#one day......one day he will become Bruce Wayne.

[pomegranatelifethis]

Morbid thoughts but imagine no notices the princess's corpse for a while. Only for people in the palace to notice when the stench of rotten flesh starts feeling the halls through the cracks and vents.

And maybe Bruce or one of the boys notices. And they realize that's the scent of a DEAD body.

Let's say something like this happened

The castle had always held its share of secrets, but none as horrifying as this. At first, the servants whispered about the strange scent lingering in the halls—perhaps damp stone, spoiled food, or something forgotten in the cellars. But as the days passed, the stench grew stronger, seeping through the cracks in the walls, spreading through the vents, until ignoring it was no longer an option.

Bruce Wayne, the hardened ruler of the kingdom, was among the first to recognize it. He had smelled death before—on battlefields, in dungeons, in the aftermath of war. And this… this was the unmistakable scent of rotting flesh.

His sons noticed it too. Jason’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, unease settling deep in his gut. Damian narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and sharp. “That smell… it’s coming from inside the palace.”

Tim and Dick exchanged a glance before they all moved toward the source of the stench, their footsteps heavy with growing dread.

And then, they found it.

A forgotten room, sealed away from prying eyes. A chamber that had long since ceased to hold any significance—until now.

Inside, lying in what had become her unmarked grave, was the decayed body of the princess.

A sister. A daughter. A member of their bloodline, abandoned and cast aside, left to wither away in silence. No one had remembered her. No one had even thought to check.

Her death had gone unnoticed—until her rotting corpse had finally demanded to be acknowledged.

Dick swallowed hard, while Tim took a shaky step back. Jason clenched his jaw, fury bubbling beneath his grief.

Damian turned to Bruce, his young face twisted with anger and accusation. “How did you not notice?”

But Bruce said nothing. Because that question had already been ringing in his mind, long before anyone had spoken it aloud.

[splinterofpandora]

{BrightKnightUpcoming} <---------------------

--don't miss part 5 by tag🧡❤️🖤💜🤍💙💚

Stephanie Brown's Guide to the Mentorship

I love the Robin period in Stephanie's life because it shows us how kind Bruce has become towards the children. It would be fair to say that Brown was the most unideal Robin, however that was her value. With a lot of mistakes made, she kept an optimistic attitude, did things atypical even for this mask like sweet talking to citizens right during a patrol, always tried to have fun, but delved deeply into the cases of really hurt people. Bruce couldn't just give her orders like he did with Dick or Jason. But again, he was a different person and they were different kids. They were kids. Tim and Steph were teenagers.

I don't think age was the deciding factor, but it was a case where he could be relied upon. More complex topics, easier connection on a thinking level, he knew she wouldn't listen under pressure. Stephanie was the first person with whom Bruce fully tried to decide to behave differently and accept how different by his standards she was.

He didn't feel guilty, and he did get something out of it when she, during a mission, would say things to him like, "Oh, you're talking to Barbara? Tell her I said hi!"

Her dismissal as Robin was also easy. Because he knew she'd screwed up, but it wasn't a big deal. And when they continued as Batman and Spoiler or Batman and Batgirl, they kept the contrast of the relationship. He had her back as a partner and could rely on her, but he also knew it wouldn't be intuitive and direct, which was the case with Cass, Dick, Tim.

Robin, in terms of his function, was Bruce's responsibility, for in every case, even under Drake, took its origin from Wayne's consent or dissent. But Stephanie's career as Robin began with a deal. And it wasn't more firmly in his control because Batgirl and Spoiler were never a direct result of his actions.

Stephanie taught him to separate the masked heroes who went after Batman and his inner circle. In the future, this will allow for the start of Batman Incorporated.

Damian Wayne, or you have all the time in the world🤍

Damian was a difficult kid. He could be violent. He constantly put himself above others. He would get into fights even when he was treated well. He could get into fights with other family members for no reason at all. And he didn't really listen to his father half the time. But he didn't have a childhood either. Jason grew up in pain, but at least for a minute he was allowed to be a child. Dami was immediately born a leader, and he had to prove superiority. So this boy needed a special approach.

What's most interesting is that although Bruce used all the lessons learned to raise him, he also came up with a lot of new ones. For example, he became not just affectionate toward his son, but gave him many hugs and revelations. Family events, fun holidays, playing ball with the dog...Wayne and son have become an ordinary family in the best of senses.

Very importantly, Damian wanted to be a decent son and a cool Robin, one day becoming Batman. We see an understanding of the importance that Dick had in the beginning, but which for Bruce is not an obsession now. Wayne helps his son overcome his inner demons, and now even a literal part of him, part of Batman, can live free. Can choose. Bruce kills the idea of the mantle being an extension of himself.

And here's what else he does as he studies his new Robin. He helps destroy all the negative aspects that are out there. Turn them into strengths. Cruelty? Why are you angry? Arrogance? Why do you need it? Humiliation? Is that how you defend yourself? From what? He keeps asking questions, and he answers them to himself as well. Bruce now knows that he cannot make better someone until he is better himself, however he will not push to achieve it.

And that's how he gets an answer to one of the big questions. Was Batman, as a symbol, a tool against Evil and Chaos. It was. But should it remain that? The answer took some time...

I'll teach you everything, but I have nothing to learn. Duke Thomas.

Duke was not a complicated issue because all the complicated issues had been resolved by then. So we just talk about support every step of the way. I think the most interesting thing about Duke in the context of Batman is the lack of “over”.

There's no excessive control here like there was with Dick. There's no excessive guilt and fight of position like there was with Jason. There's no horizon of trust like there was with Tim. There is no fear of legacy as there was with Cass. No miscommunication in individual moments like with Stephanie. No Damian's prejudices. He also spent a long time trying to figure out how not to accept Barbara's injury as a mistake. I don't think it's identical to Jason because Gordon had just moved on and wanted to talk, but that had to be accepted too. And Duke himself was simpler as a person.

Damian's been a fighter since the beginning, for example. Thomas trained for this. He doesn't have that big a line, but we can do an all-media analysis.

In Batwheels, we see a cute kid who is bought ice cream and allowed to play with his sister. This is exaggerated if you read the comics. But that's how it works in the comics, if Duke was in the beginning and Wayne always had it inside. What I'm trying to say is that Thomas is important, but as an indicator of Bruce's global willingness to make Batman only and only a symbol.

Bruce can be without Batman. Batman can be without Bruce. It's no longer a legacy issue. It's a question of how you want to spend your old age. Or who you want to spend it with...

[theunluckyclover775]

Crime Alley never truly got its name until the GCPD had cut the local station's funding. Then crime started to rise, just a little. Not enough to warrant the name, but just enough for people to notice and create a buzz around change. The mayor was going to try and scrape up loose funds to give to the old station, to try and tamper down the damage without hurting other public facilities, like the schools and libraries.

But then the election came, and one of the nominees had used a campaign about 'lowering crime rates in Gotham', and specifically pointing out Park Row as a big example. On top of the increase, he planted drug rings for added effect here and yellow journalism there and the whole thing explodes. Every overdose from the area in the Gotham Tribunal is highlighted in the obituaries. Every theft gets its own story in the paper. It seems to the people outside Park Row that the mayor incumbent has left it running rampant, criminals and hookers running on every corner.

Tourist attractions start to pull out from the area, and a mass exodus of people follow, leaving those too poor to leave and the criminals already there full control of the city. School and other public service funding is cut, due to the population loss. This not only increases the rent in the area with landlords trying to make a living, but also the drop out rate with kids needing to work full time for their family. Which, in turn, also increases the crime rate. The mayor incumbent loses the election, leaving the new one in power and now having a bigger problem than he initally intended on his hands. But he had two cards up his sleeves. Both bleeding hearts, hearts that bleed gold and would bend over backwards to not only help a friend, but the city their family flourished in for over a century.

Thomas and Martha were more than happy to help out, and hopefully rebuild the district to what it once was. The 'Bring Back Park Row' initiative was created soon after. The Waynes start making donations to the areas libraries, schools, and other places in the district. They create scholarships, pop up shelters, and a rehab facility. The first Wayne Orphanage was opened there. And soon enough, the two get the idea to start having day trips there. The press following them and little Brucie on their little vacations. If the people can see that it's not as bad as it once was, people would flood back in and return to the old Park Row.

The Waynes restore an old movie theatre, and its grand opening was going to play an old detective movie from the year of its original opening. They all dressed up for the event, and Bruce looked so cute in his little suit and tie. Martha looked elegant as a morning lily with her pearls. Thomas, matching Bruce in a suit and tie, looked powerful and yet kind with the small smile lines faintly showing on his face and in the corners of his eyes.

The movie went off without a hit. But instead of papers across Gotham singing songs of success; papers from across the country sang hymns of mourning. Mourning the Lily of Gotham, the kind King. Many feel pity and eat up the sad look of Brucie in a shock blanket being consoled by a young police officer. Soon enough the papers latch onto the easy money, and their deaths become sensationalised. Bruce's life gets held under a microscope, not a month goes by without a paper coming out about Bruce and his sad, orphaned life.

Mourning the loss of Park Row. Angered at the creation of Crime Alley.

[littlefankingdom]

What if I gave you some snippet of WIPs I may never finish because I'm a perfectionist with too little time?

It has always been his luck, and curse, that Gotham Cemetery was in Bristol. His luck, because it was close enough to the manor for him to visit his parents' mausoleum as much as he wanted, in the Wayne's plot. His curse, because it was close enough to the manor for him to feel the judgment of the dead every hour he spent awake. From where they were, did his parents judge him? Did the Graysons hate him? Did Janet Drake fear his influence on her son? Did his boy wait for him every day, just like his last? Was he alone, even with his mothers' bodies by his side? Was he cold? Was he sad? Was he scared?

~ Demain, dès l'aube

It is not with pleasure that Bruce accepts the invitation given by Ra's Al Ghul. The man may be the only living parent to the woman he loves, but he cannot forget the terror he felt for the last 72 hours since he discovered his ward's bed empty. Even now, with the boy safe and sound by his side, his warm hand in his, Bruce can still taste the fear. Even if he refuses, the man has already proven he knows how to make Bruce go where he wants him to. He has already shown how easily he can take what is the most precious thing in his life from under his eyes without being caught and make Bruce run around the world to find it. So, it is with reticence that Bruce accepts the invitation, holding his boy as close as he can. However, if they dare try to take him from Bruce again, then “Lord, have mercy,” as Alfred says, Bruce will make hell rain on them as many times as they need to get the message.

~ Who Wants to Live Forever?

Jason would be lying if he said Bruce was an emotionless man. He had become more closed off as the years went on (and someone's death did have affected him, but Jason wasn't ready to admit that out loud yet), but his feelings could be read easily by a combination of signs, hidden by the cowl and the cape during their nighttime activities. Well, mostly, because his mouth and voice's intonation still gave some of them away, like how terrified he was when one of them would get hit and did not immediately reappear in his line of sight unharmed, yelling their codenames with all the strength his vocal cords could stand. And in some long-lost memories of his that came back at time, Jason could dig up an affectionate and proud smile the Dark Knight would give him after a mission well done where he had come up on his own with the solution to save the day. Anyway, that didn't matter at the moment. No, what mattered was that Jason knew Bruce, and he had never seen him look this small and terrorized at the same time. Something was wrong.

~ Prologue to Playboy

For years, his birthday had been a sad event, with loneliness, grief, and the aging butler as his only guests, but his 21st had been different. For his 21st, Alfred had managed to get Bruce's old friend and classmate from boarding school, Oliver Queen, to come to Gotham, and had succeeded in making Bruce invite his only current friend at Gotham U, Harvey Dent. Quite the small party for such a milestone, but it was a record for his young master. After a fine dinner at Wayne Manor, the two men, boys in Alfred's eyes, had dragged a hesitant Bruce into town. A sober Harvey, not of age yet to consume alcohol and a more law-abiding citizen than the two others, had brought back two very drunk young millionaires around 5 in the morning. Oliver's loud and bad singing woke up the old butler to meet a laughing Bruce barely standing up, holding to his friends' shoulders for support. Alfred had never seen him smile like this since the tragedy. The three partygoers had crashed at the manor for the night, and for the first time in a decade, there wasn't any silence in the old house.

~ Playboy

The sound of a child screaming. The smell of popcorn. The taste of blood in his mouth. The sight of empty, dead eyes. The feeling of warmth from the people around him. The two bodies on the ground are calling him, trying to guide him back to the alley, but he is anchored in the presence of people around him, strangers that cannot see him struggle. The absence of guns on the scene, of the sound that haunts him, may also be a reason. As he comes back to his full senses, he sees the child running to his late parents, and a dreadful feeling conquers him. That poor boy cannot suffer like he did, like he does. Bruce will not live with himself if that happens. There's laughter in the manor where it used to only be dreadful silence. There's light where there used to only be darkness. There is Robin when it used to only be Batman. They teach each other the same lesson: life goes on after death. And, as the years go on, there's a son instead of a ward in Dick Grayson.

~ Triggers

Dick had been excited about Metropolis; the art deco architecture was so beautiful on the prospectus his parents had shown him; but his own tour had ended here, in Gotham. And it wore its name well, because neo-gothic ruled over the city, with huge decorative gargoyles at the corner of each considerable building. Even in Europe, he had never seen so many gargoyles in one city. They were mostly on churches and cathedrals on the old continent, but here, they were everywhere. And distracted by the singularity of Gotham, he didn’t see one of its creatures moves until it landed in front of him. It was an immense bat, well over two Dicks tall. It wrapped its body in its wings, its head peeking out at the top from a collar of black fur. Its silhouette was strangely human, and the way it stands mimicked humans, but it was too animal-like, too bat-like for a man. Dick should have been terrified; any children would have been; but instead, he was captivated. He had grown up listening to tales full of creatures and spirits, but this was his first time seeing one. And even though most of these stories were warnings on how dangerous these beings were, he felt no fear.

~ Unnamed Criptid!Batman AU

[batgeance]

god bruce fucking hates talking to wayne execs and financial advisors

[puppetmaster13u]

 Danny and his haunt are more than a little distressed to find out that Pariah Dark can’t be destroyed and can only be sealed away due to being the Ancient of Darkness. Danny is worried about someone trying to wake him up again, while his friends are more worried about the ghost going after the newborn Ancient of Space again. 

 They scour libraries, search high and low in both the Ghost Zone and the living world for a solution before finally just asking Clockwork. 

 And well, they feel like just a bit of idiots but also elated. 

 Because if Danny can become the new embodiment of space, then what’s to stop them from giving the power of darkness to someone else that’s not Pariah Dark? 

 They make a list of requirements, ask both ghosts and living friends. There’s nothing in their world, no one quite right, but what about other worlds? The realms are supposedly infinite right? So there had to be someone out there. 

 And while it takes a long, long time, they eventually find one when a small bloodied ghost of greens, golds, and reds comes forth shyly, eyes burning with determination. He speaks of heroes and villains- far more than their own world- of a city cloaked in shadow and of a single man trying to help despite it seeming impossible. 

 Who better to become the new Dark besides the dark knight himself after all? 

[violent138]

I love the idea that Bruce takes the Batfam on hikes outside of Gotham, and puts up with the arguing over who goes in what car, packs everyone's favourite snacks, will race with the other car if enough passengers in his egg him on. Bruce generally stays ridicuously quiet while the kids jabber enough to alert everything living in the woods near them but will weigh in once the kids debate who's strong enough to wrestle a bear, chime in on unsolved hiker cases, build fires, and carry anyone that gets tired, all while sneaking awful pictures of them.

[junespriince]

Kyle: if I were a zombie, would you kill me? Wally: Nah, just keep you on a leash and treat you like a pet. As I take over the world and become its leader, you shall eat my enemies. Kyle: aw thanks dude Connor: ... scared to ask, but where am I at in this hypothetical? Wally: easy, the man to take my throne if I die or get killed, someone has to carry on my terror. Connor: Connor, eats his forkful of salad: Nice JL, looking at the new recruits: Bruce, putting Wally on the "Would turn into a villain for a cornchip" watchlist (made by tim): and, done.

[valengory1234]

While I love the storyline where Alfred was there from day one and helped raise Bruce, I think the original where he’s just some guy who shows up one day and Bruce and Dick just have to cope is extremely funny

[frogaroundandfindout]

Tolstoy would’ve written a banger Bruce Wayne fic

[ufonaut]

This is not heroism, this is sabotage. You can help save tomorrow. Instead, you’re still trying to stop two bullets in the past.

Batman - One Bad Day: Ra’s Al Ghul (2023) #1

(Tom Taylor, Ivan Reis)

[littlefankingdom]

Dick: The Titans don't want me to be their leader. :(

Bruce *who already has put in the Justice League plans and systems that if anything happens to him, Dick becomes the leader, even tho Batman isn't the unique leader of the JL*: Making mistakes is an important part of growing up.

[everwalldigan]

To anyone who thinks Bruce has a clear and consistent favourite child I raise you this: it is infinitely funnier for Bruce to have a complicated and elaborate “ranking” system of his kids that only he’s privy to.

Picture this: Batman, dosed with truth serum, gets asked as a gag from one of the goons holding him captive who his favourite bat-vigilante is and instead of giving a straight answer, he launches into this whole explanation about the ranking system and who’s in the current lead, who’s hanging behind, etc. At some point (this is a mystery to everyone involved) a whiteboard appears and he starts explaining his system like he’s a football coach before an important match. Out of nowhere he starts pulling out little cardboard cutouts of his kids and pins them to the board. At some point the red string comes out.

Jason hasn’t killed someone in a week? Automatically promoted to favourite. Tim hasn’t caused an international incident in the past month? Puts him a few points ahead that keep decreasing the longer he refuses real sleep (20 minute power naps don’t count Tim! Says powernap inventor Bruce Wayne). Cass gave him a hug this morning and wished him a good day? Favourite until he gets a call from dick telling him (without shouting!!!!) that he’ll be there for this week’s Sunday dinner. Duke accidentally scratches the Batmobile? Demoted to the “in trouble” zone (which, honestly, that’s where his kids spend most of the time in😭). Damian did not attempt to free all the animals in the zoo they visited? Favourite. Until Bruce found out he was just trying to conceal the cat hidden in his room that Bruce explicitly forbade him from keeping.

Dick arrives at the family dinner with a busted shoulder and a bruise the size of Texas on his face? Gets demoted so far down that even azraeil scores higher than him. He’s in the “in trouble” zone for a constant month after that. Oh one of them survived an almost death? Favourite for at least the next week. At least. Multiple people survive an almost death? EVERYONES the favourite. The least favourite is the growing grey hairs on his head.

The end of day results are decided by who bothers to wish him goodnight and if all of them have fucked up in some way the past week then Jon (Kent) becomes the automatic favourite until someone cracks a joke that Bruce actually finds funny.

The favourite child changes daily, hourly even, and his kids are aware this system exists and keep trying to crack the code but he always Knows and just smirks smugly.

[cateyam]

Just the BatFam forgetting that Damian has a grandfather who was not obsessed with him on Bruce's side of the family.

Alfred: Everytime I see Master Damian, he always reminds me of his grandfather.

Dick, scowling: Ra's?

Alfred: ...You do know Master Wayne existed, right?

——————

Alfred, after knowing about Damian volunteering at hospitals: Master Damian really takes after his grandfather. Maybe one day he'll be a doctor too.

Jason, sputtering: Since when does the Demon Head Ra's al Ghul care about healthcare?

Alfred: I don't know, but I do know Thomas Wayne did.

——————

Alfred: Master Damian once mentioned he wanted to become like his grandfather.

Cass: ...Didn't he talk about how much he hated Ra's before?

Alfred: Sighs.

——————

Alfred: What do you think of Master Damian entering the healthcare industry like his grandfather?

Tim, screeching: NO!

Alfred: ...

——————

Alfred: Master Damian has his grandfather's face, doesn't he?

Bruce, squinting: Ra's...? No... not really. Well, not to me.

Alfred: I meant your father, Master Bruce. Have you forgotten that Master Damian is your biological son?

Bruce: ...Oh shit.

[avayarising]

There was a flash of white light from the small sphere cupped against Jason’s chest, and suddenly the blue-green glowing globe was a blue-green glowing humanoid kid, with a black outfit and a shock of white hair, sitting trembling in Jason’s lap. The kid looked round for a moment at the stunned faces around the dining table, and then turned and buried its face in Jason’s shoulder. Jason’s arms came up around the kid immediately and he started murmuring reassurances that didn’t quite cover Tim’s triumphant whisper, “I was right!”

There was nothing else but a shocked silence from the rest of the table as Jason rubbed his hands gently over the sobbing kid’s back. “It’s all right, you’re all right, you’re safe, I’m here, I’ve got you,” he murmured over and over, until the trembling began to calm and the arms loosened a little. “Got a name I can call you? – Danny? Thank you, Danny. You’re doing so good. You’re safe here with me and my family. We’ll all protect you, I promise.”

The kid – Danny – looked up and around with bright green eyes at the word ‘family’. He looked like he was somewhere between Tim and Damian in age, and he had faint green tear tracks on his cheeks. No-one mentioned it.

Jason gave a weak chuckle. “Yeah, this is my family.” He lifted one hand from Danny’s back to indicate the various people around the table, in turn. “This is my dad Bruce, my brother Dick, my other brother Tim,” (“Hi Danny,” said Tim gently) “my sister Cass,” (Cass waved, smiling kindly) “and my littlest brother Damian,” (Damian gave a stiff nod). “That’s my grandpa, Alfred,” (Alfred bowed, “Welcome to our home”) “and I’m Jason, do you remember?”

“I… I think so?” Danny whispered hesitantly. “You read me stories?” he added.

“Yeah, kid, I did.” Jason smiled, tightening his arms around Danny again. “It’s good to see you up and talking. Here,” he turned Danny round to face the table. “You hungry? Anything here you fancy eating?”

Danny glanced over the table, then shook his head and turned back to Jason. “I ��� what if – The Guys in White, they…”

“They’re going down,” Jason promised. “As hard and as fast as we can manage it.”

Bruce managed to shake off the dual shock of a ball turning into a child at his dining table and Jason freely calling him his dad. He dropped out of his seat and crouched before Danny. “I promise you,” he confirmed, “you are safe here, and we are working to catch the people who did this to you. When you’re ready, anything you can tell us will help,” – Danny shrank back a little, and Jason tensed – “but only when you’re ready. For now, just rest and recover. Let us protect you and take care of you. And do eat something, if you can,” he added, with a smile that crinkled his eyes, not his mouth. “If you can’t eat our food, we’ll try and find you something you can eat. Alfred will be very disappointed if he can’t feed you anything.”

“Indeed, sir,” said Alfred. “And that goes for the rest of you as well,” he added, glaring at the abandoned plates. “I did not make all this food for you to ignore it in favour of staring at our guest.”

There were sheepish apologies, and everyone turned back to their food. Jason coaxed Danny, still sitting in his lap, into eating several forkfuls of mashed potato, some roast chicken, and, in due course, rather a lot of apple crumble with custard. By the end of it all, Danny was drooping.

“Right, kid, let’s get you into a bed,” said Jason.

Alfred led them upstairs to the bedroom next to Cass’s and opposite Tim’s, with a newly-made bed and a fresh towel. Neither Alfred nor Jason was quite sure how or even if the black suit came off, and the kid was almost asleep now anyway, so Jason tucked him into bed as he was. The kid curled up on his side and Jason stroked his white hair.

After a few minutes, Cass slipped in and sat on the bed beside Jason, and laid her hand gently on Danny’s shoulder. Danny didn’t stir, though he was still glowing faintly.

“I will watch him,” said Cass. “You go and talk to them.”

Jason didn’t want to leave Danny.

“You need to talk to them,” insisted Cass, and she was usually right, even if he didn’t like it, so Jason got up.

“You’ll call me if anything happens?”

“At once,” said Cass solemnly, and Jason crept out of the room, turning back in the doorway for one last look. Cass was already lying down next to Danny, and had taken over hair-stroking duties. Jason closed the door gently behind him.

Tim and Dick and Bruce were standing a little further down the hallway, talking in low voices. “– made a presentation,” Tim was saying as Jason approached. “I was going to show it to you tonight, but it doesn’t seem necessary any more.”

“We’ll watch it anyway,” Dick said reassuringly.

“Summarise it,” ordered Bruce.

Tim glanced at Jason, cheeks slightly red. “OK, so. I heard Jason a few times in the library, talking to the core or reading to it. And there wasn’t anyone else around and I figured, he wouldn’t do it if he didn’t think someone was listening. So I was trying to figure out why Jason thought there was a person in the core, and I analysed the cowl footage. When the machine came on – this is all in the slides – there was an irregular noise, above the range of human hearing, and when I modulated the frequency down it sounded like –“

“Screaming,” Jason said heavily. “A kid screaming. You didn’t hear it? You didn't feel it?” Bruce shook his head slowly and Jason stared at him for a long moment, mouth open. “You didn’t – you didn’t know?”

Bruce didn’t answer, and Jason’s face crumpled. “Oh,” he said. “But I thought –” and then his face hardened into flat anger. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter what I thought.”

He pushed past them towards the staircase, and Dick whimpered.

“Jason. Jason, no,” cried Bruce, and Jason halted; perhaps because he wanted Bruce to say he did trust him, perhaps because he didn’t want to go far from Danny.

“Listen to me, Jason,” Bruce said urgently to Jason’s back. “You’re right, I didn’t know the core was a person. But I did know that it was important, and that it was valuable, and that it needed to be kept safe. And I gave it to you in part because I could see that you knew it was important – better than me as it turns out. And knowing what I know now, I would make exactly the same decision again.”

Jason turned round, and Bruce stepped gently forward to put a hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t see it, but you did, and you did exactly what was needed. And now that child is safe and recovering because of your dedicated care. You have a big heart, Jaylad. You always did. And I am so” – he paused and hitched his breath – “so, so proud of you.”

Jason crumpled into his father’s arms.

Jason was acting strange.

Bruce was worried. It had started when the batfam investigated the hideout of a new gang in Gotham. They had attacked Jason earlier that week with strange weapons, so Batman, Nightwing and Red Hood followed them to a warehouse. They saw the men in white suits with the weapons, several vans and some sort of powersource they called a core. Batman and Nightwing were making a plan when one of the men activated the machine housing the core.

Suddenly Red Hood had gone ballistic! He attacked them recklessly, with much more force than neccesary. Nightwing had to sto him from beating one of them to death! Batman was furious. They left the men for commisioner Gordon and took some evidence to the cave. When they arrived, Jason looked shaken. Bruce wanted to scold him, but the look on Jason's face made him pause. He needed to focus on the case, but he knew he couldn't bring Jason along. So he 'benched' Jason. Thats what the Robins called it, anyway. But someone needed to guard the evidence, they had no idea what this power core even was.

He expected Jason to protest. To insult him to complain. But when Bruce told Jason to look after the core, he instead looked suprised. Really? Jason had asked. Then Jason had told Bruce he could count on him. Red flag number 1. This had confused Bruce, but if it kept Jason from following then it was fine.

Then Jason had started carrying the core everywhere. He held it in his hand, close to his chest. He stayed in the manor, wich was red flag number 2. Damian had caught him talking to the thing numerous times. Alfred had heard Jason in the library, reading a children's book out loud. Tim noticed whenever they discussed the gang of men in white suits that Jason would leave, instead of listening. Dick had even caught Jason singing softly to it! Too many red flags to count.

Bruce was worried about him. He was starting to worry about mind control! But when he had tried to confront Jason, he had cut him off. Jason told Bruce that he knew he had messed up at the warehouse, that he had gone too far. So he was really happy that Bruce had trusted him with this. After that Bruce had been too stunned to say anything about it. But they knew the problem had to be adressed. During dinner, the whole family where going to discuss this matter with Jason.

That was before the core transformed into a glowing, white haired child.

[sweetteaanddragons]

I have been thinking lately about a universe where Bruce Wayne killed the Joker.

I want to be clear here, since there are so many longstanding debates on this topic: I do not think Bruce Wayne should kill the Joker. I have just been wondering what would happen if the circumstances aligned in such a way that he did.

And to be clear on a related, yet slightly different topic: when I say I have been wondering about what if Bruce Wayne killed the Joker, I do not mean as the Batman. I mean Bruce "Brucie" Wayne.

Maybe it's kind of an accident? Like, he definitely did intend to hit the Joker, but he's Brucie right now, so he's trying not to look like he knows what he's doing while still doing enough damage to keep the Joker from killing someone, and meanwhile the Joker makes just the wrong move and -

And here we are. Brucie just killed the Joker.

Bruce's reaction here is one thing; he has his one rule for a reason, he's just broken it, he's determined to turn himself in -

His family's reaction is a whole different story. How does Cass feel about this?

How does Jason? Bruce has killed the Joker, just like he wanted, but it wasn't for him, not really, and -

And meanwhile, this happens in front of, say, a gala full of people, so now all of Gotham gets to react to it too.

Average Gothamite, seeing the words BRUCE WAYNE, JOKER, and KILLED in the same headline: OH, NO.

Average Gothamite, once they've processed the order those words are actually in: . . . I did not have that on this year's bingo card.

The city's most famous mass murderer has just been publicly killed by the city's biggest employer/philanthropist/source of tabloid harmless nonsense! Three days before Brucie was making tabloid headlines by tripping into a fountain and somehow losing his shirt in the process! Two weeks before, the newspaper was running a retrospective on the Wayne murders and what donation Brucie was making to help the families of victims this year! The article mentioned how one of his adopted sons had also tragically become a murder victim!

Now this has happened, and Bruce is having a breakdown over breaking his one rule, and the rest of Gotham just assumes that this is because poor Brucie thinks this somehow makes him like the man who killed his parents. They send a huge outpouring of support his way. This in no way helps Bruce's actual breakdown.

Ninety percent of Gotham is sure Brucie didn't actually mean to kill the Joker, and pretty much a hundred percent of them support him whether he meant to do it or not. No one wants to have anything to do with prosecuting this mess. Bruce is trying to make it as clear as possible that he will fully cooperate with the justice system and meanwhile an entire gala full of people is suddenly acting like they could in no way have possibly witnessed events that took place ten feet in front of their faces. Did Bruce kill the Joker? Is the officer sure? That doesn't seem like him. Maybe the Joker just tripped on his own. Marble floors, you know. Very slippery.