Under Pressure by Penknife (R)

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Grace/various (f/m and f/f)
Author on LJ: penknife
Author Website: Pen(knife) to Paper

Why this must be read:

This story was written for the DC 4colorheroines challenge, which focused on female characters. It's about Grace Choi, who's a relatively new character in the DC universe, created by Judd Winick for the relaunch of Outsiders in the summer of 2004. Grace is six feet tall, super-strong and mostly invulnerable; however, unlike most other DC heroines, Grace is also happily promiscuous, terribly foul-mouthed, and chooses to wear pants and sensible shoes to work. For these reasons and many others, she quickly became a fan favorite. :)

Soon enough, though, Outsiders featured a story arc about the evils of sexual abuse; it also delved into Grace's backstory, revealing that (like so many DC heroines before her) Grace had a history of sexual abuse. Penknife's story, though, takes this new canon in and builds something strong and beautiful that doesn't lose sight of everything else that Grace is-- it takes her from her childhood to her time with the Outsiders without ever filing her into a neat little box marked "victim." Penknife's Grace is affected by her past, but she doesn't let it define her; she insists on defining herself, and she is strong. Aside from the fantastic characterization, the writing is beautiful, and there are some lovely appearances by other DC characters. This is a story that's not to be missed.

Under Pressure (on Penknife's site)
Under Pressure (on 4ch site; includes pictures of Grace)