#reverse robins au

[msfcatlover]

Red Hood Steph: “I always know things will work out, as long as I have Kindness & Faith!”

Tim: “Is that seriously what you named your guns?”

RH!Steph: “No, don’t be silly!”

RH!Steph: “…It’s what I named my swords.”

[littlefankingdom]

People that are into the reverse Robins AU don't seem to realize the power they are giving to Dick Grayson. Without even talking about how protective of Dick the batfam at large is already, you are making Bruce's baby the baby of the family. Bruce already had multiple children, but never one this young, and this is his youngest baby, and he is so great, a ball of light and joy that jumps from chandeliers.

Goddesses, that kid is being spoiled. He probably fakes being hurt or sad because he knows his dad will immediately bend backward for him.

[browniesarethebest]

After like almost a year, the writer's block for my reverse batfamily series is finally lifting. I'm still struggling a bit but I've managed to get a good chunk of a chapter written. I don't know when I'll have it finished by, but I wanted to give a sneak peek since some of y'all have been waiting a while

Full Fic

[mrmanbat]

The reason Reverse Robin AUs are so hard to pull off is because of Tim. Tim can never become Red Hood. He just can’t.

See, for Red Hood to exist the way he does, Jason had to be ostracized from his peers and hyper-dependent on Bruce. Tim? Tim has friends. He has a team. He has a social life. He was never even that close to Bruce to because with. He had living, breathing parents.

Without that intense dependency on Bruce, Jason would’ve never become the Red Hood we know today. He wouldn’t have had the same goals, the same extent of anger directed towards Bruce. Sure, if Jason had a life outside Bruce he probably still would have died and used the moniker “Red Hood”, just not the way he did in B;UTRH

Everyone using Tim as a Red Hood type character is recreating B;UTRH. And you can’t do that without the hyper dependency established pre hand. But Tim wouldn’t be Tim without his social life— and at that point just use Jason.

Also, please stop using Ra’s as a replacement for Black Mask. You can’t just jam characters into other characters roles with it making sense.

TL;DR: If you’re writing a Reverse Robin AU, don’t force Tim into Jason’s role. Also include Steph, you cowards

…

Could one of you also include Duke? If I ask really nicely?

[were-wolverine]

i think it’d be very funny and also very angsty if in my Reverse Robins au, dick still kills the joker

like, it’s a year after jason was killed, and the joker kidnaps Rumor/Tim. Robin arrives, the joker convinces him Rumor is dead, and then he taunts Robin about Batboy/Jason’s death

atp bruce is gone, presumed dead (lost in time), jason died a year ago, and dick is still recovering from his parents deaths. he can’t handle losing anyone else. so he just… stops holding back. he does the quadruple flip, slamming into the joker at 80mph, and breaks the bastard’s neck. no one revives him. dick doesn’t regret it one bit.

and the joker is forever known for being defeated by a fucking 12 year old with anger issues

[brucewaynehater101]

WAIT. Reverse Robin AU, but let's fuck everything up.

Damian is the oldest. He was conceived during Bruce's training arc. Talia found out she was pregnant and ghosted the hell out of Bruce near the start of the arc. Thus, Bruce was dealing with his bad breakup for eight or so years, comes home, takes a year to become Batman, and then a ten year old kid shows up on his doorstep a year later. A highly trained child that has some whacky notions about training/combat that also knows how to escape :) So, yeah. Kid becomes a little vigilante. He has some super friends but isn't really on a team (Jon, Colin, Flatline, Maps, etc). Through Bruce's dedicated reparenting, he grows up to want to be a vet instead.

Duke still met Bruce during Year Zero at the age of six. When Damian is seventeen, Duke's parents go missing (fuck the Joker, let's blame any other rogue for this). There's civil disorder as well, partly caused by Damian quitting and Bruce being sad about it (which good for Damian. Go chase your dreams). Bruce stumbles upon 13 year old Duke, realizes the kid is kind of an orphan who also has meta powers that he won't stop using to be a dangerously untrained vigilante, and thus yanks him into fostering. When he's 15, his mom is found, saved, and healed enough for Duke to move back in with her. Duke eventually moves to the day shift when he's 16.

Steph gets recruited by Duke! She's still Spoiler and even forms the first teen superhero group (with Anita, Cissie, Cassie, Greta, and Kon). She lives with her mom and is the one to encourage Bruce to make connections to other heroes. She's civilian friends with Tim. At age sixteen, she "dies." It's a fake death, but nobody else knows this except Tim. This causes massive ripples in the superhero community, Gotham, and the Bats.

Tim... Doesn't actually join the batfam at first :D There's no flying grayson, but he did figure out their identities. He thinks they're cool, but not to the hero level worship of canon. He knows Steph is Spoiler. His parents still die and whatnot, but Tim pulls an Uncle Eddie. He used his rich boy money to train a bit, even ran into Lady Shiva when he was abroad trying to save his parents, but he isn't a practicing vigilante (and thus currently not physically great). Instead, he uses his computer skills to subtly aid Steph/the Bats. Bart ends up seeking him out (future knowledge), so they start working together as a team (with Bart in-field but not in Gotham). When he's 17, Steph dies/goes missing. Thus, Bart and Tim end up on a StephQuest (because nobody believes stranger!Tim who has no actual proof) [which ends up training Tim to be a great vigilante].

Jason gets yoinked from the streets post-Steph's "death" at 13. Bruce is feeling massive guilty/depressed that one of his charges/unofficial children died. Jason, who found a really neat home with a library and also has experience with struggling parents, unfortunately helps coax Bruce out of his spiral while also signing himself up for becoming a vigilante. Jason has his own team of superheros and stuff. Steph comes back about a year into his vigilantism (so when he's fourteen or so).

Cass shows up in Gotham after Steph gets back. She gets adopted and becomes/starts Batgirl.

Dick's parents die when he's nine, thus when Jason is fifteen.

[kevin-day-is-bi]

kinda getting into the idea of a reverse Robins AU where it isn't just the second Robin that dies, it's always Jason.

Damian is first - Bruce's actual son, who goes from Talia's training to peak angst Bruce and then escapes to become Nightwing, who grows up confident and smiles because why wouldn't he?

Then comes Steph, barely Robin for a year, only there because she needs support and the second Robin always brings out Bruce's optimism. She fakes her death but it's found out and she's okay, really, and she's on to Spoiler

Then Tim, who obsessively watched Damian and went so far as to date Steph to get closer, who Bruce adores, because he's two Robins in and he's soft now, and he's chatty and snarky and the darling of the League and he goes on to be Red Robin and everyone knows he's one of the most skilled fighters in the world

And then it's Jason. Jason, who's the fourth Robin, who's whole entire role is to be loved by everyone, because everyone knows Robin by now and Robin is always safe. and then he dies. he becomes Red Hood at 17, three years after he dies

And Bruce swears not to take another Robin, except Tim begs him to go to the circus, and when Bruce sees a black haired boy see his parents die, he doesn't have a choice. he's the most careful around Dick, so Dick grows up wary and quieter, because he's not just the baby of the family, he's the one who feels the aftershocks of Jason. no one is around.

Barbara is 14 when she gets shot, only Batgirl for two years, and she's given all the responsibility of Oracle a year later, because she has to. she saw Jason's death air on the news, she knows what'll happen to Dick if she can't help.

[spookyprime]

for the drawing requests, maybe something with reverse robins? :3c

I have many many many thoughts about how this would change things but I will leave them for now.

[lightning-mcquinn]

Big fan of the Reverse Robins AU because not only does Dick Grayson deserve a break from his eldest daughter syndrome but also imagine Dick Grayson as the baby of the family? He’d have them all wrapped around his finger.

[robintherobiner]

Batfams reaction to Tim coming out in my Reverse Robins AU:

Alfred: "Jolly good, dear boy. Next time you wish to tell me something, please simply knock on the door instead of hiding in my rose bushes."

Bruce: "Thats great. Would you like the list of queer spaces and groups I made for you? Yes I already knew you were bisexual, when you had a concussion you once told me you liked watching Looney Tunes: Back In Action because the main actors were both hot."

Damian: "Okay. I quite literally do not care who you date." *side-eye from Jon* "I mean, thank you for sharing this information, I am very happy for you."

Duke: "Cool, glad you figured that out, dude!"

Steph: "Saaaaame. You're still gonna die alone though. DON'T THROW THAT BOOK AT ME BITCH I'LL KICK YOUR BONEY ASS-"

Jason: "Why are you telling me this, I literally saw you kiss Bernard last week. Yeah I lied when I said I was watching TV. Congrats though, double chance to be rejected!"

Cass: "I know."

Dick: "Hi Bisexual, I'm Dick. WAIT DON'T LEAVE I HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO ASK! ... Why do you dress so bad if you've been in the closet so long?"

Barbara: "I'm happy for you and Bernard. Yeah. I hacked into your apartment cameras. Sorry. Not to you, I'm sorry for my eyes, I had to clean them with bleach."

[hello-eden]

Master post

Dc x Dp ideas

Fenton's work for LOA

Clone body misunderstanding

JL meets everlasting trio misunderstanding

Deaged Damien meets alt Bruce/Danny

Ancient royal family misunderstanding

Danny and Kon rise Elle/Dani

DID/twin misunderstanding

Dan is Ras

T!danny part 1

Danny is Damien

Danny and Damien time travel

Jason is Danny and Bruce's bio kid

Medieval misunderstanding

Tim! Danny and Ras! Vlad

Mara! Dani and Dan! Damien

Mother of evil Dani misunderstanding

Late to the prophesy

Dani is Kon

Amity Park illusions 

Selena, taila, Danny and Bruce used to be a squad

Fake villain Danny

Damian is phantom's human half

Jason is dan

Jason is Danny

Ambassador Danny

Sam is Damien

Tim is Danny

Danny is a clone of Hal Jordan and Bruce Wayne

Failed Danny clones bat kids

Vlad is Ras

Past life memories

Ghost magic

Dick and Danny have kids(Elle and dan)

Bernard is Danny

No memories

Batfam are fentons

De aged rebirth

Dick is dan

Pit madness

Danny as Janet drake

Phantom is Ras

Canon/Fanon batfam meets Mom Danny! Damian.

Danny is superman and Vlad is lex.

De aged core Damian

B!Danny

Danny is Selina

Danny and Damian co parenting

Safe Keeping

"Mom, Dad's Evil Again!"

Kon is reborn as a Danny clone

demon twins time travel

Tim in Danny's body

jump back

mean girl Dannies

reborn Danny/Damian is Danny again

Danny is Clark, Sam is Lois and Tucker is Lex

split danny and phantom LOA

Information broker Danny

danny is dick grayson

dan as Bruce and Danny as Damian

de aged dan interacts with heroes

Bart is Danny'

fake love triangle

sitcom normal

screaming into the night

Danny is Jon ken- crash landing

Fenton siblings are alternate bat kids

in the caves of Gotham

DC Prompt

dc reincarnation

hollow rebirth

Dead Tired

Scandal

One night stand baby

Second chance

Dead Serious

Pit demon Danny

Dani/Elle is Danny and Damien's kid

Dead on Main

Elle/Dani is Jason and Danny's kid

Crime boss Danny

Kids the sequel(Not connected to the other post)

gala friend

time travel with mom danny

T!danny Al Ghul au

part 1

part 2

sub au

sub au #2

sub au #3

Talia's nightmare

T!Danny meets Bruce

Damian meets Elle

quote of part 1

Reverse Robins au

first post

second post

DCxPJO Camp Oasis AU

part 1

part 2

part 3

[msfcatlover]

(yeah, it’s reverse!robins)

Damian: “Richard. As you are getting older, there is something we need to discuss.”

Dick, age 15: “Uhhh, if this is The Talk, I already got it.”

Damian: “…It’s not, but that’s good to know.”

Damian: “No, you are rapidly approaching the age where most of us graduated from our childhood mantles and set out to forge our own independent identities. No one will take your current mantle away, of course, but it is likely people will expect you to be brainstorming where you want to go next in your life. If you have any plans, costume ideas, or names in mind. That sort of thing.”

Damian: “Any of us would be happy to help you workshop future identities if you would like to. I just need you to promise me one thing.”

Dick, leaning forwards in his chair: “What is it?”

Damian, with a haunted look in his eyes: “If Timothy says he has name suggestions, light them on fire and run.”

[hyperblue]

okay but what if timkon clone baby au feat. reverse robins au. what then

[hypewinter]

Reverse Robins au got me by the neck right now but y'all know my one true love is dpxdc. So let's combine the two.

Just before a baby Dick is incorporated into the family, Damian comes across a very aggressive street orphan. He's very reminiscent of Jason in the way he's guarded and skittish. Damian hadn't meant to take the boy in, he promises. He'd heard enough "adopting might be genetic" jokes to last a lifetime. It just felt like if he left the kid, he'd be leaving Jason. Like he'd be abandoning him yet again. So he offered the boy some food. The plan was simple. Give the kid a warm meal maybe a shower, then set him up with the best Wayne approved foster family in Gotham. He hadn't expected the kid to fall asleep in the shower. Nor had he expected to carry him to bed. And he most certainly hadn't expected for the kid to subconsciously grab onto him as he was laying him down.

Still Damian tried to deny what was already in motion. He thought he could still remain detached enough to drop the kid off. His assassin's training hadn't taken that much of a backseat to his big brother instincts. But then when Damian tried to move away from the boy, he let out a whimper and whispered "don't leave me alone again."

Well shit. Shit shit shit. This was happening wasn't it? A kid way too similar to Jason asking not to be abandoned? Shit. His assassin's training really had gone out the window. He'd never hear the end of this. Oh this was a nightmare.

Damian ends up just sitting on the bed in defeat. He'd call up Alfred tomorrow but for now he had to make sure not to leave this kid's side. Not now or ever again.

[ghost-bxrd]

hi please I need this in my life rev robins tim adopting Jason is amazing I need whatever deets you got skskskisk

Here have some more bullet points! ✨

Instead of tires Jason happens upon a fancy drone Tim had stashed somewhere. He takes advantage of the situation (this kind of fancy tech sells for a thousand bucks at LEAST!), hot wires the thing, and takes off with it. Sadly, Jason misses the tracker so Tim sniffs him out within the hour, thinking Batman’s onto him (who else could have the knowledge to wire HIS advanced tech but Bruce?)

Tim kind of blue screens when he sneaks into Jay’s hideout and finds a malnourished kid nibbling on a piece of stale bread and the drone clutched in one hand

Jason thinks he’s done for when the new crime lord shows up. Like- that guy cut the heads off several people only a few days ago and- oh, oh god, he just stole from a crime lord. Oh no, oh shit-

Tim is still blue screening and thus totally misses that the kid went into fight or flight mode until the drone comes sailing at him and hits him clean in the face.

Jason, in his panic, jumps right out the window (death via fall is better than having his head cut off, or whatever else perverted thing the new crime lord is into)

Tim barely manages to react in time to keep Jason from plummeting several stories, having even more trouble dragging the kid back onto solid ground because the little shit actually tries biting him! (Tim is lowkey impressed)

Jason never stops fighting, managing some solid kicks and punches that Tim’s gonna feel for several days, and keeps spitting at Tim even after he’s finally got him pinned

Tim, after inspecting Jason’s handiwork on the drone and considering the kid’s fighting spirit (not to mention the ill seated realization that Jason might not make it much longer on the streets with how thin he is), knows that the kid is either gonna die or be picked up by Batman (or god forbid, Damian) if he finds out about the kid’s skills. So really, it’s a no brainer what Tim has to do now

Bruce and Damian think they’ll have to do another tally mark in the list of crimes Hood committed, now thinking not even street kids are safe from him

Jason’s not sure he likes this weird arrangement, but Hood turns out to be surprisingly young and doesn’t want him to do any weird crime stuff and actually teaches him things about tech, so… he thinks he’ll stay. For now.

(Tim spends exactly one week around the spitfire that is Jason and decides that, yes, he would kill everyone in Gotham and then himself if anything happened to him. Not that he’s gonna let anybody know that.)

[quadrantadvisor]

Multiverse, Reverse Robins au, 2,514 words

-

Jason (Red Hood)

The imposters are good, Jason will give them that.

They need to work on their looks, unfortunately, because each one of them is a little off. Their Nightwing is too bulky, and his costume isn't made with Dick's flexibility in mind. Besides that, he's got an undercut that doesn't match the shaggy way Dick has his hair now, and his blue is too dark. And the swords. Those are different.

Their little Robin looks more like Dick, actually, Dick as he was before Jason's time, with his happy grin and his bright yellow cape. He doesn't match Damian's style at all, and Jason wonders if their intel was out of date. He tucks away his anger (the way he's used to doing, now) at these bastards roping some little kid into whatever con they're trying to pull. They can help the kid after they subdue him, and he stops trying to flip-kick people in the face.

The Red Robin outfit isn't bad, but the guy playing him is way too tall to be Tim. He doesn't use a bo staff, either, clearly preferring the armory of sharp little implements he keeps tucked away in his utility belt, including a wicked looking combat knife.

Which brings Jason to the current pain in his ass, the idiot trying to pass himself off as the Red Hood.

Yeah, they'd split off into pairs to fight. First off, for practicality's sake. Less risk of friendly fire if the only guy you're trying to punch is the one who isn't you. And secondly, it's just what you do, isn't it? Somebody gives you a set up like this, you go along with the poetic justice. No bat is immune to drama.

Jason is regretting that a bit, now. Fake Hood had taken him for a ride, leading him, he now realizes, far away from the warehouse where Nightwing and Robin had initially called in the disturbance. This other guy isn't the powerhouse that Jason is, but that doesn’t matter if Jason can't ever get in a hit. His movements are precise, deadly, and familiar in a way that makes Jason suspect League training. Jason is keeping up, but barely, and that's with the advantage of his guns. The other guy hasn't touched his, still gleaming red in his holsters, and Jason has a sneaking suspicion that they aren't filled with rubber bullets.

They're at a bit of a stalemate, standing on opposite sides of a dark rooftop, and Jason's trying to catch his breath but he can't relax, not when his gaze is locked onto his opponent, waiting for the minute twitch of muscle that will indicate his next move. He's wondering if he could get a shot off, wondering where to aim, when his comm crackles to life.

“Stand down!” Tim snaps in his ear. “Hood, Wing, the alternates aren't currently a threat. Deescalate however you can, and get back to the warehouse. We can explain this whole mess there.”

“Really?” Nightwing asks. He goes on to say something else, something about his doppleganger being incredibly threatening, thank you very much, but Jason stops listening, because there's something going on across the roof.

A mechanically distorted voice says, “What? No, I'd be able to tell. This guy isn't-” The imposter(?) cuts off suddenly, presumably listening to a response.

And then he… giggles.

“That isn't funny, Red,” he says, in contrast to the little peals of laughter making him subtly shake. “You- you get how fucked up that would be, don't you?”

Jason can't figure out what to do. Tim's intel is almost always good, but he can't get himself to stand down, not when, for some reason, that laughter is setting his teeth on fucking edge.

(He knows the reason. He'd know that cadence anywhere, he hears it in his fucking nightmares, but it isnt possible. He's in Arkham, right now, because Batman won't kill him and Jason isn't allowed to kill him and that uncomfortable truce is what got him his family back. Jason would know if he'd broken out, they wouldn't have kept that from him. They wouldn't.)

“Oh shit,” Tim says, and it makes Jason wonder how he knows, “Hood, is your alternate having some kind of fit right now?”

The sound escalates, from breathy little giggles to screeching laughter, and even with the hood's distortion, it's unmistakable.

It's the Joker's laugh.

It's the Joker.

And isn't this exactly some shit that Joker would pull, making a mockery of Jason's family, a twisted parody that fucks with his head? Tim's lying, he's trying to get Jason out of this situation, and Jason gets why, he does, but obviously the rest of them can't (won't) protect him from this, so if he has to take fate into his own hands, he will.

The green is creeping up, but Jason doesn't let it haze over his vision because he has to be in his right mind while he does this, not for them, for himself. As he stalks across the roof, he empties the clip from one of his guns and pulls out the live rounds, loads them into place.

He thinks Tim is calling for him, maybe the others, too, but the chatter over the comm is getting further away the closer he gets to his target. He should be smart, should take the shot, but maybe he's got more pit in his head than he wants to admit, because Joker, still laughing, pulls a knife, and Jason steps into his range to disarm him.

The strike is fast, but compared to the careful movements of before, he's practically telegraphing his actions. Jason sidesteps, and if the blade knicks him when he twists Joker's arm, he doesn't feel it. He's got the clown in a hold, now, and forces him to his knees with the gun against his temple.

If the hood is anything like his own, the bullet won't do it, not even at point blank range. Jason would like to get it off him, would like to see the life leave his eyes, but he doesn't have to. Jason moves the barrel beneath his chin, right where the armor ends. The pit rages inside of him, says this is too easy, says to make him suffer. Jason pushes it down. This is the compromise he'll make, this is what he'll do to try to maintain both his humanity and his peace of mind. The bullet will ricochet off the hood from the inside, will tear through Joker's brain at least twice, and he'll never come back from that, and Jason will finally be free.

It'll be easy.

This is too easy.

“Nothing to fucking say?” Jason growls, jostling the clown in his grip, because there's always some joke, some shitty twist.

The Joker just laughs.

“Unhand him this instant!” someone snaps, and Jason's finger twitches but somehow the trigger stays still. And now what's he supposed to do, because of course fucking Nightwing- but wait, that isn't- but it is, he's right there- it's both of them, two Nightwings. Fucking fantastic. Twice the guilt trip.

“Come on, Jay,” the Nightwing who's actually Dick pleads, and hey, what the fuck, codenames? In front of the fucking Joker, Dick? “Let him go, we can explain everything.”

“I'm not doing this again!” rips itself from Jason's throat, and he'll think later about just how wrecked he sounds. “I'm not just standing here and letting him go, Wing, not when one bullet can put a stop to all this, not when I can end him.”

“Jason,” Dick says, slow with forced calm, “that's not the Joker.”

“Don't you fucking lie to me!” Jason seethes.

His hand is wrenched to the side, the barrel facing open air, and before he can make a move the unfortunately familiar feeling of a high voltage shock courses through him.

By the time he's stopped seizing, Dick is at his back, supporting him with his own body and with arms under his pits and around his chest in a weird reverse hug. Technically, Jason's hands are free, but they're empty, the gun skidded to somewhere else across the roof.

Dick is murmuring into his ear, “Sorry, Little Wing, I'm so sorry,” and, “You're okay, you're okay, you're okay,” mantras meant to soothe his brother as much as himself. Jason wants to be angry, wants to snap at him to let go and fucking cut it out, but he's feeling strangely disoriented. He only has enough brainspace to pay attention to one thing, and that's the scene playing out in front of him.

Dick had clearly hauled them back a few steps, but Jason is still uncomfortably close to the bastard version of Nightwing (who, Jason realizes in hindsight, had tazed him while he'd been distracted by his brother, not cool) and the laughing maniac he should've killed. Nightwing is holding onto Joker's shoulders, his hands bouncing as the gasping, shrieking laughter continues.

“I'm going to remove your helmet now,” Nightwing says. He has a slight accent that Jason knows he's heard before, and his tone is professional, almost clipped. And yet, somehow, Jason can tell that this is a gentled version of the man's voice, the sharpest edges sanded away. His hands move from Joker's shoulders to the back of his head, carefully inputting whatever sequence allows for safe removal of the hood. Jason hears a hydraulic hiss when some sort of catch releases, and as Nightwing starts pulling the red metal up and away Jason can't help holding his breath.

At first, he sees what he expected to see. It's the Joker's expression, after all, his laughing face pulled into a rictus grin.

But the grin isn't right, somehow. The man is pale, but his face is unpainted, and the smile stretches wide, too wide, wider than even the Joker ever managed, and after a moment Jason recognizes the red, raised scar tissue on either side of his mouth for what it is.

Then, Jason takes in the actual features of the person in front of him. Dark hair, pale blue eyes, the cheeks, the jaw, the nose.

It doesn't make any fucking sense.

The Red Hood, collapsed on his knees in front of him, scarred face bare with no hood or domino to protect him as he struggles under the weight of his own laughter, is Tim Drake.

He's crying.

Jason is suddenly glad that Dick's holding him, because he's certain that he'd be on the ground, otherwise. Then, he realizes that he can't breathe.

Jason knows, logically, that his hood has sensors and filters that keep him safer than he could ever be without it. It is only every once in a while, when something stupid happens, that he regrets that he, a man with claustrophobia, decided to stick his head into a metal bucket.

Dick can probably tell that he's hyperventilating, and doesn't fight him as Jason gets his hands on the back of his neck and pulls off his hood.

Jason gasps in polluted Gotham air, and Tim's eyes snap onto him. Nightwing says, “I'm administering the emergency dose of your medication,” and then stalls, like he's waiting for a response, but all Tim does is laugh and stare. Jason stares back. He can't look away.

Nightwing retrieves a small tubular device, almost like an epipen, and presses it against Tim's leg. That shouldn't work. Tim's wearing body armor, same as the rest of them, and there's no way a needle could pierce it, but Jason looks as Nightwing draws the device away and there's a small raised circle of hard plastic on Tim's thigh that the head of the device fits into perfectly, like it was designed for that purpose. An injection spot, built into Tim's clothing, specifically for whatever drugs fake Nightwing just pumped into him.

Immediately, there's a difference. He doesn't stop laughing, or smiling that horrible fucking smile, but the manic tension is gone. He doesn't look like he'll shatter at a touch anymore, too brittle to be handled. The curve of his spine gentles, muscles no longer pulling it to the point of snapping. Jason watches as slowly, oh so slowly, Tim gets quieter, leans more into Nightwing's hold on him, starts gasping more than laughing.

Dick is talking behind him, into his comm, it sounds like. If it's important, someone will get his attention.

Finally, Tim breaks eye contact. “T- tell him,” he says to Nightwing, struggling between gasps and giggles, “tell him what you, gave me. Jay doesn't, he doesn't like, needles.”

The strange Nightwing turns his head, and Jason gets the impression of a sharp, searching gaze behind his domino. He's nothing like Dick, not at all, but something niggles the back of Jason's mind, some sense of familiarity regardless. He tosses something, and Jason automatically reaches up to catch it.

It's the empty tube of medication, which does seem a lot like an epipen, up close. “It's a combination,” the man says. “The antidote for Joker venom, an antipsychotic, and a mild sedative.”

“What the fuck?” Jason hears from his own mouth as he looks down at the innocuous little tube.

“It's only used in emergencies,” Nightwing adds, and does not clarify any further.

Jason doesn't know what to say to that. He shakes himself out of Dick's hold and grabs an evidence bag out of his jacket. He watches Nightwing, to see if he'll object, but he doesn't. Jason slips the medicine tube inside the bag and tucks it away.

“There you are!” Dick says in a bright tone, one meant to cover his anxiety and relief.

Jason turns, and finds that their roof has gotten a little crowded. All four Robins have arrived, his brothers mingled in with their copies, copies who don't quite match in ways that are now sticking in his brain. Tim, Jason's Tim, is standing right there, pressing his mask against his face like he'd broken the seal on the adhesive, and it isn't sticking quite right. Other than that, he's normal. He's fine.

The Robin, the one in the classic colors who Jason had thought looked a bit like Dick (oh God, could that be-?) gives a little whistle. “Trust Red Hood to cause drama!” he says in a bright tone that is too too familiar (fuck, fuck he is). “Must be a universal constant.” He grins, cheeky, looking past Jason.

Jason isn't processing fast enough to be offended for his own sake, but he turns and checks on Tim, other Tim, the Tim who apparently also has a claim to the Red Hood name. Tim is propped up on Nightwing's shoulder, looking drowsy and relaxed. He's looking back at Robin, and his lips are pressed tightly closed, but he's smiling, and it reaches his eyes.

Alright, then. This is probably fine.

Jason snorts, to get the kid's attention, and rolls his eyes. “Comes with the job description,” he snarks.

The kid lights up. Jason feels distinctly weird, having that smile directed at him, but it's not… bad.

Yeah. This is fine.

-

I'm planning to add a reblog with more information on this au/fic idea, so if you're interested, watch this space.