Tonight (DCU, AU, PG-R, 1/?)
Title: Tonight (1/?)
Fandom:DCU, Bat-Family Centered
Characters: An original (Corvid) and some mentions of Bat-Family members
Word Count: 1362
Rating: PG-R for swearing
Disclaimer: I don't own Gotham or the Bat-Crew, or any other DC owned Characters
Synopsis: It's the night before Halloween and Corvid is dreading it
Author's Notes: This takes place sometime after No Man's Land. Gotham City is recovering, but it's been a difficult period for everybody, especially given all the events that lead up to No Man's Land. This is set waaaay before Bruce's Death or Tim's donning the mantle of Red Robin. In this Universe Jason has reappeared. I'm utilizing an idea that I've had for a long time, that a city isn't just like a woman/man they *are* women/men. If there's any interest in this (and maybe even if there's not) I'll keep adding to the AU and bring some of the more prominent DCU characters (maybe around the third chapter).
Corvid sighs and takes a long hard look in the mirror, dreading the night ahead of her. She knows intellectually that she looks alright, but the tension she’s feeling is making the OCD that she usually keeps under wraps spiral up towards the surface. Jet black hair that runs down to her thighs is pulled back in a ponytail, the front strands are tucked behind her ears, even though she already knows that by the end of the night she’ll probably be sitting in the shadows glaring at people through her hair… she’s always hid behind her hair when she’s nervous. She’s 5’0 and terribly aware that she’s short, which is made all the more obvious because she’s overly curvy. In High School her gymnastics instructor was furious at her development. She’d been so petite until her curves came in and secretly she wishes they never did because she doesn’t like the attention. Not that she’ll show that tonight. Tonight she’ll be fierce, she has to be, it’s what will be expected of her by her friends and enemies (to tell the truth, she watches both groups with equal suspicion).
Her outfit is like armor tonight, a kind of costume that will make other see her exactly the way she wants them to, it’s a subtle art on most nights, but on this night she wants to make a statement. People from Gotham are good at wearing outfits that make statements. She’s wearing a shirt with the Gotham Knights’ logo proudly emblazoned on it, for her it has nothing to do with sports. She knows who the real Knights of Gotham are, the ones who go out and risk their lives for her every night. Her jeans have gaping holes in them, luckily the important places are still covered. Even though the jeans aren’t in much condition to wear they are her favorites, they’re the only clothes she has that survived No Man’s Land. Her ponytail is made from the tape the Government put up around the borders during NML. The fishnets that she’s wearing under her jeans are new though, and she loves them. She’s always loved fishnets, they make her feel fierce and naughty and just a little magical. Fishnets really do have a magic all their own. Sometimes she wonders if that’s the reason why Gotham Girls have always been drawn towards them. No matter what anybody says she’ll always consider Zatanna and Black Canary amongst the girls of Gotham, her girls, her Champions. Once you’ve had Gotham in your heart you’re never the same. It changes you, she changes you. Corvid knows this better than anyone.
She puts on her boots; steel-toed, platforms with a sharp stiletto heel- a heel sharp enough to cut anyone who is stupid enough to try to mug her on her way to her destination tonight. She likes these heels because they add a good eight inches to her height and she knows how to run across rooftops in them if she must. Her belt buckle is a bat-symbol, it was a gift from Star that always makes her smile. She thought about wearing the T-Shirt with Superman’s symbol on it that Metro gave her as a joke, but tonight she doesn’t need her sense of humor, she needs to show that she is still strong, that Gotham City can survive anything.
She pulls on her trench coat and the hat that makes her look way too much like Phantom Stranger dressed in black, slides on the sunglasses that are far more appropriate than a star-light mask, and locks all seven of the locks on her apartment door. She tries to tell herself that she’s not nervous about this meeting, a meeting everyone pretends is a party. But attendance is mandatory so that makes it a meeting in her book. She wishes she could pretend that her nerves are just because it’s the night before Halloween. As she walks down the moonlit sidewalk she truly enjoys the crisp feel of the autumn leaves crunching beneath her feet. The chill in the air feels perfect to her, it’s just cold enough to be exhilarating but not so frigid out that she’s worried about her nose going numb. She could have driven to her meeting, but this is so much better. For her, there is nothing quite like putting your feet to the pavement (or rooftops) and connecting with the land of your city. It is her city, although she doesn’t mind that He calls it His. The Bat has sacrificed so much that she wouldn’t dream of correcting him, it belongs to him too- she belongs to him too.
She belongs to all of them, even the Prodigal Robin who she still wishes could be brought truly back into the fold. She wishes it because Jason wishes it and yes, she does know what Jason wishes for, she knows what all of them wish. Actually, if she were to concentrate she could tell you what any Gothamite was feeling, needing, dreaming. Hell, half the time she can feel all of it anyway and sometimes it’s damned unbearable, but that is her gift and her curse.
There are a select few that she feels more connected to than any others, that she loves above all others. The Bat-Family is her family, and although they’ve never met her in person she feels like they know her better than anybody else. She pauses for just a moment to make sure that they are alright, that she can’t feel any immediate emergencies and smiles. Patrols seem to be slightly boring tonight, which she is grateful for, because tomorrow night will be busy. Halloween always brings with it some nut or nightmare that feels the need to inflict itself on the good people of Gotham.
When she reaches the door that leads to the bar where all the others like herself will be waiting, she takes a deep breath. She makes sure that her eyes will show the right look of steel in them, that her posture will tell everyone in the room that she fears no one. Most of the time she wouldn’t give half-a-damn about what other people think, what the other Keepers think (they used to be called Avatars, but then the movie came out, so now they go by an even older name), but this is the first meeting of it’s kind since No Man’s Land. She told the Stranger that she wouldn’t attend if they didn’t hold it in Gotham, nobody argued though, they all know that she hardly ever leaves her city. Tonight she has to care what the others think because they have to understand what she wants them to understand. If they know, then their people will know. If she does this right it will cause ripples in the national perception of Gotham and that has to happen. It has to happen so that everyone will know what happened with No Man’s Land can never happen again. They have to understand that what was done to her is unacceptable, if not for her than for all of her Champions. So she holds her head high, squares her shoulders and prepares herself for a night she is dreading. Politics, manipulation, and games of image can be intriguing, but she likes them much more when there isn’t so much riding on them.
Tonight they will see that you can’t destroy Gotham. You can beat her, break her down, rob her of her dignity but she will get back up again. Tonight she will show her enemies that they failed, they couldn’t kill her no matter how hard they tried and she will make them afraid. With one look she will make them feel as small as the littlest child who cried out during No Man’s Land. With a few well timed glares they will know that she is fully aware of who caused it and that they have made an enemy of a powerful ally. As she walks through the door she can’t help but look up and almost smile when Star yells out, “Hey Gotham!” After all, tonight, that is her name.
Almost a Party
Fandom:DCU, Bat-Family Centered
Characters: An original (Corvid) and some mentions of Bat-Family members
Word Count: 1362
Rating: PG-R for swearing
Disclaimer: I don't own Gotham or the Bat-Crew, or any other DC owned Characters
Synopsis: It's the night before Halloween and Corvid is dreading it
Author's Notes: This takes place sometime after No Man's Land. Gotham City is recovering, but it's been a difficult period for everybody, especially given all the events that lead up to No Man's Land. This is set waaaay before Bruce's Death or Tim's donning the mantle of Red Robin. In this Universe Jason has reappeared. I'm utilizing an idea that I've had for a long time, that a city isn't just like a woman/man they *are* women/men. If there's any interest in this (and maybe even if there's not) I'll keep adding to the AU and bring some of the more prominent DCU characters (maybe around the third chapter).
Corvid sighs and takes a long hard look in the mirror, dreading the night ahead of her. She knows intellectually that she looks alright, but the tension she’s feeling is making the OCD that she usually keeps under wraps spiral up towards the surface. Jet black hair that runs down to her thighs is pulled back in a ponytail, the front strands are tucked behind her ears, even though she already knows that by the end of the night she’ll probably be sitting in the shadows glaring at people through her hair… she’s always hid behind her hair when she’s nervous. She’s 5’0 and terribly aware that she’s short, which is made all the more obvious because she’s overly curvy. In High School her gymnastics instructor was furious at her development. She’d been so petite until her curves came in and secretly she wishes they never did because she doesn’t like the attention. Not that she’ll show that tonight. Tonight she’ll be fierce, she has to be, it’s what will be expected of her by her friends and enemies (to tell the truth, she watches both groups with equal suspicion).
Her outfit is like armor tonight, a kind of costume that will make other see her exactly the way she wants them to, it’s a subtle art on most nights, but on this night she wants to make a statement. People from Gotham are good at wearing outfits that make statements. She’s wearing a shirt with the Gotham Knights’ logo proudly emblazoned on it, for her it has nothing to do with sports. She knows who the real Knights of Gotham are, the ones who go out and risk their lives for her every night. Her jeans have gaping holes in them, luckily the important places are still covered. Even though the jeans aren’t in much condition to wear they are her favorites, they’re the only clothes she has that survived No Man’s Land. Her ponytail is made from the tape the Government put up around the borders during NML. The fishnets that she’s wearing under her jeans are new though, and she loves them. She’s always loved fishnets, they make her feel fierce and naughty and just a little magical. Fishnets really do have a magic all their own. Sometimes she wonders if that’s the reason why Gotham Girls have always been drawn towards them. No matter what anybody says she’ll always consider Zatanna and Black Canary amongst the girls of Gotham, her girls, her Champions. Once you’ve had Gotham in your heart you’re never the same. It changes you, she changes you. Corvid knows this better than anyone.
She puts on her boots; steel-toed, platforms with a sharp stiletto heel- a heel sharp enough to cut anyone who is stupid enough to try to mug her on her way to her destination tonight. She likes these heels because they add a good eight inches to her height and she knows how to run across rooftops in them if she must. Her belt buckle is a bat-symbol, it was a gift from Star that always makes her smile. She thought about wearing the T-Shirt with Superman’s symbol on it that Metro gave her as a joke, but tonight she doesn’t need her sense of humor, she needs to show that she is still strong, that Gotham City can survive anything.
She pulls on her trench coat and the hat that makes her look way too much like Phantom Stranger dressed in black, slides on the sunglasses that are far more appropriate than a star-light mask, and locks all seven of the locks on her apartment door. She tries to tell herself that she’s not nervous about this meeting, a meeting everyone pretends is a party. But attendance is mandatory so that makes it a meeting in her book. She wishes she could pretend that her nerves are just because it’s the night before Halloween. As she walks down the moonlit sidewalk she truly enjoys the crisp feel of the autumn leaves crunching beneath her feet. The chill in the air feels perfect to her, it’s just cold enough to be exhilarating but not so frigid out that she’s worried about her nose going numb. She could have driven to her meeting, but this is so much better. For her, there is nothing quite like putting your feet to the pavement (or rooftops) and connecting with the land of your city. It is her city, although she doesn’t mind that He calls it His. The Bat has sacrificed so much that she wouldn’t dream of correcting him, it belongs to him too- she belongs to him too.
She belongs to all of them, even the Prodigal Robin who she still wishes could be brought truly back into the fold. She wishes it because Jason wishes it and yes, she does know what Jason wishes for, she knows what all of them wish. Actually, if she were to concentrate she could tell you what any Gothamite was feeling, needing, dreaming. Hell, half the time she can feel all of it anyway and sometimes it’s damned unbearable, but that is her gift and her curse.
There are a select few that she feels more connected to than any others, that she loves above all others. The Bat-Family is her family, and although they’ve never met her in person she feels like they know her better than anybody else. She pauses for just a moment to make sure that they are alright, that she can’t feel any immediate emergencies and smiles. Patrols seem to be slightly boring tonight, which she is grateful for, because tomorrow night will be busy. Halloween always brings with it some nut or nightmare that feels the need to inflict itself on the good people of Gotham.
When she reaches the door that leads to the bar where all the others like herself will be waiting, she takes a deep breath. She makes sure that her eyes will show the right look of steel in them, that her posture will tell everyone in the room that she fears no one. Most of the time she wouldn’t give half-a-damn about what other people think, what the other Keepers think (they used to be called Avatars, but then the movie came out, so now they go by an even older name), but this is the first meeting of it’s kind since No Man’s Land. She told the Stranger that she wouldn’t attend if they didn’t hold it in Gotham, nobody argued though, they all know that she hardly ever leaves her city. Tonight she has to care what the others think because they have to understand what she wants them to understand. If they know, then their people will know. If she does this right it will cause ripples in the national perception of Gotham and that has to happen. It has to happen so that everyone will know what happened with No Man’s Land can never happen again. They have to understand that what was done to her is unacceptable, if not for her than for all of her Champions. So she holds her head high, squares her shoulders and prepares herself for a night she is dreading. Politics, manipulation, and games of image can be intriguing, but she likes them much more when there isn’t so much riding on them.
Tonight they will see that you can’t destroy Gotham. You can beat her, break her down, rob her of her dignity but she will get back up again. Tonight she will show her enemies that they failed, they couldn’t kill her no matter how hard they tried and she will make them afraid. With one look she will make them feel as small as the littlest child who cried out during No Man’s Land. With a few well timed glares they will know that she is fully aware of who caused it and that they have made an enemy of a powerful ally. As she walks through the door she can’t help but look up and almost smile when Star yells out, “Hey Gotham!” After all, tonight, that is her name.
Almost a Party