My dream Batman canon issue: ALL the four Batboys (Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian) and Cass coming out of their respective bedrooms at the Manor in their sleep civvies, woken by the scent of Alfred’s cooking; each getting to the kitchen in his/her own Extra way, playfully but competitively shoving each other out of the way; Tim breaking off from the chaos to open the door, high-fiving/fist-bumping Duke and Luke as they file in; Babs arriving two minutes later, on the phone with Steph, telling the latter to come ASAP (breakfast is almost served); Kate coming in much later, amused by the loud morning chatter, nodding at Bruce, who’s seated at a kitchen stool, patting Titus on the head while Alfred the cat purrs on his lap.

I dunno. Something incredibly MUNDANE like this when Tim comes back. We already had Batburger, and that was lovely. Just… It would be great if they were ALL there.

Selina coming in through a second story window; Basil catching up with Cass and Harper, telling them how Jean-Paul’s meditating on a mountain somewhere so he can’t make it, while Alfred mops up his clay trail. Maybe Clark and Lois (literally) flying in to drop Jon off for a sleepover with Damian.

Too much to ask?

Thoughts while watching “Pirates of the Carribean: Revenge of Salazar”

*The search for the trident of Poseidon* Oh, it’s with Arthur Curry.

*Henry Turner shows up* Ooooh… More like, Dick Grayson…

*Henry says he wants to save his dad* Oh, Bruce must be stuck in some alternate dimension again and Dick’s doing his best to find him. Such a persistent son.

*Jack Sparrow gets into trouble* If Jack were a Batboy, he’d definitely be Jason Todd.

*Henry and Corina (?) banter* She’s kind of like Babs: relies a lot on logic and science… Dick’s more likely to believe in the supernatural…

*Henry meets Jack* Oh, oh! Nightwing and Red Hood team-up pirate AU!

I’m posting this halfway into the movie.

So, yeah… I may sort of kind of maybe have a DC/Batfamily, er, fixation.

[Bruce & Jason Panels] Detective Comics #790

So, just a disclaimer, Jason Todd isn’t actually in the issue, but it does revolve around him. He hasn’t come back as Red Hood just yet.

Let’s just say that it’s reminiscent of the period immediately after his death when Bruce Wayne was noticeably more broody and brutal in his anti-crime spree than usual. Back then, the Bat Family was only composed of Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, and a persistent young Tim Drake “auditioning” for a membership. This time around, their family has grown somewhat, and includes Cassandra Cain as Batgirl and Stephanie Brown as Spoiler.

Backstory (spoilers ahead): A new drug called G.H.D. is circulating the Gotham streets, killing some citizens, including a young female. Batman tracks down the supplier and throws him through a window several stories off the ground. Batgirl swoops in to catch the man, and Batman gets more information out of him through what his does best – instilling fear.

**“How you hurt him. You were punishing him.”**

After the bust, Cass calls Bruce out on his… unusual behavior.

That look on Bruce’s face in the third panel below… You just know that he can’t argue with her observation.

“It’s always personal.”

That cool detachment Bruce has? That wall he built around himself? All of it is meant to keep his mission from being compromised. His mission to protect his family, his friends, innocent lives. That’s the form of affection he’s developed over years of trauma and obsessive discipline to equip himself for this mission.

So, if he tries to shut down Steph’s aspiration to be a vigilante? It’s personal. If he tries to keep a brash young lady from jumping headfirst into the field without a parachute – the same way a fifteen-year-old boy once did? It’s personal. And, if you think he’s an unreasonable grumpy old man for doing it, he won’t fault you for begrudging him. (He’ll care, sure, but he won’t show it.)

**“It’s strange. How he stops seeing them… the scars.”**

This issue is actually entitled “Scarification”, and it seems that the next set of panels explains why. It’s probably this day, out of all the days in the year, that reminds him why his scars matter. Why everything seems to matter more.

**“If this is about what today is, then… just know that I’m here if you need… to talk.”**

I love how much the Batkids understand Bruce. Even if they know that it’s, more often than not, futile to appeal to him on an emotional level, they’ll keep trying anyway, knowing that he secretly needs them.

“Happy birthday, kid.”

Bruce harasses one more criminal before the set of panels below. He finally tracks down the supplier and makes him choose between taking his own lethal drug or jail time. (Guess which one he picks?)

It’s these last two scenes that gives the story its story. Bruce always has difficulty with expressing emotion, so it shouldn’t surprise us that sometimes it comes out as aggression.

On the day that reminds him of the son he lost to the thing they do, with another teenager wanting to be part of it all… must be extra hard, huh?

“For some of us there is no going back.”

This was a simple, but sweet tribute to Jason. A reminder that Bruce ~~loved~~ loves him and knew him well. That in his memory, Bruce is trying to keep from making the same mistakes.

(And, it was bittersweet how Cass “met” Jason for the first time like that… It gets better in the New 52′s Batman and Robin Eternal, though!)

HYPNOTISED: A Jason Todd/Red Hood x OC Fan Fic

Summary: Snippets of a blossoming romance between Jason Tood/Red Hood and an original character (named Ima), with other DC characters in supporting roles. Jason falls for a waitress at a diner he frequents with his best friend, Roy Harper. When she is caught in the crossfire between him and Black Mask, he is determined to protect her at all costs. What he does not expect is her falling for him, too. And how much she becomes a part of his – and the Batfamily’s – life.

** Not strictly canon. Romance + fluff + minor angst. A lot of Batfamily feels. Title from the Coldplay song. Currently 8 chapters long, each one to be posted separately due to length. Editing may occur, depending on inspiration. 🙂 **

Chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Now I’m hyp- hypnotised

Yeah, I trip, when I look in your eyes

Oh, I’m hyp- hypnotised

Yeah, I slip and I’m mesmerized

Now I’m hyp- hypnotised

Yeah, I lift to a permanent hight

Oh, I’m hyp- hypnotised

It was dark

Not it’s sunrise

One

In and out. That was the original plan, a simple extraction mission.

Word had gotten out that an exchange between Black Mask and a Russian mob boss was going to take place at an abandoned warehouse by the Gotham Bay docks: a billion and a half dollars for a briefcase that contained a classified Kryptonian substance that could be weaponized, and in evil hands, possibly set off a third World War.

It was no surprise that Black Mask and his crew had not thought twice about doing the exchange in an unsecured location. It was an open secret that Gotham’s finest, save for Commissioner Gordon and a few others, would turn a blind eye. After all, they had the criminal to thank for their overseas vacations and fancy cars.

Preoccupied with mentoring a new Justice League of America, Batman put Red Hood up to the task. Arsenal was only too happy to be part of the action. “Just like old times, Jaybird!” the former Green Arrow sidekick had exclaimed. Though it had already been a year since the two Heroes-for-Hire disbanded over “professional differences”, they picked up where they left off easily. In spite of their constant bickering, they grounded each other and worked efficiently as a duo. (Plus, they both secretly missed the banter.)

The plan was to slip past the guards and into the container truck. After getting a hold of the briefcase, they were to evacuate immediately before alerting the cops of the exchange. “By taking the briefcase out of the picture first,” Bruce had explained, “we remove any leverage Black Mask has over us and keep the substance out of GCPD’s reach. I’ll explain everything to Jim when this is over. But for now, we can’t afford any slip-ups.”

But, clearly, life had other plans for Jason that day. When one of the guards he had beaten up begged him for mercy, he begrudgingly relented. Then, the second he turned his back, he heard radio static from the man’s chest pocket; the others were alerted of the hostile take over. He almost regretted his self-restraint, internally cursing at Bruce for showing him the high road. The Russians panicked and opened fire. Chaos ensued.

So, there he was, just a fifteen minutes in, already running in zigzag lines to evade scorching flames and falling debris. His body was trying to keep up with his mind as he outweighed the risks of each potential exit route. Black Mask had ordered his men to burn down the warehouse, trapping him, Roy, the Russians, and whoever else was left.

“Uh, Jaybird? I think this is our cue to go. Like any. Second. NOW,” Roy yelled, watching steel beams crash around them. He was down to two trick arrows that were of no use to the situation at hand. And unless they had some sort of deus ex machina, their only option for survival was to make a run for it. Roy went ahead, clearing a path for his best friend to run through.

Jason was about to follow when he heard a whimper behind some oil drums. “Gimme a sec, Roy!” Did he imagine it? Did someone need help? He crept towards the sound, both revolvers cocked just in case he was wrong. He could make out a silhouette with soft curves. A woman? Taking a deep breath, he quickly grabbed her from behind, stifling her scream.

"I’m not gonna hurt you,” he whispered to her ear. Unless she made him. He turned her to face him, and his breath got caught in his throat. The deep hazel eyes, the full brown lips, and the smooth ebony skin that haunted his dreams… now covered in soot. What was she doing here?

He would get his answers later. He slowly uncovered her mouth. She stared at him with wide eyes, clearly petrified. Then, as if she regained her senses, pounded her fists on the graphene-plated symbol on his chest. He winced, knowing that it physically hurt her more than it did him.

He held her close, dodging falling debris as he ran them towards the only opening in sight. Almost tripping over a fallen cargo box, he heard an explosion. The oil drums. He let go of a breath he did not realize he had been holding.

Roy was nowhere to be seen, and Jason hoped desperately that he had already made it out in one piece.

"Let me go! Ugh!” she shrieked, kicking at him. If it was not for his reinforced codpiece (Dick’s idea), he would have been wailing in pain on the ground. He dragged her behind a post, just inches away from a falling block of charred wood.

The more she struggled, the harder it was for him to sprint them towards the nearest exit. There was no way he was leaving without her. But if they were to make it out of there alive, she had to calm down. And he realized that an emotionless mask with a voice modifier was less than comforting. A desperate time, a desperate measure. With a press of a button at the base, his helmet unlocked. Pfffttttzzz. “Let me try that again,” he said softly, cupping her cheeks, “I’m not gonna hurt you.” The sound of his real voice must have calmed her down because he could feel the tension leaving her body.

He could hear the sirens from a distance rushing towards the blazing warehouse.

“Jason…,” she coughed out, before passing out in his arms.