Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Characters & Notes to understand my chaos: 

this doesn't have all my ideas and notes because I don't want to spoil everything. This is mainly for reference and explanation. The next chapter will be the actual Chapter One.

Batman(44):

• Bruce Wayne, soon Luna Martha Wayne 
• Human
• AMAB mtf
• demisexual even though she was sleeping around for the Brucie image
• Hair: 
  • Dark chocolate brown, almost black unless in certain lighting/the sun
• Eyes: 
  • Green but he often wears blue contacts 
  • Has to wear contacts anyway to see clearly; unironically Batman needs glasses.
  • Wears clear contacts as Batman because he still needs to see but isn’t going to where his blue ones incase he gets decowled.
• Height: 
  • 6’1”
• Face claim(s):
  • Channing Tatum 

Superman: 

• Kal-El, Clark Kent
• Kryptonian
• AMAB
• bisexual 
• Height: 
• 6’1”
• Hair:
• Curly, short, and dark
• Eyes: 
• Unnaturally bright blue with hexagonal pupils.
• Tends to glow lightly in the dark thanks to his body absorbing so much yellow sun during the day.
• Face claim(s):
•  Henry Cavill

Nightwing (32):

• Richard Grayson, 
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Occupation:
  • Used to be a Bludhaven cop but transferred to Gotham after a few years. 
  • GCPD: detective working under Gordon.
• Facts:
  • Was 8 when Bruce adopted him
  • Became Robin soon after.

Oracle (32):

• Barbara Gordon, daughter of Commissioner Gordon 
• Face claim(s):
• None currently 
• Occupation:
• Runs Gotham City Library

Red Hood (27):

• Jason Todd-Wayne
• He/they
• AMAB
• bisexual 
• Height:
  • 6’1”
• Hair:
  • Naturally strawberry blonde. Has a white steak from the Pits. He stopped dying it black after he was resurrected. When he got his memories back he still didn't redye it. Made it harder for people to recognize him too. 
• Eyes:
  • used to be blue, but now there's just a hint of blue amid a sour apple green.
  • Glows an unnatural dark green when emotional. 
• Faceclaim:
  • Jensen Ackles 
• Facts:
  • Doesn't have Pit Rage. That faded after three days like it does for most people brought back. He is a bit emotional though but so are most of the Bats that let themselves feel things instead of bottling them up. 
  • 12 when he hit Batman in the stomach with a tire iron and Bruce took him in. 
  • Became Robin after three years of training at 15. Died a few days before his 16th birthday. 
  • Came back to life because of a Superman alternate punching the timeline and then was grabbed by Talia and dunked into the Lazarus pits. 
  • Came back to Gotham at 20 with Damian and Cass who he'd stolen from the League of Assassins. 
• Occupation:
  • Volunteers at multiple shelters and food kitchens, fixes things for folks throughout Crime Alley, he is everyones Big Brother or Cool Uncle. They know him as Jay Peterson, not Jason Wayne, but once he's legally resurrected with the story of being in protective custody for a decade folks start to slowly realize that the resurrected Jason looks like Jay Peterson. No one says anything though because Crime Alley folks don't talk to outsiders. 
  • Tutors kids in crime alley as Red Hood 
  • Tutors college kids and other kids in the city library as Jason & Jay. Just calls himself Jay and lets people assume from there on if he's Todd-Wayne or Peterson, since most haven't figured out he's the same person. 

The Mute (27): 

• Cassandra Cain 
• They/Them
• afab nonbinary
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Occupation:
  • Owns and runs the Loki clothing line, a business that makes clothing for everyone; gender nonconforming, transfem, transmasc, as well as cis-gendered clothing. They make sensual pieces as well as daily wear. They also regularly donate clothing to the Gotham Homeless Shelter and have sales where people buy clothes for themselves as well as pay for clothing for someone else who can't afford it, be they trans or curvy or cis or just poor. 
• Facts:
  • She is the same age as Jason, a few months older actually; something she likes to remind Jason. 

Spoiler (26):

• Stephanie Brown 
• She/her
• afab
• straight ace 
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Facts:
  • Semi-retired from vigilantism
• Occupation:
  • Works as an elementary school teacher

Signal (26):

• Duke Thomas 
• He/him ftm afab  
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Occupation:
  • engineer/scientist at Wayne Enterprise

The Shrike (26):

• Timothy Drake-Wayne
• They/them it/it's 
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Occupation:
  • CEO of Drake Industries & Wayne Enterprise 

Robin (12): 

• Damian al Ghul Peterson Wayne
  • When Jason stole/saved Damian he had papers made that stated Damian as his and Cassandra's kid 
    • Jason sees Cass as a sibling and Cass sees Jason as a sibling too. They just put Cass as Damian's mom for simplicity while making their new identities until Jason was ready to see Bruce again.
  • Was Damian Peterson before being introduced to Bruce after Jason finally gathered the courage and mental stability to reunite with his adoptive father.
• He/him AMAB straight. 
  • does crossdress on occasion because he thinks it's fun to piss off conservatives and because he likes being “pretty” sometimes. 
• Hair:
  • Short, dark, and spikey 
• Eyes: 
  • Green like his mother's 
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Facts:
  • Was 5 when Jason left the League with him. 
  • Was seven when Jason took him and Cass to Wayne Manor
  • Still violent but not as stuck up as most folks depict him because Jason got him out of the League sooner and the bat family is a smidge healthier in this au.

Two-Face:

• Harvey Dent 
• Height: 
  • 5’11”
• Eyes: 
  • Blue () and pale ()
• Hair:
  • Half black () and half white ()
• Face claim(s):
  • Misha Collins 
• Occupation:
  • Lawyer/District Attorney

Catwoman:

• Selina Kyle 
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Occupation:
  • Ex-thief, now occasional vigilante (sometimes still a thief, much to Bat's chagrin) and lover to Brucie. 

Lois Lane:

• Height:
  • 5’5”
• Hair: 
• Eyes: 
• Face claim(s):
  • Felicia Day
• Occupation:
  • A reporter for the Daily Planet with Clark.
    • Bruce Wayne owns the Daily Planet despite it being based in Metropolis

Wonder Woman: 

• From Themyscira
• Diana Prince 
• Face claim(s):
  • None currently 
• Occupation:
  • Art Historian

Alfred(70): 

• Height:
  • 6’1”
• Hair: 
  • Gray full head of hair kept trimmed short
  • Has a neatly trimmed short facial hair
• Eyes: 
  • Blue eyes with heterochromia; has a brown patch in one eye. 
• Face claim(s):
  • Anthony Head 
• Random head cannon fanfic past:
  • Alfred was once an actor before joining the m16, sure, but that was just a way to pay the bills, because what he really did besides playing as a heartthrob in the black and white films in his twenties was investigate crimes under one of his many aliases; Dr John Watson, alongside his friend and flatmate Sherlock Holmes. That gets brought up later in the fic.

James/Jim Gordon (59):

• Commissioner of the GCPD
• Hair: 
  • Graying, barely any brown or red left
• Eyes: 
  • Brown
• Face claim(s):
  • Robert Downey Jr 
• facts:
  • Was barely 21 and a newbie cop when Bruce's parents got killed.

Riddler(51):

• Edward Nygma
• Height:
  • 6’
• Face claim(s):
  • Neil Patrick Harris
• Occupation:
  • Forensic accountant.

John Constantine:

• Height:
  • 5’10”
• Hair: 
  • Messy curly dirty blonde
• Eyes: 
  • Blue
• Face claim(s):
  • Norman Reedus
• Occupation:
  • conman, magician, alcoholic, annoying Bat by drinking and smoking in the Watchtower.

Chapter Text

Bruce sighs tiredly. Alfred had dragged him out of the BatCave and forced him to go get presentable for the fundraiser gala he’s supposed to host tonight. So, because no one can say no to Alfred, Bruce is in his bathroom shaving the last three days worth of scruff off his face and making himself presentable. He covers his scars and bruised cheek from a scuffle with Condiment King the other night with some makeup; a skill he’s mastered to near perfection since he became Batman over two decades ago now.

He fixes his hair so it looks stylishly messy and straightens the burgandy sweater he’s wearing and makes sure his belt is fastened and the emergency BatPager is hidden in the belt before finally freeing himself from looking at his reflection in the mirror that covers an entire wall in his huge bathroom.

Why does my reflection make my skin crawl? I’m nearly 45 years old now, I shouldn’t have an issue with my appearance. Besides, I’m conventionally handsome from what I’ve been told- why does the word handsome make me shudder and my stomach roll?

No, I can’t think about these things right now. I have to slip into my Brucie Persona and go to that gala. What was this fundraiser for again? I’ll ask Alfred before I go into the ballroom.

Bruce lets out a deep breath, before pasting a relaxed Brucie™ smile on his face and slipping out of his bathrom and heads for the staircase.

“Alfred! Remind me; what’s this particular fundraiser for again?” 

Alfred, who’d been waiting patiently in the hall for Bruce- ready to make sure he wasn’t going to sneak back to the BatCave- politely answers in his typical calm voice.

“You’re hosting this fundraiser to increase the money available to pay for all those scolarships you grant to the kids who qualify for Gotham Prep and can’t afford their tuition and supplies, Master Bruce.”

Bruce fights a twinge in his brow at being called Bruce but he doesn’t understand why that even made him twinge in the first place, it is his name after all. Luckily Alfred just assumes Bruce is tired and gives him a small pitying smile.

“I could possibly arrange to have you sneak out of the gala after three hours if you’d like?”

By sneaking out, Alfred means he can have either a friend in the know (Clark, Harvey, Harley, Diana, or Selina), pretend to be accidentally spotted leaving with Brucie so no one would question him disapearing. The public would just be jelous it wasn’t them.

“That’s okay, Alfred. Thank you but I think I’ll manage tonight.”

“Very well then, Sir. Best be on your way then. Being late can only ever be so fashionable before it becomes just late,” Alfred states.

Bruce chuckles and pats his butler/psyeudo father on the shoulder before heading down the stairs and down one of the many halls until he reaches the ballroom in his manor. 

~Half an hour later (felt longer for Bruce though)~

“Brucie! Good to see you, mind giving us a moment of your time for a quick interview for the Daily Planet?” Lois Lane asks, popping up in front of Bruce mere moments after he’d escaped idle chitchat with some businessmen near the snack table.

“Us- oh, Clark’s with you? Wow, Daily Planet is really good at sending the most beautiful people out to persuade me to chat, aren’t they?” 

Bruce flirts with a wink, really milking his known playboy persona for all its worth since plenty of other reporters and wealthy elite are nearby trying to get his attention. Got to keep the Brucie persona alive. And flirting with Clark always makes the Kryptonian blush and that makes Bruce’s heart warm. And it pisses off the homophobic folks if Bruce is seen openly flirting with men. So basically, there are a lot of reasons to flirt with Clark. Especially since Clark will brush it off as just part of the Brucie act, even if it does fluster him. 

Lois rolls her eyes goodnaturedly while Clark, who’d been standing a little behind her awkwardly, blushes a bright red at Bruce’s words and struggles to make eye contact. 

How much of that is just him acting innocent and how much of that is genuine?

Bruce takes Lois’ arm like a gentleman and wraps his other around Clark’s waist- palm low on Clark’s hip like the flirt Brucie is known to be, and he knows at least one of the other two reporters caught a picture ( good) - and guides them over to one of the many tables along the far wall of the ballroom for their interview.

“So, what do you need for your article? Or is this just an excuse to hang out? I don’t mind,” Bruce says with a  causal flirtatious smile to Lois who sits across from him, arm still around Clark who sits beside him.

Okay, so the flirting with Clark is definitly more than just the Brucie persona if I’m reluctant to stop touching him… wonder how much Clark will let me get away with? Especially since most people are staying back while we sit together. Sure, pictures are being taken once or twice but the other reporters are already wandering off to try and interview some of the other elites here since I’m occupied.

“We need enough information from you about the Gotham Academy Fundraiser to make a 1000 word article and a photo of you. Then we can socialize like friends,” Lois says, straight to the point as always as she casually brushes her long- and currently loose- dark blond hair with lighter hightlights out of her face and over her green satin-clad shoulder. 

Lois and Clark both turn on their recorders on their phones before Bruce can open his mouth.

“Ah, makes sense. Well, I don’t know how you’ll spin this into a thousand words but I have faith in you two. So, the Gotham Academy Fund was originally made by my parent and I didn’t really host galas and fundraisers for it until after I adopted my second son Jason. His life reminded me that a lot of people don’t have what I do, so I started hosting these fundraisers like my parents used to instead of just writing a large check every year for the fund. Its really important that our children have the oppertunity to succeed in this world despite their home life and a good education, food, and school supplies is all a part of that,” Bruce snags a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, and takes a sip, before returning his focus to giving Lois and Clark enough information for their boss to be happy, “One of my sons had actually received the Gotham Academy Scholarship and it helped him get his education for a few years before I took him in and started paying for it directly.”

“Do you mind stating which son?” Clark asks before Lois can.

“Oh, yeah, sure, my son Duke. His parents were able to pay for his school uniform and tuition through middle school but then after they were hospitalized the foster home he was placed in at the time didn’t have the funds. So he qualified for the scholarship and it helped him continue going to the prep school like he had been, keeping him from having to start over at another school while dealing with everything he was already dealing with at the time. I met him through my other kid Tim and decided to adopt him when Duke was sixteen. Duke of course kept his last name, similar to Tim and Dick, they didn’t want to cut off what they had left of their parents and I respect that. They’re all my kids still though.”

“It’s been a few years since you’ve adopted any kids. You have an adoption lawyer on standby still?” Lois asks, only half joking.

Bruce chuckles, “Well, I do have a personal lawyer but adoption isn’t his specialty… But I get what you mean; it has been quite some time since I’ve adopted another child, hasn’t it? Duke was the last and that was… ten years. Holy shit- sorry, wow. I’m getting old, aren’t I?”

“You’re barely in your fourties and you still look like you’re twenty-five, Brucie,” Lois says with a small smile, “You’re still handsome even if you are getting some grays in your hair,” she adds with a teasing wink.

Bruce laughs goodnaturedly, though he does feel a brief moment of ick at being called handsome again, “Careful Lois, I don’t need an ego,” he says with a flirty wink and gently patting her hand on the table, perfectly timed as a hovering reporter’s camera flashed before retracting his touch and picking his champagne glass up again. “Any more questions, friends?”

“Why did this year’s fundraiser gala invites have the atire listed as “casual formal” instead of the normal formal?” Clark decides to ask, still a bit flustered about Bruce’s other arm being around his shoulders, Bruce’s thumb idly rubbing Clark’s shoulder while talking and sipping champagne.

At least his hand isn’t on my hip anymore… my heart was about to flatline.  

“Oh! That’s just because we felt like changing it up a little; I might’ve wanted an excuse to just wear my comfy sweater instead of a suit though,” Bruce whispers conspirativley but loud enough for Lois and Clark’s recording devices to pick up on so they can include it in their article they write later if they want.

After that Lois and Clark both pause their recorders and pocket their phones. Bruce downs his champagne and snags another from another passing waiter.

“So, how's everyone been doing lately?” Bruce asks, “Lois, did you ever ask out that lady friend of yours?” Bruce asks, Brucie melting away as he talks genuinely with his friends. 

His hand is still on Clark’s shoulder though, a fact Clark is markedly aware of. He’s not exactly sure if he wants Bruce to stop touching him though so he doesn’t say anything and does his best not to squirm.

“Oh, yeah,” Lois’ cheeks pinken and she sips her own drink to gather her thoughts, “Cecilia said yes and we went out to a nice little Italian place- Jason recommended it to me actually. Reasonably priced and the food was good. And Cecilia seemed to have enjoyed it since she asked me out a few nights later…”

Bruce spends the next hour with Clark and Lois before reluctantly returning to socializing with the other people attending the gala.

Once the gala is over- and thankfully no villains crashed it- Bruce drags himself through the manor halls and surprises Alfred by heading up the stairs instead of trying to slink off to the BatCave.

Instead of going straight to his bedroom he heads down a different hall first and finds himself standing in his parents’ master bedroom once again. Probably the fifth time this month and it’s only the second week. Usually Bruce doesn't enter into this old room unless he’s very depressed and missing his parents or its the anniversary of their death or one of his parents’ birthday. But lately he’s just constantly in here, standing in the dark in front of his mother’s vanity. Sometimes he sits in her chair, which he does this time.

The chair is thankfully solid and well made despite being nearly fifty at this point so it hardly creaks when Bruce’s large fame sits on the blue cusion and he faces the vanity mirror, his face illuminated only by the moonlight streaming in through the open curtain he always leaves draped open so he doesn’t have to turn on a light when he enters this room.

Bruce meets his gaze head-on instead of avoiding his reflection.

What is it about my face that made me so uncomfortable earlier? What is it about myself that made me uncomfortable?

Bruce removes his contacts, letting the dark green eyes of his father be visible instead of the mask of his mother’s eye color he usually wears as Brucie. He leans forward and stares deeply into his own eyes for a long moment.

I don’t have an issue with my eyes; aside from the fact that I can’t see very far without the contacts in. So my eyes aren’t the source of my discomfort.

Bruce sighs and shifts his gaze over his face slowly, studying each part like he is getting ready to sketch  a witness description of himself.

My jaw is square and masculine- why is that a problem though? My attention keeps getting dragged to it though and it makes my stomach twist.

Bruce huffs and leans back in the old chair and breaks eye contact with the mirror, turning his gaze up to the dark high ceiling instead.

What do I wish my jaw was like instead then if not square and masculine?

Bruce ponders that question while idly fingering the pearl necklace lying on the vanity where he always leaves it every time he visits his parents’ room. There is at least a dozen more genuine pearl necklaces in the drawer, along with some diamond and other necklaces.

Bruce shifts positions in the chair and looks down at the pearl necklace in his large calloused scarred hands.

It’s so dainty and pretty and yet my hands are so large and lethal… it doesn’t look right to be holding these pearls and yet I can’t make myself put them away. I want to wear them. But why? 

Damian crossdresses sometimes but I feel like this is different than that. I don’t want to dress like Mum because I want to feel pretty for a day or to tick off the narrow minded people… I want to... I want to…

Bruce clasps the necklace around her neck and meets her gaze in the mirror, tears escaping green eyes.

I want to be like her.

Her her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her her Her her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her her Her her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her her Her her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her her Her her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her herher her her her her her her her her her her...

I want to be me and that isn’t Bruce, Brucie, or Batman.

To be me I need to be her.

“Luna….” she whispers to herself as she stares at her tearful reflection in her mother’s mirror, wearing her mother’s pearl necklace on a masculine neck, Adam's apple moving as she starts to sob silently.