#de nuclearizing the batfam

[howparadoxical]

I can't stop thinking about Bruce joining the circus bc from Dick's perspective both everything and nothing changes.

Just imagine you’re 4 years old and your home, the circus in this case, never stays in one place. You are the only kid there and a prodigy. Your only goal is to be able to join your parents in front of the crowds

Except

One day this guy shows up and he’s now there? That was allowed?? Either way, Dick soon finds out that this new kid is so so weird, and kind of sad but also never talks to him like he’s just some kid which automatically makes him the coolest person he knows

Dick learns soon enough that Bruce is not cool at all but is still the BEST person he knows

Things are pretty steady at the circus and they both begin to learn their respective circus acts

Bruce is learning to be a Strongman (with side projects, the overachiever) While Dick of course is speed-running the trapeze (he is also an overachiever and his goal is performance ready by 6 (he'll miss it by a year or two to his own frustration)

To Dick's complete delight, he knows a lot more about training than Bruce and takes it upon himself to help him train.

Things are pretty steady at the circus and they both begin to learn their respective circus acts

“Your feet are too far apart”

 “Dick, I think I know how to stand on a-STOP DON’T SHAKE THE ROPE”

Through the power of friendship and hypercompetent/compatible individuals, Bruce and Dick even get their own minor act

More of an opening warm up before the show starts or when walking around.

 It came about due to a.) Dick is a very throwable boy (enrichment) and b) Bruce is learning how to toss anything

It fun for both of them

In my head, this is a staple maneuver for when they are batman and robin

When Bruce suddenly leaves when he is 7 (doesn't explain anything AT ALL, that asshole) and Dick is Distraught™, the people in the circus stayed together, every time they left a city or country they were always together and now his best friend is GONE. 

Anyways, B comes back a couple of months later but now leaves the circus inconsistently and coming back looking like he went through the wringer and Dick is nothing if not a pain in the ass. 

“Dick, why are you here?!?”

“You didn’t cover your tracks. Who’s the guy in the ninja costume?”

“GET DOWN”

On multiple occasions he follows Bruce and they wind up in trouble but it's kind of like an adventure for the two of them, you know?

Truly, peak little brother energy

Expect Bruce disappears again (even though he promised) but this time there's no sign he's coming back

Dick starts to double-down on training to cope. He is 9 now and has been performing with his parents for a year so far. 

already has early onset abandonment issues (way to go Bruce)(technically this is also a by-product of living on the road but that's neither here nor there)

At 10 the circus gets to Gotham and Dick is not that excited to perform when Bruce is back?? And didn’t try to see Dick???? (that ASSHOLE)

 But this is actually the best news Dick has heard since they found out the circus found a sponsor a few years back and were no longer risking going under

The plan that night was to perform with his parents while at Gotham, but, well, B was back. And it had been years since he actually watched the circus instead of participating in it. 

They watch from the stands as Dick catches Bruce up on every detail he can remember.

He tries to ask Bruce where he went but

Why does he look so sad

Neither of them expect the explosion

All Dick will remember of that night, of that moment, is the ringing left from the bomb, the sight of his mom’s hand slipping past his dad’s, and the dark, heavy weight as Bruce shielded Dick’s body with his own. 

And the rest is history more or less. 

[howparadoxical]

There's something about the rare strongman!Bruce fanart I find that makes me insane. Then I started thinking about it and like? Bruce in the circus would be so good? and really easy to incorporate into a timeline like:

Imagine Bruce runs away at 15

He has just come back from being “transferred” to Gotham Academy from a boarding school

This is accompanied by Alfred expressing his disappointment. Bruce had already been thinking about being a burden and leaving and while in the main timeline he waits til graduating he kinda snaps

He comes across the circus and through means, I don’t think are particularly interesting, Bruce convinces them to let him tag along

“What would the boy do?”

“He could be a strongman.”

Both look over at awkward mid-growth spirt Bruce.

“Really?”

“Ay, he’s got the build for it.”

Bam! Bruce is in the circus.

He’s training to be a strongman but in the meantime excels at other tasks, including but not limited to: 

Juggling, knife throwing, animal handling, tightrope walking etc,

Not to mention already can bookkeep and can pick up languages like popcorn

Essentially good at most things except general clownery and more artistic performances like silks.

The general demographics at either about at least 10 years his senior or his junior.

Kids wise, there's just him and of course 4-year-old Dick

When Dick meets Bruce he’s like “this is my new best friend.” meanwhile Bruce is like “oh fuck, oh fuck, what the fuck do I do with a child”

When Dick is around 8 Bruce is forced to acknowledge that Dick is also his best friend and boy doesn’t that make a 19 yr old feel lame

Despite all this, Bruce is in an environment where there’s no pressure to be a Wayne and gets a clean start, which does wonders for him

Still pushes himself out of guilt and anger but now instead of being shammed for it, the people around him just redirect it

Bruce? Getting a supportive environment to train in? Sure hope that doesn’t destroy the universe

Welp, about that

Bruce stays with the circus consistently for years but disappears for a couple of months when he turns 18 (he went back to Gotham to a) prove he’s fine and b)claim his inheritance. 

Does this for a couple of reasons, one of which is that he finds out the circus is losing money and goes back so he can figure out some kind of investment to help

While there, realizes Gotham has gotten bad and is hit with that classic “oh god I’ve been happy while people are suffering I am a horrible person”

So while he does go back to Hailey’s, he ends up leaving more often as he finds different teachers and is unknowingly, officially on the path to Batman™ 

Right around 20 Bruce straight up fully disappears with barely a word as he ends up involved fully with the League of Shadows

Comes out of it a year later

The next time the circus sees him, they are performing in Gotham 

Good news is, the circus doesn’t get blackmailed/pays off protection

The Grayson’s rope doesn’t snap! Yay!

Bad news: someone tries to blow up the circus during their performance. Not only do the Grayson’s die but also the circus almost has to close down. 

The rest follows somewhat similarly but with nuance I’ve run out of room to go into. 

Hey, its an AU, not a fix-it fic :)