Animation Source Forums

Feel free. Oh, here's the Rob/Bats (though, really, it's Dick/Bruce) bonding fic...I had fun with this one. May have gotten overly mushy, but I think I died multiple times from adorableness. So...yeah.


Spotlights swept across the room, casting dramatic shadows on the audience while lighting up the ring. Dick cocked his head back, glancing up like most of the audience. Watching his parents perform, so high in the air, gave him a small thrill of fear. Dick shook it off. He had seen them do this around a million times; they were always fine. Smiling, even. yet a small knot of dread lingered heavily in his stomach; something was off.
He took a small step forward, mouth open as if to call them back. He shut it quickly; everything would be fine, nothing was going to - his failed attempt at calming himself was interrupted as the audience gasped as one. Then a shrill shriek ripped through the air, echoed closely by most of the audience. Dick's blue eyes focused, and he stood, frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening. His parents...were falling, dark silhouettes against the bright spotlights. A sickening realization swept over the young, small boy; there was no safety net below, nothing to catch them, to sabe them from hitting the hard ground so far below.
"NO!" Dick screamed, running forward instinctively. He had to do something, he had to save them, he had to - a dull thud echoed through the now eerily quiet tent, cutting off his panicked thoughts. Their fall, which had seemed to last an eternity, had suddenly ended, stopped harshly by the unforgiving ground. Dick skidded to a sudden halt, suddenly numb, dizzy, empty. This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening, this couldn't be happening. No matter how many times he repeated that to himself, it didn't change what WAS happening. Small frame shaking with gentle sobs, Dick closed his eyes, not wanting to see his parents' lifeless bodies crumpled into the ground.
.........
"NO!!!" Dick woke with a start, his face wet, breaths coming hard and fast. Even after this long, the occasional nightmare snuck up on him, haunting him, torturing him. Each time it was like his heart had been laid open with a sharp knife. Every. Single. Time. He had been able to get over it, to live life...he was happy, even, thanks to Bruce. But at night, those demons inside of him would occasionally torment him. Putting a trembling finger to his cheek, he felt hot tears flow down him clammy skin. Shaking, he wrapped his arms around himself, squeezing his eyes shut as he cried gently.
Sudden footsteps sounded outside his room, and Bruce rushed in, obviously wondering what could've happened to make his ward, his son, shout like that, such a horrible, heart-wrenching cry... Bruce wasn't reassured by Dick's appearance. Blankets messy and tangled, Dick was hunched over, lithe frame shaking. Though his face was hidden by shadows, the small wet spots on the thick comforters and the sharp way his breaths were jerked out of him let Bruce know how hurt Dick was right now.
Bruce immediately went into "father mode", sitting on the bed beside Dick. And although hugs weren't exactly manly, Bruce found his arms wrapped around Dick, murmuring gentle words of comfort and support, just as he had when Dick was still so young, so small...Dick cried a bit harder, trying not to make too much noise, merely breathing harder, tears flowing even faster. He leaned into his father's embrace, accepting the small act of comfort.
"Shhh, Dickie," Bruce murmured, using an old nickname. "It's alright, it's ok..." Dick, still trembling, shoulders shaking with his gentle sobs, shook his head. "I k-keep seeing it," he whispered, voice shaking along with his lithe frame. "Them. I-I keep seeing it," he repeated. "Them falling, n-nothing I could do..." Dick's voice broke off painfully, which tugged at Bruce's heart. Bruce moved subtly back and forth, running his hands through Dick's dark hair and rubbing his back just as he had when he was younger. Eventually, Dick calmed somewhat, harsh sobs turning into shuddering breaths. Tears still outlined his cheeks, shining in the moonlight. His blue eyes, normally so cheerful and, well, Dick, were tinted red and still filled with tears.
They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, Bruce continuing to murmur comfortingly, no longer aware of what he was saying. "Sorry," Dick muttered eventually, voice still edged with tears. He cleared his throat, not meeting Bruce's gaze. "For what?" Bruce asked, eyes narrowing in confusion. "For...not being like you," Dick finally confessed, the words coming fast as if a burden was being lifted off his shoulders. "After that training simulation..." he continued, "when I had to...to sacrifice the team, my friends, my family..." He took a deep breath, swallowing hard. "I had t-to shut off my emotions, be like you. I-I know you aren't cold or heartless, that's not what I'm saying. But when I had to send Superboy in to be a distraction, sacrifice Kid Flash...I knew what was going to happen. I know I did what I had to," Dick said, echoing his conversation with Black Canary, "but I hated it." He left what came next out, not willing to say that part.
A look came into Bruce's eyes that Dick hadn't seen often before. He looked...guilty. That was it. Bruce - the Batman - looked guilty. "I never should have sent you into that training simulation. Never..." Now it was Dick's turn to be the comforter. "You didn't know. It's ok..." Bruce shook his head. "No, it isn't. I promised I would never do anything to harm you. I...failed."
"You've never failed. You've never let me down, not once." Light blue eyes met darker ones as Dick looked up at Bruce. "You came for me, when no one else would," he added, a bit quieter. "Without you coming...I-I don't know what would've happened." His voice broke a bit at the end. Bruce nodded slowly. "Thanks for coming for me now," Dick added quietly, wiping away the last of his tears with the heel of his hand.
Bruce stood, gently disengaging himself from Dick. Dick laid back down, and obviously recalling the first few years together, Bruce pulled the blankets over him. He walked out of the room with one last, fatherly glance in Dick's direction. He looked so young again, so small against the rather large bed, a faint glimmer of tears still on his cheek, though his face was much more peaceful. "Night, Dickie," he said softly, walking out of the room.
Dick wrapped the blankets tighter around himself. The memories still hurt; they would probably always hurt. But he knew everything would be okay now.

This STORY tugged at my heart. ;_;

I swear I felt just like Dick did right in the beginning. Tears stinging my face and all.
Then calmed right along with him as Bruce talked him down. Such excellent details. 3:
Great ending. It was as if Bruce was trying to show his serious Bats side again, yet
showing a gentler attitude saying 'it'll be okay'... difficult to explain, but I loved it. x3

Seriously, thank you so much for your reviews. They really help to give me motivation; otherwise I'd be continuously saying "No, that isn't good enough"....seriously, thanks.

I'm only speaking truth. 8]
Thank you for such great stories! ^^

I've got something! *raises hand* pick me pick me! 8D

Character(s): Ricochet
Personality: Cunning and swift, Ricochet tends to let his sly side shine the most, although he wouldn't necessarily refer to himself as a show-off. He is a sneaky figure in the sense that he can get things done without being noticed, can wiggle his way out of tough situations with ease, and has learned the ways of sticking to the shadows as if his life depended on it - which, a lot of times, it usually does.
History: Ricochet was born as an average black mutt, but unfortunately, he was also doomed to a huge city where crime and experiment was a given. Captured at a young age by animal scientists, he was experimented on as if he were not a living creature. Although this slightly traumatized him at the time, Ricochet has long since forgotten the misery of the incident. One particular day, however, remains etched in his memory forever.
He had been around two years old, stuck at the labs for a little over a year now. Plunged into a bucket of acid-like substances as the day's concluding tests, Ricochet was left in his cage yelping all night. That night, he turned human. Confused but willing to take advantage, he managed to use his opposable thumbs to unhitch the lock. He made his way back to his mother's old den, but upon meeting her, she nearly ran off (scared by his human appearance). Weeping at the thought of watching her leave him forever, he remembered all the happy memories he had of her and himself when he was younger. Thinking of himself back in his original form, he managed to shift back into a dog, but his mother was confused now rather than unafraid. After assuring her it was him, Ricochet was able to live with his mother once again, taking care of her in every way he could.
It wasn't until later upon looking in a broken mirror left behind by humans that he realized his appearance had changed dramatically. His fur, rather than remaining all black, was covered with fur the color of the acids he had been dumped in. It didn't take long either, to realize that he could shift not only into human form but also into any form he concentrated hard enough on. He has used this to his advantage ever since, although it is hard roaming the streets unnoticed being such an unnatural being... Colors, abilities, and all.
Plot: If you read the history, it says how he became a shapeshifter and all, and I was wondering if you could go in depth about how he was plunged into the acid type fluids that stained his fur and all. 8D
Here's his full reference btw: http://hunterthewolf001.deviantart.com/#/d4ujkh1

To be honest I'm a bit confused how this works, so if I request something from you can I sort of use it to better develop my characters back stories? And if yes am I allowed to paraphrase what happens into their bios and possibly tweak it? Because I have quite a few characters that I don't know where to go with, need revamping, or whose stories were accidentally lost.

@Rush: Yes, you can use it to help develop a character's backstory. And feel free to tweak or paraphrase as much as you would like, though if you're using my actual words, I would appreciate credit. As long as you give me a vague outline or idea of what you would like to happen, I can come up with something.

@Moki: Sorry it's kind of short and rushed. I can try to redo it better if you want...


Ricochet flattened his dark ears against his head, managing to pry open his tired, bleary eyes to make out the form of the approaching human. The tall human crouched down, white lab coat swishing around his legs as he opened the crate. Ricochet shifted in confusion, muddled thoughts unable to make sense of this; supposedly, testing was over today. And thanks to all the mental and physical tests he had to perform, all the while hooked up to monitors, had left him exhausted. The young dog was hoping that he could’ve at least gotten to sleep before testing resumed. Apparently not. He didn’t fight much as the rough hands dragged him out of his crate, allowing himself to go along. Fighting back was pointless. It was best to let that small flame of defiance inside burn quietly, hidden until it was needed for that moment Ricochet could use to finally escape this horrible place.

Ricochet stood, somewhat unsteadily, as the tight grip on his emaciated body was released. He shook his head slightly, which helped to clear the thick blanket of sleep that lingered in his mind. Slight more awake, his ocher eyes focused before narrowing in confusion. What kind of test was this? Small tubs of some form of liquid, slightly bigger than he was, were clustered in the center of the small lab. Busily, one of the humans ran through a checklist, occasionally referring back to the clipboard she held in her hand, then gave a nod of approval. Ricochet found himself being dragged towards the first tub of liquid, which was a greenish color. Before the canine even had time to wonder what was going on, he was dumped inside the tank.

Ricochet yelped as the liquid, apparently some kind of acid, stung his skin repeatedly, like a swarm of enraged bees. Finally, he was hoisted out by a pair of hands coated in protective gloves. Panting and shaking, Ricochet had only a seconds’ respite before he had a similar experience with the other tanks. Finally, they seemed to be done. Skin irritated and stinging painfully, he tried to touch as few things as possible as he was transported back to his crate. The black mutt let out a small yelp as the cold metal bars slammed into his side, and he curled into a ball, letting out the occasional whine every now and then.

Somehow, though, he managed to drift off into an uneasy sleep. Some hours later, Ricochet awoke to a burning, intense pain that coursed throughout his entire body. He panted heavily as his body seemed to stretch and distort, squeezing his eyes shut from the intense agony. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the pain lessened to the point where Ricochet could open his eyes and move around some. The confused, aching male glanced at himself before his eyes widened in panic. What was going on?!

Rather than the fur and paws he had been born with, Ricochet found himself looking at smooth skin, practically hairless, and two hands. Flexing his fingers, Ricochet had to fight down the panic that rose inside of him. Taking a few deep breaths, he managed to steady himself enough to realize that he had opposable thumbs, just like the scientists did. That meant…he could finally open his cage, unlock the door that barred his way to freedom.

Almost hesitantly, not daring to believe it, Ricochet held his breath as he clumsily shifted the lock around, slowly getting better with his control. With a small creak, the door swung open, and Ricochet clambered out, a giddy feeling of liberty rising within him, making him feel as light as air. Sticking to the shadows, an action that had become second-nature, he managed to make his way through the building unnoticed. As he slipped out the exit, he felt an exultant rush, and he practically ran out of the door.

The cool night air felt good on Ricochet’s irritated skin, soothing him, carrying the familiar scents of nature and outside. A grin grew on his face as he ran far away, the grass cool and wet underneath his feet. Finally, he was free. He was going home.

@Wind: Oh my gosh, I just read that one about Robin and Batman and I think I died. Like after every sentence. ;_;
The one about Ricochet was incredible as well<3 Thank you so much! I JUST came back from the dead and then you had to kill me ONCE MORE. Lmfao, you're epic<333

Thanks, Moki! Apparently, both you and Roi like the Bats/Rob one...prolly cause it's adorable. And I'm really happy that you liked the one about Ricochet; I wasn't sure about that one. Thanks!

ZOMG The batman/robin one almost made me tear up (which by the way NEVER happens when I read except for like two select books). I was literally like that close. The one about Ricochet was splendid! Don't ever doubt your awesome writing skills ;D

^ Me too! 'Bout the Rob/Bats story. x3

-

Hunt's posts gave me an idea for another YJ story if you're ever bored, Windancer. You've done a Bats/Rob one, Connor/Superman one, and a Bats/Superman one.
But what about something for Connor/Rob? Like... Rob talking about what it's like to have a father figure and Connor kind looses it cause he doesn't know what it's like
and is jealous or something. *shrug* Lol, I dunno. Kinda came into my head while watching an episode forever ago and I just now remembered it.

Yes! Thank you for the idea, Roi! I was just about out of fresh ideas, actually. I shall get started on this soon!

YAY! You're quite welcome! My pleasure. I can't wait to see what you come up with! I'm sure it'll be just as amazing as everything else you come up with. x3

@Roi: I finished. I had a bit of writers' block near the end, so I left the rest to your imagination...

Connor glared at the television screen. Of course, during one of the few times where he was actually watching what was on rather than simply staring at static, they had to show him. Why did all the news channels have to be focusing on Superman, of all people? Sure, he had saved a bus full of kids. Whoop-di-doo. Connor had tried that too; and who had he been upstaged by? Superman. Shocker. Grumbling about his breath, blue eyes glaring furiously at anyone who had the misfortune to cross his path, he stomped off to his room, slamming the door shut behind him with a satisfying bang.

Of course, Connor slamming the door shut meant that the ceiling shook a little bit, and if it weren’t for the reinforced walls, there would be tiny cracks spider webbing from around the door frame. Pent-up frustration still there, the clone punched the wall. Reinforced or not, the wall crumpled underneath his fist, leaving a decent sized hole behind. Connor stared at it, feeling a little bit satisfied; it had helped get his frustration out a little, anyways. A knock soon came on the door, and Connor’s scowl deepened. Visitors were the last thing he needed now. He thrust the door open angrily, glowering as he stared at whoever had dared to approach. “What?” he growled.

Of course; it had to be the Boy Wonder. Robin stepped in, seemingly unconcerned by Connor’s obvious anger. “Heard a bang,” he replied nonchalantly, sitting on the bed and leaning back easily. “Wanted to make sure nothing too valuable had broken.” Connor stayed quiet, blue eyes shooting daggers at the smaller boy. Scowling, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Can you leave?” he asked abruptly. Yeah, it was rude, but he didn’t really care at the moment. Robin made no effort to leave, instead turning a bit more serious. “You’ve been moody for about three days now,” he said simply, eyes narrowing slightly behind his domino mask as he studied the clone. “What’s wrong?”

Connor’s scowl deepened; Bird Boy here was really getting irritating. He didn’t offer response, the tense silence around him speaking louder than words. Robin nodded as if that explained a lot. “Is it about Superman?” he asked suddenly, staring at Connor carefully. The clone’s face immediately hardened further, the look in his blue eyes growing scarily close to a Batglare. “So what if it is?” Conner grumbled, glaring at Robin.

“I get that he’s kind of a jerk. But you can’t stay shut off from everyone else forever,” Robin pointed out. “Eventually, you’ll have to face all of that.” The thirteen-year-old sounded somewhat wise, which surprised Connor a little bit. Obviously, Robin had some experience in having to face things. “You have a father,” Connor pointed out. Robin nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, I guess I do,” he said, a hint of his trademark smirk on his face, before it faded into a more serious expression.

“What’s it like?” Connor asked, immediately hating the words as they came out of his mouth. Too late to take them back now though, so the clone decided to keep going. “Having a father, I mean.”

“Well…I’m not sure I know how to explain it,” Robin said, eyes narrowing in thought. “Having a father is just…knowing that someone is there, no matter what. It’s knowing someone’s always got your back, even when you make stupid decisions.” Robin laughed lightly. “I’ve made plenty of those, too.”

Connor frowned, anger transforming into an emotion that seemed more wistful. “Wish I had that,” he mumbled. Robin leaned forward, placing a reassuring hand on the clone’s arm. “That’s what the team’s for,” he responded. “We’ll be the ones who’ll have your back.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Connor muttered uncertainly, staring at the ground. Robin grinned. “No prob, Superboy. And I think I know something that might make you feel better,” he added, expression turning much more mischievous. Though Connor couldn’t help but feel apprehensive whenever the Boy Wonder got that expression on his face, he felt curiosity start to burn inside of him. “What?” he asked, a bit warily. Robin only shook his head, the same mysterious grin on his face. “You’ll see,” he responded simply as he stood, gesturing for Connor to follow.

Though Connor wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen, he followed, though a bit hesitantly. As he walked out of his room, following the fading sounds of Robin’s laughter, Connor felt a little bit better. He may not have a father, but he did have a family.

'Bird Boy' *giggles like mad* Oh laws. That was beautiful. The response Rob gave Connor to what a father was spoke volumes. <3
Loved every word of it. And even though it cliff-hangered a bit, Connor's thought's about at least having a family made up for it perfectly.
Well done, and thank you so much! ^^