While I'm sure bad guys in Gotham have learned over time that the Bats don't kill, that even after bashing your teeth in they'll flag down an ambulance or dump you unceremoniously at the ER, it's still a shaky trust.
One that is easily shaken seeing a child wielding a sword in the dead of night; nobody wants to learn how that is handled nonlethally. Or bad guys just surrendering one late night after running into an alley and Nightwing's standing over their unconscious buddy, holding the gun he wrestled away. They watch Red Hood break into the place they're robbing with a crowbar in hand and just decide they'd rather not chance it. They see a shadow that could be Black Bat and-- you get it.
Tim: So, and for what reason was I 17 years old for the last 15 years?
Damian: That's what you're complaining about? They couldn't even bother to give me a proper characterization until much later on. And then it is one that does not align with my upbringing!
Stephanie: At least you weren't killed just because of misogyny
Dick: Yeah, I wonder how anyone let that through. But then again, I shouldn't expect anything else from writers who made me stuck as Ric for two years and all the, you know, Tarantula stuff
Jason: It's honestly like they just spin a wheel every day to figure out if I'm a villain, hero or anti-hero
Duke: Forget about the writers, the fans also have some... wild assumptions
Stephanie: Yeah, like that you're the normal one!
Cass: Or that I'm mute. Just there to give emotional support
Barbara: Or that the most traumatic thing to ever happen to me is framed as something good just because I became Oracle. I barely had one page of dialogue in that entire story!
Tim: At least they get one thing right.
Dick: And that is?
Tim: Bruce.
Jason: Yeah, what is up with that?! It feels like I've become his punching bag! Why is he considered a hero again when he is just plain abusive at this point?
Damian gets into a fight at school, he comes out with just a few scratches.
He’s suspended for three days due to the other boy having a broken nose, but he won’t tell anyone why he and the other boy got into the spat.
Tim finds him sitting on the ground in the library, sketching something from a book. he gives tim a glance, before continuing his work.
He decides to pull out his laptop and work side by side with Damian, getting lost in his own little world for over an hour before Damian says anything.
“… the fool tried saying you all are beneath the Wayne name. He said unfavorable things about Richard, Jason should’ve stayed missing, that Duke deserved to be in the ‘stuck in the system’. That— brat, said he hopes the tabloids are true in their current rumors after your coming out. He deserved far more than a broken nose.”
Damian set down his pencil, trembling with frustration and anger. As Tim felt his heart warm.
He gently wrapped his arms around Damian, pressing a quick kiss to the kids temple before he could react.
“Thank you Dames, I know Bruce is going to have to be a parent here and tell you why it’s bad when he gets back, but thank you. Just… be careful, we all are used to these comments, and can take care of ourselves. But thank you anyways.”
Damian’s cheeks were flushed, shrugging his shoulders to try and hide his face, but other than that, he let Tim drape himself over him.
Bruce finds them an hour later, looking for Damian to talk about what happens, but instead finds the two brothers curled up on the floor, sound asleep.