#Damian: Truama? where?

[yicruz48]

The Teen Titans Rebirth run would be so much more enjoyable if the core three (Damian, Emiko, Wallace) were in-character. As it is, putting aside how annoyed I am at Damian and Emiko's writing, the series is a bit depressing? You never really see the team bonding as friends, and with all the drama between them you have to wonder if they even like each other

I 👏absolutely👏 agree👏.

Although I am frustrated characters like Maya, Jon, Surren, Colin or Mara weren't used this group, the current team isnt soo bad...its the writing.

Like the only team member I dislike is Djinn because it seems like she was literally created for Damian and to imitate the Damian x Raven ship.

Everyone else, I don't have issues with. Crush, AKA Xiomara Rojas, is actually is one of my favorites besides the core 3.

This team and each of these members have soo much potential to be great but again, they are not being written that way.

Because...

-> A) They are written out of character and their development just gets destroyed in the process (Damian, Emiko).

->B) They are under-ultlitized even though they are supposed to be the moral compass of the group (Wallace).

->C) Minor characters aren't being used to their full potential and/or growing their bond with the group even though it's been 20 issues (Crush, Roundhouse and Djinn).

->D) The last writer focused so much on creating dramatic storytelling that they lost focus on developing the team's relationships. Glass basically is ripping apart a group that essentially has no relationship to begin with.

And yup, I agree. The current Teen Titans series is overall depressing. There doesn't really seem to be anything meddling them together which is obivious, because unlike traditional Teen Titan groups where the Robin picks their friends to be apart of the group, Damian was literally written to handpick each member that he had no previous connection to (besides Emiko and Wallace). So it just feels like this group is simply working together because they have nothing else to do in their spare time.

And its sad, because the Teen Titan's is supposed to be a sort of haven for teen superheroes to escape their sometimes overbearing mentors and leagacies and have fun fighting crime with superheroes their age. It's supposed to be a place where teen heroes learn how to better work with other people and create relationships with other superheroes besides their mentor and superhero families. A place where they can essentially be teens with other teens that understand their non-average life.

And again this team has so much potential...its frustrating. You can do so much more with this group in terms of bonding.

-> Comic book geek Wallace and Anime/manga geek Roundhouse introducing Damian to comics, manga and anime. Them bonding while playing games and trying to beat each others top scores.

-> WHERE THE HECK IS GOLIATH??? Right there, you already have an additional member to the team. Imagine them all ridding Goliath into battle; Justice league, Titans and Young Justice like 😶. Plus I need an issue where we get their reactions to Batcow.

-> By this time, Wallace should be Damian's closest friend. They have been working with each other the longest. Wallace literally got fired from the previous team and agreed to being recruited again by Damian. Please explore that friendship.

-> Give me Wallace, Damian and Roundhouse bonding over fixing a car and upgrading security.

-> Crush, Djinn and Emiko secretly watching the Kardashians together when the guys are out.

-> Roundhouse being mind-blowned by Damian's art skills and begging for fanart of his favorite anime characters.

-> Damian, Emiko and Crush bonding over their truamas.

Let's hope Robbie Thompson focuses on bringing this team closer and adding additional members. Or at the very least writing the core 3 in character and using their abilities to their full potential.

Link to Javi's insta (hes working on future issues currently).

[on-the-clear-blue]

So you know how there is a common fan theory that ghosts go through their death again on their death day? What about Jason going through it?

Feeling angsty crew, prepare yourselves

Trigger warnings: Jason death and all that comes with that, SA implications.

---

The first time it had happened it was in a LOA base, still catatonic and barely speaking, Jason was forced to train through the dark bruises that slowly appeared on his body, from his ribs and chest, to his fingers getting bent and crooked.

His trainers watched, not filled with concern but curiosity, an effect such a this had not been seen in the leauge in some time

As smoke was coughed up from his lungs and as bits of his flesh turned the same ghastly green as the pits, they watched, documenting it, unable to look away as the man boy seized and went still, finally.

---

The second time it happened, Jason was in Gotham, set up in a safe house, sirens and gun shots ringing out into the night, the sounds of his childhood.

He hadn't planned to stay long, only stopping by the safe house to grab a restock of ammo

Then came the phantom pains, tightness around his wrists, a deep, ever increasing sense of dread.

Jason staggered at the first ghostly strike to his head, hands flashing to his guns, scanning the room for what ever invisible foe that had struck him.

The next blow brought Jason to his knees, it hurt, oh God did it hurt, his head was pounding in a way that he barely remembered.

The feeling of his ribs crack robbed him of breath, a bone spur puncturing his lung, then came his hands, finger bones broke one at a time.

Jason curled himself up in a ball, just as he tired to years ago, tears streaming down his face under the metallic hood. The ticking demination of a clock ringing cruelly in his ears.

Then came the explosion, leaving his ears bleeding, eardrums ruptured, brain addled even more than the blunt force trauma caused.

With broken hands, Jason struggled to take off his helmet, as smoke poured out of his already damaged lungs. Smoke that clogged the helmet filters, that trapped it all around his face.

Jason Todd died a third time, the same way as the first two time that night.

---

It was a few years after the first time (that he remembered), that he found himself on a very bad day, he had found out that it always happened on the day he died, and he still didn't know what God had cursed him to relive it over and over again.

To add even more crap to his shittiest day, he was stuck in Wayne Manor.

The sense of dread was running though him, his hands were shaking terribly as he tried to just get away but his body wouldnt listen, he needed to leave get to his room, any room, hid away from his family, he didnt want them to see him like this didnt need them to be worried for him, he was so stupid, so idiotic to have forgotten what day it was, so wrapped up in having his family again that he forgot his curse.

---

Dick had a smile on his lips as he was about to jokingly throw a gaming controller at Jason, knowing he would likely start something to get his gaggle of siblings to do something together.

Yet it never left his hands, as he noticed Jason's eyes had gone glassy, a distant look in them, and a dull green sheen emanating from them.

Fear wormed it's way through him, Pit episodes had become less and less of a thing with his brother, something he was more than happy to see, but...this didn't seem to be the same thing.

Sending a concerned look to Tim, who has just walked into the room, even though he hoped (he thought they were over these, that Jason was getting better) Dick waved him back, if this was actually a Pit episode, he didnt need Jason to go off on Tim anymore than he had in the past.

Slowly approached his brother, Dick saw his eyes look into the middle distance, lost in his own head, "Littlewing? Jay I-I didnt..." His hand moved cautiously, coming into Jason's space and-

He flinched...Hard. Eyes flashing up at Dick but not seeing him, stuck deep in something else

Dicks heart dropped, Jason hadn't flinched when he had tried to touch him in years, not since a small boy in a ratty red hoodie was in Dicks old room, crying as he begged to not be sent back to the streets for them to "P-please don't t-touch me...I-Im sorry I-ill be good I promise"

But the words that came from Jason were far more haunting than what he uttered in fear, a voice hoarse and small came from him, slurred and heady with pain "Just...just let her go...C-can do anything to me...j-just let mom go..."

Bile, that was all Dick could taste as he held back what wanted to come up, he knew in a second what Jason was seeing, who Dick was to Jason's mind, trapped in memories.

He didn't know when he took a step back, didn't know when he had pulled away from his little brother until his back hit the wall, taking a shaky breath he forced himself back, He needed to be there, be there for his brother unlike...unlike last time.

"Jaybird it's me, Dickie? Jason..." he reached out agian, only to cringe back as his little brother flinch back, curling in on himself, his head tucked between his legs.

Dick didn't know Jason could look so small still, a distant thought bubbling up about maybe that's why he got so big, so he could never be that small again...but yet he was...

And Dick Hated It.

His hands fumbled for his phone, his fingers felt like lead, and all he could do is dial Ina number.

"Dad? Jason needs you..."

---

Bruce tore through the halls of his home with a fervor, his mind spinning with thoughts, from Dick’s description of what was happening this was a Pit episode of some sort, far different than any he had seen before.

The halls of his home never felt so long and never felt so claustrophobic.

Old demons in his mind cackled, bringing back the doubts of himself...if only he was just a little faster, a little less prideful...

Coming into the den, Bruce scanned the room, seeing his eldest kneeling by Jason, trying to be soothing while not touching him.

Dick face was hard and worried when he looked up at Bruce.

They shared a silent conversation, ending with Bruce taking Dick place on the floor, Dick in turn leaving to try and figure what was happening.

"Jaylad, Sweetheart, you have to breath, Jason?" It hurt to see his son flinch as he reached out, but Bruce pressed on, his fingers softly pressing against his son's pulse point on his wrist.

Dread spreads across Bruce's mind as he can hardly find a pulse, pulling his hand back the dread turns to horror as he see red and deep blue bruises start to from across Jason's face.

His eyes were open, dull instead of the bright they should be, his breathing sounded forced and-

It was his nightmares all over again.

Pushing past the fear, Bruce forced himself to pick Jason up, holding his dear boy so...so close to his chest, jaw shaking as he rushed through the halls once again.

He can't let his son die in his arms yet again.

---

Hours later, Bruce watches as Leslie called time of death, they did everything they could but it wasnt enough...his mind is disconnected from his body, a deep dark numbness burns within him and he just can't understand why...

Why the world seems to determined to make his family suffer? What had he done other than try and help, to cure the throbbing cancer that is Gotham? To help his fellow man live better and be happy...

His numbly looks around the med area, his children gathered, Dick is crying onto Cass's shoulder, Cass herself has tears but she refuses to shed them, Duke held his head in his hands, small shakings in his shoulders could only be crying, Stephanie was by Leslie, demanding answers and what happened with emotions think in her voice

Tim wasn't there, he was on the other side of the cave, running through data files, looking for anything that could cure this...Bruce would need to tell him to stop, that it was already over.

And Damian...his youngest just stood there, arms crossed and...politely blank was all Bruce could see, no mourning as the others. Just...waiting.

He was the only one not shocked when Jason groaned, sat up, cursed and promptly fell back onto the bed.

---

Damian sauntered over to where they had placed Todd, all of them still so careful with him, as if he would up and fall dead if someone was to as much as sneeze in his direction.

"Tt, Honestly it is as if they don't know this happens every year..." His own reliving of his deaths was far less dramatic.

Todd had the gall to look at him with confusion, and it took a moment for Damian to realize what his look ment "You never told them did you, Tt...Typical" shaking his head, Damian sat next to Jason's has-been death bed.

"Not all of us brought back from the dead suffer so spectacularly as you do Todd, as Jon would say...I believe this is a *Skill Issue*? Hashtag get good?" He didn't use the lingo lightly,

And of course, instead of being offended as he should, Todd just stared dumbly at him "This is when you banter, or has your repeated blunt force truama to the head bludgeoned you into stupidity?"

Shaking his head, Damian tutted "Clearly I have to do everything in this poor excuse for a social interaction" clearing his throat Damian put on a deeper voice as to mimic Jason "Shut it Demon Brat. I do truly hate that nickname. Oh woe is me why am i just a little bitch that can only suffer. Worry not dearest fuck up of a human being I can help you. Oh glory be you, you turly the greatest Robin. Oh only you say it now~"

Damian gave a dead pan stare at Todds slackjawed look, "Shut it, Jon is rubbing off and me and i cant for the life of me make it stop...but honestly if you wish to know more, seek out Phantom, though...you look pathetic enough that he might just find you first."

[currentfandomkick]

100% agree with op

Also we can add that from Danny’s POV Damian got everything he wanted and was the one they went easy on. (Yes not good to compare truamas but Danny is fully aware they were Not a person to the al Ghuls)

Also given clones tend to be female in legit science and the league is infamous for having a lot of women assassins? No reason Danny can’t be afab and wasn’t just raised to be Damian’s bodyguard the way David Cane had Cass with Lady Shiva to get a ‘perfect weapon’ that (i could be misremembering) was raised also to become a bodygaurd for Ra’s. So.

I tend to see Danny as transman or transmac, so i’ll probably use he/they below this point

Danny shutting down any and all attempts at contact from Damian and Bruce, especially if they try to force it? 100% Danny’s course of action. But if Cass tries to make contact as a ‘are you safe? Are you happy? Do you want to talk about what the League did to us?’ Danny would be more inclined to talk about it as Cass Knew and got it.

And Cass? Is not passing anything to the others unless Danny says so, or he is in danger.

If you want this can be while ghostfighting is new to him, and have him see Phantom as the person he had to be to survive and Fenton as who he chooses to live as. Or they can see Phantom as the form that holds his truamas from the past and why he fights better and more competently sans powers as Phantom and a reason why he forgets about having them—they were not there when he trained at first, and he cannot connect the two separate trainings yet, and is unsure about doing so as if he’s dependent on his powers, won’t he be more vulnerable fighting-wise when he cannot access them?

Meanwhile Fenton is where he lets lose and tries to reclaim his childhood and control of his life. Yes they have a few hundred insecurities rooted in what happened before he escaped. (Hell, his may predate Damian being sent to Bruce by a few months or even weeks depending on how fast Talia moved there). But as a whole, Fenton is living their best life at last even if they struggle to have the same ability to get others to listen to them and attract people the way Talia and Ra’s do. He can handle it his way, right?

And Danny is fine without them. But sometimes he misses small things. The food. The heat of the cradle. Even the water itself tastes different here. But he doesn’t have to miss the Lazarus Pitts. He knew they’d never bother using them on him—he’s not a person. Never a child of Talia, just a tool she made for her precious heir.

And when Damian somehow found him and tried to reconnect Danny was not risking shit for him. He doesn’t even like this spoiled brat who got the easy training with Ra’s after he let out his aggression on the guards and then Danny. Or Danny and then the gaurds.

And when Bruce tries? Danny laughs at him. He hates Talia on a good day now, but he knows Bruce left her after she lost their first try when they were fucking married. When Ra’s was ready to make the League stop altogether if the rumors were true. And he doubted they weren’t.

Bruce abandoned his mother at her worst when he promised to be there. He blames Bruce for a large part of why Ra’s had so much control of her. They can’t love her—refused to after being her tool until they faked their death. But he can’t say he doesn’t believe she was entirely different before, given she stood against Ra’s multiple times before that and saved people regularly when she wasn’t studying law, apparently.

Danny won’t trust the spoiled heir getting his long awaited training from a man who can’t keep his goddamn vows.

He didnt even want to look up Batman’s history at first, but hooking up publicly with Catwoman not even two weeks after abandoning his wife after a miscarriage?

He wanted nothing to do with that integrity-of-tissue-paper-bastard.

They could both fuck off this plane of existence for all he cared. They just needed to stay out of his ancients damned life already!

Then he got a message from a new number he was ready to delete. But that wasn’t bruce or damian’s linguistic style.

The string of emojis took a few minutes to parse but made him smile. Just a touch.

‘Yeah i escaped too. Family safe. I chose them, and my big sister,’ he sent back.

The string of rainbows, party poppers and unicorn emojis had him laughing.

‘You?’

He got a picture of a red headed woman and a blond girl eating takeout. And a string if thumbs up.

‘Glad you got out and survived too. Wondered if you did or not everytime i heard about you.’

The string if question marks had him snorting.

‘Fyi the asshole donors of yours talk a lot about you as a benchmark for any new tools they make. Ta’s was pissed i didn’t give him a good spar until i was six since i was always behind on move reading and countering in real time.’

The string of frowny faces relaxed him.

‘Good to know you’re alive.’

He laughed at the finger pointing at him and the number two emoji.

He saved it under ‘best warrior’ and made a mental note to have tucker secure the line for them. Or bribe technus to do it in exchange for a ‘no phantom repercussions’ for taking over Damian and Bruce’s phones next time they tried something.

Danny got out.

Danyal al Ghul was created by the League of Assassins alongside his brother Damian.

Created, not born. Though they were both grown in the same lab, Danyal always felt the status quo. Damian was the heir, the real son, the one they cared about. Damian got to be a person, the one for whom human terms like “born” would fit.

Danyal was just the extra. The bodyguard to die in his brother’s place and a spare should he be lost.

And Danyal died.

Shed his old life like a snake’s skin and vanished into the bustle of a crowded city.

They would tell Damian say it was a mission went wrong. A failure, like Danyal always was.

But Danyal would call it his first real success.

Danny Fenton loves their new life.

Jack and Maddie, for all their unsafe work practices, care for them. That’s far more than their blood “family” in the League ever did.

Far more than they felt they deserved for the longest time.

So when their brother reached out, tried to reconnect as if they were normal siblings instead of born tools, is it any wonder they lashed out, told him to never come back?

Danny got out. Danyal is dead, one ghost Danny is happy to put down forever.

[batfamfucker]

My main source of serotonin was and still is Hetalia, which speaks for itself. I have no right judging. Also, if some 14 year old decides dressing up as Deku and dancing to Lizzo on Tiktok makes them happy, why would I care? Ya'll really just wanna bully children and project your embarrassment from your own confusing teen years onto them, let kids be happy. Even if they cringe at themselves in future (I know I cringe at some of the stuff I did), oh fucking well. They're happy now. They're figuring themselves out. And they're doing it with a community of people behind them who are into the same things. Good for them.

I remember when I got fucking slated in school when I got outed for being Pan and Genderfluid, and one of the few things keeping me going was knowing fucking Hetalia America would find me cool. My household was fucked but I knew fics with Bruce Wayne being a good dad to his kids and daydreaming about living in the DC universe and having him be my dad was a way of healing, a way to feel like I had a dad when mine was in prison. Pretending I had a dad who was hero rather than a criminal. I used to pretend Tim Drake was my brother and we'd have deep talks about our truamas and scars on our wrist. I remember pretending Damian was my baby brother and imagining how he'd feel if I ever left him. I don't have younger siblings, it was nice to feel needed. I remember it. I remember being 14 and feeling so alone that the only comfort I had was characters that didn't even exist. But being able to pretend they were sat next to me when I cried, or being able to watch Fallout 4 characters as Vines to cheer myself up was enough sometimes.

I also remember making 'cringe' cosplay of ships with my best friend, who I've grown up with since we were four. I have videos of the cosplay. I don't have the heart to delete my old Facebook account because we made eight separate chats all just to Roleplay on, all dedicated to different stories. We must've made hundreds together. We also made so many OCs together, all of which I still love deep down. I remember some of the best moments that made me smile and laugh, Brought my genuine joy when I was going through so much so young. It still doesn't always hit me just how young I was when I went through all this stuff (I'm only 20. A lot of it has been going on my entire life, but I was that 14 year old with severe Depression only 6 years ago). I've made amazing friends and great memories, talked to people from all over the world over our silly little interests that actually meant everything to us. I've been cringe and I've been weird and you know what? I've enjoyed so much of it. And yeah sometimes I give myself an ick when I look back, but the point is I can look back. Because I'm alive to do so. And I'm alive because of these escapisms. And these experiences made me who I am today. I'm not perfect or anything, and there's things I don't like about myself, things I'm trying to change and improve, toxic traits stemmed from all the shit I've been through that I'm trying to unlearn and work on. But I'm writing a book. And I've got a great mind. I'm one of the most creative people you'll meet, with some awesome ideas, projects I wanna show the world that I wouldn't have gotten the inspiration for if I hadn't grown up with these things. And I have people who love me. That best friend that I've got, I used to be kinda toxic to her. Not on purpose, I didn't realise what I was doing. But when I started to, I realised I needed to change and did because I loved and cared about her, but my actions didn't always show that. We had a year where we didn't speak because of petty drama and it was the worst year of my life. Now though, it's like nothing bad every happened. She's one of the best things to happen to me and I'm glad we got to grow up together like we did, bad moments and all, because it got us here. I wouldn't change her for a damn thing, and I know she feels the same. The cringe and weird moments are experiences and memories with her that I'll cherish for the rest of my life, just like so many of these Tiktok kids will.

To think we just had two years of a global pandemic, and some of ya'll are judging these kids for their way of finding joy despite everything going on in the world. Or, maybe it isn't a coping mechanism at all. Maybe they're fine and happy, but still just enjoy these things. That's fine too. I can't comprehend judging them or bullying actual children. Have some empathy, and realise you were that kid once too, and that's okay.

not 2 be controversial on main but i think it’s pretty sad the first major generation to grow up online is projecting their adolescent self-hatred onto the “cringe” generation of tiktokkers