#putting down the cape and cowl to ensure another parent does not die alone and in pain

[redrobin-detective]

I keep thinking about Retired Batman Bruce and how it really would round out and complete his arc if DC weren’t a bunch of cowards.

Batman isn’t about punching people. He’s a symbol of grief, of protecting those who need it and bringing justice and control to a city without it. He grieved his parents his whole life and the antidote to grief is time and new love which he found in his adopted family and friends. He saved so many people over his life, people who never would’ve had a chance and while people will always need saving, he helped create something bigger than him so if he were to step back, people would still be saved.

I want Bruce to wake up one day after a long hard night and realize he’s accomplished what he wanted, he will never truly defeat crime in Gotham but he made it into a place where children don’t have to fear losing their parents in an alleyway. Bruce is in his late 40s early 50s, he’s achy and weary but still alive. How much longer can he tempt fate? What if the next battle takes him away from all the things he’d built but never had time to appreciate?

It’s Alfred who would also be the turning point. He’s at least 20 years older than B, the whole family starts to notice that their indominable butler is working slower, pushing himself to keep up the demands of almost singlehandedly keeping the family up and running. Alfred saved B from himself, he wasn’t perfect and made mistakes but loved Bruce and raised a good man. A good enough man to be able to put aside his own ego, his own interests to care for the man who cared for him.

Aging and death is sad but it’s also beautiful in its own way. Children are meant to bury parents, its the natural order. Bruce buried his far, far too soon and missed out on so many milestones such as caring for aging loved ones. And how perfect is that Bruce gets to complete his cycle of grief by taking care of his father in all but name and blood? How soft that both he and Alfred get to finally put a name to the nebulous relationship they’ve always had and let the unhealed wound they’ve let fester closed. 

None of the rogues who tried to take Batman and in the end, that legacy ends when Bruce puts the cape away himself to care for his family. He won’t go out and risk a devastating injury that once more leaves him in need of care from people he’s already relied sometimes too heavily on. He puts that part of him aside to give back to those he’s loved and hurt. Bruce first helps Alfred around the house, learning and soon takes over the duties. It’s a transition, one often fraught but they cherish the time spent together. Bruce still feels angry and antsy and wants to be out there but as time passes, he sees more and more clearly where his responsibilities lie.

It’s having afternoon tea with Alfred, talking of old stories before B needs to go pick Dami up from school. It’s being more actively involved in Gotham’s political and social infrastructure, pouring money and time into interventions to ensure the city has a safety net. It’s gently bandaging his kids up after their patrols, offering the slightly burnt cookies he made while they talk through their latest case. It’s long afternoon naps and traveling without ulterior caped motives and discovering he enjoys knitting and model making.

The world can survive without Batman, Bruce ensured it with all the good he did. And eventually B realizes that he too can survive without Batman. Bruce knows everything there is to know about detection and fighting. But there’s a whole universe of mysteries for him to uncover now and that he can’t wait to explore.

#retired batman #yes Im still on this #honestly it makes me soft #esp B and Alf #batman was born of grief over his parents #and that batman would 'die' not in violence but of his own will #putting down the cape and cowl to ensure another parent does not die alone and in pain #but taken care of in comfort #finally both B and Alfred can have closure for that #Bruce for completing that natural life cycle and learning to grieve like a real person #and Alfred for all his mistakes bc despite everything he raised a good man a good son who loves him enough to stop #Its an adjustment for all: the kids feel lost the world abandoned and B has no idea how to NOT be Batman #but he learns and pretty soon finds he craves the kevlar and the stinging pains less every day #he finds contentment in folding laundry and catching up on his reading and spending non mask time with his kids #god what a way to round out a full extraordinary life #with quietness and filling in all the missed opportunities and losses over the years #now that is something incredible