#and bruce revived him

[theweatherinmyhead]

I keep thinking about writing a fic that diverges from the point in Joker’s Last Laugh where Nightwing kills the Joker.

Instead of resuscitating the Joker (really, Bruce? really??), Bruce lets him die.

As everyone recovers from the whole situation, Bruce is a mess. At first he — and all the other bats — assume that it’s from the guilt of sort-of breaking his no-kill rule. It seems much the same as the way Dick couldn’t forgive himself for allowing Blockbuster’s death (to say nothing of the guilt now eating Dick alive for, you know, actually killing someone).

But as Bruce continues on from reacting and into processing, it becomes apparent that he- Well, he’s grieving the Joker.

It… makes a certain amount of sense. He has known — for lack of a better term — the Joker as long as he’s known his eldest son. He’s been a fixture in Bruce’s life. A reliable presence even, inasmuch as an erratic, violent nemesis can be called reliable. The Joker has taken so, so much from the world — from Bruce in particular — but he has also given Bruce some pivotal part of his purpose. The Joker held a level of importance to Batman’s work that few other enemies could ever achieve. He’s a pillar of the role Bruce built Batman to fulfill. Is Batman even properly Batman without the Joker?

So this is Bruce’s grief. Once he identifies it, he’s horrified by how clear it is. The way he’s gone over and over the autopsy report, every angle of cctv, combed every haunt and shaken down every goon just because he doesn’t trust the Joker, doesn’t trust death. (He’s been in the cape too long.) Hours spent at the punching bag, trying desperately to funnel the violence out of his body and into a safe target. Nights spent watching the self-recriminating what-ifs play out on his shadowed bedroom ceiling. What if he’d tried chest compressions? Called EMS before his arrival? What if he’d reached Nightwing sooner? Investigated Tim’s “death” more thoroughly? He is staggered by many ways could he have prevented this death. He should have. He would have. If it wasn’t for how he just… didn’t.

And — so much more incriminating than the denial, the anger, the goddamn bargaining — he’s… sad. There’s an emptiness that stalks his days, a void he can’t help but watch while he patrols. It’s hard to put on his easygoing press smile and to straighten his shoulders against the fundamentally shifted weight of the world. He wakes up exhausted and falls into bed already dreading the morning. He does his work and watches over his family and his city, but all the while he’s looking through a layer of gauze.

He’s also relieved. Of course he’s relieved. There isn’t a single person in the greater Gotham area who doesn’t feel the tsunami of relief once the Joker’s death is publicized. His city is safer, for all that the rest of the rogues gallery still breathe. His people are safer. His kids are safer.

It’s almost as hard for Bruce to admit that he’s grateful the Joker is dead. It feels wrong to rejoice in a death, how ever silently, however well-deserved. But it doesn’t feel any better to notice that clinging, unwelcome sorrow.

The reason I’ll probably never make this into a real fic is that I’m terrible at the comfort part of h/c. I write myself into a corner and then look at where I am and,,

How can Bruce recover from this? How does he lay this internal conflict to rest alongside his most longstanding foe? He’s grieving a violent, unpredictable, horrifyingly creative mass murderer! Someone who has committed countless unspeakable atrocities, who had no single iota of regard for any life beyond his own. Someone whose very existence was intrinsically linked to Bruce’s own…

He can’t seek solace in his family. The Joker has harmed every single one of them in one way or another. Dick needs his strength and Jason would never, ever, forgive him. He can’t talk to his colleagues in the JLA. They’re committed to the greater good in the way Bruce had always believed himself to be. There is no one to absolve him. Bruce doesn’t deserve- Can’t deserve absolution. This grief betrays every principle he’s beaten into his mind and body. It’s the most shameful act he could ever commit.

So Bruce would stew in his guilt upon guilt upon guilt. He would pick at the scabs of the hard-earned mourning, unable and unwilling to accept that the loss of someone important is still a loss, even if that importance comes from a driving need to stop them at (almost) any cost.

[y0ur3]

Based on a short I found in Tumblr but I'm too lazy to finish this :)))

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 139

So. Dan has somehow found a small child. A practically newly born ghostling who had literally fallen right on top of him. A ghostling who had practically formed right above him, far away from nurseries and instead above him of all ghosts? 

Him, the Sunkiller? The Worldeater? Jordan Vladimir FentonNightingale-Foley-Manson? Son of Space and War? Bringer of the End?? Seriously, what the hell! Ghostlings shouldn’t even be able to form within other ghost’s Lairs, and he knew for a fact this wasn’t his own ghostling seeing as he wasn’t interested in such things. 

So here Dan is, feeling more confused than he ever has with a newborn ghostling clinging to him and sobbing in his arms about wanting his dad. What even is his unlife right now.

[cologona]

Bruce didn’t mean to slice Jason’s throat and if he did mean it, it was only to disable , it wasn’t lethal and the wound would’ve been treated, and though that didn’t happen it wasn’t Bruce who sealed Jason’s fate but Joker who set off the explosion, and anyways Jason didn’t actually die he comes back in other comics.

Except none of that matters. It matters for the validity of UTRH as a Batman story that Bruce has deniability sure, but does it absolve him? UTRH says No. At the end of the day Bruce would rather attack his son than let his murderer die. Bruce thought he was refusing the choice but the lesson of this tragedy is that refusing to pick one over the other boils down to choosing the other.

[nelkcats]

Lost Bird Returns

It wasn't strange that Danny chased Desiree, or that she refused to return to the Infinite Realms. What was strange was that she decided to leave Amity Park.

That made things 200% more difficult for the halfa because outside of Amity no one had the "no desiring" rule; while Danny was grateful that Amity was kept "secret" and no one knew what was going on inside (and that was a pain in the ass to accomplish), it was also a disadvantage in those situations.

Mainly because Desiree could stay invisible and listen to people's wishes. Like at that moment, where he found her smiling next to Batman, and damn it, what wish had she granted?

Batman, unaware of his unfortunate situation, was watching the streets of Gotham gloomily. It was Jason's death anniversary and they'd had another fight, which happened a lot in those days, but Bruce couldn't help but think of simpler days.

"I wish he could get his spark back" the dark knight lamented, accidentally sealing his son's fate.

And though Danny had caught Desiree in the thermos, the wish had already been made. The halfa didn't know enough to reverse it either.

A few days later rumors began to be heard of a ghost haunting Gotham. A boy dressed in a burnt uniform with a strange look on his face.

Robin, the lost part of Jason Todd that had been trapped in the Realms so long ago was back, and not even the Lazarus Pits would keep him away this time.

[bruciemilf]

Jason @ Dick after the fucker conveniently didn't tell him Bruce actually DID want to and TRIED to kill the clown but he had political immunity due to being the ambassador of Iran and Clark stopped him to avoid a war:

[moonlight-stalker]

# 67 Dc x Dp

Danny had been cursed when traveling the infinite realms he was exploring a world where the year was 1528, he had been exploring when a person uses magic to try to bind Danny to himself instead he bonded Danny to the land killing the magic user in the process. Danny became stuck in this new dimension unable to leave, he had no one to look and find him. Over the years many have tried to bond Danny to themselves but ended with their death, and Danny with more chains and being cursed

In the year 1695 people started to settle down in the land that Danny was bound to. Over the years the place became known as Gotham Danny protect everyone he could but he has grown weak because of the chains that hold him down. When Batman appeared and started helping protect Danny's people Danny decided to bless him with protection and each Robin Batman had would be protected

In 2260 another magic user appeared and tried to take control of Danny this time they were able to take control of him, but Danny made sure that the magic user and he could not leave Gotham. Batman had to let The Justices League into his city with a couple of the Justice League Dark. John was the one to tell the bats that the magic user had been able to enslave the Gotham spirit.

[donnatroyyyy]

Can I be honest with everyone a second? I honestly think that every instance used to justify calling Dick Grayson the “angry robin” is him being justifiably mad at something that would make anyone who was put in the situation mad.

[aingeal98]

I'm crying they resurrected Jason deliberately with lazarus fluid. How are you going to copy Steph's death in Batgirls but make it boring and pointless with zero emotional weight or acknowledgement of anything Jason has the right to be mad at Bruce about. He didn't even have a gay best friend kiss him as he died.

[astroeatsurass]

some cass and jason drawings cus theyre my fav and their dynamic interests me

[reading-stains]

I just thought about how Dick was the youngest to be taken under Bruce’s wing. Always the youngest, the most shapable of all the kids because he was the youngest. He was a blanker slate compared to the others in the personal identity sense. He was and always will be Dick Grayson. But it’s different to know who you are before the Bat. You haven’t even started pre-algebra. And it’s not easy, later, to know you’re the one that dealt with all the first trials and all the first mistakes and be the youngest to face them.

And he’s had trouble watching Bruce with the others. Jason died. Tim is driven into obsession time and time again. Stephanie is hurt and they all thought she died too.

So he’s hurting. He’s watching Bruce, a man that he knows is at least trying, but having extreme difficulties keeping the kids he takes under his wing alive, let alone stay okay. He’s watching him fail and fail and Dick feels like getting in the way is losing and staying out of it is too.

And when Damian arrives, he’s eight years old.

Eight. Dick had been eight. Lost and confused and his parents died in front of him.

Damian isn’t like him. He comes from blood. He’s killed before he’s binged a kids show. He’s angry in a way Dick isn’t, but he’s still angry and Dick recognizes that in his bones.

And he’s not doing this again. He’s not letting these problems settle again. He’s not leaving Bruce to make the mistakes he made with him and with all the others. He can’t be the best case to come out of Bruce’s parenting. He can’t.

Eight years old, a kid just like he was. A different flavor of traumatized and emotionally unstable, but a kid.

I just thought is it just love? Later, of course it is. Dick loves Damian and I haven’t read anything stating otherwise.

But at the start. Is it redemption for the other times he didn’t step forward, despite the fact he had every right not to while he was hurting? And again, is it self-love? To stop what had been unfair to him, cruel with him, hard for him?

I just wonder. Dick Grayson, when you look at the child, is part of you seeing you trying to save yourself?

[trekkele]

ok time to be negative again i cannot stand the trope “character x finds out bruce ““let”” his sons murderer live and chews him out then goes to kill joker” because 60% of the time its a character who has an independent no kill rule, and absolutely zero business yelling at Bruce about anything. Fuck ooooooffffff with the guilt tripping about bruce not committing murder!!!!!

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 122

So, Danny might be a hint confused and perhaps slightly suspicious about this situation. Look, he didn’t exactly remember how he got in this situation, but from what he hears of the other person-turned-oversized-lizard’s panicked whispers they don’t understand how this happened either. Something something ghost probably. 

Someone had better not have made some sort of wish back home. He didn’t want to deal with Desiree’s shenanigans, even if being a dragon or whatever was pretty freaking cool…

[fifiophobia]

You know, considering it was canon that Batman mourned Jokers death in the Arkham games, it makes me wonder how Jason would’ve felt learning about that.

Like, imagine Jason learned about all the crap that was going through Batman’s head during the Riddler spin-off novel and he just stands there like:

[nelkcats]

Summer Camp

Fighting ghosts had caused his grades to drop, to the point where some were barely passing. That's why Mr. Lancer recommended him to get a tutor or attend a remedial course, something Danny considered quite absurd, how was he going to be able to get away from Amity without it getting destroyed?

Jazz didn't seem to find it absurd at all, and despite his complaints, the halfa ended up at "summer camp" to boost his knowledge or something (Sam and Tucker seemed pretty sure they could handle the ghosts on their own while he was gone), at least, they had an activity about stargazing, for which Danny was grateful.

In the camp he found someone just as bitter as he was, but strangely excited. "Jason Todd" was grumpy about attending and having to be away from his family, but he was excited to learn new things. Danny found it endearing.

They both ended up becoming friends, and reminding each other of the things they were missing. At the end of the camp, it seemed that life had returned to the eyes of the tired halfa. It was during his last night at the camp, when Danny was showing the boy the stars, that Jason kissed him.

Unfortunately they didn't have much time left so they decided to keep in touch and send each other letters. Each headed to their respective city with a smile on their faces. The happiness Danny had earned was gone as soon as Jason's letters stopped coming.

He checked the Gotham newspapers with curiosity and was furious as soon as he saw the news of Jason (sweet, nerdy, and rude Jason) being killed in a fucking explosion. He flew at full speed until he found his grave, and helplessly began to cry. Whether he was angry or sad, he didn't know.

Ectoplasmic tears fell on the grave and unknown to the halfa, they were absorbed by the body. When Danny noticed that the tomb was beginning to glow the same toxic green he knew he couldn't help but feel hopeful. But it wasn't enough.

He didn't know if it would work, but on instinct he drew ectoplasm directly from his core and propelled it into Jason's tomb, hoping it would help. Danny wondered if he was breaking a rule in the Realms but he didn't care.

When he heard his friend's weak heartbeat (Boyfriend? Lover? He doesn't know, they never put a label on each other) he began to dig up the dirt around the grave, but before he could finish, time stopped and Clockwork looked at him with a frown. His mentor looked annoyed, but strangely comprehensive as he directed him to the Clock Tower.

[starry-bi-sky]

just wanted to say that your thomas wayne au is making me swoon - baby bruce is the most adorable baby ever and they love each other so much 😭

(I saw you mentioned them meeting canon dc and I think everyone of the batfam would be unwillingly won over by this adorable baby and their grandad (and adult bruce would either be paralysed by emotion or start crying or both)) (and maybe there is no martha wayne, simply thomas and alfred raising the cutest and most troublesome baby 😏)

Aaaaahhh I'm so glad you like it 🥺 i love making aus that have the emotional effect of a gut punch on the Bats 🥰 its why 'Danny being a variant of Jason' is such a fun little au I have that I haven't shared here since its pretty convoluted imo.

And i absolutely agree you have it down pat that the canon DC Batfam would be unwillingly won over by Baby Bruce and Danny/Thomas frfr. Danny is so protective and affectionate with his little guy, and I have a personal headcanon that he teaches Bruce how to play piano after discovering an interest in it once he's adopted by the Waynes. (OH and when Bruce is older Danny sits him out in the gardens or on the roofs and shows him how to find constellations)

Danny finds out that the bruce in this world grew up without his parents and starts side-eyeing him HARD bc he wants to be affectionate to this version of His Boy but he doesnt want Bruce to react negatively to it

I'll also tell you a secret: the day Danny and Bruce are transported into the canon universe was the day Danny and Bruce were meant to end up in crime alley :) they were just about to leave the manor.