#i didn't do grayson any justice

[necrotic-nephilim]

If you want to be bothered. Maybe this for dick and Bruce???

i ALWAYS want to be bothered these are always the highlight of my day tbh you're a delight for letting me just yap <3

Dick. For the canon isn't real square I am Specifically talking about the Tom Taylor Nightwing run. Usually I ignore bad runs but given this one is ongoing (though about to end THANK GOD and get replaced by Dan Watters who i have high hopes for since i adored his Sword of Azrael (2022) run but i digress) so I counted it. Especially since it's so debated if that run is bad or not, for some reason. I'm a 90s Nightwing truther. I love Dick so dearly and tbh recently I've been more enamored with him the more I read his Discowing era, I didn't used to be as big of a Dick stan as I am these days.

Bruce. Honestly where do you even start with Bruce. I want to fist fight him and also patch him up. He got me into comics and superheroes as a whole but I roll my eyes whenever he shows up in a story. He's a bastard and usually not a good father but also complex and should be dissected under a magnifying glass. I love him dearly. He's also just the worst. I think that's why I love him. I'm always a fan of unabashedly Complicated Asshole Bruce who's generally not always the best person, particularly not to the Batfamily and that being the driving force of his relationships with them, especially in shipping.

And for bonus points, Tim. Because know above all else, I'm a Tim Drake kinnie /deg. He's been my number one for a decade and I've yet to uproot him from my brain. He's literally the Worst half the time and I love him for it. And the canon isn't real refers to Tim Drake: Robin because... that sure was a comic. And that's about all I can say about it. Pre-Flashpoint Tim I miss you so dearly. I think it's fun that I want to put him in a blender and drink the juice but also want Nothing Ever to happen to him.

[dickgraysonsptsd]

"dick became robin because he wanted to kill tony zucco!"

i saw a lot of posts to the effect of "robin dick wanted to kill! 😈 he was murderous! 🔪 he loved violence! 🩸 bruce made him robin so that he wouldn't run out and murder tony zucco!" when i first got into comics.

and because i'm autistic i read every dick grayson origin comic a few months ago to find which one shows dick wanting to kill his parents' killer. because people wouldn't keep saying this if there was no canon basis for it, right? people wouldn't do that. people wouldn't go on the internet and take a single panel from year three out of context. right?

results:

detective comics (1937) #38: dick wants to go to the police.

batman (1940) #32: dick wants to go to the police.

batman (1940) #213: dick wants to go to the police.

detective comics (1937) #484: dick says "i'll get them! i'll hunt them down!" batman and robin bring zucco to justice, as in previous comics.

batman (1940) #339: dick expresses no desire for violence.

the untold legend of the batman (1980) #2: dick wants to go to the police.

secret origins (1986) #13: dick wants to go to the police.

secret origins (1986) #50: dick expresses no desire for violence.

batman (1940) #436-437: moments after his parents die, dick says "i want him… he killed my parents! kill him for me. you've got to kill him. if batman doesn't find zucco--i will…" there's a two-month timelapse, after which dick no longer wants zucco dead. a major theme of this arc is that dick was not a violent child and wanted justice rather than vengeance; when it later appears that bruce has intentionally allowed someone to murder zucco, dick is shocked and horrified.

robin (1992) annual #4: dick actively tries to save the killer's life and is unhappy when he dies.

dark victory #11: zucco dies of a heart attack after bruce and dick chase him (neither of them are aware of his heart condition beforehand, and dick backs off when he realizes zucco isn't faking the heart attack). dick does not express a desire to kill zucco.

legends of the dark knight #100: dick expresses no desire for violence. bruce beats zucco's henchmen to unconsciousness and dick stops him from going any further. zucco later dies of illness and dick says "bad news. i didn't want him to die."

teen titans go! (2003) #47: dick expresses no desire for violence.

nightwing (2011) #0: dick wants justice and goes out "patrolling" in gotham (fighting random criminals), but never expresses a desire to kill zucco.

young justice (2011) #6: "together we found zucco and brought him to justice."

it's universal across dick's origins that he wants to go to the police (the line "i'm going to the police!" is specifically used in most of these) or pursue justice as robin by getting his parents' killer(s) arrested.

there are more robin origin stories where dick actively tries to save the killer's life or says outright that he doesn't want the killer to die than there are origin stories where he expresses any desire for violence against the killer.

there is no robin origin comic where dick became robin to kill someone or otherwise do violence, or where dick seriously wanted to kill anyone as a child.

[confusedhummingbird]

"To me, Dick is the one hero who simply decided being a fighter for justice was the right thing to do. The murder of Dick's parents was solved almost immediately so there was never a feeling he needed revenge. Even back when he was created he was someone who made bad jokes and seemed to have fun doing what he did. He wasn't the sole survivor of a doomed planet. He didn't feel responsible for the death of his parents. He wasn't appointed an intergalactic cop. When Batman put his parent's killer behind bars he saw that stopping crime was something worth believing in. Dick is the only one I know who is like that. And he does it without having been given any special powers. To me Dick is the best kind of character there can be; he's dedicated to his cause for all the right reasons. Plus he's human, so Dick has to work hard to be good. Unlike Superman he has no natural powers. Shoot him and he will be hurt. That makes the story more interesting."

-Marv Wolfman

Dick Grayson, Boy Wonder : Scholars and Creators on 75 Years of Robin, Nightwing and Batman.

[fantastic-nonsense]

Do you know where I can find canon references to Dick being Bruce’s favorite child?

There are so many I started a folder labeled "Dick is Canonically Bruce's Favorite Child" lmao

Some of the more obvious panels (though I will note that some of the older ones were written before any other kids were introduced):

"In order to cover up my Batman work, I had to pretend to be a playboy. And now it's made me lose the person I love most." -"Bruce Wayne Loses Guardianship of Dick Grayson," Batman (1940) #20

"That boy meant more to me than anything in life..." -The Brave and the Bold (1955) #83

"But believe me I couldn't have loved any son more." -Tales of the Teen Titans (1984) #50

���Nightwing. He is the best. The only one I could have picked to lead you. He will honor you. We will make you champions. That’s it. That’s the speech. Get to work, Justice League. The world needs you.” -JLA (1997) #69

“Then he stopped for a second and said…‘The only time I ever feel pride is when I look at Nightwing. Sometimes I think he’s the only thing I ever did right.’” -JLA (1997) #73

"What happens to everyone on this Earth when yours comes back?" "They'll be folded into its historical fabric." "You mean they'll die." "No, they'll be replaced. Just as everyone on my Earth was. But they'll be better. I never lie, Bruce." "And what about Dick Grayson?" "Yes?" "Is he a better man on your Earth than he is on mine?" [Superman pauses, then looks away] "No." -Infinite Crisis (2005) #3

OMAC: “And your favorite. Subject Beta–Grayson, Richard–Nightwing.” -Infinite Crisis (2005) #6

“From the day I started, Bruce and Dick made me feel at home. And after Jason...and especially my Dad…Bruce made sure to always treat me like his own son. But even with all his careful and methodical attention–to any younger child–the firstborn is still the firstborn.” -DCU: Last Will and Testament (2008)

“That’s because…I learned from the best.” “A good teacher relishes a good student. You were the best of them all, Dick.” -Batman Beyond (2016) #40 (AU, but still….)

And a few "less obvious but with very pointed implications" panels:

"Didn't you think I was good enough to be you?" "You're better than me, Dick." -Detective Comics (1937) #725

"And today showed me that I can be Batman." "I never doubted it, Dick. Given enough time, I'm sure you'd make an even better Batman than me." -Batman: Gates of Gotham (2011) #5

"And the truth is, I didn't save you from some dark fate, those years ago. You saved me from one. And you still are saving me, every day." -Batman (2011) #11

“I…I’m going to be a member of the Justice League one day?” “No. You’re going to lead it.” -Justice League (2011) #51

"Happy birthday, Dick. The best man I've ever known." -from "A Little Nudge," Robin 80th Anniversary Special (2020)

Also bonus Jason being insecure and jealous about it:

"I guess that's why "Dad" always loved you best." -Outsiders (2003) #44

Jason respected him. Admired him. And yes, was jealous of him too. Dick, after all, was the first Robin. In Jason's eyes, he was the favorite son: the shining example he could never live up to. -DC Vault: Death in the Family: Robin Lives! (2024) #1

[witherby]

Omg hi!!! I love your mer!reader series and I was wondering if you take request? If so could you do batfamily headcanons in squid game? (You don't have to of course.) I just finished season 2 and im really excited for season 3.

Love you and keep writing❤️

Hi there! I can sure try!!! I only ever saw season 1 and that was like two years ago but I'll do my best!

( This is operating off the assumption that they are not all in the game together, otherwise they'd all make it out very easily. )

BRUCE WAYNE:

He's killing it. Not literally — moral code and all — but he's crushing this competition. Bruce Wayne's picture is in the dictionary when you look up "Strategist." He got into the games voluntarily and he will get back out alive, no question. He's doing what he can to help other players survive, but he didn't go in as Batman so he doesn't have any of the gear to help as effectively as he could've. He's gotta play it creatively and in a way that doesn't get him or anybody else disqualified for cheating. It doesn't take long for him to find any loop holes in game rules that allow for multiple people to get out of it alive.

Bruce entered the games, not for money, but to find out who is behind them and bring them to justice, so that no other financially disparaged people have to consider putting their lives on the line in order to clear their debts and start fresh.

DICK GRAYSON:

I feel like he didn't end up here on purpose. I really think he either signed up for something and thought it was a silly lil competition, or that the organizers of the game kidnapped the wrong guy and Dick just went with it because he had nothing better to do. Either way, he's here, he's intrigued, and he's gonna save everybody he can while keeping your spirits up.

The jokes never stop. He never stops. Motormouth is what the other contestants end up calling him. Dick makes one of the masked guards snicker once before they get whisked away, and that does make him feel quite a bit bad. Dick's not immediately looking to destroy the system from the inside out (he'll come back and do that after the games are over). Instead, I think his goal would be to convince all the surviving players that they should vote to end the games and go back home. He'd try to be their voice of reason, to convince them that there are better ways to pick themselves up and rebuild their lives than risking death just to get some fast cash. And I think it works.

TIM DRAKE:

Tim is the opposite of Dick. He was not invited to play but he did deliberately steal another contestant's spot to get put into the game. Like Bruce, he's already out-logic'd most of the competitions to create the most amount of survivors, but he also came prepared. The deadliest competitions are suddenly sabotaged not to be as deadly, or not to work at all. Hidden weapons being offered to other players to start a riot and dwindle the numbers have all suddenly been replaced with soft foam bats and nerf guns.

He already knows who's behind the whole thing, he just needed an in so he could tear it all down quickly and cleanly. When Tim is done, he'll be missing for 48 hours at the absolute max, and leaving that place with justice done and a huge, smug smirk on his face. What, like it was hard?

DAMIAN WAYNE:

Damian is tough. I think he caught wind of the whole operation and went undercover as one of those masked game monitors/referees so he could also dismantle it from within, but with less computer hacking and sabotage, and more slashing. I think this method works best as early Damian, who has barely been introduced to his dad for like a week, before he just drops off the face of the planet for a couple days and comes back blood-soaked.

"Hello, father. That suspicious money scheme you had your eyes on? I solved the problem. What do you mean, what am I covered in? Would you believe me if I told you it was ketchup? By the way, your No Killing rule is stupid."

JASON TODD:

Post-resurrection, he's not doing anything with any subtlety. At least Damian took the time to work his way in with a disguise. Red Hood is finding out where the whole shindig is taking place, gathering a crew, kicking doors down, and setting it ablaze. He doesn't have time for games, and the longer he waits to act the more innocent people are dying. He shoots the giant money ball down and lets the players collect it freely, tells them how to leave, and peaces out without looking back. In and out, job done, on to the next one.

[forwards-beckon-rebound]

batfam as fanfic tropes pt 2

ft bruce, dick, and jason warnings: i continue to give jason all of the angsty stuff but i promise i do it out of love, some suggestive jokes lol pt 1

bruce

not to keep pushing my superbat agenda but that may or may not be what i'm doing

only one bed trope let's go

likeeee yknow imagine they're on an undercover mission with the league or whatever but then they end up stuck in rockville, known for their slightly weird rock

and there's a single motel that only has one room left and of course there's only one bed

to add insult to injury, it's a queen bed and they're both like 6'+ guys so there's absolutely no way they're not gonna at least accidentally make physical contact (it's not gonna be accidental by the end of the night)

something about clark seeing bruce in pj's just seems so funny to me, i don't even have anything else to add

imagine they didn't bring pj's bc they didn't think the mission was going to take that long so they go to the motel's gift shop and they're forced to get cringey tourist shirts

"Rockville may not have much, but we sure rock!"

"Rock on over to Rockville"

we all know bruce technically doesn't haveeeee to sleep for 8 hours straight (and ig clark doesn't have to either? but i haven't read enough superman stuff to know how true that is) but i like the idea of him just sleeping anyways

and clark doesn't know any better so he's like yeah ok makes sense that he would need to sleep, he is human after all

bruce may act like he's bothered by this but like he's fooling nobody

i think it would be so funny if clark actually does manage to fall asleep but because bruce almost never sleeps for this long unless he's critically injured, he's just like lying there in the dark freaking out over being in the same bed as clark

bruce discovers fanfic of himself but it's not even in our universe, it's just gothamites writing fanfics about him

there's bruce wayne x reader, bruce wayne x oliver queen, bruce wayne x lois lane (clark is not happy about this), bruce wayne x nightwing??????, batman x every member of the justice league, and of course bruce wayne x batman

babs probably knew all along but she decides to wait until she finds something particularly scandalous before showing it to bruce

and let's just say some writers sure have creative imaginations when it comes to uh what bruce and batman would be doing behind closed doors

i'm just imagining one day he's on patrol and saves some random person from getting mugged and then they're suddenly like, "wow i never thought i'd actually get to meet you. i'm a big fan. can i ask you some questions?"

and yknow, this happens sometimes. sure he'll entertain the questions, but he probably won't answer

"i actually write fanfic but i was having some trouble with your characterization. do you think you're more of a top or bottom?"

bruce.exe has stopped working

wait until he finds the fan art

dick

your siblings are best friends

hear me out, you have a younger sister who happens to be in the same after school art club as damian

and of course, being the good older sibling you are, you come to pick her up

but it certainly doesn't hurt to see dick grayson every week, waiting for his younger brother

at first he's just some handsome stranger who happens to be around the same age as you

and you're trying to figure out if he's here for his sibling or if he's just a very very young parent

thankfully, your sister introduces you to damian and by proxy you properly meet dick so you know he's not taken

and it's hard not to fall for him because he's just so funny and charming

and he's good with kids, as evident by how he handles damian but also one day when your sister comes out of art club sobbing because some kid messed with her artwork and he's able to calm her down in record time

he offers to get her ice cream as consolation but he's weirdly making eye contact with you as he says that and maybe you're just delusional but between this and the flirting you can't be blamed for feeling a certain way about the whole thing

but things frustratingly don't progress any further (mostly because dick thinks he's been pretty clear with the flirting and decides to back down because you don't seem to be reciprocating, whereas you're completely oblivious to the whole thing) so it's up to damian and your sister to take things into their own hands

cue the random playdates where they insist that you and dick both come for supervision or something while they draw and banish you and dick to another room because they need "pure artistic energy" in the room or whatever

and funnily enough the other room just so happens to have a candlelit dinner for two set up! wow, what a coincidence!

you guys have a very well cooked steak and talk things over (read: your siblings both yell at you from the other room to just confess already)

honestly, they're both pretty done with your antics but at least you're together now!

if you don't mention both of them in your wedding speeches there will be consequences

jason

who else would get hanahaki disease if not jason todd

for those who were not in the trenches of 2010’s anime fanfics, hanahaki disease is a fictional disease where you cough up flowers if your love is unrequited or like you think your love is unrequited

i just know this loser wouldn’t even realize he likes you until he starts coughing up random flowers and he’s like wtf????

it does not take a tim drake to figure out who he likes so ofc the last people to notice are him and you

also you just know he’s the type to suffer in silence instead of confess bc he thinks he’s burdening you with his feelings or like he doesn’t lead the type of life that can allow him to have a relationship or whatever emo edge lord stuff he does

also i think he is incapable of flirting LMAO

honestly, even if you confessed i can see him being like "how can you possibly love me, you must be confused"

normally the confession scene is where the sick person gets cured and like they get together

but nope! jason just straight up refuses bc ofc he does

good luck trying to convince him that you do like him, flaws and all

GET THIS DUDE HIS COLLEGE!AU

not to be dramatic but i desperately want him to have a happy and normal life so this one might be a bit of wish fulfilment on my behalf but like

once again i feel like he would actually want to go to college/uni

like will he complain about his assignments and exams? yes but don't we all?

i feel like he would just take courses he would like, so probably a lot of literature stuff

i think it would be very funny if he took one of those psychology courses, think like PSYCH 21XX: The Maladaptive Mind or smth and he's like "wow these trauma responses sound awfully familiar. wonder where i've heard about this before"

anyways i'm thinking about him being a humanities guy and then he meets you, a stem student who has to take this one english class to graduate

and he's also in a similar boat and is in your biology class for the science credit

so you guys decide to just study together and help each other out

and he may or may not catch feelings but it's hard not to when you have similar taste in books and can talk about a random poem you read in class for an hour

jason todd who gets rizzed up by your annotations

but then like halfway through second semester he realizes that you've hung out just for fun more often than you've actually hung out to study

and ofc there's a dramatic confession scene at graduation and he's stumbling over his words and god he might end it all because his family is there and freaking dick grayson is watching him confess to his crush

but like it's hard not to figure it out when he basically acts like your boyfriend on your "study dates" and honestly you already kinda figured you at least had something sort of going on and this confession is not shocking in the slightest

so that was super embarrassing for him but at least he's got a date next week?

hear me out...if you got into an accident and then developed retrograde amnesia

he's already stressed enough about the fact that you got injured in the first place

like what is the point of all of his training and patrolling to keep gotham safe if he can't even keep the person who's the most important to him safe?

then you wake up and he's so relieved he could cry

he thinks you're just a bit disoriented as he pulls you into his arms, promising he's never going to put you in a situation like that ever again

only for you to stare blankly at him

"i'm sorry, who are you?"

he thinks he would rather die and reincarnate again than live with the way you're looking at him

you're not even mad at getting hurt. you don't even remember that. you're just...looking at him like he's nothing more than a stranger because right now, that's what he is

i think his insecurities would be amped up to 100x after this, even if you did agree to come home with him and try to regain your memories

he's constantly praying that this is some messed up nightmare because he doesn't even know why you agreed to date him the first time around

so how is he supposed to make you fall for him again?

it's even worse because you are trying and you feel bad about it, but anytime he gets too close, he can see the way you flinch slightly

honestly he's going to start spiraling, like questioning whether he even deserves you or what he's doing wrong

is it because you don't know him? is he scaring you in some way? he would never hurt you, but that's all he's ever known. it was nice to live in this fantasy, but maybe all he was doing was delaying the inevitable

he starts to wonder if maybe he should just let you go now, while you don't remember anything. just thinking about it makes him want to claw his heart out but if it would keep you safe, he'd be willing to give you anything

< prev | m.list

[celaenaeiln]

thinking about some quotes i’ve read and i wanna hear your thoughts on them because i have a lot and i don’t know what to do with them.

“the day Dick Grayson turns evil is the day the universe ends, not because that day will never come but because the boy will make it come”

“Dick Grayson isn’t the universal constant of good. Dick Grayson is the universal constant of competence”

“So, having said all that, it is a few but definitely significant words that fill the contingency plan on Nightwing in case the hero of Bludhaven ever turns to the dark side. Let's hope that never happens.”

YESSSSS

“the day Dick Grayson turns evil is the day the universe ends, not because that day will never come but because the boy will make it come”

This is the truest fact I've ever heard because this is really canon.

Word for word this happened.

In one of the canon timelines Clark laser blasted Bruce under mind control.

And oh how Dick took over. You know what Luthor says?

"After all, as I've heard your father [Dick] so often quoted, 'we make the hardest decisions for those we care about the most.' Well, in his case...that has meant remaking the world."

This man has the power to single-handedly control the fate of the world.

Whatever he wants, he will make it happen.

The entirety of the justice league, all the metas, heroes, and villains too stood no chance against him.

DC vs Vampires

“Dick Grayson isn’t the universal constant of good. Dick Grayson is the universal constant of competence”

I think it's true.

Nightwing is one of the most formidable figures in DC, without fail consistently coming out on top, so if Superman is iterating that Dick's personality and essence of being is the same, then there's really no room for disagreement.

But more truly, I think he is a Nexus.

By Marvel's definition, "Nexus Beings are rare individual entities with the ability to affect probability and thus the future, thereby altering the flow of the Universal Time Stream. These beings, each referred to as a nexus, act as the keystones of the Multiverse and are crucial to its ultimate coherence and stability."

That means that the universe hinges on the actions of Dick Grayson.

Not only does he control the fate of the world but his mere existence determines what will become of it by other people:

I'd like to reiterate that Neux Beings are "the keystones of the Multiverse and are crucial to its ultimate coherence and stability."

You can still be a nexus if you turn dark. For example Lore was a dark version of Wanda Maximoff but she is still considered a nexus. So you're right in saying that Dick Grayson is a multiuniversal constant of competence.

“So, having said all that, it is a few but definitely significant words that fill the contingency plan on Nightwing in case the hero of Bludhaven ever turns to the dark side. Let's hope that never happens.”

In the easiest terms as someone put it, "hope he fucks up" is Bruce's only contingency plan against Nightwing. The man doesn't have a clear plan how to neutralize Nightwing.

His exact words are: "As a result of overanalyzing any situation, this allows Dick Grayson to overconfident and misdirected. This will make himself open to a second attack."

So the plan is basically 'Dick is too smart for his own good so we'll have to go with a lucky surprise attack.' He's literally saying 'yupppp. Let's just hope he messed up because there's nothing we can do on ouR end.' Note that Bruce doesn't even have a back up like 'the second attack didn't work? we're fucked.'

For everyone else he actually has a coherent plan in mind- do this and they will fall. But for Dick? 'I hope he messes up enough for a second attack to actually stick. Otherwise we're shit out of luck. And lives. Fingers crossed he doesn't jump to the bad side.'

Tim also confirmed he would never make a contingency plan for Dick. The only person in the world he wouldn't do one for.

He's just that formidable of a man. Even now he can easily take down the Justice League if he wanted to.

And we know that Dick has one of the strongest wills on the planet.

"I have my enhancements. I have powers. Dick Grayson...what do you have?"

A world where Dick loses his emotions is a world that would not survive.

[grahambaham]

Controversial opinion, especially for any Jason Todd fans out there (I'm one of them), but I completely understand why the fans in, the 80' I think, voted to kill him off. Hear me out, okay?

Jason was at first a literal Dick Grayson copy, was legit given his backstory and personality with the name being the only change. And for a while that was all they knew about and, rightfully so, hated about him. Now I'm not sure whether he was given the whole Alley kid who tried to steal Batman's tire story before or after his death but either way, in those fans' minds, Jason Todd was just a boring replica of Dick Grayson and no one liked him. If I was alive and a fan back then, I honestly would have done the same thing.

WHICH IS WHY I HAVE SUCH A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE WRITERS DOING TO JASON THE EXACT SAME THING THAT GOT HIM KILLED OFF BEFORE!!!

Jason immediately after getting brought back to life was a villain. He wasn't misguided, he wasn't an antihero, my man was a Villain with a capital V. He didn't protect workings girls or children from any drugs or anything, he just made one off hand comment to a guy not to sell to kids and that's it. One of his only interactions with any prostitutes is to mock her for her past and decisions that led to her becoming one. Bruce did not abuse him or attack him unfairly. Jason had not only tried to kill Joker or other horrible villains, he killed anyone whether they were rapists, or robbers, or petty fucking thieves and he didn't do it for justice or whatever the fuck but because he was angry and taking it out on everyone he could get his hands on. He stopped Batman from going after Nightwing after Bludhaven blew up with him in it. He blew up a school. He beat up Tim in his little Robin panties and was a fucking villain.

I love Jason. But I love him as the messed up asshole he is. Not as some misguided wittle antihero. Which is why I despise the fact that the fandom latched onto the completely inaccurate version of him, because the writers of DC had started writing him the way the fandom wanted and he is now irreversibly ruined. Aside from the already mentioned stuff, they made him into a copy of Dick Grayson (for the second fucking time) and Helena Bertinelli.

Helena is the one protecting women and children, the antihero that often uses violent force. She's the one with the reluctant sibling relationship with Tim. Jason was not Tim's Robin by the way, Dick was. Tim does not like Jason one fucking bit and spends most of their forced interactions roasting him so bad he has to buy burn salves. Also her personality was taken and given to Jason in some ways too, like her manner of speech and stuff, but I'm willing to let that slide as accidental.

From Dick Grayson, they mostly took his relationships, romantic and platonic. Jason slept with Barbara and Kori both, which aside from just being dumb as hell is also weird and creepy because Jason is six years younger than them at least and they knew him as a fourteen year old when they were at least twenty, and they would never date someone so much younger than them, they aren't fucking creeps. Then they took Starfire and Arsenal and made them forget their own lives to join Jason's little antihero team (neither of them are antiheroes what the fuck) and act like the sun shines out of Jason's ass and he's their leader or some shit when they would never follow him before that, especially Roy who has led so many other teams and does not deserve that shit. Some fans also ship him and Jason, which is both creepy and character assassination for Roy's entire character more than him being friends with Jason and in the Outlaws already is.

Also, Pit Madness is not a thing you fucking brainless losers. Stop trying to justify and erase the flaws that make him an interesting character. His anger has always been due to the trauma of being tortured and dying and the misguided feeling of betrayal he felt for Bruce. He was unwell and taking his problems out on others. So, repeat after me: PIT MADNESS IS NOT A REAL THING!!!

Thank you for reading <3

[gotham-daydreams]

I love your concept of batman!reader, it makes me want to rip out chunks of my room wall with my teeth. So perhaps you can tell me and the rest of the audience something more about that universe.

Cheers!

Of course! And if anyone has any specific questions about anything in particular I'd be happy to answer them as well :]

Nevertheless, the universe itself is... interesting, I'd say!

It definitely falls into this small category I'm sort of making for myself in terms of characters where they "do too much", even if their reasons vary. Since let's just say that Batman!Reader is honestly a little too much like Bruce, and if he was somehow more dedicated to the mission. And by 'dedicated' I mean if you take Bruce's self sacrificial nature, and crank it up to eleven.

It's a shame too because Bruce obviously wants 'Batman' to act more like 'Nightwing' - a symbol that people can look to, not in collective fear, but as a symbol of hope and justice. Batman!Reader on the other hand, does not make that possible. In their own way, they really try to become Batman and disregard the human beneath it all entirely. But that's getting a little too much into the actual story itself-

I will say that in this universe, Gotham is actually safe. The crime it was once know for has taken a heavy hit, and everyone is safe - but at the cost of criminals essentially fearing for their lives. Your average citizen is safe, but for those under the streets and in back alleys, its very much like they're "under new management", and one that isn't as forgiving as the Bats that came before the current one.

Though, that is by design.

As I said in the little summary/concept, everyone is dead - but they didn't all die right away. There was a process the reader went through to get the cowl, and they actually were able to dawn it before everyone got the boot - but as you can guess from said little summary, they still don't quite feel like it's their own. Batman is still Bruce, it's still Dick to them, even if practically everyone else in the city would definitely be confused if either of those two were to dawn the cowl again - if they were able to.

Alfred is actually alive! Albeit very old and definitely living his last days, as one can imagine.

There is new technology! But I won't go into specifics since I'm not really all that smart and can't really say anything besides "everything pretty much has an upgrade", so...

Batman! Reader is actually very anti social and needs to get out more, it really is like the early days of Bruce being Batman, but worse.

Reader also had their own Robin at some point named 'Sparrow', things... did not go well on that end.

I imagine that the Wayne Manor is on a hill, at least in this particular universe, and everyone is basically buried there a little ways away from the manor. The reader even had the Grayson's and such moved so no one would be apart from their family, it makes them feel closer that way and makes it easier to visit them. Not to mention it avoids a certain incident that happened a long while ago from happening again.

There are new villians! One of which actually causes the batfam from another universe to come into Batman!Reader's dimension. Another raises the dead, but that isn't important as of now - and there are more... as I come up with them and also remember to write them down! Do they have names? Not at the moment! And also I kind of suck at names if no one could guess from the titles I come up with.

There is a statue in Gotham of the Batfam - minus Batman for obvious reasons, but Bruce and Gordon are squeezed on there. Blüdhaven has a statue of Nightwing. In the building for Wayne Enterprises, they have little holographic models of their previous CEOs and such, along with everyone that's come before, Tim is the latest one on there - the reader has yet to submit their model. To which, a friend of their's is helping them with the buisness - think of her as this reader's Lucius Fox.

Batman! Reader only has two other servants aside from Alfred (though they are more like the reader's only friends), mostly to keep the Manor clean and take care of Alfred while they're away.

Reader is also very tech savy and into how machines work and what not, all that nerd stuff! So very much like Tim, Bruce, and Barbara in that way. There is always something to get done and improve, and I will say that the stuff Alfred used to get around - the reader made themself.

In classic fashion, Alfred is actually very disappointed in a lot of the choices Batman! Reader has made in their life, but so are those closest to them, so be fair...

With no context, Batman! Reader is like if "ManBat" actually succeeded.

----

If anyone wants to know more, or has any questions, feel free to ask away!

[incorrect-green-lantern-quotes]

The Bird & the Airman

(How Robin met "Uncle Hal")

Dick just about had a heart attack when he stepped out of the elevator into the Batcave and found a stranger taking apart the Batplane's engine, whistling cheerfully as he did so. Absurdly, the man wasn't even dressed like one of Gotham's colorful rogues or a League ninja- instead, he wore a brown leather jacket over faded blue jeans and scuffed work boots. Fortunately, he seemed to be totally engrossed in his sabotage, so Dick quickly pulled on his domino mask and crept over to where his utility belt was stored.

None of the gadgets appeared to have been tampered with, so Robin quickly extracted a bola and hurled it at the intruder. His aim was true, and the man yelped as he toppled over and landed face-down. In a muffled voice, he grunted, "That's not funny, Bruce!"

Robin's alarm doubled at that. Who was this guy, and how did he know Batman's secret identity???

After sure his mask was securely in place, Robin grabbed the largest batarang he could find before rolling the intruder onto his back. Holding the sharp edge of the batarang to the man's neck, he growled, "Who are you? How did you get in here?!"

"Robin?" The stranger looked nonplussed for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Sorry kiddo, I should've figured you wouldn't recognize me like this."

The man's hand twitched at his side, and Robin's eyes only caught a glimpse of the ring on the middle finger before a flash of emerald light erupted from it.

The Boy Wonder blinked his eyes rapidly to clear his vision of dancing spots, then noticed that the intruder's clothes had been replaced with a much more familiar green, black, and white uniform. Green Lantern sat up and glowing green hands formed around him, unwrapping the bola and freeing his arms. "I guess Batman must've forgotten to tell you that I was coming over."

"I-uh... what??" Dick stammered, his mind still grappling with the realization that he'd attacked a member of the Justice League. "Oh man, Alfred is gonna ground me for the rest of my life!"

Green Lantern chuckled. "Well, only if he finds out. I'm certainly in no hurry to admit that a pre-teen got the drop on me. Bats would never let me hear the end of it."

Hearing the older hero joke so casually did make Dick feel better about the whole mess. "I'm really sorry about attacking you. I thought you were a bad guy who'd managed to get into the cave somehow."

"No worries, I know Spooky's real strict about the whole secret identity thing. But you seem trustworthy enough." Green Lantern winked, then his uniform vanished, leaving him in civilian wear once more. He held out his hand. "I'm Hal Jordan, test pilot and aerospace engineer for Ferris Air. I help Bats design and build all his jets."

Well, that explained why he was here. Dick shook Hal's hand. "Do you need any help with that?"

"Sure!" Hal quickly began explaining the inner workings of the jet engine he was reassembling while Dick handed him the parts he asked for. Most of the technical jargon went completely over Dick's head, but he nodded along anyway. Then, Hal asked, "Say, does Bruce let you fly this thing?"

"No... he won't even let me drive the Batmobile until I get my license." Dick grumbled.

"That's rough, buddy." Hal commiserated. "I knew since I was a kid that I belonged in the sky, but had to wait until I turned 18 and joined the Air Force to get there. Hopefully Bats won't keep you on the ground as long."

"I've always felt more at home in the air." Dick admitted. "My mom, she gave me the name Robin because as soon as I could hold a trapeze bar, I could fly like a bird."

"Your parents were the Flying Graysons, right?" Hal seemed to anticipate Dick's obvious question, because he continued with, "Batman didn't tell me your identity, but it's not hard to figure out if you already know that he's Bruce Wayne."

"You knew my parents?"

"Not personally no. I saw them perform once, years ago when Haley's Circus came to Coast City, and my God... I've never seen anyone soar like they could, not even among the other Green Lanterns."

They fell into a companionable silence as Hal finished reassembling the engine, then used his ring to put it back inside the jet.

"There, all that remains is to give her a test drive." Hal wiped his hands on his jeans, leaving grease marks. A wicked grin spreads across his face. "Usually I do that with Batman, but it seems we're ahead of schedule thanks to your help, and one good turn deserves another. Whaddya say Robin? Wanna see how a Green Lantern flies?"

[thesummerstorms]

IDK how I would want to introduce Annabeth exactly in my Annabeth Wayne AU. Like I have multiple ideas rotating through my brain at any given time.

They're all predicated on the idea that she didn't come back to Gotham intending to reunite with her family. She actually believes that she can't, as Dionysus made her swear an oath on the Styx her very first week at Camp, promising she wouldn't reveal the demigods to mortal heroes like the Justice League.

Instead, she's there trying to make peace with her past and get her head on straight after Tartarus tore open old wounds. But of course, somehow she ends up unwillingly reintroduced to the Bats and having to work out her abandonment issues/grief/resentment. Scenarios include but are not limited to:

Tim Investigates!!!

Returns to Gotham very shortly after Blood of Olympus, Will sends a brief message to Bernard Dowd, son of Apollo.

Bernard generally sucks at healing compared to his siblings, but any medic is better than none when dealing with things like the aftermath of Tartarus.

Bernard introduces her (truthfully!) to Tim as his 'acquaintance from summer camp' who he's keeping an eye on because she's had a bad time recently and a mutual friend asked him to look out for her. And she still looks bad (lost weight, limp, obviously sleep deprived) so Tim honestly doesn't question that part so much as wonder what exactly happened to her.

Bernard asks him to leave it alone, and Tim tries only because he's trying to prove that he can for his boyfriend who he loves very much.

But something about Annabeth's face is very familiar. (Headcanon she actually has a strong resemblance to the Kane side of the family, more so even than Bruce. Tims brain is putting together the resemblance to the manor portrait and possibly Batwoman, but he doesn't recognize that yet.)

Plus Annabeth gets spooked when she meets him and realizes who Bernard's boyfriend is. (She has more info than Tim does, obviously, even though it mostly comes from celebrity magazines stolen by Cabin 11 and Gotham news articles devoured while on quests). Her reaction intensifies Tim's curiosity, but it's too late to back out of the acquaintance without raising further suspicion.

Anyway, Tim FAILS at not investigating. Obviously. Not quite sure how it unravels from there, just that there's almost nothing on Anna Wayne in any records aside from Gotham's amber alerts because of the Mist.

Murder Scene on the Boat

This one is less thought out. It takes place in an AU where Bernard has already accidentally outed himself to Tim as a demigod.

Tim got very badly injured one day, made it home in a concussed daze, and Bernard freaked out badly enough to risk using the few Apollo-healing powers he does have.

Tim doesn't entirely GET the limited explanation he got from Bernard about that, but he's also hiding it from the rest of the BatFam because he doesn't want Bruce sticking his nose in it and possibly making things worse.

In this context, someone at Camp has called to let Bernard know that Annabeth is possibly headed for Gotham and that she's both mentally & physically in bad shape, but there's not actually much to be done because she hasn't made contact with him.

That is until Bernard goes into the deck of Tim's boat early one morning and finds Annabeth (possibly lead by Apollo's raven) bleeding out on the deck.

He screams for Tim until Tim wakes up and comes running with his staff in hand, but again Bernard is a mediocre healer at best and they have no nectar, so Tim has to call in for medical assistance.

Possibly Dick Grayson is near enough to respond for some reason (idk why, that part isn't important) and upon seeing the little sister he already thought was dead actively bleeding to death while Tim's supposedly human boyfriend is shaking and literally glowing trying to keep her alive, he promptly loses his shit.

They do get her medical care in time, obviously, Dick keeps it together enough to help with that, but as soon as she's out of immediate danger he full on blue screens.

Bio Sibling Meeting

Damian Wayne can see through the Mist not *entirely* but more easily than most mortals due to the Lazarus Pit. (Both growing up around it and having been revived in it.) He has largely kept this to himself.

That is until some sort of extra dangerous monster (that has in fact been tracking Annabeth, not that he knows that) realizes he can see them and takes an interest. He doesn't smell like a demigod, but he also doesn't smell entirely human (Lazarus Pit) so the monster mistakes him as a possiblly lower-effort snack.

Damian attempts to defend, but given that his sword isn't celestial bronze, it goes poorly.

Annabeth, who has been hiding nearby with her invisibility cap, trying to buy enough time for some ambrosia to kick in, is forced back into the fight and defends him. Possibly she gives him some sort of spare weapon (because after Tartarus she doesn't carry just one blade).

They do manage to fight it off, and Damian demands answers. Annabeth clearly recognizes him, not just Robin, but him, and it's freaking him out.

She dons her cap and runs again rather than give those answers and Damian isn't able to stop her for whatever reason.

However, she's been purely in the Mythic world for long enough she isn't thinking about DNA, and Damian is able to pull a blood sample after calling Nightwing (again, because I love to torture him in these scenarios and also he's the only one on good terms with the whole family who knows her) for back up

Nightwing gets nervous when Damian describes the girl (and her eyes in particular). Bruce is off world, so he's the only one present to have a melt down when the DNA profile comes back.

There is a version where somehow Damian has had visions of parts of Annabeth's quests (because Talia knew what Annabeth was and did some DNA manipulation? Because Hestia needed a Hail Mary to fix this family? IDK) so he actually recognizes her at least that much, but doesn't know her name or why he's seen her.

He's been mentally calling her Arsinoe and assumed she was the one to use some magic to forge the connection. He knows about Tartarus, but doesn't have any context to correctly interpret it.

None of that leads him to connect her to his missing older half-sister who Talia spoke about twice and who Bruce never spoke of at all- until he sees Grayson's reaction.

It stirs up some old fear and jealousy, yes- but he also recognizes she saved him and wants to know what the hell is going on. He begins investigating.

Unlucky

Annabeth's inherited shit luck from both parts of her family, so it's not even a monster attack that outs her. She gets caught by accident in a rogue attack and gets hit because she turned back to protect a civilian rather than rely on her own training to try and get clear.

Scarecrow and Fear Toxin could actually be so fun for this specific scenario, but idk, haven't thought out a lot of specifics.

Nightwing is in Gotham currently. (Because I want to torture Dick Grayson specifically.)

(Because the idea of the scared older brother who finds the sibling he lost only when he's actively losing them again is too much fun.)

Because it's either him, Bruce, or Jason, and I figure Jason is estranged and I'm not gonna get the outwardly emotional response I want from Bruce.

So Nightwing is the one to get her and the civilian she was trying to protect extracted from the scene. And in this case he's *not* actually sure why she seems so familiar at first because there's a lot going on and in his mind Anna Wayne most likely died tragically at the age of 7 because Gotham wouldn't be kind to a runaway child that young.

It isn't until he's going through her bag, trying to find something to ID her with or some sort of med alert ID or medication (because she's having a really bad reaction) that he accidentally finds a few identifying artifacts.

Specifically, he Jason's copy of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, which Jason had been reading to Anna when he died, and went missing from the manor when she did.

Which prompts Dick to look through a small bag which is mostly filled with drachma- but also contains an elephant shaped charm from the bracelet he had given her on the last birthday he ever celebrated with her.

Batman *is* in Gotham for this one, purely so he can hear the way Nightwing's voice breaks when he says suddenly "Bruce-"

(and all the others startle because Nightwing never breaks the rule about names in the field)

"Bruce, it's Anna. It's Anna."

(If it was Scarecrow toxin that got her, Batman thinks Nightwing must be hallucinating, too. Right up until Oracle pulls the feeds to see what's going on with Nightwing and the girl and starts swearing.)

[secretsandwriting]

Part One: Mishaps and Foreign Words

The Edutzal.

A species known for their ruthlessness and destruction. With an unimaginable amount of strength and power they were a species you didn't want the attention of, so why were there three of them spotted on Earth.

Prologue -- Masterlist -- Next

Translation List

Nightwing slipped. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, but he slipped 1000 feet up in the air at the edge of the building. He had just gotten out of a brutal fight and was low on supplies, he didn't really  have much he could use to stop his fall or even slow it down. He was essentially screwed. His shoulder was dislocated so he couldn't have done much even if he did have supplies.

Halfway down he was caught by someone. Hissing as his shoulder was bumbed he heard the soft apology from them and glanced up. Only to be met with the gray eyes of one the Edutzal, the only male in the trio. Dick looked away when the Edutzal's arms under his knee bumped a scrape.

"You should probably be a little more careful when so high up Tiapr." The last word was foreign. Something clearly in another language, chances are it was the Edutzal's native one, He was too tired to remember the name of it. He was set down on a bench and let the man in front of him fuss over him for a bit. When he stepped back, Dick grabbed his hand, stopping him for at least a second. 

"Who are you?"

"My name is Siuqgux, yours is Richard Grayson correct?" Against his better judgment, Dick nodded. "Well, some of your teammates are coming, I shall take my leave." With that, he flew off. Gone in less then a second. 

Siuqgux.

He would have to see if any of the others recognized it.

He would also have to let them know that they knew his name and see if any of them knew what Tiapr meant.

—-----------------

Tim wasn’t sure what was going on, one second he was in a losing fight trying to figure out the best way to get out alive when the guy he was fighting was just whisked away by a black streak? He rubbed at his eyes, hoping it wasn’t an illusion and the guy was just waiting for a chance to finish him.

“Is there something in your eyes?” He whipped around to be met with one of the Edutzal. From Dick’s experience he wasn’t as worried, but they were considered the most powerful beings in the universe so he didn’t feel like taking too many chances.

“I don’t suppose you're here to tell me my name and catch me if I fall?” Maybe, he shouldn’t test the powerful being right away but what else was he supposed to do. Thankfully she just snorted.

“Nope, came to see what was making all the noise, found your fight, recognized the guy from the Gotham newspaper, killed him, talked to you for a bit, and now taking you home so you can get those 5 broken ribs, broken arm, and internal bleeding taken care of Paeqian or if you prefer Tim Drake.” 

“Wha-” He didn’t get to finish his sentence before he found himself airborn. Within seconds he was at the doorway of the manor and the Edutzal was nowhere to be seen. 

Another word to add to the translation list. 

—-----------------

This wasn’t going well. He was out of ammo and surrounded… Or was surrounded? Half the goons were gone, all the goons? The flash of black gave him all the confirmation he needed. One of the Edutzal was there. Tim wasn’t lying when he said they were faster than the supers. The last of the goons were added to the tied up pile and he was face to face with the third one.

“I take it, you know my name too?”

“Of course Gaujieqn. We figured out the identities of everyone in the Justice League our first day here.” 

“What's your name ad the name of the one Tim met, and what the hell does Gaujiegn mean?”

“I’m Vehutran, she can tell her name when she wants too, and guess. Anyways, your back up is about 5 minutes out. Can you find your way out or do you need help?” He didn’t need help, but if he got help maybe he could get more information.

“A guide would be nice, but you are not flying me out!” 

“You’re going to make me late for dinner plans and Siuqgux hates it when we’re late… This way.” She led him down some halls, floating the entire way. Jason was beginning to wonder if any of them could walk, they always seemed to be floating. 

“Why are you here?”

“Because we like it here.”

“Why are there three of you?” 

“Because we like being around each other.” 

“What are you planning on doing to earth?”

“Not much more than we already have.”

“Why do you keep helping us?”

“Because we get bored and all of you seem to be in constant fights.”

“What do you want from Earth?”

“A place to live.”

“Wh-”

“Continue straight down this hall and you’ll be out Jason Todd.” With that the Edutzal was gone.

Notes

1. After 10 months i'm finally posting the parts!!! 2. Anyways, we got some weird words here, any guess as to what they mean?

Taglist:

@cipheress-to-k-pop

[tlneunm]

Another mermaid BatmanAu

Superman and his giant wife

(Bruce with the tinny weird man that brings him flowers)

The batbrothers with their dad

In this AU only batfamily members (and the al Ghuls) are Mermaids (except Alfred, I will talk more about it later)

Bruce : Deep water Siren

Dick : Surface Siren

Jason : Can live in both, but surface Mermaid.

Tim : Arrecife Mermaid

Damian : Deep Ocean Siren

The reason Bruce lives so close to the surface is because of his sons; none of them (except Jason) can live in deep waters, so Bruce is forced to live near the surface. This is not good for his health, but he ain't telling and no one is asking.

He was raised by Alfred, a navy soldier who dedicated his life to operating submarines on solo missions. Alfred would always visit Bruce when he was little, but once he grew old enough and Alfred retired, Bruce would be the one doing the visiting. After retaiment fron the navy, Alfred became some kind of mermaid biologist, but really lives from his retaiment money and doesn't publish his works.

Near the shore, where Alfred lives, during one of Bruce visits, is when the Graysons are killed, and Bruce adopts Dick.

When Dick begins his migratory travels (his species being migratory, and there's no fight with Bruce about it), Bruce meets Jason, who was orphaned because his mother died from a chemical spill near Gotham, and his father was killed by the coast guard for sinking ships for human mafias. Tim joins after Jason is (incorrectly) assumed dead by poachers. His mother died during labor, and his father is never present in his life, only visiting occasionally to bring food. Tim is both scared and admires Bruce, who is called "The Bat" by humans because, since Jason's death, he has been sinking all kinds of ships that get close to Gotham's shore. Damian joins after being kicked out of the al Ghul family because he didn't inherit any of Bruce's genes and wasn't of the same species. Instead, he ends up as a barracuda like the rest of his family, just a darker color.

Bruce is somewhat of a local legend/hero in the city of Gotham because he would save boats from poachers and pirates, as well as sinking contraband ships. But during his time sinking ships after the "death" of Jason is when Superman and the Justice League hear about him and think there is a monster in Gotham waters... but in the end, he falls in love.

The only one who can actually talk with the family is Aquaman, so they have a good friendship.

[redhoodinternaldialectical]

"Murder is Werewolves" - Batman

I don't got the SPOONS to do this thought train justice, I have seriously been trying to write this thing for MONTHS so just, idk, have this half baked skeletal outline of the essay I guess:

I don't believe that Batman's no-kill rule is primarily about rehabilitation or second chances.

His refusal to believe that Cassandra could have killed someone when she was eight years old because "how could a killer understand my commitment not to kill" is absolute fucking MOON LOGIC from a rehabilitationist standpoint. No jury on the planet would think for even a second that she could reasonably be held accountable for her actions in that situation! Her past cannot condemn her to being incapable of valuing human life under a rehabilitation centering framework. However, Batman's reasoning makes perfect sense if he believes that killing is a spiritually/morally corrupting act which permanently and fundamentally changes a person, and that corruption can never be fully undone.

Dick Grayson killing the Joker is treated both narratively and by Batman as an unequivocally WIN for the Joker. The Joker won by turning Nightwing into a killer. Note that this is during a comic in which the Joker transforming people was a major theme! Batman didn't revive the Joker because the Joker deserved to live; he revived the Joker to lift the burden on Dick.

His appeal to Stephanie when she tried to kill her dad is that she shouldn't ruin her own life. He gives no defense of Cluemaster's actual life. Granted this is a rhetorical strategy moment and should be taken with a generous pinch of salt, but it fits in the pattern.

When Jason becomes a willful killer, he essentially disowns him, never treats him with full trust ever again, and... Well, we can stop here for Bruce's sake. Bottom line is that his actions towards Jason do not lead me to believe that he thinks Jason can become a better person without having his autonomy taken from him, either partially or fully.

The Joker is, for better or worse, the ultimate symbol and vessel of pure, irredeemable evil in DC comics now. He hasn't been just another crook in a long time. He will never get better, he will only get worse. If you take it to be true that the Joker will not or can not rehabilitate, then there's no rehabilitationist argument against killing him.

Batman does not seem to consider it a possibly that he'll rehabilitate. Batman at several points seems to think that the Joker dying in a manner no one could have prevented would be good. Yet Batman fully believes that if he killed the Joker, he himself would become irredeemable.

Batman's own form of justice (putting people into the hospital and then prison) is fucking brutal and clearly not rehabilitative. He disrespects the most basic human rights of all criminals on a regular basis. It is genuinely really, really weird from a rehabilitationist standpoint that his only uncrossable line is killing... But it makes perfect sense if he cares more about not corrupting himself with the act of killing than the actual ethical results of any individual decision to kill or not kill.

In the real world cops are all bastards because they are too violent to criminals, even when that violence doesn't lead to death. Prison is a wildly evil thing to do to another human being, and you don't use it to steal away massive portions of a person's life if your goal is to rehabilitate them. In the comic world, Batman is said to be necessary because the corrupt cops are too nice to criminals and keep letting them out of jail. I don't know how to write a connector sentence there so like I hope you can see why this bothers me so damn much! That's just not forgiveness vibes there Batman!!

I want to make special note here of the transformative aspect. You don't simply commit a single act when you kill, no, you become a killer, like you might become a werewolf.

The narrative supports this a lot!

Why did Supes go evil during Injustice? He killed the Joker. Why did Bruce become the Batman Who Laughs? Bruce killed the Joker. Why was Jason Todd close to becoming a new Joker during Three Jokers? Because he killed people, to include the Joker.

Even if these notions of redemption being impossible aren't the whole of his reasoning (people never have only one reason for doing what they do) it is a distinct through-line pattern in his actions and reasoning, and it is directly at odds with notions of rehabilitation, redemption, and second chances.

So why does he give so many killers second chances?

Firstly because this doesn't apply to all versions of Batman. Some writers explicitly incorporate rehabilitation and forgiveness into his actions. You will be able to provide me with examples of this other through-line pattern if you go looking for them. The nature of comics is to be inconsistent.

Secondly the existence of that other pattern does not negate the existence of this one. People and characters are complex, and perfectly capable of holding two patterns of belief within themselves, even when they conflict to this degree. You can absolutely synthesize these two ideas into a single messy Batman philosophical vibescape.

Finally and most importantly to this essay: he has mercy on killers the same way that werewolf hunters sometimes have mercy on someone who is clearly struggling against their monsterous nature, especially if they were turned in exceptional circumstances or against their will. They understand that they are sick, damned beasts, cursed to always be fighting against themselves and the evil they harbor within. It is vitally kind to help them fight themselves by curtailing their autonomy in helpful ways and providing them with chances to do some good to make up for their eternal moral deficiency.

I think in many comics Batman views killers as lost souls. Battered and tormented monsters who must be pitied and given mercy wherever possible. (The connections to mental health, addiction, and rampant, horrifying ableism towards people struggling with both is unavoidable, but addressing it is sadly outside of the scope of this essay.)

Above all, the greatest care possible must be taken to never, ever let yourself become one of them, because once you have transformed the beast will forever be within you growing stronger.

To Batman, it is the most noble burden, the highest mercy, the most important commandment: Thou shalt suffer the monsters to live.

[erinwantstowrite]

hihiiiihiiii just finished the new chapter and it was amazing!!!! so sorry to hear about the reason for your delay and wishing you all the best <3 i'm glad writing was something you enjoyed during this time but if you ever struggle with it i will definitely be happy to wait as long as it takes for a new chapter!

i wanted to ask for clarification on the whole bludhaven/tarantula thing you mentioned in your end of chapter notes?? it seems really interesting and i'm really curious! (ps the future friendsgiving chapter is going to HAUNT my thoughts i just know peters going to do the most chaotic shit ever)

thank you so much <33 it means a lot to see everyone say this :)

Now, as for Tarantula, I'm gonna put that under the cut. For everyone's safety, please be aware that I'm going to be talking about SA and what comes with it.

For anyone unaware, Tarantula is an anti-hero that is in Bludhaven. There are multiple Tarantulas, but the one I'm talking about specifically is in one of the Nightwing runs. She takes advantage of him on a rooftop when he is clearly out of it and can not consent. This is also directly after a huge event in Bludhaven where Dick's apartment building that had so many people he knew and cared about, was blown up by another villain. Later on, Bludhaven is bombed and completely destroyed.

I don't want to write any of that.

I hate Devin Grayson. I don't like her writing, I don't like her. I genuinely can not stand her. And so writing about Tarantula or giving her any sort of hold on LoF... I can't do it. So I'm not going to write it. History is being rewritten. Neither Tarantula happened, nor the bombings.

However. This is not the only time that Nightwing/Dick Grayson has been assaulted. And it's a touchy subject, but I think the impact of these instances was not once addressed in an appropriate manner for the seriousness of these instances. Sexual assault is not something that can be brushed past. And Dick has been let down by so many people. Him being a male victim of SA has a lot to do with his story, I think, and the type of character he is. If the writers had any brains in their heads, they could have made these instances into a powerful statement on the impact of SA. They could have done anything to make it known that tis wasn't for a joke, etc. But they didn't.

I don't plan on writing flashbacks to these instances. I just can not bring myself to do it. But Dick is a SA survivor, and I care a lot about treating that with the respect it deserves. So no, no flashbacks, but I hope that when the topic comes up, it's clear that I care. There will always be a trigger warning mentioned when it comes up.

And it will. I haven't explicitly stated it yet in LoF, but Westcott is a part of Peter's story, and yes, it's based on the shit he did in the comics. Because in the comics, that impacted Peter heavily. It comes up when he's helping people. Peter is always trying to help people the way that he hadn't been able to be helped.

So because of Dick's past, when Peter's is brought up, it's going to have an impact on the story. And I really hope I do it justice without hurting any of you in the process.

[celaenaeiln]

Hello, hello! It's been a while!!! Hope you're well. I had this hc about how Batfam is susceptible to manipulation, but only if it's Dick doing it. Like the blind faith he commands, there will literally get everyone ready to get him what he wants without him actually having to do anything. Like of anyone asks for a reason: "Dick said so". That's enough.

Just wanted your opinion on this

Omg hello!!! It’s been so long!! I’m so happy to hear to hear from you again 😆💕❤️!!

Hc that Bruce being completely susceptible to all of Dick’s manipulations due to the sheer faith he has in him? ABSOLUTELY!!

It’s so friggin true I’m pretty sure this is borderline canon if not canon already!!

Because here’s the thing: from the dawn of Batman comics to now, through all the changes that have occurred, there has only been one thing that remains constant and that is the fact that Bruce trusts Dick unconditionally.

There are MULTIPLE scenarios where Bruce confides solely in Dick and he actually worries heavily when his only companion leaves:

The Brave and Bold (1955) Issue #197

"My only real friends know me as Batman...Dick, Alfred, Kathy Kane...except..what do I do when Dick graduates college...and Alfred retires...and Kathy gives up being Batwoman? What do I do...when I'm finally alone?"

Bruce...that's a whole lot of pressure and expectation to put on a kid a decade younger than you..

But the point still stands because Bruce needs Dick. In the beginning of the Batman comics, there wasn't even Alfred around. It was just Dick and Bruce and they lived in an entire mansion together by themselves and had dual responsibilities of Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne as well as Batman and Robin. It was quite literally only the two of them in their own world. They went on adventures you wouldn't believe and had things happen beyond people's wildest imaginations. The Golden Age was a fever dream that encompassed only the two of them. They didn't have anyone else and they didn't want anyone else.

Dick pulled Bruce out of one of the worst times of his life when he was just Robin and Bruce pulled Dick out of depression during his. This resulted in a unbreakable bond. It's a deep kind of unshakable, irreplaceable love and profound trust that they have in each other that the other will only and always be there for them in the worst of times of their lives and the happiest of ones as well.

It's that kind of devotion and attachment to each other that established their relationship for decades. Every single timeline has consistently kept this - "You're my only one." - kind of relationship between the two of them.

Batman (2011) Issue #2

Bruce knows that of everyone he's ever met, Dick will always be the one to know him and hear him.

There's another comic panel that stuck out to me too-

Titans (2008) Issue #1

"No one knows about them except Bruce, Alfred, Tim. Barbara knows about a few. And ofcourse me."

Bruce only trusts three people - Alfred, his current robin, and Dick.

So consistently and unconditionally, it only comes down to two people at ALL times. For another example, during Death Metal, when the entire Justice League is hunting down Batman and the Batfamily, Bruce would only entrust the deadliest weapon in the world to one person and the entire league knows it.

Dark Nights: Metal Issue #2

Bruce just has pure faith in Dick for everything. He is the one person that Bruce believes will never do any wrong and he's the one person he always believes and believes in. Period.

Titans: Beast World Issue #1

Whatever Dick decides, it's the final word.

So that is why Dick is the only person Bruce is susceptible to. He never questions Dick in the comics ever. He's questioned every single person he's ever worked with about their intentions but never Dick. So Dick tells him the world is ending then the world is ending for Bruce.

If Dick tells him that red is an awful tie color, then it's an awful tie color that Bruce will never wear.

If Dick tells him to slick his hair back, take a break, be more compassionate, have faith - Bruce will do anything and everything. And this has been proven time and time again for the most menial situations to the most serious ones.

While everyone looks up at Bruce for answers and orders, Bruce will look to Dick and what he says, that's what they'll all do.

And here's the thing - the entire superhero community doesn't rely just on Bruce for commands, Dick is shown to have an equal weight. A single person has the equivalent weight of the Justice League. They will do what Dick says regardless of what Bruce says.

But the point is Bruce's utter faith in Dick gives him privileges. Anything and everything Dick decides, that's the answer, logic, and light of very reasoning to Bruce because Dick is the very source of existence for Bruce. In Forever Evil he almost let the world die intentionally because he felt that there was nothing to the world if he couldn't save Dick. At times he's fought Dick over his personal choices but every single time, without fail, he comes back literally two issues later to tell him sorry and you're right and we're going to do it your way.

Dick could let the world burn to fucking ashes and Bruce would stand by and clap and praise him. That time in the Blockbuster arc? Where Dick passively killed a man and started self-harming? Bruce roughly grabbed his face, got real close, and told him in his darkest voice that he doesn't give a flying fuck who dies or who Dick kills. As long as Dick doesn't dare hurt himself.

Dick can tell Bruce anything he ever wants, lie or truth, big or small, and Bruce will believe it with no doubts and no questions asked. That is the weight of his faith in him. Of course if someone does ask why he chose to do something a certain way? He can just say, "Because Dick said so." And as you called it, that answer alone will be enough. For everyone.

Don't be fooled by Dick's submissiveness to Bruce's commands. Bruce is holding him by the neck, but he's holding Bruce's leash just as tightly.