#to say nothing of Tim or Jason

[spectral-phases]

The Night Blüdhaven Exploded

I don't see enough people talking about what the Chemo attack on Blüdhaven must have done, as just everything was going wrong for Bruce and his boys that night.

For starters, Bruce is already fighting his dead/ressurected son who came back as a crime-lord villain who has been blowing up so, so many goons/criminals in Gotham for a while.

Then he sees Blüdhaven explode in front of his very eyes, and Jason then taunts Bruce, saying that Dick must be dead and insists on forcing Bruce to choose between killing Jason and killing the Joker not 2 minutes later. Bruce, as we all know, refuses to allow either, and stops Jason with a Batarang to the neck/shoulder, depending on your angst factor (or possibly aiming for Joker, but Joker moves and gets it to hit Jason on purpose/by accident ymmv).

(Batman 1940 #650)

And then, after all of that, the Joker sets off some explosives, surely killing Jason/the Joker (This makes the second explosion the Joker is going to no-clip his way out of, and Jason's learned that skill this time as well)

(Batman 1940 #650)

But wait! There's more! I know in the Batman comic they only mention Bruce being concerned for Dick, but Tim was living in Blüdhaven at the time too! Tim was fresh off of his father/girlfriend dying and didn't want to be adopted by Bruce, so he invented a fake Uncle Eddie (hiring an actor to play the role) and moved to Blüdhaven, where his comatose step-mother was being treated. Tim is only out of the city at the time of the explosion because the Titans came and said something was wrong with Conner, so they needed to leave to help save him. On their way out of the city in their jet, they only get far enough to avoid the blast, but not far enough that they avoid the resulting shockwaves as it renders their navigational systems offline, and likely their comms too. So not far enough that Bruce, who has been chasing Jason and Black Mask all night, could reasonably be aware of this fact.

(Robin 1993 #147)

So Dick and Tim very well could have been in that explosion and then Jason gets exploded! Amazing! That's 3 for 3 remaining Robins possibly killed in an explosion in one single hour.

We have no idea where Jason gets to, but we'll assume that he is unable to find the body because of the new no-clipping into the backrooms skill Jason must have (Jason was meant to die here, again. In another explosion set off by the Joker, so Bruce will have to assume Jason is dead even if he turns up alive later. How? Who the fuck knows).

Speaking of ol' Richard "Dick" Grayson, aka Nightwing, how is old boy wonder doing? Well, he's been having a rough go of it the past six months, between Blockbuster targeting him and destroying everything he cares about, Tarantula killing Blockbuster after successfully convincing him to just let her kill Blockbuster (while he walks away and has a panic attack...and...other things happen...TW: SA if you look it up), and then basically playing "suicide by cop" through the job following that and being a double agent of the group that just nuked Blüdhaven, uh...he is straight-up not having a good time by the time Chemo blows up Blüdhaven, and he's only getting worse. He tries to go to the center of the explosion, and Superman, fortunately, arrives on the scene to save Nightwing and put him up on the shelf to avoid dying (I love how Superman keeps trying to save Nightwing from himself in this era and Nightwing is just...no, thank you).

(Nightwing 1996 #116)

Unfortunately, this is the "Flying Grayson" himself, so no shelf is high enough to prevent Dick from going in there, and his mental state is so bad that certain death while saving others is probably more tempting to him at the moment than a deterrent. He "Duly Noted"s his way back into Blüdhaven, helps get the police to control the panicking crowds of survivors towards an escape route, saves the few remaining friends Blockbuster didn't kill recently, and goes directly into the most radioactive area of Blüdhaven to try and save some rouge who might have been there. We see Superman fighting Chemo's core in the background throughout his rescue attempts, so Dick's close the entire time to this heavy radiation. Dick notes that this is the first time he's able to breathe easy in months, saving people from the ruins. He's eventually taken out as a door explodes with the Chemo green gasses while trying to locate the rogue while reflecting on his recent failures.

(Nightwing 1996 #116)

I do think the appearance of Batman as Dick passes out isn't real, Bruce was in Gotham, either reeling from the explosion or looking for Jason or something. There's no way he got to Blüdhaven already, and the legs of Batman are hazy, blending into the smoke.

I also think after Chemo is stopped that Bruce probably still hasn't heard anything about Nightwing, because I don't imagine he took the time and resources to call the Veteran in a communications blackout (who has been historically trying to poach Batman's Robins, and nearly got Tim killed trying to convince Tim to leave Batman and join up his forces. Batman and the Veteran are not on good terms, is what I'm saying) just for Tim's step-mother and fake uncle.

(Robin 1993 #147)

By this time, he is talking about Tim as if he's alive, so he's probably gotten something from the Titans base confirming that Tim's alright, so he's gotta be taking the time and effort to call the Veteran for Dick.

Bruce, being Bruce, gets into a fight with Dick as soon as Dick is brought back to the Batcave and wakes up, while Dick is being treated for severe radiation poisoning/burns. I am willing to forgive this because he's had a time of it, even if he's being hostile and pissy and unsupportive. Definitely not winning the Father of the Year award for this, I'm afraid (Worst Father of the Year award is going to Deathstroke, for embedding a known radioactive carcingenic material into his daughter's eye, but Bruce is in the running for this and Jason).

(Nightwing 1996 #117)

I am awarding this to Bruce for trying to reassure Dick.

But. Anyway. Yeah.

Rough night for everyone involved. Absolutely everything going wrong all at once.

[rainpunk07]

hear me out, danny speaking russian (dc x dp hc)

so i was just watching a video about space, right? allegedly, turns out if you (an american) wanna board the international space station you must speak russian fluently since the only way to get there is by a russian shuttle and pilot (nasa apparently ended their own shuttle program way back when??) (don’t quote me on this)

so picture danny learning russian at a relatively young age for the sole hope of going to space and such, and it coming out every once in a while when he’s mumbling or something like that (it’s basically second nature to him)

so danny ends up at gotham for whatever reason (demon twins, reveal gone wrong, idc, they’re all cool) and he wants to start anew, so he pretends to only speak russian?? ig?? it’d make for some funny/interesting BatFam interactions i suppose

i don’t know where i was going with this but i want to read prompts of danny speaking russian

[jennrypan]

Jason: Yo, Tim wanna see something?

Tim:..Against my better judgement, sure.

Jason, staring directly at him and then suddenly he disappears just to appear next to him:

Tim: WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT WAS THAT?

Jason: I dunno, something I did once..I think I can only do it twice..that was the second time.

Tim: WHA-? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Jason: I can't do it again, that's the last time I'll be able to do that

Tim: ..Then WHY the hell did you show me that!?

Jason: Cuz if you tell anyone else, they'll never believe you and you can't make me show them.

Tim: What's wrong with you?!

Jason: Timmy..I will do anything and everything..just cuz it's a little funny to me.

Tim:

Jason, holding his hand out and suddenly the All-Blades appears: I also have this but I won't use it again for the same reason

Tim: WHAT THE FUCK!!

[ghost-bxrd]

Prompt:

Jason, after coming back to Gotham and taking over the criminal underworld— is burnt out.

He’s exhausted, he can’t sleep, he’s pretty sure he broke some ribs somewhere along the two month mark of being the Red Hood and he just wants to go home.

So he does, entering the Cave near deliriously while Batman and Robin are out on patrol, shattering the stupid memorial he comes across while he’s at it, and— huh, well, that actually looks like a pretty comfy spot to take a nap. He’s just gonna— one minute. He just needs one… minute…..

When Bruce and Tim return to the Cave it’s to a dead boy passed out in the shattered remains of the memorial case, wrapped up in the tattered cape Bruce pulled from the rubble in Ethiopia.

[littlefankingdom]

Bruce is the kind of parents teachers hate, because he always takes his child's side. Dick started a fight? His boy would never, the other kid probably started it and deserved it. Jason felt asleep in class? Well, maybe stop being boring. His kids are angels who can do no wrong.

The administration of Gotham Academy was so relieved when Dick graduated because they wouldn't have to deal with Bruce again, only for him to get another one. And once Jason passed away, they felt guilty to be happy to not have to see Bruce again, only for him to show up a year later for Tim. (I know, canonically, Tim went to another school, but this is funny to imagine) He isn't even the kid's guardian, but he justifies it with the absence of Tim's parents at the moment, how he is his neighbour and his son is very close to him, they see each others as brothers!

It's a bit different with Damian because he was raised differently than his siblings and could be quite arrogant at the start, but Bruce still does take his defense when he doesn't have his son's side.

Of course, once he is alone with his boys, he does ask what happens and lecture them if necessary, but in public, he gets protective. It comes from how he remembers feeling as a teen, angry and hurt but nobody listened or understood, just scolded him. He wants his kids to feel understood, to know they can express themselves to him. (It's canon that Bruce saw Jason's aggressivity as Robin as Jason being in pain. In older comics at least). It's also comes from how protective he is in general.

This also happens with the Justice League and other heroes. They have no right to criticize his kids, and he can lecture them himself if they really did something dangerous. Robin punched you? You probably deserved it.

His kids are perfect angels, ok?!

[oifaaa]

Ive come to the decision that my metric for determining if the new robin lives series is good or bad will be if Tim Drake shows up if he shows up then I hate it worst series 0/10 if he doesn't then it's the best thing I've ever read well done dc you nailed it

[stargazingdustbunny]

Snowy Shenanigans- Incorrect batfamily quotes/mini script fic

*Tim, Steph, Damian, and Duke are having a snowball fight in the gardens behind wayne manor. Tim throws a snowball that hits Duke in the forehead, and gets stuck in his hair.

Duke, growling: Hey!

Steph: You look like Jason now.

Duke, pointing finger guns and talking in a deep, gravelly voice: I'm the big scary Red Hood. I'm so angsty and I'm a crime -aaghpht

*Duke gets absolutely obliterated by a massive snowball to the face. Jason appears, hefting another snowball of the same size.*

Jason: Alright, whose next?

*a chaos of running bats and flying snow ensues*

[haveihitanerve]

Tim finally snaps.

“Its not my fault you and Bruce didn't work out! Its yours. Im done being the excuse for all your mistakes, all your misgivings. Im Robin now. And Batman is mine. I was willing to share him with you, I wanted to, because of what you meant to him. But im done jason. I am done.”

[kstarlitchaotics]

...

Why do video games hate Tim so much (for design purposes viewing)

It's like not even Bruce can get away with perfect design

It seems like the only one that is simi good is Dick which is kind of funny because if one messes with Dick's design all hell would breaks loose

[winepresswrath]

2000s batman was my first ever experience with "are the men ok" because the vibe would just sometimes pivot from noir adjacent detective adventures ft. broody but good hearted dark knight to

your dad is withholding.

it's presumptuous and needy for you to suggest that he's your dad.

he's legitimately not your dad.

it's a dadsuationship.

he's always disappointed in you but that's just because he has such high standards.

he's controlling but in a way that suggests it's less that he cares about you on an individual level and more that he's a perfectionist and you are a potential fuckup.

he does care about you on an individual level don't be silly. god you're so emotional and dumb

he's an impossible ideal that you're never going to live up to.

any negative feelings you might have about this are mostly on you for the twin sins of not being good enough and caring what he thinks.

but if you didn't care what he thinks wouldn't that be petty and ungrateful and indicative of poor judgement that will bring Disaster.

and then i'd conclude that only someone with daddy issues beyond my comprehension could have written this. like both the behaviour and the pervasive implicit victim blaming. that was unfair of me! in retrospect some of it was clearly just writers struggling with what i will generously call the complex cultural legacy of batman and robin. some of it was rank misogyny in terms of like, an inability to consider teenaged girls fully human and thus an inability to write batman as considering teenaged girls as fully human. some of it is that comics thrive on melodrama and it's easy to fall back on repetitively rehashing the same emotional beat. and i was a kid; it's possible that my take would be different today. however with these caveats i maintain that this was nevertheless not even worth asking who hurt you behaviour (it was dads).

[nenehyuuchiha]

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Batfamily Members & Jason Todd Characters: Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Leslie Thompkins, Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, Alfred Pennyworth, Duke Thomas Additional Tags: Amnesia, Serious Injuries, Concussions, Post-Concussion Syndrome, Broken Bones, Brain Damage, Brain Fog, Unreliable Narrator, Jason Todd-centric, Resurrected Jason Todd, Headaches & Migraines, Lazarus Pit Side Effects (DCU), Mental Health Issues, Angst, Terminal Illnesses, implied eventual main character death Summary:

Shocking! Magic Death Pit's Rejuvenating Effects Don't Last! Local zombie boy’s body and life fall apart, onlookers concerned, read more within.

---

The Lazarus pit wasn’t a lasting solution. It takes much longer for Jason to realize or even admit this than it should. If you ignore your health issues long enough, they should go away, right?

[littlefankingdom]

~ A Lonely Place of Dying

Tim catches Bruce's attention by mentioning Jason, not once, but twice.

I like how serious Bruce is about Robin being child endangerment, and how he refuses to put a child in danger for his sake. The "Batman needs a Robin" isn't that Bruce needs a kid as emotional support, but it's because, when he has a kid, Bruce thinks twice before running into danger. He has someone to go home to and, if they are with him, following him.

Also, Bruce is protecting Dick with his body and nearly completely carrying him in the first page. Just, a protective caring dad.

[oifaaa]

People bring up the fact that Jason (might have) beaten up Tim that one time like it's the worst thing Jason did ignoring that he literally shoots Damian point blank in the chest all the offence in the world to tim but imo boy got off pretty easy

[maxdurden]

please!! feel free to elaborate in the tags

by this i mean which batkid is most likely to lie to any future kids about tracking/toxin tolerance building. like, doesn't ask permission just does it without telling the kid in question

[kstarlitchaotics]

I find it hilarious and ironic that people will make the Bat kids paranoid about one another even though they say they're nothing like Bruce that they didn't inherit his paranoia traits canon or fanon

Proves that you don't have to be blood related to inherit such traits

[lixues-fang]

Tim Drake lovers I have a dozen serious questions about his character (from a Jason Todd lover); starting with a pretty heavy (but important) one:

Does he have body dysmorphia?