

Y/n whimpered, the stinging sensation of her neck now taking over her senses. It hurt so bad, burning and throbbing. But, it felt so good at the same time. Edward wasn't done though. He still wanted to humiliate her a little more. Play around with her. Remind her that she was getting dicked down by The Riddler. He lifted her legs up, forcing them to stay wrapped around his waist. His pace inside of her was savage and brutal as he brought his hand off her mouth and slapped her across the face lightly. He did it again, and again, and again, chuckling as he did it. His fingers hooked inside her mouth, forcing her lower jaw to stay slack. He wasn't even sure what he was doing, he just wanted to play with her like a toy. His tongue swept over his lips, wiping away excess blood. After he did that, he spit on her chest, his saliva tinted pink. With her mouth still pried open, he spat on her tongue. She swallowed it, making him twitch inside of her at how she knew exactly what he wanted her to do without saying it. He lowered himself down, lips hovering over hers as he pushed himself back and forth over her body, fucking her up close and personal.

"You're loving this too much, rabbit. Don't you feel filthy? You look filthy." He hissed.

"Y-Yes, I-I'm fil-ilthy!" She pleaded in between his thrusts.

He pressed his lips against hers, making her taste her own blood. Humming into the kiss, he lowered one of his hands to grab her breast, pinching her nipple roughly. She groaned against his lips at the feeling, but was cut off with his other hand wrapping around her neck firmly. Edward pulled his lips away just barely, grazing over her own. The bed creaked below them, rocking back and forth dangerously from his rapid thrusts. Y/n's eyes were shut tightly, hands burrowing into his hair and gripping it for stability. Edward could feel himself getting close to his climax, and he could tell y/n was close as well.

"Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps." He laughed breathily.

Y/n opened her eyes, looking at him in confusion. She knew it was Shakespeare, but she wasn't in the right mind to process the meaning behind it. It wasn't necessary though, as Edward was quick to elaborate in her ear.

"You were lead into my trap, rabbit. And whilst you were trapped, you were shot in the heart. Falling in love with a muuuurderer...a staaaalker...a crrrrreep!" He laughed in lunacy, somehow fastening his pace even more.

"F-Fuuuuuck, Eddie! So close! Pleaseeee!" She whimpered pitifully.

"You looove my dick. You looove being handled like a toy. You looove being slapped around and getting fucked stupid. You are nothing more than my pretty, slutty, pathetic, little...rabbit." He emphasized his filthy words.

"M' your rabbit, p-please! Wan' cum so ba-ad, daddyyy!" She begged lazily.

Edward groaned, pulling out of her and bringing his face between her legs. He wasted no time sucking and shoving his tongue inside of her. Y/n squealed as he bit on her clit harshly, tugging on it with his teeth as he pushed two fingers inside her. He spread them out, making her kick her feet, squeezed his head between her thighs. He panted as he curled his fingers rapidly over and over again, biting and kissing her clit as she shook beneath him. She shot up from her laying position, grabbing his hair and shoving his head further between her legs, if it was even possible. Her orgasm washed over her and Edward squeezed her thigh, lapping up her climax greedily and hungrily. Groaning in pleasure, he pulled away, her arousal smeared over his mouth. He wiped it off with his thumb and sucked it off. Quickly, he grabbed a fistful of her hair he brought her over to him. He sat down on the bed with his back against the headboard, forcefully shoving her head down on his cock. She gripped the sheets of the bed as he held her down with a strong hand. Y/n sucked as best as she could, gagging on the length with tears in her eyes. She didn't have to suffer long though, as he went slack jawed and pulled on her hair, cuming on the back of her throat. Y/n swore she heard him whimper.

"Swallow." He ordered, pulling her mouth off his dick.

She did as he said, though the taste was not pleasant of course. He watched as her throat bobbed, making sure she followed directions. Once she did, he let out a deep sigh, pulling her close to his chest as he lay down on the bed. Y/n was confused, but she stayed in his arms. She could feel his breathing slow down, calming down from the actions they did together. His glasses were fogged up and he brought his hand up to clean them, running it through his hair after. Y/n spoke up to say something, but he hushed her gently, petting her head softly. It clicked in her mind that he must be collecting himself, so she was more than happy to give him time to adjust. After another minute, he patted her shoulder gently before sitting up. He rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses, sighing. Edward turned his head to look at her, smiling kindly. Y/n felt her heart flutter. The Riddler persona had such a hold over him, that he was never truly 'genuine' Edward. But, she was seeing a bit of that side of him currently. Now, Edward wasn't a shy little weirdo. Well, he was. But he wasn't weak. Everything the Riddler persona was, he was too, it just was 'heightened'. He looked at her shoulder, seeing the slightly bloody bite mark, eyes widening at it. Yes, he really wanted to do that to her, but it was still a jarring sight when he really took the time to look at it.

"Are you ok?" Y/n asked.

"I'm fine, a-are you ok?" He asked softly.

"Yeah, I liked it. It stings a little though." She shrugged.

"You did seem to like it a lot, you're quite the masochist aren't you?" He laughed.

Y/n crawled on his lap, grabbing one of the blankets on the bed and pulling it over the both of them. She sighed, snuggling up to his chest. Edward was taken aback, for some reason he thought y/n would kick him out of the apartment as soon as they finished. Sure, she said she loved him, but it was still a hard thing to believe as he had never been loved before. He was glad she didn't kick him out. He was glad she was holding him.

"Is your um...the Riddler, is he gone?" She asked, cheek against his tank top.

"Uh, well I don't think I'll ever get rid of it. But, it's definitely 'satisfied' for now. I'm going to go to therapy, hopefully I can figure something out. The therapists in Arkham aren't exactly the most helpful..." He sighed.

Y/n nodded.

"Sorry, did that bring the mood down?" Edward groaned internally.

"No, I'm glad you're telling me this. I want to see you get better. You mean a lot to me. I love you..."

"I love you too, y/n. I'm glad I didn't ruin the moment." He mumbled, kissing the top of her head.

"Well, you certainly ruined me! I'm extremely sore, I don't think I can walk." Y/n groaned.

"Well, I seem to recall you wanting me to do those things to you."

"Yeah, I did. And, I don't regret it. It was rough, but that was definitely the best sex I've ever had." She chuckled.

"That was my first time, so I'm glad I held up to my promise of making you feel good."

Y/n sat up slightly, looking down at him. Her eyes were wide and mouth ajar. Edward raised an eyebrow, glancing to his sides nervously. She poked his chest, making him grunt.

"Liar! That was not your first time!"

"I'm not lying! Is it really that hard to believe?" He asked.

Y/n straddled his lap, leaning down and glaring at him closely. Her face was inches away from his. She looked at his facial expressions.

"Jesus, you're serious! Well, that's very impressive. Was I a good first time for you...?" She asked sitting back up, suddenly shy.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he sat up. He cupped her face in his hands, making her look into his eyes. A dorky smile was on his face, dimples showing.

"Is that even a question? Of course you were, rabbit. You were so, so, so good. Perfect, even." He cooed.

Y/n smiled, but she sniffled. Edward frowned as a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away, smudging her eyeliner that was miraculously still on her face. He felt his heart sink, stroking her hair and holding her chin gently.

"Oh no, no, no what's wrong? Did I say something? Was I too rough with you?" He frantically spewed.

"N-No, I just...I feel gross..."

Edward hummed, wiping a tear away with his thumb. He knew what she was experiencing. Well, not exactly, but he knew that some people would get sad after sex. Tutting, he pulled her close to his chest and enveloped her in a hug.

"...you said I was filthy and pathetic. Is that true?" She asked.

He felt his heart shatter.

"Shit, no it's not true. It was just dirty talk, y/n. Did you not like it? You should have used the safeword, rabbit. If I had known then I wouldn't have done it."

"No, I loved it, but I-I was just...I was worried you actually felt that way about me." Y/n mumbled.

"No. I don't. It was just dirty talk. Do you understand?"

She nodded, her bottom lip quivered, tears pooling in her eyes. Y/n couldn't explain it, but she just felt sad. She was not upset about what happened, she was never uncomfortable, she was not mad, she was not feeling guilty, she just had an overwhelming feeling of sadness. Perhaps, she doubted that Edward truly loved her? Or, maybe she just felt insecure? Vulnerable? Edward stroked her hair still, kissing the top of her head. He could tell she didn't even know how she felt. All he could do was comfort her. So, he remembered what she had said about accepting love back in the bookstore. He had done it in the visitation room, but he wasn't exactly sane during it. He would do it again now. Sane, holding her in his arms, and just as vulnerable as she was.

"Doubt that the stars are fire. Doubt that the sun doth move his aides. Doubt truth to be a liar. But, never doubt I love." He said softly.

Y/n lifted her head off of his chest, looking him in the eyes. She felt herself tear up again, but it wasn't from sadness. A small smile spread over her face. Edward brushed hair out of her face.

"I would not wish any companion in the world but you." She sighed.

Edward blushed. It was such a strange thing. He had snuck into her apartment after legally being released from Arkham. He had taken her on basically every surface he could. He had bit her, made her bleed, slapped her, and now he held her face in his hands. His gaze was gentle and loving. After an intimate and raucous night of rough love making, they both sat in her bed, quoting Shakespeare to each other. Their hearts were swollen and overflowing with love, filling their bodies to the brim. Edward intended to never leave her in his life. He intended on marrying her. That was what he wanted more than anything. She wanted that too. Alas, small steps. Baby steps.

"You feeling better now, rabbit?" He asked.

"Yeah, s-sorry..." She sniffled.

"No, don't apologize. There's absolutely no reason to. Now, why don't we get cleaned up, yeah?"

"Yes please, I feel so...icky." She laughed softly.

"Me too, I'm very sweaty. It's not a great feeling." He grimaced, shaking his head.

"Do you want to take a shower together?" Y/n asked, straightening his glasses for him.

"Yeah, I'd like that a lot actually..." He blushed.

"Edward, are you blushing? What's there to blush about? You literally just saw me naked and fucked the soul out of me!" She laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Well yeah, but...shut up." He mumbled, getting off the bed and standing up.

"You're such a dork." Y/n joked, taking his hand that he offered to her.

"Shit, wait stay right there" He said.

Y/n raised an eyebrow, but she did as he said. Funny, even when he wasn't being 'dominant' she still followed his orders. He left the room and y/n watched his ass as he walked away. She couldn't help it. Sue her. After a few seconds, Edward came back in with something behind his back. She tilted her head.

"What do you have? Is it a puppy?!"

Edward rolled his eyes, bringing it out in front of him. In his hands was a sketchbook. Smiling, y/n grabbed it and opened it up. She gasped as she saw drawings littered over the pages. Almost all of them were her. Others were sketches of places Edward felt were important. There was the bookstore, rooms of y/n's apartment, the coffee shop that Edward and y/n went to a lot, and the subway station. She looked back up at him, pride and love in her eyes.

"They uh, they let me keep a journal. The therapist said it would be good for my mental health. She said that I should sketch and document things that I remembered from before the hospital. Uh, like things and places that made me really happy. Nothing that evoked any bad feelings or thoughts. So um..." He trailed as she flipped through the pages.

"So you drew me? A-And the places we went to often? Edward, that's so sweet. Your art is so good, too! Um, why did you draw a subway station though?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, uh, well when I would get off of work and wait for the train, I would spend that time thinking about you. Like, what we had planned for that day. It was something to look forward to." He said shyly.

"Eddie, that's so romantic. How many of these drawings did you do?" She asked.

"That's my third book."

"Third book?!"

"I had a lot of time on my hands. It was one of the things that kept me occupied." He smiled.

Y/n sighed, hugging him after placing the book on the bed. She was so happy that he was back. Edward hugged her back, sniffling as he tried to hold back tears. He hated being vulnerable and crying, but he felt comfortable around her. He could be himself around her and not get judged. He felt loved.

"Y/n, will you be my girlfriend?" He asked abruptly.

She didn't even hesitate.

"Yes. I'd love to, Edward."

There went the water works. Edward couldn't hold them back anymore. He felt his inner child come out, jumping up and down and clapping his hands, happy that someone finally loved him. Tears streamed down his face, holding her tighter in his arms. She rubbed his back, letting him cry as he wiped his tears away. He was such a kind soul tormented by his past and his own self. Y/n intended on fixing that. She was going to give him the love he always deserved. She was going to help him get better, get him the best therapist that money could buy, and let him cry whenever he needed to.

"You're so nice to me..." He sobbed.

"Oh, Edward, of course I am. You deserve it. C'mon, let's go take a shower." She cooed.

He pulled away, removing his glasses so he could wipe his tears away. Putting them on the nightstand, he nodded. Edward blinked away the rest of the tears. Clearing his throat, he held y/n's face in his hand, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Smiling, he pinched her cheek gently, watching her pink dusted nose scrunch up in amusement.

"Alright, let's go rabbit."

#writers #fanfic writer #writers of tumblr #fanfic #the riddler #dc universe #paul dano #edward nashton #danonator #danocel #danonation #paul dano riddler #dano riddler #edward nashton smut

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honey-tragedy · 11 months

Text

a least to most likely list of which of the robins would hide injuries

dick, is surprisingly the least likely to hide injuries. he got told sence he was able to walk and do stunts that improperly cared for injuries could not only harm him but other performers and thats stuck with him. add in being the leader of the teen titans and trying to set a good example for them, hes fully open with his injuries when hes hurt.

--dick has a spread sheet of injury and when he got them, he thinks it funny

tim is the second least likely to hide injuries, now this is only because in the first year or two of being robin haveing a infection or improperly cared for wound would take him out of the field and away from doing damage control with bruce. and now its just a habit too keep track of his injuries

---tim would hid older injuries that wouldn't effects his field capabilities (spleen spleen spleen) but not anything recent or pressing

up next is duke! duke as the leader of the we are robins thing has had to deal with idiots under his command hideing injuries and he refuses to add that stress onto bruce and alfred. he knows how annoying and worrying it is to have to wonder if your people are actually field ready or lieing too you.

--he would only hid injuries if they came from civilian life or for a stupid thing like triping off a roof or swinging into a wall, but like tim he wouldnt if it was something big or would affect his capabilities

steph is next up, were edgeing into would definitely hide shit, steph does not see bruce as a parent and barely sees him as a boss. shes a latch key kid with a terrible dad and a try her best but not get mom, no way in hell would she come out with injuries outload but she would let alfred treat her if it came up. prefers to go to Leslie cause she trusts her more, and as such bruce usually only hears about her injuries after the fact.

---steph fully mocks bruce that if he was the worlds greatest detective he would know when shes hurt, goes to Leslie or alfred if its really bad

this was a toss up, but damian is next, assassins dont really lend them selves to being good people to tell that your injured, even the ones ment to serve you. damian is basically allergic to telling anyone anything is actually wrong with him ever, unless its him and bruce one of one. bruce is essentially the only person he trusts enough to admit hes injured.

--getting damian to admit hes injured is like trying to give a feral cat a bath, no one likes doing it but its necessary sometimes

jason!! second to last on the list, jason would actually fully chew off his own leg then tell the bats hes injured ever. not only because he doesn't trust 90% of them not to use it to fuck him over, but also because bruce will become simultaneously the most helicopter parent and the emotional brick wall the second he knows Jason's hurt, its honestly worse then being shot to see him try and ground jason like hes still a child, while also being full emotional brick wall batman mode

--jason has pushed tim down the bottomless pit in the cave before just so he could bolt before bruce could quarantine him in the cave cause he got hurt, jason would fully fist fight his way out of the batfam then ever admit hes hurt

and to round it off cass! cass will slink away to hide and lick her wound and you would never know shes hurt unless she lets you. raised as a weapon i dont think David cain was the kinda person to treat an injury with anything other then disappointment, and cass still sees her own injury as failures in her training. shes fully capable of doing most of her own medical care and useing it to her advantage in avoiding telling anyone her injuries.

--cass broke her arm once and as soon as it was put in a cast no one saw her tell it was fully healed. not even bruce is sure where she was or what she was doing during those months

#dc comics #batman #jason todd #dick grayson #damian wayne #robin #dc #tim drake #duke thomas #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #headcannons #batfam #batman headcanon

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discocandles · 1 year

Text

Jason Todd, but he's not around the batfamily very often, bc i can.

It's not unusual for Jason to just kind of be gone for anything bat-esque for a while. Sure he'll still be in Gotham doing some crime fighting, but just not make many appearances in Wayne Manor/the Batcave.

And it's not out of sheer spite, surprisingly enough. its bc after being a crime lord then quitting to be an anti-hero, he came to the realization that being Red Hood couldn't be the only thing he was using his life for. he would end up like Bruce, only using a civilian identity when he absolutely had to. But Jason Todd was legally dead, so he wouldn't ever have to be a civilian, but at the cost of losing himself to a vigilante identity. I don't believe Jason would want to take that risk.

So he makes a fake identity so he can live in a (shaky) routine as a civilian. He still goes by Jason, given its a common enough name. but he changes his last name to Devoss, as it has the same meaning as todd but is of Dutch decent rather than english, bc I'm the kind of nerd that still wants names to mean the same thing even it's not the point whatsoever, so Jason is too. Plus its better than most of the name changes DC has done.

Anyway. Jason's "routine". The only reason it could be considered a routine is bc he typically goes to the same places. he drops by the same coffee shop at least three times a week, frequents the same gym, and visits the library about once a week. he's in the bare minnimum of consistency & sticks to it.

Despite being given enough money from Bruce to count as a solid income, Jason still lives in walking distance of Crime Alley. the landlords there don't care who you are so long as you pay rent, bc who wants to live near Crime Alley? barely anyone. Later he gets a job, which actually cements his routine. he works as a chef in a chain restaurant, and he's so good at it, it's like hes being petty about it.

Actually, being petty is the most common thread most of the people who know Jason Devoss as an aquaintance have. He's petty about entitled customers who start screaming in at his regular coffee stop, if someone he tends to work out with has a cheating partner and the assholeperson has a hole in thier can of mace and their knife is suddenly dull(neccessities in Gotham), Jason has no clue how someone could manage that. Absolutely none.

Ok, back to Jason getting a job. So like I said earlier, Jason gets a job as a line cook, bc they really dont keep people from the job unless you're actively supposed to be in Arkham(exemptions can be made for blackgate). Which is why having a civilian identity is helpful, bc being both legally dead and spending some time as a mob boss probably wouldn't jive with any hiring manager ever. But he's able to make himself a normal part of the scenery, and makes the most effective closing shift, totally not be he has patrol that he's already late for. He begins to have to switch between taking orders and making food.

And this is how he ends up meeting Bernard, bc they have to work together to figure out what Tim would want. Jason realizes that this isn't some other kid named Tim he thinks "oh this is going to be rich." bc no one in the family has been to his work so far since he started working in the front of house, and he hasn't mentioned it to them.

So Tim walks in, and sees his bf, then he sees Jason, who just says "Oh, you must be Bernard's boyfriend. Nice to meet you." Smiling like he's never done anything remotely wrong in his whole life. Now Tim is questioning everything and can only repond with something akin to "Mhmm yup. Nice to meet you too." & is on edge for the rest of the date, bc his brother is being paid to watch his date, and will interrupt them for refills or other nonsense when he was beginning to forget Jason was there.

Bonus points if it's before Tim introduces Bernard to the family.

The batfamily knows where he is, and he knows they know. No one who has met Batman once can have him be unaware of their whole family tree, of course he knows where his son is. Jason will sometimes get visits, most often from Duke, be despite the fact that Crime Alley is mostly terrible, the sunset view is pretty dang good.

Duke will just be sitting on his couch when he gets home, like "you wanted to talk?" to which he and Jason will simply chat. and jason will often give critiques to Duke's technique.

The other common visitor is steph, but that's most ofting in the form of her ding dong ditching him,

#petty Jason is something that can be so personal #I almost want to make a fanfic of Jason being the first to meet Bernard after he starts dating Tim #and lording it over tim until he introduces Bernard to the rest of the family #but as I've said at one point I barely know anything about Bernard's character other than kinda sassy conspiracy theorist so idk #jason todd #batfam #let Jason care about his mental health a little please #tim drake #bernard dowd #timber #Tims contemplating how bad it would be if he killed someone who's already legally dead #meanwhile Bernard is just like wow this guy really goes above and beyond with customer service. I should remember to tip him well for it #duke thomas #I was tempted to say Jason pranks Duke during his patrols and that's why Duke lowkey breaks into his apartment #but I think Duke would just show up bc he can #stephanie brown #Steph really brings the get the F off my lawn out of Jason #Bruce would show up but he thinks Jason doesn't want to talk to him so he stays away #bc of course he's gonna be awkward about this it's Jason

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elius-learns-to-write · 3 years

Note

Heyy! Can I please request a fem reader x avengers, oc is a single mother with a child of 2 years old but the avengers dont know that until the reader needs to see her child in a work time, after that how the kid gets along with the avengers, the kid is more closer to nat and cuddle nat a lot<3 I don't know if is too long but thank you anyway💐

I normally just write for teen!reader but I will do this at some point because I really like the idea, thank you for your request Bestie I hope you enjoy even though this is short (I didn’t really know what to write) <3 so this is obviously a fem reader one but I hope you all still enjoys besties! this is probably really bad because I am so tired so I might re write it at some point. I don’t know I just want to sleep lol

Worlds Best Mum

You were a single mum

I should probably expand on that a little bit

2 years ago you had given birth to a beautiful little girl

you didn’t know who the father was but that didn’t matter because as soon as you gazed into her big brown orbs you knew that it would always be you and her against the world

What you had forgotten to account for was the fact that you were trying to save that world

Thank god for babysitters

“Hey jessie you’re free right now right? Good because work just called and it’s an emergency, I left her with the woman next door, I’ll pay you extra I promise” even with the teens reassurance that they loved looking after Amy you couldn’t help but fear that one day they wouldn't be free to look after her because as nice as Mrs Norris was she wasn’t exactly who you would want looking after your child.

The other problem having a child was the privacy

As much as you adored the team and would of liked the experience of living in the tower with all of them

It just wasn’t a place to bring up a toddler

Not living in the tower often meant being late and often using the same line every time

The door to the conference room swang open as you barrelled through it muttering apologise to Stark who had only just began the meeting “Sorry I’m late the traffic was bad and I,” before you could finish the team interrupted you “couldn't find your socks”

As much as you tried to avoid the avengers meeting her just incase the word got out that a hero had a child and she would become a target

They all had their suspicions

“Is that a dummy in your bag?” Sam had asked you after going into your bag to find the moted you made on the last mission so he could type them up in his mission report, “uhhhhh yeah it helps me relax” you replied, voice rising an octave a clear indicator of your unease and hesitation.

You held Amy’s teddy behind your back after realising that it had been in there from dropping her off to nursery “you liked stuffed animals now?” joked Clint already guessing your situation as when he first started his family he had the same trouble hiding it

“Wow Y/n you sure do look cool with a childs sock hanging out your pocket” joked Bucky, how the hell did that get in there? Oh yes Amy was going through that ‘I’m not wearing socks’ phase. God damn it

So when they all officially found out it wasn’t how they expected

“What do you mean she’s ill? She was fine when I dropped her off! No i understand, yep, I’ll come get her know” you sighed hanging up the phone with just a bit too much aggression. You knew that you would have to bring her to the tower because Jessie would be at school and no one else could take her but you wanted the team to know before hand so it didn’t come as too much of a shock. After everyone had gathered on the massive leather couch you hoped into the room, car keys in hand and trying to get your shoes on with about as much grace as bambi on ice. “So just to let everyone know I have a daughter and she is sick so I’m going to pick her up and bring her here because there is no where else for her to go, when I come back there better not be any swearing” you lectured before jogging down the corridor to go get your girl from the school.

And surprisingly there wasn’t

Steve had gone out with Bucky to grab some stuff for her to play with

Bruce had claimed he didn’t like children and had gone down to the lab with Tony

And the rest had decided that they would wait till she was better to meet her

So only Nat was left when you got back

and boy oh boy did your daughter take a liking to her

“Aww come on sweet girl” cooed Natasha as Amy’s chubby little fingers stretched towards her and they sat down on the couch. Amy on her lap. As you went to go get some food and snacks for all three of you. When you came back holding the tray you melted at the sight, the redhead had started singing to your child as she fussed in discomfort her mood changes and crying a clear sign she was indeed ill. Seeing Nat and her so close made your heart just swell, you had already imagined her as the godmother to your child but this had solidified it. “Is my princess listening to aunty Natty?” you chuckled turning to her as you put the tray down on the chrome coffee table. “I think she likes me” Nat whispered, trying to settle her down in a cocoon of blankets and to not disturb the obviously interesting episode of paw patrol that was playing. “Well it’s only right she loves her godmother isn’t it?” you replied kissing the top of Amy’s head and fixing your attention on her as Nat sat there in shock, tears of joy weling up in her eyes.

#Tara Talks #the avengers #avengers x platonic reader #avengers x reader #avengers imagine #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x teen!reader #natasha romanoff x you #clint x reader #sam wilson x reader #wanda x reader #single mom!reader

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moonlit-imagines · 3 years

Text

The Doctor Is In

Stephen Strange x reader

Bruce Banner x reader (platonic)

warnings:

a/n: hey! idk how to build stairs guys. i didnt feel like researching it. i dont care if it’s wrong. leave me alone. part 2/2.

prompt:

Out (1)

There was no hope of Stephen coming back. Every truth you had to face was harsher than the last. Even when you got home and realized that Wong was among the vanished...and he didn’t fix the stairwell.

Maybe the stairwell was a good thing. It gave you something to focus on in these hard times. Sure, it’d been a month since the incident, but that still wasn’t enough time for the world to heal. That meant that contractors were hard to come by. But the roof would have a tarp over it for some time. No way you’d deal with that.

So you took a trip to the hardware store, you stocked up on wood and nails, lacquer and wood stain. Anything else you needed for the project. Anything to keep you busy.

There were so many sleepless nights. You hated being alone in Sanctum, hated being alone in your bed. Every so often you would nap on the couch, but then you’d get right back to work. Weeks on end you spent on the stairwell. How long will you stick around while I talk about the stairwell?

Doctor Banner called you from time to time. His voicemails were kind, heartfelt, but you couldn’t stop now. The gutted stairwell from a couple weeks ago was coming by very nicely. As nice as it could when worked on my an amateur. Alright, it looked awful, but you couldn’t stand using a ladder to get to the second floor.

As you were staining the wood, you played a message from Bruce:

“Doctor L/N, it’s Bruce. I hope you’re doing alright, but you know that if you’re not, I’m here for you. All the remaining Avengers have kind of...gone their separate ways for the most part, they’re pretty broken up about everything. I just want you to know that because you don’t...have to be strong right now. I understand if you can’t be. Just call me back whenever you can? I want to make sure you’re alright. We’re survivors, we should stick together.”

Bruce hadn’t known you long, but he was still a great person and friend. You should call him back, but if you lost focus, you may lose yourself. So you continued to wipe against the grain of the fresh stairs and moved to the next step. And the next. And the next.

The last step was the lacquer and seal. You were scared to finish up. What would you occupy yourself with once this was over? You thought about the answer until the very last step and admired your shabby craftsmanship. It’ll do. Or maybe you should tear it all down and start over? While you were thinking over your newest thought, your phone rang again. Bruce Banner.

“Hey, Bruce.” You answered the phone as you normally would and sat on the floor in front of your work.

“Y/N?” Bruce asked in disbelief. “Y/N, hey! How are you? I don’t know if you’ve been getting my calls..?”

“I have.” You quickly replied.

“Oh.” He quietly nodded to himself.

“I’m sorry, Bruce.” You realized your mistake and knew you may have come off as a little rude. He’d been nothing but kind to you, but you’d just realized you were alone today.

“No, no! It’s okay! I understand, don’t worry. What have you been up to?” His effort to start a conversation may be successful this time around.

“I fixed the stairwell. All of it. That’s what I’ve been doing the past few weeks. I just finished a few minutes ago.” You felt awkward talking to him. Not because of him, not at all. Just because you hadn’t really had any human contact in a while.

“I didn’t take you for a carpenter, Doctor.” Bruce was genuinely surprised with your skillset, you could hear it in his voice.

“And you still won’t once you see the job I did.” You actually managed to let out a chuckle. You didn’t know you could still do that.

“Oh, I hear ya loud and clear.” Bruce laughed, too. I wonder if he was having the same thoughts as you. “Y/N, do you want to go out to lunch like, now? I could use some company, maybe you could, too.”

“Yeah,” you checked the time on your watch, Stephen’s watch, and realized you worked through the night and day, “text me an address, I’ll meet you anywhere. See you soon.” You hung up pretty quickly, only to get ready ASAP. You were sort of covered in “stair supplies” and smelled like...not good. You’d take a quick shower, put on some clean clothes, and take off. Unfortunately, the stairs weren’t dry, so it was another round up the ladder.

—————

You finally took a trip back to your bedroom and shuffled through the closet filled with your...late husband’s clothing. It still smelled like him, surprisingly. You wondered just how long it would last. You hoped it’d be forever, but you grabbed your own clothes and quickly got dressed, then checked your phone to see that Bruce was running “a little late.” It’s okay, you were, too.

You took a seat on Stephen’s side of the bed and decided to snoop. Did it count as snooping if he was no longer here? You knew that he didn’t keep secrets from you, so what was the worst you could stumble upon? Books, books, and more books. But some were important books, ones detailing mystic arts. Maybe...maybe it was time to pick up a new skill. You stuffed the book in your bag and decided to head out now before you got too comfy in an actual bed.

—————

You and Bruce sat at a booth in the empty diner, awkwardly gazing over the menu while trying to stir up some conversation. It’d been a while since either of you had visited someone, you didn’t even know what to talk about.

“So, home renovations, huh?” Bruce asked while peaking over the fold of the laminated list.

“Something like that.” You sighed and set yours down and aside. “I know what I’m getting. What about you?”

“I just need a minute.” The only noise besides your bland conversation was the rustling of dishes in the back, which didn’t last for long. “Got it. A burger. That’ll do it.” Bruce announced and got the attention of the waiter.

Ordering took a second, but soon you and Bruce were alone again and ready to talk.

“How are the other Avengers? I know you said they went their separate ways, but...” You inquired and were surprised to see a smile crack on Bruce’s face. “What?”

“At least I know you listened to my voicemails.” He chuckled and took a sip of his iced tea. “They’re dealing with it. I don’t exactly know how. Nat’s staying at the compound, I’m sure she’s glad to have a home again. Cap went out on his own. Thor went back to his people. Tony and Pepper are trying to separate themselves from the world, I think. I don’t blame them. That’s all I know.” You stayed silent, but nodded along to his outer thoughts. “You alright?”

“I’m sorry, Bruce.” You started. “I didn’t mean to ignore you, leave you hanging. I just still don’t know how to take this. I keep thinking about what Stark told me when he came back. His whole ‘this will all make sense soon’ thing. Nothing about this makes sense to me.”

“Well, Strange was different, wasn’t he? He had that Stone, he had those powers, he might know something we don’t.” Bruce explained to you, an attempt to comfort you. “We’ve tried everything, y/n. Maybe it’s time to wait, maybe in time you’ll see that he sacrificed himself...for you.” You teared up at the scientist’s words and quickly wiped your eyes as the food was placed before you. “Thank you, sir.” Bruce said as the waiter walked off. “Hey, y/n? It’s okay that you’re hurting. I get it. But please don’t act like you’re alone. I’m gonna be here for you, okay?”

“Yeah,” you sniffled while hiding your wet eyes, “Me, too, Bruce.”

—————

When you got stressed out when you were younger, you threw yourself into your studies. Maybe that was why you were such an accomplished scientist. But what studies did you have now?

You had a library full of knowledge. It wasn’t your usual knowledge, but it would suffice. Now, the book that you’d snagged from Stephen’s bedside was a bit advanced for you, but that was okay. You had options.

Where would you even begin? This place was bigger than you remembered. Was this another spell? Did you know what you were talking about? Stop thinking, y/n. Start reading.

You picked out a book. You just ran with it. You recalled stories from Stephen. You remembered you needed the ring. What did he call it? Song ring? Sink ring? Slink ring?

Sling ring.

Not a problem, you could find one. Sanctum probably had tons. Maybe in Stephen’s study? You wished you had asked him more about his arts before, you just didn’t get it at the time.

One was stashed in a drawer. It was Stephen’s ring. The one he used himself. And it was the only one you could find, so it’d have to do. And so you got to studying.

The first time the air sparked by your hand was magical. Literally. But it made you feel something for the first time in nearly three months. And that was just the beginning. It felt like you were carrying on Stephen’s legacy in a way. You’d never be “Sorcerer Supreme,” but you didn’t have any intention of that. You just wanted his memory to live on, even if it were through you.

So you’d practice and you’d learn and you’d practice and you’d learn. You’d see Bruce whenever you could, and he soon noticed your mood change.

“I’m glad to see you happy for a change.” He told you while you walked through the park.

“Yeah, it feels great.” You told him while watching construction vehicles cleaning up the debris that had been lying around for months.

“I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s with the ring?” He looked at your hand and you lifted it closer.

“Oh...it’s Stephen’s.” You simply stated.

“Is it like a wedding ring?” He took a closer look and let you laugh it up for a quick second.

“No, no!” You shook your head at the ridiculous question. “I might as well show you. I haven’t told anyone yet, but that’s because you’re the only person I talk to.” You stopped in your tracks and shooed him back to give yourself enough space. “Ready?” Bruce looked terrified, but nodded a response and watched you raise your hands ahead, concentrating on the small portal you had began to open. Bruce recognized the opening since he’d fallen through it before.

“You’re one of the sorcerers?” Bruce’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I just started learning!” You exclaimed with a bright smile. “I needed something to get me through this all...and I wanted to protect Sanctum like Stephen and Wong had always stressed doing.”

“That’s...amazing, y/n. Self-taught magic? By a scientist, no less. Look at you go!” Bruce had a knack for being supportive. You were glad that he crashed through your roof and into your stairs.

“Thanks, Bruce. Maybe in time I’ll be able to cast a spell that fixes my roof.” You shrugged.

“Oh? Come on! I said I was sorry!”

—————

And then five years went by. Flew by, actually. You’d become a skilled sorcerer and used your skills around Sanctum. There wasn’t much to do here on Earth. It was a bit quiet.

Bruce was still a close friend of yours! You’d advised him in his quest for balance. He was no longer at war with himself.

The roof was fixed! You had Bruce spectate your very own spell to repair the damages he’d inflicted, but all was forgiven.

Then one normal day you got a call from him.

“Hey Bruce! How’s it going?” You answered, even though it interrupted your meditation.

“Can you meet me at the diner ASAP?” He sounded a little off, but still upbeat, so you opened a portal and stepped through to find yourself right out front. It was easy to spot him through the window, but there were others with him. Avengers.

“Hey, all.” You took a seat beside an unfamiliar one. “Hi, I’m y/n.” You told him as a plate of food was set in front of you.

“I ordered you your favorite. Hope you’re hungry.” Bruce smirked at you and let you get to it.

“So, it’s been a while, huh?” You asked the two Avengers across from you.

“It has.” Natasha sighed. “I wasn’t aware you were...also a sorcerer.” She began.

“I had a lot of free time.” Last they saw you, you weren’t as cool, calm, or collected. They were glad that you’d found peace. “I have a feeling this isn’t a social lunch.”

“I’m sorry to pull you from your calm, Doctor L/N—” You cut Steve off.

“Y/N is fine.” You replied.

“Scott here,” Steve motioned to the awkward man sitting alongside you, “was stuck in the Quantum Realm for some time, if you’re familiar. He thinks that there’s a way to...to undo what Thanos did.” You peered over at Bruce and watched him shrug as your heart started to beat faster and stomach started doing turns. You hated the thought of getting your hopes up, but you still dearly missed your husband.

“What can I do?”

—————

You had a hand in opening the dozens of portals around the ruins of the Avengers Compound, but you weren’t the only one. Stephen, Wong, and hundreds of other sorcerers were assisting to bring an army to combat the troops of an outdated Thanos, and you were so close to Stephen.

Using your magic to create a pathway to the sky, you leaped from step to step to get a clear look of the battlefield. And to let Stephen see you. He did. And so did the cloak.

You’d never used your powers to fight, so you’d have to step it up out here. But you knew Stephen wouldn’t let you get hurt. And you believed that you could handle this yourself.

“Y/N!” Stephen called to you as he flew to your altitude and held you in a special embrace that you’d nearly forgotten the feeling of. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Are you kidding me, Stephen?” You chuckled through tears that you just couldn’t hold in, tears that dragged through the dirt and dust on your face, clearing small lines down your cheeks. “I have missed you every day since the moment you left. I am so glad to have you back.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye, y/n. I truly am. But I knew that you would manage without me. You always have.” He explained to you in such a heartfelt way, admiring your capability to still be standing in the air.

“You knew I’d become a sorcerer, didn’t you?” You cocked a brow and watched him smirk.

“I had an inkling.” He joked with you as the firefight below was still rampaging.

“It’s very unprofessional of you to be talking to your s/o during times of crisis like this.” You chuckled and broke your spell to fall back to the ground, stopping yourself before it was too late in what could only be described as a “superhero landing.” Now that you were on the ground, assistance was required for your own side of the battle.

You and your fellow sorcerers had to defend more than anything. Shields popped up across the battlefield in an effort to keep your people alive. There were too many close calls and you wanted to survive long enough to go home with your husband.

“Y/N, over here!” Stephen beckoned you to the flood that would have made this fight much harder, and you were delighted to defend alongside him. The cloak rushed to you and gave you a fast track to the edge of the water, you couldn’t help but that it for it’s kind service. “Ready?”

“Of course.” You lifted your palms and motioned towards that water, redirecting it and keeping it at bay for the time being. “I love you, Stephen.” You remembered to tell him.

“I love you, too, y/n.” He replied with his focus still on the flood. “And I’m proud of you. So very proud.”

“Couldn’t have done it with you.” You joked and stabilized the rushing waters, giving you a true load-off before the end was clear. Dust passed through the sunken hole you all stood inside. Dust of your enemies that had finally lost. You and Stephen stared at each other in disbelief, yet couldn’t help but run into each other’s arms. “This is real? We won?”

“In a way.”

—————

Stephen and you dressed in all black were standing in the back yard of your savior. Tony had given his life to give others a life. You were just sorry that it had to be him.

Bruce stood alongside you with a long face and an injured arm. It was time for you to be there for him like he’d been there for you.

“Thanks for bringing back my husband, Bruce.” You whispered to him while holding Stephen’s hand tightly. Over the past few days, you just couldn’t seem to let go of him.

“Oh, yeah? That was nothing.” Bruce playfully answered through his sorrow.

“How’s your arm feeling?” You asked him, making sure the sling wasn’t twisted up an any way.

“Not the greatest, but I’ll be okay.” He assured you and watched as you leaned your head onto Stephen’s smile with a sense of relief. “I’m really happy for you, y/n...”

“But?” You raised an eyebrow with a hint of worry.

“But you better still hang out with me.” He smiled at you and you even heard a chuckle escape Stephen’s lips.

“You can count on it, Bruce.” You lifted a hand for a fist bump and collided your knuckles with his, even if they were a bit oversized.

“Shall we get going, dear?” Stephen asked you while he hooked his arm around yours and opened a portal home. You waved goodbye to Bruce and went on your way, stepping right into Sanctum as the way closed behind you.

“So you really meant it, huh?” You asked your husband while setting your belongings down.

“That I love what you’ve done with the place?” Stephen laughed at your oncoming smirk and walked forward, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you forward to kiss the top of your head. “Of course, dear.”

“Even the stairs?” You peeked your head up to look at your husband and watched his smile grow. You’d never bothered casting a spell to properly repair them. Maybe you were just too proud of your work. Maybe it was a reminder that you got through these five years on your own terms.

“I do.” He leaned down to kiss your lips. “It adds character to this place.”

“More character than the magic?” You prodded at him.

“I think you mean ‘sorcery.’” He corrected as you leaned into his chest and slightly swayed back and forth, taking in his presence for the 50th time since he’d come home.

“Oh, of course. Silly me.”

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#stephen strange imagine #stephen strange x reader #stephen strange #dr strange x reader #dr strange imagine #dr strange #marvel #avengers #marvel imagine #marvel x reader #avengers x reader #avengers imagine #bruce banner #bruce banner x reader #bruce banner imagine #hulk #hulk x reader #hulk imagine

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perperam · 3 years

Note

OKAY I saw your Instagram post things and I just want to know what are your headcanons for that universe?? Is there any specific AU you imagine the Instagram AUs happening in or do you have specific rules for your own ideal version or

somehow, surprisingly, you're not the only one to ask this !!

okay so funny story at first I literally just drew the instagram things bc I thought yeah harley would be so loved by all of internet generation gen z college kids (as an internet gen z recently graduated undergrad myself)

but then as I made the posts more and more intricate with the comments and stuff it kinda...grew into something bigger? like they actually have a particular AU for them now!! so that's fun

here's what I'm thinkin I want in my social media AU:

world building wise:

neither of them are really "heroes" but they aren't outright supervillains either—like they're anti-heroes that dont give a shit about corporate & capitalist culture

aka they can, have, and will continue to steal from big market names and threaten CEOs, but will also pool money to pay small business and support local folks

much like the vibes of the harley quinn animated series, harley and the rest are literally Just People and go to coffee shops and just hang out in public (the fuck is GCPD gonna do for them drinking coffee, send em to Arkham??)

this makes them really well liked by Gotham's general public

also because ivy has and will kill rapists and bad men on sight and harley has on more than one occasion been linked to crimes where abusers have mysteriously turned up dead or beat to a pulp with a blunt object suspiciously shaped like a bat or sledgehammer

there's this specific tattoo shop harley really likes that she goes to whenever she wants a new piece done, and because of her instagram they've become the most popular place in Gotham, in fact if you go there on any given day you have a 25% chance of seeing harley

also I wasn't kidding when I said harley really would have her own psychiatry clinic and continue to treat people (mostly college kids and criminals) for free because harley says fuck the US health care system and helping others would be really fulfilling to her

harley advertising on her instagram story: hey yall I'll be having a trauma processing session tonight at my clinic please stop by if you want to make an appointment or listen to my lecture

oh also harley has a podcast and the episodes vary from "workout routine" to "breaking the glass ceiling of female supervillains and the male gaze in crime" to "why stealing is sometimes okay" to "studying for the mcat and quick tips" to "perhaps marx was right" to random tangents that go on and on and on

pam on the other hand is not only a feared ex-supervillain but now a revered member of Gotham's city-revitalization planning committee

in between heists for rare floral specimen she plans climate protests and tree-planting events and in general does her damn best to try and bring some sort of green to Gotham in a "legal fashion" (a news source once said this and ivy almost killed the news anchor on the fucking spot from how much rage pumped through her veins in that moment)

characters & dynamics wise:

harley and ivy have been living together and literally married for like, a year now by this point

selina is over so often she might as well be living at their apartment

the gotham city sirens and the batkids are besties!! as they should be (this used to stress bruce out to no end but after the third family dinner dick planned with "aunty harls and pam" he had to eventually give up)

in fact jason and harley often get involved in stupid shenanigans and dick is almost always there with them and literal seconds from being implicated in their scheme somehow

jason is often at harley and ivy’s apartment and can greatly relate to harley in many different ways (from growing up in a crime riddled neighborhood to having intense trauma courtesy of the joker and ivy finds it endearing that he trusts harley enough to let people in (and there is a visible, tangible change in him after he starts getting closer to harley, everyone can feel how much happier he becomes)

harley and ivy are 28 and 32 respectively but because ivy literally has the interests and name of a 90 year old everyone just teases her by calling her "grandma pamela"

the batkids refer to them as aunty harley and aunty (sometimes grandma) ivy and ivy fights every time for a different name but just gave up sometime after tim joined in

ivy and tim get along really well, surprisingly

also alfred literally loves pam because she helps the plants in bruce's neglected green house thrive and ivy really enjoys his company because he's on the same wave length as her and "knows when to shut the fuck up and just bask in the quiet unlike literally all other men"

I think I want babs and dinah to be dating bc have you seen their chemistry and dick and kori to be dating bc again have you seen their chemistry but I'm kinda torn and in between and idk

bud and lou are great cuddle bugs and ivy secretly loves it but pretends she hates it to harley's face bc a girl's gotta save some semblance of dignity right

details:

harley has adhd and you can't convince me, someone with adhd, otherwise

harley has both shitty tattoos that she gets for no other reason other than that it's funny or that she hyperfixates on them super hard for half a second and suddenly there's art on her again and ivy's just ?? when she gets home. she also really meaningful tattoos that she has multiple consultations about

she had two ribcage tattoos before the joker, got three tattoos commemorating him during their (highly abusive) relationship which she immediately covered with new ink upon leaving him, and gets a lot of patchwork style tattoos down her arms and thighs

she has a giant flower tattoo going down her entire spine and it's ivy's favorite thing ever

ivy actually also has a (singular) tattoo and it's a diamond with a stem and leaves as if it were a flower

it's still very much a work in progress but since multiple people have asked me about this I thought I'll dump all my thoughts here

#mryanswers #harley quinn #harlivy

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thr-333 · 4 years

Text

Mismatch- Part 3

Bio Dad Bruce Wayne Month 2020

Ah Irony, I trust this wont be the last I’m seeing of you

First < Previous > Next

----

‘Sorry, Nino told Adrien that you guys said to go ahead!?’ Chloe explained.

“Looks like Liela’s at it again,” Marion tells Marinette.

“Of course she is,” Marinette was already hailing a cab

‘Lila must have told Alya who told Nino or something’ Marion responds.

'I am so sorry we’ll come back to get you’

‘Dont worry bout it we’re getting a cab’

‘Dont let kags kill anyone’ He adds

‘No promises’

Marinette grabs Marion by the arm, dragging him over to a cab. Just as she's about to climb in someone grabs her, arm pulling her away. Reflexes kick in and she makes a jab at their stomach. They block her punch, but let go of her arm. Marinette looks up to see a black haired blue eyed boy who couldn't be any older than them.

“This isn’t a real cab,” He explains quickly, taking his phone out to snap a picture of the stunned driver.

“Oh? Oh!” Marinette processes, realising she just tried to punch him for helping her, “I am so sorry!”

“It’s ok, good reflexes,” He compliments, they step away from the cab as it speeds away, “I’m Tim,”

“Marinette,” She shakes his offered hand, “This is Marion,”

“Hi, thanks for that,” Marion nods towards where the ‘taxi’ was, “How could you tell?”

“You live around here long enough you learn to spot them,” Tim answers, “are you two french?”

“Yep,” Marinette chirped, “We’re on a class trip,”

“Where’s your class?” Tim frowns looking around.

“Ummm… they kinda….” Marinette looked down at her shoes.

“Left us,” Marion finishes for her.

“They left you? In Gotham?” Tim asks, the twins nod avoiding eye contact.

“Where are you staying? I’ll drive you there,” Tim decides.

“You don’t have to do that!” Marinette gestures wildly, wide eyed.

“We’ll be fine on our own,” Marion adds, because yes they did almost get in a fake cab, but it wasn't as if they couldn't have dealt with it.

“It’s all right,” Tim tells them, scanning the cars around, “Look my rides here,”

The twins turn to see a limo pull up, a well dressed driver steps out of the vehicle.

“Good Evening Master Tim, how was your trip?” He asks, taking Tim’s bag.

“It was fine Alfred,” Tim says, “would you mind if we dropped these two off at their hotel?”

“Not at all, Master Tim, I am Alfred Pennyworth,” Alfred greets the twins, “May I ask your names,”

“Uh, Marion, and this is Marinette,” Marion replies, “You really don’t have to, we’ll be fine,”

“It’s no trouble at all,” He tells them, “Where are you staying?”

“Wayne hotel,” Marinette goes to grab her bags to find them gone, turning to see Alfred already placing it in the trunk.

“Witchcraft,” Marion whispers to her, Marinette nods. She always made sure to at least be touching her backpack, as it held the Miracle box.

“Come in,” Tim offers, already sitting in the Limo.

The twins concede climbing in after Tim a little awkwardly. He had somehow gotten ahold of a travel cup and was holding it like a lifeline.

“I’m surprised you're staying at the Wayne hotel for a class trip,” Tim takes a gulp of the probably scalding hot coffee.

“Marinette submitted an amazing essay to the Wayne Foundation and won the trip for the whole class,” Marion dodges her kick, Tim hides his smirk behind his cup.

"We submitted an essay,” Marinette corrects, glaring at Marion for shaking his head.

“Thank you for the ride,” Marion changes the topic.

“No problem, I really don’t mind, the longer I stay away from the manor the better,” Tim replies sleepily.

“Why's that?” Marinette questions, concern written all over her face.

“Loud, too many siblings” Tim quickly clarified, “I need more time with my coffee before I deal with them,”

“I think I can relate,” Marion mutters, ignoring Marinette's look, “How many siblings do you have?”

“Officially? Thr-Two brothers,”

“Unofficially?” Marinette prods.

“Feels like half of Gotham most the time,” Tim sighs, making them chuckle.

“You two must be twins?” Tim guesses.

“Unfortunately,” Marinette sighs.

“You love me,” Marion scoffs.

“Unfortunately,” Marinette repeats, Tim cracks a smile.

“If it's any consolation you seem to get on much better than I do with my siblings,” Tim takes another long sip from his coffee.

“If it’s any consolation we’re always fighting,” Marion parrots, sharing a knowing glance with Marinette. Fighting? Yes. Fighting each other? Only when Chat Noir gets brainwashed.

“So what are you looking forward to in Gotham?” Tim asks.

“Lots of things,” Marinette and Marion start to tell Tim all about their(civilian) plans. Tim suggests places every now and then, he points out the hotel as they start to get closer.

“Ah!” Marinette exclaims, turning to Marion, “We were meant to check in as a class, will they even let us in?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure they do,” Tim assures them. When they pull up at the hotel Alfred opens the door and Tim gets out with them.

“Thank you so much,” Marinette takes her bags from Alfred, giving him a smile.

“You’re welcome Miss,” Alfred smiles back.

Marion also gives his thanks and they follow Tim into the building. Marinette admires the architecture, brainstorming ideas for designs. Perhaps she can make improvements to the outfits they’ll be using at the concert. Tim goes straight to the front desk and explains the situation. The receptionists hands over the room keys, telling them their classmates had already grouped up, three to a room.

“That was surprisingly easy,” Marion muses, as they walk towards the elevator, “Thank you,”

“My pleasure,” Tim answers easily, as they step into the elevator, “I must be off,”

They give their goodbyes, letting the doors close as Tim walks away.

“He was nice,” Marinette hums in agreement.

“Hopefully there's more people in Gotham like him,” They step out of the elevator.

“There will be,” Marion assures, “Meet back here when they go to sleep?”

“No, I’ll text you when everyones asleep and you can teleport in,” Marion nods, both know Kaalki won’t be impressed.

They go their separate ways. Marinette knocked on the room door that was opened a few moments later by Kagami.

“I am sorry,” Kagami immediately apologizes, “I should have known better and asked you myself,”

“Don’t worry, we’re fine,” Marinette gives the girl a hug, rolling her suitcase into the room.

“Marinette, you need to see this place, although it’s as good as daddys hotel,” Chloe grabs her by the arm. Leading her through the well furnished and decorated living room with a kitchenette to the side.

“You do live in the penthouse suite,” Marinette looked out the floor to ceiling window, displaying the view of the city, itching to grab her sketchbook.

“True, but they didn’t put me in the penthouse, so it's their loss,” Chloe guides her to a room with a large bed, bedside tables with flowers on them and a mirrored closet door. “This is yours,”

Marinette went to grab her suitcase only to see Kagami behind them with it. She thanked her and got settled in. Once she was unpacked they sat together in the living room to talk about tomorrow.

“You’d better not go wandering off, Gotham is dangerous,” Chloe wagged her finger at Marinette.

“And you’re going to protect me?” Marinette threw a couch cushion at her.

“Well, duh, I was Queen Bee,” Chloe bragged, catching the cushion and throwing it right back.

“For, like, month, years ago,” Marinette caught the pillow, sending it to Kagami, “Weren’t you replaced with Bumble Bee?”

“It was a mutual decision,” Chloe caught the pillow that Kagami hesitantly threw to her.

“Right,” Marinette said in a disbelieving tone, knowing full well that Bumble Bee was just Chloe’s new alias. “I think I’d rather stick with Kagami,”

“Rude,” Chloe threw the pillow at her.

“Didn’t we all agree Kagami was as good as any bodyguard?” Marinette asks, throwing the pillow to said girl.

“Excuse you, we said she was better than any bodyguard,” Both gave her inquisitive looks, “What? I’m just stating facts!”

“Of course,” Marinette caught the pillow, still smiling.

“I am!”

“I believe you,” Marinette threw the pillow back at her.

“No you don’t!” Chloe throws the pillow forcefully at her.

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Marinette chucks the pillow to Kagami.

“You’re infuriating Dupain-cheng,” Chloe huffs, catching the pillow from Kagami.

“I can show you some… moves,” Kagami hesitantly speaks up, as Chloe throws the pillow at Marinette, “For self defence,”

“Sure,” Marinette puts the pillow down, standing up with Kagami.

They spent the next half hour with Kagami instructing Marinette on basic fencing moves. With the cardboard wrapping of the now empty Toblerone block.

“Where is she going to get a sword?” Chloe was scrolling through her phone, “Unless you want her to carry that around everywhere,”

“What do you suggest?” Kagami challenges defensively.

“Like this,” Chloe takes over, showing both Marinette and Kagami how to break out of certain holds to get their arm free or how to disarm an opponent.

“Where did you learn this?” Marinette watches as Kagami practices the motions of disarming Chloe's hairbrush gun.

“I told you, I was Queen Bee and I took that job seriously,” Chloe drops the hairbrush, Kagami kicking it away.

“Didn’t you tell all of Paris your identity and then send a train out of control,” Kagami asks, retrieving the hairbrush.

“I was young and naive,” Chloe sighs dramatically, had to her forehead.

“Three years ago?” Marinette stands up to try and disarm Chloe now.

“Four actually,”

“Oh, my mistake,” Marinette rolls her eyes trying not to disarm Chloe too quickly.

They carry on a little longer before Marinette sends them to bed.

“We have an early day tomorrow, we don’t want to be late,” She pushes Chloe towards her room.

“Coming from you? That’s rich,” Chloe laughs.

“Whatever, go to sleep,” Marinette closes the door on Chloe's protests.

“Goodnight Marinette,” Kagami nods, walking to her room without a fuss.

Marinette goes to her room, firing Marion a text.

“Alright dude,” Nino turns to Marion, “I’m with Alya, we all know who Adrien has a crush on-”

“Everyone!?” Adrien sits up from where he’s lying on the couch.

“Yes, everyone,” Nino deadpans.

“What about Marinette?” Adrien turns pleading eyes to Marion.

“Oh not Marinette, she's as clueless as you,”

“What’s that meant to mean?” Adrien frowns defensively.

“Anyway,” Nino interrupts, “Dude, who do you have a crush on?”

“Ummmm,” Marion shifts uncomfortably from where he’s perched on the couches arm rest, “... It’s sort of a celebrity crush,”

“Oh? who?” apparently that was not the answer that would make him lose interest.

“It’s not really important, not like anything could happen,” Marion looks at Adrien for help, but he seems just as curious as Nino.

“Just tell us,” Nino pushes.

“It’s a hero,” Marion immediately realises that just got them more interested. “... From Gotham,”

“Batman?” Adrien guesses.

“No!” Marion shouts, “No! He’s old enough to be my dad, geez,”

“Alright, alright, who is it?” Nino placates leaning forward on his arm chair.

“..... Red hood,”

“Isn’t he a rouge?” Adrien asks.

“No!.... Maybe, he’s still a hero ok?” Marion curls up defensively.

“Why do you like him?” Adrien is grinning, shifting closer to Marion.

“I don’t know,” Marion rolls off the armrest, onto the couch next to him.

“You have to like something,” Nino gets up to sit on his other side.

“I don’t know, maybe because he looks good in his suit?!” Marion shouts.

“You’re not that shallow,” Adrien pokes him in the stomach.

“Ugh, fine,” Marion relents, “He works with Batman right?”

They both nod.

“He’s just so unlike everyone else he works with, I just kinda…. admire how he can just be…. be himself.” Marion curls up under his friend's stares.

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this,” Adrien teases, Marion huffs.

“He does look good in his suit though,”

“Wait a minute, is this why you always wear that MDC outfit?” Nino is clearly holding back laughter.

“No!” Marion bushes at the memory.

They were doing a practice interview about his newest song. Marinette had designed his outfit based on Red Hood's. It was something he had endured endless teasing over as he insisted everything had to be perfect, not that the great MDC would make anything less.

“Were there any problems that arose from the design MDC?” The interview asked, moving onto the outfit choice.

“We had some minor disagreements about the hood,” Marinette gestured to the outfit Marion was wearing. A red hoodie underneath a faux leather jacket(not that you could tell) on the back there were flying red bats embroidered up the side. He was wearing a black domino mask with red detailing in place of the helmet. It was the outfit they chose to alter into their vigilante costumes.

“She was getting very frustrated over it,” Marion teased, “I told her it didn’t need one,”

“His name is Red Hood! Why doesn't he wear a Hood? Robin wears a hood,”

“He looks cool without it,” Marion defended.

“You’re just saying that, cause you have a crush on him,” Marinette teased in a sing-song voice.

“MD!” He shouted, pulling the hood up to hide his blush, MDC laughing at him, he groaned. “Please tell me the cameras aren't rolling,”

“Don’t worry, nothing we say is being recorded,” The interviewer was luckily professional enough to not laugh, but was certainly amused, “I take it we will be omitting that from the real interview?”

“Yes!”

Unfortunately for him one of the staff members had been secretly recording. They leaked the footage online, getting fired, but not sparing MCD from the whole world finding out. The fanbase had been going crazy ever since they announced their concert in Gotham. Many imagining meet-cute moments or theorising that they were already dating. He shakes his head at the memory.

“I just think it looks cool,” He comes back to the present.

“Because it’s based on your crush?” Adrien teases.

“Nope, you don’t get to tease me about this, I haven't seen you not wearing something Marinette made you in years,” Marion cuts Adrien off with a raised eyebrow, looking down at his Ladybug onesie Marinette made him.

“Fine,” Adrien turns to Nino, “It’s up to you now,”

“Has Marinette made you anything Red Hood related?” Nino grins.

“Nooooo,” Marion moans, draping over the couch.

“Do you have a onesie based on him as well?” Marion finds his saving grace when his pocket buzzes.

“Stooooooooop,”

“Never this is too good,” Nino teases, “Did you bring it with you?”

“That's enough for tonight!” Marion claps his hands, standing up.

“Awwwww,” They both moan in unison.

“Nope! I don’t have to put myself through this, goodnight to you,” Marion walks straight to his room before they can protest further.

He locks the door behind him. Plagg and Kaalki are in the room chatting, they fly over to Marion.

“You ready to go Kaalki?”

“I am not meant to be used for something as trivial as a taxi,” The Kwami complains.

“We just need to grab out suits, this will be the only night, I promise,” The Kwami gives him a nod, “Kaalki full gallop,”

He transforms and opens a portal into Marinette's room.

“Ready Bug?” He asks, stepping into the room. He opens another portal to their room in Paris.

“Of course,” They step through the portal, followed by their Kwami’s, into their room as quietly as possible.

Marion drops his Marinette pulls out their costumes from the closet. They were disguised to look like regular clothing, but could be altered to quickly change.

“I don’t know how you talked me into this,” Marinette takes the hoodie he usually wears, reaching under a secret fold and unzips the hood.

“Come on bug, our hero-selves cant be seen in Gotham, and you know full well we wouldn't stand aside if someone was getting hurt in front of us,” Marion takes the body of the hoodie from her, flipping it inside out to the black side.

“True, but why do we have to do nightly patrols?” Marinette finishes pulling on her leggings, flipping her usual white jumper with a cherry blossom pattern inside out to the same red shade as the hood.

“It would look pretty suspicious if we just showed up when our class was in danger, now wouldn’t it,” Marion fasten the yellow belt around his waist, slipping his baton into the holster and pulls on his on his boots, hopping slightly.

“I think you just want to be a vigilante,” Marinette takes his Red Hood jacket, flipping it inside out to black with yellow trim.

“Well, it’s exciting isn’t it?” Marion takes what would usually be Mainette's skirt, flipping the pink inside out to the green and unzipping it along a black line, “We get to test out our skills without miraculous, and we don't have the fate of the city resting on our shoulders,”

“You could a least try to take it seriously,” Marinette flips her beanie inside out to the black side. Pulling it on after the severed hood, lining the holes up with her eyes and pulling the hood up.

“I am taking this very seriously,” Marion says with the biggest grin. Taking Marinette's infinity scarf, running his hands across it to find the secret fold. Flipping it inside out to a green with yellow and black trim. He pulls it over his head, yellow stripe to his hairline.

“Whatever," Marinette fastens her holster with a baton around her left leg. They both pull on their black gloves. "Lets go,”

Marion transforms back and opens a portal to a rooftop far away from the hotel. They take off across the roofs, using their batons to pole vault across alleys, to land on roofs and fire escapes. As they race, taunting each other, they survey the streets below. Marinette stops, crouching down as Marion catches up. A young woman was being chased by two thugs.

“Let’s go,” She whispers, using the fire escape as a firemans pole. Marion follows suit.

They land in the alley as the girl gets backed up against a wall, clutching her purse. She looks straight at them, Marion gestures her to stay quiet as they sneak up behind the thugs. Marinette takes the one on the right, as he lines up behind the left one. Marinette attacks first hitting the right one over the head with her baton.

“What the-” Marion cuts the left one off by sweeping his legs with his baton, sending him crashing to the ground. He pins them down, tying his wrist together with one hand, “You little fuc-”

Marion stuffs the mans own hat in his mouth. He then ties the crooks legs together for good measure. He looks over to Marinette, her thug unconscious, she was comforting the victim, offering her a cookie from a hidden pocket.

“Thank you,” She takes the cookie hesitantly.

“Not a problem,” Marinette gives her a winning smile.

“Wow, this is really good,” She mumbles, with her mouth full, “Um, who are you,”

“Don't worry about that,” Marion slings his arm around Marinette, "We're just your friendly neighbourhood strays,"

“Ignore him,” Marinette pushes his arm off her, “Do you want us to walk you home?”

“Uh- yeah, thanks,”

“I love your outfit by the way,” Marinette tells her, as they leave the alley way. Marion walks behind calling the police to come pick up the thugs, explaining what happened.

“Hey, can I get your number so the police can get your statement later?” Marion interrupts, as they follow the girl to her apartment.

“Of course,” He hands over the phone, letting her hang up.

“I haven’t seen you around before,” She hands back the phone, Marion walking on her other side.

“We’re new to town,” Marion smiles at her.

“I can tell,” They both give her inquisitive looks, “You’ve smiled more in the last five minutes than most Gothamites do their whole lives,”

“You’re exaggerating,” Marinette chuckles.

“I’m serious, you’re going to blind someone,” She laughs with them.

They walk her to her apartment, holding polite conversation the whole way.

“This is it,” She announces, “Thanks again,”

“No problem,” They both say, turning to leave.

“Wait…. Um,” They both stop looking back at her holding her phone, “Can I get a picture?”

“Of course,” Marion bounces over to her, Marinette taking the other side.

They give the same big smiles they do as Ladybug and Chat Noir. Marion throwing up bunny ears behind Marinette's head. They say goodbye and run off to find someone else to help.

“Whatcha doing Tim?” Dick looks over his shoulder, still in his Nightwing costume fresh from patrol.

“I ran into some French students who were left behind by their class at the airport,” Tim scrolls through a word document, complete with pictures of smiling teens doing a mixture of charity work and sports among other activities. “They won the Martha Wayne educational trip, I was just looking through their entry,”

“They got left behind, in Gotham?”

“That’s what I said! I actually caught them just before they got in a faux taxi,” Tim reaches the end of the rather long essay.

“They could have been mugged, or kidnapped!” Dick slams his hands down on the desk.

“I know , Dick,” Tim rubs his face, “The worst part is they didn’t seem at all surprised about it either,”

Dick leaves Tim to his work to change, muttering to himself.

“Is everything alright, Master Dick?” Alfred appears with food for after patrol.

“What if it happens again?” Dick asks.

“I assume you’re referring to the lovely twins Master Tim met at the airport?” Alfred nods knowingly, Dick nods back. “Well hopefully something similar doesn't happen tomorrow for their tour of Wayne Tower,”

“.... Alfred can you place me in charge of the tour?”

“Consider it done, Master Dick,” Alfred leaves him to get changed.

He finishes changing into regular clothes as the Batmobile pulls in. Batman and Robin exiting.

“We need to discuss security measures for the upcoming concert,” Batman tells the room, they gather around,

“MCD is known for his advocacy of superheroes, so we can expect a few villains to make trouble,” Tim pulls up a picture of MCD with MDC as they walk down the red carpet for some event.

Dick is amused that the picture he pulled up had them in Batman and Robin themed outfits. MDC wearing a beautiful black dress with the bat symbol subtly incorporated into the bodice. Her dress trailed behind in sharp points like Batman’s cape. MCD was wearing a suit with a red shirt, his tie green and some yellow detailing.

“You are going to be professional aren't you?” Damian gives them both pointed looks.

“Whatever are you talking about?” Dick asks innocently.

“You two are always jabbering on about these two,” Robin glares.

“We do not-oh that reminds me, if we’re going to be guarding this event we have to invite Jason,” Dick addresses Bruce.

“He is worse than you two, going on about that interview,” Damian must be rolling his eyes under the domino mask.

“Come on little D. how often does your celebrity crush like you back?” Dick smiles, remembering the night Jason called him yelling in excitement telling him about the leaked footage. He had also asked him to get Tim to find out who leaked the footage and have them fired.

“I don’t know and I don’t care,”

“As for actual security measures,” Batman redirects the conversation.

“Master Jason has arrived,” Alfred reports, coming to stand with them.

“Speak of the devil,” Tim mutters.

“BRUCE YOU MOTHERFUCKER,”Jason bursts into the bat cave, “I need to know these things!”

“We were just talking about the concert,” Dick tells him.

“What? No! Why didn’t you tell me you adopted more!” He yells at Bruce. “I need to know when you’re planning to traumatise more kids!”

“Jason what are you talking about,” Bruce only lets a hint of irritation into his voice.

“THis,” Jason slams down his phone to a screenshot of a tweet. It showed a picture of a boy and girl, both with black hair and blue eyes, following Tim into a limo. Written underneath was;

Wayne Twins? How long has Bruce Wayne been keeping them from Gotham? Are they adopted? Or could the Family resemblance be more than coincidence?

#wayne twins #Bruce Wayne's secret children #aren’t they just adorable

“What is this?” Bruce asks Tim.

“They’re the one who won the Martha Wayne educational trip, their class left them at the airport, I gave them a ride,” Tim briefly explained, noticeably omitting the taxi part.

“Wait so you didn’t adopt them?” Jason picks his phone back up.

“No, Jason, I didn’t,” Jason’s eyes narrow.

“... Are you going to?”

“... No, I’m not,”

“Keep an eye out,” Jason not at all subtly whispers to Dick, “He hesitated,”

“What are we going to do?” Damian cuts their growing argument off.

“We could release a statement?” Tim suggests.

“Drawing attention to it will only fuel the flames, let’s just let it die out,” Bruce decides, getting nods of agreement.

“By the way Jason, we were talking about security measures for the MCD concert,” Dick changes the topic.

“Without me!?”

They go back to making security plans for the concert, including Jason.

“I think we should have someone inside,” Jason looks over the blueprint of the venue.

“Of course you do,” Damian remarks snidely

“You little-”

“Bruce!” Superman's face pops up on the main computer, “You can’t just take in new kids without warning!”

“They aren’t my children,” Bruce clenches his fists, “The pictures with Tim are taken out of context,”

“What? I’m talking about the new Robins-,”

“THE NEW WHAT!” Jason and Damian shout at the same time.

“What are you talking about?” Bruce probably asking that question more times today than he would like.

“Uh, this,” A picture is sent through a screenshot of another tweet that was steadily becoming viral.

The picture had two teens in masks on either side of a civilian, giving the biggest smiles that had probably ever grace Gotham. The boy giving the girl bunny ears. Underneath was written:

Almost got mugged tonight and was saved by these two. Didn't tell me their names. They kinda look like Robin right? Also they gave me a cookie? It was actually good too.

#new Robins #Robin #Batfam #OMG their smile are pure sunshine #send help I might be blind

239 notes · View notes

consumeconstantly · 4 years

Text

Small Buff Girl Sightings Ch. 5

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ao3

3:00AM | CoffeeVamp: bb bat update us TheOG: ^^ more info on the situation in paris

3:28AM | Demonspawn: It is difficult to obtain information on Hawkmoth. The butterflies disperse after they are cleansed, and before they land their target, they don’t show up electronically. Coffee Vamp: o how the mighty have fallen i thought u said u could best me bb boi

3:42AM | Demonspawn: I’d like to see you do better. Coffee Vamp: IS THAT A CHALLENGE Coffee Vamp: ill take u up on that gimme 24 hours and ur going down TheOG: he has had a whole month so dont be too sure of that LadyLady: would you guys SHUT UP its two and some of us have jobs to do Coffee Vamp: cmon babs u luv us dont deny it LadyLady: Don’t make me hunt you down, Tim. Coffee Vamp: oOooO proper punctuation im shaking TheOG: just shut off notifications Babs TheOG: Bruce does Jesus: i don’t think the man has checked this chat in years Coffee Vamp: wdym brucie checks the chat all the time hes just a silent lurker Coffee Vamp: he doesnt even set himself to invisible

3:57AM | Daddy is away. Coffee Vamp: im so glad i have admin privileges imagine if i didnt bruce would have a boring normal nickname like his actual name LadyLady: good lord, why am I even in this chat?? Daddy: You’re supposed to keep them under control. Coffee Vamp: SEE I TOLD U BRUCE IS A SILENT LURKER> THIS. IS. SOLID. PROOF. IN YOUR FACE TheOG: nobody said otherwise Coffee Vamp: also how are the people have you made friends Jesus: Demon spawn? Making friends? Id be less surprised if he told us he has a new fling Coffee Vamp: is j right? Got a winter fling?

4:12AM | Coffee Vamp: ur lack of a response tells us nothing TheOG: im sure he’s just adopted his usual icy persona Coffee Vamp: haha hes the bb of so many things Coffee Vamp: bb vamp bb demon spawn ice ice bb Coffee Vamp: getitt im so funny

4:36AM | Coffee Vamp: guys?

“I told you I could get her to write her number on your cup,” Marinette grins with pride.

“And I told you I didn’t want her to.” Damian scowls and kicks a pebble in his path.

“You’re still wearing the clothes I picked out for you,” she points out.

“You told me to wear it. I wore it. I’m not interested in her.”

Marinette squints at Damian, evaluates whether he’s telling the truth or not. “Huh, you really aren’t interested. I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t wear the other outfit I picked out for you-- that one would have gotten her to ask you out on the spot.”

Damian groans. “We’re going to have to find a new coffee place.”

“Or we could just come when she’s not on shift and run away like mice when we do see her?”

Damian gives her The Look.

“But they have good coffee here,” Marinette whines.

“Maybe you should have thought about that before dressing me up and sending me to my death.”

“It’s not my fault! You only have your parents to blame for your looks.”

It’s true; both of Damian’s parents are good-looking. His whole family is, actually, adopted or not. All of the good looking people he meets are talented and have a tragic life story. Which is the cause and which is the effect, Damian isn’t sure. But it holds true even in Paris. All he has to do is look at Marinette or Adrien, though he’s not a hundred percent sure where the tragedy kicks in for Marinette. Probably the time when she was at odds with Lila, but he hasn’t looked much into the situation. He can even use Lila Rossi as an example. She has even worse color coordination than Damian is, but her features are model worthy. Lila Rossi is also definitely fucked up in ways that Damian doesn’t care to explore.

The effects of Marinette’s well-placed compliments has Damian thinking about himself in a positive manner that he never has before. Bruce is always stingy with praise, and the other senior members of the Justice League of America see him as another Robin that doesn’t need praise because competency comes with the mantle. Dick and Barbara compliment him occasionally, but that’s rarer now that his place is more firmly cemented in the family. Damian doesn’t think he’s ever had someone so willing to genuinely compliment him. Marinette’s compliments extend to more than just his looks, as well. She praises his technological skills as he sets up her website and has complimented him as he helps her out with whatever altercations she inevitably comes across on the streets. If he reveals his skills as Robin, reveals himself as Damian Wayne, will he receive even more praise?

“But since we did buy you that absolute knockout of an outfit, you’re going to have to wear it eventually. So whose heart do you want to steal?”

“I don’t want a relationship,” Damian repeats. They seem like more effort than they’re worth, and he always sees couples fighting and complaining about each other. Plus, they have to make time for each other and his alter ego doesn’t allow for that, though he supposes that he isn't Robin. At least, not right now.

“You don’t need to want a relationship just to flirt with somebody. Who’s it going to be? The intern at the Louvre? My parent’s newest hire? Oooh, how about Nicolette?” Marinette’s voice takes on a more mischievous tone.

Damian will give Marinette this much: her taste in the aesthetics of people is far from bad. The intern from the Louvre is two hundred pounds of lean muscle with a devil-may-care smile and a deep, belly laugh that makes people laugh with him, but Damian and he don’t have anything in common. Her parent’s new hire is knockout gorgeous, with warm brown eyes, and definitely the kind of girl Damian would have gone for as a one night stand back in Gotham. However, he’s also 98% sure that she has a very possessive boyfriend who stops by the bakery every time she has a shift. Nicolette is considered her college’s belle, and her intense gaze paired with her surprisingly friendly demeanor might have been appealing to Damian if she weren’t ten years older than him.

“I’m not into any of them,” he says, simply.

“Then who are you into? Surely someone has caught your eye in the past month?” Marinette looks genuinely curious, but her expression shifts into horror. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. I never asked your preferences, if I was being insensitive, I’m sorry, I mean I’m pan, but you absolutely don’t have to tell me, it’s your right if you’re not comfortable.”

Damian does look slightly uncomfortable now that she’s looking at him more closely. His arms are crossed over each other, across his chest, and his hair is tousled. Then, he lets out a small laugh, and Marinette melts. “It’s fine, Pigtails. All of the people you listed are attractive, but I’m not attracted to them. I’m more of a personality guy, though I can’t say that personality has stopped me from things more than dates before.”

He’s had his fair share of hook-ups and makeout sessions in the past when feeling particularly frustrated with something that wasn’t going his way, though his primary method of relief is through sparring. Short missions and one night stands go fairly well together; he doesn’t ever have to deal with people wanting long term relationships, and even if they do, he’s gone before they know it. So far, he hasn’t hooked up with anyone in Paris, but then again, he’s only been here for a month and this is a long term mission. Whatever time he’s not with Marinette or at school is dedicated to piecing together the mystery that is the Miraculous and trying to figure out Hawkmoth’s identity.

“Oh,” Marinette continues to blush.

She’s clearly too embarrassed to bring up any other topic, so Damian decides that he’ll shoot the same conversation topic back at her. Marinette is attractive, and people she meets ask for her numbers and dates often enough. She’ll accept the former if they aren’t a total creep, but she always turns down requests for dates.

“And you? Why aren’t you out there questing for love? No crushes or significant others that I need to beat off with a stick?”

This does manage to lessen her flush. She frowns, turns something over in her mind.

“No crushes right now, no. I used to have a huge crush on Adrien just a year ago. He’s such a sweet person, but we don’t see eye to eye on important matters.” And also not into sex, either. Even physical affection hits him the wrong way sometimes, which makes Marinette worry even further for his well being with Lila’s constant touches. Still, he hasn’t said anything, and Lila hasn’t done anything more than grasp his arm or shoulders every now and then, to reassure the class that yes, they are the golden couple. Marinette also suspects that he is very unwilling to talk about the whole situation in general, and it’s not as though they’re super close.

Of course she had a crush on Adrien. Damian can see it now, Marinette looking at Adrien with her big blue eyes, her lashes fluttering when she gets close to him. Stuttering when she gets embarrassed or when she gets close to him. It makes his lungs constrict, but he’s not sure why.

“As for past relationships, there’s only really Luka. We had a pretty good run, but he’s out of the country, touring. He wanted to try long distance, but I didn’t really want that. But he’s respectful-- there’s no need to beat him off with a stick or anything.”

“I’m surprised a pretty girl like you doesn’t have more suitors,” Damian says, stepping over a crack in the sidewalk as they walk towards the park.

Marinette gags. “There are some other people who have been interested, but I wouldn’t exactly consider them relationship material. If you’re going after a girl just because she looks exotic, that’s sort of nasty. I guess I’m just unlucky in love.”

“At least you’re not as bad off as Ladybug is,” Damian jokes.

She looks at him strangely. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, first there was that creepy sculptor who must have been twice her age, then there’s Chat Noir who keeps flirting with her despite her requests not to, plus all of the random love akumas. I’m not even going to talk about the hordes of guys who chase after her, trying to get a date just because she’s a superhero. It’s not even like she can kick them between the legs because she has an image to uphold and all that.” He smirks, nudges her with his arm. “I’m surprised you haven’t done that with some of your stalkers.”

“Oh. You’re right, huh. Though, I don’t think Chat Noir has actually flirted for a while now.” Chat Noir has been very subdued as of late, and it makes Ladybug worry.

Marinette feels uncomfortable with the way the conversation has shifted. How does Damian know about all of these past akuma attacks? As far as Marinette is aware, most information about anything Miraculous related is difficult to get a hold of abroad, largely because the Miraculous try to hide their existence as best they can, and partially because Mayor Bourgeois doesn’t want word to get out that he hasn’t flushed a supervillain terrorist out even though he’s had three years to do it.

“Copycat happened three years ago.” It’s a question, almost.

“I figure I might as well keep up with the heroes of Paris. I’m here and they’re interesting.” Damian figures this is as good a time as any to bring up his interest in Hawkmoth. Marinette has been nothing but helpful and she’s definitely the kind of person whose heart is in the right place. Not to mention that she’s definitely smart and seems impartial; the one time he asked her about her thoughts on the heroes, he found out that she didn’t see them as perfect. She was able to critique Ladybug in full, which seemed pretty odd considering the rest of Paris seemed to have nothing but glowing praise for the heroine. “You’ve had some awful luck with akumas yourself. Weird how Ladybug didn’t show up when you got kidnapped by Evillustrator. One of the only times she didn’t show up for an akuma.”

“And what happened to the other heroes? It’s mostly Ladybug now. She must be in an awful state with her civilian life.” He looks off to the park, occasionally flicking his attention back Marinette’s face, evaluating her expression.

She catches his eyes and he swiftly looks away, looking almost nervous. Marinette stiffens. He knows, he knows, he knows, he can’t know. But how? How does he know that she’s Ladybug? She hasn’t let anything slip around him. She's been careful not to. Everything she’s ever said about Ladybug has been brief and curt, taking on an almost angry tone.

“If you’re so interested in Parisian heroes, I’m sure you saw the press conference Ladybug and Chat Noir gave last year about why the other heroes would be showing up less often.” Marinette keeps her voice carefully neutral. She needs to play this safe. She’s probably over reacting-- she’s been on edge with Hawkmoth sending out an akuma attack nearly every single day for the past few months.

Damian shakes his head. “It didn’t seem like good reasoning. Ladybug and Chat Noir are too untrained. They haven’t beat two villains in three years. They should let someone else take over.”

Marinette has come across a good number of Ladybug and Chat Noir haters throughout her time. Those who dislike the Parisian heroes often make the exact same arguments Damian is now. That they’re not fast enough. That they should have taken down Hawkmoth and Mayura already. This is nothing new to her, though it does hurt hearing it from Damian, for some reason. She can’t even argue with most of the points he’s brought up. Going mostly solo was because of her own, selfish reasons. She really should have beaten Hawkmoth and Mayura by now.

“The only thing they have going for them right now is that they’re keeping their Miraculous out of Hawkmoth’s hands.” She pretends that the reason why Chat Noir doesn’t show up to battle is to ensure that Hawkmoth can’t get both of the Miraculous in one fell swoop. It feels hopeless to fight villain after villain without any movement forwards. Her mind wanders to the increasing frequency of akumas and smiles, sardonically. “Some people think it’s only a matter of time until Ladybug and Chat Noir lose.”

“Hawkmoth almost seems to be the better strategist.” The two of them pass store front after store front. “Do you ever wonder what they look like, under the mask? Who they are?”

Marinette stares at the concrete underneath her feet. Hawkmoth, the better strategist? Laughable, and entirely incorrect. Even the people who hate Ladybug admit that her plans almost always work out, and that her plans are second to none. Really the only person who can possibly think that Hawkmoth is a better strategist is--

She can’t think like that. Damian is her friend. He’s just curious about Paris. Her lack of sleep and increase in paranoia re making her imagine things that are impossible. Besides, Damian isn’t on her list of suspects-- he told her he’s only been here for a short time, and Hawkmoth’s Miraculous definitely has a limited range. It’s a real pity that the world of Miraculous makes concrete evidence hard to come by, otherwise, Marinette likes to think Hawkmoth would have been behind bars already.

“No,” she lies. Hawkmoth haunts her dreams and every waking hour. She spends hours and hours on theories and scouring out information and people who fit the clues she’s painstakingly pieced together. “Not really.”

Damian’s eyes are a piercing green, and for a moment, Marinette thinks she stops breathing. “Is that so? I’m really interested in who Ladybug is under the mask. I’d love the opportunity to talk to her in person, especially about her Miraculous. The powers she has are… very interesting.”

No. There’s no way that Damian can be Hawkmoth, right? This is all just her paranoia speaking. Damian is just a foreigner who is interested in super heroes. It’s no biggie. Still, she can’t shake off the idea that there’s more to Damian than meets the eye. The way he walks-- no, prowls-- commands respect. Marinette can tell that he knows how to fight, and knows how to fight well. He’s very good at finding information on people-- she sent a whole case file to her on Renee and his situation with his mother within twenty four hours of going into the precinct, complete with video evidence Marinette knows should have been impossible to procure without hacking-- and keeps up with her critiques on Ladybug and Chat Noir’s techniques like he’s watched their battles over and over again. He remembers akuma battles Marinette has half forgotten, because they happened so long ago.

She stares up at him, hands shoved in the pockets of the jacket she chose for him when they went on their wardrobe makeover. Damian is surprisingly wealthy; he purchased anything she even glanced at with passing approval. He looks straight forward, apparently waiting for some response from her. Just because Damian is her friend, doesn’t mean she can immediately expunge him from her list of suspects. So far, she has taken all of Damian’s words at face value. It didn’t matter to her that he rarely talks about his family or his life before Paris. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t brought her to his home during all of the weeks that they’ve been hanging out together. Really, Marinette just figured that he had a rocky relationship with his family, and that he may have been on the poorer side and was embarrassed to show her where he lived. But clearly. Damian is well off enough to afford brand name clothes without batting an eye. Things aren’t adding up. All of the red flags that she’s blatantly ignored start to crop up in her head.

The book on the species of butterflies that akumas are made of, tucked under his arm. The way he showed up after every single akuma attack when she rarely saw him in the area before or during it. His knowledge of the three languages that form the basis of the Miraculous Tome-- Mandarin, Arabic, and English.

If he is Hawkmoth, what sort of emotions would he be feeling right now? Some sort of euphoria, maybe, realizing that he could get infinitely closer to Ladybug when she is Marinette. Anticipation, too. Has Marinette been hanging out with a super villain for the past month? Has she really come to the point where she can call a supervillain her best friend?

Marinette takes another look at Damian’s outfit. Master Fu said that the Miraculous Hawkmoth owns is in the shape of a brooch. Marinette sees no such object on Damian, which could either mean that he’s not Hawkmoth or that he’s just been taking it off whenever he’s with her. She’s really hoping it’s not the second option.

She needs to gather her thoughts, make a plan on how to proceed. When she’s sure that Damian isn’t looking, Marinette sets off the ringtone that is saved for her Maman’s texts and calls. This catches Damian’s attention, and she waves looks up from her phone as though she’s responding.

“Maman wants me to do a delivery. If you’re looking for more information on the whole superhero situation in Paris, I can get you Alya’s number. She runs the Ladyblog-- I’m sure she’d be glad to talk with you.” Alya also has some of the worst conspiracy theories that Marinette has ever seen. She doesn’t often keep abreast of what the Ladyblog’s portrayal of Ladybug is, but back when Marinette and Alya were friends, she was subjected to wild theories that made her stomach nauseous with how little logic there was. Which means that if-- if-- Damian is actually Hawkmoth, he might be thrown off by what she says.

“I’ll see you on Monday? Jagged texted me last night and wants me to change the embroidery on his commission.” This isn’t exactly a lie; Jagged wants one of the smaller details to be changed, but it certainly won’t take as long as she’s suggesting. Marinette hopes that it’s enough of an excuse to get Damian off her back for the rest of today and tomorrow while she reevaluates her game plans and life choices.

Damian waves her off. “I don’t think that Ladyblogger girl knows anymore than I do. She’s of no help to me. I’ll see you on Monday.”

Marinette’s reaction to Damian’s questions are weird. There’s an underlying tension that she exuded before they parted ways, and he’s still thinking about it a day later.

Marinette, who he always finds near an akuma attack right after it occurs. Marinette, who is emotionally and physically superior to most other Parisians. Marinette, who hasn’t been akumatized in a class full of idiots and other victims. Marinette, who doesn’t like Ladybug even though she seems like a fairly competent and kind hero, despite the fact that she hasn’t caught Hawkmoth yet. Marinette, who rarely talks about akumas despite all of the time he spends with her, which is highly unusual because even people he only briefly meets manage to slip in something about akumas into the conversation. Damian feels like there must be some sort of connection between Marintte and the akuma situation that he’s not getting, but it’s eluding him.

He sits down with his laptop in his apartment and looks up information about Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She’s definitely just as talented as he suspected; in her ninth year of schooling, she won a Gabriel competition, participated in a music video of Clara Nightingale’s, and collaborated with Jagged Stone on an album cover. So that was how she met him-- he wondered, but never asked. There are also a few instagram posts that have tagged her as a good samaritan and a few articles that detail a small, asian girl who’s going around Paris helping random people that are in need.

The weird things that Damian finds are contained in her school records. She’s apparently in very good company with her IQ, but what’s more interesting is all the dates that she is tardy or absent from school. They line up perfectly with all of the dates that akumas appear. He feels dread gather in his stomach.

A few more searches seem to cement his growing suspicions. Around the same time that Marinette obtained a truce with Lila matched up with when theorists believed that the Italian girl started working with Hawkmoth. He reads the instagrams and tweets of her classmates from the first year that Hawkmoth arrived, which talk about how excellent Marinette is at calming them down and guiding them to a better place. He also reads the posts of Chloe Bourgeois and Alya Cesaire and the articles about Marinette and Evillustrator that tell a slightly different story-- that Marinette is capable of manipulating others into more unpleasant situations.

Damian jolts. There is an incoming call from his father.

“Are updates on Paris, Damian?”

Should he give them a clue to his growing suspicions that Marinette is Hawkmoth? No, he can’t tell them until he gathers more information.

“No,” he says. “Information about Hawkmoth and the Miraculous are hard to come by.”

There’s a sigh and what sounds like the rustling of papers from the other side. “I figured. Tim and Barbara can’t find anything over here, either, but the Justice League is worried. They want results.”

“The Justice League and I agreed that having Robin make an appearance would be beneficial. Gain Ladybug and Chat Noir’s trust, or find Hawkmoth. Information might come easier with your alter ego.”

“All right.”

Another pause. He and his father have always had an awkward relationship. Bruce didn’t know of his existence until he was ten, and by that time, the most formative years of Damian’s life had already passed. Bruce Wayne may be many things, but good at dealing with children, he is not. Even after adopting so many children, he doesn’t know how to raise a child. Damian and his brothers have all raised themselves, with Bruce only stepping in when one of them is really going off the rails.

“Is everything else going well in Paris? School is good?”

“School is fine.” Damian wonders whether he should tell his father about Marinette. About the girl who is kind and capable and scarily efficient at dispatching criminals for a citizen and-- he can’t think about her like that. He decides against telling his father about her. She might be Hawkmoth, after all, and confirming her existence to his father means that he’s denying that possibility. “Gotham?”

“Nothing out of the usual. A few run-ins with the Joker.”

Another silence. The lapses in conversation aren’t awkward, but Damian thinks of the playful banter Marinette has with her parents and frowns.

“Goodbye, Father.”

“Goodnight, Damian.”

Damian looks around at his empty apartment. There is nothing in it, except for his suitcase and a few pieces of furniture. It’s nothing like the manor, where he knows that Tim is up at all hours slaving away on another project that Damian rarely gets to see, or that Jason is in the training room with Dick joining him occasionally. He can’t pick a fight with Tim or have Dick try to mediate the conflicts between himself and Jason. No nightly patrols with three or four people talking over the comms, or near instantaneous backup when he gets into a tight spot. There is no Alfred or Barbara or Cassandra or Bruce here. Only Damian.

He looks down at his laptop, at the various information and images of Marinette that he has up on his screen. In good conscience, he can’t continue being friends with her. Not with the possibility that she is the person he’s trying to hunt down.

He remembers her saying that being lonely is different than being alone.

Damian is lonely.

Patrol is a necessary evil.

Ladybug doesn’t hate patrol. She’s not very fond of it, though. It cuts into time that she could be spending sleeping or designing or anything else, really. In the beginning, it started as a way to figure out how everything worked under the guise of the dark and without the constant threat of an akuma hanging over head. Then, it progressed into disproving the theory about Ladybug’s age, because civilians aren’t inclined to believe that a teenage girl who has school the next day would patrol every day in the early morning. Now, it shows the Parisians how devoted Ladybug is-- that’s something that she’s struggled with ever since withdrawing the Miraculous from all of the part time heroes-- and lets Marinette blow off any steam that she has.

Right now, Marinette needs to blow off a lot of steam. Still, even as Ladybug, as much as Marinette wants to scream to high hell and back about how she’s been friends-- very close friends, she’d dare to say-- with the same person who has been terrorizing Paris for years, she can’t. If she screams, there will be media coverage on it, and she doesn’t want to deal with what the press would write up some article about how Ladybug was overworked and needed to bring back the other heroes, or that Ladybug wasn’t mentally sound enough to take care of Paris, she should just give up the Miraculous, or that Ladybug’s scream was [insert some poetic nonsense that English teachers wax about for hours even though the author never intended the audience to read that deeply into it].

Marinette doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s gotten close to Damian. She’s as close to him as she is with Kagami, Luka, Jagged and Penny. Damian knows that she’s MDC. He knows her hopes and aspirations. He knows her family, knows the majority of her friends, and knows what’s important to her. It will be so easy for him to tear her apart now. Marinette isn’t sure what Hawkmoth is waiting for, but she almost hopes that he’ll get it over with sooner rather than later.

What will Hawkmoth do first? Go after the website that he helped her make, probably. Cut off the financial support that she could use to run away and create another identity. Then, he’ll go after her friends, few and far as they may be. Renee next. Her family, last. She wonders who Mayura is, if he is Hawkmoth. She hasn’t seen anyone that’s close to him. Then again, Damian reveals next to nothing about himself. She’s never even seen where he lives.

There’s a shadow on the rooftops.

God, of course Hawkmoth would send out an akuma today. He knows how horrible her mental state must be. There’s no way he wouldn’t take advantage of that.

She yoyos over to the shadow, not close enough to strike or apprehend, but close enough to easily give chase without the akuma being able to give her the slip.

“Ladybug,” the akuma says.

“Cut the crap. We all know you want the Miraculous, Hawkmoth. Let’s get to it.” The shadow steps forward where a street lamp illuminates its costume, and once again, she is assaulted by the barrage of colors on her eyes. After seeing how awful Damian’s color coordination was, it’s easy to come to terms with the awful designs of all of his costumes. Still, she’s surprised that the boy who dresses in the same outfit every day creates such outlandish costumes for all of his minions.

The akuma frowns, tenses.

“I’m not Hawkmoth,” it insists. “I’m Robin, a vigilante from Gotham. I’ve come to learn more about the current situation and aid you in taking Hawkmoth down.”

Ladybug scoffs. She’s not sure what this akuma’s tactic is, but none of the others have tried to lie to her so blatantly about their identity. And ripping off an identity? That is a new low, even for Hawkmoth. She’s sure that the real Robin didn’t agree to this, and if she were close with the vigilante, maybe she could get him to throw a lawsuit or two at Hawkmoth once he was in custody, just for kicks.

Robin the akuma scrambles, apparently looking for something that can verify his identity.

Ladybug strikes. There’s no pride in striking an opponent when they are distracted, but it’s a means to an end. If Damian is dumb enough to send out an akuma confused about its identity tonight of all nights-- a night where Ladybug is distressed and it would be all too easy to take advantage of her-- then she’s going to take advantage of it.

It’s easy to bind the akuma. Startlingly easy. The akuma is different tonight, then. His powers have something to do with close contact, maybe? Ladybug looks on his person for things that could be the point of akumatization, eyes flitting from Robin’s waistband to his mask.

She comes to an unpleasant conclusion. The measurements and the coloring are a perfect match. Hawkmoth has come to meet her in person.

“Damian,” Ladybug hisses.

Damian’s eyes widen, like he doesn’t know how she’s pieced together his identity. How stupid does he think she is? He’s been dropping hints constantly. Information a transfer to Paris shouldn’t know. Never telling Marinette anything personal. Always being near an akuma attack when it happens. It’s almost like he wanted her to figure out his identity.

“How did you know?”

“Please, Hawkmoth, did you really think that Marinette couldn’t connect the dots? You must have thought awfully little of her if you thought that your constant appearances near all of the akuma and questions about the Miraculous didn’t lead me to your identity.”

“Hawkmoth? Ladybug, I’m not Hawkmoth, I’m Robin.”

“And I’m the queen of England. Renounce your Miraculous now, Hawkmoth. Or I’ll beat you until you detransform and take it from you.”

Damian looks confused before his face contorts to an expression of resignation. He recognizes a cold fury in her eyes that is distinct to people who won’t give up until they get their way, and there’s really no other way around this right now. He should have brought his comm with him, but he wasn’t expecting to meet Ladybug tonight; he just wanted to assess the situation as Robin, to get out from his apartment for a second. Rookie mistake.

True to her word, Ladybug beats Damian unconscious and also until he’s black and blue. She’ll be lying if she didn’t say she took out some of her fury from the past years on him.

But here’s the thing; Damian doesn’t detransform. He stays in his god-awful costume that has the same disgusting shade of mustard yellow as that one top Damian owns. That’s not what’s supposed to happen. When Miraculous users faint, they detransform because it takes a sort of mental awareness to handle the powers bestowed upon them. Is it different because Damian is an akuma? Is there some sort of Miraculous bylaw that if a Miraculous user gets akumatized, they get to stay in their alternate form? Oh wait, that’s right, he’s an akuma, not Hawkmoth right now.

Ladybug stumbles forward, breaking all of the weapons that are on his belt, taking off his mask and breaking that as well. No akuma comes out. She tries his gloves, then his boots. She pats him down, seeing if there’s anything she missed. She rips his suit, too. Nothing. There’s no brooch in his personal effects either.

What is she supposed to do now?

Seeing no alternative, Ladybug picks Damian up and yoyos back to Tom and Sabine’s Boulangerie to safely detransform and figure out what the fuck is going on.

He’s not Hawkmoth, is the conclusion Marinette comes to after a side by side comparison of pictures of the vigilante and Damian. The horrifying conclusion: the person lying on the floor of her bedroom is actually Robin, the vigilante from Gotham.

Marinette knows it’s better to err on the side of caution, but she still buries her head in her hands in embarrassment. How can she have gotten him so wrong? She really needs to get better at reading people, because deciding that random civilians are Hawkmoth clearly has not paid off.

She also cannot believe that the Justice League has decided to step in now, and with a sidekick from America, of all things--Marinette is pretty sure that she sent the videos to the European branch. It must have been three years since her first notification to them. She contacted them immediately after Stoneheart, and again, after Syren when she was distraught at the death that surrounded her. With no response, there was nothing she could do. She has to start relying on herself and her own skills.

Ladybug only contacted them once more, after Heroes’ Day. At that point, Ladybug had been thinking for a while that someone who was naturally superpowered or someone with a high grade of intelligence-- like the heroes affiliated with the Justice League-- would do more harm than good if they were allowed in the city. After the devastation of her teammates being akumatized, and the nearly week long battle that ensued, she was certain that she could barely fight her teammates, let alone trained professionals. So with shaky hands and red rimmed eyes, she said to please disregard her earlier messages; the situation in Paris wasn’t that bad, and Ladybug could handle it.

Damian groans. Marinette jumps; he is waking up far earlier than she anticipated. She wants to transform back into Ladybug. Being in her spots gives her a pseudo sense of security. First, though, she has to restrain him. Even though he isn’t Hawkmoth, she’s not sure whether he’s a threat or not. She makes quick work of it, using the thickest zip ties that she has on hand and restraining his arms and legs.

She doesn’t get the chance to transform back into Ladybug, but that’s just as well, because at the end of the day, Marinette is the foundation of anything that makes Ladybug a hero to the public. Damian opens his eyes almost immediately after she has finished restraining him, taking in his surroundings and the person in front of him.

“Marinette? Where’s Ladybug?” No questions of how he got there; Ladybug can clearly carry her own weight and more. No questions as to why there are zip ties cutting into his wrists and ankles; he has seen too many of Marinette’s victims on the streets.

“What do you mean, where’s Ladybug?” Marinette is right in front of him. She might not have the suit on, but at the end of the day, she does have the Ladybug Miraculous, which means she’s Ladybug through and through, and Damian must know that. Otherwise, there’s no real reason for Robin to be spending so much time with Marinette. The fact that she feels more real and true to herself as Marinette than as Ladybug probably means nothing to him.

“She knocked me out on a rooftop. Didn’t know that you two knew each other personally. I’m not Hawkmoth, by the way.” He twitches, then realizes that he’s been tied up. “Why’d she leave me with you?”

So he doesn’t know that she’s also Ladybug? This whole thing keeps getting more confusing. Still, the less people that know about her alter ego, the better. Marinette will keep him in the dark. She attributes his blatant misunderstanding to the identity concealment magic of the Miraculous. It’s powerful stuff. If it didn’t exist, she’s sure she would have found concrete evidence as to who Hawkmoth is by now.

“She asked me to assess whether you were a threat or not. Whether or not she casts the Miraculous Cure is contingent on my response.”

“Ladybug wants you to assess whether I’m a threat or not? Why’d she leave a possible super villain with a civilian?”

“I help Ladybug out with many things.” Her voice turns to clinical detachment. She uses this method to dissociate as Ladybug when things get overwhelming. Assess the situation. Get in, deakumatize, get out. Marinette needs to distance herself. It’s bad enough that the situation is this convoluted, but she doesn’t need Damian to doubt Ladybug’s capabilities as well. “Ladybug knows that you’re not Hawkmoth now, and she knows that I can handle myself with any run of the mill bad guy, even if they are a supposed vigilante.”

“Tell me, Robin,” Marinette spits the name like a curse, “Why should I tell Ladybug that you’re not a threat? That you are who you say you are?”

In all honesty, all Marinette wants to do is knock Damian out again so she can collect her thoughts. She’s not sure how she should address his presence as Robin in Paris and is still reeling from the whiplash of thinking he was Hawkmoth only for him to turn into a foreign vigilante. Next thing she knows, he’ll tell her that his name isn’t even Damian Grayson. Well, now that she thinks about it, he’s definitely not. After this encounter finishes, she’ll look up Damian and Gotham and see what she gets.

He looks flustered, like he never expected anybody to question his identity or presence. It’s laughable, really. Marinette doubts that the Justice League actually sent him; he’s probably here to explore on his own. That means he’ll only be a pain in the ass to deal with. Maybe she needs to get into contact with the Justice League again, if only just so she can deport Robin with more ease.

“I can call Batman,” he says.

Marinette doesn’t think this is a very good solution. There’s no way for her to prove that the person on the other side actually is Batman and not some actor. But after racking her brain, she can’t come up with a much better solution. It’s not like Robin has any superpowers that she can request to see, and she doesn’t have a direct line to anybody from the Justice League.

“Fine. Call Batman.”

“It’s in the pocket near on my right side.” Marinette doesn’t bother going closer to him. She destroyed everything on him earlier, in case it was the akuma’s vessel. Ladybug thought she came across a phone, but now she’s glad she smashed it and left it on that random rooftop. He probably has some sort of tracker on his phone. In any case, Marinette thinks it’s weird for a vigilante to have a phone on them while on the rooftops. Shouldn’t he have an earpiece or something?

“Your phone was destroyed by Ladybug. Tell me the number to call. I’ll put it on speaker.” Marinette isn’t sure if the number he’ll have her call will be some sort of secure connection or direct line that is only accessible through Damian’s phone, but she doesn’t particularly care because the Miraculous Communicators are exactly that. Miraculous. Master Fu assured her that all communications were private and impossible to crack unless they also had a Miraculous. Which is why she’s using the Miraculous Communicator to call Batman.

Damian winces, then speaks into the offered phone.

“Batman, it’s Robin. I need to verify my identity in order to proceed.”

“Are you with Ladybug?”

So he is on a mission, then, and not just playing hooky. If Batman is involved, Marinette has no doubt the rest of the Justice League will follow soon. This will be a dreadfully unpleasant call.

“I’m making it a video call,” Marinette says. “And no, he’s not with Ladybug. I’m Ladybug’s point of contact, and she doesn’t take kindly to people encroaching on her territory without permission.”

“Robin, what happened?” Batman isn’t accepting her video request.

Marinette cuts off whatever Damian is about to say. “Damian was suspicious; I reported his activities to Ladybug and she believed that he could be Hawkmoth. Then, she caught him on the roofs and took him back to my place after verifying that he wasn’t Hawkmoth. Video call, Batman. I’d like to see that you are who you say you are, before I send Robin back to the states.”

“She knows your civilian identity? Two people know that you’re Robin?”

“Turn your video on. If you can’t prove that you are who Damian says you are, Ladybug and I will do everything in our powers to deport him and make sure that the Justice League is not allowed in Paris again. Ladybug said that she doesn’t need any unknowns in her city, and I’ve been hoping Robin came here of his own volition. It sounds like that isn’t the case.”

Marinette thinks that Batman curses in English, but she’s not sure. Fluent though Marinette may be, she is not well versed in curses, colloquialisms, or American memes. The camera turns on. It’s Batman, or at the very least, an actor wearing a very good knock off costume.

It’s annoying that Marinette can’t see his eyes. There’s some white film where his eyes should be, and the fact that his cowl covers more than half of his face isn’t doing her any favors in letting her read his facial expression. She moves herself so that Batman can see both her and Robin.

“Why is Robin restrained?”

“Like I said: he was suspicious. I’m not taking any chances.”

A moment of silence.

“How do you want me to prove my identity?”

That’s good. He’s not asking who she is, though she’s sure that there are cameras pointing at the screen on Batman’s end, running facial analysis and background checks on her. The Miraculous magic will ensure that any connections between her and Ladybug will not come to light. Other than her identity as Ladybug, Marinette has nothing to hide.

“If you’re Batman, then you should have access to the League’s calls, European and otherwise. Play me the last video that Ladybug sent you. I know what she said.” She spares a glance at Damian. His jaw is tight, but when he looks at her, she finds what looks like regret. It’s not entirely Damian’s fault. A mission is a responsibility, and Marinette understands that in order to be a hero or vigilante, one must be willing to do anything to accomplish the mission. Really, she’s only Ladybug because she feels that heavy weight of the words duty and responsibility on her shoulders. Fu’s fault.

“Behave. If you try something, I’ll knock you out.” Marinette sets the communicator on her desk and eyes him. The zipties are so tight around his arms and legs that he is bleeding. Marinette feels a flash of sympathy, then pushes it away. It was his fault for-- why was he at fault, again?

“I have the video.” Batman sounds even peakier than when they started the call. He plays the video.

“Justice League. This is Ladybug. I rescind my requests for help; I can take care of Paris with my own team. Any help from you at this point would be a detriment and could potentially harm the citizens of Paris. Hawkmoth manipulates strong emotions, and I don’t need to handle a metahuman or tactical genius to gain more power to wreak havoc on my city. I will not contact you with any further requests for assistance.”

It’s an awful video. Marinette had to wait a day after the Heroes’ week fiasco just so her eyes wouldn’t be red. At least her voice doesn’t waver in it. There’s a conviction in the whole video that was unique to that moment.

Marinette looks at Batman, then at Robin.

“Clearly the Justice League refused to listen. Ladybug doesn’t want or need your help at this point in time. Why are you here?”

“The Justice League is at fault for not paying attention to Ladybug’s other videos. But Mayor Bourgeois and President Macron can only cover such alarming incidents for so long. Ladybug and her… team clearly need help in order to find and take down Hawkmoth, so once the American branch of the Justice League found out half a year ago, we started to investigate.” Batman speaks in lieu of Damian. Marinette briefly wonders if Damian knows who Batman is under the mask. She bets he does. They’re probably close, what with how worried Batman sounds.

“What makes you think that the Justice League is any better equipped to handle this situation? Ladybug and her team have been fighting for the past three years and resolved every akuma with no help from you. She needed your help in earlier years. Now she doesn’t.”

“Exactly; it’s been three years and she still hasn’t caught Hawkmoth.”

“You say that like the Justice League doesn’t have a team with more wealth and manpower than Ladybug does that’s been looking into Hawkmoth and the Miraculous for the past half year and clearly has not found any reasonable leads. Ladybug has only been actively looking for Hawkmoth for the past two years, not three. The police handled the first year, not that you’ve done any homework on the situation. Thought that a field agent would help your chances?”

There is fire in Marinette’s stomach. Batman sounds so dismissive of all of the work that she’s been doing. It’s been hard on her; she doesn’t have the support that she needs and doesn’t have the experience or expertise to hunt down Hawkmoth on her own. She trained briefly under Master Fu to learn spells and ways to expand her powers as Ladybug, but that was an equivalent exchange: she no longer trusts that other holders won’t be akumatized. Her growing cynicism and physical training from Maman came at the expense of Chat Noir; after the whole Lila incident in her first year as Ladybug, she found out that Chat Noir and Adrien were one and the same. And Gabriel Agreste is not afraid to use his son until Adrien is stretched far too thin, which forced Marinette to nearly bench her partner.

“Three years,” Batman says again.

“If the Justice League can’t figure it out nearly unlimited resources and funding in half a year-- both ordinary and super human-- then clearly it isn’t a question of time. It’s a question of capability. Get off your high horse, Batman. You haven’t given me any reasons why Ladybug and I shouldn’t deport Robin here, and you’re definitely not making a good case as to why she shouldn’t go to Mayor Bourgeois and France’s president to ensure that the Justice League and its affiliates and ban hero travel into Paris. Bourgeois already doesn’t want information on it’s supervillain situation to get out.”

“Marinette,” Damian pleads.

As Robin and as Damian, he doesn’t pose a threat. He hasn’t been helpful, but he certainly hasn’t messed with the status quo for the month that he’s been here. Still, he is a liability. If he stays in Paris, he is the gateway for the other members of the Justice League to fly in and try to commandeer the fragile balance that she has found. She can’t afford for something like that to happen.

“You’re not any better, Robin. Why did you even hang around me? Thought I was a threat?” Her eyes narrow in realization. It makes sense why he decided to hang out with her, despite his initial cold front. He was playing a role.“You thought I was Hawkmoth.”

His silence is an agreement.

“We just want to help,” Damian says, and against her better judgement, Marinette believes him.

Her shoulders round, and Marinette sighs. She can’t truly begrudge Damian for that train of thought, not when she believed the same about him. She’s been a little harsh on them so far, in part due to old resentment that they never responded to her in that first, awful year when she needed the help.

There’s a dull tiredness that comes with knowing someone who she considered one of her closest friends suspected her of being a supervillain, though she did believe the same of him, so maybe they’re even. It still hurts, though. It hurts like when Alya decided that Marinette was mean-hearted enough to stop the members of their class from reaching their full potential. It hurts like when Marinette finally realized that she couldn’t repair their friendship, not to what it used to be. It hurts like when she looked around the classroom and realized that she couldn’t talk to anyone there. It hurts like when Marinette decided that she couldn’t risk helping her friends the way she wanted to.

“What kind of help can you offer us? We don’t need any more of you to come out here.” Resources are nice. More money to fund therapy programs around town won’t hurt. Master Fu doesn’t help on that part. Really, he doesn’t help at all. Even though she has Chat Noir and had a team, she often feels like it’s herself against the world. Some days, she reaches up to her earrings and feels an aching emptiness, like there’s something more to the Miraculous that’s been sealed away.

“We can give you resources. Money, connections, experience. Robin is good with technology. He can help you track down where Hawkmoth is.”

Marinette’s laugh is bitter. “Sure, he can try, but the butterflies Hawkmoth sends out aren’t visible by the normal human eye or electronically until they’ve found their mark. Once they’re purified, they’re just normal butterflies, and they go off in random directions.”

“Normal human eye? It sounds like there are exceptions.” Damian readjusts himself. He has fidgeted his way into an uncomfortable looking seiza position, where his ankles are bleeding.

“A true holder can see the butterflies at all times.”

Marinette also decides to throw them a bone so there’s no questions as to why a mere civilian is working with Ladybug. “That’s why Ladybug recruited me. I was Multimouse.”

Multimouse was in the file that Damian sent his father, but he asks, just to make sure. “The one that can split itself?”

“That’s correct. I guess now is as good a time as any for the two of you to get your questions answered.”

“Why are you the point of civilian contact instead of any of the other more frequently used heroes? Didn’t you appear only once?” Damian avoids looking Marinette in the eyes, and that makes her feel slightly better. He’s ashamed of his actions. Good.

“Ladybug said that the other hero’s civilian forms were either compromised or not in a good position.”

“Ladybug knows who all the holders are.” Batman speculates. He looks less tense now that Damian is no longer tied up, but his voice remains gravelly and distrubed. Maybe that’s what he sounds like all the time. “Who else knows? Do you?”

“Only Ladybug knows.” Marinette lives in half truths. She’s not sure that they’re much better than lies, but they’re all she has. Secrecy is the only thing Master Fu has sincerely taught her.

“Why have all the other heroes disappeared?”

“Ladybug said that it was too dangerous for someone who could be akumatized to hold a Miraculous. Rena Rage, Shell Shock, Queen Wasp-- they were all frighteningly powerful akumas. It’s also why Chat Noir has been showing up less and less; his home life is not the best, and she’s trying her best to ensure that he doesn’t get akumatized.”

“She’s not worried for herself or,” Damian’s eyes flick to Marinette, away from Batman. “For you?”

“She knows that both of us are good at dealing with stress. We have our own methods of coping.” She looks at Damian, her mouth tightening into a frown. “If you want to stay in Paris, I’ll cut you a deal. We can work together for two weeks, and if we don’t get any results, you have to leave and the Justice League must promise that they won’t interfere again.”

“Two weeks isn’t enough time,” Damian objects.

“If you don’t think it’s enough time, just leave now. I’ll say now that I’m only willing to work with you during the night. That’s the time I work on Miraculous related stuff now, anyways. And stay out of the akuma battles.” She doesn’t actually think that working together will help anyways, and she wants Damian gone sooner rather than later. He’s been making her feel too much and emotions that are far more explosive and easy to take advantage of than Marinette has in a long time. She doesn’t want to be targeted by an akuma because of her inner conflict.

“Two weeks, then,” Batman agrees. “Robin can contact me if you need any extra resources.”

Marinette hangs up and assesses Damian. He looks almost pitiful, with bruising around his eyes, tousled hair, a ripped suit, and cuts where his skin is exposed. She opens her trap door in a clear gesture for him to depart. Downstairs is dark; her Maman and Papa have long since gone to sleep, and it’s only a few more hours until they wake up to start baking. “We start tomorrow. If you need Ladybug for anything, tell me.”

He’s half way down the ladder when he looks back up at Marinette, into her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

Marinette can’t breath. She feels like vomiting. His eyes are so green in comparison to the purple bruising on his face. She did that to him. She made him look that way. All she’s ever wanted to do as Ladybug is protect the people she cared for. But Damian-- Marinette doesn’t know. She doesn't know whether what Damian has done can actually be described as bad. He was just trying to do what Batman told him to do. Keeping an eye on a threat. Marinette wonders how long he thought she was Hawkmoth. She wonders if he ever thought they were friends.

“I’m sorry too,” Marinette says, and shuts the trap door.

They’re both sorry for very different things.

#miraculous ladybug #dcu #mlb x dc #maribat #daminette #batfam #jason todd #bruce wayne #dick grayso #barbara gordon #sbgs #original content #adrien agreste #lila rossi #marinette dupain cheng #damian wayne

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