#tim zsasz

[zsaszidols]

Zsasz - Peter Peter (2019) anim. norainu

[daily-utsu-p]

Daily Utsu-P #189:

ここにある答えは (Koko ni aru Kotae wa) / here is the answer feat. Zsasz | Original from ∄. The lyrics were written by Zsasz member Rom.

[prettypynklemonade]

The Scent of You

A Jason Todd Story

Written by: @prettypynklemonade

Proofread by: @trippinsorrows

cw/tw: sexual themes, obsessive behavior, dub con, mature language, violence, intimacy (If I'm missing any tags pls let me know and I'll edit to add)

We only accept compliments and CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms

Word count: 800

Jason was screwed. 

He wasn’t entirely sure when you became the only thing he was capable of thinking of but it was starting to become a huge problem. 

Starting with Tim thawing him out after a botched patrol on Mr. Freeze because he was too busy zoning out trying to decipher the exact color of your hair, or when Dick had to carry him back to the mansion because he got stabbed in the leg during a fight with Victor Zsasz while thinking about what your favorite coffee flavor might be. 

He'd never been distracted in the field before but he was struggling with caring about that. Struggling with thinking about anything not related to you. Because what was more important than you?

But you couldn’t have been that important to him, right? You’ve only known him for a year and while you’ve definitely gotten closer, there’s no way he was obsessed with you… 

Except… 

He definitely was. 

He found himself thinking about all aspects of you. Writing down notes about how you loved sour candy (the song and the flavor.) How you could recite all of Hamilton from memory, but couldn’t remember if you turned the lights off before you left the apartment. He loved that you were double jointed, but also the clumsiest person he had ever met.

But his favorite thing about you was how you smelled. 

It was never quite the same, but it was always exquisite. Sometimes it was floral, and when he was massaging your scalp after you washed your hair, he wondered if you’d be mad that he used your shampoo to get himself off. 

Other times it was fruity and it reminded him of a ripe peach and how you would get so wet you would drip down his fingers while he was going down on you. 

The worst is when it was musky. Because then he could only imagine the scene of you on your knees taking all of him, like no one had ever done before. 

Your scent drove him crazier than any prank Steph could pull on him, or any villain he could go up against. The way you smelled was an aphrodisiac like no other. There was just one thing missing... 

It all came to a head that night when you walked through the door looking absolutely exhausted. You shut the door behind you, tossed your keys into the bowl on the table and shrugged your jacket off onto the loveseat in the living room. You walked over to Jason who was sitting on the couch watching Vanderpump Rules, not that he would ever admit it to any of his siblings, and plopped down next to him.

You we’re tired as fuck and could only think about the douche who spilled a whole pot of coffee on your apron and later, got so drunk that you had to help carry him to his friends car. 

But Jason’s mind was elsewhere. He smelled you the second you walked in the door, and you smelled off… Like something? No, someone else. He glanced over at your tired face and knew you weren’t aware of how his obsession with your scent was driving him crazy, but he knew what he had to do to fix it. 

He slowly stood, hovering over your worn out body and picked you up, lifting with his knees. You tried protesting, but knew it was futile. When Jason wanted to care for you, there was nothing you could do to stop him. 

He brought you into the bathroom and slowly began undressing you. He took his time. It wasn’t sexual, but it was intimate. Once you were down to just your undergarments, you expected him to be all over you teasing your panties off with his teeth, but he surprised you by lifting your arms above your head, taking your undergarments off and placing your body into the shower. 

He washed your body with great care, allowing you to relax against him while he took his time cleaning the smell of the day off of you, replacing it with what you could only assume was his body wash, because while it definitely didn’t smell like yours, you were too tired to stop him. 

When you both exited the shower, you expected him to be done helping you relax that evening, but with Jason, you could never predict his next steps. He started covering your body with Shea butter lotion and putting your braids in a bonnet. He carried you to your shared bedroom and started looking through his drawer. Before you could protest, he’d had your arms above your head again and his shirt was making its way onto your body. 

You looked down at the black shirt, with the Arkham Knight logo with confusion, but when you glanced up at your favorite person in the city, all he could say, with a glint in his eye, was “I just wanted you to smell like me.”

[mr-aimalost]

(If you're intrested verse on it is written by me. Sorry but i'm way too proud of myself, even if writting poems i don't follow any rules lmao)

yep i'm kinda brazen for shtposting after a long time, but i'm working on something a little curios (pray i'll finish it)

[littlefankingdom]

~ Batman: Knightfall

Batman is very shape here. And when he is not, he looks like the wettest cat ever, before fainting like he is a model.

Also, I want to point out how he turns to ask Montoya if she's fine before running after Zsasz. Once again, he cares about people and their life more than about vengeance and justice. He also beats the shit out of Zsasz because he is scared of being like him (and his mental health is baaaaaaad rn)

[bringbackwendellvaughn]

[kudosmyhero]

Batman (vol. 1) #493: Knightfall, part 3: Redslash

Read Date: September 21, 2023 Cover Date: May 1993 ● Writer: Doug Moench ● Penciler: Norm Breyfogle ● Inker: Norm Breyfogle ● Colorist: Adrienne Roy ● Letterer: Tim Harkins ● Editor: Dennis O'Neil ◦ Jordan B. Gorfinkel ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers (👏=didn't like it, 👏👏=it was ok, 👏👏👏=I liked it, 👏👏👏👏=I really liked it!, 👏👏👏👏👏=I loved it!)

Reactions As I Read: ● if Mad Hatter, Amygdala, Ventriloquist, and Film Freak are “major” ones, what does Batman call the likes of Joker? ● lol wut:

● if everyone had followed the lead of the woman who wanted to fight, they could have probably done something against Zsasz. ● Batman is losing it ● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: Batman is aware that his strength and resolve are fading with every escaped Arkham Asylum inmate he encounters. He knows that Bane has orchestrated this situation to wear him down.

Victor Zsasz has found his way to a boarding school where he plans to add some of the girls to his tally of kills. Many of the girls escape out the back, but there are still fifteen or so trapped inside with the serial killer. After failing to hear from the officer he sent inside, Stan Kitch sends another officer in. The officer encounters his predecessor, with his throat cut. Unfortunately, Zsasz sneaks up on him, and gives him the same fate. Meanwhile, the girls left unattended plot to bring down their hostage-taker.

Bullock and Montoya arrive on the scene, asking the situation. Kitch checks the status of his officers on the inside, but Zsasz angrily responds on the police radio, and throws the two dead officers' bodies out the window onto a police car. He threatens that two girls will have to die in order to pay for the two transgressions the police have made.

Batman arrives, telling the police to stand down. Bullock comments to Montoya that Batman isn't looking well, but she is nowhere to be found. Batman activates his night-vision, and when he hears a sound from a classroom, he opens the door, only to find a pair of hands around his neck. His assailant turns out to be Robin, who has come against his mentor's wishes. Robin reveals that he's met Bird, one of Bane's lackeys. Batman allows him to chase Bird, so long as he doesn't directly confront Bane.

Zsasz returns to his hostages, preparing to select two new victims. The girls attack him, but most are so paralyzed with fear that he easily overpowers them, and puts a knife to a girl's neck. Suddenly, Renée Montoya appears in the doorway with her gun trained on the killer. Zsasz views her appearance as a challenge. Montoya offers herself in exchange for the girl's life.

When Zsasz gets his knife to Montoya's throat, Batman bursts through the window. Zsasz claims that he and Batman are the same, as Montoya shouts that he should simply take Zsasz out rather than worry about her. Zsasz's words start to get to Batman, and he falters. However, Zsasz's confidence makes him careless, and Montoya headbutts him. The serial killer escapes into the dark hallway, and Batman is nearly stabbed. Batman retaliates in full force. Zsasz mocks Batman, calling on the Dark Knight to cross the line and kill him. Batman refuses, but fails to realize how brutally he is beating Zsasz, and how close to killing him he is.

Montoya calls Batman off, and he escapes. Bird reports back to Bane that the Batman is looking especially haggard.

(https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batman_Vol_1_493)

Fan Art: Victor Zsasz on the loose by phil-cho

Accompanying Podcast: ● Everyone Loves the Drake - episode 31

[jayson10traplo]

This Tim is from a new Earth named Earth-72. In this Earth, Bruce, Tim's father, and Kon-El stay dead, and this drove Tim to be more grittier than Bruce was when Jason died. Tim killed Victor Zsasz (Jason helped hide the body). Tim is still a member of the Batfamily, and instead of Bernard, Stephanie, or Cassie being his love interests, it'll be a different universe version of Stephanie where she is Nightwing

This will be one of the many main characters in the bat verse (spider verse but with bat people). Tim will be playing the role of Ben riley and Miguel O Hara in a way. The miguel o hara will be Thomas Wayne, by the way.

[stupidpop]

the most special girls on planet fucking earth

[deadsetobsessions]

Hi, good day ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

I want to say that I love your prompts and your writing a lot (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

I have an ask for the triplet!Tim au, would the triplets regain their civilian identity as triplets or would they still maintain the one identity as Timothy Drake? Also if, really if, the triplets have a favorite rogue to hang out with or beat up, who would they be?

HDGASJKHDFGSAKJGD thank you????

The triplets would regain their separate identities, but only after Damian's been well established as the new Robin. It'd be kind of suspicious if Timothy Drake became Tim, Archy, and Lionel around the same time people realized there were three feral Robins running around instead of one. The fam would probably try to convince them otherwise but they'd totally bully the Bats into going along with it. Except Barbara. They bribe Barbara.

They do have a favorite Rogue!

Archy's favorite Rogue to beat up is Clayface. He tried to pretend to be Robin once except it was Archy's turn that night, and Clayface punted him into the sewers. Clayface got extra crispy that night and Archy found a new appreciation for electricity.

His favorite Rogue to hang out with is Cat-Woman. He's got a passion for looting that she appreciates. He's learned some of the tricks of the trade from her.

Lionel's favorite Rogue to beat up changes weekly, but the main roster is Penguin, Victor Zsasz (they have matching psycho energy but like on different sides of the scale), and Prometheus because the guy tried to off Commissioner Gordon.

His favorite Rogue to hang out with is Poison Ivy. He brings her plants and she's got the best kidnapping etiquette. As in he never wakes up with a headache if she ever tries to take him out. She can match his intensity in protecting the things they care about. She's like a mentor to him.

Tim's favorite Rogue to beat up is Cluemaster (bc he's bffs with Steph) and Two-Face. They're relatively simple to outwit- they're smart but they're not Tim-smart and fighting them gives him a break from his own head.

On the flip side, Tim's favorite Rogue to hang with is the Riddler. He's chill when he's not setting up bombs and traps everywhere. Plus, when Tim gets kidnapped by him, they do like a little trivia to pass the time before Batman comes to rescue him.

[dalekofchaos]

Nolanverse fancast

Did a post talking about how some villains could work in the nolanverse, so I'll just post em as a fancast, but with an added Batfamily if the Nolanverse did continue and Bruce never gave up nor did he fake his death. See also my 2000's Justice league fancast

See also my other alternate Batman fancasts

1940's

Batman 66

Burtonverse

The Batverse

The Gunnverse

Christian Bale as Batman/Bruce Wayne

Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth

Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox

Gary Oldman as James Gordon

Michael Madsen as Harvey Bullock

Michelle Rodriguez as Renee Montoya

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman/Selina Kyle

Joseph Gordon Levitt as Nightwing/Dick Grayson

Emma Stone as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle

Thomas Dekker as Jason Todd/Red Hood

Asa Butterfield as Robin/Tim Drake

Ashley Greene as Huntress/Helena Wayne

Heath Ledger as The Joker

Aaron Eckhart as Two-Face/Harvey Dent

Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane

Tim Booth as Victor Zsasz

Liam Neeson as Ra's Al Ghul

Tom Hardy as Bane

Marion Cotillard as Talia Al Ghul

Brittany Murphy as Harley Quinn

David Tennant as The Riddler

Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin/Oswald Cobblepot

Kevin Grevioux as Killer Croc

Ben Kingsley as Professor Hugo Strange

Andy Serkis as Mad Hatter/Jervis Tetch

Guy Pearce as Black Mask/Roman Sionis

Eva Green as Poison Ivy

Mark Strong as Mr Freeze

Walton Goggins as Firefly/Garfield Lynns

[zsaszidols]

Zsasz with Yuyoyuppe

2019.11.02

[daily-utsu-p]

Daily Utsu-P #124:

ダークヒーロー (Dark Hero) / Dark Hero feat. Zsasz | Original from the Dark Hero EP

[havendance]

Batman (2016) #38 wishes it had what Gotham Knights #1 has.

Recent discussion has caused me to remember that I wanted to write this post. Anyway, spoilers for both comics below if you care.

There are a few different things that set these two stories in parallel. The firstly and most obviously, are the parallel in the cases that Bruce faces in each story: We have a boy. His parents have been killed. Bruce (Batman) vows to solve the case; he vows to bring vengeance. And when he finally unravels the mystery he finds that the murderer is none other than the son.

The appeal behind telling such a story is clear. Bruce at his heart is a boy who has lost his parents. For child to kill their parents is alien to him. It isn't something he wants to believe. It's an interesting challenge to pit him against.

The way that Bruce goes up against these is different in the two stories. The Gotham Knights story is there to showcase his supporting cast, his allies. He is hampered at every turn, by Nightwing, Oracle, Robin, Huntress, trying to help him/take over the case because they can see what he can't.

Robin: Um, Listen. Wouldn't bother you, but... well, this case is kinda buggin' me out... Nightwing: Senator Myles and his wife? Yeah, Oracle gave me a heads up. Tim, this one's gonna be hard on Bruce, Okay? Try not to take it too personally if he's-- Robin: --No, it's-- not that, Dick. I'm just worried that maybe... Well, I mean, you've never known Batman to have a blind spot have you? Nightwing: Blind spot?

Whereas in the Batman story, it's a solo story. He monologues to Gordon, to Alfred, to Selina's sleeping body. Alfred makes a wry remark. Selina makes an aside. They're not really allies in this to him, not really. In the Gotham Knights story, Dick practically throws the answer in his face. In Batman, Bruce is the lone savant.

I will give Tom King credit where credit is due. It's a very clever mystery that Batman solves with all of it's twists and turns. It's clever and it knows it.

I do think that the Gotham Knights story though is stronger in it's simplicity. Everyone knows from the beginning and yet Batman insists on investigating each twist and turn, convinced that there must be another solution. Even to the end, when the evidence is overwhelming:

Batman: I fingerprinted ninety-three bullets, and found your prints on this one. It-- It could be used to prove that you killed Jack and Eileen Myles... I need you to really think, Barrett. I need you to finger another suspect, or tell me more about what you saw. I need you to give me something, Barrett. Please...

He cares. He wishes so desperately for it to be something else. Anything else. He's pursuing it to an obsessive, dogged degree. (He fingerprinted 93 bullets)

In contrast, in Batman #38, when Bruce realizes the truth of the murders, it is very much a realization rather than a unwilling truth dragged forth.

Bruce: The killing of parents, blaming it on Zsasz, then on Two-Face. It's fundamentally silly... It's... almost... childish.

It's an intuitive leap, rather than an elimination of all other possibilities. Now, I'm not saying that Batman isn't allowed to have one of those, but there is just something deeply compelling about the way he is so deeply in denial in the Gotham Knights story that just can't be found in the version where it's a convoluted puzzle box for him to solve. There's less compassion there. The conclusion of the storyline emphasizes the way that Bruce was shaped by his parent's murder, and yet I think the way that Bruce is so deeply in denial shows rather than tells us this in a much clearer way:

Batman: You're not Bruce Wayne! You're a sick kid with dead parents! Matthew: Well, yes... but... but what else is Bruce Wayne?

This also brings to the other thing that sets these two stories in parallel is the way that each of them spend their time digging into an aspect of Bruce's identity. In Gotham Knights #1, we have Bruce psychoanalyzing the Batman via third person file (as one does). In Batman #38, the boy is obsessed with Bruce Wayne, he wants to be like him.

The thing I find most interesting in this comparision is that the file is all about 'why doesn't Batman work alone? why is he so stupid as to have all these hanger ons?'

File: You would think Batman would KNOW better. You would think he, of all people, would understand how potentially UNSAFE it is to be surrounded by people you LOVE. The risk of LOSS is always too GREAT.

Before finally concluding that 'hey, they're like a family to him. they help him out. it isn't a complete idiot move after all.' And I think that kind of sums up the reason that I think that the Gotham Knights story just works better. It's about Bruce's weaknesses and the way that they're covered. It is about him and his belief in the goodness of people even in the job he's doing. It's very rooting in humanity, where the Batman story is a clever puzzlebox for Batman to solve.

And as a final note, this rooted-ness in humanity is also demonstrated in the differences of the two boys:

Why did Barret shoot his parents?

Batman: Why? Why did you do it? Why? Barret: I dunno. They bugged me. What's it to you? Batman: It's everything, Barret. Everything...

Why did Matthew?

Batman: I talked to your man. Again. I found more lions. He found another story. About a boy who loved Bruce Wayne. Who wanted to be Bruce Wayne. Who ordered his butler to make him into Bruce Wayne. Matthew: You can't understand.

Ignoring the fact that Bruce is explaingng Matthew's motivations to him, it's just a much more bombastic and fantastical motivation than we had with Barret. The whole story is trying to do something that I feel the Gotham Knights story accomplishes more, and with greater pathos.

Moral of the story: go read Gotham Knights #1. And then maybe read Batman #38 if you want to read a less good version of the same story. Or maybe the other way around and end on a strong note.

[kourtniwritesagain]

Say it with Me Now...Sleep!

A/N: I wrote a similar story years ago, but I seriously can’t find it ANYWHERE. This is my attempt at not exactly rewriting it but doing something equally as fun. So, enjoy sleep-deprived Timmy Drake-Wayne. 

Listen, Tim is well aware that he is not exactly the most forthcoming when it comes to information about his general well-being. He knows that he's technically lying. However, everyone lies, right? Like, Dick lies about having free time so he can help whoever needs it when his shoulders can't possibly hold any more weight. Jason lies about hating everyone when he loves the hardest. Damian lies about never caring about feelings when he feels the most. Duke lies about not feeling like an outsider even though everyone knows he still hasn't accepted his position in the family. Cass lies about… okay, well, Cass doesn't lie. But Bruce! Bruce lies about freaking everything. So…Tim lying about sicknesses, injuries, and sleep isn't like…out of the ordinary in Tim's family. So he doesn't really feel bad about lying to Alfred about getting a full night's sleep the previous night. 

Well, he doesn't feel too bad. 

Tim had, at one point in his life, gotten a full night's sleep. It just wasn't last night. Or the night before that…and so on and so forth. Now that Tim was thinking about it, he'd been up for a full three days. Not his longest record, but the longest in at least six months. Tim is currently working on three cases for Batman Inc., multiple marketing packages for Wayne Enterprises, and two school reports. The cases are what's taking most of his time. 

The first case has to do with Scarecrow. Tim believes Crane is working with a new supplier, someone outside of Gotham. He hasn't been able to find out who it is, but he's at least narrowed it down to either Star City or Metropolis. The second case concerns Ivy, which really sucks because she's been relatively quiet ever since she and Harley got together. Honestly, Tim isn't really sure it is Ivy, but it's got to do with these weird plants popping up around the city that shoot some kind of ichor at anyone who gets near. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if it weren't for the fact that the ichor causes blindness for up to two weeks. Tim's been working on a cure, but so far, he hasn't had much luck. Hence, he really needs to talk to Ivy. The third case deals with Victor Zsasz…or, at least, Tim thinks it does. There's been a string of near murders of sex workers in Crime Alley. Jason has been working on it for two weeks, but he's never caught anyone in the action. Jason came to Tim four nights ago to ask for help, which is very usual for Jason. Usually, he sends files and assumes Tim will help. Jason's case is Tim's number one priority. Zsasz is toying with people at the moment. It's only a matter of time before it turns into actual murder. 

So, that is why he's currently working on his third night of no sleep. The importance of these cases, Jason's in particular, is also why Tim just lied (again) to Alfred and Bruce about his overall well-being. Again, Tim's not stupid. He knows Alfred and Bruce can see the bags under his eyes, the slump in his shoulders, and the copious amounts of empty energy drink cans and coffee mugs that littered his room. They didn't call him out on it, so they must believe it's not as bad as it really is. Alfred and Bruce leave the Cave, and Tim continues his work on the Batcomputer. 

"Hey, any news on my case?" 

Tim looks up and sees Jason sauntering in, his hood under his arm. 

"Not much. I have some hunches," says Tim. "But nothing concrete yet." 

Jason sighs. 

"I'm trying, Jay." Tim mutters, feeling guilty.  

Jason rolls his eyes. "I'm not mad at you, Timberly. The sigh is in general of the fucking suckiness of the situation, not directed at you." 

"Still…I can't seem to crack this the way I want." 

"Welcome to my world. Why do you think I asked for your help? You look like shit by the way." 

Tim flips him off and then yawns, large and long. 

"The fuck was that?" Jason asks. 

Tim rolls his eyes. "A yawn, Jason. Surely you've experienced one." 

Jason walks to Tim and smacks the back of his head. "Ass."  

"You're the ass…ass." Tim replies. 

"Now I know you're outta sorts. That was the lamest comeback." Jason says. "When's the last time you slept?" 

"Yesterday." Tim lies. 

Jason squints at him. "Yeah…and Alfred is the Queen of England." 

"I'm fine." 

Jason snorts and places his hand on Tim's forehead. 

"I don't have a fever, Jason." says Tim, swatting at Jason's hands. Jason reaches down and tweaks Tim's left side. Tim immediately folds inward with a laugh. 

"Too easy." Jason smirks as he continues scribbling his fingers along Tim's ribs and sides.  

"Screw youhu!" Tim laughs, trying to catch Jason's hands as he squirms in the seat. 

"I dunno, this seems like a good way to tire you out." 

"Plehehease!" Tim is defenseless when it comes to tickling. It's like his brain decides to stop working, and all he can do is curl up and beg for mercy.

Jason spends a few more seconds poking and prodding along Tim's ribcage before he finally ceases his attack. 

"I swear, you're the most ticklish person on the fuckin' planet." Jason is grinning smugly. 

Tim knows he's got a goofy grin on his face, but he musters up a scowl regardless. "And I swear you're the biggest prick on the planet." 

"Go to sleep, Tim. I know you're on at least day two of no sleep." 

"As soon as I get some solid info on your case and finish my crap from WE, I will." 

Jason squints at him. Tim thinks for a moment that his older brother is going to argue with him more. However, Jason shrugs his shoulders, waves a dismissive hand toward Tim, and then walks out of the Cave. Tim sighs in relief and turns back to the computer. He knows he's close to proving it's Zsasz behind the attacks. He'll definitely sleep once he proves it.

^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^

Tim proves it's Zsasz, but he does not sleep. There's no time. Bruce will be the one to help Jason with the takedown of Zsasz because he's a Tier-One Villain, and Batman isn't going to allow Red Hood to do it on his own nor allow Red Robin to be Hood's only backup. Tim put up a fight, arguing that he could at least help, especially considering it was Tim that figured it all out. He’s overruled by a simple ‘Hn’ from Bruce and a smirk from Jason. Tim spends the next day tracking down Ivy. Turns out, she was working the case as well. Tim corners her at a greenhouse in downtown Gotham. 

"Of course, you're the one working this." Pamela says without taking her eyes off the plant, she's currently cultivating. 

"Should I be offended by that statement?" Tim asks. Tim thinks that, although he's had a direct hand in a few of her arrests, they've at least worked together a few times in the past year to develop a good rapport. 

Pam turns to look at him and rolls her eyes. "No. I was just hoping that perhaps the Bat would be here instead." 

"He's finishing up with that Zsasz situation." Tim tells her. "So, you're stuck with me." 

"Any leads?" She asks. 

That's confirmation for Tim that Ivy isn't behind the plants. 

"None." Tim replies. 

Ivy hums in response. 

"It's not any plant I've seen. I don't think it's even from Earth." 

"Fan-freaking-tastic…" Tim sighs. This is just what he needs, a freaking alien plant. "Should probably get the Justice League on this if you think it's extraterrestrial." 

Ivy doesn't look convinced. "Must we?" 

"I think it's best, Dr. Isley. They're better equipped to find its origin and an antidote. I've been trying to make one myself, but it hasn't been as effective as I want." 

Ivy sighs. "Fine. Can I ask you to keep me posted on how this shakes up? I've had a few too many dirty looks in my direction." 

Tim nods. "Of course."

"Thanks, Little Bird." 

Tom rolls his eyes. "I'm 17 now, you know."

Pam smiles at him with a bit of fondness in her eyes and walks away. "Yes, but you'll always be a Little Bird to me." 

"Dr. Isley!" Tim calls. Pam halts and turns to look at him. "Don't let anyone look down on you, okay? Gothamites don't have the moral high ground most of the time." 

Ivy simply smiles softly at him and leaves. 

"Time to get a sample to JL." Tim mutters to himself as he harvests a few of the plants. 

^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^

It's day six of less than four hours of sleep total, and it's actually starting to bother Tim. He's still so busy, though. The Justice League is taking care of the plant situation, Zsasz is in Arkham (with Jason nursing three broken ribs and a sprained wrist), and two of the three WE marketing packages are complete. However, not a single one of Tim's assignments is done, and Tim has two more cases to add to his workload. He's slumping over the desk in Bruce's office. He was kicked out of the Cave about an hour ago by Bruce, who apparently needed to have a meeting with Superman and Flash. Tim hopes it's about the plants, but he's unable to spy as he really needs to finish his schoolwork so he can start writing the reports from his previous cases. He's still trying to find the supplier for Cane, too. He’s minutes away from a full-blown migraine and typing mindlessly on the computer when he hears a knock on the door. 

"Tim? You in there?" Dick's voice comes from the other side of the door. 

Tim grunts in response. 

Dick opens the door. "What're you doing in Bruce's office?" 

"M'workin'." Tim winces at how slurred his speech is. 

"On what?" Dick asks; he's behind Tim now, leaning over him and staring at the computer Tim's working on.

"School crap, some WE stuff, and a case or two."

"How’s it going?"

Tim shrugs. 

"So, I’ve heard from a few birds you’re not sleeping much." 

Tim lets his head fall to the desk as he groans. "Tell Jason to mind his own business." 

Tim can hear the soft smile on Dick’s face. "It wasn’t just Jason." 

Tim looks up at his older brother. "M’fine. I’ve gotten a few hours here and there." 

Dick smiles that sad smile of his, which makes Tim feel like absolute shit. 

"I’m fine Dick; I promise." 

"I wish I could believe you," says Dick. "But you’ve got the worst truth-telling record in this family." 

"What?! No way! Bruce holds that title, c’mon!" Tim practically shouts. 

Dick seems to consider what Tim says. "Okay, second worst." 

Tim scowls at him. 

"Grayson, I--oh." Damian is suddenly in the room, scowling at Tim immediately. "Drake, you look terrible." 

"No one asked for your opinion, Demon Brat." Tim responds, barely stopping himself from sticking his tongue out. 

"Tt. Drake, this isn’t an insult. I do truly mean that you look terrible. When was the last time you slept? Also, are you ill?"

"You’re sick?" Dick’s voice is even more full of concern now. 

"I’m not sick! I’m just a little tired." Tim sighs, rubbing his temples. The headache he’s been trying to stave off the last three days is significantly closer than just a few minutes ago. 

"Headache, too?" Dick asks kindly. 

"Yes, because you and the Baby Assassin are bothering me." Tim mumbles. There’s no real heat behind it.

"I loathe that name." Damian says. 

Dick ruffles his hair, garnering a squawk from Damian. "It’s a term of endearment Dee. It means Timmy loves you." 

Both Tim and Damian snort at the same time. 

"Can I please finish my work?" Tim asks tiredly. He can feel a full-blown migraine coming on, and he thinks that he may be overdoing it somewhat. 

"Uh…Tim? You’re not exactly making sense with your…work." Dick winces as he shows Tim the computer screen.

"Oh."

On the screen are just a bunch of letters and numbers all over the place. 

Okay…maybe he really has pushed it too far. 

"Will you please go to sleep?" Dick asks. He bends down in front of Tim, making himself eye level. Dick places a hand on Tim’s forehead, checking for a fever. 

"I will as soon as I finish my school assignments." Tim semi-promises. Sleep doesn’t come as easy to Tim as it does to most people, especially once he’s this far gone. 

Dick sighs, but stands and motions for Damian to follow him out. 

"Drake…honestly." Damian sighs as he takes a look at Tim. 

"Damian, I’m okay." 

"Tt."

The door closes and Tim grabs another energy drink from the minifridge and downs it. With a shake of his aching head, Tim focuses on the work in front of him. 

Three hours later, Tim’s completely engrossed on the last page of his paper for his English class when Bruce comes in. He looks surprised to see Tim. 

"Oh, hey Tim. I didn’t know you were in here." Bruce says. 

"You kicked me outta the Cave," Tim replies. "And I wanted to use your two monitors. I can leave if you need me to." Tim is rising as he says this, he stumbles a bit and Bruce is by his side with Tim’s elbow in his hand. 

"Easy there, kiddo." Bruce soothes, helping Tim to sit back down. "I don’t mind you using my office. It’s free for you to use when you want. However, I do mind you almost falling for simply standing up. Are you injured?" 

"No…I-I’m fine. Just been up a little longer than I should’ve, probably." 

"He’s been up for six days." A, quite frankly, livid, voice says from the doorway. Tim’s head whips up and he sees Damian standing there, hands clenched into tight fists, and one of the angriest expressions Tim has ever seen gracing his face. Dick is behind him, and so is Jason, both looking angry and sad and exasperated all at the same time. Bruce looks shocked, which is saying something. He turns to look down at Tim. 

"Is this true?"

Tim gulps, but isn’t able to say anything because Damian cuts across him. "Do not even attempt to lie. I looked at the security footage. You haven’t spent more than two hours at a time in any one room in this house, excluding the Cave. However, you haven’t slept there either because the Cave security footage hasn’t shown you sleeping at any point!" 

"Damian…I-"

Damian raises a hand to stop Tim. "I don’t want to hear it. You may have no forethought to your health and wellbeing, but others do. And if you are going to insist on attempting to take yourself away from us earlier than what is the normal lifespan of an adult male in America, then you’re going to do so fighting me. And with the current state you’re in, it’d be an even more pathetic fight than when you’re in full form." 

Jason places a hand on Damian’s shoulder, which Tim expects him to throw off. However, Damian doesn’t. In fact, it looks like it anchors their youngest sibling. 

"Honestly Tim, six days? Even for you that’s excessive." Jason says. 

"Bed." Bruce demands. It’s not his Batman voice. It’s not even his angry voice. It’s the voice he uses when he won’t budge. It’s the voice he uses when he’s in meetings and flexing his full CEO authority. It’s the voice he learned from Alfred. It’s the voice he uses when there’s no room for argument. 

Tim tries anyway, though, because he has no sense of self-preservation. "Bruce I  need to finish my homework, I--"

"You have a death wish, Timmy." Dick sighs. 

"You can go to sleep on your own, or I can administer something to help. That is the only choice you’re going to receive for the next several days." Bruce states. Now he sounds (and looks) angry. Tim knows he’s pushing it…has pushed it. He does. He just…there’s so much he needs to do. And Bruce can’t seriously be trying to ground him. 

"You can’t ground me, Bruce, I’m 17-"

"You can go to sleep on your own or I can administer something to help." Bruce says it quietly, but Tim hears and sees the fury simmering there. 

Tim swallows again; he looks to his two older siblings and knows there will be no help. Jason looks exasperated beyond all reason. Dick looks like Tim just kicked his dog and then set his house on fire. He doesn’t have to look at Damian to know he looks exactly like Bruce. 

He’s lost. He knows he’s lost. 

"I…I may need some help." Tim admits quietly, feeling his face heat up extensively. 

Bruce’s fury melts a bit at that. "I’ll have Alfred make the tea." 

"He’s got a headache, too. Add some acetaminophen. We’ll get him to bed, Bruce." Dick says. He reaches for Tim and helps steer him out of the room and to the stairs. Jason and Damian follow. 

"You don’t have to follow me; I’m seriously going to go to my room." Tim tells them. 

"Tt. Your word on this matter means very little." 

"Sorry, Baby Bird. I agree with Baby Bat." Jason tells Tim. "You’ve seriously crossed the line this time." 

Tim hangs his head in shame.

"Not now guys." Dick retorts rather sharply. Tim doesn’t deserve Dick’s kindness. 

"M’sorry." Tim tells them as they reach his room. "I didn’t mean for it to go on this long. Honestly." 

Dick shushes him as he looks for some pajamas. 

"No. Seriously. I didn’t…I don’t mean to…" Tim can feel the tears welling in his eyes. It’s frustrating beyond reason. 

"Get dressed, and get in bed, Timmers." Dick presses a kiss to the top of his head as he and the others walk out. 

Tim does as he’s told. The tears spill onto his cheeks. He knows he’s truly screwed everything up. Everyone is furious with him. He can only imagine the lecture he’s going to get from Alfred. He’s not just going to be grounded; he’s going to be benched permanently. If he can’t be trusted to sleep like a normal human being, he definitely can’t be trusted out in the field. His head starts pounding even harder, and he stumbles into his bed with his knees curled into his stomach. 

"Tim?" Bruce is walking in, but Tim is trying really hard to get air into his lungs. He feels Bruce grab his shoulders and set him into a sitting position. One of Bruce’s hands grabs his and places it on the older man’s chest, right over his heart. The other hand grabs the back of Tim’s neck, resting there lightly. 

"Breathe with me, kiddo." 

Tim tries his hardest to focus on the beating of Bruce’s heart, of the movement of his chest rising and falling. Bruce squeezes his hand very exhale, trying to anchor him, Tim assumes. It takes some time, but eventually Tim’s breathing slows and returns to normal. It has been almost a year since Tim last had a panic attack. He forgot how much they suck. 

"Whatever you’re thinking," says Bruce. "I promise isn’t true. No one is going to kick you out, no one is going to fire you, and no one hates you or is mad at you." 

"Damian is both of those last things. And you’re all mad. I get it." Tim replies. 

Bruce hands him the steaming mug of drugged tea. If Tim knows Alfred as well as he thinks he does, there’s definitely a high dose of sleeping aid in the tea. Tim sips it at first, but downs it quickly, feeling it burn his throat. 

"Slow down there, Tim." Bruce chastises. "You don’t need to punish yourself." 

"I just wanna go to bed." Tim tells his adopted father. Bruce looks at him with those sad eyes of his, making Tim feel a million times worse, which is really saying something because he feels like dog shit. 

"Sweetheart, c’mere." Bruce climbs into the bed and lifts up his arm, offering Tim to snuggle in, which the boy does. "We’re mad, yes. We’re mad that you seem to be unable to take care of yourself properly. We’re mad that you always push yourself too far. We’re mad that we don’t catch it quick enough to help. But we’re not mad at you in the sense that is going through your head. We all love you."

Tim wants to believe it. 

"Not even Damian doesn’t hate you." 

Tim snorts. 

"He doesn’t." Bruce insists, digging his fingers into Tim’s ribs. Tim gasps and laughs as Bruce doesn’t let up. 

"Stahap!" Tim begs. Tim is seriously ticklish on his ribs; it’s one of his worst spots, and Bruce knows it. 

Bruce chuckles fondly as he brings both hands to Tim’s ribcage. Tim is letting out some serious giggles now. He’s trying to fight against Bruce, but the tea is setting in, and Tim’s not the most coordinated person when tickled. 

"Promise to sleep and not stay up for six days straight ever again?" Bruce asks, not ceasing his tickle attack. He digs his fingers in between the bones of Tim’s ribs. 

"Yehehes! I-I prohohomise!" Tim gets out, squirming madly. It tickles so damn much!

Bruce finally stops tickling. Tim sags into Bruce’s side while he rubs his ribs to get rid of the residual tickly feelings. 

"You’re too good at that." Tim tells him. 

Bruce kisses the top of his head. "You’re too easy. I think you may be more ticklish than Damian." 

Now that was interesting information. 

"Damian is ticklish?!" 

Bruce winces. "I don’t think I was supposed to mention that." 

"Oh th-thaaaat--" Tim cuts himself off with a loud yawn. 

"Bed." Bruce says, pressing another kiss against the top of Tim’s head. "No worrying either, we can talk tomorrow about better ways to keep yourself healthy." 

"G’night, dad." Tim whispers, already falling asleep. 

"Good night, son." 

^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^

When Tim wakes up, he’s dazed and confused. The sun is gone and his clock tells him it’s nine at night. 

"It’s been 18 hours, Drake."

Tim whips his head and sees Damian sketching in the armchair next to his bed. 

"What?" 

"You slept for 18 hours," Damian repeats, sounding thoroughly annoyed. "Pennyworth has a plate of dinner waiting for you when you are ready to eat." 

Tim scrubs a hand down his face. "Eighteen hours, huh?" 

"With the amount of stress you put on your body, I am shocked you didn’t sleep longer." 

"Yeah…wasn’t my best plan I guess."

"Tt. Consider it your worst. That is saying something, too, as you usually have terrible plans." There’s no real heat behind Damian’s words. The two of them have grown a lot since Damian first came. They respect one another now. They work pretty well together, too. Their form of communication may look especially harsh to an outsider, but to them, it’s brotherly banter. 

Tim rolls his eyes. "Pretty sure I was the one who took down Zsasz earlier this week."

Damian looks at him. "Father and Todd took him down."

"Physically, maybe. But it was me who found out everything. So, if you think about it, it was all of my plans that took him down." 

"Tt. In your dreams, Drake."

Tim moves to sit on the side of his bed. "Hey." 

Damian looks at him once more. "What?"

"I’m sorry for scaring you," Tim apologizes. "I didn’t mean to." 

Damian replies stiffly, "I was not scared. I was mad at your stupidity."

"I’m sorry for making you mad, then." 

Damian scowls deeply at him. "Do you realize the stress you put on others when you pull these types of stunts? We have enough stress without others adding to it with idiotic decisions. You need to better care for yourself. You aren’t a machine, Drake, and you’re not alone. There are others in this family that could’ve taken a case or two. Furthermore, you hate school, so I do not understand your need to finish assignments you don’t care about." 

Tim feels really bad. 

"I didn’t do it on purpose, if that helps." Tim tells his little brother. "I get…focused, I guess. I know you guys can help me, I just…I dunno. I feel like I can do it better, I suppose. That’s really narcissistic of me, I know." 

Damian only scowls further. "You aren’t a narcissist; you’re an idiot. There’s a difference."

"How many more times are you going to call me an idiot?" Tim asks, a wry smile on his face. 

"As many times as it takes." Damian smirks.

Tim rolls his eyes this time. He stands and squats in front of the chair so he’s eye level with Damian. "I won’t do it again."

"Tt." 

Tim places a hand on Damian’s shoulder. "I promise, Damian." 

Damian looks at Tim now. "You…you are important to this family."

"Does that include you?" Tim teases. 

Damian shoves Tim’s hand off his shoulders. "Ugh. I’m finished with this sappy moment. I’m leaving."

Domain tries to stand to leave, but Tim is feeling much better after his sleep, and he’s in a mischievous mood, so he grabs Damian around the waist and pulls him into a hug. 

"Drake! Unhand me!"

"We have to hug, Demon," says Tim. "Dickie will be upset if we don’t." 

Damian is squirming furiously as he attempts to free himself from Tim’s grip. "Grayson isn’t even here!" 

"He could walk in any minute, though. I wanna make sure we do him proud!" Tim squeezes tighter, causing Damian to yelp. It reminds Tim of what Bruce told him before he fell asleep. 

Tim smiles deviously. "I heard some interesting information about you from Bruce." Tim places his hands on Damian’s sides with his fingers curled in, an evil grin growing as he feels Damian instantly still. 

"Drake…" It’s a warning, but Tim isn’t concerned. 

"Damian." 

"Whatever Father told you, h-he was clearly lying!" Damian still doesn’t move, and Tim knows it’s because every movement would tickle with the way Tim’s hands are positioned. 

"Bruce lies at times," Tim concedes. "But I don’t think he was lying about this. Tell me, Dee, are you ticklish?"

Damian’s eyes go wide. "N-No! Of c-course not!"

"Bruce said you were." 

"He lied!"

Tim shrugs his shoulders, pretending to give up. However, the moment Damian relaxes, Tim tosses the smaller boy on the bed and pounces, immediately tickling Damian’s stomach. 

"DRAKE!" Damian absolutely screeches. Tim knows he’s going to die after this, but he’s okay with it. Damian succumbs to laughter rather quickly. He has such a cute laugh, sounding and looking like the 12-year-old he is. 

"Bruce was right!" Tim crows. He scrabbles all 10 of his fingers all around Damian’s belly. The closer he gets to Damian’s sides and ribs, the louder his laughter gets, and the more he squirms. Damian seems to be like Tim, though, and super uncoordinated when tickled because Tim is still alive and breathing. Damian is swearing like a sailor at him, but that’s about it. 

"What the fuck is going on in--oh…now this is good." 

Tim looks at the doorway, not pausing his tickly assault on Damian’s torso, and sees Jason with the biggest grin on his face that Tim’s ever seen. 

"T-Tohohodd! I r-require assISTANCE!" Damian squeals out the last part of the word as Tim shoots his arms to Damian’s underarms. 

"I think Timmy requires my assistance," Jason’s grin turns more shark-like. "How did I not know you were ticklish, Baby Bat?"

Damian doesn’t answer. He’s too busy holding his middle as best he can, laughter pouring out of his mouth. His heels are drumming against the bed, and Tim is grinning widely himself. He’s never heard Damian laugh like this before. 

"Are you guys killing Damian?" Dick enters the room next. "Oh…you’re just tickling him. Try his neck next, Timmy. That’s his death spot." 

"GRAYHAYSON!" Damian shrieks as Tim lightly pinches at the back of Damian’s neck. Damian’s laughter goes high pitched. "T-TIM, pleheHEASE!" 

It went on for two more minutes before Dick rescues Damian by telling Tim to stop. Tim moves off Damian and grins down at the panting boy. "You called me by my name." 

Damian pants for another few seconds, a silly grin on his face. It doesn’t last long, though, because he soon scowls fiercer than Tim’s ever seen and then jumps at Tim. Dick catches him around the middle and holds Damian away from Tim.

"Let me go, Grayson! I will have my revenge!" 

"Sorry Dames, but Tim needs to eat. He needs to sleep after that, again--don’t look at me like that, Tim--and you need to get ready for patrol." 

Damian flips Tim off but stops struggling against Dick’s hold. Dick sets him down and grins. "Everyone’s ticklish, Damian. If you can imagine it, Tim’s probably more ticklish than you." 

"Dick!" Tim throws his oldest brother a betrayed look. 

"Oh definitely. The kid’s ribs are like a 10 on the Richter scale," Jason adds. "One poke to his ribs has him swearing his first born to you. He’s deathly ticklish on his ribs." 

"Jason!" Tim throws the same betrayed look to his immediate older brother.

"Sorry, little brother. It’s true." Dick laughs. 

Tim looks at Damian and gulps. Damian looks smug. No, he looks worse than smug. He looks like he’s plotting. 

"Damian…I-I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again!" Tim has his hands up. 

"Oh, I know it won’t. I’ll ensure the lesson you learn will keep you from making that mistake ever again." 

"Oh! Are we going to tickle Tim next?" Dick asks. "It’s been a while!" 

"You asshats are gonna leave me alone!" Tim warns. "Remember, I have lots of pictures that I can release on the internet at a moment’s notice." 

"He’s bluffing." Jason snorts. "He won’t post them on the internet, Bruce would kill him." 

Damian’s smirk grows. 

"I’m totally in on this plan, though," Jason continues. "Tickling Tim till he forgets his own damn name sounds like fun." 

Tim feels his stomach flip flop with excitement and trepidation. He’s never been teamed up against like that and has no clue what it’ll feel like, but he has a feeling he’s about to find out. 

"What about you, Grayon? Will you join in my revenge?" Damian asks. 

Tim sends a pleading look to Dick. 

"Well…he really needs to eat." Dick says. Tim sighs in relief. "But I suppose he can wait another half hour or so."

"Half hour?! The fu-NO! Nohoho!" 

Tim doesn’t do much more than laugh for quite some time.

[zahri-melitor]

Hey, sorry to bother you but I was wondering, based on your latest post, if you have any Leslie Thompkins recommend reads? I'd like to read more about her but I don't really have the time to read everything she has been on and those are the only reading guides I seem to able to find. Thank you in advance.

Oooh, Leslie recs. Leslie is a Dennis O'Neil creation, which means a lot of her best stories are actually found in the period when O'Neil was head of the Bat office. A lot of his characters got expanded, made more complex and given more importance because Bat writers were suck ups respected Denny and liked to acknowledge his impact on the broader narrative.

Recs can be a bit hard, as she's often in the middle of other stories, and the additional context adds a lot, but for my mind, here's a bunch of suggestions (with explanations beside them):-

A bunch of the earlier stories are sort of repetitive, and pre-Crisis Leslie is not quite the same character as post-Crisis Leslie. If you want a taste, Batman #457, "There is No Hope in Crime Alley" gives you the initial premise of Leslie as the woman who was there to comfort Bruce immediately after his parents were shot, and who is a committed pacifist interested only in helping the community.

However, a better start would probably be Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #21-23. Mike Barr's essentially the creator of the concept of Leslie Thompkins' Clinic (it first features in the last page of his Batman Year Two), and this story both retells Leslie and Bruce's history together, but also wrestles with how Leslie sees both Bruce and Batman and their violence, and her desire to help fix the city in a pacifist, hands-on manner.

There's some good stuff in Knightquest actually but extracting it is a bit of a mess: you want Batman #505 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #26 & 27. I'm a big fan of the Abattoir arc in Knightquest, which this forms part of, and this is about Leslie's work helping underprivileged kids in Gotham - in this case counselling some traumatised Wayne Foundation kids.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #118: This is a No Man's Land story set in Leslie's refugee camp where Alfred comes to tell stories to the kids. Just a good look at the work Leslie was doing.

Batman Chronicles #18 "Spiritual Currency": this is one of the stories I referenced. Set during No Man's Land, it's an argument between Leslie and Bruce over her treating Zsasz, who is badly injured. Probably my favourite encapsulation of Leslie's personal philosophy.

Gotham Knights #7: part of the 'Bruce interrogates his psyche and connections to those he's close to' arc that ends in Transference. This one's about Leslie and Alfred's feelings over caring for Bruce.

Detective Comics #791-793: I wouldn't say these are the best Leslie Thompkins stories in existence, but I will say the discussions between Leslie and Bruce in them are on point, and are part of the lead in to where War Games ends up. Enjoy them for Leslie's philosophy, sigh deeply at the inherent racism.

War Games, in particular War Crimes, are a massive part of the Leslie narrative but also where a lot of problems arise. War Games in and of itself would be okay, and her fight with Bruce while she's treating Steph is quite in line with the story immediately above; it's War Crimes that really contains the massive retcon that does a lot of harm to Leslie's character.

As far as post-return to Gotham preboot stories, I think the best ones are actually her appearances in the Hit List of Red Robin #15-16. Leslie's got the Cavalier working for her to protect the clinic! Her comments to Tim when he protests it are so Leslie.

New 52 Leslie is essentially a different character; she's premised as a social worker who works with Julie Madison and is assigned to Duke Thomas among others.

In Rebirth she's returned to being the Leslie of preboot. Her better stories are the following:-

The Victim Syndicate in Detective Comics #943-947: The first victims of various villains want to remove the Bats from Gotham. Leslie, Steph and Harper Row are quite interesting in this in terms of a narrative over different ways to help Gotham.

Detective Comics #964 "Dystopia": Leslie is involved in Lonnie Machin's premised underground anarchist commune for the underprivileged. Follows up on the earlier story.

Punchline #1 and The Joker #1-15: this is a long arc about Leslie and the Rows working to have Punchline tried properly in court as complicit in her actions. It's the backup story to the Joker and it's been published separately as a trade.