Fic: Through Fortune and Flame (MCR Batman AU)
Okay, this one probably requires a little explanation. I was having a conversation with chmclfairytales about Pete Wentz’s Dream Invasion when I said, “Brian is like the Batman of managers. (This of course makes MCR his Robins, but I won't get into that.)”
...Then of course I got into that. Okay, well, Gerard would be Dick Grayson, the first Robin - very enthusiastic and sincere. Frank would be Jason Todd, rough and wild and prone to violence. Mikey would be Tim Drake, quiet and reserved but a total competent supergenius, just not as flamboyant as the other Robins. Bob would be Steph Brown, because, well, blond and badass. Ray would be pre-crisis Jason Todd, because of THIGHS and also awesome hair.
For the Batgirls- Lyn-Z would be Barbara Gordon, of course, because Dick/Babs is total OTP and Babs is awesomely competent and kickass. Alicia would be Helena Bertinelli, who was briefly Batgirl - hardcore and badass and scary with chemistry (okay, very wrong chemistry, but whatever) with Tim Drake. This would make Jamia Cass Cain, the badass silent ninja Batgirl.
And then I wrote it.
Title: Through Fortune and Flame
Summary: Brian didn’t start out trying to build an army. (Brian-as-Batman comicsverse AU)
Pairings: Gerard/Lyn-Z, Mikey/Alicia, Frank/Jamia, Bob, Ray
Rating: PG
Word count: 800
AN: This is probably why you shouldn’t mix your fandoms. For chmclfairytales.
Brian didn’t start out trying to build an army. He wasn’t trying to launch a crusade.
He just wanted to change the world. Even if it was just a little different when he started, then what he did was worth it. The lives that could be saved...
So he put on his mask and he went out there, and even though he was doing what he set out to, at first, when it was just him against the darkness, it felt off.
Like he wasn’t quite achieving the full picture. He had the means, but...
He lacked something. Something big.
*
When Brian saw Gerard in action, he just knew.
Away from the action, he was softspoken and sweet, but once he got into the fray, he was all confidence and showmanship and above all, highly skilled. Far more skilled than Brian would have expected. Impressively so.
The kid might be untested and he might be young, but he had the spark in him, and when he spoke up.... He sincerely believed. He wanted to save lives.
Brian was a little apprehensive about everything that could go wrong, but in the end...
Gerard was everything he’d never thought to look for.
*
Ray stumbled into his life accidentally, and Brian was uncertain. It wasn’t like Gerard, but there was a spark in Ray, an undeniable talent hidden beneath the silly grin and the wild mop of hair.
Ray had a girlishly high giggle and was strangely sensitive for a kid from Jersey, but once he got out in the action, he was all technical skill, powerful thighs flexing as he performed. There was surprising passion within him, Brian soon realized.
Gerard doted on him. No hard feelings there.
Brian thought that Ray showed promise. He brought him along eagerly, welcoming the company.
*
Frank thundered in like a freight train.
Everything about him was punkish and brash, and Brian fought to control him. He wanted to keep him safe, wanted to reign him in enough so that his skill could grow, rather than simply allowing the kid to rely on just his balls-out attitude.
That would get him killed out here.
Frank snipped and clashed with everyone at first, but soon he and Gerard were slipping off together. Bonding. Frank attempted to play nice - he was a sweet kid under the attitude - but eventually, he got pushed too far.
He always pushed back.
*
Mikey insinuated himself into the fold quietly.
After Frank, he was strangely silent and awkward, but quickly proved himself more than competent.
He and Gerard bonded closer than Brian had ever seen; truly brothers, rather than brothers-in-arms. Watching them together, perfectly complementary, Brian sometimes felt like the outsider.
Mikey performed his job with little showmanship at first, just quietly effective and sparse, but with time and under his predecessor’s encouragement he began adding flair and fun to his performance.
Mikey was good at networking, more so than Gerard, who excelled at showmanship and vision.
Brian worried about his seriousness, though.
*
Bob had been around a while before he stepped into the role.
Brian respected what Bob did, because he was proficient, though he worried when he chose to take Bob into the fold. There were so many factors, and a lot of mistakes had already been made, especially at the fragile juncture that their whole operation was at.
Bob was enthusiastic and as soon as he stepped up beside Brian, excitement vibrated through him.
Brian was allowing him a dream he’d nearly abandoned, and Bob, fierce and bright, was grateful for every moment he had.
Brian hoped it was enough.
*
Brian had no control over Lyn-Z whatsoever.
She allied herself with them, supported their cause, but at the end of the day she was her own woman, and there was little for Brian to teach her.
She leapt through the night, lipstick-bright smile cutting through the darkness and confidence in every cock of her hip, and Brian wasn’t even surprised when Gerard started trailing after her, smitten as a schoolboy.
She wore each bruise like a medal of honor and strode out into the darkness each night, renewed and brash, and refused to be meek or mild.
Brian respected that.
*
After Lyn-Z came Alicia, who was fierce and sultry and fiery. Sparks flew between her and Mikey, and when she stepped down from the position she’d only briefly held she kept tight hold of him. Brian approved of the happiness she brought to Mikey.
After her came Jamia, who was scarily competent and comfortable in the role. Her presence didn’t precisely calm Frank down, but she called him out on his shit, and Brian considered that a mark in the win column.
He wasn’t exactly sure when his family had grown so, but he didn’t regret it.
Not at all.
...Then of course I got into that. Okay, well, Gerard would be Dick Grayson, the first Robin - very enthusiastic and sincere. Frank would be Jason Todd, rough and wild and prone to violence. Mikey would be Tim Drake, quiet and reserved but a total competent supergenius, just not as flamboyant as the other Robins. Bob would be Steph Brown, because, well, blond and badass. Ray would be pre-crisis Jason Todd, because of THIGHS and also awesome hair.
For the Batgirls- Lyn-Z would be Barbara Gordon, of course, because Dick/Babs is total OTP and Babs is awesomely competent and kickass. Alicia would be Helena Bertinelli, who was briefly Batgirl - hardcore and badass and scary with chemistry (okay, very wrong chemistry, but whatever) with Tim Drake. This would make Jamia Cass Cain, the badass silent ninja Batgirl.
And then I wrote it.
Title: Through Fortune and Flame
Summary: Brian didn’t start out trying to build an army. (Brian-as-Batman comicsverse AU)
Pairings: Gerard/Lyn-Z, Mikey/Alicia, Frank/Jamia, Bob, Ray
Rating: PG
Word count: 800
AN: This is probably why you shouldn’t mix your fandoms. For chmclfairytales.
Brian didn’t start out trying to build an army. He wasn’t trying to launch a crusade.
He just wanted to change the world. Even if it was just a little different when he started, then what he did was worth it. The lives that could be saved...
So he put on his mask and he went out there, and even though he was doing what he set out to, at first, when it was just him against the darkness, it felt off.
Like he wasn’t quite achieving the full picture. He had the means, but...
He lacked something. Something big.
*
When Brian saw Gerard in action, he just knew.
Away from the action, he was softspoken and sweet, but once he got into the fray, he was all confidence and showmanship and above all, highly skilled. Far more skilled than Brian would have expected. Impressively so.
The kid might be untested and he might be young, but he had the spark in him, and when he spoke up.... He sincerely believed. He wanted to save lives.
Brian was a little apprehensive about everything that could go wrong, but in the end...
Gerard was everything he’d never thought to look for.
*
Ray stumbled into his life accidentally, and Brian was uncertain. It wasn’t like Gerard, but there was a spark in Ray, an undeniable talent hidden beneath the silly grin and the wild mop of hair.
Ray had a girlishly high giggle and was strangely sensitive for a kid from Jersey, but once he got out in the action, he was all technical skill, powerful thighs flexing as he performed. There was surprising passion within him, Brian soon realized.
Gerard doted on him. No hard feelings there.
Brian thought that Ray showed promise. He brought him along eagerly, welcoming the company.
*
Frank thundered in like a freight train.
Everything about him was punkish and brash, and Brian fought to control him. He wanted to keep him safe, wanted to reign him in enough so that his skill could grow, rather than simply allowing the kid to rely on just his balls-out attitude.
That would get him killed out here.
Frank snipped and clashed with everyone at first, but soon he and Gerard were slipping off together. Bonding. Frank attempted to play nice - he was a sweet kid under the attitude - but eventually, he got pushed too far.
He always pushed back.
*
Mikey insinuated himself into the fold quietly.
After Frank, he was strangely silent and awkward, but quickly proved himself more than competent.
He and Gerard bonded closer than Brian had ever seen; truly brothers, rather than brothers-in-arms. Watching them together, perfectly complementary, Brian sometimes felt like the outsider.
Mikey performed his job with little showmanship at first, just quietly effective and sparse, but with time and under his predecessor’s encouragement he began adding flair and fun to his performance.
Mikey was good at networking, more so than Gerard, who excelled at showmanship and vision.
Brian worried about his seriousness, though.
*
Bob had been around a while before he stepped into the role.
Brian respected what Bob did, because he was proficient, though he worried when he chose to take Bob into the fold. There were so many factors, and a lot of mistakes had already been made, especially at the fragile juncture that their whole operation was at.
Bob was enthusiastic and as soon as he stepped up beside Brian, excitement vibrated through him.
Brian was allowing him a dream he’d nearly abandoned, and Bob, fierce and bright, was grateful for every moment he had.
Brian hoped it was enough.
*
Brian had no control over Lyn-Z whatsoever.
She allied herself with them, supported their cause, but at the end of the day she was her own woman, and there was little for Brian to teach her.
She leapt through the night, lipstick-bright smile cutting through the darkness and confidence in every cock of her hip, and Brian wasn’t even surprised when Gerard started trailing after her, smitten as a schoolboy.
She wore each bruise like a medal of honor and strode out into the darkness each night, renewed and brash, and refused to be meek or mild.
Brian respected that.
*
After Lyn-Z came Alicia, who was fierce and sultry and fiery. Sparks flew between her and Mikey, and when she stepped down from the position she’d only briefly held she kept tight hold of him. Brian approved of the happiness she brought to Mikey.
After her came Jamia, who was scarily competent and comfortable in the role. Her presence didn’t precisely calm Frank down, but she called him out on his shit, and Brian considered that a mark in the win column.
He wasn’t exactly sure when his family had grown so, but he didn’t regret it.
Not at all.