#and Damian is not given to Bruce

[rjnonymous]

If Bruce hadn't taken in his kids every single one of them except Jason would've turned out as murderous maniacs

[flwrkid14]

Everyone Wants to Be Tim Drake’s Favorite Brother

Being Tim Drake’s favorite isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s about power, perks, and an almost supernatural level of protection.

It starts with the little things. Tim isn’t one for grand gestures, but when he cares about someone, it’s obvious. He listens—really listens—to the small comments, the things others might forget. That offhand remark about a snack you miss? Tim’s already on his way to get it for you. Complaining that your suit’s not fitting quite right? Tim’s hands-on with upgrades by morning. If you're Tim’s favorite, it’s a constant stream of thoughtful gestures. Gear gets upgraded, favorite books and gadgets mysteriously show up, and Tim’s always thinking of how he can make your life easier.

But being Tim’s favorite is more than just gifts. It’s the way Tim treats you, the way he prioritizes you over everything else. Tim listens when you vent, has your back during arguments, even when you’re wrong, and somehow—somehow—he gets Bruce to listen to you more than anyone else.

Bruce listens to everyone, of course. He’s the Bat. But when Tim speaks, it’s different. Bruce doesn’t just hear Tim—he acts. Whether it’s adjusting mission plans, reevaluating tactics, or considering Gotham’s crime trends. He’ll mention something, and suddenly, Bruce is shifting his approach. No one else seems to have that pull over him. Tim has a way of cutting through Bruce’s stubbornness that no one else can match. It’s not lost on anyone that when you’re Tim’s favorite, Bruce seems to listen to you more, too.

And then, there’s the most dangerous perk of all: Tim’s wrath.

Everyone in Gotham has learned to fear the consequences of hurting anyone Tim cares about. They all remember how Janet Drake, Tim’s mother, was exactly the same. Janet didn’t just love fiercely; she made people fear the consequences of betraying her affection. She’d build strong alliances and maintain an iron grip on them, ensuring no one dared to harm those she called her own. She had a reputation for turning the tables in ways that left lasting marks on Gotham’s criminals, so it’s no surprise that Tim inherited the same instincts. The last time one of his favorites got hurt in Gotham, the Rogue responsible learned the hard way that crossing a Drake isn’t something you do lightly. That night, the Rogue barely escaped with his life, and the damage he caused was felt across Gotham for weeks.

The rumors from that time still make the rounds. Red Robin hunted that Rogue down, dismantling supply lines and ruining their operations in ways no one else could, using connections no one could have anticipated for him to have. He sent a message—a warning—one that still echoes through Gotham’s criminal world. After that, the Rogues were far more cautious when it came to hurting anyone Red Robin seemed particularly attached to.

These days, the Rogues are more careful. If they can see who Tim’s favorite is, they back off. Patrols get easier. The punches are pulled. The threats don’t carry the same weight. It's almost comical. Once, Jason caught Riddler mid-riddle and swore he saw him glance over his shoulder like he was checking for something—and then mutter, “Not worth it,” before retreating.

Of course, everyone’s gotten a taste of these perks at some point.

Jason remembers his time as Tim’s favorite. When he first came back, Tim went above and beyond. His gear was upgraded constantly, his safehouses were restocked with his favorite things, and there were custom modifications to everything. Tim even managed to reclaim all his old safehouses from the GCPD archives with no problem. Jason never openly admitted it, but he savored every moment. It felt good to be cared for like that.

Cass had it too when she struggled to reconnect with the family. Tim stuck close, quietly offering his support—whether it was with training or just sitting together. She didn’t ask for a suit upgrade, just mentioned how bulky it was in passing, and Tim designed a new one for her the following week, fitting it perfectly to her style. And as for the Rogues? They couldn't run away fast enough when she showed up.

Right now, they all suspect Duke to be the favorite. Tim’s always inviting him to collaborate on tech projects or sharing valuable intel. And Duke has started receiving gifts that seem to show up at just the right moment—books, custom gadgets, and even the occasional throwback cereal he mentioned in passing. Tim’s also been there for him every step of the way, making sure he’s always in the loop, collaborating on projects, and taking the time to make Duke feel seen.

“You know,” Duke said one night, stirring his soup casually, “Scarecrow’s been weirdly quiet lately.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Jason said with a raised eyebrow. “What did you do?”

Duke blinked. “Nothing.”

Jason shot Tim a look. “What did you do?”

Tim’s smirk was all the answer Jason needed.

And that’s the thing—being Tim’s favorite isn’t just about attention or gear. It’s about something more. It’s about protection. Once you’re Tim’s favorite, the world seems like it can’t touch you. And everyone knows it.

They’ve all had their time as Tim’s favorite. Jason, Cass, even Damian had his moment. But once you’re no longer the favorite, it’s hard not to crave it again.

Jason lingers in the Batcave, pretending to talk about his gear but subtly hinting at upgrades Tim could add to it.

Damian scoffs at the idea of being prioritized, but Tim catches him comparing his gear to Duke’s own, new and improved gear, muttering to himself, “It’s adequate,” like it’s an insult.

Dick tries to remain above it all—he’s the eldest, after all. He doesn’t need Tim’s attention. But when he sees Tim working behind the scenes, tinkering with Duke’s gear or offering an unexpected assist to Jason, there’s that ache of longing for when he was the center of Tim’s world.

In the end, they’ll never say it, but every single one of them secretly wants to be Tim’s favorite. Because when Tim Drake decides you’re his favorite, you’re not just cared for—you’re protected and given an unwavering loyalty that makes you feel untouchable in Gotham.

And in Gotham, where danger is always close, nothing is more powerful than the protection and devotion of a Drake.

[littlefankingdom]

Bruce Wayne is canonically a very handsome man (he is called a "pretty boy" and he is in his 40s, for fuck's sake), and he is pretty famous as a rich philanthropist who doesn't want to leave his awful cursed crime infested city. So, there must be a ton of people thirsting over him on the internet. Fancams, edits, fanfics and imagines ("kidnapped with Bruce Wayne 😍 by a Gotham rogue"), the whole charade!

And anytime one of the batkids stumbles on a thirst post, they have the most dramatic disgusted reaction, loudly gagging, before sending the link to the batkids chat, because if they must suffer, then they should all suffer. Clicking on a link in this groupchat is like playing russian roulette, and getting rickrolled is a good ending.

[disco-troy]

KG Beast had the worst time of his life after he shot Nightwing.

First he got beat up by Batman and abandoned in the snow

Then Nightwing himself beat him up (and told him a pun)

THEN The Batgirls lured him to their turf ON PURPOSE to beat him up

Damian nearly kills him

He gets beat up by a guy at the speed of light

and that's not even counting Kory's reaction!

Entire hired killer career OVER bc he shot one man

[saintvainglorious]

Fics I Enjoyed in December - DC Comics Fic Rec List

Fell headfirst back into DC Comics for the first time in years this month. Reread some old favorites and discovered some new gems!

Heart, Humble by Betty (Mature, 8k, 2005) Jack Drake deals with finding out that Tim is Robin (poorly, and then not so poorly). THEE canon-accurate Jack Drake-focused fic of all time, this is canon in my heart.

Back then, all the boys his age had hero-worshipped costumed vigilantes. Jack supposes they still do.

Exit Strategy by smilebackwards/@smilebackwards (Teen & Up, 13k, 2021) Tim plans to leave a family he thinks he was never really a part of and decides to train Damian on how to run Wayne Enterprises before he goes. Delicious angst, excellent character work, and fun Wayne Enterprises worldbuilding.

Batman needs a Robin and Batman has a Robin. Tim is just extraneous now, vestigial. He’s a bandage over a healed wound. He doesn’t know what he’s hanging on to. Or: Tim didn’t expect his exit strategy from the Batfamily to involve quite so much bonding time with Damian over Wayne Enterprises bureaucracy.

On the Downbeat by husborth (Teen & Up, 2k, 2019) Bruce and Jason talk while waiting in line at a drive-thru (featuring Gotham-typical violence and husborth-typical gorgeous prose). I've always adored husborth's Star Wars fics and I'm so glad I dipped my toe into their DC works, no one's writing hits quite like husborth.

Jason has recovered his sanity, and Bruce and Jason have recovered their relationship; but there are some things that are hard to forget.

A Zoo for Canines by husborth (Mature, 45k, 2019) Part 2 of Zoology; Dick and Jason try to help Bruce recover from addiction. If you're used to fanon Dick Grayson (cheery, friendly, forgiving) you will not find him here - his anger and pain is ugly, raw, and so fucking captivating.

Dick, Bruce, and Jason head out to a cabin in the mountains, and they handle things about as well as they handle anything.

All the Roofs of Uncertainty by Kieron_ODuibhir/@kieron-oduibhir (General Audiences, 70k, 2015) Dick almost dies and makes Jason promise to take care of the family for him. A masterclass demonstration on how DC fic can square all the wildly divergent canon versions of Jason Todd into a single compelling character.

For all the blood on his hands, Red Hood was never just a villain. And Nightwing never gives up on family, not for good. (Or: The one where Dick bleeds a lot and Jason argues with everybody.)

The Till-Then From the Ever-Since by Kieron_ODuibhir/@kieron-oduibhir (General Audiences, 85k (WIP), 2020) Kid versions of the whole Batfamily mysteriously time travel to the future! I livetexted a friend the whole time I read this so I could yell about how amazing the character writing is; also I'm wildly impressed with how the author deftly handles tons of dialogue-heavy scenes with like 12+ guys in it without anyone going unmentioned.

It began, or seemed to begin, with Jason. Usually that would have meant something in the order of fire and explosion and probably at least one gunshot wound, but for once (as Tim said, sourly), it wasn't actually Jason's fault.

only you will have stars that can laugh by silverwhittlingknife/@silverwhittlingknife (Teen & Up, 9k, 2022) Dick finds out Tim is alone on Christmas and invites him to Babs' Christmas party. Discovered silverwhittlingknife through their galaxy brained Dick & Tim meta essays, stayed for every single line of Chapter 2 ripping out my heart and roasting it over an open flame.

You coming over is possibly the only thing that’s gonna stop me from wanting to punch your dad in the face, Dick doesn’t say. My current Christmas Day plans are 1) pace around at home, and 2) try not to obsess about what Bruce is up to, so trust me, you’ll be an improvement, Dick doesn’t say. Tim's alone on Christmas Eve. Dick finds out, and fixes it.

nerve endings by silverwhittlingknife/@silverwhittlingknife (Teen & Up, 5k (WIP), 2024) Post-Catalina Flores, Dick, Tim, and Bruce go on a (canon-accurate) cruise and dance around their open wounds. This is a glorious example of "he WOULD fucking say that", Dick's voice is so canon-accurate that the angst is even more painful i cri

It's all right, even, to have a foreign hand pressing against his skin, testing him, testing his reactions. He keeps his breathing controlled. Just Tim, damn you, it’s just Tim, don’t fuck it up. Dick's on a cruise with Bruce and Tim. And he's fine. Mostly.

Red Letter Day by silverwhittlingknife/@silverwhittlingknife (Teen & Up, 42k (WIP), 2022) Dick is sure the cryptic scribble in his agenda refers to something he's supposed to do for Damian, but he can't remember what. Mostly about Tim and Dick s l o w l y mending the post-Damian rupture in their relationship, but the whole family is here and Jason, especially, is fucking hilarious.

Dick Grayson, stressed pseudo-parent to a preteen assassin, tries to solve the case of Damian’s Mysterious Wednesday. He never expected it to help him fix his relationship with Tim, too. (… Though only after everything fell apart first.)

Gonna Be A Better One (A Thousand Miles To Your Door) by Traincat/@traincat (Teen & Up, 18k, 2011) Tim and Kon keep dating even after Jack forces Tim to retire as Robin. I reread this fic annually and every time am delighted to rediscover how funny and heartwarming and squee-inducingly kind it is, pure Timkon perfection.

In which Tim quits being Robin, Kon refuses to quit Tim and Ma Kent is full of relationship advice.

last light in a darkened room by bigdamnher0/@bigdvmnhero (Not Rated, 6k, 2024) Tim finds a distressing video of Robin!Dick and wishes that things were different. The whole fic, particularly Tim manifesting a happy ending in the bathroom, is a gorgeously crafted tragedy such that you're left kind of awed at how thoroughly massacred your heart and soul are post-read.

Tuesday morning: a video was uploaded to one of the deep web black markets. The footage, shot on those grainy vintage camcorders. But Tim knew that boy in the thumbnail; his eyes had memorized him, the heft and shape and dazzle of him, imprinting like an afterimage. Or: a brother is a witness; there's your tragedy.

buy back the secrets by sundiscus/@vinelark (Teen & Up, 91k (WIP), 2024) Superboy rescues civilian Tim Drake before learning that Tim is Robin and shenanigans ensue. I spent my whole holiday vacation intermittently screaming at this fic while my family members looked on with vague concern this fic is ADORABLE and AGONIZING and PERFECT please and THANK YOU.

He takes a long, slow breath. Ignores the glares from the other students. “Superboy,” he murmurs. “It’s me. If you’re listening, I could use some help.” Or: 5 times Superboy saves Tim Drake, and one time Tim Drake saves Superboy.

[celaenaeiln]

Bruce: *introducing Dick to high society for the first time* This is Dick, my son and baby brother.

Socialite 1: You don’t have a son.

Bruce: This is my baby brother.

Socialite 2: You don’t have a brother.

Bruce: This is my baby.

Socialite 3: That’s a small child. Regardless, you don’t have a baby.

Bruce: Mine.

Socialites: ….hi Dick.

Dick: *tiny child beaming up at them with shining blue eyes* hi!!

Socialites: …….

Socialites: *to Bruce* this is now our child.

[batcavescolony]

You know what piece of fanon irks me? The idea that Dick resents Jason and Tim for being Robin or that Damian is the only Robin that Dick gave his approval to.

Batman #416

This is the first issue we see Nightwing and Jason Todd's Robin together it's 18 months after Bruce fired Dick (because he got hurt and cus Bruce though he was gonna leave the nest anyways it's a thing). Dick gave Jason his approval, he was mad at BRUCE for lack of communication and being Bruce but it never carried over to Jason.

And in A Lonely Place of Dying Dick

Takes Tim to the suit basically goes "I can't be Robin. ME, I, DICK GRAYSON can no longer be Robin. Robin is a teen about *put a hand at Tim height* this tall, black hair, good at acrobatics, not afraid to tell Batman off, and a good detective, maybe he even found out Batman and Robins identities. That is Robin, but I am Nightwing not Robin. Yep. A Robin needs to be all those things. Now I'm off to save Batman!" then later looks on fondly as Tim pleads his case to Batman, backs him up, and thinks that Bruce needs to think with his heart not head and take on a new Robin. It's not explicitly written out in the text but all of this is Dick giving Tim permission to be Robin.

TL:DR: DICK GAVE ALL THE ROBINS HIS APPROVAL NOT JUST DAMIAN!

[ghurab-alzilal]

At the Zoo XIV

8 y/o Damian, in front of the herpetarium : Ew...

Bruce: I don't understand how you hate snakes so much even though you're an animal lover.

8 y/o Damian: *flashbacks to that time when he was three years old and Jason almost died (again) from saving him from a huge anaconda constrictor during a LoA's mission *

8 y/o Damian: Irrelevant grounds. It is merely because they look scrawny like Drake.

Tim: Hey!

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 - Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13

[emdeerm]

*Disappointed Alfred stare tm*

Prompt? Idk, go ham

So, GK Danny has been with Batfamkly for a while now. Like, a few years. He's a freshly adulting adult. He loves his family. A lot of crap in DC canon didn't happen and stuff. He is now a part of JL.

He gets a mission from CW to go to an alternate version of his dimension and fix whatever is happening there.

He gets sent into the world where Gotham War is happening. He is DISAPPOINTED and also horrified, to say the least. His dad is way better. B, take him home pls.

But he has a duty to do. So...

*Loud clap from the sky getting everyone's attention at once*

"Ladies, gentlemen, and others, we are closing this shit show down for maintenance. Please vacate the premises." A person in the sky announced, grabbed the whole batfamily in reach and swooshed away.

[thy-valhallen]

Batfam Voices as Instruments

Batfam voices as instruments bc i think of things very musically and it struck me others don't

Bruce: bass guitar. he's low and deep and when he speaks, you feel it in your eardrums, straight into your jaw. his words are like injections into your skull, feel intense and impossible to ignore-- but he has softer moments, too. quiet, gentle plucking of strings, the careful, slow strums of a man who plays only for the ears who will know what the notes will mean

Alfred: viola. slightly deeper than a violin, but mostly just warmer. a voice you hear and want to hum along to, a voice that sits in your ears before it sinks into your chest. it's gentle and sways with grace across strings and notes, it plays a harmony that supports and compliments, that is a steady through-line for everything that surrounds it

Dick: trumpet. brassy and loud and present and fuck do you KNOW when he's in the room. he's so bright and warm and MEANT to be heard. you hear him in your heart, every time he speaks, feel it deep in every vein like he's writing gospel into your DNA. and usually it's jazzy, it's excitement and riffs and improv and leaping off the page and doing cartwheels across a music staff-- but he's just as capable of whispersoft confessions of heartbreak and loss in D minor, can let loose a lament of all he's lost in an elegy of epic proportions

Barbara: harp. a challenging instrument to understand and play, and one she plays with ease. she is plucking strings with careful fingertips, strums across them all with a single hand. she's a melody that glides past your ears, a song that doesn't sink in-- if you're not paying attention to the hooks that latch into your brain. she is careful compositions and sweeping songs arranged for each audience with care. yet when she feels wrath, she shreds herself to make sure you feel it-- she takes scissors to her own strings to cut deeper than the song could alone

Jason: cello. deep and contemplative, with a sort of vibration that bites into your bones from the moment he opens his mouth. waxing poetic is his native tone, and it sounds like a bow dancing across strings and fingers traversing the frets like they were made for it, a soothing melody that could be a lullaby. when fury comes, the sound alone is so sharp where it's settled into your joints that you can't fight back; it's vicious strokes across the strings that shred the bow's hairs without care, wrath in every pull like it's a sword. he can settle into the orchestra or he can sweep them all offstage to stand alone against the conductor that dared to direct him

Cass: marimba. light and soft and so very deliberate. all those bars close together, and each hit with precision, because when Cass speaks, each sound and syllable is effort and choice and control. she is range and gentle dancing note to note and a sound that settles on your skin like a gentle rain, clinging and soft and so very present. to hear it is to hear if a storm could sing and serenaded the sky it calls home. she is echoing in an empty room until she fills it herself (i think of this specifically)

Tim: piano. it's all about the force put into it-- he can be the most careful, calculated guy in the room, playing with all the rigor and rigid professionalism of a NY Symphonic pianist. but the real Tim is the one who's fingers flutter playfully over the keys, who's voice cracks from laughter and sleep deprivation and stress, who trembles between octaves as his fingers tire but makes the leap anyway. he is clear ringing notes in a crowded room and rambling words like a glissando back and forth across the ivories, he is a song quiet enough to fall to the background but a complex and delicate tune if you care to listen

Steph: drum kit. she is all intensity and living in the moment and sharp impacts and a beat that never stops, never waits for the rest. she can get lost to the rest of the voices in a room, but you'll never shake that she's in your head, that her voice is there and present and presses against the base of your skull like it wants to worm straight in. she's rhythm and motion and changing things up just to do it; her voice hops from the snares to the bass to the snares and back to bass and never lets you think between notes, she's moving so fast, because it's all her, nothing she ever has to question, even if she makes you question with every slam on the cymbal

Damian: violin. he is careful in his every motion, ever meticulous with all he does; he lives in fear of being out of tune, of off-key notes for a long time, and so each one is practiced and known to the point of monotony. but over time, he thaws and the notes become more loose, more free-- he speaks less like his eyes are glued to the page, furiously tracking each note he'll play and more like the natural he is-- he becomes sharper in a different way than the rest of him, notes out of place that jut from the rest and it's okay that they do, a hum of songs that don't follow classic melodies and don't feel the need to. don't mistake it though-- his voice has always been as regal and pointed as the rest of him was raised to be, and his voice grabs both your ear and your eyes, dragging you to look at him, for him to be seen and noticed and given attention

Duke: saxophone. he is deep and rich and resonating. his voice is emotion and expression and honesty. his voice sits on your tongue because hearing him makes you want to speak, want to talk and chat and ramble with him, to reply to his melody with any harmony to match. he is a voice meant to be heard by many, who may not stand out in a room naturally but makes himself stand out by the passion in his voice. he is a slow, experimental hand that plays notes with hesitance until the rhythm hits him and suddenly, it's a melody of energy and power and a presence that he doesn't even know he has

[leoleolovesdc]

“Blah blah blah Tim Drake is sleep deprived” we’ve all heard it, but this man is a highschool dropout who’s job is to sit at WE and look pretty (no he isn’t a CEO, idk where any of you took that from), making his only responsibility the Being A Vigilante bit. However, I present to you Duke Thomas and Damian Wayne are sleep deprived, bc hear me out they are the only ones who have stuff to do both at day AND night time.

Bruce is rich, he doesn’t have a real job, same goes for Tim, Jason doesn’t have any job at all, Cass doesn’t even have a birth certificate, Steph seemingly dropped out of uni, etc.

None of them do anything besides vigilantism, but Damian has school during the day and Robin at night, Duke has school at night and Signal during the day, those mfs do NOT have time to sleep.

[violentdick]

-source: Detective Comics #74-

Weapon of Choice: The piggyback grappling is adorable.

[dukeofthomas]

''jason thought he was replaced'' bestie he WAS. dick was replaced with jason, jason was replaced with tim, tim was replaced with damian. the way the robin mantle was passed down everytime is literally the definition of 'replace' there is no 'thought' about it!!!

[oneshotprincess]

i think a reverse damian wayne introduction story would be great. like a damian who's been raised by bruce his entire life is finally old enough and insists on meeting his mother's side of the family. and after many, many, many, MANY protests, bruce finally relents

i want damian to navigate meeting talia and ra's and nyssa and mara and the rest of the league and figuring out his place amongst them. i want shenanigans and culture shock and most of all

i want raised-by-bruce!damian to seriously consider ra's' philosophy, his vision for the world, batman's no-kill rule and damian's potential as heir to the demon and CHOOSE his own destiny, because no matter what he's of child of two worlds

[delicatedarknight]

Okk imagine for some reason or other Damian suggested Bruce and him take the subway for the parents meet for a change of pace and while they are waiting there they are met with Clark along with Jon in his arms who was blowing bubbles and on their way to new gotham museum. Clark and Bruce exchanged pleasantries and waited in silence until Jon spoke " Damian do u also wanna blow some bubbles?" with a gleaming smile. Damian, feeling flustered for being caught having interest in 'childish things', looked away and shook his head in denial. Bruce sighed and before he could say anything Clark has already picked Damian up in another arm and spoke "It's okay to let yourself relish things for a change of pace" as he softly smiled while Jon taught Damian how to blow bubbles. Jon told Damian to simply blow in the bubble wand and Damian being novice to it blew too hard into it, leading to soap solution being splattered. Clark cooed at the scene and tried to stifle a laugh just like Bruce whose eyes were shining in endearment. Damian poutes at the failed attempt, again Jon told him to blow slowly into the wand and demonstrated how to do it. Determined to blow his first bubble perfectly he took a deep breath and blew into the bubble wand slowly and steadily. And there it is world's most perfect bubble floating around, happy at his achievement he pointed at bubble while looking at Bruce and goes “ Did you see that? Did you see that dad? I did it!! ”. Bruce trying hard not to cry, proudly nods at his son's achievement and happiness. He doesn't know why but something about the scene warmed Bruce, that even he ended up genuinely smiling at them. He looked at how love of his life which Bruce would never admit to look like while hyping the boys for a bubble competition. Flash . All three looked at Bruce with a look of confusion when Clark squinted his eyes accusingly "you took a photo of us, didn't you?". Bruce looked away while mumbling a small 'no' a habit of his when caught lying as he silently kept his phone away. Jon chimed in gleefully with a "Show us, show us" along with the other two joining him. And there it was a photo of everyone's faces squished together trying to take a peek of the photo on the front page of every newspaper known to man with headlines 'Bruce wayne's secret lover? ' with a tiny sub heading 'Did the Gotham vigilante finally bite the dust? '

[ferrouswheel11]

Pre-Damian Wayne, I'm curious who the writers envisioned carrying on the Batman legacy.

Obviously Dick took the mantle in Prodigal, and I can think of several instances where Tim pushed for him to be Bruce's successor. I don't think Dick wanted to be Batman, but we've seen that he was willing to do it if he thinks it's needed. And he's certainly a popular character, maybe enough to satisfy Batman readers.

Parallels have been drawn between Tim and Bruce as well (both in and out of universe), and of course we have the appearance Evil Batman!Tim from the future. And if Damian's not too young to be considered a hypothetical Bat-successor, then neither was Tim.

I know that people think of Cass as the most similar to Bruce when it comes to the mission, and you could think of Helena's run as the Bat in No Man's Land as a test run for a female successor.

And of course there's Terry McGinnis, but he was never a part of the mainstream comics universe pre-reboot...

The Trinity universe is just the most recent time we've seen a possible future version with Damian as Batman, so that seems to be the direction writers have been leaning pretty much since Damian was introduced. Not sure how I feel about that overall, but I do like that it suggests Dick sticks with Nightwing instead of giving it up to be Batman, and that Damian's Batman is clearly very different from Bruce's. Still, I'm curious about what we could have had.