#Flamebird au

[chess-blackmyre]

For those who want to know what I’m talking about, you can take a look at my story series here on ao3.

Also have a free picrew:

[zylev-blog]

On one of Danny’s time travel adventures, Danny (in human form) and Tim are sent to Krypton, thousands of years before Clark’s time. They fix the time stream and return to their time, thinking that their adventure hadn’t changed the timestream that much. Then Danny overhears Clark telling Dick (pre-Nightwing) about the adventures of Nightwing and Flamebird. This prompts Dick to branch off and become Nightwing later on. This is also how Danny finds out that he and Tim are counted as Gods of Krypton and legends of their adventures were still told.

[deadsetobsessions]

“Trust me.”

By the gods, he does. Even when the tell tale cracks of lies web through Tim’s face, even when Dick hears the waver in Tim’s voice, all but indiscernible to those who didn’t know his baby brother like he did, Dick still puts his faith in Tim.

He has no choice. Not when he’s chained to the wall, broken and beaten and bloody. Not when backup is too far away and Bruce and Jason is slumped over unconscious. Not when Tim has to choose between them or himself. Not when Dick knows that that’s never a choice he’ll take for himself.

“Come back soon, baby bird.”

How could he be angry at Tim for lying when Dick is doing the same? How could he be angry that Tim broke free before any of them did and incapacitated the villains on his own when Dick would have done the same if he could? How could Dick be angry- no, he is angry, that Tim chooses to sacrifice himself to save the. Because there is no other way? He would have done the same, if he could.

“Yeah.”

But he couldn’t. And it’ll cost him Tim. Dick doesn’t want to loose another brother.

Tim tips forward into the glowing white portal, and the world flashes white.

Dick doesn’t have a choice.

——

It’s only when he’s Nightwing again, with a Jason that had not died, does he remember.

“Wing?!” Jason catches him as he stumbles. Flamebird. Jason goes by Flamebird. Not Red Hood.

Dick stands, roughly brushing Jason off in a way he’ll have to apologize for later. But right now, the vigilante puts in behind him as he swivels wildly to look for the thing- no, the person that unlocked his memories of Before.

It’s only now, does Dick understand what his heart’s been trying to tell him for years.

It’s only now, does he understand who he’s been missing for, for years.

It’s only when he’s facing the large lenses of a camera in front of pained, longing eyes, does Dick Grayson comprehend what he lost and who gave him everything he has now.

“Baby bird-!” The nickname tears out of him as Nightwing, as Dick, stumbles towards the curled up figure of his baby brother.

“Nightwing, what…?”

“Dick…?” Their stalker, Dick’s baby brother, asks, hope marring his voice.

“Baby bird.” He chants, pulling Timothy Drake into a hug, uncaring of the way the camera digs into him. “You’re here. You’re alive.���

Tim curls into the hug, hands gripping the back of the Nightwing suit.

“You remember…?”

“I missed you. Always. There was something missing and it was you, and you did it- we’re alive-!”

“I told you to trust me.”

And despite the sass, Dick could hear the waver in Tim’s voice. And this time, he’s free to act on it. Dick squeezes his little brother closer.

“I will always trust you, baby bird.”

“Uh. Wing. What the fresh fuck is happening?”

Dick pulls back, ready to cheerfully manhandle Tim into becoming a part of the Bats once more. He’d do something about Tim’s overworking habits, but even Dick knows a loosing battle when he sees one.

“Jay, this is Tim. “

——

“Wait. Someone shot Tarantula. Was that you…?”

“Heh,” Tim grins at him sheepishly behind a Batburger.

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

Nightwing and Flamebird, Gotham Edition

[devine-fem]

Can’t stop thinking about either Dick retiring or dying from vigilantism and it shaking Damian’s whole world.

It makes him realize what mantle he should take instead of Batman. To honor Dick, he decides to take the Nightwing mantle and make it his own. He is told by Bruce or Dick about what Nightwing is, and he finds that it has Kryptonian roots, he finds that Nightwing was one half of a duo and now he can’t get a certain person out of his head.

For his own selfish reasons, Damian asks Jon to be his Flamebird and together they could become Nightwing and Flamebird. The best crime-fighting couple to ever.

Art for reference by my mutual.

Art.

Art.

[fastestmanalive333]

I'm suprised this actually came out pretty good.. but yeah... some father and son bonding time we were robbed of.. think of this as a War of the Supermen Alternate Ending.. the Good Ending where Chris & Thara survive

The battle ended with Chris and Clark single handedly flying Zod into the source wall.. not the phantom zone as they did before.. the other kryptonian criminals are taken captive by OA and are held in a solar system with a Red Sun.. the kryptonians left on New Krypton who did not side with Zod were given a home on the planet Rokyn.. Chris' Nightwing powers are new.. and he is learning new things about them and himself everyday.. after a long day of war, turmoil... Chris and Clark catch up on lost time.. he has matured so much from this.. and Clark sees in him the potential to be a great hero.. and although zod, ursa and non are gone.. many of his followers are still on Earth Clark offers Chris to join the Supermen of America where he gladly accepts, Lucy is ridden of her powers with Sam Lane dead Lois comes to give her comfort, Mon-El.. after years of suffering from lead poisoning and being bound to the phantom zone.. is free.. free to go and do as he pleases.. Chris meets Conner... Thara and Kara reconnect and they quickly bond... in the shadows.. a new mysterious threat is lurking in the shadows.. ready to strike.. who it is we dont know.. that is for you to decide...

Continued in

Supermen of America #1 (2011) (which in my mind for this alternate universe is very much be like the Batman Incorporated of Superman..) Written by Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek

Nightwing/Flamebird #1 (2011) written by Greg Rucka

Kon-El: Sentinel #12 written by Jeff Lemire (Kons series numbering continued off Superboy Vol 5)

Supergirl Vol 5. #67 written by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Steel (2011) #1 written by Louise Simonson

Superman (1939) #709 written by J. Michael Straczynski

Action Comics (1938) #900 written by Geoff Johns

[sailing-through-hawkins]

thinking about trapeze artist duo Robin and Steve

at first revered for their practically telepathic connection, they're now known for their daring defiance of gravity and perfect synchrony

Eddie and Chrissy get front row seats and watch the pair of them fly through the air in jaw-dropped awe

at the end of the act, Chrissy takes a chance to throw a rose at them which Steve manages to catch and then give to Robin with a smug whisper

Chrissy then has to hold herself back from screaming when Robin takes the rose and hooks it behind her ear, all the while keeping giddy eye contact with Chrissy

meanwhile Eddie is biting a lock of his own hair when Steve grins at him after giving the rose, managing to toss a rose of his own that Steve ALSO catches and puts behind his own ear with a wink

needless to say, they're definitely coming back for the next show

[elioherondale]

PSA: A list of batfam members that idiotic fanon-only ppl have decided to put the mantle of Flamebird on and not seeing how misogynistic that is to Bette Kane

Dick Grayson

Jason Todd

Tim Drake

Damian Wayne (this is only fine when this is with Jon, IT IS NOT WHEN YOU TRY TO DO THIS WITH GRAYSON)

Jake Grayson (whomever the fuck that is)

Wally West. fucking Wally West. Like, how much of an asshole do you have to be to look at one of the most well-known legacy characters whose era on the title has defined the series and its lore for years to come and think "hmm, y'know, he'd be better as Flamebird"

Carrie Kelley. Girl, she already has three different mantles (Robin, Catgirl, Batwoman), you do NOT have to give her Flamebird.

Barbara Gordon (thank you @blackorchidsonefan). This one is probably the most dramatically ironic. There's a massive amount of people out there who don't see Bette as being the original Batgirl and you're deadass gonna say "yeah, let's make Babs steal BOTH of her mantles"

Unless she happens to fucking die, actually passes on the role of Flamebird or if its for Kryptonian Nightwing and Flamebird, DON'T FUCKING GIVE ANYONE ELSE THE MANTLE OF FLAMEBIRD AND JUST PUT BETTE IN YOUR STORY/FIC/AU INSTEAD.

IT'S NOT EVEN THAT FUCKING HARD, Y'ALL CAN READ MOST OF HER APPEARANCES IN THE SPAN OF A DAY (unless your some of those weird stans who think that reading 2.5 k word fanfics with major mischaracterization is better than reading the source material with pictures and words that only goes for about 20 pages each issue) Anyway, that's my PSA for y'all. Stay cheesy and go read more comics~

[variant-nightwing16]

Did a redraw of an older drawing, I added Jason this time and gave Dickie a makeover :)

[bitterrobin]

Small tangent on Bette Kane and how people treat her

re-reading Beast Boy (2000) in order to really get a sense of where Bette was pre-Batwoman run (2014).

Does anyone else just feel sad whenever Bette brings up Titans West and everyone shoots her down? Objectively, I know that no one thinks Teen Titans West is a great team - especially when people like Hawk and Dove seem better off solo. But you do get a sense of loneliness whenever Bette is so excited at the prospect of getting the band back together.

Given that it's become sort of a running gag for Bette to suggest reforming Titans West, it is something that DC is aware of.

As the Beast Boy run continues, Gar gets himself into incriminating shapeshifter trouble and is put in a holding cell by the police. Bette goes to help him in her Flamebird costume (notably the one from the 80s).

After reading a lot of her earlier appearances in older Titans comics, this kind of exasperated annoyance when Bette makes an appearance is surprisingly frequent. She doesn't have a great reputation among the other Titans at least.

Later on in issue #2, Nightwing hears of Gar's predicament and goes to LA. In the next issue, he fights an enemy shapeshifter who was impersonating Gar. Bette shows up back in the police station to try and bail Gar out, but her check is invalid and the police officer from the prior issue rips it in half. Bette mentions, confused, that she's never tried to post bail before and that she even borrowed money from her Aunt Kathy. (Knowing that Catherine Hamilton wasn't created until the Batwoman series, I personally think this Kathy is supposed to be Kathy Kane.)

When the police learn that Nightwing is fighting "Beast Boy", the heroes learn that the murders of the previous issues were the cause of an impersonator trying to frame Gar. Bette leaves and goes to help Nightwing.

This is the first time I've seen Dick and Bette interacting outside of brief Titans crossovers. It's super obvious that he thinks she's annoying and that she's not skilled enough to be a vigilante. He cuts her off mid-speech and tries to sideline her when they fight the shapeshifter. When it inevitable gets away, he puts the blame on her involvement. Later on, he leaves her to deal with the police and the public on her own.

Putting all of these panels together, the writers are making Bette out as not a "real" hero, someone who clings to the past. In comics like this, Bette is always treated like that annoying little girl who doesn't know when to give up. Especially because Bette has never had her own solo comic, all of her characterization comes with the perspective of whoever's run she's cameoing in.

I am willing to concede that Beast Boy is a very early 2000s comic but since Bette is the only other female character in it besides two villains - it doesn't look good overall. Not to mention, this comic still sticks with the continuity of "Bette has a crush on/is obsessed with Nightwing." ANYWAY this leads to some panels that I actually like, even if it comes off rude and a little misogynstic with Dick telling Bette what to do.

It's that last little declaration of defiance that really solidifies to her character to me. Bette Kane has never needed permission to do anything, especially not being a hero. Also, this kinda puts back into canon that Dick was the inspiration for Bette becoming Flamebird.

When it comes to her characterization, I can't help but feel like she should be (rightly) a little bitter about this convo. When we get her back in Batwoman, Kate doesn't treat her as an equal either and also tries to get her to quit. Bette is a bit younger in the Batwoman run since I think it's post-one of many reboots, but it just adds onto the lack of trust anyone has in her.

Despite being Bruce's cousin, she's a blip in the wider Batman comic-verse. I'm pretty sure Bette hasn't directly interacted with Bruce in a comic, much less anyone other than Dick, Kate, or Cass (once).

All of this goes to say that I'm definitely addressing all of that and making it a main point in my fics. My Flamebird-in-Gotham au came about specifically because I want to reconcile the Bette Kane I like with the way others in-universe treat her. Bette deserves to be treated with respect. Trust me, there will be words had in fanfic form.

(Also bc I just think Bette and Damian interacting would be both interesting and funny).

[mamawasatesttube]

war of the supermen i could fix you...

[chess-blackmyre]

A shame without a sin.

Chapter Two

Chapter Summary: In which, Harvey Dent is the confused dad in a Hot Topic.

[notmoreflippingelves]

If any of the krisnix fans following me are already DCU fans, I would be very, very curious to pick some of your brains and mine your existing comics knowledge (as my own is very new and somewhat lacking) about a krisnix-centric, Batman-inspired AU.

[earth489]

Damian puts together another Titans team after he becomes Nightwing, consisting of the children of the five original Titans*, plus his own Super and Wonder.

The team winds up as him as Nightwing, Jon Kent as Flamebird, Yara Flor as Fury, Robbie Troy as Darkstar, Lian Harper as Speedy, Irey West as Kid Flash, Mar'i Grayson as Robin (later Nightstar), and Cerdian as Aqualad.

Of course, they aren't the only Titans, but that's the starting team.

* On Earth 489, there are actually six founding members of the Titans. Zala Jor-El (who is the first Supergirl in this continuity) is the sixth member. However, she doesn't have any children, baring a clone created from her and Lena Luthor's DNA who isn't around anymore by the time Damian is Nightwing.

[the-antiapocalyptic-man]

Bette Kane, the Flamebird

After spending time as Batgirl to her aunt Kathy's Batwoman, Bette moved to LA and split her time between training and competing as a tennis prodigy and operating as a member of the Teen Titans' West Coast chapter. She eventually changed her identity to "Flamebird" on the suggestion of Jimmy Olsen. They claimed to have once used the identity undercover along with Superman as Nightwing in a miniaturized alien city, but Bette couldn't tell if Jimmy was pulling her leg. Regardless, she took to the name, Nightwing and Flamebird reuniting whenever their respective Titans teams found themselves on a mission together.

Bette would eventually be drawn back to Gotham after the appearance of a new Batwoman in the city. Operating undercover as "Hawkfire", Bette began to unravel the Mystery of Batwoman, discovering it wasn't one but three individuals: Ryan Wilder, Rocky Ballatine, and Bette's cousin, Kate. Rocky retired from the role and left Gotham shortly after, but Kate and Ryan would split the responsibility as (unofficially) Batwoman Black and Batwoman Red. Bette herself was jokingly recruited as "Batwoman Green" after Dr. Isley briefed linked her to The Parliament of Flowers to save her life as a battle, but the link and related powers seem to have faded.

Bette retired Hawkfire and returned to Flamebird and her place with the Titans...until, some time later, a pair of Kryptonians calling themselves Nightwing and Flamebird appeared and things got real weird...

[gabbynyssa]

Can't believe I put down my Kon-El fan design WIP months ago just to start a set of Nightwings and Flamebirds fan designs for Dick, Jason, Bette and Harper.