#they get back to the cave to a dick grayson lecture on letting a sibling fight get in the way of a mission

[oncillabrigade]

Someday, Damian is going to outpace Tim height-wise. He'll be at least a couple inches taller, because Damian's parents are both tall(ish) while Tim has done everything in his power short of getting an Ed Elric-style arm to stunt his own growth.

Once that happens, Damian will uncover his greatest power of all, a power he had only dreamt of before now, a power possessed by Superboy himself. Because once Dami is even a centimeter over Tim's head, this will occur:

Tim: Nice try, [insert rogue name], but you've officially been busted by Red Robin and the boy wonder himself.

Damian: Why does your name come first?

Tim: I'm older.

Damian:

Damian: *opens mouth*

Damian: *draws the biggest breath of his life*

Damian: I'M TALLER!!!!!

Unfortunately for Damian, he is not Jon, and Tim is not ten, and therefore, Tim has a comeback.

Tim: Name a single culture where height is a basis for authority and we'll talk.

Damian is devastated. He lashes out. They have their biggest argument in years. It gets physical. It gets vicious.

And yes, the rogue does get away while they fight.

[not-back-to-this]

Headcanon

Tim has a habit of grabbing onto a small corner of peoples shirts when he’s walking with them no this isn’t inspired by the fact that I do this but he only does this with people he has a close connection with.

~Dick Grayson~

First time he did it to Dick, Dick just took it as a sign of affection and had no problem with Tim doing it

Dick asked Tim why he did then when they came back home and Tim said it was a sign of affection and just made him feel safe

Dick was really happy to hear that because even though he always knew that him and Tim have a close relationship he felt like they were slowly drifting away but now he has confirmation from Tim that they are still close and even closer now that Dick let’s it happen

Now Dick is super happy whenever he’s walking with Tim and he just feels the slight tug on his shirt

~Jason Todd~

First time he did it to Jason, Jay was super confused but he let Tim hold onto his shirt anyway

Later he asked Bruce why Tim did that and Bruce explained that Tim does that around people he’s close to and he feels safe around

Jason was super touched because that means after years of trying to make up with Tim after he tried to kill him Jason finally was able to get Tim to trust him and feel close to him

One time Jason and Tim got into a fight and Jason’s eyes got glowing with the Lazarus green Tim just calmly backed away and hid from Jason in his room

Jason was super pissed at himself cause he finally got somewhere with Tim and he just ruined it then he got the idea to try and take Tim to get ice cream and see how he felt after

Tim agreed to go get ice cream and as they were walking to the parlor Jason felt a significant absence of someone holding onto his shirt and so he gently grabbed Tim’s hand without saying anything and just gently rubbed his thumb against Tims hand as he was holding it to try and let Tim know that he was safe

After they got ice cream they sat on a bench and talked about the fight and other things and Tim told Jason that he forgave him but still wanted a little time before he fully felt comfortable around him and Jason said it was ok and Tim could take all the time in the world before he felt ok and Jason would be ok with that

It only took a week before Tim started holding onto Jason’s shirt again

~Damian Wayne~

Since Dami is shorter than Tim, Tim grabs onto the top of his shirt and walks with him like that

Damian was super annoyed with it at first and he thought Tim did it to treat him like a kid

“Do not grab onto my shirt, Drake. I am not a baby and I don’t need you to hold onto me.”

Tim felt sad that he couldn’t hold onto Damian’s shirt and show him affection like that and he didn’t really feel like explaining because he didn’t want Damian to make fun of him

Dick saw that Tim was down because of it and calmly explained to Damian that it wasn’t actually because he wanted to treat Damian like a baby but he did it because he trusted and liked Damian even though they fought a lot

Damian went to Tim in the cave and told him that he was ok with Tim grabbing onto his shirt

Dami secretly likes Tim holding onto his shirt because he also feels safe. He feels like someone has his back and he and Tim are finally in a good place. Also n the Red Robin series, Tim had a list of people he didn’t trust and kept and Damian was on that list and I just feel like Dami would be super happy to know that Tim finally trusts him. They still fight like hell though but thats just sibling love lmao

Tim does it a lot after Damian came back from the dead everyone notices it but Tim refuses to offer up an explanation

The reason is that Tim has an irrational fear that if he let’s go of Damian then Damian will die again but he feels like it sounds stupid so he doesn’t tell anyone why

~Bruce Wayne~

The first time Tim held onto Bruce was on patrol and they were walking walking to the batmobile

Bruce just climbed out of a building that exploded while Bruce was still in it and Tim was so scared that He wasn’t actually alive and him holding onto his cape made him feel grounded and it felt like Bruce was safe

Bruce asked him why he held onto his cape when they made it back to the cave but Tim didn’t say anything

Alfred asked Tim why he did that and Tim told him why he just generally liked holding onto people’s clothes

Alfred stitched Bruce up and gave him a good lecture on how he should be more careful especially since he has kids

Bruce walked into Tim’s room to talk to him and he found Tim crying on his bed while holding a picture of his parents

He hugged him and asked him what was wrong and Tim screamed

“You can’t leave too! You can’t! You can’t! You can’t! You’re all I have left, Bruce! I’ll be a better Robin I swear just please don’t die too!”

Bruce held Tim tight and told him he would be right by his side and he would be more careful from now on

He held onto Tim for about an hour and then they went into a movie room to watch Tim’s favorite movie and Bruce made sure Tim knew that he was already good enough

~Alfred Pennyworth~

Obviously Alfred was the first one Tim did it to. When he first came to the manor Alfred was there for him no matter what and so it feels right to have him be the first that Tim held onto

Tim thought that Alfred mighty been annoyed by it so he explained to Alfred why he did it and if he wanted him to stop he could

Alfred hugged him and told him he didn’t need to stop and he also didn’t need to explain anything to Alfred

[chimie-chat]

Open When...

Chapter 2: ... You’re Frustrated

(Read Ch1)

Just shut up!” Robin chucked a batarang with full force, the weapon barely passing by Nightwing’s head before striking the cave wall behind him, the blade wedging itself into the stone. The young teen was seething, anger flowing off of him as he glared at his older brother through his mask. 

The outburst had drawn the attention of the others in the cave as well. Cassandra and Duke, who had been enjoying post-mission snacks, paused mid-cucumber sandwich to turn their heads. Even Alfred, who had been passing around a tray of much needed coffee, halted what he was doing, more likely than not to avoid becoming the victim of a runaway blade. The only person who didn’t turn was Bruce ー of freaking course he didn’t ー who was inputting notes into the mission file at the main computer. 

Dick raised his hands in defence. “Woah there. Damian, calm downー” 

“No!” The thirteen year old ripped his mask off, before slamming it to the ground. “I didn’t do anything wrong! You know I didn’t. They know I didn’t!” He gestured towards the other member of Batman Incorporated, this sorry excuse for a family. “So why the hell can’t you just admit I did a good today?”

“There’s always room to improve, Damiaー”

“Improve, my ass!” He grit his teeth together. This was ridiculous. It had been a simple mission; pop into a warehouse, beat up some drug smugglers, turn them in to the proper authorities. Easy fucking peasy. He's gone, he followed orders perfectly. He didn't step out of line, didn't cross boundaries, even when it would have been so easy to. He was a perfect Robin today. Which meant this absurd lecture he was getting right now was not only out of line, but downright insulting. "What more could you possibly want from me, Grayson? I did everything you asked tonight, with zero complaints, and a miniscule margin of error. Just admit that I did good, and leave me alone!"

"Damian, it's not that simple."

"Like hell it is!" The teen snarled. He tore his gauntlets off his arms, throwing them both to the ground. Maybe it would prove a point. Maybe not. That was unimportant at this moment. Damian glared up, meeting his brother's eyes with a scowl on his face, before deciding this wasn't worth it. He knew he was in the right. "Forget this."

He didn't bother to stick around when Dick called after him. He didn't bother to see if his father was reacting in any way. Damian just left. He stormed out of the cave, as seemed to be the routine, fuming from the ears as he all but crashed his feet through the oak floorboards of the manor. Part of him secretly hoped he'd run into another one of his adoptive siblings so he could pick a fight. God, that's what he needed right now. He needed a fight. He needed to hit something; to smash something. He needed to grab his sword and turn every shrub and tree on this blasted estate into wood chips. Instead, Damian settled for slamming his bedroom door shut.

"Aaaaaaarg!" He let out a scream, and paced around the space. Part of his uniform rapidly flying all over the carpet, landing in random pieces of furniture, before he was left in nothing but his underwear. While the burst of anger hadn't exactly calmed him down, slipping into silk pajamas helped. Only slightly, but help was help. "Stupid Grayson." He muttered under his breath as he flung himself onto that king-sized bed. 

This sucked. 

Contrary to popular belief, Damian didn't like being angry all the time. It was exhausting. The chronic issue was that other people were simply infuriating, always catching his temper, setting him off in all the worst says. He was sick of it. 

By chance, be it out of a need for comfort, or the desire for a better way to breathe than face shoved into an overstuffed down pillow, the fourteen year old turned his head to the side, letting his eyes scan across his room; over furniture, his own art on the walls, until it eventually landed on his desk. More specifically, a colorful wooden box that was kept neatly tucked into the back corner of his desk. 

No. No it was stupid. There’s no way this could help…

Damian pushed himself up off his bed. This was ridiculous. He stepped over his desk, pulling the box closer to the edge and flicking the clasp open. He opened the lid and started flipping through the pile of letters his friend had left for him. 

Angry? No.

Crying? Definitely not.

Offended, embarrassed, hurt.

He didn’t know why he was even bothering, because there was truly no way there would be a letter forー

‘Open When… You’re frustrated’

Huh… That was unexpected. 

Damian took the letter and went back over to his bed, climbing into it and making himself comfortable before cutting the envelope open.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey Dami! What’s up buddy? You doing ok? Well… I guess probably not, huh? I don’t know what happened or nothing but I’m whatever it is is bugging you. And you know what? That’s pk ok. Sometimes you just got to let yourself feel all the crummy, upset, nasty stuff for a minute, and just let yourself be mad.

Dad tells me that when he gets all fustra frustrated that he’ll go for a fly around the world. I do that too now that I can fly! Before I could fly I couldn’t do that though. When Mom gets upset she usually starts reading those girl magazines from the grocery store. I think the trick is to just do something that calms you down! Something that makes you forget everything else in the world.

What makes you feel better, Damian? Other than training because I think you need to do something other than punching and sword fighting. Also… Usually you get frustrated after fights or missions that don’t go the way you want them to go so that probably wont help too much anyways. Maybe you need some ideas. I know you like music, and you like painting, and you like your animals. So maybe if you think about those three things then it will help you.

Did ya think of something? I hope so. I hate it when you’re upset.

Take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders. Let yourself be not happy for a bit, then go do something fun. You’ll be alright soon. I know you will.

You’re best pal,

Jon

P.S. Try not to take it out on people you care about. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Damian let out a breath, letting his arm fall to the side, taking the letter with it. He stared up at the ceiling, letting his brain just think everything over for a minute. As much as he loathed to admit it, Jon was right. He needed to get out of his head space for a moment. Damian let his eyes fall shut, and just… Well, he did what jon suggested. He focused on his breathing, letting his lungs fill with air, holding it for a little longer than he normally would, and letting it out. 

Something to do… Something to do… What could he do?

He let out a sigh, rolling inwards towards the center of the bed, and looked at the letter in his hand, before letting his eyes fall straight. They tuned in to his violin, hanging delicately from it’s wooden stand.

That would work.

[heartslogos]

executive assistant to the batman [56]

“Bold of you to assume you understand anything about Drake,” Damian says when he comes into the Cave looking stupidly put together for seven in the morning after a patrol that went on unit nearly three.

“You should be sleeping, Damian,” Dick says. Honestly, all of them should be asleep. Stephanie’s currently out in one of the empty med-bay gurneys. She came in, took one look at the stairs, swore quietly under her breath and threw herself in with a stern warning that if anyone so much as looks at her or breathes her name in the next twelve hours she’d personally  introduce her fist to their throat. “Don’t you have — “

Dick glances around for any sort of calendar that would ground him in time.

“Something?” Dick finishes lamely when he comes up with nothing. “Don’t you have something that normal teenagers do later today?”

“Are you implying that I have school, Grayson.” It doesn’t sound like a question. Damian finishes his descent down the stairs, wrinkling his nose as he passes by Jason and Cassandra, glancing towards the ramps that lead out to street-level. He rolls his eyes skyward like he’s tired of putting up with something when he sees Stephanie’s bike still crookedly parked in between Cassandra’s and Jason’s. “Don’t any of you have jobs to go to? Doesn’t Brown have a house to go to?”

Jason and Cassandra shush Damian violently, glancing back towards where the woman is sleeping.

“Why are you talking about Drake?” Jason asks instead.

“Because you were making a very bold assumption and I am here to warn you that you are wrong,” Damian says. “Did any of you even shower after you changed? Disgusting. I expected more from you considering you’re all attempting to pretend to be role models for me. Cain. Even you?”

Cassandra puts her head down on her folded arms, turning away from him. Jason glares at their youngest sibling.

“Look, it’s seven in the morning, we just came in at four because B sent you in early because you’re the baby — “

Damian’s eyebrow twitches violently but somehow he refrains from interrupting. That doesn’t — in Dick’s eyes that doesn’t bode well because if Damian’s refraining there’s a reason. The odds are heavily tacked against them in that reason being good.

“ — so you can’t just come in here and lecture us about how much we look like human garbage.”

Silence.

“Why aren’t you arguing back,” Jason asks, eyes narrowing, body stiffening. Dick doesn’t know if he’s preparing to run or preparing to fight. Dick’s eyes flick towards the ramps. His own bike is neatly stored away but if Stephanie’s out cold he can probably steal hers. Or. He could grab one of the cars. “Damian. What did you do.”

Damian smirks, “I didn’t do anything, Todd. You’ve a very suspicious mind, did you know that? You’re become more like Father every day.”

Jason gags.

“One. I do not have school. I did have an appointment later today, but I’m late.”

“Why do you look so happy to be late and to have missed something you were supposed to do,” Jason asks, eyes flicking around like that’s going to help him spot the truth of what’s about to descend upon them.

Dick stands up and starts making his way towards the cars. Cassandra’s leg shoots out and if it was anyone but her he’d have been able to dodge, but he ends up falling and almost braining himself on the cave floor. He kicks her. She lets him, but traps his leg with hers. He’s stuck here with the rest of them.

“At last one of us should survive whatever happens next,” Dick hisses at her. “It’s like how there’s always a designated survivor in case the President, VP, and Attorney General die.”

“Dick. I don’t know anything about the government.”

“Two, one of you was supposed to take me to that appointment.”

Jason turns to them. “Do any of you know what he’s talking about right now?”

“If I did do you think I’d be here?” Dick replies.

“Three,” Damian speaks over them. “It is not seven in the morning.”

They all stare at him.

Damian’s smirk could have been stolen from the Devil himself.

“It’s two in the afternoon,” Damian says. “You must have all passed out when you came in.”

“No.” Dick shakes his head, struggling to at least get onto his knees with Cassandra’s legs maintaining their strangle hold on his. “No.”

“I don’t crash like that,” Jason says. “I mean, I do crash. But not like that. I would know.”

They look at Cassandra.

“Why do you think time holds any meaning to me?” She asks serenely.

“Someone came to fetch me as they were concerned when I, quite uncharacteristically, failed to show for my eleven appointment.” Damian’s head tilts and the Cave’s system chimes the alert that means someone is entering through the elevator passage.

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes,” Damian corrects. “As I said. Bold of you to assume that there was any place Drake would consider sacred enough to not go to to get what he wants.”

The three of them scramble. Well. Jason and Dick attempt to, Cassandra’s snagged them both.

They’re both dressed, down, but they all look like trash and they have no idea how —

Tim’s avoided the open secret of knowing for a very long time. He’s procured them weapons, suits, false identities, provided support from W.E. when they’ve been abroad, thrown up elaborate cover stories for them, and blatantly lied and obscured the truth in their favor at the drop of a hat for them. He’s driven the Batmobile before.

But they have no idea how he’s going to react to the Cave.

“How did he even know how to get down here?” Jason asks.

Damian hums, kicking out a chair to drape himself into in order to watch the bloodbath that’s about to begin. “He asked me to go check the antique clock since he was worried that perhaps I was late because it had fallen behind.”

“Where’s B? Surely B’s pissed him off enough at some point this week that he can unload on that first?”

“Father, as a capable adult with a driver’s license, left for his appointment on time hours ago. Good luck getting him to take the fall for this.”

The Cave system chimes that the elevator has arrived at the top of the stairs and seconds later they hear Tim Drake’s voice bellowing down and echoing throughout the Cave.

“Time might be a fake construct but it’s part of the social contract. If I don’t have one of you up here with an explanation of how you can be three hours late to your own event I’m going to have the event moved over to your front yard. You have to the count of ten.”

[huilian]

Declarations of Love

Characters: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Damian Wayne, Duke Thomas, Bruce Wayne

Summary: Bruce could not say his love to his children. Thankfully, Cass was there to interpret.

A/N: I got the idea from @oh-mother-of-darkness headcanon. The original post is here http://oh-mother-of-darkness.tumblr.com/post/166944226136/reasons-to-be-happy-today-one-night-after-a . It’s a bit different from the original hc, so i hope you don’t mind, hehehe. 

(I should be studying biology. I wrote this instead…)

It was the case. That was what Dick said to himself to excuse Bruce’s behavior. Arkham inmates all broke out, again, so the tension was high. They were all exhausted, stressed out, and just generally ready to crash.

But in reality, Bruce has been doing that for years, now.

It was not always like that. In Dick’s first years as Robin, Bruce was not like this. Sure, he’d snap at him from time to time, but it was never unwarranted. He had almost always done something stupid enough to warrant the lecture. And Bruce always comes to him a few hours later, saying things like how much Dick meant to him and how he couldn’t handle losing Dick. Not in so many words, of course, where’s the fun in that, but Dick got the gist. Moreover, Bruce will sometimes, sometimes, if he was good enough that day, smile at him and patted him on the shoulders. That always meant ‘I’m proud of you, chum’.

The younger ones never saw that Bruce. Tim, Steph, Cass, Damian, and Duke only ever saw a Bruce that was already broken from losing Jason. And Jason? Well, Jason was special. He knew Bruce can be kind and loving, but those memories were clouded by Bruce’s actions after he returned.

In his heart, Jason will always have that part of him that was a Gotham street kid. That part will never be able to trust anyone who had hurt him, because in the streets of Gotham, trusting someone who had turned on you once will result in your death. And Bruce had hurt Jason countless of times.

Bruce kept snapping at everyone. At Dick for not watching his back, at Jason for using excessive force, at Tim for crashing in the middle of the case, at Steph for not being fast enough, at Cass for not being quick enough to work the evidence, at Damian for running off alone, and at Duke for not obeying his orders in the field. None of it was warranted.

So Dick was not surprised to see Jason and Steph grumbling under their breath. Nor was he surprised to see both Tim and Damian glaring daggers at Bruce’s cowl. Duke was relatively new, and therefore hasn’t had a trademark response to Bruce’s sudden anger lapse. He would in a few more months, though.

The moment Bruce finished his lecture and went out the room, the shouting started. Honestly, Dick was surprised they could hold it that long.

“Enough with the excessive force, Jason. Stop shooting at criminals, Jason,” Jason said in his worst Bruce imitation. Dick knew that Jason can do a more or less spot on impersonation of Bruce, so this was deliberate.

“You need to be fast enough, Stephanie! You’re not good enough, Stephanie!” Steph said while making bat ears with her fingers. “Do as I say. Why? Because I’m Batman!”

“This lunatic need to be brought back unharmed, Jason,” Jason continued. “Fuck it, they deserve what they got.”

“Yeah, maybe tone it down a bit, Jay?” Tim said. “My bike’s full of bullet holes and I just finished tuning it up. I’m going to have to do it again.”

“Fuck you, Replacement.”

“Nobody cares about your bike, Drake.”

“Hey!” Tim retorted back.

“I mean, I get that he does this whole lecturing thing out of love for us and all, but he could stand to show it,” Steph said before it can turn into an argument about Red Robin’s bike.

“It would be nice to get a positive feedback once in a while,” Duke said from the side of the room. “I mean, I’ve been here almost three months and I’ve never heard him say something positive about any of us.”

“Just three months? Try four years,” Steph replied.

“Try six,” Jason said.

“Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever heard him say 'I love you’ to any of us?” Steph said.

Duke shook his head. Tim took a moment to think but eventually shook his head. Jason simply grimaced. “Like he would ever stoop so low.”

“But he says that a lot,” Cass said. Dick turned his head to see Cass better, and he could see that Cass was confused with the whole conversation. She had this frown that meant she knew something others don’t, but can’t find the words to express it.

“What? He never says that, Cass.” Steph frowned.

“Yeah, Cass. He never actually says that to any of us,” Tim added.

“No. He says that a lot.”

Dick knew where this was going. Cass read body languages. She read Bruce’s and considered it as valid as a spoken declaration. But that was not the case with the rest of them. Dick himself could only read the hidden love in Bruce’s gestures by years of exposition to the man himself and the fact that he used to say it more clearly.

“Not verbally, Cass, he doesn’t,” Dick interjected. If he didn’t then this whole thing would go round and round, and it would be hours before the resulting argument would be finished. “As far as I can recall, he never says that verbally.”

“Ha! Goldie’s been here the longest and even he never heard Bruce said it,” Jason said.

“No. He says it a lot.”

“Cass, not verbally, okay?” Dick smiled at her. “It’s late and we’re all exhausted. So, let’s just leave this for the night and go to sleep. We can argue this again in the morning when we’re all rested.”

Cass looked at him with a disbelieving expression, but eventually relented to put the issue down for the night. Dick was sure that it would come up again.

Well, that’s a problem for another day. Right now he needed the rest.

***

Cass knew that Bruce said he loved them lots of times. The others just didn’t understand the language that Bruce used. So it’s up to Cass to show them all the times Bruce said it.

Just you wait. By the time Cassandra finished, all of them were going to be fluent in Bruce’s language of love.

***

Cass’ first chance came with Damian. Cass had been spending more time at the Manor and accompanying various of her siblings to patrol just so she could show them when Bruce said his 'I love yous’. Apparently, that night was a Dynamic Duo night, and Robin was patrolling with Batman. It was the perfect situation for Bruce to say it. Cass was almost giddy with excitement.

She was right. Just before they went out, Batman pulled Robin close and adjusted his cape. His whole body screamed 'I love you’. The way his shoulders hunched up a fraction of a centimeter, the way Bruce didn’t have eyes for anything else except for the cape he was adjusting, and the way he tilted his head. All of it was very miniscule, but Cass could read it loud and clear. Damian didn’t seem to realize it though.

That just won’t do. Cass walked towards Damian just after Bruce finished, and whispered to his ear, “There.”

Damian looked up to her with a bewildered expression. Cass just smiled.

***

Next it was Tim and Dick. She was up in the rooftops with them, winding down after patrol when Batman came by. They were laughing and fooling around, play-fighting with each other. (Not sparing. Sparing is when you put all of your skills and fight with the other person. This is play. This is safe.)

Cass watched as Tim got tackled to the floor by Dick, and then promptly got tickled. Dick was laughing, Tim was laughing, she was laughing. After they were both tired of laughing, Dick pulled Tim up to his feet and started striking ridiculous poses. As flexible as Dick was, he had a lot of it in his repertoire.

Then Tim followed suit. Between the two of them, they made Cass laugh again. She almost missed Bruce landing on the rooftop. Almost.

Both of them realized that Bruce was there too, it seemed, because they changed their poses from ridiculous to exaggerated. The kind of exaggerated that Batman could sometimes be.

Cass hid a smile when she realized that Bruce was rolling his eyes. There it was. His love was pouring out in spades to these two boys in front of him.

“What do you think, Red? Was it good enough for the Batman?” Dick asked with laughter hidden in his voice.

“Oh, I don’t know, 'Wing. He is usually much more melodramatic than this. We could never hope to compare.”

All of them heard the huff of Bruce’s breath and the thud as he jumped from that rooftop to another. Cass approached Dick and Tim.

“There,” she said.

Dick looked at her with a smile and a knowing glint in his eyes. Good. He knew already. Tim, on the other hand, looked skeptical. It didn’t matter. Cass would convince him.

***

Steph’s  chance came when she was using the Cave to train. She was doing drills and then sparing with the training program. Bruce was going through a case on the computer. Cass was reading a book that Jason recommended to her. It was quite good.

“Put that arm up a bit, Stephanie,” Bruce said, not even looking to where Steph was. Steph huffed, but complied. She did much better in the training program afterwards.

After the program stopped and Steph was taking a break, Cass put down her book and approached Steph. “There,” she whispered.

Steph snorted, but her eyes looked thoughtful. There was hope for her yet.

***

Duke, even though she didn’t know him quite as well yet, seemed to be the one most in need of an encouragement. He was new here, and didn’t know Bruce quite as well. So, Cass made sure to follow him around the Manor and the Cave.

Bruce was more closed off around Duke. He was unsure if he was permitted to love this child that had loving parents and happy family before this. He was unsure if he was permitted to give affection to this boy who had lost so much because of his failures. So he kept to himself around Duke, only interacting when absolutely necessary.

It eventually came, though. Duke was reviewing his toxin knowledge and quizzing himself about it when his stomach growled. He looked alarmed at that, as though he would be reprimanded because of it.

Bruce didn’t say anything. Just grabbed a granola bar from his utility belt and handed it over to Duke. Duke was shocked at the gesture.

Cass smiled. She went over to Duke’s workspace and poked him to get him out of his shock. He jerked his head to Cass and she said, “There.”

***

Jason’s turn came on patrol. Of course it would. He and Bruce never see each other outside of patrol, these days. Since it was only Jason whom Cass hasn’t told yet, she followed Red Hood’s patrol route for several days.

It took a lot of time and patience. Jason avoided Bruce, and Bruce avoided Jason. But in Gotham, you will encounter the Batman sooner or later, even if you’re the Red Hood.

They were on a case. Drugs. Explosives. Children involved. The kind of case that Red Hood would always take. They were already at the end of the case, just a last fight to close down the operation.

Cass simply watched. The two of them had it handled. They did not need her. She was content to watch. Then one of them got a little too close to Jason for Bruce’s comfort.

The Batman went ballistic on them. By the end of that fight, there were none of the thugs that would be able to walk the next day.

“Thanks, but no thanks for the help. I had it handled.”

Batman simply grunted. And got out of the scene hastily.

Cass dropped down from her hiding spot and tapped Jason on the waist. “There.”

Jason cursed. “You couldn’t have helped, Black Bat?”

“You had it handled,” she said.

“I would much rather have you than the big bad bat.”

“Can’t you see? It was there.”

“Huh? What was there?”

With Jason, you need to be blunt. Being subtle would only make him trust you less. “He loves you.”

“Yeah, right.”

“He does.”

Jason picked up all the gear he had dropped during the fight. “Nice chatting with you, but I need to get going. See you around, Black Bat.”

“He does, Hood. You’ll see.”

***

Cass was used to this. She was used to fighting, and she was used to winning the fight. So when Bruce did that to her just because she had incapacitated three person, she was a little surprised.

It was not unwelcome, though.

She smiled at Bruce. By all means, it shouldn’t be visible from under her cowl, but she knew Bruce can see it. Bruce returned the smile. (Not by actually smiling. He wouldn’t be Bruce if he did. But Cass can read it, and that was all that matters.)

It was enough.

***

-

[hellsbellssinclub]

Broken Nest for Broken Birds. Part 3

Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3

Read it on AO3

Summary:

Dick Grayson. Jason Todd. Timothea Drake. Stephanie Brown. Damian Wayne.

All five were Batman’s birds. All five are broken in their own little ways.

Bruce Wayne struggles to keep his family together while keeping his more volatile children calm and feeling secure within their place in the family. But that is not an easy thing to do when you have five young adults with all very different needs that demand to be met and when you have your own issues to deal with.

*Follows the different Robin’s and Bat’s stream of consciousness as they deal with their day to day lives and try to figure out how to be a family together.*

Part 3. Dick Grayson. Age 22.

Unresponsive. Broken like a marionette puppet without her strings. Timmy looked like she has watched a world implode and she could have done nothing to save it while she sat in a space shuttle, safely away from the blast zone.

He should have been there, seeing Timmy home after they had been on patrol together with B. He should have made sure she was safe and well and that she had not been alone, especially after Bruce gave her that lecture and half about safety and not taking risks.

But he had left her. Gone and followed Bruce’s Orders once again and now he was looking down at the broken and exhausted face of the girl who was his baby sister. It wasn’t hard to imagine her on the ground, head twisted in an unnatural angle with blood around her head like a fucked-up halo.

He let her fall. He didn’t catch her. He wasn’t there to catch her. He had gone back to the cave like a good little Robin because he was Ordered to and now…

Dick felt lost as to what to do. He had failed another sibling. He was a terrible big brother. First Jason and now Timothea. She hasn’t spoken a word since she finished screaming and was she would only drink the tea that Dick had Alfred make, the one that Jason suggested before he took off on his bike, when Dick placed the cup against her lips. He wished he could be there alongside Jason. Away from the Manor and away from the biting feeling in the back of his throat that this was his fault for not being there with Timmy when she had finished patrol.

Timmy wasn’t doing anything much now that she stopped screaming her lungs out. Just breathing little choked and wet sobs under her breath. No more tears. She was still shaking and giving full body shudders as if she was in a snowstorm or the biting rain that Gotham has in winter time. Shock, most likely. Or the grief. Timmy wasn’t that close to her Dad or Step Mum but Dick knew she loved them. Seeing them dead like that… no child should ever see their parents like that. It is mentally scaring and destroying.

He should know. He still hasn’t gotten over his parents. Neither has Bruce or anyone else he knows who have found or saw their parents get killed. The Superhero community is full of heroes who have lost their parents or watched them get murdered. They even had made different clubs so that people could go and talk about their trauma and shit.

Not that any of the other Bats have ever gone to one of those clubs. Bruce is too fucking scared to admit his trauma of seeing his parents get shot when he was eight and is always high-key terrified that someone is going to turn on him because his Post-Traumatic Hypervigilance makes him to paranoid to trust anyone with his feelings. Jason was still on the outs with pretty much everyone. No one was sure how to approach the former dead Robin and he wasn’t inclined to go to any of the clubs anyway. Jay never had been in his first life and the sentiment was the same in this one too.

Dick had gone once, when he was still Robin. He didn’t go back again for another meeting. He never wanted to talk about what happened with his parents and looking back he probably should have tried. Really, he blames Bruce for his lack of healthy coping skills because all he ever learned really while living in the Manor was that unless it was all about to explode and end up with him hurting himself or someone else than Bruce was going to avoid the hell out everything and pretend that it was all normal.

And Timmy, poor little Timmy never qualified for any of them before now. She was as normal as one could possibly get before all this. She was just an average kid who wanted to do some good and she did. But at what cost? She lost all three of her parents, has been shot, stabbed and has nearly been murdered so many times in the past three years and Dick wanted nothing more than to go back in time and to tell the small girl who had come up to him with hopeful eyes that she should get lost and forget everything. That it wasn’t worth it at all.

But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t. Besides all of the time related bullshit that would go with changing the timeline, Dick was selfish enough to say that he did not want to let the young girl go at all. He wanted her to stay. He wanted her and Jason to get along and for them to both be siblings without having to fear that Jason’s Pit Madness or whatever it was didn’t flare up and he wanted for Bruce to be surrounded by everyone who cares for him.

If wishes were fishes Dick would be able to open his fish market and make a lot of money, that was for sure.

Running a wet, warm cloth over Timmy’s face only got him a blink or two. She wasn’t reacting to anyone now. She just sat there, in the blood-stained clothes Bruce all but wrangled her into before the cops arrived at her house. She needed to change. To get out of the bloody mess and into something clean.

“Okay Tiny-Tim. Let’s get you out of these clothes and into the shower.” He doesn’t speak loudly, not wanting to startle the young girl out of whatever shock she was in.  

The lights are on but no one is currently home in Timmy’s mind right now. Looks like they are just going to have to call back later it seems. She wasn’t reacting or moving on her own. With the help of Bruce and Alfred, Dick was able to strip her out of her clothes and get her into the shower. There were wounds, fresh and painfully wounds all over her pale body. Some must have been from patrol because the stitches on her hips looked fresh and painful. And broken. He would need to fix that.

He knew that Tim’s team was downstairs and that Oracle had called them all as soon as the call came through that all the Drakes were dead. He knew that they were all there and were all waiting desperately to see Timmy. But Dick didn’t want them near her. She was fragile and needed to be handled with care. He knew that they all just wanted to help her and that was good. The overwhelming need to comfort a friend in need is what makes them all good people. Makes them the caring and thoughtful heroes they are.

But Timmy didn’t need any of them right now. She didn’t need them crowding her or being in her space. She needed family. She needed Dick and Bruce and Alfred and Jason when he has calmed down and maybe Cass and Steph because they were all family and that was all Timmy needed.

He knows he should not be thinking like that. Possessiveness was a terrible trait that he needs to let go of but it is hard, so very hard not to kick everyone out of the Manor and keep Timmy safe and isolated away from anything that could harm her. He shouldn’t be having these thoughts and he knows, he really does know, that these thoughts only happen because he lost Jay and he doesn’t know how to deal with that guilt even now that Jay was alive and here with them and-

And he needed to calm down. He needed to stop and think and act like Nightwing, the leader and big brother. He cannot afford to act like Dick Grayson here. Dick Grayson was a human disaster and won’t be able to help his sister right now if he starts acting like a self-centred idiot.

Still, looking down at her all but hanging loosely in his arms as he dried her off and sat her down on the large tub so that Alfred could redo those broken stitches, Dick just couldn’t help those feelings of possessiveness overwhelm him. And by the look on Bruce’s face, he was feeling it too.

Timmy was their Baby Bird. The one the adored and wanted to protect all the time because she was just so weak and small and Dick knew in his head that she was a force to be reckoned with these days and that she was well on her way to becoming an A list hero.

But in his heart, he still saw her as the baby faced little twelve-year-old girl who he taught how to throw a decent punch. She was the little sister he had always wanted when he was younger and still with the circus. He adored her and loved her completely.

And he did know that some of that love came from guilt. Guilt that he hadn’t been the best big brother he could have been to Jason because he had been angry at Bruce at the time. He had been so angry that Bruce had taken his Mother’s name for him and had given it to Jason without his permission that he had taken it out on Jason, rather than Bruce. And after their first and terrible meeting, Dick had known that he had forever fucked up his and Jay’s relationship.

If he had not have died, Dick believes that they may have eventually gotten along properly. That they would have worked something out. But Jason died and then he had a small, excited child who looked up to him and he couldn’t, wouldn’t let himself fuck it up like he did with Jason.

So, Nightwing became the always the cool, calm guy who is everyone’s big brother. At least to the younger generation that is. To his own team and friends, he was allowed to be a normal person with normal emotional outbursts. But since taking on being the younger teams ‘den mother’ and all-round mentor and big brother to Timmy, he has forced himself to be this person that doesn’t get angry easily.

Which is you know, absolute bullshit. Everyone calls Jason the Angry Robin but anyone with half a brain knows that Dick is the Angry Robin. The Robin that rages and explodes and leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. At least Jay has a reason for his anger. The Pit fucks with people’s minds and the trauma he went through with dying really did give Jaybrid a reason to lash out. Dick just gets angry and fucks shit up before someone calms him down.

He knew that Timmy didn’t feel like they loved her, especially since taking Jason back in. But they did love her. They love how she stumbled down in the morning after a long case or patrol and would look at them sleepily before stealing Bruce’s coffee. They loved how she would get excited about small little things and would ramble on and on until she blushes and stops because she realises that she is still talking. They love her enthusiasm and joy and how brilliant she is.

They love her. All of them do.

And watching her sit numbly on the edge of the bath, barely twitching or moving as the stiches go through her skin, broke their hearts.

One of them would have go downstairs soon and tell Timmy’s team to go home for the night and come back tomorrow evening. They needed to get some clothes for Timmy for the next few days, seeing as she only had over night clothes in the Manor. Bruce needed to send a few messages to his lawyers about getting custody of Tim.

There was so, so much that needed to be done. And Dick didn’t want to leave Tim’s side at all. His Baby Bird was hurt and needed help and the guilt was just eating him inside, telling him that it was his fault that she had to face this alone when he could have been there with her but he had not and-

And he would not be any help his sister, father, brother or grandfather if he let himself fall apart right now. There was work to be done and the quicker he gets it done, the easier it would be on all of them.

He may have given Jay three days to go and find out what he could but Dick would be damned if he doesn’t go out and help the younger man search. With the rage and guilt rising like bile in the back of his throat, Dick could say honestly that he was looking forward to beating some heads in. And to leaving the oppressive atmosphere of grief and pain that was seeping into the Manor’s walls.

But that will wait. Right now, there are jobs to be done. The jobs won’t ease the guilt or rage like a good ass kicking would, but they were necessary and needed. Alfred and Bruce can look after Timmy for a few hours or so while he does these few jobs.

He isn’t running away.

(He isn’t.)  

[thelittleredheadedmusician]

Gotham City Ghostbusters 7

Detention Education

ao3

Next Chapter | Previous Chapter

A/N: Rough Ages: Dick- 18, Senior Barbara- 18, Senior Jason- 17, Junior Duke- 16, Junior Cass-17, Sophomore Harper- 15, Sophomore Steph- 15, Sophomore Tim- 14, Sophomore Damian- 12 1/2, Freshman

Tim was so thankful that the universe or whatever had finally decided that he deserved some good luck. After dealing with Damian all summer and listening to how the little snot was skipping grades for the entire month of August he was afraid that Damian would end up being in his class. The joke was on the kid though because Tim himself had skipped a grade a couple years ago and was currently attending Gotham Academy as a Sophomore. Damian was only a freshman.

What was even better was that despite her low reading level Cass was only bumped back to being a Sophomore rather than being a Junior like Jason. This meant that Damian wouldn’t be having many classes with her either but Tim would. Making Damian extremely jealous as Cass was the only sibling besides Dick that he seemed to even tolerate.

Of course his luck wouldn’t hold out as he was currently sitting in detention next to the twerp. On the first day. Bruce was going to lecture and Alfred… was going to put his disappointed face on and not bake cookies for a month. Especially as Tim watched as Jason sauntered in, followed closely by Dick, Cass, and Babs.

“What’re you in here for Timmy?” Dick asked curiously.

Tim shrugged and replied sheepishly, “Got caught using the school WiFi to hack into S.H.A.D.E. records.” Dick gave a low whistle before chuckling and shaking his head.

The eldest then turned to Jason, taking in the split lip and growing bruise under his eye. “Jay?” he asked simply.

Jason flopped down into the desk on the other side of Tim. “Some jerkwads decided to try and steal Rose’s sketchbook. I wouldn’t let ‘em,” he said with a shrug.

Dick turned a questioning look to Cass as she weaved her way over to perch on Barbara’s desk. “Helped,” was all she said as she hopped up, deftly avoiding the crutch propped against the desk top. Tim wasn’t surprised at the statement but compared to Jason the only thing that indicated the lithe girl had been in a fight was her disheveled black bob.

“Dami?” Dick turned a grin on the youngest who glared petulantly back.

Finally, he deigned it was time for a response, “-tt- I called my teacher an imbecile and rightly so.” His small round nose lifted as he crossed his arms and mimicked Bruce’s infamous glare.

“What about you two?” Jason gestured between Barbara and Dick, a wicked smile growing as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Dick’s face flushed as his expression darkened and Barbara’s skin was nearly the same shade of red as her hair. “Next time get a room!” he cackled.

Tim raised his eyes heavenward as he heard Dick mutter “We did.” Cass grinned, Barbara face palmed, and Jason’s laughing doubled.

“Gordon! I had not realized you were such a harlot. Grayson on the other hand,” Damian sneered. Babs grabbed her crutch and looked about ready to pummel Damian when the door swung open once more.

A girl with a bright blue and purple undercut walked in followed by a blonde and an African-American boy. Catching sight of Jason he walked over and the two performed an overly complex handshake before Duke asked what happened to Jason’s face and he had launched into an elaborate retelling.

Stephanie sauntered over and plopped herself on Tim’s desk with a cheery “Hiya Timbo!” Her hands and a good deal of her forearms were covered in purple paint. Without thinking he went to pull a glob of it from her hair. He paused and blushed nearly as deep as Barbara had earlier and instead said, “You have paint. In your hair.”

She frowned and began trying to work her fingers through the stuck-together strands. “Harper,” she whined at the blue-haired girl. “You promised me I wouldn’t get it in my hair again!”

Harper shrugged before once again turning her back on the Waynes, Barbara, and the two she walked in with. “Why, exactly are you covered in paint and in detention?” Tim asked his friend.

Steph gave an exaggerated eyeroll before sticking her thumb at Harper. “Ask her. She’s the one in charge.”

“Harper, you can trust these guys. I can vouch for them,” Duke said honestly. Duke was a really nice guy and like Barbara and Steph had become a semi-permeant fixture at the manor. He and Jason had been in English together the year before and Duke was one of the only people who had not been wary of Jason following his possession. They had quickly bonded over a mutual love of poetry.

Harper spun back around in her seat. “Oh yes,” her voice dripped sarcasm. “The Wayne Bunch and the police commissioner’s daughter. Because they’re not going to rat.”

“Harper, you’d be surprised,” Steph said sincerely. Tim glanced around at his other siblings. None of them seemed to know what was going on either.

Harper sighed and relented, getting up and perching on the back of her chair to face them fully. “The school is lying about the ‘wards’. I worked here all summer as part of my scholarship-”

“We all did,” Duke added.

Harper nodded and continued, “Not once did I see any wards, from Wayne Tech, Luthor Corp, Kord Industries, Q Corp, or Palmer Tech. Not even a trace of the kind I make for the people in my building out of scraps. The only ‘wards’ here is that mystical mumbo-jumbo crap that the Court of Owls must have sold ‘em when the school was built.”

Tim’s mind whirled as he thought of the implications of that. Dick was on the same train of thought as he said, “So it’s false advertising saying this is the most secure school in Gotham.”

Barbara pursed her lips, “Not to mention illegal. All schools, hospitals, and public buildings are required to have wards.”

Looks of frustration and annoyance settled onto the faces of his siblings as Tim looked back to Harper. “So what did you guys do?”

She smirked, “Protested. Looked up some of those old runes and painted them on the side of the school.”

“In bright purple,” Stephanie added proudly.

“Except Duke decided to slack off on being look-out and we got caught,” Harper leveled an annoyed look on her friend who shrugged.

“And made me get covered in paint,” Steph mumbled and Tim couldn’t help but to laugh softly at her.

“Dickhead,” Jason called to their older brother. “You do know what this means?”

Dick nodded, “That a lot of people are in a lot of danger.”

“This is one of the oldest buildings in Gotham and if it hasn’t had proper wards for, well forever, then we’re in big trouble,” Tim added. “Not to mention any involvement by the Court of Owls…” He trailed off with a shake of his head.

“Explains lots,” Cass said, her large brown eyes studying the others.

“Heck yeah it does. I swear I saw something in the girl’s bathroom on the third-floor last year,” Steph added.

“-tt- I bet our presence doesn’t help,” Damian said as he wrinkled his nose.

“But we could help? Or at least you guys could. You’re the ones with access to Wayne Enterprises,” Duke added nervously.

Jason scoffed, “Our ‘access’ is none existent. Especially since B decided to bench the lot of us.”

“We still have access to the cave. And I’ve got my escrima sticks,” Dick said slowly.

“And I can make stuff. I do already,” Tim looked at his brother seriously.

“I already have a backdoor into the police department’s computer system,” Barbara gave a wicked grin.

“So we’re doing this?” Jason confirmed.

“We’re doing this,” Dick agreed with a nod.

“Doing what?” Steph asked looking wildly around at the various Waynes and Babs. All of whom had looks of pure mischief on their faces.

“Not without us you’re not!” Harper glared, “We’re the ones who told you about this in the first place.”

“She’s right. If you’re doing this then we’re helping,” Duke said defiantly.

“Ohhhh,” Stephanie smirked. “We’re going ghostbusting!”

“We’ll have to get gear together first,” Tim broke in, ever the voice of reason.

“You get me proper supplies and I can make my own,” Harper asserted.

Dick nodded, “You guys all come over to the Manor tomorrow after school. Bruce is leaving for some business trip so we can get you guys into the cave and start training.”

They all agreed and spent the rest of detention (which the teacher for never showed up to) discussing suspicious activity at the school and making notes of it.

Babs and Dick were just caught skipping study hall to make out in an empty classroom. Like Jason you should get your mind out of the gutter.