#because it's such a blurred line between bruce and the batman

[batgeance]

hiiiii paul *twirls hair and kicks feet*

[seekingxanadu]

On the issue of Alfred being a bad dad to Bruce, of Alfred enabling Bruce's bad behaviors:

I think the problem is modern Batman writers made the mistake of making Alfred a father figure to Bruce. An elderly employee can call his much younger perhaps-about-to-die employer "son" but that doesn't make them father and son. So when they get cute with the "aw Alfred is Bruce's papa" narrative, they end up making Alfred's character worse. Alfred's most consistent take has been that he is an employee and it is most visible with or around his interactions with Dick. Alfred seems to think of Dick as Bruce's employee. Again, it is a mentality from the 30s-40s when it was very natural for rich men to collect strays - I'll give you room and board, you will earn your keep by working in my land/business; to Alfred, Dick becoming Robin was to support Bruce's Batman in the field.

But modern Batman writers have woobified Bruce. He's not just the 35-40 year old wealthy businessman, scion of an old wealthy family, who has collected vulnerable youngsters around him and offered them a safe place. In the 30s and 40s, a 35-40 year old man was expected to be mature and a familyman. In the 90s and after, a 35-40 year old wealthy man isn't expected to be that anymore. Then again, it was the period that started to de-age Bruce. Because Dick, his first ward, was already an adult now.

So DC needed to make Batman younger and at least, deflect the idea of Bruce being a parental figure to a 20 year old man. So we started getting Alfred being Papa to Bruce, of Bruce and Alfred forming a family unit blurring lines of parent and employee. BUT Bruce was also the vanity projection of these Batman writers - they don't listen to their papas, so why would Bruce. Bruce was not Alfred's son, Alfred should know his place as employee. So we get Alfred written as just loyal employee who looks at Batman's allies as people serving Bruce. If Jason gets "a good soldier" plaque, Tim and Damian got Robin suits to just go backup Master Bruce already. And Dick?

Dick is a curious case with Alfred. Alfred clearly cares for Dick like a son. There is more familial closeness between Dick and Alfred than between Jason, Tim, and Alfred. Alfred has known Dick since he came to the manor as an 8 year old. It's a boy Alfred can claim to have raised- or at least, fed, cleaned, housed, medicated. Alfred knows Dick has Master Bruce's back in the field. In this regard, Dick is Alfred's extension. Alfred serves Master Bruce in his civilian life, Dick serves Master Bruce in the field. To be clear, I am assuming Alfred's thought process. Not Bruce's or Dick's. Sometimes, it feels like Alfred considers Dick another Wayne servant, equal to Alfred's rank.

All this rambling to say, I think Alfred is used as excuse to limit any blame that Bruce deserves for his bad decisions.

Just like some writers and stans make Dick apologise for Bruce's violence against him; we are now using Alfred as smokescreen to excuse Bruce's actions.

I am, by no stretch, saying Alfred is blameless. But Alfred is an employee, an old man probably very possessive of the Wayne scion who had only Alfred along during his growing years, and he is standoffish as any butler.

This is also why the idea of Bat "family" is so flawed. They are not a family. They are a clan of allies. They are a disparate set of individuals operating under the Wayne umbrella. Alfred is not Bruce's papa. Dick and Jason are not brothers. Their time in Wayne manor did not even overlap. Same with Damian and Jason, Damian and Tim. Damian and Dick mirror Dick and Bruce of 20 years ago and those two dynamics are that of a familial unit (though Bruce breaks the tie with Dick multiple times).

[phantobats]

A Deep Dive into the Dynamics of The Batfamily: is being a nuclear family possible for them?

A lot of people want the Batfamily to fit into the norm of a loving nuclear family that never fights with each other, but by forcing this idea upon them you are ignoring the most integral part of their characters and the reasons for all their tensions.

All of the members of the Batfamily are trauma-hardened individuals who have a hard time separating their vigilante identities from their personal identites.

The Batfamily members' personal and vigilante identities are deeply intertwined. For instance, Bruce Wayne is as much Batman as he is Bruce; the two personas influence each other heavily. This duality creates a constant internal struggle for him and those around him.

Other members, like Dick Grayson or Barbara Gordon, also grapple with this blending of identities. Their vigilante roles aren't just jobs but extensions of who they are. This makes it hard to compartmentalize their emotions and decisions, leading to tension when personal relationships and vigilante duties collide.

The Batfamily operates in a world where the stakes are life and death. Their decisions, whether as vigilantes or as individuals, carry enormous weight. For instance, Jason Todd's death and resurrection created deep rifts because of different perspectives on justice and morality. These high stakes often blur the lines between personal feelings and professional duties, making it difficult to maintain emotional distance.

Trust issues often arise from the secretive nature of their work. Bruce’s tendency to keep secrets, even from those closest to him, creates feelings of betrayal and isolation within the family.

The need for secrecy also means that they can't fully open up or rely on people outside their circle, leading to a heavy reliance on each other. This can intensify conflicts when disagreements arise.

Many Batfamily members have unresolved trauma, often linked to their vigilante activities. This trauma seeps into their personal relationships, causing friction. For example, Bruce’s inability to cope with his parents’ deaths drives him to be overprotective, controlling, and emotionally distant, which strains his relationships with his “children.”

Each member of the Batfamily has their own emotional baggage, and because they operate as a unit, these unresolved issues often lead to clashes.

The Batfamily members often have differing views on justice, morality, and the methods they should employ. For instance, Damian Wayne's more ruthless approach to crime clashes with Bruce’s no-kill rule. These ideological differences, rooted in their vigilante work, spill over into their personal relationships.

Living double lives requires constant vigilance, which doesn’t leave much room for normalcy. The pressures of their vigilante identities often leave them exhausted, strained, and emotionally unavailable, making it difficult to maintain healthy personal relationships.

In summary, the inability to separate their vigilante identities from their personal lives is a significant factor in the tensions within the Batfamily. The blending of these identities creates a complex web of emotional, moral, and ideological conflicts that are difficult to navigate, leading to frequent clashes and misunderstandings.

There is no way for them to be a normal family because their lives themselves are not normal in every aspect imaginable.

[gothamite-rambler]

"Yeah I'm not one the lazy cops, I got to be Commissioner for a reason," Jim Gordon said, casually.

Commissioner Gordon knows Batman's true identity and his as a friend. He values the trust between them and has chosen to protect that secret. Gordon understands that Bruce Wayne, in his dual role as Gotham's protector, will always put the city's safety first. He's no fool; he sees through the mask and recognizes the man behind it.

Context: Moreover, Gordon eventually found out that Jason Todd is alive and has taken on the mantle of the Red Hood. In a city like Gotham, reality often blurs with the surreal. The extraordinary scenarios play out so frequently that they almost become mundane—a twisted part of everyday life. While keeping such secrets may contradict the law, Gordon knows that he's seen far worse things in his career. Some secrets are kept for the greater good, and he believes this is one of them. After all, in a city riddled with corruption and chaos, sometimes the lines between right and wrong become all too hazy.

Batman (uneasy): Commissioner Gordon... hey, my... friend. I'm comfortable enough to say that now.

Gordon turned around, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Gordon: Yes?

Batman (exhausted): You're expecting me to say something shocking?

Gordon nodded, leaning against the rooftop ledge.

Gordon: Yes. No worries, I’m the only one up here. Go ahead; I feel like I already have the correct guess.

Batman: Just stay calm. Remember when Jason Todd died and then that guy showed up years later, taking out criminals?

Gordon grinned leaning in slightly as if anticipating the big reveal.

Gordon: Red Hood, yes.

Batman: Yes, um, Red Hood is Jason Todd, and after many, many years of fighting him... we're on good terms. He doesn't live in Gotham... please don't arrest him.

Gordon crossed his arms, his expression one of mock-seriousness.

Gordon: Oh, good for you. I already knew who he was and that he moved out of Gotham.

Batman (upset the man knew already): You freaking didn't!

Gordon (quick answer, smirking): I figured it out when you were debating if he was Jason Todd.

Batman (twitching left eye, exhaling sharply as he leans back): I never said that in front of you! Who told you he might be Jason—Barbara?

Gordon (chuckling to himself, shaking his head in amusement): Yup, when I invited her over for tea two years ago. She said you guys were not on the best of terms and that you hadn't figured it out. I figured that meant you two were arguing back and forth. He tried to kill you; you tried to stop him. Am I wrong?

Batman (annoyed, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks away): Anyone would've guessed that.

Gordon (smiling because he's about to school this man, gesturing animatedly as he relishes the moment): Then you got kidnapped by Mr. Freeze at the gala.

Batman (not angry, just annoyed again, running a hand through his hair as he rolls his eyes): Can you not word it that way while we're on a public roof?

Gordon (waving a hand dismissively, still grinning): No worries. When Bruce Wayne—who isn't you—got frozen by Mr. Freeze and had to be saved by your Robins—not Bruce Wayne's sons. Was that better?

Gordon laughs, clearly enjoying himself, as he takes a step back, allowing the moment to sink in.

Batman sighed, shaking his head incredulously as he glanced at the sky.

Batman: Oh my God, this is my life. Can you not... arrest him?

Gordon (tilting his head, considering, his tone playful yet serious): Hm, I'm torn. On one hand, his vigilantism did get out of hand, and you know I don't agree with senseless murder. But on the other hand, I do need a donation for this upcoming policemen's ball.

Batman (raising an eyebrow, incredulous as he crosses his arms): You better be joking.

Gordon (smiling, a playful glint in his eye): Yeah, I'm joking. You're fine; I'm not going to arrest him. He doesn't live here, so that takes any suspicion off of him. Plus, Babs told me he changed his suit and is doing better mentally. I'm happy things worked out for you two.

Batman (angry, but beneath it all there's a hint of worry, tapping his foot impatiently): One minute; I have to talk to Oracle.

Batman pressed his communication device, a frown settling on his lips.

Batman: Oracle... Can you stop fucking telling your dad stuff!

Oracle (her voice calm and slightly exasperated, as if used to their banter): He's my dad; I trust him, dude. Get over it.

Batman (sighing, rubbing his temples as he glances at the ground): Yep, yep, yep, freaking yep. Even though I'm glad you’ll be keeping this secret—as you do with many aspects of my life at this point—I will donate something to that commissioner's police ball or whatever, and I can offer some protection if you want.

Gordon (smiling, his expression softening as he considers the offer): Thanks, buddy. It's a slow night tonight, do you want to grab something to eat or some coffee and then do your usual patrol?

Batman (exhausted, a small smile creeping in as he nods): I would like that. I am so freaking tired at this point. I'm getting too old for all of this.

Gordon (chuckling, nodding in agreement as he gestures toward the staircase): Yep, been there.

The two share a moment of camaraderie, gazing out over the city before Batman turns toward the staircase, a weary but grateful expression on his face.

Batman (with a feigned dramatic flair, lightening the mood): Lead the way, Commissioner.

Gordon shakes his head, laughing as they begin to walk down into the city together, ready for whatever the night might bring.

[iamnotthere-idonotdie]

dream of me

part one

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synopsis: reader is an employee at wayne enterprises and gets a promotion from bruce, but the line between your professional relationship is blurred when he invites you to dinner.

content: bruce wayne x reader, no use of y/n, some cursing, some sex but not too graphic, mention of parents’ death

a/n: i had some other plans for this story but got a bad case of writers block so i decided to leave it here instead of dragging it out for the sole purpose of adding another plot point, i don’t have any plans for more parts to this but we’ll see, i honestly think i was more envisioning keaton’s bruce wayne for this story (at least i envisioned his house to look like keaton’s) because battinson’s would be pretty uncharacteristic for this, maybe this is an au where bruce wayne isn’t batman and just works at the company but i don’t know, point is just interpret bruce however you’d like, as always sorry about the typos, also sorry if it’s inaccurate that bruce doesn’t cook (i wasn’t sure if it was canon that he does or not so sorry if i was wrong in my guess, i should’ve just looked it up but honestly i was just ready to finally get this out of my drafts)

edit: i got around to making a part two

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grey clouds encompass the sky. your window is frosted by the freeze outside and slow snowflakes fall down like confetti. you walk up to the window and put your hand on it, letting the chilled glass send a shiver down your spine. it’s the first snowfall of winter. the first of likely many. though your penthouse offers a lavish view of the icy landscape of beautiful serenity, you know on the streets below the ice has already turned to slush and the snow has darkened from the dirty concrete. nothing beautiful lasts long in gotham city.

you pull your robe tighter around your shoulders and let out a sigh. you suppose you’d better get dressed for work. you walk across the bedroom to your closet and begin selecting your outfit. a stylish ensemble of pants, a button down top, and a sweater. you grab your boots out of the closet and set them down on the hardwood floor, the thud waking up your partner in bed. well, not exactly partner. but he kept you company last night, and warm this morning.

he rubs his eyes and sits up in bed.

“you’re leaving?” he asks, his words slurring as he tries to wake up.

“i have to go to work. we have a budget meeting today. i can’t be late.” you reply as you put your boots over your thick socks.

“what time is the meeting at?”

“ten.” you reply, flatly.

“well then what’s the rush? you still have plenty of time to get there.”

“not in this ice, i don’t.”

“well then at least let me kiss you goodbye.”

you reluctantly walk back over to the bed and kiss his cheek. you feel a sting in your chest and realize he didn’t see this as the one night stand you did.

“bye. i have to go.”

“see you later?” he asks as he gets out from under the covers, his clothes still off.

“maybe.” you say coldly. you don’t have time for this.

“okay, fine. bye.” he replies just as icy. good. it’s easier that way.

you put your coat on and grab your bag as you walk out the door, locking it behind you. he’ll unlock it again when he leaves but mrs. hanson down the hall has a spare. you’ll text her to lock the door for you later.

just as you predicted, the roads are a nightmare. you’re weaving in between other cars, willing the other drivers in them to go faster. you can’t be late for this meeting.

you finally get to the tower and pull into the garage, opting for a space right by the elevators. maybe if you get this promotion they’ll give you an assigned spot.

you get to your desk at 9:46. with a few minutes to spare, you go to the break room and make a coffee. someone keeps using your mug, so you have to use the communal one with the cartoon dog on it. not as professional as you’d like. and you can’t use a disposable because wayne enterprises is committed to being waste-free. at least waste-free when it comes to the break room. other areas in the company could benefit from that policy. but that’s what you’re going to propose in your meeting. you know this corporation is not going to run out of money anytime soon, but there are still places to improve on efficiency. you drink your coffee, black, and make your way back to your desk. you glance at the conference room every few seconds to watch your boss set up for the meeting. you analyze his every move, trying to gauge his mood at the moment. sometimes these proposals of yours don’t go over very well if he seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. you need him in a good mood. this meeting can potentially determine whether or not you can continue climbing the corporate ladder into that manager position you’ve been pining for for two years.

you gather your folder and notepad, opting to leave the coffee sitting at your desk, and you walk into the conference room.

“good morning mr. glass. enjoying the snow this morning?” you greet him in your most chipper tone in an attempt to sway what you think is a bad mood.

“well i would if the roads weren’t so goddamn icy. these people can’t drive in the snow.”

so maybe starting the conversation with that was a poor choice.

“yes, it can be very frustrating to drive in it.” you try to be as agreeable as possible.

more of your colleagues start to filter into the room as you take your seat at the end of the table. the conversation is low between everyone as they wait for the meeting to begin.

after 15 minutes, you start getting more anxious. your stare threatens to burn a hole through your folder with the proposal in it. why is this taking so long?

you now understand why there’s been a delay, as bruce wayne enters the room. fuck. bruce wayne is going to have to listen to your proposal now? it was nerve-wracking enough to have to pitch this to your boss, but the owner of the company? your boss’s boss? your hands start to shake and you try to wipe the sweat off of them onto your pants.

“i apologize everyone. i didn’t mean to keep you all waiting.” mr. wayne says as he takes his seat on the opposite end of the table.

mr. glass stands up from his seat at the head of the table. “well as long as you’re here, let’s get started on our quarterly report and budget for next month.”

the rest of the meeting is clouded by your anxiety. all you can think about is how much you don’t want to fuck this up. especially not in front of bruce wayne.

“well it looks like there’s plenty of room for improvement. how do you suggest we close this gap?” mr. glass asks the room, but it’s clear he is directing the question at mr. wayne.

“does anyone have any suggestions?” mr. wayne looks around the table.

without thinking you raise your hand and speak up.

“i have a budgeting proposal that i would like to share. if that’s alright.”

“that’s more than alright. let’s hear it.” mr. wayne gestures for you to take the stand, so to speak.

you stand and shakily take your papers out of the folder.

“as we all know, our expenses have been increasing as of late. and while these expenses have allowed us to improve on some essential aspects and departments, i believe there is a more efficient way we could be doing it.” you pause and look around the room. “firstly…”

the pitch goes better than you could have imagined. you were able to make your proposals clearly, answer questions thoroughly, and present confidently. you sit down after finishing and can’t help but smile, proud of yourself.

“well, that was quite a lot. thank you, but i think some of those implementations are a bit far-fetched.” mr. glass says and you can’t help but hear the condescending tone. your smile drops and you feel your face get hot in embarrassment. so much for that promotion.

“i actually really like what you had to say. i especially liked the suggestion to put more money into outreach.” mr. wayne says to you, smiling. “did you have any specific suggestions on where to do that?”

“thank you mr. wayne. i think it would be extremely beneficial and useful to prioritize teaching youth about technology; promoting stem learning and encouraging them to pursue higher education and research into it. we can even offer scholarships and grants to help students who won’t be able to afford the college tuition. and possibly gifting students new computers to further encourage learning.”

you get so passionate about this topic. you yourself were one of those kids. those kids who didn’t grow up in a mansion, but in a dingy apartment with a single father. those kids who couldn’t even afford to think about college, let alone actually pursue it. it was through a wayne scholarship program that gave you the opportunity to go to university. and now, if you have any say in the matter, you’d be proud to help give that opportunity to someone else who needs it.

“i think that’s great. giving these kids a way to focus their skills in a field they love. great work.” mr. wayne looks impressed, and you can’t help but smile even bigger.

“i appreciate that, mr. wayne.”

mr. glass clears his throat and stands again.

“well it looks like we have a solution here.” your boss says, clearly annoyed. “meeting adjourned, everyone. thank you.”

you stand up and gather your things together. you notice out of the corner of your eye that mr. wayne is making his way toward you.

“that was an excellent proposal. i think there’s a lot of potential there.”

“thank you mr. wayne.”

“bruce, please. i’ve actually been thinking about starting a new outreach division specifically working with the youth of gotham. when that happens, i’d like for you to head that department.”

you stare at him in shock for a moment then finally speak up.

“really? you want me?”

“you clearly have a passion for this. we need that.”

“wow. thank you. i’d be very interested in that.”

heading a division? in a program you care deeply about? this is much better than you had hoped for.

“great. i’ll be in touch and we’ll get started soon.”

“perfect. thank you mr. wa..”

“please, just call me bruce.”

you feel yourself blush a bit.

“bruce, thank you. thank you so much for this opportunity.”

“it’s my pleasure. i’m happy to give the position to someone who really cares about it.”

“i do, very much.”

bruce just smiles as he starts out the room.

“it was nice meeting you. and i’m looking forward to working with you on this.” he says.

“it was nice meeting you too. thank you, again.”

bruce smiles as he exits the room and you watch him through the glass as he makes his way down the hall.

you can’t believe it. this is the perfect opportunity for you. you spend the rest of the day too distracted by glee to focus on your spreadsheets. this is life changing. you can’t help but think of bruce differently too. he’d been up to your floor for meetings many times before, but this was the first time you were sitting in too. you’d always pictured him, frankly, not very positively. you knew this company was a great one and you were proud to work here, but now you’re feeling even better about being a part of wayne enterprises’ legacy.

at 5:36, you start gathering your things to go home. after organizing your desk and grabbing your bag, you start heading out of the office and to the elevators to the garage. you’re the last one to leave on your floor��even mr. glass left early—so you wait by the elevators alone. you hear the familiar ding and the doors open to reveal bruce wayne inside. he’s flipping through some pages in a manila folder when he looks up at you and smiles.

“hello,” he says pleasantly. “last one out?”

“yes, it’s just me.”

“what floor?”

“one, please.”

he presses the button, the button stating GF already glowing.

“thank you.”

the rest of the elevator ride is silent. bruce seems enveloped in this folder and you aren’t much of a talker anyways. the doors open and you start to exit the elevator, when bruce says,

“i’d like to start this project as soon as possible, monday.”

you stop and turn to face him. he’s smiling lightly and you smile back.

“that would be perfect. i’m very excited to start working on it.”

“i am as well. and i’m looking forward to working with you more closely too.”

“thank you bruce. i look forward to that as well.” and with that, the elevator doors close between you.

you smile again, thinking more about this job. but you realize you’re not just excited about the position, but the close proximity you’ll be working with bruce now. and how he said he’s looking forward to it.

you quickly dispel the thoughts from your mind. you’re frustrated at yourself for thinking of something so unprofessional. he was bruce wayne, for gods sake. your boss. any other notions needed to be eliminated, especially before starting this new position. you can’t afford something like that distracting you from doing your job and doing it well.

the weekend is spent with you primarily working on the project. you want everything ready to go and well-organized on monday. you want every detail planned out, to the tee. sunday night, you have all your folders, planners, binders, and other papers, all organized, sitting at the table by the door so you don’t forget them. you finally allow yourself to relax a minute before going to bed, so you draw a bath. you sit by the tub and watch it fill with the warm water, letting your mind wander. the rush of the water streaming out of the faucet provides the perfect white noise for you to get lost in a daydream. you think of this job, the company… bruce. when your mind starts to think of him, you let it stay on the thought. the thought of him, how nice he was to you during the meeting and afterwards. the elevator ride and his sweet goodbye. you think of his smile and you find yourself smiling too.

the sound of the water overflowing the tub jolts you out of your dream state.

“shit!”

you shut the faucet off and pull the plug on the tub drain to let the water go back down. you grab a few towels and try to mop the water up off the floor, leaving them in a wet pile by the door. you’re not feeling very relaxed anymore and don’t quite feel like a bath, but you’re not about to let this water go to waste. so, you slip your bathrobe off and slide into the water, grateful it’s still warm. you let out a sigh and close your eyes, trying to find serenity. again, your mind goes back to bruce. you can’t believe you’re allowing yourself to develop a crush on him. are you in elementary school? this is your boss, you can’t let these thoughts jeopardize this amazing career development.

you sit there for a while, until the water starts to cool down and your fingers start to prune. you get out of the tub and drain it, then grab your wet towels and bring them to the laundry room to wash. you take your robe off, the cold air stinging your naked body, and throw it in the washing machine too. you make a stop at the thermostat to turn it up as you make your way to your bedroom. you slip into pajamas and gingerly walk to the window and look out over the cityscape, the foggy night sky making it look spooky as ever. you allow yourself one last thought of bruce before you get into bed and fall asleep.

you wake up extra early monday morning and head straight to work. the ice has luckily been cleared a bit by gotham’s snow plows, but that doesn’t stop the traffic from forming. it’s okay, you gave yourself plenty of time to get there.

you get up to your floor almost an hour early and make a cup of coffee in the break room. at least one positive of coming in this early, no one’s using your mug.

you sit down at your desk and start running through your folder for the project, drinking your coffee until the mug is almost dry.

“good morning.”

you’re startled by a low voice behind you. it’s bruce.

“good morning bruce. you’re in early.”

“i could say the same to you.”

“i’m just ready to get started.”

“well great. we’ll get things started once everyone else gets in.” he points to your near-empty mug. “more coffee?”

“oh, sure. thank you.”

“how do you take it?”

“just black, please.”

bruce picks up your cup and takes it back to the conference room, his own mug in his other hand. he comes back with two steaming cups and sets yours back on your desk.

“thank you.” you say, picking it up and taking a sip.

“of course. so, how was your weekend?”

“it was good. mostly just working on this.” you pat your folder, gesturing to the project.

“i hope you were able to get some rest in too.”

“i was, yes. and you? how was your weekend?”

“oh, fairly uneventful. i spent most of it working as well.”

“well, i hope you were able to get some rest in too.” you say with a smile.

bruce smiles back

“i was, yes.”

the two of you continue talking at your desk as the first few members of your team start to trickle in.

when the rest of your team arrives, you and bruce all meet in the conference room to discuss strategies and begin the plans for this venture. it’s a productive day, with you sharing your thoughts on how to increase efficiency and bruce bouncing off your ideas. you realize you two work well together, your shared values and ideals harmonizing with each other to create a thought out and amazing plan. you start packing up feeling even more confident with this new position and you already cannot wait to keep going with it.

at the end of the day, bruce finds you again at the elevator, and this time the ride isn’t filled with awkward silence but with engaged conversation between colleagues.

“i enjoyed hearing about your plans to bring this project into gotham’s schools. your point about giving each classroom the proper curriculum via new technology was especially helpful.” bruce smiles at you and you can’t help but feel proud of yourself.

“thank you bruce. i think the whole team was able to work very well together and we made some great progress today.”

“i think so too.”

the elevator dings and the doors open to the garage.

“well, thank you again. i’ll see you tomorrow.”

“see you tomorrow.” he says with a smile.

you walk towards your car with your back facing the elevator when you hear the doors close. and then footsteps coming up behind you.

bruce taps your shoulder.

“would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”

you’re shocked at his question and, truthfully, your first instinct is to decline. he must sense your apprehension because he starts to backpedal on his question.

“if you have plans, or just don’t want to, i understand.”

“no… i would be happy to have dinner with you.”

“great. we can go down to my car if you’d like.”

“sure.” you say with a smile. as you follow behind him back to the elevator to go to the ground floor, you feel yourself blushing.

the two of you make it to the lobby and you realize how rarely you actually see this part of the offices, with your daily routine utilizing the parking garage every day since you started working here. bruce’s car is brought around front and he opens the passenger door for you to get in.

you make small talk as you drive to his home. you talk about work, how exciting the project is. you talk about the weather, how it’s nice that the ice is clearing. it’s a pleasant drive with bruce at the wheel. when you get to his home, bruce comes around and opens the car door for you again and you head up the steps to his front door. you enter into his insanely large home and are in awe of how just one person can inhabit so much space.

“good evening, master bruce. dinner is almost ready.” an older gentleman greets you two as you enter.

“this is alfred,” bruce introduces him. “he takes care of a some things around here.”

“i take care of everything around here. pleasure to meet you.” alfred offers a hand to shake.

“the pleasure is all mine, alfred.” you say with a chuckle.

“we can wait in the living room. i’ll start a fire.” bruce says.

alfred makes his way to the kitchen as you follow bruce to what you assume is one of multiple living rooms in the house. he puts some logs in and starts a fire in the almost-comically large fireplace then sits down next to you on the sofa.

“dinner smells delicious.” you say, filling the air with light conversation to accompany the crackle of the fire.

“alfred is an amazing cook. i’ve tried to learn from him but i suppose it just wasn’t in the cards for me.”

“i never really learned either. my mother was a great cook too. i wish she had been able to teach me… she passed when i was very young. that’s actually one of the few things i remember about her, her cooking.”

you don’t know why you suddenly started talking about your mother. it’s not exactly light fireside conversation.

“i’m sorry…” bruce says quietly.

“it’s okay. it was a long time ago, and my father and i were able to grow a lot closer over the years.”

“are you and your father still close?”

“he.. actually is gone too. he died of cancer a few years ago. losing my mother was hard, of course. but losing my dad… he was all i knew for so long. all we had was each other.” you start to feel yourself welling up, and you realize you’ve never talked about this with anyone else before.

bruce sits there quietly, and you try to fight the tears but when one falls, the others follow suit.

“i’m sorry…” you start as you try to wipe them away.

“don’t be.” bruce says quietly as he gently wipes a tear off your cheek. he lets his hand stay there, his thumb resting gently on your cheekbone.

you lock your eyes with his and just as you start to get your tears under control, bruce leans in and lightly kisses you. and though you know he’s your boss and you know it’s unprofessional… you don’t stop him. instead, you look at him, and then lean in yourself and kiss him back, stronger. the light of the fire casts dancing shadows across the two of you as you fall into each other on the ornate sofa. dinner has left your mind, work has left your mind, everything has left your mind. everything but him.

you continue kissing, passion growing more and more as the fire grows too. he’s unbuttoning your shirt and you’re taking off his jacket. shoes are kicked off and before it continues, he’s scooping you up with his arms under your knees and around your shoulders, carrying you up the stairs to what you assume is his bedroom. he opens the door and not-so gently puts you on the bed. he finishes undressing himself and then starts taking your clothes off too. he slides your pants down and off your legs and lifts your shirt off, leaving your arms laying above your head. you feel vulnerable, yet when he gets on top, you somehow also feel safe, it just all feels so right. this intensity, this passion, this craving you have for each other is more than you bargained for but also, somehow, everything you ever wanted.

you finish, bruce quick to follow. you only now start to think about how loud you must have been. you both lay there, catching your breath, sweating, and realize how fast the time has gone by. you’ve definitely missed dinner.

bruce finds you an oversized t-shirt and a pair of his boxers for you to wear. he finds a shirt for himself and slips a pair of sweatpants on. you and him make it back downstairs to find that alfred has stored your dinner in the fridge and left instructions on how to properly heat it up. you and bruce laugh at each other for not knowing how to work the stove as you stumble through alfred’s pointers, but you both finally manage to reheat the meal and go back to the living room to eat. with the fire burning its last embers, you and bruce eat your dinner under the low orange light by the fireplace. you talk about nothing yet about everything as you enjoy the delicious late-night dinner. bruce takes your plate to the kitchen and washes the dishes as you bask in the final warmth of the fire.

“i may not be able to cook,” bruce starts as he makes his way back to you. “but i at least know how to clean up after myself. alfred left another note saying to leave the dishes to him, but i figured i’d save him a few extra minutes.”

“how very kind of you.” you say, teasingly.

“well, i am extremely generous.” he says with a sarcastic tone.

you laugh and when he sits back down next to you, you pull him in and kiss him. he cradles your jaw in his palm and kisses you back, his thumb gently rubbing your temple. he pulls away and kisses your forehead. exhaustion gets the better of you and you yawn.

“you tired?” he says smiling.

“no, of course not. i’m as awake as ever, i could run a marathon.” if your sarcastic tone didn’t make it clear you were indeed tired, the second yawn surely did.

he chuckles and stands, taking your hand in his as he leads you back upstairs.

“i have a guest room if you want it, right there down the hall.” he says, pointing ahead.

you look down the hall then back up at him.

“or…”

he chuckles lightly and grabs your hand again, taking you back into his room. you get under the covers with him and he lays down on his back as you curl up next to him, resting your arm across his stomach and your head on his chest. his steady heartbeat and his gentle stroking of your arm lulls you quickly to sleep. as you lay there, seduced into a deep slumber by the warmth and comfort, you dream only of bruce.

…………………………………………………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………….

[the-batcomputer-project]

small little Bruce Wayne headcanon

I don't think Bruce quite has a split personality, but he is so good at compartmentalizing that he struggles between personalities and can't always "drop the act" so to say.

Batman - Focused on the mission above all else. Comes off as cold and unforgiving, but to him it is a necessity in this line of work. While in the cape and cowl, the Robins are his partners, not his sons, because he knows if he acted as a father rather than a mentor in the field, he would be throwing himself into danger, and potentially risking his kids as well. That's why when Dick was fired as Robin the second time, it came across the way it did, driving a rift between Dick and Bruce. Bruce didn't want to loose his son, but Batman couldn't handle a liability like that in the field. (Dick himself isn't a liability, but Bruce knows that if Dick died while out as Robin, the Batman facade would shatter, like what happened after Jason's death)

Brucie Wayne - The public persona is loud, lazy, and a bit dumb. No one expects much from him, which allows him to slide under the radar and remove suspicion off of him potentially being Batman. He is exactly what everyone expects of a rich socialite raised without parental supervision. Brucie also allows Bruce to "let go" sometimes and just have fun without needing to worry about anything. He doesn't need to be the strong imposing figure of Batman. He can insult people he doesn't like (who don't know about Brucie and Batman) without it making it seem like he's insulting them on purpose. I'm kinda thinking about the ending to the Secret Identity Compromised side mission in Gotham Knights. There was a strategic reason for him to strip down and grind on a statue in the Iceberg Lounge, but there also could have been a thousand other cover stories he could have come up with, yet he decided on personally pissing off the Penguin which is honestly valid.

Dad Bruce - The most "real" version of Bruce is when he's around his kids. Dad Bruce is a combination of the best parts of Batman and Brucie. He is stern and commanding, but also soft and fun. This version also tends to blur together with "eternally tired".

I like to think that these personas will occasionally accidentally blend together for some very funny moments. Things like Batman giving the disappointed "dad sigh" to the Justice League, suddenly making Hal and Barry very guilty for no reason, or Dad Bruce very confidently calling Clark's chickens "small feathered cows" and sheep "fluffy cows" before realizing his mistake but at that point he's committed.

[batbabydamian]

🦇🐥 Batman and Robin (2023) #5 rambling and a conspiracy theory lol

tbh this is the most exciting issue for me since…the first one 💀 i’m going to talk about the story and art separately because Nikola Cizmesija’s one of my favorite action focused comic artists so this issue’s a treat 😭

Alfred used to mediate during a lot of Bruce and Damian’s early relationship, so it’s refreshing to see Bruce take more initiative involving himself in Damian’s life even if it’s for a case lol

a couple instances of Alfred’s fatherly support on behalf of Bruce and Damian from Batman and Robin (2011) #2, 4, 39 and Teen Titans (2016) #1

Damian seems to take Bruce's involvement more as a sign he’s not reliable rather than Bruce finally just. being around to help him. which is fair 😭

this is complementary to Cizmesija’s art, but i love this half of the page so bad 😭 the negative space and the shaded foreground with Damian mid-run gives this feeling of time kinda stopping for us to really feel the impact of Damian’s entrance AND the effect it has on Bruce, like!! that wide eyed expression in the below panel!! 😭

Bruce’s quiet “you can do it, son” to A FULL BODY CHEER OF “GO, DAMIAN!” Bruce witnessing Damian be great outside of Robin, and on top of that it’s just another mundane moment that Bruce has wanted with Damian 😭

this is such a goofy bully line sdfgh though the whole “broken” bit might be a callback to Batman and Robin (2011) #1, in that Bruce is really trying to do his job as a father here or i'm likely reading way too into it

SO the “shocking ending” of Zach being Zsasz’s kid was definitely a surprise but then got me wondering what is up with Williamson doing reveals of new kids for villains lol otherwise, the hints in the issue were neat!

the tally marks!! at least tallying blocks is pretty innocent compared to kills 😭

and Damian would recognize how Zsasz moves, since he’s personally fought him before in Streets of Gotham (2009)!! very much not in a sport, but uh maybe it was to Zsasz

the art!! first a shoutout to the colorist Rex Lokus for giving Damian his green eyes and maybe melanin (it didn’t look consistent throughout so i say maybe)!! 😭 also a Talia by Cizmesija!! even though this panel calls her a “not great” teacher…💀

SUCH A FUN PAGE 😭 i’ve been into montage scenes lately lol and i love how quickly Cizmesija establishes Damian’s routine - Tues, Wed, and Fri are the funniest for me!! Damian grumpily getting lectured by his teacher in the foreground while his classmate’s still visibly steaming from the hit he took LOL, DAMIAN’S BUG EYED STARE WITH HIS SUNGLASSES UP, and then Damian looming. stealthily. in a tree. while some kid is blatantly pointing him out HAHA 😭

Cizmesija’s use of motion lines and effects when conveying movement is so cool!! the shonen manga vibes jumps out!! the smoke/dust trails following the movements; the limbs and soccer ball having a sort of blur effect with the motion lines. V COOL.

which leads to my favorite part of Cizmesija’s work - HIS IMPACT SHOTS!!

more motion lines and effects!! the splatter effects!! the arcs!! the jolting impacts!! GRRAAHH!! the setup to that impact shot of Zach's block is so great, and then following with Damian's reaction!! i almost wish that "???" wasn't there, just because that expression of stunned silence already feels so loud!!

last thoughts about Cizmesija's art is that i'm really hoping for a showdown between Damian and Zach next issue because i need to see a Damian fight scene in Nikola Cizmesija-fashion 😭 we get a taste of it with Orca and soccer but i NEED MORE LOL for now, dropping the moment when Damian overpowers Zsasz, in Batman: Streets of Gotham #11 since it was such an epic moment

okay SLAPPING MY CONSPIRACY BOARD!! so on another note Principal Stone being Shush is starting to feel like a red herring and Ms. Heather Hall could actually be Shush. Shush’s main point about Damian as his instructor was emphasizing how much potential he has, but the “wrong” influence could affect that

Stone and Hall have made the same observation about Damian’s potential, but the difference is how they address that - one wants Bruce to be more involved while the other wants Bruce to back off

Stone acknowledged Damian can take care of himself but still wants Bruce to step up in Damian’s life; Hall says it’s okay to be a helicopter parent BUT implies giving Damian space (which we already know Bruce has given so much of after Alfred’s death to the point of neglect 😭)

Hall even suggests moving Damian on to college, which would estrange Damian further. also idk how Damian kicking his teammates/bullies asses at soccer is really “making friends” lol

and of all the subjects she’s teaching, it’s AP Biology - according to the current case Batman and Robin are working on, which is centered around DNA-sequencing, it makes Hall the perfect accomplice to Langstrom

this is where my brain started reaching because i laughed at first at how specific that comparison is, but then it just made me think of how Shush’s first introduction was sniping Bruce LOL anyway, Bruce’s reaction is me 😭

one more Cizmesija appreciation panel - the lil running effects behind Damian :)

[arabian-batboy]

On one hand, I know that Batman during the 80′s simply wasn’t as dark/angsty compared to present time, so maybe it might have something to do with it, but on the other hand, seeing his interactions with kid Jason makes me realize how he really was peak dad in this era and hands down had the best relationship with Jason out of all his children (like when was the last time you saw Batman giving piggybacks around the Batcave while in the middle of his work post-Jason’s death?)

And this is why I hate all of these dumb rectons and false retellings of Jason’s time as Robin, they take isolated incidents and make it seem like he was a problem child that was always at odds with Bruce when 98% of their conflicts have happened after The Joker killed him. Before that, Jason was a complete daddy’s boy and if things stayed the same, then he would have probably grew up to be “Bruce’s favorite perfect golden son” that people think Dick is.

If anything, how good their relationship back then is definitely the main reason why Jason was so hurt when he found out that Bruce didn’t avenge him, since he assumed that killing his son’s killer would be the first thing a father as loving as Bruce would do. So changing their relationship in this era to being strained (while also mellowing current Jason and easily resolving his conflict with Bruce) kinda diminish the whole point of Jason’s character.

Because what makes Jason’s story so interesting to me personally is how he went from a kind child who loves and looks up to his hero father to a ruthless crimelord and a dangerous foe to his hero father, its supposed to be an 180° change, but blurring the lines between past Jason (by demonizing him) and current Jason (by softening up and making him a full-fledged member of the Batfam) ruins the whole narrative for me.

[minhkhoas]

THE GHOST-MAKER: a deconstruction of his identity

2.2k words | An analysis of the stereotypes & tropes surrounding Minhkhoa Khan

Minhkhoa Khan, also known as the Ghost-Maker, has been a rather significant part of the Batman mythos since his debut in Batman (2016) issue #100. The Ghost-Maker is introduced as the supposed antithesis to Bruce Wayne’s vigilante identity of Batman— he’s described as self-centered, sadistic, and cold, not holding any ounce of empathy for those around him. He kills without remorse, something that sets him apart from his Gotham counterpart, and refers to himself as having been diagnosed as a psychopath at the age of eight.

“Ghost-Maker sees Bruce as a spoiled rich brat. Bruce sees Ghost-Maker as cruel, selfish, and wildly self-important. He is more hedonistic than Batman. He is bisexual, sleeping with anyone that catches his attention. He drinks. He does drugs. He enjoys all the selfish pursuits of life. He is a PSYCHOPATH. He does not experience empathy for other people. He says that that is his strength over Bruce. Ghost-Maker is a vigilante because he enjoys being the best he is at what he does. He is like Sherlock Holmes, caring more about the art of the mystery than the victims of the crime. Ghost-Maker is most concerned with perfecting his craft. Batman is trying to fill an emotional void, and that is why Ghost-Maker sees him destined to fail.”

— James Tynion IV

On paper, it’s clear that Tynion intended for him to serve as a simultaneous ally and enemy to Batman, his allegiance swaying just as his morals do. Tynion describes Minhkhoa as centering his entire crime fighting philosophy around the need to be the best at what he does, which leads him to constantly seek to outdo Batman. The first blatant sign of his involvement in Gotham comes in the form of a message to Batman— one that involves the killing of over a dozen men, a rather brutal way to announce his presence to one of his oldest acquaintances. Whilst Batman discovers the carnage, we see Ghost-Maker complaining in length about the inefficiency of Batman’s work and the overall state of Gotham. He takes a keen interest in Bao Pham, a seventeen-year old boy who’s donned the identity of Clownhunter, a vigilante who takes justice into his own hands by killing those who conspired with the Joker. This, combined with the aforementioned massacre, is the first indication of his personality and overall lack of empathy. He shows no hesitation in his plans to seek out and kill a teenager in order to essentially shock Batman into realizing his efforts are useless.

The extent of his alleged ‘psychopathy,’ as it’s referred to both in-canon and by the creator of Ghost-Maker himself, is further explored following his initial stint in Gotham in the form of a flashback. It is then that readers understand the depth of his and Batman’s relationship; it’s clear that they met in their youth and trained together, only to separate after Minhkhoa’s penchant for killing divided them. Their relationship is once again shown to be competitive, with Minhkhoa and Bruce using physical violence to settle a disagreement. Throughout the altercation, Minhkhoa taunts Bruce and seemingly uses his emotions to his advantage whilst remaining levelheaded. All of these details develop him into a character who finds amusement in violence, and feels little to no guilt at manipulating others.

A shift in Minhkhoa’s depiction arrived with the publication of issue #4 of writer Chip Zdarsky’s Batman: The Knight, a ten-issue storyline following Bruce Wayne as he trained around the world in preparation to become Batman. We see Minhkhoa and Bruce meeting as young teenagers with the shared goal of pursuing crime fighting, journeying together across the world. Their friendship blurs the line between platonic and romantic expression on multiple occasions, with Minhkhoa nearly kissing Bruce at one point during their training. It even extends beyond their time together in the form of one of Bruce’s mentors— Dr. Captio who, incidentally, was training Bruce to overcome physical pain despite him being incapable of overcoming his emotional pain— referring to Minhkhoa as “the little ghost that broke Bruce’s heart” following an argument that caused them to separate and ended in Bruce finding Dr. Captio without Minhkhoa’s help.

The topic of Minhkhoa’s name is another trove of information entirely, as Bruce only discovered his true name after months of traveling with Minhkhoa. Sometime following this discovery, Bruce inevitably begins to use the nickname “Khoa” to refer to him. Whether it was given to him by Bruce or pre-existing is unknown, but he is the first person to refer to Minhkhoa with it, suggesting that he did create it. The notion that Minhkhoa, who’s previously been described as not caring for other people, would allow this is just one of numerous plot points brought up by Zdarsky that slowly chip away at the one-dimensional caricature created by Tynion.

Minhkhoa is a brown, Asian, bisexual man, all of which is established by James Tynion IV throughout Batman (2016). He hails from Singapore, though the multiethnic nature of his name— with ‘Minh’ and ‘Khoa’ being Vietnamese names and ‘Khan’ having roots in South and Central Asia— suggests his ancestry stretches far beyond the city-state. It’s unclear if Tynion intended for Ghost-Maker to be so ethnically ambiguous aside from his clear Asian ancestry, that of which is truly confirmed by Minhkhoa’s appearance on an Asian-American Pacific Islander heritage month variant cover. His racial identity is rarely touched upon, which is simply the start of the slippery slope that becomes the fetishization and exotification of non-white men in Western media.

Minhkhoa is shown to sleep with both men and women in a rather careless manner, using sex as a form of meditation in order to solve crimes and further his own crime fighting agenda. He shows little to no emotional connection with the people he spends his nights with, and is significantly more promiscuous than Batman is. This in itself is a heavy propagation of the idea that bisexual individuals are unable to stay in committed relationships because their lack of single-gender attraction renders them incapable of forming meaningful connections. He appears in DC Comics’ 2023 Pride volume, in which he interacts with Catman— Thomas Blake— and subsequently sleeps with him, thus underlining the common theme of Minhkhoa’s relationships being limited to nothing more than a physical connection. This is emphasized especially when he’s seen leaving bed with both a man and woman by his side, whom he tells to make up grand stories about their time together in order to hyperbolize his feats and create mystery around his life.

His penchant for meaningless flings and physical connection is intrinsically connected to his status as a brown man, a member of a group that tends to be largely fetishized by Western audiences. He is visibly brown/tan when depicted with large portions of skin showing, often in the aftermath of a night of passion, yet he’s whitewashed when presented in other contexts. This pattern deviates in Batman: The Knight where we still see an aspect of sexualization when he’s seen seducing a man far older than him in issue #5, a tactic that could’ve been largely avoided and yet was likely used to emphasize his bisexuality. He is only allowed to be brown when it’s appealing to the audience, when his body is on display, and when he’s not meant to be an esteemed crime fighter.

On another front, his identity as the Ghost-Maker is largely debated by the global community, with most people believing he doesn’t exist. He’s treated as a myth— a man larger than life, despite his seemingly active involvement in Southeast Asia’s crime scene. The mere concept of the Ghost-Maker is treated as legend, similar to how the people of Gotham speculated over Batman’s existence during Bruce’s early days as the vigilante. However, it raises a larger question: Why is Minhkhoa Khan so elusive, and what were the motivations behind making him so?

The answer requires the consideration of several factors: the fact that there are less than ten living people who know Minhkhoa’s name and even less that have seen his face, the overall nature of his work as a vigilante with no qualms against killing, his status as a ‘foreign vigilante’ when compared to the other members of Batman’s circle, and the treatment of his overarching identity as a whole.

It’s clear that Ghost-Maker is far more secretive than Batman, most significantly in his personal life. Batman is inextricably tied to his public persona of Bruce Wayne, the former-billionaire CEO of Wayne Enterprises and “Gotham’s favorite son,” whereas Minhkhoa Khan is simply unknown to the world. When considered in the scope of his vigilantism, it makes sense: he commits objectively more ‘severe’ crimes than Batman, disregarding the fact that he doesn’t kill when working with Batman following his promise to refrain from doing so. However, when factoring in his racial identity, it quickly begins to unravel.

Comic books are far from immune from stereotypes, and even more well-known for orientalism in iconic characters such as Ra’s Al Ghul and his daughter, Talia, both of whom are portrayed with a certain mystique and air of exoticism. Though it may not have been intentional, there is something to be said about the tropes surrounding Minhkhoa Khan. He’s mysterious, alluring, and utilizes swords similar to katanas despite not being Japanese, adding to the air of foreignness surrounding him. Bruce states on numerous occasions that there’s something “broken” in him, and a large part of their arguments are founded on the basis of Bruce attempting to pacify or fix Minhkhoa and his efforts being rejected every time.

When Bruce Wayne is angry, it’s justified, often caused by an overwhelming need to survive in the instance of Batman: The Knight. When Minhkhoa Khan is angry, it’s out of malicious intent to harm others and is just further ‘proof’ of his innate inhumanity. He’s not allowed to be angry, not in the sense that Batman is, because his anger is violence and his violence is feral. His actions are driven by an inability for him to control himself, hence why he has no issue with sleeping around and killing people. There is always something inherently ‘other’ about him because he is brown, something that is even further emphasized by his juxtaposition to Batman.

Minhkhoa is without a doubt a complex character, as seen in the way he seeks out knowledge to understand the emotions of those around him— most notably Bruce— and effectively go against the harsh stereotypes surrounding him. The layers to his personality are deep, and yet they’re not immune to subconscious bias on the writers’ parts. He’s violent, almost alarmingly so, and is only “tamed” when he makes a promise to a white man. He allegedly doesn’t understand emotions and has to be told to make an effort to do so despite being a grown man, and this in itself is a disservice to two integral parts of his identity.

His presumed antisocial personality disorder is treated as one-dimensional and not multifaceted as personality disorders tend to be, and he only seems capable of experiencing one emotion at a time. He’s allowed to be harsh, but that harshness is dulled when he’s around Bruce, his alleged ‘pacifier.’ He’s shown to be emotionally stunted and incapable of caring for children despite being exceedingly smart in other categories, which is strange. It would be assumed that a man of his caliber would understand the fundamentals of raising a child, especially when he understands his own emotions enough to program an artificial intelligence to feel fear for him. Perhaps it’s intended to be a mirror of Bruce Wayne’s own inability to seek professional help, but Bruce is allowed to and has grown from their youth, while Minhkhoa evidently hasn’t.

There is an inherent issue within the overarching ‘Batman Family’ in that less popular characters are shunted in favor of placing Batman at the forefront, depriving his allies of the proper growth and characterization they deserve. We see it in Barbara Gordon and Selina Kyle, whose character development arcs have been completely shattered post-New 52 in order to make them more palatable love interests for Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne, respectively. It’s seen with Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain, who are often overlooked in favor of their male counterparts, and it’s seen in Duke Thomas, who has always been placed on the outskirts of both canon and fandom content despite being created ten years ago and being a fairly-established character.

Minhkhoa is no stranger to this trend, his personality and actions seemingly shifting based on whether he’s interacting with Batman or not. This could be explored in depth through a lens other than the precarious pacifier-pacified dynamic, yet DC Comics refuses to pursue anything further. They attempted to mold him in Batman Incorporated (2022) but fell short with a lackluster plot and prolonged continuations of the aforementioned tropes and stereotypes.

Ghost-Maker is a character teeming with potential, as are all of Batman’s allies, but he’s veering towards a dangerous characterization if DC continues to go down the path of hiring uneducated writers to portray him. There are several intentional aspects of his character, most notably found in his intentional color parallels with Batman, and yet they can’t seem to put in an effort to treat him and his experience with care and respect.

[ichodyssey]

Why Batman is a Unique Character

Who doesn't know Batman? Batman, is a character from the American superhero comic strip that created for DC Comics by the writer Bill Finger and the illustrator Bob Kane. First appeared in May 1939 in Detective Comics no. 27, Batman since then has appeared in various comics and graphic novels.

Many people do not know the origin of Batman. Doctor Thomas Wayne, his wife Martha, and son Bruce were robbed one night which resulted in Thomas and Martha being killed and witnessed by their terrified son. After the incident Bruce dedicated his life to avenging the death of his parents by spending his life fighting against all criminals.

Today there are many typical superheroes that we see who uphold justice and goodness. They are often portrayed as peacekeepers who have a black and white understanding of right and wrong - but Batman's motives are much more personal than that.

The motives that drive Bruce began when he witnessed first-hand the brutality of the world in his youth. In his youth, Bruce witnessed his parents being murdered in cold blood. This experience was the starting point for Bruce's ideas of justice and morality.

Batman's ultimate goal is to rid the world of blind immorality and prevent anyone from experiencing the depraved world he faced at such a young age. This personally-driven motive is typical of an antihero, but combining this trope with the superhero theme adds a deeper dimension to Batman's character.

Batman's moral code is also strongly emphasized by his refusal to kill anyone, as he believes that any form of killing would defy elements of the cause of evil and his moral code. No matter how much destruction or death a villain causes, he refuses to be like his enemy.

For Batman, death is not justice. This is depicted in Batman comics when the Joker repeatedly taunts Batman to kill him. Unlike other superheroes, Batman does not subscribe to the idea of sacrificing life, no matter how evil the enemy, for the greater good. It's not something that is considered easy to do, but Batman is nothing if not dedicated to his life with his moral compass. Here, Batman embodies an antihero who blurs the line between protagonist and antagonist.

One of Batman's most exclusive characteristics that makes him different from other superheroes is that he has no actual superpowers. This is one of the factors for Batman having a deeper connection with the readers. In reality, there is no difference between Batman and Bruce Wayne beyond the bat costume.

Batman provides a different vision - that it doesn't take radioactive spiders or alien technology to be a hero. Batman lets the human being himself be extraordinary. His 'powers' are something that is truly within the realm of possibility - physical discipline, mixed martial arts, swordsmanship, and intelligence are just a few of the skills that Bruce uses to combat his enemies.

Another reason why Batman connects with readers on a much more human level than others is because he is deeply flawed, like all antiheroes. There is a unique sense of humanity that surrounds Batman because of his nuanced character, and he has as many flaws as he does strengths. Bruce Wayne is portrayed as distrustful, cynical, vindictive, and arrogant - but he is also intelligent, tenacious, passionate, and determined.

What makes Batman a perfectly acceptable superhero is that he is complicated, just like all of humanity. Instead of being a superhero to admire, Batman is an inspiring superhero because he teaches readers that it doesn't take a perfect person to do good things.

[arabriddler]

Gotham Fic rec list

A Modicum of humanity makes everything harder

Fic AO3 description :

Bruce Wayne first donned the cowl ten years ago, vowing to protect Gotham's citizens from crime, but who protects him?

Jim Gordon is called upon by an unlikely set of people to find Bruce Wayne aka Batman, solve the case he was working on before he disappeared, and find him before Gotham gets wind that its caped protector is missing.

my notes :

this is an incomplete series of stories set post-canon. It’s great because it offers a variety of characters and interactions. Tbh I only read up to Evol Love but it’s very fun. Ties gotham and comic Batman together nicely ! I personally consider it canon.

The Edcubus

Fic AO3 description:

Edward Nygma attempts to live his life well under the guise as a normal, human forensic pathologist. He just likes human souls as a side dish now and then. It's what an Incubus does.  So when he sees a dapper looking fellow at a club, and how well they hit it off together, a soul seems guaranteed.

my notes:

This fic made me laugh and cry and giggle and smile and cry again and it’s just. A journey. It’s sort of a Gotham rewrite but with a twist ( Ed is an incubus ). Ed’s DID is written very well here as well as Oswald’s disability and the way his mind works and runs Gotham. The relationships are very light and the dialogue seems very authentic and the highlight of the fic is Zsasz. I loved hims so much here. Also, Tabitha is written so well here. I loved her

The Fox and The Scorpion

Fic AO3 description:

Ed and Lucius both think they can help each other, and maybe in doing so help themselves along the way. But the more time they spend together, the more the line between help and harm begins to blur.

My notes :

If you know me you know that I constantly talk about this fic. It’s just. So good. Had to stare at the wall after it for such a long time. The way Ed and Lucius mirror each other? Their conversations and interactions ? The plot twists? Moreover, Lucius is underrated across all Batman media. This fic really gets in depth when it comes to him and I appreciate that.

4 am

Fic AO3 description:

Oswald Cobblepot works in the campus cafe of Gotham University where he meets Edward Nygma, a student looking for a quiet place to study.

my notes:

college AU! That’s also a coffe shop AU! It’s so cute. Oswald and Ivy are sort of siblings here and I love that so much. Ed is adorable, and I loved the way Jim’s written here ( we have Ed and Jim as roommates ! ) I’ve reread it so many times.

On the corners of neibolt and Waterbury

Fic AO3 description:

There were many stories about the monsters that lived beneath Gotham. People always assumed that they were harmless stories, but the children of Gotham knew better.

my notes:

IT AU!! It’s set in Gotham verse BUT it’s also an IT AU I don’t know how to explain it but it’s so fun. We also have Ed and Oswald and Jim as childhood friends and it’s adorable. Made me want to read my IT book gathering dust on the bookshelf

Avast!

Fic AO3 description:

Oswald Cobblepot is the proud captain of the pirate ship Iceberg. He crosses paths with the surgeon Ed Nygma.

my notes:

pirates AU with supernatural elements. Complicated Ed Oswald relationship we just love to see it. The writing is so good It makes you picture everything in your mind. There is a laviathan and a kraken.

Puzzled

Fic AO3 description:

After Oswald saves Edward on the pier he tells him that he's going to take Martin with him and leave Gotham forever. Shocked by this sudden turn of events, Ed finds himself unable to let Oswald go... So he decides to go with them.

my notes:

road-trip with Ed, Oswald, and Martin. It’s simply wholesome.

Seizing My Guts ( he Floats me with dread )

AO3 fic description:

Oswald awakes from a coma with a bullet hole in his stomach and no recollection of how it got there. With his sight impaired, the task of finding his would-be killer seems to be impossible. Luckily for Oswald, Ed Nygma, his Chief of Staff, is there to lend a hand.

my notes :

went through so many emotions reading this. Complex nygmobblepot vaguely toxic ? Perfect.

Love is a four-legged word

fic AO3 description:

"It's a Maltese Shih Tzu," Ed says. "If there's a dog in the house, it shouldn't be a breed that generates puddles of drool."

"I thought you didn't like dogs," Oswald says, still cradling the ball of fluff.

"I don't," Ed agrees. "You do."

my notes :

a one shot that has it all! Dogs! Growing old! Post canon! Insane amount of fluff! This is such a comfort read I’ve re-read it so many times

Unexpected Visitor

fic AO3 description:

Oswald and Ed receive an unexpected late-night visitor.

my notes:

Oswald and Ed being uncles and it’s so wholesome I just love it. It’s part of a series which I recommend reading it all ( this is the second story ) I read it a long time ago so I can’t remember it well but I remember this part because it was so wholesome

I’d want to be felled by you

Fic AO3 description:

"We would be stronger together. No one could stop us."

They’re in love with each other, and he’s the only one that knows.

My notes:

Set after the season 5 knife hug, a very wholesome one shot with a hint of angst and lots of feelings. Ed nurses Oswald’s eye and they talk

We should be a settled argument

AO3 fic description:

Who would have thought Blackgate Prison and No Man's Land would have so much in common? Restricted food choices, unreliable air conditioning, and surrounded by gangs that can easily be bought, albeit for cigarettes rather than bullets. It's the same posturing and negotiating, and Oswald could do it in his sleep. It's almost relaxing, if you ignore the bounty on his head from the Russians and the grumbling from the Irish.

my notes:

I’ve read this so many times, it’s set post No-Man’s land and catches up with the finale, it’s basically the ten year period where Oswald’s in prison and his handling of black gate is written in such an Interesting way, and Ed and Oswald’s interactions are perfect and fun to read.

Russian Roulette

AO3 fic description:

Edward and Oswald find themselves captured by the Court of Owls. It will take the two of them working together to escape, but not all is as it seems. Escaping their prisons is only the beginning and survival depends on their all too fragile truce. In the end, will it be enough to save either one of them? And are they even capable of maintaining it?

my notes: this is the kind of fic that makes you bite your fingernails and stay up reading it and walk around in circles because it drives you insane. It also has lots of horror and tense elements that make it captivating

Point D’ Amour

AO3 fic description:

Oswald and Edward finally accepted their love for each other. Edward is the happiest he's ever been. Until an incident at a warehouse sends him spiraling. He loves Oswald, so why does he want to hurt him?

my notes: I received this fic as a gift and it’s so 😵‍💫😵‍💫 makes me insane !! Was reading it like :0

[puppetmaster13u]

I return to the AVPxDC crossover. This Au. This one right here, because I have Thoughts. Specifically about the entire batfam.

Now the batfam is actually kind of large if you include those like Alfred and Kate. Which one should very much always include Alfred as family, that's Bruce's second dad.

But anyway, batfam. Most have been discussed already, including Kate pretty much pulling an Uno Reverse card on the yautja and having her own trophy room of all the hunters and their tech. Along with the robot dogs (canon in batman ayy) just even larger.

And it's been discussed about Jason becoming a big beefy crusher after his dip in the Lazarus Pit, and his version of Pit Rage pretty much him being overwhelmed by past memories from past xenos along his line when they're usually blurred.

It's even been discussed of Damian being a lil science-experiment child like canon just with a hint of bonus confusing instincts not helping his entire situation while in the League.

Not even touching the poetic mirroring between Bruce and Clark and their continued friendship.

But you know who I want to talk about? Terry and Matt Mcginnis, the boys from Batman Beyond. Those boys, the lil buddies usually forgotten about. They were talked about for like, two sentences and I am rotating this world's version of them. Honestly I kind of like the idea of them being like the only two eggs that Bruce had. Or at least the two that hatched, because who knows what is even able to work with how much alteration their biology has had, even compared to other xenos.

Psspsspss @phoenixcatch7 my mutual I summon thee

[samgirl98]

Cain and Abel Wept 22/23

Prev | Next

WARNING: MENTIONS OF PAST TORTURE

I feel like I've deviated from Danny's and Damian's relationship these past few chapters... Anyway, here it is, Danny's meeting with the UN. Disclaimer: I've never seen a UN meeting and have no idea how it goes so this will be really inaccurate

Next chapter will be the last one, and I MIGHT write an epilogue, though no promises

Batman was the first one to enter the room. Everyone in the UN assembly went quiet; Batman’s swooshing cape sounded loud. Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Green Lantern followed him. Behind the Justice League came a tank of a man wearing an eyesore of an orange jumpsuit. By his side was a woman in a teal suit made of the same material as the orange one. Between them was a small seventeen-year-old boy.

The boy should’ve been the group's most unimpressive, but something in his aura made every eye in the assembly gravitate toward him. Though they had no idea why their brain was telling them so, they knew he was the most dangerous of the group.

Batman went up to the podium and, to the surprise of most of the assembly, started speaking. Superman crossed his arms and stood behind his friend.

“The United States government has created an egregious law that not only puts people, especially metas, in danger but the whole world.”

Every delegate in the room started murmuring.

“The United States government has not only almost started an interdimensional war but has advocated for the genocide of an entire species. They have attacked their own citizens and had plans to harm many more.”

Batman opened the presentation he had put together. The first one was of Jason’s opened chest with his face blurred out.

(Bruce and Danny hadn’t wanted to add it to the presentation, but Jason had insisted. He claimed he wanted his death to mean something.)

Batman watched with grim satisfaction as those in the assembly room either gasped in horror, vomited, or straight out fainted from the photos he was showing of his precious son.

(Photos that shouldn’t exist. Photos he couldn’t turn around to look at. Photos that should’ve been burned instead of being shown to anyone.

Pleading eyes, ‘Please, dad, let my death mean something. 

Guilt, because he couldn’t say no, and now his son’s pain was being broadcasted.)

After showing the images, Batman played the audio the lead torturer had taken. When they heard him say that he wanted the government to go after people who had been resuscitated, every delegate turned to yell and boo at the representatives of the United States.

Eventually, Batman had to call for order.

He turned toward Danny and then let the boy take the stage.

“My name is Danny Fenton. I was born an ordinary human until I died and came back .”

A flash of light came from the boy, leaving behind Phantom with a glowing crown and a ring that exuded an aura of power.

“Through circumstances that had my town taken into another dimension, I had to fight a tyrannical king. After I defeated him, I was crowned as the next Ghost King. I have watched over the years as the US government, under the order of a known villain, has gone after my people or the citizens of Amity Park because they are dubbed non-sentient and non-sapient. No matter how short the death, anyone who has died or come back can be experimented on and killed.”

“Last I checked, that includes many of our heroes. You know, those who have put their lives on the line to protect the Earth. These laws are a danger to everyone. Anyone can die and be brought back. Who are they going to go after next? The little girl who was revived during surgery? The father who had to be resuscitated after he drowned? Not to mention the slippery slopes these laws create. If they can go after my people, interdimensional beings with powers, what’s stopping them from going after aliens? After meta-humans?”

“My parents, Jack and Maddie Fenton,” Danny pointed toward the two as they stared at the crowd with somber expressions, “are leading ectobiologists. They have scientific data that ghosts, ectoentities, whatever you want to call us, are not only feeling but rational thinking beings. We have feelings, we think; we aren’t mimicking anything like many of the GIW would like to have you believe!”

“One of the GIW's plans is to destroy the Infinite Realms. The Realms and the Earth are two sides of the same coin. If you destroy one, you destroy the other. Is that really what you want? To have the whole of existence vaporized because of bigotry and prejudice?”

“But we don’t know enough,” The US delegate started trying to defend himself. Danny glared at him, and the man shut his mouth.

“Please keep all questions until after my parents’ explanation.”

Danny walked off the podium and went to the side as he let his parents take over. A part of him wanted to dissociate, but as the King of the Infinite Realms, he had to think about the good of his people, his kingdom, and of the Earth.

So, Danny didn’t check out mentally and watched and listened as his parents showed image after image of his people’s plight at the hands of the US government. He forced himself to stay present as he heard recordings of the torture of ghosts and the voices of indifference from the torturers scientists.

He stood by his biological father to gain some type of moral support.

By the end of the day, Danny was exhausted. After some pressure from other nations (and the not-so-subtle threats from the Justice League, including the Green Lantern stating his higher-ups were looking into the matter.), the United States government had ordered a temporary hold on the laws until they could investigate further.

The Canadians' anti-ecto laws were banned that very same day after the Fentons had added in their presentation that Canada had similar laws that mirrored the United States.

“I think the US hasn’t banned them altogether yet because they don’t like to back down right away,” Bruce told Danny as they made their way out of the UN building. “The US government can be…stubborn. Don’t expect these things to disappear completely, either. They’ll just go underground and be done in the dark instead of them being ‘laws.’”

“It’ll be a start in the right direction,” Danny said, “I know what people are like; I’ve seen what they do to metas and aliens even with the laws, but this way we have a chance to fight back.”

Danny turned toward Batman and let the rest of the Justice League and his parents pass them.

“Thank you for your support,” he said in a low voice, “I’m sorry I ever thought you and the JL were like them. This whole mess could’ve been looked at sooner if I had gone to you in the first place.”

Batman put his hands on his son’s Danny’s shoulders, “You were doing what you thought was right. I would’ve done the same. Now, are you ready to deal with the worse part of being in the spotlight?”

Danny sighed.

“Yeah, time for my interviews with the media.”

@spectralstardustandphantomnights @avelnfear @idfk-man10 @blackroserelina @candeartist422 @luer-mirin @mur-ururu @insufferablecrab @skulld3mort-1fan @meira-3919 @aethernorwood @mimilikey @marshmelloe @latheevening226 @ahyesanerd @lexdamo @chrysanthemum9484 @spooky-fm @gmkelz11 @jotaroslooseeyebrowhair @supershot73199 @starscreamlover @booberrylizard @pastalavistamf @itsberrydreemurstuff

[roobylavender]

Sunshine Charismatic Bruce Wayne. You have a vision. I want to see that vision come true. Can’t wait to see all the batboy fans get mad because who else are they going to use for fuel why their character is so poorly treated and is the best?

see the thing is i don't even necessarily want him to be sunshine-y (despite what the quoted tweet says jgkdfhs) but i do think all too many writers forget that bruce.. loves life. like that is literally what he's fighting for and it's what makes being batman hard bc he wants this for everyone else but he also wants it for himself but he can't have it for himself without possibly shirking on his duty to ensure it for everyone else. and it's also pertinent when it comes to bruce's relationships with the (first three) robins bc they're the ones who detach themselves from having a life and that devastates him. it's not what he wants for any of them but he's nonetheless played a part in enabling it and he lives with that guilt permanently. all too many writers these days act like bruce's civilian life is secondary to his vigilante life bc he likes it that way but the first several decades of batman comics would adamantly express otherwise. his civilian life suffers bc he doesn't have a choice but it's what makes those fleeting moments where he does have a chance to enjoy himself so worthwhile bc he truly does love being around people and socializing with others and building relationships. he's practical but i think writers blur the line between him being practical and self-isolating. i really miss the days when writers valued his civilian life and its trivialities like admittedly it contributed to the plot back then too but i also think writers recognized he enjoyed being with people even if those social situations sometimes forayed into circumstances that later demanded investigation

[kastlequill]

1, 3 and 24 for the ask game <3

1. the character everyone gets wrong

ghost. i think where some go wrong is their neglect of the more emotional aspects of his character in favor of the physical. he’s very nuanced, and he can’t be defined in 3-4 words. sometimes i feel people are writing a caricature of him or even a stranger with his name tacked on.

also, that man is not taking his mask off if he doesnt absolutely have to. like im sorry, but you cannot convince me that he would, unless there is very much an established trust in addition to the need to do so. i believe this stems from the way many see ghost and simon as two different people, as if he’s dr. jekyll and mr. hyde. to me, the line between “ghost” and “simon” has blurred so much so that whatever original separation between the two has disappeared, and they have become one and the same. he is not “ghost” on the battlefield and then suddenly “simon” when he gets back home or something; he is in a constant state of duality, at times more in line with who we know as “ghost” and others moreso with who we perceive as “simon”, but never just one or the other. it’s similar to the batman versus bruce wayne discussion, imo.

plus he absolutely feels he is most himself when he’s wearing a mask.

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

that gaz is boring, and that’s why they favor könig. like be for real, we know barely a handful of things about könig, and we have literally played as gaz in the campaign. how is it possible that you find gaz boring and uninteresting, yet an almost completely-blank slate of a character compelling? is it because you can project your fantasies onto one and not the other? i dont know, i think könig is cool, and i’ve seen a lot of fun characterizations for him, read many nice fics, so don’t get me wrong! but to call gaz boring to justify leaving him out of 141 stuff and then shoehorn könig in instead? wack.

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

pretty much any discussion on how these men would behave in bed. i get that this is a more personal realm for people, so it’s understandable that talks get heated, but i honestly think this is the least interesting thing to choose to focus on with these characters.

send me a number! (specify if a fandom other than cod)

[wrencatte]

a longer than normal snippet of bad news this place is magic af chapter 3 because it's 422 in the am and i should really go to bed but im not. (wc: approx 1,151). This is a ROUGH draft

Gotham isn’t alive.

Gotham isn’t not alive.

(It’s complicated.)

But when you have as much as ambient magic that Gotham does – festering, pooling. Nowhere to go. No one use it. It languishes, steeping into the foundations, seeking physical objects to siphon a droplet from a deep, abyssal ocean –

When you have as much ambient magic that Gotham does –

The line between alive and not alive gets a little blurred.

—

Tim lets them laugh, lets Steph’s boundless capacity for banter ease some of them tension. He glances over at Cass and sees it in her expression that she noticed it too – Jason’s shaking hands, the pinch of pain around his eyes, the sheen in them that he keeps blinking away.

It could be blamed on his injuries. Most of it can probably be blamed on his injuries. But he folds his arms over his chest, pressing close in a way that has to hurt the claw marks there, and his nails dig into his sleeves, the fabric of his sweatshirt being the only thing keeping him from drawing blood.

He closes his eyes, exhausted, and cuts in. “It’s still hurting you – the cloaking spell.”

Not a question. A statement of fact.

The banter cuts off, the light teasing dies down. Jason doesn’t look at him, nails burrowing, teeth flashing to bite his lip. His fangs – because that’s what they are no matter how often Bruce calls them elongated canines; he just doesn’t want to admit that Jason has fangs. Some things are too weird for Batman. – split his lip, blood beading up.

“No,” he says.

Steph frowns. “Jason…”

He frowns back, something gleaming beyond the tears in his eyes – and Tim thinks of sunlight through sweet tea and vintage whiskey. “We don’t have time to worry about it,” he snaps with only a quarter of his usual heat. If Tim’s already exhausted, he can’t imagine how Jason feels.

“There’s always time,” Duke says then glances at the ceiling when all Jason does is sneer in response. “Fine – if you wanna be a stubborn asshole about it we’ll let you. For now.” There’s a glow in his eyes to match Jason’s – but golden where Jason’s is copper. The hair on the back of Tim’s neck stands on end and he remembers – he never really forgot – that Duke’s meta-abilities are weird and odd and more and now he’s starting to get an idea of why. “What’s the plan?”

Jason slumps like his strings have been cut. Cass swings her arms over his shoulders, slouching in a way that’s uncharacteristic of her but makes Jason reach up and hold on to keep her from sliding to the ground.

And subsequently makes him stop pressing on his injuries.

“The plan is to figure out where his final circle is going to be and stop him,” Jason says slowly. He presses his lips together. Tim hands him a napkin that he takes without looking, dabbing at the blood almost absently. His eyes flicker across the map, following Duke’s lines from point a to b all the way to m – thirteen points. Twelve like a clock and then one directly in the middle. “That’s smack dab in the middle of the reservoir.”

“The labyrinth,” Tim says. Jason nods. “Great. Just what we needed.”

“I’m sorry, the what?” Duke asks, brows furrowed. The gold in his eyes has faded even if Jason still shimmers copper. “We have a labyrinth?”

“We don’t,” Steph says and she looks absolutely disgusted by the direction this is going. “The Court of Owls, on the other hand, did. Do we really have to?”

Duke pinches the bridge of his nose. “The Court of Owls?” Everyone stares at him. “Hey, don’t look at me like that,” he snaps. “Some of us are new to this whole vigilante business. I’m still in Jason’s era of casefiles!”

Jason groans. “Great,” he mutters.

Tim gives him a sympathetic look that’s ignored. He’s seen the reports from Jason’s time as Robin and they’re not pretty – Rogues like Kite Man and Condiment King weren’t a common place then. It was usually the Families and the darker crimes that really makes Tim wonder who thought it was a good idea to let a teenager on the streets like that. Though, he’s sure Jason had seen worse before he was Robin.

Already files on the Court of Owls are popping up on screen, courtesy of Barbara. Duke leans in, scanning the words, lips moving, his eyes getting wider and wider the further he gets, jaw dropping.

“What?” he whispers. “No, seriously. What?” He gestures frantically at the screen. “Dick? Your, your parents?” he asks Tim.

Tim shrugs. “They were in over their heads,” he says casually. And it is pretty casual. The Court never wanted Tim. They were more pissed that Janet and Jake managed to snub them so well. Tim’s had two years to come to terms with the mess his parents left him with. “It’s actually one of the reasons they traveled so much. The Court did not like them ducking out like they did. Technically they were never official members anyway, too New Money to get more than a foot in the door.”

Babs pulls the files down. “I can send the rest to your tablet,” she tells him. “Let’s focus. Jason, why is he doing this?”

Jason drags a fingertip over the desk surface. Tim watches the motion – it’s not random. It’s…It means something. He traces it out over and over again. Steph ducks down, frowning, waving her hand in front of Jason’s face – he flinches, hand going flat on the desk.

“Magic,” Jason says.

“We’ve established that,” Tim replies.

He shakes his head, drags a hand down his face, winces when he pulls at the marks on his face. “No. Listen. Magic is pretty much everywhere. There’s, like, maybe two places on this planet where magic is null and only the Sorcerer Supreme knows where they are.”

“And that’s?”

“Currently it’s Zatanna Zatara,” Jason says with a smirk. Steph claps her hands, eyes sparkling. “Yeah, thought you might like that. She’s been Sorcerer Supreme for about…five years now? After Kent stopped being Doctor Fate and Khalid picked up the mantle. Gotham is not null.”

Duke quirks an eyebrow. “But no one here uses magic.”

Jason nods. “And that’s the problem. Magicians don’t come to Gotham – not because Batman asked nicely or anything, but it’s disgusting here.” He swallows thickly, looking like he might be sick. Tim hands him another orange juice and he takes it even though he rolls his eyes. “Magic has to be used. It’s gotta flow. It doesn’t even have to be a person – or the equivalent of one. Those magical objects we’ve dealt with over the years? That’s Gotham’s magic trying to find some outlet before it explodes like a powder keg. That’s the only reason we’re not suffering a weird magical plague.”