#IF JASON EVER KILLS THE JOKER ITS NOT JUST FOR HIMSELF HES DOING IT FOR HER TOO! BC THEY WERE BOTH HURT BY HIM

[faramirsonofgondor]

Okay, so I'm just going to throw this at you because I have way too many WIPs on my plate, a document of more than 130K words of ideas, and I just love the way you think on the prompts you've been given. So here we go:

There are so many fics and AUs where someone goes back in time, or just their consciousness, or what not, and they always end up changing things for the better. Sometimes for the worse. Except its always been one of the "good guys". What about one of the "bad guys". Say... Ra's Al Ghul? He goes into the Lazarus pit like he is know to do, but when he comes out it's years earlier. Like everything he's seen and done the past X number of years was a vision given to him by the Pit. His daughter is much, much younger. Damian has not been born. The Detective has not been returned to his city for more than a few years. In his research on his chosen heir he see the headline pertaining to the Wayne Foundation Benefit Circus, realizes it is the day the first child/protege of the Detective comes into the man's life.

Would he allow it? Would he permit Richard Grayson to change the man? To alter what he has always felt Bruce's destiny was? Or would he stop the boy? Save the parents maybe so there's no reason for Bruce to take him in? Would he eliminate the boy along with his parents? Or, would he remember the potential and accomplishments of Richard/Robin/Nightwing and wish to harness that for himself?

Thoughts, if you have any?

OOOOH Ok but how about this: He knows that Dick is the first kid to come into Bruce’s life, but he’s not the only one. Ra’s sees it as Bruce having an adoption problem, and though Dick might’ve been the catalyst there’s no saying how he would react even if he never had Dick. Bruce would be easier to control using variables that Ra’s is already familiar with. So he lets Bruce take in Dick, but he also remembers how Bruce was after Jason died and decides that he should move up the timeline.

Except, Ra’s doesn’t exactly remember everything that went on during Dick’s time as Robin, so most of the things that happen are still the same, except Dick got a lot more scars along the way. He nudges Deathstroke in their direction, remembering the man’s rivalry with Dock and hoping that the man will try to eliminate him. Only, Slade becomes obsessed and decides to train the kid instead (which happened in the last life but Ra’s doesn’t remember it). Once the kid goes back to Bruce, he’s all moody and traumatized, which Ra’s hopes is enough to spur Bruce into killing. It isn’t.

So Ra’s sends Talia like he did last time, not wanting to mess up and lose his heir, but unlike last time, he doesn’t instruct Talia to drive a wedge between Bruce and Dick. Instead, he tells her to make sure that their relationship is better than ever, hoping that if Bruce becomes even more attached to Dick, then losing Dick will hurt more. She does so, but as time goes on, Ra’s starts to realize that Talia has grown attached to Dick. Once she’s pregnant with Damian, he orders her to come back immediately, but he’s surprised to find that she protests vehemently. Eventually, he gets her to come back under the threat that he would kill Dick, her, and her child.

However, once Talia leaves, Dick and Bruce’s relationship starts to take a turn for the worse. Bruce is more controlling in the loss of his lover, not wanting to be left again. Dick is desperate for freedom and independence, fighting against Bruce’s controlling nature. Ra’s tries one last time, having his assassins break Joker out of Arkham so that Dick could get attacked by him and push Bruce into killing him. It doesn’t work, Dick gets shot and leaves and now Bruce is alone.

So Ra’s is just like “fine, guess I’ll just stick to what happened last time” and decides to make sure Bruce adopts Jason and gets him into vigilantism. Except he may have also overshot it slightly because he witnessed the fallout of Bruce and Dick’s relationship, and was like “obviously this man cannot be trusted to handle these kids alone, he needs someone to mediate” and so he lures Dick back into their lives the night after Bruce takes in Jason by leaving some creepy note and photos of Jason and Batman. Dick understandably is like “wtf Bruce” but he warms up to Jason a lot quicker and does eventually end up mediating some conflicts between Jason and Bruce, despite the fact that his relationship with Bruce is still less than stellar.

Of course, Ra’s still wants to push Bruce into breaking his code and into reaching “his full potential” and decides to go with the tried and true method of Jason’s death. He waits til Dick is in space then orchestrates a fight between Jason and Bruce while leaving a trail that will lead Jason to his mother, all while nudging Joker in their direction. Jason dies again, except Joker got to spend much more time with him because of how Ra’s had pushed things along. Bruce can barely recognize his son by the time he gets there.

Ra’s waits in anticipation for Bruce to kill Joker. He watches as Bruce gets more and more violent, more and more reckless, and as he gets closer and closer to crossing the line. Bruce tries to kill Joker, once, but is stopped by Superman. Ra’s still has hope that Bruce will kill Joker (or someone else), especially considering that Bruce and Dick are back to fighting with each other again. Then Tim shows up, and Bruce starts losing his momentum, his temper cools gradually, though not completely. Ra’s wants to scream in frustration, but he’s distracted by Jason’s revival and sudden arrival at Nanda Parbat. He had almost forgotten about that, but decides to use this all to his advantage.

He breaks the Joker again (he really should realize that this method isn’t working for him) and sets up a scenario so that Bruce thinks that Joker killed Tim, then places cameras around the room to show Jason how Bruce reacts. He’s hoping that when Jason sees Bruce’s failure, he’ll be persuaded to lure Bruce towards the “right” path. Except Batman doesn’t get there first. Nightwing does. Ra’s, Talia, and Jason all watched in muted horror/fascination as Dick beats the Joker to death, and then beats him a little more. Maybe Ra’s shouldn’t have underestimated the kid so much.

Batman shows up eventually, and ends up reviving Joker, but Ra’s was already starting to reevaluate his plans. Maybe Batman would never break his rule, but clearly Nightwing could be persuaded. Ra’s spends time reassessing and redoing his plans, and by the time he’s ready to bring Nightwing to Nanda Parbat, the Blockbuster debacle has already happened and the Gang Wars are coming to an end. The girl-Robin dies which gives Ra’s the perfect opportunity to snatch Dick and integrate him into the LoA.

Obviously, Ra’s doesn’t actually snatch him. But he does send some assassins to persuade him to come with them, and fortunately Dick doesn’t need much persuading. Apparently, all his fights with Batman had led to him chucking his morals out the window, which was great for Ra’s plans. Once Dick was in the League, he adapted surprisingly well. It was almost unnerving how well. It rankled Ra’s, how perfect Dick seemed to be. Ra’s could hardly find any mistakes in his fighting ability or intelligence. It was beginning to frustrate him to no end. He even got Deathstroke to train the boy more, and Lady Shiva as well, but Dick quickly surpassed their skill. It seemed as though he was even inventing his own moves and style of fighting? Ra’s wasn’t sure how he could have overlooked such an obvious threat, though for now he did nothing about it considering the boy seemed perfectly happy living under Ra’s thumb. Ra’s was just glad Dick was unaware of Jason’s presence, otherwise shit would get messy real quick.

Unbeknownst to Ra’s, Dick was very much aware of Jason’s presence. See, in another timeline, the first timeline, Ra’s would order his daughter to sew tension between Bruce and his first child, and in doing so, created a decades-long animosity between Talia and Dick. But in this timeline? Ra’s has Talia mediate the relationship between Bruce and his ward, and in doing so, creates an unbreakable bond between Talia and Dick. Talia may have pretended at first, but Dick had wormed his way into her heart, and now she saw him as her first child in a way. He made her want to change, to do better. He was the bright spot in the darkest times of her life. It broke her heart to have to leave him and Bruce, and since that day her hatred for her father grew and grew.

She realized early on that Ra’s was involved in plans to hurt Dick, and she tried her best to intervene when she could. To her horror, Dick was hurt anyways and ended up leaving Bruce. It hurt her heart to see two people she loved more than anything fight the way they did, but she knew Ra’s was mostly to blame, so she settled for revenge. She would wait until Damian grew, then they would end Ra’s together and return to their family (if they were still alive by that point - and Talia desperately hoped they would be).

Jason threw a wrench in those plans, seeing as his presence seemed to help bridge the gap in Bruce and Dick’s relationship. But then he died, and Talia knew, she knew, her father had been behind this. She debated going to Bruce with this information, but she didn’t have enough evidence yet and she wasn’t sure how her beloved would respond. Plus, she needed to know why Ra’s was doing this, what his end goal was, and she wouldn’t be able to figure that out if Bruce decided to act on his anger. She decided to get into contact with Dick instead, seeing as Ra’s wasn’t monitoring him as much as he was Bruce. When she found about Jason’s revival, she told Dick immediately and they started coming up with ideas on how to get him away from Ra’s. Dick understood that for their plans to work, Bruce couldn’t know, though Dick didn’t really like keeping such a big secret from the man. But Bruce tended to get tunnel vision and he had control issues, he would want to be in charge of making the plan and he likely wouldn’t agree with Talia’s plot to kill Ra’s.

It was a bit of a surprise, when Dick killed Joker, but Talia couldn’t really the blame the man. Still, she worried as Dick seemed to get more and more traumatized, and as more and more evil landed on his doorstep. When Dick finally ended up in Nanda Parbat, it took more restraint than she was willing to admit to hold off on embracing him. This would only work if they kept their cover. Still, despite Dick’s competency and clear dangerousness, Ra’s seemed to underestimate them while he poured his time and resources into keeping an eye on Bruce and the third Robin. Dick didn’t interact with Jason, still scared to be found out by Ra’s, but they did pass messages through Talia. Damian had also taken quite the shining to Dick. If it were anyone else, Talia would be envious of the amount of attention Damian gave to him, but this was Dick and so Talia understood completely. Dick had taken to calling Damian “his little Flamebird” in private. Once Talia understood the context behind the name, she felt honored on Damian’s behalf.

However, despite the emotions swirling between them, they still had coup to plan. Talia was both relieved and a bit worried about how easily Dick persuaded people to join them, but then again he had always been a people-person and a good conversationalist. In the end, it was Talia, Dick, Jason, Deathstroke (which Talia did not have the time to question), Lady Shiva, Lady Shiva’s daughter (???), and a little over half of the League that went up against Ra’s. Dick moved with a fluidness and vengeance that Talia had never seen before. As promised, he and Deathstroke gravely injured Ra’s, but left the killing blow up to her.

Ra’s hadn’t seen any of it coming. Here he was bleeding out, watching as Talia approached. His only hope was that his daughter or someone loyal to him would throw him back into the Pit, and he would get another chance. Next time, he would do things differently. Next time, he would kill the brat before Bruce even looked at him. Next time, he would ensure both his daughter’s and Bruce’s total submission to him, and him alone. Next time, he would-

There was no next time, because before Ra’s could even finish his thought, his head was at Talia’s feet. Things were different, now. Talia was softer, but no less determined. Dick was sharper, more jaded, but no less kind and loyal. Bruce was darker, but no less loving. Jason was angrier, more traumatized, but no less protective and caring. They might have more trauma, more hurt and pain and and scars anger and darkness within them, but they were a family, and they were all willing to try for each other.

[apatheticsunday]

Graveyard Favors

AKA "The Lazarus Pit doesn't exist and Jason Todd crawls out of his grave. Only for a huge, red-eyed dog to escort him to the Ghost King, who apologies for making him a zombie. But, uh, I can kill your murderer for you?" prompt!

(Also known as Grimm!Cujo plays fetch with a Zombie Robin and Danny's just trying to undo a really, really bad clerical error.)

I like the idea of Cujo playing as a sort of Church Grimm, Charon (Ferryman of the Styx River in the Underworld), and Cerberus. He protects graves, guides the dead, and is Danny's personal guard dog to the entrance of the Infinite Realms. There are portals in every graveyard across the Realms because ghosts typically haunt where their bodies are. The King's servants collect the ghosts from Earth graves and safely into the Ghost Zone.

But what happens when a ghost re-enters its original dead body?? Do the servants just... shrug it off, say it's an Earth problem? Or do they do the workplace equivalent of going to the manager? I like the idea that it's actually Danny's fault and he's scrambling to keep it under wraps, to not do any worse of a job than he already is (he's still young for a Ghost King, he's going to make a lot of mistakes early on, right?).

Maybe Danny wasn't paying attention to his paperwork, had been stamping documents with his Royal Seal without really reading it, and Clockwork slipped in an Undead Appeal form in Danny's pile to teach him a lesson. The Appeal is for one Jason Todd-Wayne, located in a small plot in Gotham City.

So, Danny does what any person trying to undo a really bad mistake does. He says, "Don't worry about it, I'm taking care of it!" Except it's literally a human being he reanimated after being dead for several months. He's utterly terrified he's created the first of an unstoppable zombie plague or he's going to Ghost Jail for unknowingly violating the Geneva Convention of the Ghost Zone. Either way, Danny knows he has to handle this himself.

And there's Jason, leaning against a wolf-sized Cujo, at the foot of his grave. He looks... lost. Exhausted, alone. And Danny's like, oh, Hells, I did that. That's my fault. Cujo snuffles worriedly against Jason's face.

"Jason? Jason Todd?" Danny calls out. He wonders belatedly if he should've worn his High King of Infinite Realms attire, but he's still in Tucker's ratty Amity-Uni sweater and ripped jeans. Jason looks up at him from where he's now slouched against Cujo, slowly inching his way closer to the ground.

"I-my name's Danny. I'm-"

"Hospital," Jason rasps, nearly fully on the ground now. And oh, yeah, being freshly undead probably isn't as easy as switching between human and Ghost. Hells, what was he thinking? So, Danny finds himself in the Gotham Hospital waiting room as Jason's being treated and he's sitting there thinking about how to reintroduce himself. He can't be a stuttering, unsure mess when he's admitting to a grave error. Would Jason even believe him? Probably not, right?

That's how Jason Todd wakes up to the High King of Infinite Realms, Space, and the Dead next to his beside.

Danny admits his mistake, apologizes, and offers a Royal Boon in the form of an unbreakable vow. Anything his zombie needs or wants, the High King will provide. He probably should've expected it when Jason immediately says he wants to murder the Joker, brutally, painfully. Personally.

It's surprisingly easy to sign a Death Warrant.

(Later, after the Joker's prolonged and agonizing death is reported by the Gotham News, Jason asks Danny for money. Danny's like?? I already helped you avenge your murder?? And Jason just guilt-trips the ever-loving shit out of him. You brought me back from the dead a penniless and homeless zombie, you even said you'd provide for me, but now you're takin' it back?? Are you a fuckin' liar?? Danny's like, no, you're right, I'm so, so, so sorry, here's like 20k in Ancient Gold. Cue side-story of Danny unintentionally becoming Jason "Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss" Todd's sugar daddy.)

[vinelark]

Hello! Was going through your fic rec tag and saw someone asked for your favorite pangy Jason fics, and was wondering if I could request the same but with Tim instead?

okay, you’ve asked the golden question for me, because tim pangs are my favorite pangs—and this fandom has such an abundance of them. i had to narrow this list down so much, and tried to focus on fics where the pangs feel like a core part of the story for me. i came up with a mix of go-to recs that have definitely appeared on this blog before and some stories i don’t think i’ve mentioned yet. so here we go, serving up some tim pangs:

Like a Hinge, Like a Wing by @bonesbuckleup

tim joins the batfamily early, and in one of the pangiest ways possible. featuring an actual uncle and tim being so very isolated and alone (until he isn’t!)—excellent recipe for great and sustained pangs. i rec this one often and for good reason: i love the characterization of this pre-robin tim (smart! competent! lonely! believably a kid!), the writing is fantastic, and it still hits on each reread.

A Meditation on Railroading by @eggmacguffin

another one of my favorite rereads—this is all about robin-era tim being hurt in his home/civilian life and trying to deal with that on his own, because he’s drawn a clear line between “robin” and “tim.” this is pangs galore—from tim’s positioning of himself in relation to the bats (especially bruce and dick), to the large and small ways he is hurt + how he deals with that hurt, and, especially, the way we get to see jason observe & recharacterize tim based on what happens in this story.

Surveillance series by @smilebackwards

this series has these very specific “tim comes into the picture late” flavor of pangs that i am (more than) a bit obsessed with—it does such a compelling job navigating what this version of tim would think and do and feel as he forges relationships with the bats/assorted heroes a few years later than in canon. and some of those feelings (especially in the first and last installments) are beautifully pangy; here we have tim dealing with a lot on his own without ever expecting outside help, and even later when be finds himself with a support network, this still teases out the great, subtle pangs of tim having to learn how to navigate that.

equivalent exchange by scribblemetimbers

holy tim pangs, batman! this really hits the sweet spot—a tim who is competent and cunning and stubborn as hell AND is lonely with terrible self-worth unintentionally reinforced by bruce, all of which collide in a self-sacrificial gambit that sets its long plot in motion. (this fic is complete, but is part one of a series.) this does one of the top-tier, prime pang setups: in which one character unintentionally reinforces another character’s deepest insecurities (with devastating consequences).

between hands that relaxed by @deitybird

one of my new fav reverse robins fics (that recently completed!), in which tim, the second of batman’s partners, was killed by the joker—and that’s just where the horrors begin for him. lots of pangs re: tim’s sense of identity/worth, his aching loneliness as he slowly finds his way back to the family, and especially notable angst re: his relationship with an older damian. (before he died it was: bad. this story takes a very hopeful approach to their future.) i also adore the timkon & core four threads here. as a bonus, the first fic in the series is damian pov and, imo, extremely worth reading both fics for maximum pangs.

Hear it in your tone (you’re slowly letting go) by sexyPineappleMan (wip)

a take on “bruce is tim’s biological father” that is so far doing everything i would want with this premise, and delivers a buffet of pangs from chapter one. tim is brilliant, lonely, and hurting in this joins-the-family-late au—that also sees him as a (former) olympic hopeful gymnast, a non-robin tim identity i love—and i’m equally compelled by the angst/looming reveals, and by the intrigue of the plot itself. i’ve been well fed so far and am eagerly awaiting more.

Our Bodies & Other Fine Machines by @sunflowersandink

in which robin!tim is dealt a very specific kind of difficult hand and (you may be sensing a pattern here) tries to deal with it entirely on his own. the way there’s so much tension and angst hanging over a scene about eating pancakes speaks to the kind of story this is: one where every single detail is used for maximum potential. i return to this one for its prime tim pangs, and i still forget, every time, just how well executed they are and how the plot builds to a top-notch reveal and resolution. (heads up for food insecurity/disordered eating in this one, do mind the notes!)

some of us have childhoods that aren't poems on sight (but darling, you're doing alright) by mrs_d

specifically chapter 21, which has a fully executed pang arc that almost lets it read like a standalone story. don’t get me wrong, there are pangs threaded throughout—tim in this story is very lonely and primed to expect lack of care—but the misunderstanding between alfred and tim in the second half of this chapter is really notable. it’s simple and technically low-stakes compared to what else is happening in the plot, but the stakes feel high to us (and to the characters).

How to Proceed by @philosophersandfools

another reverse robins fic, this one a oneshot that pulls off its premise both efficiently and potently. here we see a teenage eldest brother damian, who has softened a bit (especially since a very young jason and dick have already been brought into the fold) but still distrusts and dislikes his father’s new mentee, 14 y/o tim. that distrust stems from damian’s misunderstanding of tim’s intentions/situation and leads to some excellent pangs before a decisive resolution.

this is nowhere near an exhaustive list and i reserve the right to update with additions later 💪

[randomasfuk]

I wanna see Batman lose his shit like fully lose his shit when Jason comes back from the dead. It happens same as before.

Jason stands there, chest heaving, gun raised. The cold barrel is pressed tightly against the Joker’s temple. The clown doesn’t flinch — of course he doesn’t. He smiles, like always. Behind them, Bruce stands bloodied and broken, staring at the man who took his son’s life.

The Joker had killed his boy, his innocent boy. He wasn’t the first and he wouldn’t be the last.

Bruce’s eyes shift to Jason. He’s different now. Taller, broader. Paler. And so much angrier. His once-blue eyes have turned a haunting green, tainted by the Lazarus Pit. But beneath the rage, Bruce still sees him — the bright-eyed boy who only ever wanted to help people. The kid who dreamed big, who talked about the future like it was already his.

And then Bruce looks back at the Joker — the monster who stole all of that away.

Jason’s voice cuts through the silence like a blade:

“Choose. Him… or me.”

Bruce is calm. Too calm. His mind races, but his face is still. He looks between the two — his son, and the man who destroyed him. And then, without hesitation, he makes his choice. As if it were the simplest decision in the world.

Bruce had warned him. Told him that if he started with Joker, he wouldn’t be able to stop. And he was right.

But Jason never wanted this.

He didn’t want a Batman who could kill. He just wanted to know that his father — his dad — cared more about him than a code. More than a monster. More than the twisted oath that let the man who murdered him live.

And he got what he wanted.

But it didn’t end there.

Next was Black Mask. Jason was shocked, but he understood. Then came Penguin. Harley. Dent. Poison Ivy. One by one. It snowballed. Bruce had broken the code, and now there was nothing to hold him back. What made Black Mask any better than the Joker? Or Penguin? Or Harley, who had killed so many — even if she was trying to change, she had still hurt so many?

Bruce had already crossed the line.

And with each step forward, he lost a little more of himself.

The kills came easier. The guilt quieter. The blood more familiar. Bruce was already used to it — the cracking of bones, the blank stares of the dead, the carnage. He’d seen detached limbs, dug through shattered bodies for misplaced organs. It didn’t faze him anymore.

He stopped remembering why there even was a code.

Eventually, the deaths weren’t even for murder. Or terror. Or cruelty. Just… lesser crimes. Petty theft. Bribery. Corruption. Anything that reminded him of the rot in Gotham. Another body. Another broken life. Another monster slain.

And then he laughed.

Laughed at a corpse, whose dead eyes stared in different directions.

This wasn’t justice.

This was revenge.

Bruce was always angry — he’d just been so good at using it for good. But now, untethered from the moral lines that had defined him, he became the very thing he swore to fight. Gotham’s greatest protector had become its most dangerous monster.

And poor, poor Jason…

He got what he asked for — and now, he has to watch his father become the man who killed him.

Do you see the vision

[dc-jxsontxdd]

Hello sis! Thank u for opening the box!!

What about Arkham Knight! Jason where he falls in love with the reader and is unexpectedly kind?

Thank uuuuuu🩷🩷🩷🩷

Too Sweet For Me

A/n: thank you so much for being my first req. I got super excited about the prompt and I hope it's what you were asking for.

Jason who despite everything he's been through, everything he's seen and done. How could you look at him and see anything but a monster? Let me tell you this, it's not easy and its not fast. 

Jason is the living embodiment of self sabotage and rage. And when you show him nothing but kindness and adoration? He can't take it. He’ll lash out on you, yell at you, might even throw you out. Honestly the thought of being in love and happy is a feeling Jason loathes. He loathes how much it scares him when he starts feeling his pulse racing when you touch him or how much he hates it when he hasn't seen you in days and begins missing the sound of your voice. Hes scared he wont be able to stop himself from wanting to consume you completely.

In Jason's head, the closer you are to him the closer you are to danger. How could he do that to someone who looks at him as more than the robin who died, more than the victim of the Joker. He needs to keep you safe even if it means having to remove himself from the equation.

Does not mean he's not looking at you. Cameras to the front of your apartment, gps tracker, following you around on patrol without you knowing. His defense is he is doing it purely to keep you safe. Which is true but also because he can't stand to actually be without you. 

As much as I think he would be avoidant, it's all tied to his trauma. He can't get close to people, he can't rely on people. His mother and adoptive father taught him just that, so why would you be any different? It's irrational and paranoid but his entire nervous system has been rewired from his time with Joker. He wants to be with you, he wants to hold your hand, hold you by the waist, he wants to kiss you. He can't understand why those thoughts exist next to all the bad ones. He feels he's not allowed to think about those things because he doesnt deserve it. But watching you fawn and looking at him with those soft eyes? He doesn't know why, despite all these fears, he falls to his knees thanking you. He worships you, he needs you, he'll take anything and everything you give him with a smile. 

He tries his best to never raise his voice around you, keeps you away from all his knight business, never tells you where he’s actually going so he doesn't worry you. I'd be surprised if he even let you out without him. Not in a controlling way but in an extremely paranoid, you might get killed way. He's your protector, a knight in a different sense from his main mission. The person he becomes around you is not the big bad knight he is outside of your home. This doesn't mean the relationship is perfect, Jason has so much going on mentally there's no viable way he’d ever be the non toxic partner. He's jealous, dangerously so. He's killed men for just looking at you wrong. He's killed more for even referencing you. On his worst days, he probably has accused you of cheating when you obviously are not. He sometimes apologizes. 

Hell start fights for no reason, no matter how little you actually give him to fight about.

He'd leave for days, not to make you upset but because he genuinely doesn't know how to navigate any healthy communication. You might find your favorite flower placed at your window for a few days when he really feels bad. The fact you handle each outburst of his with reason and understanding, are able to hold his face in your hands even after everything he's done? He KNOWS he doesnt deserve you. He probably is even aware of his toxic tendencies. But you? He loves you. There's no one in his head that registers as permanent, but you? The only constant of his reality and existence, he'd be damned if he ever allowed you to leave him. Which in retrospect also adds to the red flag that is Arkham Jason.

He'd do anything you'd asked. Complained once your shoes were uncomfortable? New expensive pair the next day. Want him to stay in bed a little longer? He knows he really shouldn't but the feeling of your warmth against his skin doesn't feel real enough to utter the word no. 

He would not do this for just anyone, but you? Someone who has only ever shown him the good, he feels like he should treat you like the most expensive diamond in his possession. Sometimes it is probably hard for him to even think about you as an entirely human being. He wants to keep that part of you intact. He wants your kindness to never run out. He knows how little of it exists in Gotham, how much of it is manufactured and dulled. To him, you're a bright oil painting at the louvre. Something to keep guarded and untouched by filthy hands. To corrupt you would be sacrilege.

As for intimacy, don't expect a lot. Doesn't matter how you engage with Jason, his ability to be vulnerable is sometimes non existent. But the few times he is like a dream, heavy breathing, his chest to your back because he refuses to let you see his scars left by that damned clown. All hes focused on is how you feel and react. How sweet and beautiful you sound. Hes obsessed with you, every part of you. No matter how much he pulls and acts out, your presence, your love, is his lifeline. He thinks he'd actually die again if you weren't there. 

[fanfic-obsessed]

Crack Grudge Match

I had an idea for an undeniably crack grudge match. Consider this:

Ra’s Al Ghul vs. The Joker…but

Not for the reasons you would think.  Just bare with me. Also no cannon was consulted in the making of this. 

When Tim Drake is ten years old he is abducted by Joker and Harley Quinn, who turn him into Joker Junior. They hold him captive for 6 months, no one notices (a series of unfortunate computer errors saw him dropped from the teachers roster so his absence is not noted).  However Tim is not quite as broken as The Joker or Harley thinks he is and when they try and get him to kill a random man he shoots The Joker and escapes. Then Tim, 10 years old, found a sketchy shady doctor to pay to fix the damage The Joker did and, for Sketchy Shady Doctor reasons, did not report that he had to do plastic surgery on a 10 year old. Tim deprogrammed himself. 

The bats did not know that there was even a boy who had been turned into Joker Junior until years after the fact. After Harley left the Joker for good, she mentioned it to Bruce and Dick. Neither she nor Joker ever knew the real name of the boy they took.  Nor did Tim, later, let her get a good look at him. 

History continued on. Jason was killed by Joker. Tim became Robin. Jason came back. Bruce was lost. Tim brought Bruce back. 

All without anyone but Tim ever knowing what happened to the little boy who was tortured into becoming the Joker’s son. Then at some point post Bruce Quest the Joker escapes Arkham and gets a good look at Red Robin, somehow recognizing the young adult as Joker Junior.  Joker goes to recapture his son, and bring him home.  All the Bats are there, as is Harley (because I want her there for this). Unfortunately Ra’s with his ninjas also attack, aiming to capture Tim.  Ra’s says something to Tim that is very decidedly creepy and sexual.

I do want to note here, Joker does genuinely love both Junior and Harley. He is an abusive, toxic piece of shit and his love is equally toxic but he does love them in the only way he is capable. 

Joker hears the comment made by Ra’s.  Now Joker has precisely one(1) paternal instinct. That instinct is ‘creepy old dude is hitting on my son. I must attack’

So very abruptly this went from like a four way fight (The Bats, The Joker and his Gang, The Sirens, and Ra’s and his Ninja’s) to the Joker snapping around to where Ra’s was standing going “What the fuck did you just say about my son” and signal his goons to curb stomp the Ninja’s (The Ninja’s are highly trained, but the Goons are very high on Joker venom and no one goes to work for the Joker who is well adjusted). In the confusion Ra’s exits stage left. 

Joker turns to Red Robin, “Sonny boy, we’re gonna hafta catch up later. Papa needs to go dismember an old pervert. Don’t worry though, Papa’ll find you and we’ll get you looking healthy again in no time.” Then the Joker stalks off to hunt down Ra’s Al Ghul. 

Everyone else stares at Red Robin awkwardly. Red Robin has gone really pale. Then Harley takes half a step toward RR and goes “JJ?” 

Tim jerks at the sound (like he had been electrocuted) a quiet ‘Mama’ and half a giggle escapes before Tim claps his hands over his mouth to muffle the sound (hard enough that there would be bruises along his upper lip). It is now time for Tim to have a massive breakdown as he contends with the simultaneous panic attacks coming from the idea that the Bats will know about JJ, The Joker knows he’s Red Robin and seems to want him back, and the realization that he is not as healed from his childhood trauma as he thought. 

The Bats and the Sirens get Tim somewhere safe and quiet.  Tim is hyperventilating, trying not to start laughing or fall into a JJ mindset.  Harley visibly longs to pull Tim into a hug and comfort her son. She is also deeply aware of the fact that, even if Tim wanted comfort from her its because she helped torture him until he began to associated her with being a mother. 

I have no idea where this would go from here. I just wanted the Joker’s one redeeming quality to be ‘Going to have a grudge match against a creep old man for hitting on Tim, his teenage son’

[sicklyseraphnsuch]

Damian AU where after Bruce's passionate love affair with Talia al Ghul (retro comics style), Talia comes clean about that she didn't miscarry. It's a boy. Talia asks Bruce to pick him up.

This was during Dick's time as Robin, already with the Titans but not yet at the point where he and Bruce conflict over his growing independence

Bruce brings home baby dami. The rest of canon plays out with dick getting fired. and talia getting tortured by nyssa. you can guess what happens next. In the interim between dick and jason, talia kidnaps damian (age 5).

the ensuing search is enough to get batman in proximity with still-robin-dick. but the shared grief could either be more cleaving or more healing. coin toss.

heads. bruce shows vulnerability at the loss of his son.

tails. bruce and dick drive each other mad so when bruce inevitably gives jason robin - dick never ever ever forgives him. straight up ghosts him. he leaves for sunny cali and never looks back.

WHOOPS. its tails. they dont find damian. now instead of becoming nightwing, dick holds onto robin out of pure spite. he and batman never reconcile. jason is known as robin by the gotham community but hes routinely overshadowed by dick on a global scale who will not yield an inch

jason doesnt like dick very much but also he thinks maybe he can compromise? if dick could pull himself out of his own asshole, maybe they can talk? *incorrect buzzer noise* jason does not endear himself to dick - faced with a decision of, in his POV, letting dick bully him out of Robin or carving out a name of his own... well jason is a petty bitch and he can get Messy

jason does get a pretty handy cautionary tale. not all moms are great. some moms will kidnap u for nefarious purposes.

heads or tails, does the cautionary tale help jason? heads: yes. tails: no.

Annnnd its a yes! Robin survives!!! jason recovers from joker's fastidious care. batman doesnt realize that his kid couldve died. so he just goes on with it. jason stays robin for a good long while.

even tho dick has a chokehold on the superhero community who are slowly but inevitably getting drawn into the brucedick conflict. jason finds himself making friends with newer heroes. including a weird kid who keeps stalking him to take photos

this. does not end well. tim is at the wrong place at the wrong time. he goes missing for a bit. we can give him the joker junior ending, shall we? for a bit, he becomes the unwilling accomplice of joker and harley. when the ruin of that becomes known, the drakes lose custody over tim and bruce adopts him. jason gets a little brother.

a very traumatized, slightly jokerized brother. also tim very much shoots joker. ala the cartoon plotline. but only after babs gets shot by the joker first

around that time steph and cass happen. jason is a good touchbase with steph whose first boyfriend was a Freak and with her whole spoiler shtick, jason offers to give her formal training and saves her from that Teen Pregnancy issue.

cass... brings word of damian. to dick. she was, for a short time, used as dami's bodyguard/warden then eventually his instructor. dami learns jason's painful lesson "batman is never coming". after cain makes her kill, cass escapes as per canon. but it was a strategic retreat. she knows damian is about to go through the same thing. shes going back to rescue him. but first, she needs reinforcements

dick has the opportunity to do the funniest thing.

so dick does successfully manage to grab dami and go because he actually doesnt mind having heroes with powers helping him (bruce has very few allies among the superhero community bc he would lose Badly in a popularity contest with dick, which is what happened when dick built a wall between him and batman).

dick yoinks dami, gives Him robin so he can finally become Nightwing. as a complete "fuck you" to batman. dami is his kid now. also so is cass?

cass gets dragged into that petty little conflict. she dubs herself swiss and joins babs in the metaphorical alps.

at some point that bad blood between him and batman has to end right??

wrong. batman dies.

everything falls apart.

[alittlesongbirdchirps]

OOOH DEATH, I MEAN DICK GRAYSON.

(I know Death already has a personification of a female in DC but pretend they don’t for this AU.)

Death wasn’t a skeleton with a robe made of black or a scythe. Death was more of the delivery person and sometimes could end life with one simple touch.

One day, life, bored from existing since the beginning, challenged death to a game.

“Since you are so cold and indifferent to those whom you take, why don’t you experience what they do? Why don’t you leave?”

It was an intriguing proposal for death, who had never really cared too much for life’s creations. Only a few small and innocent ones ever got a soft and caring voice from death.

“Death cannot be around the living, nor touch it.”

Life smiled softly.

“Maybe for a time it can, a short time, but enough to learn why death is so frightening to those who live.”

Death agreed to this game, and life constructed death a body that death wouldn’t be able to use its power, not unless it truly wanted to.

The body would be more like a vessel to contain death; if death used any hint of power, the body would begin to crack, almost like ice.

And thus Dick Grayson was born; of course, Dick didn’t know the requirement to live was to not know what was waiting on the other side.

But then Jason died, and when Dick returned from space, he sat at Jason’s grave. He didn’t get to say goodbye; he was angry with himself, angry with Bruce, and furious with the Joker.

“He can’t be dead. I didn’t—

His train of thought stops. ‘He didn’t what?’ He wonders why he lost his train of thought.

Jason ended up being alive, a miracle, but then after that so much happened.

Like John Constantine, a man he only heard tales of, stops dead in his tracks when he sees Dick, and he looks terrified. Normally, heroes find comfort in his presence and enjoy his company, but Dick didn’t even get to speak before Constantine disappeared, and Jason ended up laughing along with Tim and Steph, whereas Damien stated, ‘Constantine is a fool Grayson, a drunken fool; don’t mind him.’

And weird stuff like that kept happening. The weirdest one was when Darkside came, a being who represented death, but when Dick finally arrived right before Darkside prepared to kill Captain Marvel, Darkside paused, looking around almost in disbelief and confusion before dropping Captain Marvel and, funnily enough, quickly leaving.

Yet Dick still didn't connect anything or question it, but Tim and Duke began to.

(Dick sort of doesn’t remember what he truly is, and this is more of a game playing human but he feels and knows things deep down like Jason was supposed to die and stay dead, and Dick didn’t want to be close to him because some part on a deeper leveled remember that, and then when Jason died the human part was angry allowing a small part of his true self to leak through creating a small crack, so when he trails off he almost was gonna say I didn’t take him, and his close relationship with Damien because of the Lazarus pit he can sense that in Damien blood practically even though he doesn’t know it, Constantine dipping compared to other magic users like Zatanna is because the others don’t know and most people when they die, find death peaceful so that and Dicks charming personality is why heroes and others like him all find themself comfortable around Dick. whereas Constantine is different when he dies it won’t be peaceful he will be in hell, so he feels overwhelming death instead of happy vibes.)

This was just another silly idea.

(NOT EDITED LOL, SORRY FOR SPELLING MISTAKES, ME SICK TOO.)

[birdsbatsandcatsohmy]

An extension to the flashback in chapter 19, I really just wanted to right more Jason and Dick interactions.

Jason had been quiet since they returned from patrol, it was worrying. Currently he was picking disinterested at his takeout container, half paying attention to the random sitcom Dick had turned on for the noise.

It wasn’t unusual for the two of them to just zone out after a tough patrol, but it had been a pretty quiet night. Dick wanted to ask what was bothering his little brother so much, but he’s learned that it’s best to let Jason start this kind of conversation.

“Am I a good Robin?” Dick almost startles at the question.

“Of course you are!” Dick exclaims.

“Are you telling the truth?” Jason asks, setting his food down and pulling his knees to his chest. “Or are you just being nice? Because I want the truth.”

“I am being one hundred percent honest.” Holding his hand up in a Boy Scouts salute. “I know that when you first became Robin I was a bit of an ass to you.”

“A bit of a Dick.” Jason smirks at him, clearly proud of the word play.

“Shut up,” Dick bumps his shoulder, “I’m trying to be sincere here.”

Jason snickers but doesn’t say anything else.

“Like I said,” Dick starts again, “I know I was a bit of an ass to you. But that had nothing to do with you, I was angry at Bruce and I unfairly took it out on you. I’m sorry for doing that, I was the adult and I should have been better. Robin was never meant to be a legacy.”

Dick places a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “But I couldn’t have picked a better person to pick up the mantle. Your an amazing Robin Jay, that magic you said Robin had? That was all you Little Wing, you gave Robin its magic.”

Jason looks at him with watery eyes, then turns away, curling into himself more. “I guess.”

“What’s wrong Jay?” Dick asks, “Where is this coming from?”

“Have you ever thought about killing someone?” Jason asks.

Dick is taken aback by the question, but Jason barreled on before he can react.

“B and I were busting a child trafficking ring, and I recognized one of the traffickers.” Jason admits. “It was from a kidnapping case from when I first became Robin. He did awful shit, and he was right  back out on the streets doing awful shit to more kids.”

Jason picks at the sleeve of the hoodie he’d borrowed from Dick. “And I just, it would have been easy, there were lots of guns, B was somewhere else. He’d be gone and couldn’t hurt anymore kids.”

“I never told you about Tony Zucco did I?” Dick asks, Jason looks at him and shakes his head. “He’s the guy who killed my parents. After my parents died I got put in juvie-“

“I thought Bruce took you in right after they died?” Jason interrupts.

“He did take me in,” Dick says. “Just not right away, there is legal stuff that even Bruce Wayne has to adhere to. And there were no foster placements, group homes, or orphanages with space available. So they sent me, an eight year old who’d just lost his parents, to juvie.”

“Holy shit,” Jason exclaims. “I knew the system was bad, but that’s a whole other level.”

“Yeah, I was pretty angry.” Dick agrees, “Not just about juvie, but about my parents. I knew who killed them, and I wanted to get revenge. So at eight-years-old, I got some shives, broke out of juvie, and went to kill Tony Zucco.”

Jason stares at him in shock at the admission.

“I didn’t succeed.” Dick says. “Bruce found me, and talked me down. Talked about the difference between justice and revenge. I’m glad he did, I definitely wasn’t ready to deal with the emotional fallout of killing someone.”

“And now?” Jason asks, catching Dick’s meaning.

Dick sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve thought about it. You can’t see the justice systems failing as often as we do, and not think about it.”

“I think that's why Bruce is so insistent on the no kill rule.” Dick leaning his elbows on his knees and staring unseeing at the tv. “It’s easy to say we should kill someone like the Joker, he’d certainly deserve it. Or some one like that man you apprehended. But where does it stop? Can you stop your personal feelings from clouding your judgment. It takes a lot for someone to get the death penalty, and there’s a reason for that.”

“We are not judge, nor jury Jay.” Dick turns back to Jason. “We help capture criminals, turn them in so the justice system can work.”

“The justice system fails all the time Dick.” Jason argues.

“You’re right it does.” Dick agrees. “But we’re infalible to, we make wrong calls. We don’t choose who’s deserving of death. Death is not equal to justice, and terrible people can be rehabilitated.”

Jason looks contemplative.

“What I’m trying to say.” Dick tries to get back on track. “Is that it doesn’t make you a bad Robin, or a bad person for considering it. Just makes you human.”

Jason shoots forwards hugging Dick. “Thanks Dickwing.”

“Anytime Little Wing.”

[naomikozura]

Playing With Fire: Chapter 11

Jason Todd (Red Hood) x Fem!Reader (Criminal)

Trope: Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Romance

Warnings: strong language, mention of decapitation, mentions of bombs, murder, gun usage, emotional turmoil (not too many this chapter)

WC: 6.1K

Summary: As everything falls into place, Joker's plan unfolds, filled with calculative measures in order to bring the Red Hood out of hiding. Gotham goes from its usual dark ambiance, to a city filled with chaos, every moment escalating the tension and setting the stage for the final stages of Joker's grand plan.

Series Masterlist

Chapter 10 || Chapter 12

There was a tension that filled your bones when you stood next to Sionis’ desk, the sound of his fist cracking the jaw of one of his men ringing out as he took his anger out on them. It wasn’t uncommon for Sionis to have his tantrums, but he’d been having them a lot more recently since Joker started working with him. You stared blankly out the window as a grunt of pain came from one of the guards, the blood dripping on the floor as the guard forced himself upright as he held his mouth, the blood overflowing in his hand. 

Sionis needed to grow up. 

“Now, go find that maniac.”, Sionis spit out. 

Joker had gone missing last night, leaving without a trace and giving Sionis more stress than necessary. You found it humorous how his trump card had gone missing and this was how he was reacting. You wondered if Joker called it quits or if he was doing something to benefit his plan against Jason. The logical answer would be the former, but the obvious answer was the latter. Joker liked toying with people, enjoyed the torture that came with making people uneasy and psychologically pushing them to the edge, he wouldn’t call it quits before getting a shot at Jason. 

A tug in your gut made you unfocused, the memory of everything Jason had told you about his encounter with Joker six years ago burned into your thoughts. His retelling seemed twisted, you couldn’t imagine what that felt or looked like, let alone dealing with the torture of knowing you wouldn’t have time to escape. The thought of him laying in broken bones and bloody, bruised flesh while watching the countdown to his life seemed like a level of psychological torture only Joker would be maniacal enough to pull off. 

You clenched your jaw at the thought. If you played your cards right, you could dismantle Joker’s plan and let Jason have his direct hit at taking him down, making Joker weak and his plan look like child’s play. You needed to stay unsuspected long enough to be in the field, send a signal to Jason indicating Joker’s location, and give him a fair shot to exact his revenge. You’d killed enough people to know that there were deaths that were for the greater advantage of your missions and other deaths that were to equal the playing field. The deaths you felt were more justified than others were those that people caused that brought the cycle of karma to come back tenfold. Deaths from revenge were one of the only forms of killing the wicked that you could justify. 

Joker’s karma was resurrected in the form of Red Hood, just like Sionis’ karma was manifested in you. You brought all the hatred, the anger, the bitterness and built it up into something that you could use to eliminate him from ever having existed. It was one of the reasons you trained for the majority of your teenage years to get stronger, training under Penguin was a means to an end. Not something you considered a necessity. If you wanted to avoid this life you would’ve stayed with the family that had taken you in six years ago, but that would’ve forced you into a life you would’ve resented. A part of you was convinced the idea of living as a vigilante was embedded when Jason was killed, a part of you jealous of the freedom he had when he was Robin. 

Now, you stood in the high ranks next to the Kingpins of the city, solidifying your place next to them and their trust in you misplaced as your objective had shifted from survival to escaping. Your goals had changed completely after your week with Jason, after hearing and understanding his plan to dismantle Sionis’ empire and kill Joker. After all this, you would leave this life, leave and go with Jason. 

Live a simple life, just like he promised. 

“Y/n.”, your head moved back towards Sionis, meeting his gaze as he cleaned the blood off his hands with a rag. “Find the maniac.”

Right as you stepped forward, the door creaked open, the silence echoing in the room as the door slammed against the wall. You narrowed your eyes at him, your annoyance growing at the sight of the mad man.

“I’m here!”, he exclaimed, Joker’s tone laced with an upbeat sound while the room filled with palpable tension. “I bring gifts.”, he motioned towards the dark bag in his hands as he stopped in his tracks and drank from the cup in his hand.

You could practically feel the anger radiating off of Sionis as he walked up to Joker, towering over him as he spit his words out. “Where the hell have you been, clown?!”

“I’ve been taking care of some business, I brought souvenirs.”, he smiled widely. His lifted the bag in his hands, a dark black color as he spilled the contents on the floor. You felt your gut drop. 

What the hell?

You stared at the ground, the floor covered in blood splatter and a severed head rolling towards Sionis’ feet. What the hell did Joker do?

“I found one of Hood's main informants.”, Joker tilted his head, “Seems like he won’t be informing anyone anymore.”

You watched in slight shock and a hint of fascination as he kicked the head like it was some type of ball, rolling to the other side of the room as he sat on the couch and threw his legs on the cushions, his laugh coming out as a deep giggle. 

How the hell did he manage to kill an informant without anyone catching on to it? And how was he connected back to Jason? What role did he have to play in all of this?

“I have everything ready.”, Joker said with a smile. “I have set everything up perfectly so that we can get the Bat’s attention and bring out the Red Head son of a bitch out of hiding.”

Joker brought a hand to his chin like he was thinking, his eyes gleaming in a maniacal manner. “Now that everything is done, we just wait for the Bats to come out then Hood will follow but… We need the rust incentive for him to come out.”, Joker's eyes flicked to you for a split second, his hand covering his mouth as if he just got the best idea known to man. “It’s just finding the right bait to bring him out” 

There was a hint of twisted humor in his smile, it was like you could physically see the layers of his manipulation and craziness in his tone. The informant wasn’t just one of Jason’s workers, he had to be someone deeper within the circle, probably one acting undercover within Gotham’s law enforcement or even one of the king pins if Jason was cocky enough to give him that job. Joker had to know he was connected deeper than just a basic informant. 

“If this doesn’t work, you’re paying me back what it cost to get you out of that psycho house”, Sionis spit at Joker, his hand clenching almost as though he was ready to land a blow on Joner’s jaw. It was obvious his patience was wearing thin, though Sionis had little patience to begin with. 

“Oh, where’s your sense of fun? The suspense is my favorite part of any grand event. Besides, once the Byas gets involved it’ll be a show worth watching. As for Hood, well.. he’s more connected to this whole thing than you realize. I swear the wait will be worth it” 

You stayed quiet by Sionis’ desk, not letting your indifference show through as you watched his grin spread and Sionis’ patience wear thin. Maybe this was all for the grand scheme of his plan, but you needed to get enough intel about the whole thing to relay the message back to Jason. A deep tug in your gut made you realize this whole thing might be worse than Joker was letting on. You just needed to know where Joker was planning to exactly carry this whole thing out then somehow find a way to communicate that to Jason. Keep him out of Joker’s grasp so he wouldn’t get hurt but he could still make the hit that would give him the closure he needed. 

Your eyes snapped back to attention when you watched Joker lean towards Sionis, his guards reaching for their guns as they observed Joker’s movements.Joker didn’t say anything, just stayed making deep eye contact with Sionis in a strange way. God, if you weren’t used to the creeps of the underground, Joker would make you uneasy. It wasn’t like he was close to being a normal human being, he was too far gone to be anywhere close to a normal person. Hell, even other murderers and criminals feared him. Maybe that’s why Sionis wanted him specifically. His lack of remorse would make it easy for him to kill the Red Hood. 

Another kick in your gut made you nauseated, the idea of Jason going through that again… even going through it once was barely enough to stomach. 

“Anyway, I have the room ready with all the cameras I planted around the city, I want to make sure we are live streaming and keeping every corner under watch! Oh, it’ll be fun.”, Joker jumped to his feet, his head snapping over to you. “You.”

Your eyes moved over to look at him with a blank stare but internally you wanted to know what he had planned. 

“I have the perfect job for you. You’re going to be our eye in the sky. You’re going to watch every possible angle and tell us via comms of any… interruptions or suspicious activity.”, Joker rubbed his hands together. “I hear you’re smart so this will be fun.”

“Where is the camera room?”, you raised a brow at him.

“It’s the room over from this one, I had it renovated.”, he shrugged and Sionis placed a hand on his forehead to rub away his frustration. “You get to watch too, Mask. You should enjoy the show while I have my fun.”

“When are you starting with this?”, Sionis’ deep voice sounded out. 

“24 hours.”, Joker rubbed his neck, looking at Sionis with a strange glint in his eyes, probably trying to gauge his reaction. He was already one bad idea away from getting his neck snapped. 

24 hours. 

That was enough time to catch up to Jason, tell him about the plan, and make it back in time to help him navigate the situation. You heard the door open and your eyes snap over, one of Joker’s men, rather a regular criminal who’d been forced to take laughing gas, walked through with a box of equipment. He placed it on the ground in front of Joker, the box filled with cameras, mics, and a variety of other surveillance devices. The man handed Joker a tablet, Joker messing with it before passing it over to Sionis. 

“See? Everything is set up, we have eyes all over the city. Batman’s movements will be tracked and Hood won’t have anywhere to hide once we start the show. If he runs, we’ll be able to find him.”

Sionis listened to the rest of Joker’s rambling, the tension of tomorrow slowly growing. It was obvious that every detail had been meticulously planned, Joker covering all the bases necessary to ensure there was no way out, at least not an easy way out. Every corner of Gotham where Joker laid out his trap was closely monitored, even the surrounding areas. Jason’s absence only added to the anticipation, his unknown whereabouts leaving you uneasy. 

Joker had finished his showcase, Sionis’ men led him back to his room. You watched as the door closed, the click echoing in the empty room. Sionis was quiet, his figure standing as he walked over to the window and stared down at the city. You watched him carefully, narrowing your eyes as he turned towards you. His eyes were dark, his jaw tense. 

“Keep an eye on him.”, his voice sounded out. “I don’t trust the son of a bitch”

“So why did you hire him?”, you said flatly. 

“You weren’t making progress with our pest, so I needed someone more effective.”, he watched the cars as they passed down through the streets. “Once Joker has done his part and kills the Hood, then everything can go back to normal.”

“Back to normal?”, you cocked an eyebrow, watching as he walked over to you and towered over you due to the height difference. 

“Red Hood will be dead, Batman continues in his childish schemes, you go back to working with that fat bird back at that shitty, rundown club. And I…”, his hand grabbed your chin, lifting it up to meet his gaze as you glared at him with disgust. “Will return to the top of Gotham’s food chain. Just like it should have always been.”

Your expression remained neutral, but internally, your mind raced. You had been gathering intel the past week to relay back to Jason, and even with your desire to kill Sionis, you needed to remain focused. Jason kills Joker, he gets you out of this hell hole you considered the means to survival, and everything changes for the better. You’d be getting life outside of the chains you’d been in the past six years. 

Sionis’s eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, you felt the weight of his scrutiny. “Let’s hope you’re prepared for what comes next. If the mad clown actually manages to pull this off, then we will see a darker side to Gotham than there has ever been. Too bad you won’t be at my side to bask in the glory.”

“I don’t need glory.”

“What a waste.”, his tone was dismissive, as if you were a waste of space despite his incessant pursuit of you. The hint of menace in his tone reminded you that his selfish ambitions were not to be underestimated, that he would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. 

“I’m here to help kill the Red Hood. I’ll keep to my position and make sure Joker’s plan follows through.”, Sionis’ expression hardened, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Good.”, he let go of your chin, walking back to his desk. “His fate is sealed whether Joker’s plan works or not. He will be killed regardless of the method.”

With each word, his voice got colder and his gaze more calculative, your own mind racing with the possibility that he knew about your infiltration. You hadn’t raised any red flags over the past few months, the last time Sionis suspected you was before the Gala you’d attended with Calvi. You shook your thoughts, walking towards the door and trying to get ready for the night to come. 

You pulled the door back, stepping out and leaving Sionis behind. The corridor was dimly lit, and the echo of your footsteps seemed unnaturally loud in the oppressive silence that followed. You took a deep breath, the cool air doing little to soothe the anxiety gnawing at you.

As you made your way down the hallway, your thoughts were consumed by concerns for Jason. What was he doing now? Was he safe? How close was he to making his move? Every moment felt crucial, every piece of information you had gathered a potential key to his success or failure. You needed to get the intel on Joker’s plan to him sooner than later, the risk of him getting lured into a trap were low, especially if Batman would be with him. They’d be able to cover each other if they chose to work together. 

But with the reality of what Jason told you about Batman stopping him from killing Joker because of his humanity, it seemed like Batman would resist Jason’s suggestion to an alliance. The odds of help and denial were exactly 50/50.

Your mind was a whirl of different possibilities and strategies, a tug in your gut making you feel uneasy. With Joker’s plan in place, Sionis’ ambition and motive to kill Jason, you needed to find a way to get into the field and give Jason the highest possibility of success. 

As you left the building, you glanced back one last time, the looming threat of Sionis and Joker's combined malevolence hanging heavy over the city. Your resolve hardened. Despite the danger you were walking into, you knew that every effort was worth it if it meant helping Jason and ultimately stopping Sionis from his greed. It was worth it if you could exact your own hits on Sionis. 

FLASHBACK 

The apartment was dimly lit, the curtains drawn tight against the encroaching night. The soft hum of the city outside was a distant sound, muffled by the walls and the weight of the conversation you and Jason were stuck in. The both of you sat on the floor in the living room, the room heavy with unspoken tension. His expression mixed with concern and determination, his eyes filled with an unspoken emotion as he prepared to leave.

Your apartment had become a sanctuary for the both of you, spending the past week making up for lost time. He’d shared parts of his past, his training with a man named Raj A Ghul, his return to Gotham, all while you shared your upbringing after he’d died. He’d found himself content with the week of silence the two of you had, wanting to pause that moment in time and keep the rest of your time together that way forever but the looming Jason's confrontation with Joker was approaching fast, forcing his time with you to end. 

Jason spread out a series of documents and maps on the coffee table. His meticulous planning was evident, and you could see the careful thought that had gone into every detail. “Alright, let’s go over this one last time.”, his tone serious but laced with reassurance. “We need to cover all the bases.”

You nodded, leaning to look over the map he had laid out with circled points indicating his points of attack, his point to grab Joker and remove him from the scene. “What if they figure out I’m undercover? What’s the contingency plan?”

Jason looked at you, his gaze steady. “If they catch on, they’ll probably try to get you out of the way, either by forcing you to stay with Sionis while Joker gets his hands dirty or try and kill you. I’ll make sure the worst that happens is they send you back to Penguin”

“What about if they find where you’re going?”, you followed up, your finger tracing over the pathway on the map. 

“That’s why I’ve been working on different routes of action. If they get too close, I’ll create a diversion, lead them away from my real location, and regroup at a secondary location.”

“You have a rendezvous?”

“A safe house just outside of the city. It isn’t too far but I have a motorcycle planted in case I need to make a quick getaway.”

You absorbed his words, feeling a bit more reassured. “And what if something goes wrong with the diversion or they see through the diversion?”

Jason nodded, acknowledging the potential risk. “I’ve accounted for that too. If they manage to see through the deception, I’ll use the pre-planned safe houses to stay hidden and reassess the situation. I’ve also arranged for a way to contact you discreetly if things get really dire, though I hope we won’t need it.”

You glanced at the maps, noting the different locations and routes Jason had marked. “What about Batman? You mentioned you had a plan.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. Batman operates in order to have as minimal damage and casualties as possible, he’ll work strategically to ensure that no one dies, and Joker gets caught. Even if it means keeping me from killing him. But I think Joker’s whole plan gives me an opening, a blind spot to really go in and get Joker before Batman even has a chance to stop me.”

You cocked an eyebrow at him, “I thought You wanted to get him on board, get his attention.”

“Joker is planning a robbery at a nearby bank, I’ll be able to leave information planted discreetly while he’s there, signals that I used to use when we trained in the field together back when I was Robin. It’ll be something only he would understand, so he’ll know it’s me. After that I can only hope he’s either in or out.”

“If anything happens, I’ll make sure I can get everything to you as soon as possible.”, he said after pausing. 

You felt a surge of relief mixed with lingering apprehension. “What about not getting caught in the crossfire? How do I avoid getting caught up in their plans?”

Jason reached over and took your hand, his touch warm and reassuring. His eyes hardened with his resolve, deep emotion embedded into the hues of his eyes. He wanted to pull this off but he also wanted you to be safe. 

“Knowing Sionis, he might find a way to keep you out of the way entirely. He probably wants to ensure you aren’t the person leaking information out, so having eyes on you will be the way he can see if you’ve slipped any information past him.”, he muttered. “I have measures in place that when everything finishes, I can get you out of there for good.”

You squeezed his hand, feeling a mixture of gratitude and worry. “I trust you, Jason. I’ll do everything I can to keep up with them and stay out of danger. I just want you to come back safe.”

He nodded, moving closer to you and leaning his head against yours, breathing you in as his grip on your hand tightened. “I’ll come back to you. We’ll get out of this, together. I promise.”

You lifted your arms, hugging him slightly, his body heat warming your body up from his touch. He needed to leave, as much as you didn’t want him to, you would’ve done anything to just have another day together without everything happening around you. He turned towards you, lifting his hand to cup your cheek as his green eyes met yours, leaning in and kissing you for what felt like the last time. You breathed him in, his touch electrifying your skin as he pulled away before raising to his feet. You watched him quietly as he gathered most of his things. He turned towards you for a final glance, his voice low and serious. 

“I need you to understand something, okay?”, he met your gaze with hardened eyes. “Just because I’m going off grid for a while, doesn’t mean I’m leaving you. I know the last time it… it was different but I will do everything to come back. As long as they can’t trace me back to you or track my movements, everything will go as planned.”

You nodded softly, “How long?”, you tried to keep your voice steady as you swallowed the lump in your throat. Your heart was pounding in your chest, the anxiety eating at you. You were reliving him leaving and promising coming back, your fear gripping at you. What if it was like it was six years ago? What if he didn’t come back again?

“A few days, enough to get the intel I need.”, he replied, running a hand through his messy hair. It flopped over his forehead and you smiled at him. You didn’t think you could love the way messy hair looked but on him it was a sight you’d never get tired of. It made him look so mundane, human, normal. “Y/n, please try and be safe.”, his words filled with the emotion of a command and plea at the same time, his eyes flickering with conflict. He wanted to protect you, but needed you to be strong in his absence at the same time.The gravity of the situation was almost too much to bear, but you knew that your role was crucial.

Jason reached out and cupped your face gently with his hands, his touch both comforting and intense. “Promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t do anything reckless. I need you to stay safe.”

Before you could respond, Jason leaned in and kissed you softly. The kiss was tender and full of unspoken promises, a moment of connection in the midst of uncertainty. It was a reminder of the trust between you, even as the danger had grown over the weeks.

You felt a lump in your throat as you pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze with a mixture of fear and certainty. “I’ll do my best to stay safe. But you have to promise me you’ll come back.”

Jason’s eyes softened, and he gave you a small, reassuring smile. “I promise. Just make sure you don’t get yourself killed while I’m gone. I need you to be here, I need you with me.”

As he prepared to leave, the finality of the moment was almost overwhelming. The reality of his absence was hitting you hard, but you knew that his safety—and the success of his mission—depended on you being strong and vigilant. When the time came for him to go, you held him close for a moment longer, trying to memorize the feeling of his embrace. The apartment seemed emptier as he walked out the door, leaving you behind to navigate the rest of your plan and the uncertainty of Gotham’s underground alone.

As you closed the door behind him and leaned against it, you delta  rush of emotion, the burning behind your eyes overwhelming as you forced yourself to focus. You needed to do this, you wanted to help him get his life back and yours in turn. You needed to get more of Joker’s intel and send it to Jason, making sure he had the highest chance of success possible. If he took down Joker, Sionis was an easy target. Jason gets his revenge, you get yours. Two birds, one stone. 

You took a deep breath, letting yourself bask in the quiet of the apartment, walking over to the living room and gathering the plans Jason had left for you. This entire mission needed to succeed, the efforts would not be in vain. All that remained was for everything to go haywire. 

The sound of Joker’s laugh echoed through the security room he had set up, making you irritated as you pushed through the door. The room was big, filled with different monitors, each one with a variety of cameras displayed, quite literally showing every possible angle in the proximity Joker had mapped out. Your heart pounded in your chest as you walked inside, soaking in the reality of this entire shit show about to happen in a couple of hours. 

“You’re here! Goodie, come come.”, he sprang to his feet, his demeanor animated and almost childlike in its enthusiasm. His grin stretched across his face, looking every bit the unhinged mastermind, his eyes gleaming with a cruel excitement. “Let’s get you set up to have VIP seats to the show.”

You hesitated, his hands gripping yours as you flinched slightly. You tried to remain neutral despite the unease churning inside of you due to his sudden touch. You pulled your hands back, walking past him and towards the screens, “What’s the status of everything? What should I expect while I sit here like a waiting duck?”

You were anxious. 

You had sent Jason the information last night via morse code through a transmitter that was entirely off grid, something that couldn’t be traced and although communication had ceased, you hoped the transmission had reached him somehow and he knew what to expect. 

“Oh, you’ll be watching everything, not to mention giving real time updates of every possible angle. Gotham will be engulfed in chaos and it’ll be magnificent. You see, I’ve got everything in motion to force our dear Red Hood out of hiding. The city's about to become a symphony of anarchy.”

He paused for dramatic effect, enjoying the tension he was creating. “First, I’ll start with a series of factory explosions. Nothing too big at first—just enough to grab attention and cause some initial panic. Those explosions will be strategically placed to maximize disruption and ensure the news media is all over it.”

Joker’s eyes danced with malice as he continued, “Then, as if that wasn’t enough, we’ll have a bank robbery. That’ll really get the Bats involved. He loves stopping a good bank heist. Once he’s out, we just wait for the Hood to show. It’ll be a chaotic dance of crime, with every news outlet scrambling to cover the mayhem.”

You tried to keep your face impassive, but inside, you were already calculating the potential fallout. Each event was designed to create a crescendo of chaos, and the timing was crucial. “And what comes next?” you asked, your voice steady despite the urgency of the situation.

Joker’s grin morphed into a sinister smile as he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “And then, the real fun begins. Once the city is reeling from the initial chaos, I’ll unveil my pièce de résistance—a carefully orchestrated event that will make everything else look like child’s play. Trust me, it will be a spectacle unlike anything Gotham has ever seen.”

He straightened up, reveling in the terror of the moment. “All this is to flush Red Hood out of his little hiding spot. With the city in disarray, he’ll have no choice but to make an appearance. And when he does, that’s when we’ll have our grand finale.”

You felt a chill run down your spine. Joker’s plan was as intricate as it was malevolent, and the series of events he had outlined would indeed force Jason into the open. You needed to act quickly to mitigate the damage and ensure Jason was prepared for the inevitable confrontation.

Joker had already set the wheels in motion. His goons were strategically positioned at major points across the city, ready to execute his orders. The security cameras throughout Gotham, which Joker had set up, were placed to monitor and record every significant event. These cameras would not only broadcast the chaos in real-time but also provide Joker with the perfect vantage point to track Batman’s movements.

“I see,” you said, trying to maintain your composure. “Is there anything else I should be aware of? Any final details or contingencies?”

Joker’s eyes gleamed with a manic light. “Just be ready. Gotham is about to become a stage for the greatest show of chaos ever conceived. Make sure you’re in position to see it all unfold. Once the show starts, there’s no turning back.”

He gave you a final, eerie smile before turning away, rummaging through the drawer in the desk. You watched him for a moment, the weight of his words sinking in. The clock was ticking, your heart pounding in your chest as he placed a device on the desk. “We will communicate through this, everything you see, anything you hear, comes back to me. You are here to give me every possible in you can find.”

You watched him with steady eyes, trying to even out your breathing as you took in the slight seriousness in his tone. 

“I have to go make my grand entrance. Can’t wait for you to see all the fun.”, he grinned. “Just… sit back and enjoy the show.”

His words sent a chill down your spine, watching as he left the room and closed the door behind him. You focused back on the screens, clicking through them to see where all of them were. Everything in the city was calm, unknowing, almost like nothing bad would happen and it was all just another day in the city. The silence was eerie, like the start of a horror movie before the first jump scare. 

Everything seemed to drag on, the quiet filling the room as you brought up Gotham City News on one of the monitors, clicking through the different channels on the radio to see if anything had been seen or reported in the past two hours. Everything had been dragging on, though it was barely getting late enough for everything to happen, maybe Joker was waiting on a specific time. Even Sionis had been out of communication the past few hours, the wonder whirling around in your head as you looked down, focusing on the communicator on the desk. 

Then, just as you relaxed, the sound of a loud explosion and the night sky being lit up with the fiery glow of red blurred all over the camera screen, your head snapped up, looking at the camera as factories across the city erupted in plumes of smoke and debris. Sirens wailed as emergency responders scrambled to contain the damage. You switched through the radio channel, listening to the call of the first responders being told the location of the fire, various ambulances, fire trucks, and GPD cars speeding down the streets as caught on the cameras. 

You clicked through the channels, watching civilians running away from the scene, cars running off the road, and different groups stopping to watch the scene. You pulled up the GCN, watching as the Breaking News headline appeared in a bold red font across the top of the screen. Just as anticipated, the news broadcasts were filled with footage of the destruction, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. 

As you watched the news, the chaotic scenes flashed across the screen—flames, crumbling buildings, and the relentless efforts of firefighters and paramedics. The city was already in disarray, just as Joker had intended. You listened in on the radio, hearing about a stray semi truck speeding down the street headed towards Gotham Central Bank. It was the biggest bank in the city, it definitely would bring out Batman if the factory explosions hadn’t already. 

You clicked through the cameras, searching for the semi Truck, watching cut through a gas station and followed it as it swerved through the roads, knocking over signs and other cars around it. You switched through the cameras at a fast speed, trying to keep your eyes focused on it as it got closer to the bank. It was just down the street, your eyes watching intently as you stood to your feet in shock. 

The radio was flooding with different codes spoken between officers and first responders, the chaos intensifying as you watched the semi truck go full speed into the bank, smashing into the wall and watched as the front of the vehicle smashed in like a soda can. The sound of sirens through the city made the entire thing worse, adding to the chaos in the city. Gotham was now in the grips of widespread panic, with both the public and the authorities struggling to keep up.

The tension in the city was palpable. The chaos created by the explosions and the semi crashing into the bank had successfully created the chaos needed to call Batman’s attention and now the stage was set for Joker’s game. Joker’s goons were likely poised to execute the final phase of his plan.

As you moved through the city on the cameras, staying alert to the unfolding events and trying to keep your cover intact, your mind raced with thoughts of Jason. The city was a ticking time bomb, and every decision made now would have far-reaching consequences.

You watched the camera, watching as Joker stood tall on the semi truck as it burned with flames, a clown mask on and his men around him. The bombs had gone off and you felt your heart pound in your chest. You messed with the keys on the computer, shifting the view to another point in the city as the radio static rang out, the Commissioner's voice instantly recognizable as your eyes focused on one specific screen. 

The light was on, the bat signal illuminating the sky. 

The sirens had begun sounding out and when you saw another explosion happen just a few blocks away and saw Batman launch himself from the roof, you knew. 

It had begun.

A/N

Hey guys!

Sorry for the short chapter this week, I really needed to set the tone for the upcoming and final chapters. I think this series will end at 15 chapters since it is wrapping up. I do leave in a week for vacation so I will try to have Chapter 12 up before I leave! I will be writing during my free time but most likely there will be a week hiatus between next week's chapter and Chapter 13.

Hope you guys enjoy! I know this is more of a filler chapter but I feel that it helps transition into the final part of this series!

See you next week!

xx.

[galaxymagitech]

hello! for the fic ask game, ↻ flip flop for True or False? around the end of the phone call where dick finds out about the batarang. i'd also like to hear the ∆ do over for it :]

Thank you so much for the ask!!!! Sorry for the delay, I went a little overboard. Which seems to be a pattern with this ever-expanding series.

Ask Game | True or False

∆ DO OVER: pick a fic and I’ll tell you if there’s anything I’d change or do differently if I wrote it today!

I wouldn't have Dick confirm that Jason tried to make Batman kill the Joker. I maintain that this is, from both Jason and Bruce's point of view, what the confrontation was about; Jason understands that letting Jason shoot the Joker is equivalent to killing him for Bruce, and this is why he would be satisfied with that result. But that simple confirmation lacks that nuance, and makes it seem like Dick's actually convincing Jason of something that isn't true.

I also would have set this fic in Rebirth. At the time I had no plan whatsoever to continue the fic, but Bruce's treatment of his kids in Post-Crisis isn't as horrific as he often acts in the New 52 and Rebirth. It's resulted in this story where the Batkids take Bruce down for being abusive, but I'm constantly second-guessing myself because I'm not even fully convinced that Bruce is abusive in Post-Crisis. I mean, obviously some people agree that he is, and I'm able to justify it in writing, but...that doubt makes this series a lot harder to write. Maybe that's what makes it so interesting to write, but it would be nice to have a couple more concrete examples (RHatO 25, the Talon tooth incident, Spyral, etc.) and not constantly be wondering if I'm being ridiculous.

There's also the canon compliance aspect. This fic is set in a nebulous "shortly after UtRH" time, but this actually contradicts One Year Later, which I didn't know about at the time. Now, honestly, I hate One Year Later, but it would have been easier to just set the fic in Rebirth for this reason as well.

↻ FLIP FLOP: send me a scene from one of my fics and I’ll describe or write it from another character’s POV!

I went completely overboard with this one, so it's now a full 2.9k word fic. I wanted to try to get in Dick's head to figure out what he'd be thinking and it spiraled.

The fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63923383

But the specific scene you asked for if you don't want to read the fic (warning for vomiting and Dick briefly losing track of where he is):

“False,” Dick rushes to say. Jason’s death had been deeply wrong. His resurrection had been the universe correction its mistake. “You’re supposed to be alive.” Dick’s almost at Jason’s location. He just has to keep Jason on the line and pray that the tracing result wasn’t a decoy. “You’re my brother, and—”

Dick’s gauntlet pings.

There’s the footage, playing out across its small screen, accompanied by a message.

B fucked up.

Frozen with horror, Dick watches a batarang deflect off a pipe in slow motion and slice through Jason’s neck. Watches Jason fall, wound gushing blood. Watches the Joker laugh as Jason bleeds out.

Something in Dick’s chest snaps. Bruce—

Bruce—

Jason—

Dick needs to say something. But he doesn’t even know what he can say. That’s a kill-shot. That’s a kill-shot. On Dick’s little brother.

Jason bleeds out on his screen. Dick’s stomach roils, and then he’s throwing up on the rooftop.

The taste of vomit curls into his brain and digs its talons in. As his diaphragm spasms, Dick realizes that he can’t get his lungs to expand. It was already a bad day. And now he can’t—he can’t breathe—he can’t—

Jason’s breaths are ragged in his ear. Dick slams his eyes closed, blocking out the view of the rooftop and his puddle of vomit and forcing himself to breathe. He can’t lose it right now. Jason needs him.

Gotham’s air fills Dick’s lungs. It smells different from Blüdhaven’s smog—more strange toxins but less pollution from years of Wayne initiatives. It feels different, too. Dick is in Gotham, and Jason is on the other end of the comm line.

Somehow, Dick finds his voice. It’s barely a whisper, but it’s there, and that’s enough. “True. I’m sorry, Jason. I’m—fuck, I’m sorry. It’s true.”

[who-let-a-bird-in]

Let’s talk about “replacement”

If you’ve been in the dc fandom for longer than maybe a week, you’ve probably seen it before. It’s present in fanfics, tumblr posts, role plays, and fanart. On the off chance that you somehow don’t know about it, “replacement” is a sort of nickname often used for Tim Drake by Jason Todd

This post is going to be cut, I’m going to leave the explanation out but there should be two other sections under it as well

Where did it come from?

There are two possible places that the use of it came from

The first is from a Batman comic series from 2002 called “hush” and I’ll spare you most spoilers about the comic but the part of it that’s important to this conversation has to do with Bruce, Jason, Tim, Selina, and Clayface

While catwoman is fighting huntress (Helena Bertanelli) who is currently drugged by poison ivy, Bruce is worried that Helena is going to force Selina to kill her so he tells Tim (who is Robin at the time) to stay where is and look for someone

Before Bruce can tell him who he’s looking for a figure appears behind Tim and says he’s the one they’re looking for, before hitting Tim and calling him “pretender”

When Bruce finds Tim he’s being held at knifepoint by “Jason” who begins lashing out and then fighting Bruce. Eventually he melts in the rain and is shown to be only made out of clay, and the real Jason Todd is still dead.

The important thing about this, is that Jason never called Tim “pretender,” he never held Tim at knifepoint point (if you ever see anything about Jason “slitting Tim’s throat” that’s where it’s from, Tim was fine all he needed was a bandage), all of it was done by Clayface who was mimicking Dick Graysons movements and using what he knew about Jason to manipulate Bruce.

As to where “replacement” specifically came from, the only time I’ve ever heard about its origin was in a TikTok where the person who made the video said it came from a fanfic (which is very likely true), in the comics Jason has never called Tim by that name

Why does the nickname not make sense?

The nickname doesn’t make sense because if anyone would be a pretender or replacement, it’s Jason. Jason Todd is one of the original robins but he isn’t the original Robin. That title will always belong to DIck Grayson.

And in brining up something like this you have to acknowledge the origins of the moniker in the first place. The name “Robin” came from a nickname that Mary Grayson had for her son, I’m fairly sure the original reasoning was because he was born in the early spring. The reason DIck chose to go by Robin is because the name was important to him, it let him feel closer to his late mother, similarly to how the original Robin costume is based on his flying Grayson’s outfit.

But when Dick was 17 or 18 he was shot in the shoulder by the joker, and Bruce tells him that he can’t keep risking his life as Robin, so he fires him. Dick moves out to Blüdhaven, starts working almost solely with the teen titans, and gets a new moniker (nightwing) given to him by Superman.

And then Bruce adopts Jason, and he gives him Dick’s name and uniform, putting a new child in the way of harm. And yes, Jason did make Robin his own but it was not his, he would have no right to put a claim over the name.

Why does any of this matter?

In short, it doesn’t. There is nothing inherently wrong with writing Jason using the term but in my opinion for their relationship, it just dosen’t make sense.

In the comics Jason has a complicated relationship with everyone in the batfamily, he’s grappling with coming back to life and trying to find a place for himself while also working through his own grief and anger

When you read comics though, when they’re together they often work well together and even hang out a few times, there’s one panel where Jason is trying to take tim out to get a drink (underage drinking is bad don’t do it/lh), and they have a fairly normal sibling dynamic with each other

Which is why I don’t understand where the concept of all the hate and resentment came from in the fandom, I’m genuinely curious as to know why it’s so prominent everywhere

[pinkiemachine]

GOTHAM FILES: SEASON 7

SO, to start off, Jason has begun to form the Outlaws in a mini series going on in the background. His new team consists of himself, Roy Harper (Arsenal), Artemis of Bana-Mighdall (Amazon warrior), and Bizarro, (botched Superman clone).

BUT FORGET ALL THAT—SEASON 7.

The opening arc issssssssssss 🥁 🥁 🥁

THE KILLING JOKE.

Joker is back, he’s out of Arkham, and this time… his scheme is particularly diabolical. He’s discovered Batgirl’s secret identity. By the end of this harrowing tale, after many ups and downs, Joker escapes… after having shot Barbara in the back and paralysing her from the waste down. This shatters Barbara’s world. So not only has her identity been leaked (eventually making its way to the public) but now she’s lost the ability to walk and she’s lost the ability to be Batgirl. Basically, everything she ever wanted to do for Gotham, for her friends and family, feels completely out of reach now, and she doesn’t know what to do.

I mean, first of all, she needs to go underground to keep her and her father safe, but after that… she needs to do some serious soul searching. The conclusion of which is this: she may not be able to use her body to its fullest extent anymore, but she still has her sharp mind. She can still help. She can be the BatFam’s “Guy in the chair.” Or in this case, “Gal in the chair.” She takes the new Codename “Oracle” and sets up her headquarters in an old, abandoned clock tower. (She can’t be seen at Wayne Manor, ever. They’d link her (Batgirl) back to Bruce and then the secret would be out.) But now she’s kinda starting to feel like she’s found her groove again. She has a purpose again.

Damian continues his training under Bruce, Dick and Star navigate married life, Jason is gallivanting off with the Outlaws, Tim has actually been chosen by Bruce to kind of become Bruce Wayne’s apprentice in a way—Bruce thinks that one day, maybe he could run Wayne Enterprises—Stephanie and Tim continue to work on their relationship, Batwoman makes another appearance, Batman and Catwoman start to date a little more seriously (much to Damian’s chagrin), things move forward, and then we meet Cassandra Cain.

Specifically, Barbara meets Cass. See, this girl is very similar to Damian in that she was raised to be an assassin. However, her twisted father’s approach was to prohibit her from speaking ever, so that she had to rely solely on body language and facial expressions. This allows her to read people exceptionally well. She can tell if someone’s going to attack her, how they’re going to attack her, and when they’re going to attack her, all before they can even blink. Thing is, she’s not a natural-born killer. After she took her first life at just eight years old, she freaked out and tired to run away. She managed to escape a few years later. Now she had popped up on Oracle’s radar, and she sent in the BatFam to sort out the kerfuffle. When Bruce meets her, he can tell that she’s not like the deranged lunatics of Gotham, she’s just a kid. A kid with no clear direction in life and a dark past. He lets her crash at the Manor until she can get a few things sorted. They also need her help to bring down her father, another known criminal. Barbara, though, recognises something within Cass that she sees in herself. A feeling… that you believe you’re broken… like something’s wrong with you. Cass has been trying to learn to speak since running away, but she’s really bad at it. The only thing she’s good for is knowing how to kill people. Even her friends. She feels like she’s a broken human being. Barbara for a while felt literally broken, due to her legs. Like she wasn’t good for anything. And even now, she sometimes feels like she’s only good for one thing: sitting behind a screen. She takes Cass under her wing and she begins to teach her all the things she learned as Batgirl. Together, they both heal and learn to move past what they both thought they were. In the end, Babs becomes much for comfortable and confident in her new role as Oracle, and Cass redeems herself by becoming the new Batgirl. Steph also adopts her as her best friend/Batsister immediately.

After that, Barbara gets the idea to start the Birds of Prey (an elite squad of girl superheroes which she manages from her chair) and everything’s going pretty well for a while.

We get introduced to Luke Fox, aka Batwing, (I need to research his story more, soorrryyy…… there’s a lot of charactersssss)

Harley Quinn has just begun her redemption arc! Well, I mean, I will have been hinting at this for several seasons, but now it’s official. Now she’s coming back to the sane side.

Damian is finally allowed to go to school at Gotham Academy (though he insists that he always arrive via helicopter. He accepts no substitutions), and while we’re talking about Damian, let’s see how he’s doing with the whole “murder” thing. He’s, uh… not as bad as he was when he first arrived… so that’s good. But at the same time… he, uh… he still has some room for improvement. He’s got a little bit of a temper, he’s still stuck-up, and although he’s able to follow Batman’s no killing rule, he does still plan to go back to his old ways as soon as his time with Bruce is over. His destiny is still to become the new Demon’s Head and rule the New World, remember? BUT THEN…

The grande finale of season 7. His name is Heretic… and he’s a bad dude. So bad, in fact, that he manages to kill Damian. HOWEVER… that is not where the finale ends… it’s only just started… no cliffhangers this time. Bruce, naturally, does not take this death well, but he’s also not going to crumble this time. This time, he knows it’s possible to bring Damian back, and he will go to the ends of the Earth to make that happen. He pursues every single conceivable avenue available to him, and he Does. Not. Rest. until he brings his son back to life! The other Batkids are there too, helping, and together, they manage to save their little brother. (I forget how they do that in the comics just now, I’ll come back and edit this later XD) Anyway, this is the second most crucial moment in Damian’s life. Now, he has experienced what it’s like to die… to be on the other end of a sword… and he’s moved by the fact that not only his father, but his entire adoptive family (who’ve famously hated him), all came together to save him. It completely redefines his definition of love and it opens up an entirely new feeling for him: empathy. From this moment on, he doesn’t even try to take another life. He’s starting to think that maybe he doesn’t want to.

Oh, and also, Starfire’s pregnant! 🎉

Part 8 👇

Part 6 👇

[mikakuna]

hi!!! it's me babes the martha jason anon

i will never top that first ask cause it came to me in a dream and not much other thought was put into it, but i have been thinking about your little add-on at the end about bruce being unable to find jason and instead just seeing his mama and,,, omg

cause it never even clicked to me that yeah once bruce sees it he'd probably never be able to unsee it.

i keep deleting and retyping (going on an hour now 💔) so i don't go on an insane rampaging rant but like there are so many small parts of jason looking like martha that are all already fucked up on their own, and then when put together make the most insane weird relationship dynamic ever.

so here's just one point im especially, incredibly, hung up on.

the already weird incestuous undertones that jason and bruce have (in canon!! cause bruce loves relating jason to selina for whatever reason) getting exacerbated

cause like hey man why are you comparing your sorta son to your girlfriend??? then mashing that in a backyard potion with jason looking like martha you get a freak ass freudian dynamic.

like you're comparing your SON who looks like your MOM to your GIRLFRIEND??? yeah ok 🤨😒

BABEEEE YOU GET MEEEEE

wait let me just say that if you ever wanna rant about jason, give me EVERYTHING!! don't worry about fixing it up or deleting like trust me i will read everything and enjoy it and scream with you ☝️

don't even get me started about bruce and his comparison of jason and selina THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY. and then jason during utrh comparing himself to the women bruce once talked about when he was on the verge of killing joker????? obviously its not canonically meant in that way but the interpretation is chef's kiss

JAJDJD YES EXACTLY like bruce baby freud's whack job self would love you <3 you'd hate the free association stage of psychoanalysis. bruce is so canonically crazy about jason and i love it. jason should recognize the way bruce looks at him and use it to his advantage. remember when he used to psychologically torture bruce? yeah let's bring that back with an added flavour of whatever the fuck this is

this is more something me and @jstodd talked about but basically we were saying how jason would only come back into the family if he and bruce moved past trying to stay purely familial. used to taking care of adults since childhood, jason unconsciously starts being all maternal and it's the only way to calm bruce down. they unironically tap into bruce's mommy kink

anyways they're so messed up but this is what works for them and bruce's anger with jason starts lessening because all he sees is martha and he could never be angry with his sweet mama. everyone is either so creeped out and unsure how to handle this new development (like do they get THE batman arrested for whatever damn grooming method this is???) or they have no clue it's happening because bruce is too ashamed to let anyone know.

jason is and always has been bruce's little "secret" that he kept socially isolated until he literally died. now he just happens to be his little secret that looks like his mom and reminds him of his girlfriend but is alive and well-- as well as he can be under these circumstances

[haveihitanerve]

But in a world where everything goes to shit Tim is willing to go back in time and kill a woman to prevent it. I’ve never thought of Tim’s no kill as “as strong as Bruce’s” because literally the only person Bruce has every tried to kill ((in a situation where he didn’t have the safety net of other people around to stop him, people take scenarios where other people stop Bruce as “he would’ve done it if not for them” but imo it’s like Bruce was venting his emotions, if they weren’t there he would’ve stopped himself, then stopping him is like a gift to him bc stopping yourself from going too far when you’re angry is hard)) is darksied. Tim’s moral code is iron or diamond, incredibly strong and principled, but it comes to him as his choice and because he knows it what’s right and it’s what’s been taught. In horrible conditions he could change his mind. Dicks no kill is emotional and I’m not a huge dick fan but I think both he and Tim are better more principled people and have better internal reasons for their no kill code than Bruce, for whom it is a compulsion

The thing about Tim is he is almost as emotionally ready to drain himself for those around him as Bruce is. Tim does have a super strong moral code imo, but I do agree that he is willing to relent it- but only for the greater good. Only in the most dire circumstances. The world has to be going up in flames for him to even consider the possibility of going through with it- and murder is a common theme in Tim's mind only because he's very analytical from what I've seen and is checking all angles, murder would be a useful tool in certain cases and I do think Tim would be willing to do it in extreme cases with no other options, even at the cost of his own mental stability because I do still think while he would go through with it, its mental strain would be too great and he would snap internally.

(Same with Dick, when Dick killed the Joker Bruce brought him back to life solely because he knew it would actually kill Dick on the inside if he ever actually took a life, anyone else and he probs would've left him dead)

Bruce, on the other hand, that's an interesting take i've never seen before- I agree with others on this, Bruce would have gone through with murder multiple times if someone else hadn't stepped in- theres an entire comic dedicated how it took Superman beating him up for Bruce to not go after Joker and kill him after Jason's death, otherwise Bruce probably would've gone through with it. Also, Tim's more earlier Robin comics are brutal, Bruce would have done it a hundred times over imo if he hadn't been there, but at the end of the day these are just my opinions and quite honestly we'll never know for sure because they will never permanently kill off Joker or make any of the bats kill unless they go really dark or smth and... yeah idk I don't think they ever will but I love your opinion on it... maybe I should explore this in some of my other writing... should be an interesting challenge :P

Thanks for the ask! 💗

[searchforahero]

reverse robins jaytim!!!! pretty please!

-mel 💜

(for this ask game)

OH i love this one i'm always thinking about and never writing it

basic premise is that tim got joker juniord but instead of doing that he became savior after. jason had interacted with tim both as a civilian and as bruce's sidekick before the jj stuff and really looked up to him (and had a massive crush) he is Not Normal about tim once he becomes bruce's sidekick.

i am having a really hard time putting my thoughts in order so i'm just going to. put a bunch of random ones in no particular order. this makes no sense T-T

-jason was very much obsessed with tim before he went all rogue, but his thoughts on tim get even more complex after jason becomes bruce's sidekick. bruce acts like tim was The Perfectest Sidekick of All Time and If Only He Had Done Better, he very much has tim on a pedestal, and jason can never ever live up to bruce's flawed memory of him. however jason also has a rose colored vision of who tim was, so he frequently finds himself agreeing with bruce and feeling like he's disrespecting tim's memory. they all have a problem with acting like tim is dead <3 BUT ALSO when things are Bad with bruce? jason becomes deeply frustrated with tim, and will often use the fact that he's still alive and out there killing people as a "gotcha" with bruce. it's very much he's right there killing people, and somehow jason is still a worse sidekick?

-jason and tim meeting and jason trying so hard to convince tim to come back and it very much almost works every time because tim doesn't believe in what he's doing, and just feels like he has to. tim will sometimes get violent with jason in these instances as a thinly veiled attempt to convince himself and jason he is indeed evil and unworthy of redemption.

also this ramble i went on. it isn't really about jason. but. its in the same AU so.

damian and tim love each other more than anything and long for nothing but to be reconnected but are too bitchy and stubborn to say it. i think damian would have been quite hostile to tim at first when he joined up, and would have considered him a lesser replacement, but being older and more mature and having more time to sort out all of the league shit than he did in canon, i think he would have handled it a lot better. he and tim would have had a relationship on the more hostile end of brotherly bickering, but loved each other none the less, but would have been unwilling to say it due to complicated feelings regarding bruce & vigilantism & how that intersects with each other (also tim "replacing" damian). i see them as siblings who don't get along except for in those few moments where it becomes incredibly obvious they love each other more than anything. tim would fight with bruce and damian would take him out places to get his mind off it, that sort of thing. when tim dies (or whatever) damian feels deeply responsible (he thinks he should have been there to save him or have discouraged him from their life in its entirety) and can hardly manage to even think about tim. then jason comes along and its like tim is everywhere all over again. both in the way jason loves to talk about how much tim inspires him, but also just in the way he moves and talks and jokes around. it's like this wound he's been ignoring is suddenly green and infected and begging for attention. this strains his & jason's relationship, although damian is too reserved about the tim topic for jason to really understand why, and it makes jason feel like damian thinks he's trying to replace his lost brother and doing so Badly. i think damian would house savior!tim if it ever came to it, regardless of his own feelings on tim's actions, he could never just let him suffer alone, and he wants so badly to see him again, and those short quiet moments frozen in time where he gets to touch tim's skin, even just to stitch him up, are more precious than anything else these days. tim absolutely holds himself off from meeting with damian, until he misses him sososo badly he orchestrates an injury or a murder attempt or something (he's half convinced himself damian wouldn't speak to him if his life wasn't on the line) to get him back in damian's arms. they just need to talk about it i swear but they. will not! because they're both stubborn and hurt and lonely.

ALSO i think tim becoming savior shakes damian's belief in the mission & his moral code on a very foundational level. damian had to learn all of it, he had to practice and work to solidify his belief in the mission & not killing. it isn't something he believed initially it's something he had to foster, whereas tim showed up with the most unshaking belief in the mission and absolute conviction that everyone needed to be saved. he kind of became a pillar or representation of these ideals to damian, and when he starts killing people it upsets that foundation, even if it doesn't actually do much to change damian's moral code, it does make him feel uncertain and anxious about it