#we need more weirdo baby bruce wayne

[redrobin-detective]

Listen, we know Bruce was traumatized by his parents’ death but I hold that even before they were killed Bruce Wayne was a little weirdo. Like his paranoia and difficulty with emotion and attachment are from that terrible night. But I imagine 8 year old Brucie was OCD as hell and painstakingly arranging and rearranging his things to his satisfaction. He was meticulous, even as a child, very detail oriented. Highly intelligent, showing a boundless curiosity and determination to understand everything from a young age. I bet he was hell to enforce bedtimes on, always to do much to do and too little hours in the day. 

Bruce was that kid who dragged bugs in the house for study, pulled down all the books on one shelf so could arrange them in height order, skittered around the house’s many passages like a little rat. He was the kid who was happy and cheerful but a bit awkward from growing up a Wayne, he would much rather squirrel away somewhere with a book considered too old for him than talk with people he didn’t know. He loved the macabre in the way weird little kids too, he wanted to see Zorro for the action and the violent fight scenes. Thomas and Martha Wayne had to listen to their precocious son ask them time and again how they thought they would die and listen to his speculations.

I want the Justice League to have to go back in time for whatever reason and they expect Bruce to be a delightful, happy, normal child. Instead, they find a kid with a lovingly worn Sherlock Holmes omnibus under one arm, an entire bag of raisins in the other, dark circles under his eyes from late nights reading and he’s covered in dust and debris from getting stuck behind the drywall again. 

“You’re not mom and dad’s friends,” he’d say in a petulant voice with a familiar set of his mouth. “I’m gonna call my butler and he’s going to kick your butt.” And the whole League loses their mind because Bruce really has always been Bruce.

#Bruce being a perfectly normal child is broke #woke is Bruce was a Weird Little Girl before he ever had trauma #Alfred knocks on his door to call him to dinner and Brucie Wayne is performing a seance to raise his great great grandfather to find treasur #he definitely wrote on the walls and floor when he was thinking too hard and needed to write something down #DEF was that weird kid who liked sneaking up on people and hide in small odd places #No robin can hide from B or Alfred bc baby Bruce absolutely found all the good weird ass hiding spots a small child can wedge into #he carries weird shit on him at all times in case he needs it #he works so hard to be seen as smart and mature #he's a bit of a brat but in kind of a charming way bc he's so sweet and thoughtful #he gives his mom a frog he found in the pond for mothers day #he's still dripping wet and covered in pond scum and grinning so proud as he deposits the frog in her manicured hands #we need more weirdo baby bruce wayne

[butwhyduh]

Sex pollen

Dick Grayson x reader

Warning: It’s on sex pollen so there is a dub con warning despite the fact that they are willing participants.

Summary: all of the batboys are dusted with Poison Ivy’s sex toxin and think they’ve taken an antidote. It didn’t quite work. This is the story about what happens to Dick.

Beginning Jason Tim Bruce

Dick pushed off of the roof before feeling weightless as he fell towards the ground. He shot the grappling hook and swung to another building. He leaped into a flip before swinging to yet another building where he did a handspring before landing. He ran across the roof before leaping again. This time he landed quietly on a fire escape.

Down below was a pair of drug dealers talking. Dick watched for a few minutes before jumping down in front of them. They yelled out before pulling guns. How predictable. Dick dropped a smoke bomb before leaping over to kick the gun from one guy. He twisted midair to elbow the other one in the face. The first guy throw a punch that Dick ducked.

He swept the guy’s legs out from under him before kicking the other guy in the head. The first guy ran at Dick with a knife. Dick shoved him against the wall and placed plastic cuffs on him. Dick’s heart beat quickened and he was confused. Why the fuck was he horny? He quickly cuffed the second guy and jumped up to the roof and over a few buildings before calling in to GCPD about the men.

He adjusted his cup in his suit and started moving again. What the hell? It’d go away on its own. He’d had boners as Robin a few times as a teen. Excitement of the job had made blood flow and it wasn’t sexual but just awkward. Thank god for a cup back then.

He noticed a guy pushing a woman in the alleyway. It looked like a domestic abuse call. Dick jumped down in front of them.

“Why don’t you hit someone your own size,” he said with a dangerous smirk. The guy frowned and shoved the woman behind him.

“Get out of here, mask. We don’t need you,” he said.

“I knew you’d say that. Let’s leave the lady alone for the night, hu? Take a walk,” Dick said. She gulped.

The guy tried to throw a punch at Dick who grabbed his head and pushed him against the wall. The guy fell down unconscious. Abusers can never take a hit. The woman ran to Dick and gave him a hug. He almost jumped away from her as his body reacted. Okay, that was awful.

“No problem ma’am,” he yelped before swinging to the roof. Go home, Dick. Don’t be a weirdo mask running around with a boner saving the city. He swung back to his apartment and in the window.

“Hey Dickie, lookin good,” you said as you made tea. He almost jumped out of his skin. That’s right, you were staying at his place as your apartment was being fumigated. “Did I scare you?”

“No. My mind was elsewhere,” he said with a smile, pulling off his mask. “I’ve got to shower,” he said moving up the bathroom. He turned on the warm water and started pulling off his suit. The cup was painfully constricting and he sighed with relief as it was gone.

Dick stood under the water and started stroking himself. You were his girlfriend but he didn’t know how you’d react to him coming home with a raging boner after patrol. He was too lost in the sensations to hear the bathroom door open but he heard the shower door open as you walked in nude.

“Woah,” you giggled. “Caught you.”

“You did,” he said feeling his skin turn pink.

“Mind if I uh help out,” you said with a wink. You walked up behind him and wrapped your hand around his and controlling the stroke. After a little bit, your hand took over and Dick made a soft sigh. He turned his head to kiss whatever he could reach, the side of your head and hair at the moment. He slowly turned in your arms and grasped your face to kiss you deeply. His tongue slid against yours. His other hand played with your breast, squeezing and running a finger along your nipple.

The water poured over your bodies and you felt your skin heat up and all you could think about was Dick. Specifically his dick. As if he could read your mind, Dick reached his hand down to rub your clit and dip down to finger you. He let open mouthed kisses down the column of your neck.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you mmmn, but I like it,” you breathed. He chuckled against your skin. Dick kissed over your breasts and down your belly and on your hip bones before kneeling in front of you. He ran a hand up one of your legs before lifting it on his shoulder. He licked a long strip up your slit and you gasped before holding his shoulder. Dick began to vigorously eat you out. You gasped and moaned and clung to him.

“Oh fuck! Don’t stop, I’m close,” you whined and he hummed against your skin. He wrapped his lips around your clit and sucked as his tongue swiped over the bud and you lost it. You moaned loudly and your hips jumped as he continued through your high. You had to push his face away as you stood shaky. Dick smiled up at you.

“Come on,” you said and he quickly complied. Dick slid his tongue in your mouth again and you wrapped a leg around his waist. He moved his hips to slid in. Dick pushed you against the shower wall and held the tiles above your head as he thrust in you. His thrusts were slow and languished and he seemed to want to feel every inch of your core. He gave a strong thrust and you almost fell down scrambling to grab him.

“I got you,” he said. “Let’s get to bed,” he said pulling out and helping you from the shower. The look on his face quieted your protest at the water on the floor and the shower still running. He wanted you badly. Dick picked you up in the hall and you wrapped your legs around his waist. He fucked up into you as he walked towards the bed. He settled for the dresser that was perfect height. You ass sat between the alarm clock and a book as he thrust up in you. Dick’s pace increased and you knocked the book to the floor. You held the mirror behind you as he overwhelmed your senses. It didn’t take much for you to cum again. Dick shortly behind with a few rough thrusts through his high.

“Fuck that was,” you panted. Dick picked you up by the waist. You yelped in surprise.

“I promised you the bed,” he said with a husky voice. You raised a brow but let him carry you to the bed. Okay, someone was in a mood. You weren’t complaining.

Dick hiked your legs on his shoulder and slid in again. You yelped at the suddenness. He slowly circled your clit while keeping a steady pace with his hips. You moaned and closed your eyes as you got close to another orgasm. Dick quickly pushed you over the edge and you clenched around him. His pace didn’t slow down and you looked at him in surprise. He was usually cum around the same time kinda guy.

“Baby,” he whined as he pounded in you. You felt breathless and your senses were overwhelmed.

“Are you close?” You asked and he nodded. His hand holding up your legs tightened as he came. Dick roughly shoved himself deep before stopping. His heart pounded and you could see him sweating. He pulled out and looked down at you. His fingers went to touch your pussy and you pulled away.

“Okay tiger. 3 is enough for me,” you said and he stopped. Dick made a plaintive whine and began jerk himself off.

“What’s gotten into you,” you frowned sitting up on your elbows. He looked desperate.

“Sex pollen,” he breathed and you gasped. You’d heard of it but never seen it. “Hurts. Hurts when I stop.”

“Lay down. I’ll help you,” you said and he quickly complied. His cock stood at attention despite earlier activities. You took him in hand and started stroking him. Dick groaned and his hips jumped every once in a while. You tried to keep him going but not push him over the edge too fast. A bunch of orgasms could be painful so just long sessions had to be better, right?

“Please let me cum,” he begged. Or maybe not. You sped your hand up and he came quickly on his stomach. Dick’s chest heaved as he tried to pull you into a kiss. “Do you need more,” you asked and he nodded quickly. You bent between his legs and settled down to blow him.

Dick groaned pornographically. He gripped the sheets tightly. You slowly bobbed along his link when you heard a knocking at the window that caused you to jump. You pulled off to look over to see a small robot holding a bag. Dick whined when you got up to look at it. The Wayne Enterprise symbol on the side had you opening the window and taking the bag before it flew off.

Dick had gotten up and stood behind you. He rubbed his cock against your ass and kissed your neck as you read the note. You pulled out a set of vials of grey liquid.

“Take this,” you said handing him one. Dick looked at it weird before downing it. You took the other one just in case. You hadn’t kissed Dick in a while and felt pretty clearheaded. He grabbed the side of your face to pull you back under. His tongue gently pushed into your mouth and you moaned at his touch. He pressed his cock between your ass cheeks and rutted against you.

You bent over and pushed your ass out for him to slide in. You gasped and held the still open window sill as he thrust inside you. Your body was exhausted but you wanted more. His fingers between your legs had you clenching around him one more time. He was borderline crying by the time he orgasmed.

Dick simply held your waist loosely as he tried to catch his breath. He whined when he pulled out. Dick simply flopped on the bed. You climbed next to him. It was finally over. You turned to look at him but Dick was already asleep. You quickly followed. You would worry about the aftermath later.

#dick Grayson x reader #dick Grayson smut #nightwing x reader #nightwing smut #sex pollen fics #sex pollen dick #batboy x reader

[taliaquinn]

Infinity War

A/N     

Hiya cuties, here’s my first one shot. I hope you guys like the new series. Expect more to come. Also feel free to leave comments and asks if you guys are curious they are always welcome :). 

One thing Jason Loved about Gotham was the buildings. They were high. Jumping off of them gave him the adrenaline rush nothing else will.

Although he would never admit it he loved jumping off buildings with Dick. Ever since he was Robin he and Dick would play rooftop tag. Dick, of course, would make it difficult by jumping off roofs and creating some of the best acrobatic tricks.Of course, Jason being Jason didn’t like being shown up. He would try to recreate the stunts but unfortunately, Dick was astronomically flexible, Jason was not.

He would usually end up having to deploy his grapple early.

One very terrifying time his grapple didn't deploy and Dick wound up having to save him. Bruce was of course incredibly pissed off. They wound up having a big blow up and didn’t talk for weeks. Again. 

Dick, however, did end up taking Jason to an amusement park and treated him to ice cream. That was one of the best days ever That Jason could remember. Again he will never admit it.

Right now he was racing against Dickface to get to their motorcycles to meet up with bats and bats the second. Marinette was going to be there, she had zeta-beamed from Paris to attend the meeting.

Tony Stark disappeared in an Alien Ship above New York City. The rest of the Avengers or ex-Avengers were missing.

Batcave,Wayne Manor Gotham City,USA 4:30 a.m

“Sup Marinette, what’s our game plan for handling this??” Jason asked once they entered the cave. Marinette was still in her pajamas unlike everyone else who was in their Gear albeit mask-less.

“I tried calling Peter but according to his aunt and mom he’s missing too!!” Marinette exclaimed. Seriously what was it with that boy and his incessant need to get into trouble. He gives a bad name to bug-named superheroes.  

“Unfortunately we don’t know what has happened to the Stark boys” Bruce responded. Placing a reassuring hand on Marinettes and Tims shoulders. Both were very close friends with the spider-boy.  

“Right now we all need to go to our respective cities or superhero teams and prepare for a possible alien invasion” He continued.

The Bat computer began to beep “Guys I think the possible alien invasion started an hour ago” Oracles voice stated. “Crap for some reason our alerts didn’t respond to the breaches in the atmosphere.” 

“Where?” Batman snapped 

“Wakanda”

“The closest zeta beam is 4 hours away from Wakanda” Dick noted bringing up his wrist computer and listing zeta beam locations.

“Some of the rouge avengers are there already, allegedly,” Oracle noted.

“We won’t be of use, we have to get ready to defend the rest of earth if the fighting spreads, No one leaves Gotham, let's get prepped and split into teams” Batman ordered. 

Bruce was scared, he didn’t want to risk his kids and the last thing he wanted to do was get separated from his kids during an alien invasion.

“The majority of the fighting has decreased and most of the Aliens have been kille- HOLY CRAP the energy signature in Wakanda is off the grid!!” Oracles mechanized voice exclaimed.  Jason was cleaning all of his weapons as well as his “hood’. Marinette changed into all black outfit into some sweats. Everyone else was making sure to get prepped.

For a family worried about an alien invasion they sure seemed to be going about normal. Weirdos. 

Crash. Boom

Jason swiveled around and was startled to See Dick doubling over, Damian was frantic at his side trying to ask what was wrong with him. Crash. Jason swiveled around once again but this time he saw Cass doubling over with Bruce trying to help.

This time it was Barbara's voice that can be heard not her voice disguised as Oracle. “Guys something is seriously wrong,” 

Marinette was frantically trying to take off her earrings. Tim was helping her. Jason immediately rushed over to help Damian with Dick.

‘Grayson Speak Tell me what is wro-” Damian demanded. Jason was occupied trying to sit him up. A glance to the side revealed Bruce With Tim supporting Cass and Marinette. Jason had never seen a look like that on Bruces' face. Pain and worry etched into every crevice on his face. 

“DICK” Jason turned towards Damian's frantic cry. He was horrified to see Dick was Disintegrating. What the hell!?

“Jason” oh. Dick was talking to him and holding his shoulder. “Take care of Dami and the family” terrified blue eyes met Jasons.

“Cease that nonsense Grayson” Damian yelled while clinging to Grayson. Dick hugged him “I’m sorry” Damian lurched forward and he suddenly wasn’t clinging to anything anymore. Damian glanced at his hands wide-eyed they were covered in Ashes, Dicks ashes. Jason pulled him up and took him towards the training area and for once Damian didn't protest.

Cass And Marinette

Bruce was there covered in ash as well staring at his lap. Cass was nowhere to be seen. No. Tim was focused on Marinette, who was disintegrating as well but oddly at a slower pace. Jason immediately knelt next to her. 

“W-whats going on, i-it hu-hurts” Marinette wheezed out. She pushed her earrings towards Tim, Tikki was floating nearby terrified at the sight. No way, she couldn’t lose another one of her Ladybugs.

 Bruce was suddenly there.

“Marinette sweetie hold on hold o-please hold on” Holy crap Bruce was crying. 

Tim was frantically talking to Tikki Jason only caught snatches. Soul stone. Snap.Avengers. Dying. 

He was too focused on his baby sister who was disappearing to listen to the rest. “D-dad no, I don’t wanna go, nonononono, Jace, timmy, I don’t wanna leave” She choked out. With a gasp she finally disappeared too leaving Bruce to clutch at her ashes.

Damian was staring at the sight of his Father clutching at his sister's ashes. 

Bruce's face suddenly snapped up and he took off for a mad dash towards the steps, Tim following closely behind. Damian was too occupied staring at the spot where Dick disappeared. Jason noted that his eyes were watering. 

Take Care of Dami. Oh, screw it. Jason pulled Damian towards his chest and clutched him towards his chest. “Damian it’s okay, it’s okay I swear we are going to be fine, I promise” Damian breathing suddenly hitched and sobs started coming out. Jason couldn’t help it and allowed the water in his eyes to release as well.

Hearing footsteps he looked to the side and saw Tim was staring wide-eyed at the sight as well. Surprisingly Damian reached out and grabbed his wrist to pull him into the sob fest. Jason readjusted his grip to make space.

“Alfred's Gone,” Tim said in between sobs. “Jon, Artemis, Bizarro, Kori, Beast boy, Roy, and a good chunk of the Justice League have disappeared.” Barbara included. Jason forgot she was there. Jason hated himself at the moment. He had to let go of the group hug to go to the monitor.

If Roy was gone, who was taking care of Lian? A quick hack revealed Oliver clutching to a terrified Lian.

A second hack showed a cheerful Jon munching on a snack next to his parents who were busy typing on their laptops in a restaurant Suddenly he gasped and his granola bars fell. Clark immediately jumped up and in a few seconds Jon disintegrated into ash Lois fell after she didn't have anything to clutch. Jason cut the video feed before he looked at Lanes and Clark's reactions.

Damian was suddenly at his side. Jason heard a soft "no". Dang the poor demon brat just lost his best friend and a bunch of his more patient siblings.

Tim was off trying to help Oracle figure out how much of the superhero team disappeared. Thankfully Stephanie was spared the disappearing.

A few more video feed hacks revealed pretty much the same thing. People disintegrating in front of loved ones and even rivals. Friggin Riddler disintegrated in front of a shocked spoiler. This was happening everywhere! People suddenly turning to ash. How bad did the Avengers screw up?

Bruce was distraught. He has just lost 3 of his children all in under a minute. The only evidence left of Alfred was a pile of ashes. Bruce picked up a vase and immediately threw it towards a wall. He started throwing whatever was in arms reach. A red blur stopped him from throwing another vase.

Tikki.

“BRUCE STOP” She cried. “Don’t do this Marinette, Cass and Dick wouldn’t want you to spiral”

“Well they’re all dead aren't they?” He bit out. Bruce didn't care anymore. Screw her. How dare she. He lost so much. That darkness that had receded inside of him was coming back full force. This time he wasn’t sure if they would be able to come back. 

The loss of Dick alone is devastating. He was everyone's favourite brother. Cass was the ultimate overprotective sister, and the one that everyone was extremely protective of. Marinette was sweet and gentle, yet she still had a heart of gold. Both she and Dick were the type of people that made everyone around them fall in love with them. Alfred was his father, he stuck with him for everything

They were all gone.

Please leave notes,comments and reblogs. Hope you all enjoy.

#miraculous ladybug #batfam #maribat #avengers #infinity war #dc #marvel

[leighlikesthing]

“Being Robin Gives Me Magic!”

If you’re not a comics fan, or someone who maybe has read sporadically, or only certain things, the character of Robin is a divisive subject. 

You see, there is an entire subset of people who think that the character of Robin in any incarnation is lame. A foil for Batman that drags the Dark Knight away from his brooding depths and into something more comical and wholesome.

And sometimes, that’s true. Robin does get used to lighten things up sometimes when things get too gritty; too dark, and there are people who see that as a bad thing; who think that Bruce Wayne should be this crazed loner bent on justice with nothing but his money, his toys, and his weary butler. 

But let’s be honest here. 

There’s only so many stories you can tell in that vein before things start to get really, really boring.

Think about it! Batman has been around for 80 years. That’s a very long time.

Here’s how a classic Batman story goes: 

Bruce Wayne finds out, through being a billionaire playboy and having connections with the Gotham police, that trouble is afoot. He dons the cape and cowl, does the detective work, gets nabbed by the bad guy, figures a way out of it and turns the tables, turns the bad guy in and goes home to his big empty house and his sassy butler. 

That’s gonna get old fast, right? Even with a decent rogues gallery, and Jim Gordon hanging around, and maybe a couple of fair-weather girlfriends, that’s not a lasting premise. If you want 80 years of storytelling, you have to give Bruce Wayne more to fight for. 

Avenge parents: Check

Fight for the soul of the city that he loves: Cheeee-yeck.

But let’s be honest. Despite Batman’s status as a symbol, and a spooky myth of Gotham, at his core, Bruce is still a person. And people need other people, or else they’re just some weird guy sitting in a big drafty cave talking to themselves about JUSTICE while their butler hangs out upstairs and dusts his dead parents’ belongings.

Enter: Robin.

And not just Robin, but the idea that because Bruce Wayne lost his parents at such a young age, he’s spent one half of his life training and studying to be the greatest detective on earth to avenge their deaths and keep a similar fate from befalling other people in his city, and the other half building a new family. Because deep down, he’s still that scared little kid who lost his parents, and needs people.

And that might very well be the most human thing Bruce and Batman have ever done. He didn’t just train partners. He didn’t just take in strays. He built, for better or for worse, an entire family and network of people. 

Don’t get me wrong. Bruce is bad at stuff. He’s emotionally distant, pretty cold, and he can be a pretty terrible father (See: Every time he’s punched one of his children. Included on this list are, at minimum: Dick, Jason and Tim).

However inadvertently though, Bruce did something else as well. Not only did he collect these troubled youths and orphans to be his babies, he gave them each other. These characters now have an entire baseball team of siblings to bicker with, tease, rely on and hug it out with.

They’re family.

The Batfamily, to be precise. And they are broken and weird as all get out, but they, in my opinion, much more than Batman, are endlessly entertaining to read about.

And theorize about. One of the great joys that exists on the internet is the massive pile of head canon, fan art and fan fiction all relating to what it’s like to be part of this huge, dysfunctional family.

Tim Drake snapchatting his and Bruce’s trip to Walmart? Thanks to @unpretty You bet your batt butt. 

Lists of bizarre offenses perpetrated within Wayne Manor’s walls on any given Sunday? Gimme.

Tumblrs that depict fake Instagram feeds for these dummies? Delightful!

And the fan art. 

If you’re not following @doc-squash, whose fan comics are breathtakingly pure and funny, showing the entire family as the passel of weirdos we all know they are, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.

Heartwarming Dick and Babs content with a side of salty Damian? @laquilasse is the human you want to follow.

Goofy love for Jason Todd? Check out @inkydandy. 

Warm, snuggly family time? @kaylabeemarie has everything you need. 

Yes, Bruce Wayne and Batman get the most attention out in the greater world. Yes, everybody knows Robin is a thing, and everybody’s got opinions and feelings on that fact, good and bad.

But those of us who can name all the kids who have come and gone and come back to the cave again, I feel, are the happiest of Batman fans. Because there is a corner of the bat-sandbox that we get to roll around in that the anti-Robin crowd doesn’t.

And we have way more fun than they do.

#Batman #Robin #comics #fanworks #fandom

[fishfingersandjellybabies]

Less Than - fic

Characters: Damian Wayne, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain, Bruce Wayne Summary: Jason didn’t mean to find Damian in the middle of a breakdown. He also doesn’t know why he was surprised to find that it was Tim’s fault. A/N: I recently read the Night of the Monster Men crossover, and it annoyed me how much everyone talked about Tim being dead. Like, I get this is right after it happened, but...it just seemed excessive. And I began to ponder how it would affect the boys who had been dead themselves before. I decided it wouldn’t affect them well, for a multitude of reasons. Basically, this is just Damian letting his own grief and insecurities finally get to him. He apologizes at the end because he feels guilty that the family found out and he made them feel bad/worry. He cries because of that and also his grief. Jason finally hands him over to Dick when they get home, and Dick holds him like a lil baby the rest of the night. Damian probably falls asleep in his arms let’s be real. This is basically just word jumble.

~~

He found him lying on a skyscraper rooftop. On the middle of a helipad. Cape spread out beneath him, arms flung out, legs spread.

He didn’t have his mask on. That laid next to his head. His communicator laid next to that.

And Jason didn’t say anything. He wasn’t looking for the kid, and as far as he knew he wasn’t off the family’s radar either, but – he just had a feeling.

So he just took off his helmet and walked across the roof. Laid down by Damian’s head, so his own head was next to his little brother’s, and mimicked his pose.

The sky was clear tonight. And the stars were beautiful.

“…Do you think Father cares?” Damian asked, after only a few moments of silence. “Do you think any of them care?”

“About?”

“The fact that I died.” Damian whispered. “The fact that you died.”

And it looked like his feeling was correct.

“All they talk about is Drake.” Damian continued sorrowfully. “How Drake isn’t here, how they have to live up to Drake’s standard, honor Drake’s memory – Drake, Drake, Drake.”

Damian took a deep breath, let out a deeper exhale.

“Do you think they talked about us like that? Or cared about our deaths as much as they do his?” Damian asked. “Do you think they even really knew Drake at all? I mean, at this point I think I knew Drake better. Because he wouldn’t want this. He wouldn’t want to be held up as some kind of martyr. Or cried over. Or whatever.”

“I know they did for you.” Jason was quick to confirm. “I remember what a mess they were over you. Dick about became an alcoholic. Bruce went insane. I…well, I was dead, so I don’t know what they said about me.”

“You’re the only reason Drake was in this family at all. He wanted to live up to the example you set.” Damian whispered. “But…I feel like this is different.”

“Oh?”

“They didn’t use us as ways to get better. Be better.” Damian continued, and Jason could hear him on the edge. He was going to crack. He was going to fall into a pit of emotions, and he was trying so hard not to. “They mourned us, that’s all. They mourned us. They’re still mourning us, and we came back.”

A tense pause.

“…Do you think they even know we came back? Or are we ghosts?” Damian whispered. “Are we still ghosts, Todd?”

Jason’s instinct was to say ‘Yes we are, and that’s all we’re ever going to be now. You’ll spend the rest of your life trying to overcome that. For them, for yourself, for everyone.’ But he didn’t. He waited a moment, thought through his words. Sighed.

“You’re not a ghost to me, Damian.” Jason returned gently. “Am I a ghost to you?”

“No.” Damian said quickly. Almost sounded like he was blubbering, like he was a real ten year old.  With feelings and emotions and healthy outlets of how to show them. “I just. I don’t know. I feel like Drake’s death is more important than ours. They’re sadder with him gone than us.”

And Jason had to admit – it was a good thing Damian was still using pronouns like ‘we’ and ‘us.’ Hadn’t slipped into ‘me’ and ‘I.’ That meant he wasn’t internalizing. Wasn’t blaming himself and hating himself and distancing himself.

At least – not yet.

“They don’t love us as much as they love Drake.” Damian surmised. “I’m sure of it.”

“I’m not.” Jason tried. “Remember – we stole tech, kidnapped Cyborg and jumped to an alien planet for you. That’s no small feat. Dick tried to kill the Joker for me, and you beat him with a crowbar. Have they done any of those things for Tim?”

“…No.” Damian admitted. “But-”

“Grief does different things to people.” Jason sighed, barely believing the old adage himself. “And Tim was a weirdo, so. They loved him differently than us. Not more, or less, but…differently.” He stopped as something came to mind. “And…he was always there, through every tragedy they – or even we – went through. He popped up in Bruce’s life when I was dead. Was there when Bruce died, and even you, and was there when Dick pretended to be. Even for you, and don’t think I didn’t see you two reading encyclopedias together in the manor library during Dick’s spy phase.”

“They weren’t encyclopedias, they were collections. He found a volume of Arthur Conan Doyle’s vampire stories.” Damian corrected.

“…But now, suddenly he’s the one gone, and no one has a backbone to hold them up emotionally anymore. Not even you, apparently.” Jason waved his arm in the air. “Because, Damian, you realize you’re way too young to be having an existential crisis, right?”

Damian hummed defiantly. Then: “…Maybe they’d be happier if I were able to take Drake’s place.”

There it was.

“I mean, if you all found me, then I can find him.” Damian continued, even as Jason sat up. Began to turn himself around to face Damian. Damian didn’t move. “Surely I can make a deal with a deity, or find magic to switch our souls, or, you know-”

“Nope.” Jason cut off. “Stop right there, squirt.”

Damian paused, then tilted his head back, looking up at Jason. “I just mean-”

“I don’t care what you mean.” Suddenly Jason lashed out, reaching under Damian’s arms and dragging the boy towards him. Damian let out a noise of surprise, blinked, and instantly found him cocooned in Jason’s arms. Trapped in a circle of his legs and underneath his chin. Being held tightly, safely. “You’re going to stop talking like that right now.”

“…Todd?” Damian whispered.

“You matter, okay? You matter as much as Tim did. Does. Don’t ever think otherwise.” Jason began to ramble. He found himself suddenly rocking slightly, but didn’t have the heart to try and stop. “And even if you think – wrongly – that the others don’t feel that, know that I do, okay?”

Damian just slumped against him.

“I…” And it was still impossible to say a simple thing like ‘I love you,’ even to this child, the one who probably needed to hear it the most. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re still here. I’m glad you came back. I think about it every day.”

He didn’t realize how he emotional he was getting, until he felt Damian reach up and wipe a stray tear away.

“Tim…isn’t more important than you. Just like Dick isn’t more important than the rest of us, no matter how much we still sometimes think it.” Jason whispered, shifting if only to hold Damian tighter. “And I know I’m not the brother to get all…sentimental about the rest of you, but. Just. Just don’t talk like that, okay? Please, just don’t talk like that.”

“Todd…”

“If not just because you trading yourself for Tim would still leave this family missing pieces and broken,” Jason cut off. “But because if you let yourself think those kinds of things, then you’re letting that darkness win.”

He sniffed, shifted back so he could look into Damian’s eyes, and carefully lifted his hand to hold his face.

“You know that darkness I’m talking about, right? That darkness that sticks around after you come back to life.” Damian nodded silently. “You’re better than that shit, man. I know you are.”

“So are you.” Damian added quickly, before Jason could continue. “You’re better than that too, despite your attempts to act otherwise.”

Jason smiled, leaning his forehead against Damian’s. “…You feeling better, kid?”

Damian paused, but then shrugged. That was good of an affirmative as he was going to get for now, Jason knew.

“…Next time you start feeling like this, don’t come hide on a rooftop.” Jason whispered. “I want you to call me instead, okay?”

Because Jason didn’t want to think about what stupid thing Damian might’ve done if Jason hadn’t come across him. And he didn’t want to think about what stupid plan his little brother might think up the next time he got in this funk too.

“Promise me you’ll call me.” Jason ordered, even as Damian stared up at him with big doe eyes. “Like, blood oath kind of promise.”

Damian quirked his lips, but slowly nodded.

“Good boy.” Jason hummed, pulling Damian back against his chest. “And if you break that promise, I swear to you I will kick your puny little ass.”

Damian scoffed, but curled into Jason’s embrace all the same.

“…You matter.” Jason reiterated. “You’re more than your death. We are more than our death.”

“And we love you.” Jason and Damian both jumped. Found Bruce, Dick and Cassandra all standing on the ledge. It was Dick who had spoken, and before Jason could ask, Dick pointed to his own ear. “More than basically anything.”

…That’s right. Jason had never taken out or turned off his own communicator. Which means this whole conversation happened on an open channel, for the whole family to hear.

Oops.

Surprisingly, though, it was Bruce moving first, hopping off the ledge and gliding towards them like a man on a mission.

“I wish you’d told us that this is how you felt, Damian.” Dick continued, as he and Cassandra slowly followed Batman. Batman, who was dropping down next to them, and gathering both sons up into his arms. Damian didn’t react, even as Dick and Cassandra crouched around them too, Cassandra taking Jason’s hand in hers, and Dick carefully rubbing Damian’s curved spine. “I wish you would have let us help you.”

Damian shrugged. Hid his face against Jason’s throat.

“You’re not a ghost.” Dick whispered. “Neither of you are. And all of us…thank our lucky stars for that every single day.”

“You’re here. With me.” Bruce mumbled, and Jason glanced at him. Watched as Batman carefully ran his hand over the back of Damian’s head. “And I’m going to make sure you stay here with me, for as long as I can.”

“Tim’s death doesn’t mean any more or less than either of yours.” Dick added. “And it…breaks my heart that you thought that, for even a second.”

“I’m sorry.” Damian murmured. Cassandra silently shook her head.

“No, Damian, it’s not. You don’t have to-” Dick tried, but couldn’t find the words, so he sighed. “Don’t apologize, Damian. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It is valid.” Cassandra tried. “These feelings.”

“Completely.” Dick agreed. And when he said it, he glanced knowingly up at Jason too, who smiled sadly.

“I love you.” Bruce said simply, holding Damian and Jason tighter. “I love you all more than anything in the universe.”

And this time, when Damian spoke, there were tears in his voice. Jason could feel them on his neck. “I’m sorry.”

Dick kept rubbing Damian’s back. “…How about we call it a night and head home.”

Bruce nodded, and Dick held out his hands for Damian, the fact that he would not be walking on his own, able or not, unspoken between all of them.

“No, I-” Jason shifted his arms around Damian. Damian, in turn, let him, wrapping his arms around Jason’s neck in return. “Lead the way, ‘Wing. I’ve got him.”

Dick smiled and ruffled his hair, before leaning down and leaving a kiss to Damian’s temple. Reluctantly, it seemed, Bruce let his sons go, standing as Dick and Cassandra did.

“Take them to the manor, Dick.” Bruce hummed. “Cassandra and I will finish the patrol, and follow behind shortly.”

“An hour or less, or I’m coming back out here after the both of you.” Dick scolded, even as he began, almost ridiculously, to tuck Jason under his arm. Jason didn’t react to the gesture, just kept his focus on Damian. Cassandra gave a thumbs up, staring pointedly up at Bruce, who nodded eagerly. “Good. See you soon.”

He didn’t watch Batman and Black Bat race back into the city. Just kept his arm around Jason as he spun him and Damian around, and headed for home.

#Damian Wayne #Jason Todd #dick grayson #cassandra cain #bruce wayne

[sleepofgiants-blog]

Object Permanence (Batman and Raven #2)

A dark hallway of Wayne Manor. A warm light is carelessly thrown out of a faraway room. Dialogue boxes indicate a conversation off panel. We only hear one side. Bruce dialogue box “No, I know.. Yeah. It's.. I don't know anyone else. It was different for me and Alfred. Right..” We move to the kitchen where Alfred and Rachel are sitting at the island eating sandwiches and veggies and watching The Grey Ghost on a small TV. Rachel's backpack draped on the back of her stool. First week of school. Bruce dialogue box “I’m not asking you to be a mother. I need help, Zee. Can you talk to her? No, I know you're busy with the tour. Your father hasn't materialized yet? I'm sorry. Listen, he'll turn up, he always does.” We now see Bruce leaning against the wall at the back of the kitchen with a phone in his hand. Alfred is glancing over. Bruce is out of range but Alfred knows the look of relief in Bruce's face. Bruce “One day. You know me, I can have you here and back before anyone can miss you. Sunday? Zee, you're the greatest. I can't wait to see you again.” Close up of Bruce's head, eyes closed. Close up of Rachel's eyes. Her golden eyes. Pan out. Girls room. A caption reads “EARLIER THAT DAY”. She's in a stall. Sitting on the toilet with her knees up, crying all four of her eyes out, pressing her special emergency super hero watch that her super hero daddy gave her if she was ever in danger. Bruce's voice comes through Bruce “Rachel? Rachel, what's wrong!” Rachel “Dad! I don't know.. sob Come get me at school. I'm in the bathroom. I'm at school!” Bruce is in a fancy car in a fancy suit. Bruce “I know, honey, daddy's on his way, okay? Stay there.” Quick panels of Bruce getting out of his poorly parked sports car, the school gate checker is asking for identification. Bruce throws his hands out and exclaims “I'M BRUCE WAYNE.” like the guy's an idiot. Bruce runs towards the school. Cut to Bruce running down the hall yelling “where's the bathroom?” and a kid with a hall pass points dutifully. Bruce enters the bathroom and calls out for his daughter and gets a tiny response from the stalls. “Dad..” Rachel opens the stall. She's beet red and her head is crested with a elegant crown of horns. She's starts transitioning from deep pink to a more normal little girl color. They hug. Bruce “Baby, I'm sorry. You're okay. I'm sorry.” Rachel “What- wha-” sob Later.. Rachel is lying belly down on a sofa, with her arm draped over the edge. She's balancing a book on its corner on the floor below. KNOCK KNOCK Bruce comes in and sits. Bruce “I know you have so many questions. I'm sorry I haven't told you anything about your mother or how you came into my life. And I'm even more sorry that I still can't tell you. All you need to know is we love you. So much, Rachel.” Rachel “Will it ever go away?” Bruce “No. I won't lie to you. But you will get strong enough to make it easier.. Hey, I have a friend that I think you would really like to meet. She can do some of the things you can do.” Rachel perks up. Bruce “She'll be coming over tomorrow for lunch.” Rachel “What if it happens again? What if she gets scared?” Bruce “Oh, she's definitely not the scaring type. You'll be fine.” Exterior shot of the manor at midday? Caption says “Sunday”. Close up of a manicured lady's finger pushing a doorbell. “Ding dong!” Alfred opens up. Alfred “Miss Zatanna, enchanted to see you.” Z “Not yet.” Alfred raises an eyebrow. They hug. Cut to Sunday brunch and tea in the garden. Rachel is doing hand stands and cartwheels for the company. Bruce is wearing sunglasses? Fun young cool guy? Bruce “It started with small things a few years ago.. Things moving around the manor, drapes and furniture changing color. One day all the hedge ways and shrubbery had been expertly shaved into animals and fairytale creatures.” Z “Right. Small things. Bruce, it took me years to work out basic matter manipulation. This is just.. Wow.” Rachel is FLYING around the garden and laughing. Bruce “She was born with the red skin, but it hasn't come back until recently. I noticed a change once when she was having a nightmare, but the other day was the first time she has seen it for herself..” Z “So, what, you hoped a little girl power would boost her confidence and keep her ivory complexion rouge free?” Bruce “I can only give her so much. She needs someone like you to show her that magic isn't a terrible thing. I think that if she can better understand her connection to the supernatural, she will subconsciously keep her humanity in the foreground. I believe her emotional temperature toward her nature is becoming more unbalanced with the time she spends at school with non-magical children.” Z “She feels like a weirdo and she hasn't even gotten to junior high. What a brave new world.” Later in.. Rachel's bedroom. Not overly little girly. Some stuffed animals, but they are arranged on a bench. Instead of kid things, there are PILES of books everywhere. Rachel and Zatanna are sitting on the floor. Rachel “I.. like to read.” Z “Most kids your age are still just looking at the pictures.” Rachel casually floats a foot off the floor, still in a sitting position. Z “Right.” Rachel “I don't know who you are. Like, why did my dad tell you to come here?” Z “Well.. The things you can do.. I can do things like that, too. Not as good as you- but that's not the point. I taught Bruce- your dad.. huh.. I taught him everything I could about magic.” Rachel “So you want me to teach you how to do what I do?” Z “What. No- Could you? No. Do you know how you do it?” Rachel “I just.. I dunno, I just feel like I want something to happen. To change. And it just happens. Sometimes I have dreams about doing things, but.. like, I'm not sleeping. Is that part of doing magic?” Z “Not in my experience.. What kinds of things do you do dream about doing?” Rachel “I think I'm going to the movies. It feels like when me and dad go to the movies, anyway. Everything is red. I hate red. It's like, so mad or something. All of the other colors can be talked to at least!” Single panel of Zatanna staring blankly. Rachel “There's a guy that I see sometimes.. He's red and mad, too.” Z “What is he mad at?” Rachel “Me.” Rachel is crying. Rachel “I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING! Why do I have to be red, too?!” Zatanna wraps around Rachel as she sobs into her chest. Z “Rachel, I'm so sorry..” Rachel “He's just there all the time, even when I don't have my eyes closed. Why is he so mad at me?” Zatanna holds her at arms length so she can look Rachel in the eyes. Z “You know your dad would never let anyone hurt you? Your dad is strong..” Rachel rubs tears away with her sleeve. Rachel “I know how strong he is.. Don't tell him. Promise! I read all the books in Alfred's library during the day, but.. I read books from the other library when dad's at work.” Z “Other library? Like the one in the city?” Rachel “No. The one in the basement. Dad locks it with really big locks that make the floors rumble, but, ya know.. I can do magic, so..” Z “What kinds of books are they, Rachel?” Rachel “It's weird. Alfred writes them! I remember the way he writes my notes for teacher. I thought they were ideas for movies at first. Do you know he used to be in movies? They're really old. We got him to play one, but he got shy and turned it off, but I know he was really happy.” Z “And the books, Rachel?” Rachel “Oh yeah. I think they're diaries. They're about dad, but he's like The Grey Ghost. He runs around and beats up bad guys. Alfred even drew pictures of dad in a superhero costume.” Outside Rachel's room. Alfred is pressed up against the door frame, light illuminating the thin center of his body. His hand across his mouth. Eyes wide. Bruce “Really?” Alfred is startled, then haughty. Alfred “I had suspected she had been sneaking about during the night, but had I known..” Bruce “No. No, Alfred, she would've caught on eventually. We aren't exactly the average family.” Alfred “I certainly could never have expected when your parents hired me.” Rachel's bedroom door opens and light spills into the hallway leaving Bruce and Alfred looking like canaries stuffed with feathers. Rachel “Dad?” Bruce “Let's go to the gym!” Pommel horse, salmon ladder, weight sets, a big tire and a sledgehammer. Anything you want to draw that would make up a Wayne home gym. I'll probably color it with seventies blues and maroons. We see Alfred and Bruce sitting on the side, while Z and Rachel train in a panel montage. Rachel lifts weights with her t.k., shoots an arrow from a bow with black smokey ghost hands as well as her own, practices backwards magic with Z by making objects appear and disappear. Bruce even joins in. Rachel “Why did Zatanna teach you how to do magic, dad? How come you never use it?” Bruce “Remember when I told you about my mom and dad and how they aren't here anymore? Well, I felt really lonely and sad. I went around the world looking for new and exciting things to fill my time until I could be happy again. I learned a lot of new skills before I came back home.” He looks to Alfred when he says this and they share a warm smile. “I don't use magic all the time, because I like to work harder towards my successes.” Zatanna smirks and rolls her eyes. Rachel “Do you think I should stop using magic?” Bruce “Magic is a natural part of who you are. You get to choose who you want to be, honey.” Rachel “Good. 'Cause I really like to fly.” Splash page! Rachel is flying high in the gym and everyone is looking up. She is beaming. Close up panel of her eyes swirling into yellow on the following page. [Thundering disembodied voice] YOUR LIFE IS MINE Rachel seizes in the air and surrenders to her demon form. She falls into a menacing pose in front of the humans with force to break the ground around her. There can be a dbz style aura field if you'd like. We'll probably have to hand write this demon stuff because it should be in that classic rumbly lettering. Like old Darksied dialogue. Mysterious voice “Having fun with your doll, cattle?” Bruce strikes a hero pose, preparing to advance toward an unseen threat. Mysterious voice “I can play, too.” Rachel launches into the air, creating a bat like black energy field around her. Z “DERFLA TCETORP!!” Alfred is encased in a bubble and is blasted through the roof. Z “EDOM ELTTAB” Go hot bonkers with the design. Make all of your Final Fantasy dreams come true and put Z into a crazy suit of armor. We can come up with a weapon, too. Bruce “THAT'S MY DAUGHTER, ZEE.” Bruce steps in front of Z and the demon strikes and slashes his back with an inky tendril and laughs. With Bruce on the ground, Z lunges ahead and Z “REH DNIB” Ribbons appear from Z’s hands and wrap around the demon's arm. Z races a circle and ties the demon up and it falls to the floor and writhes. Bruce gets up. The bundle wriggles at their feet and starts to smoke. The smoke forms into a little girl shape with glowing yellow eyes and smiles and evaporates. Rachel cuts herself from the bundle of ribbons with a blade if black energy. Bruce “Rachel..” Bruce and Rachel hug tightly, and Zatanna keeps her guard up. Exterior shot of the mansion. We see Alfred in the yard, up in a tree, still encased in Zatanna's protection spell.

#batman #raven #teen titans #justice league #fanfic #fan fiction #dc comics