#and then they have bruce like actively looking for replacement robins which like???? he didn't want another robin????

[navree]

there's a lot of reasons why that titans show wanting to do batfam specific arcs, especially death in the family/under the red hood, flopped so hard each time, but one of the biggest is that they basically brought jason back after, like, a fucking month and it basically negates the entire thing

[vivalafxxku]

Crime Alley Solidarity

(I would like to preface this to say that I love Bruce but I need him to be the bad guy for the sake of my thoughts)

The Crime Alley Kids hate Batman.

Sure, at first it's because they think Batman abandoned Park Row, but they have some sort of respect for him since it could be worse? Without Batman, Crime Alley would be much worse but it's not getting better so their feelings towards the Caped Crusader is lukewarm at best.

Then Red Hood moves in and he... he looks out for them?

He vets soup kitchens, makes sure shelters are safe, beats (later kills, but Hood would never do that in front of a child) the crap out of creeps and drug dealers trying to use them? When he had the time, Red Hood would have impromptu tutoring sessions on the side of the street.

This leads to the Crime Alley Kids loving Red Hood.

So imagine their surprise that their favourite hero (they would never call Red Hood a hero to his face mainly because he would vehemently deny it, but that's what he is to the kids) that Batman, the supposed symbol of Gotham's justice, treats Red Hood with... was that disdain?

They've seen Red Hood interact with the other members of the team, they're friendly. The kids would even say they acted like family.

Nightwing shows the kids tricks and checks up on Red Hood. ("Are you eating, Little Wing? No new injuries? How are you feeling?" "Oh my god, you're really ruining my rep here, dickhead." It is said with no actual heat.)

Red Robin hands him information without needing an exchange other than a playful noogie that Red Robin wiggles out of in mild annoyance. ("Aw thanks Replacement, didn't know you cared so much." They can't see his face but hear the teaching tone of voice.)

Spoiler throws glitter at him and instead of firing a gun at the purple vigilante, he just sighs and attempts to shake off most of it. (It doesn't work, but at least it's red glitter.)

Black Bat would pop up, scaring the living daylights out of him, to give a quick hug before disappearing. (The kids get a kick out of the shriek coming from him.)

Signal, they rarely see the daytime vigilante, but when they do, Red Hood doesn't hesitate to give tips and tricks about their job. ("I'm not going to launch a rocket just to make an entrance for this bust, it's supposed to be discreet, Hood." "You can be discreet with a rocket launcher.")

And Robin threatens and complains when Red Hood claps a hand on his back or throws an arm over his shoulders, but like his reactions to Nightwing's clinginess, Robin doesn't do much other than verbalize his distaste even though he clearly has the skills to remove himself. (And if the kids witness Red Hood jumping across rooftops with a little bird clinging to his back with quiet laughter, that's no one's business other than theirs and the birds.)

So why was Batman looking at Hood with so much anger? Why was it that Hood looks to be shrinking on himself whenever the Dark Knight is nearby? Why do the other team members seem to step between them, almost like a protective barrier, when Batman talks to Red Hood? Why do his words sound stilted and rehearsed in reply to Batman's harsh words?

No one talks to their hero like that or makes their hero act like a shell of himself, especially not some wannabe hero who couldn't give them the time of day (or night).

So feelings towards Batman in Crime Alley turn from lukewarm to ice cold.

They don't talk to Batman, they actively hide from him (which they know puts a damper in the greatest detective's investigations, adults talk like kid's don't know what's going on all the time).

If Batman happens to corner them, they glare and are rude. They throw trash, pebbles, anything they can get their hands on and other kids distract so they can escape.

Crime Alley Kids look out for each other, and Red Hood is one of theirs.

[arunneronthird]

Hi, this is the Bruce and Jason anon again and you're completely right! Tim and Kon's situation is very different from Bruce and Jason's because Tim was like...literally trying to engineer a perfect replacement for someone he lost ON PURPOSE. Which is just completely fucking crazy from start to end. Especially when Kon, as a clone himself, struggled in the past with the idea of being created in a lab explicity to perfectly replace another person, then ending up not being identical/perfect enough to do that and having to learn to become his own person instead, not just superman 2.0. Like Tim was actually insane to still try and clone him while actively KNOWING all of this about his best friend and still deciding to go ahead and become the cadmus/lex luthor in this poor clone's story.

Also with the benefit of being able to actually know what happened while Jason was dead, how Bruce grieved, the whole messy process of how Tim actually became Robin, etc. through the comics, I agree that Bruce wasn't necessarily wrong. What I was mainly talking about was Jason coming back from the dead without any knowledge of how much of a wreck Bruce was when he was gone and seeing the product of that grief without any of the context.

Like Jason checks back in on his dad after maybe a year or two (idk comic timelines) and there is just a full ass new child (around the age jason was when he died no less) living in Jason's house, swinging round Gotham in Jason's old suit colours using Jason's vigilante name (the suit he died in, the name that he died for). He even LOOKS like Jason with his black hair a blue eyes. And because of the severe lack of context Talia provides, from the outside it's exactly as if Jason has been replaced, not grieved. Like when TV shows recast one of their main actors and the story continues on without stopping to acknowledge that anything is out of the ordinary. As if this new person has been here the entire time and the old one never existed at all.

Jason was also having problems with Bruce before he died so seeing this shiny new Robin take his place (and actually be good at it) is just so heartbreaking. Again, without knowing anything about Bruce and Tim's relationship, to Jason it'd seem like Bruce just got a shiny new sidekick that was Robin in all the ways B wanted and valued, all the ways Jason wasn't. It's worse when Dick, who Jason had a pretty strained relationship with, is all over the new guy in a way he never was with him. It mirrors what you were saying about Tim making the version of Kon that loved him in the way original-Kon didn't. Obviously not what happened to Bruce and Tim but WE know that not Jason

The third part doesn't really fit them so much, the only thing I can think of is Jason coming to the realisation that Bruce didn't actually care about him, or Dick, that he probably didn't even care about the new kid either. Like Tim and his clones, Robins all eventually get discarded and thrown away when they don't meet B's standards, when they're not perfect enough. It's what Bruce and Dick used to fight about all the time too, before Jason died. Has Steph been Robin yet by the time Jason comes back? Idk. It would certainly add to that idea. Child after child, in the middle of gun fight after gun fight. What kind of a monster does that? So Jason decides to put it to the test. How much does Bruce actually care about Robin? He certainly didn't seem to care when Jason died, but maybe that's too small of a sample size. There needs to be multiple test trials. If Batman thinks so little of his sidekicks, if he's really going to be so careless with them, then he should to be prepared to lose a few.

Sorry for how long this is, I was typing and completely lost the run of myself.

i... had like a page typed out and then the whole building lost power so i think thats a sign for me to stop answering while at work, i wont listen though

honestly im really glad that tumblr now shortens posts, but never apologize for length, i thought this was a great read and i love getting peoples opinions on things!

i agree with all this, really, i think jason, pumped full of green pit rage water, would come back and see himself replaced and completely snap, it works really well and i love that narrative

i dont think jason feels bad for losing robin, it wasnt his to lose, he wore dicks suit while tim wore a new one out of respect for him, i think he felt replaced in a... deeper level

he came back to see that someone was occupying the space the grief and pain would have been in, someone else was pushing his ghost away, living his life, being loved by his father, being cared for by his brother, someone better at his job than he ever was, cold and smart where he was rash and angry, he came back to see that he was not only replaced, him being dead made things better

ofc, this wasnt true, his death nearly destroyed bruce, and it took a lot of effort to get him to feel human again cause he had lost his son, but jason didnt know that, as u said

meanwhile, i love the new 52 tim, i think hes tragic in a visceral way, and i love how his pain is so easy to feel, but in a way im glad we dont really talk about that era too much and usually act like its not relevant to the canon cause... its hard to justify tim being a good person in the new comics after reading the 2015s one

like, tim failing to clone kon doesnt justify him actually trying to replace his dead best friend who struggled with his place in the world, and i think the writers recently realized if they want tim to be a dark but brave hero they cant also make him morally corrupt at best and absolutely insane, theres a difference between red robin desperately trying to find batman and being a rude mess in the process and red robin basically experimenting with lives

[nari-writes]

I love Dick and Tim interactions Very Much and also, oh my god. Dick "I've never met a problem in a person I loved that I didn't try to solve" Grayson would NOT stand for sad Tim time. The train surfing. Dick just wants him to have fun but Tim explaining he can't 🥺 andor having a freak out/hallucination on the train because he can't let Dick down but the adrenaline Dick is trying to encourage is making him freak---

Dick is absolutely the first person to realise Tim's anxiety is not normal but Tim is so self-sufficient he struggles to bring it up. And Tim, too, the only way he was ever taught to impress people was by being perfect, so he throws himself into gymnastics and following Dick's footsteps doggedly, Dick Grayson was his hero. He flies and Tim is overcome with hero worship and awe and love, because THE Dick Grayson, first kid hero, first Robin, the mantle, hangs out with HIM? But that's also how Dick convinces Tim to bring up his theories and the whole "hey I'm potentially invulnerable to fear gas ??". And maybe they don't entirely notice but then we can have Titan's Tower, or any other event where Tim needs x-rays (Titan's Tower I bring up because a) YES. JASON TIME. And b) I think Jay breaks Tim's collarbone? Which would require an x-ray of the neck area which is when they find the chip 👀👀)

And so we get Batman!! Paranoid and worried for Tim!!! Thinking Red Hood implanted it!!! Then finding out the scar tissue is OLD and what if Tim is a SPY. Dick filled with a horrifying certainty that this may be related to what Tim's been slowly revealing!!! About his problem with adrenaline!!!!! Tim being injured and put under surveillance but of COURSE Bruce doesn't mention it, can't reveal he's caught on if it really is some long-running plot, so all Tim gets is: viciously beaten up + vague father figure who he Was getting closer to suddenly pulling away, obviously it's because Tim Messed Up, that's what that has been every other time. Tim messing up and reminding Bruce of Jason. Bruce is a paranoid DUMBASS.

Dick trying to sort it out but also pissed off that Jay BEAT UP A KID. HIS KID BROTHER. WHAT THE HELL JASON. Especially if you have "reveal of clayface pretending to be Jason" in close proximity to those events - Dick being like: shape shifter! Mind control! I'm pissed as hell! How do I fix and help!

🥺 Trying to convince Bruce to look into the chip/remove it but finding it was implanted when he was so young that it's grown into his nervous system. And MAN can you IMAGINE if/when they do remove it (I'm thinking the birthday test/steph's death combo when Tim's scalp and back/neck get Messed Up because he says hey my nerves are messed up anyway and he is NOT in a good headspace) the patterns his brain has? The change he has to try and force onto his brain because he spent formative years forming neural pathways that actively damaged him? I absolutely say Martian Manhunter needs to get up in there and do some repairs but DANG that would take a while + extensive therapy, and if we're saying birthday/Steph death combo then he also then has all the OTHER deaths if you wanna be angsty about it and send him off the Ra's. WaHOO reprogramming his brain from the adrenaline x fear crossover and feeling like he's crazy and immortal and absoLUTELY riding an ego because he's so used to so much, too much fear, the chip made it just keep increasing if he ever adjusted, so not having it happen now, he's not used to it.

I realise I forgot Damian but you could also have 🥰 Tim doing his little shut down thing even after the chip is removed because that's what he's used to. And Damian reads that as League behaviour and Does Not Trust Tim, he's an Ass and also needs to be replaced before Damian will be allowed Robin, easy enough to adjust when Damian is very used to hurting people who act like Tim (show no pain, show no mercy, but he doesn't realise Tim always pulls back).

Goddamn there are too many characters I realise I've forgotten Jason again and have not gone anywhere NEAR Cass. Geeze.

I KNOW THIS IS JUST BRAIN ROT. I know it. Judge me not!!!

I saw a summary post of the current Batman arc ((Gotham War)) and my brain is full of bunnies so the panel of Jason having that panic attack (<- litcherally went to go find fic of this concept immediately after because HELL yes I want to see Jason suffering. Messed UP, Bruce!!!!!) BUT. The concept of a chip that makes you afraid whenever you feel adrenaline. Oh my god. Oh my god ❤️ fear toxin is already amazing. BUT THIS?? SO good. My tags have jason fic rambles but unfortunately I am Currently a Tim Drake stan first and foremost so my brain went:

Huh, Fake Anxieté? 👀 and was like concept: young!Tim's parents find out about his forays into Gotham and his slowly expanding Lack of fear to consequences (he's faced scarier in Gotham simply walking home from school! He's a teenager now and no teenager is able to understand their own mortality it's a literal Thing!), and thus he is Not being a Good and Obedient Young Son. They will Fix This. And so Tim gets chipped (oof don't think about the dog and leash metaphor in this thank you :)) and I like the angst of him not realising it. Having to deal with this sudden influx of anxiety, barely wanting to leave the house because he's started to get panic attacks when he goes out to photograph things, the human brain tries hard to protect itself. If you're constantly getting flooded by adrenaline and fear your neurological pathways adapt and tell you everything is bad.

And it's. He knows this isn't normal. Tries to get his parents to help, gets assistance from online pysch self-help, struggles so hard with it, and then Jason dying 👀 Tim deciding he has to do something even if he's terrified of the outside world. Using every trick he can to get Dick back in the game and when Dick scoffs and does that (I can't remember it verbatim) but the vibes of well if you think he needs a Robin so bad why aren't you volunteering? line. Bro. The angst.

ANYWAY because this is an au (even if using more fanon!tim characterisation 'cause. Chip) I'm also like. Make him fight scarecrow as his first bust.

...Tim literally stuck here in: I can't mode, but if he doesn't, Batman and Nightwing die- it's not even adrenaline that gets properly triggered by his chip anymore, as soon as any of it starts he just gets flooded with fear and his brain makes it so much worse. Alfred watching him have a total breakdown 🥰 <- bad. Being like Hm I think something is Wrong With This Child. And managing to help enough that Tim - who has spent YEARS battling his (fake, thanks parents) anxiety - powers through and then shakily collapses when he's home.

Also this is when Tim is like okay. This is so not normal. I just had a three day hallucination. And Also that felt a LOT like fear gas. Figuring out adrenaline is the trigger and trying to suppress it...oof. And the coping mechanism he uses to get through Robin is just. Completely shutting down. It is CREEPY to everyone else. There is a subsection of mooks terrified that Batman bought the old Robin back to life through his dark magic and that's why he goes from bubbly poking-Batman to Completely Silent and Darkness.

Alfred like: this young man has an anxiety disorder

Tim: something is greviously wrong and I can't bring it up with batman yet because this is an InternshipTM until Batman is able to function on his own but as I get better at being Robin I'm sure I'll figure out why my brain is so weird and Also how it is that I'm immune to scarecrow's gas (that's weird right?)

Nightwing: this kid is a wreck how on earth is he managing Bruce's mental health so well- oh yeah wait nevermind he probably has lots of help with his own. Hm. Let's make sure he doesn't get hurt- why on earth does he go through missions like a robot this is supposed to be fun and adrenaline inducing does he not like FUN????

Batman: Jason 😔

[aileysmirnov]

◇◆Ailey Villains Gallery: Scarecrow◇◆

Scarecrow's face claim: Adrien Brody

Secret vs Scarecrow! How did they met?

Ailey (Secret) and Scarecrow met 'thanks' to Batman:

One night in Gotham, Scarecrow infiltrated the Iceberg Lounge with the intention to Kill some of Penguin's Henchmen.

With a more "upgraded" (and letal) version of his fear gas.

Just as a way to send a message to Oswald who had stolen some of his gas and now was selling it for a very high price on the dark market.

To prevent Batman from intervening, Scarecrow convinced Riddler and Dr Pig to create a "distraction" (if murdering almost 11 people between the two and then make an "spectacle" about it, can be called like that) for the Bat.

And unfortunately when the "Caped Crusader" realized it was a trap (thanks to one of Riddler's "funny" riddles) he was already too far from the building.

Too far from stopping Scarecrow.

He analyzed all of his options pretty fast: he couldn't send Damian, he was with him, Dick was in Blüdhaven, He already send Tim after Riddler and Steph after Pig, Cass and Barbara where in another state with the Birds of prey, Duke and Kate where teaming up to solve a crime involving a new rising homicidal cult and Jason…he wasn't in good terms with Jason…again…and he losed his track at least 2 weeks ago.

And so…he reluctantly took the phone and dialed the number of the one person he could think of.

Ailey was doing the usual: shouting angrily and throwing a tantrum towards her employees (like the good little tyrant she is) for a last minute cancellation of 4 of the stellar models for the upcoming Winter collection of SVELLYO. When all of a sudden she received a call from the one and only: Bruce fucking Wayne.

—B! What a perfect timing! Is not bothersome at all!—she remarked the words sarcastically annoyed a tone that sounded like the venomous hissing of a snake.

—Listen Ailey, I don't have time for thi-

She cut him off

—What a coincidence! Neither do I, B's man! Byee~

—Ailey…—He didn't shout at her but his more menacing (than usually) tone, make her feel like he did; it was a voice tone that Bruce normally just used when he was with Joker and when he used it. Oh boy, You just knew the man ain't taking any shit.

—Listen to me. And listen. C A R E F U L L Y. Scarecrow is in the Iceberg Lounge it's 2 minutes away from you by flying. I need you to go after him and prevent whatever he's up to against Cobblepot.—He said a little more ""nicer"" (if it's even possible) this time, but still with a hint of frustration in his voice.

—yeah…well…I also need this little favor, B—Bruce was about to fucking lose it in that moment, there where lives in danger and this CHILD was just thinking of herself!! But before he could lash out at her with a "I'm dissapointed" speech; Damian took the phone.

—He said he'll do it, you have my word. Now…Go! —Robin said without thinking twice

—Thank you, my zelenyy*! I'm on my way! —and with an Angry Bruce Lashing out at every single thing on earth on the background, Ailey hanged up, wrote a quick note to his secretary, asking him to give all of her employees a rise (including him, of course) and sprinted out to SVELLYO's roof top; without a word to the perplexed staff.

Once she stood there.She could feel the cold night breeze hitting her face and without any doubt she jumped abruptly from one of the highest points in the city.

Her eyes opened at the middle of his falling, adrenaline and renewed energy cursing trough her veins, her blonde hair replaced with a glowing rose gold, a metalic blue growing in her gaze and her outfit conveniently transformed on an all black bodysuit with slight hints of gold on the bottom of her sleeves.

His whole body defying gravity, flying through the night sky with the same grace and glory of a swan and leaving a subtle trace of light glowing pink as she passed by.

She arrived at the Iceberg Lounge back entrance at least 5 seconds earlier from what Batman had predicted.

Penguin's henchmen where all gathered in what appeared to be a small cellar on the very back of the casino, they were complaining about an out of the blue"meeting".

Secret (Ailey) assumed it was Scarecrow's way to get them all in the same place and avoid any unnecessary complications.

With extreme caution she stood and watched near the skylight, trying to fade away her own slightly glowing nature with the moonlight.

Her eyes searched quickly inside the room, ans she soon spotted atleast 6 gas tanks oddly put in some of the poorly lighted corners of the cellar.

But no sign of the maniac

Or so she though until the abrupt pain in her neck and the obscure presence behind her sooner than later make her realize; she wasn't alone.

She could feel the infernal pain from the toxin filling his lungs and cutting her breath and her vision becoming a little bit dizzy.

—You should know better than spying on people, dear…It might not end up being what you expected—his voice was deep and unforgiving, a condescending tone and the weight of countless sleepless nights leaked through every word.

She tried to speak but only felt her throat closing.

—Now, now, dear…all will end up soon. —His tall and lanky figure covered by worn out clothes to match his own psychotic aesthetic made him look intimidating. And without any glimpse of empathy he proceeded to toss her body aside with a kick like if she was a filthy dead rat, and continue to watch expectantly to the ignorant henchmen above.

He was waiting, waiting for one of them to foolishly reveal where his beloved toxin was and after a couple of minutes one of them casually mentioned a secret basement where the most important items waited patiently for whoever was able to afford his almost ridiculously expensive price.

Crane smiled wickedly to himself…he had just what he wanted…almost.

He activated the slightly hidden tanks of fear gas and watched in admiration as some of the henchmen faces started to change into a horrified expression.

—Head's up, asshole!—He didn't even had time to process the situation properly, when Secret's hands where at both sides of his head, the tip of her fingers illuminated and emanating Rose gold strings of pure energy attaching themselves to Crane's mind.

And at that exact moment he remembered: the pain, the panic, the fear.

The very first time he tested his toxin, was on himself: he was laying in to that dirty old shack for what felt like an eternity; he screamed and begged and yet the hallucinations didn't leave him, his mind was racing with the most horrible thought it could possibly even consider, everything so real and yet so distant. He felt hopeless.

And the delicate strings clinging tight around his mind. Lord, what a bittersweet nostalgia! He felt the same, the same way as the first time, he could hear the screams, the voices, the endless discontent. But couldn't find anything around him…just…hollow and for some strange reason…that scared the shit out of him.

Ironically it had been years since the last time Crane felt genuine fear.

When Crane woke up, he was already in that horrible place: a worn out cell from Arkham

But strangely he didn't feel any kind of anger or frustration. No…he felt…elated in the best way possible almost like if he had reborn!

And so…he stood there; staring blankly at the small window with an almost devilish smile across his face.

Waiting for the next encounter

◆◇◆◇

Ailey felt so proud of herself, she had successfully managed to knock out Scarecrow, control the gas leak and save Penguin's henchmen! All alone! And even took the liberty to recover all of Crane's toxin samples Penguin had!

She couldn't wait to see Bruce's face, Oh that man owed her BIG TIME!

When Bruce and Damian finally arrived at the Batcave, he was welcomed by her.

She looked like a 10 year-old who approved one of his test and was proudly showing off the paper to his parents.

Wich made Bruce smile…a little (even if he doesn't admit to it)

—See? You can trust me, B!—she said handing him the samples.

—So you send him to Arkham? Hmm…honestly I didn't though you'll made it…but good job…I guess…?—Damian admitted, while taking off his mask.

—Well, I'm glad I'm not THAT disappointing, sir! —Her tone expressing the sarcasm and slight frustration and offence in every word. Which Damian only replayed with a faint little smile.

—…Good Job, Ailey…—Bruce spoke for the first time since they arrived

—…and thank you for your help…—He completed with a slightly more """friendly""" tone (which just means less stiffness in his voice but still maintaining his authoritarian tone)

—yeah…well…don't thank me yet…we had a deal!—She said while playfully floating around him and touching the ears of his Bat-suit; Bruce could only do as much as to touching the bridge of his nose trying to contain his very obvious nuisance.

—…What do want? —He said sighing heavily.

—Nothing much, really! I want You, Damian, Dick and Katy modeling for SVELLYO winter collection catwalk, next week! —

◆◇◆◇

OMG! That was fun! I was going to put a small and cute little drawing of Ailey touching the ears of the Bat-suit but I still haven't finished yet! So yeah…I will edit it once I have it done!

Anyway! I loved writing this, and I will be uploading more content for Ailey, wich now she has her official anti-hero name! And is called

🥁🥁🥁🥁

Secret!

Shout out to @melyaliz / @insideoflit for the name idea! I honestly struggle so much with names 😅

Thanks to @Shiro.GURu (on insta) for helping me with this! Love ya, girl <3

Tagging: @lobodesaturno @snowflake2sstuff @lord-carstairs @weam0theblueblues @morefarthanaway