#traya and I kicked this around weeks ago

[redrobin-detective]

The Young, the Old and the Insane

@traya-sutton I FINALLY DID IT. I’ve had that opening paragraph in my head since the day we kicked this idea around and it was so refreshing to finally get it down. Uh but Isolation AU where all the sidekicks know about Bats bc Robin wants friends.

There are three categories of people who know for certain that the Gotham City Batman exists. The young children in their paper masks who look up at the sky and believe that the man dressed as a bat could save the day. The older generation who’ve been around the block and have noticed a marked change in crime since the supposed Batman appeared. And of course the costumed criminals of Gotham who are regularly foiled by the city’s silent avengers. But there is another subset who knew about Batman who fell under the first category or maybe the third and those are the young sidekicks of Justice League heroes.

If asked about the mysterious Batman, they would laugh, “Batman, as if, everyone knows he isn’t real.” But there’d be a certain quirk to their smile, a hidden joke that only they know the punchline to. For perhaps they know the Bat Man and his associates better than even the citizens of Gotham. You could say that a little bird told them all about the mysterious hero.

“You said your name was Robin?” Speedy asked with a raised eyebrow as he observed the costumed kid eating their cereal, perched precariously on the back of the couch. He should be more angry this weird kid broke into their secret hideout but he’s more annoyed than anything given his story. “And you work with Batman, that made-up vigilante.”

“He’s not made-up, you’re just not immune to GCPD’s propaganda and B’s intense paranoia,” Robin quipped, Aqualad snorted into his fist and Speedy crossed his arms in annoyance.

“Okay, so Batman is real. That’s kind of a big deal, so why are here talking to us and not presenting before the League,” Wonder Girl asked, still standing slightly in front of her team in case this newcomer proved dangerous. 

“Because I’ve been at this for a good while, at least twice as long as you guys, and I know a thing or two about the so called Justice League. I know they don’t respect human heroes and delegate them mostly to monitor duty,” Robin said making eye contact with Speedy who looked down. “I know they treat young heroes, metas even, with kid gloves and don’t involve them in anything meaningful,” he continued looking over at Kid Flash and Aqualad. “And I know they won’t believe in the good work me and Batman do because we don’t fit the idea of what a hero should be.” 

“And so you’re here why?” Donna asked again only she couldn’t stop the small smile from appearing on her face.

“Because I got mad at B and realized it’s probably not healthy to brood in a cave all the time and decided to find some friends,” He tilted his head in a teasing manner. “Unless you’re gonna tell on me to which I’ll be long gone before the League catches sight of my cape.”

“Pretty confident in yourself huh shorty,” Wally grinned, leaning a bit over the back of the sofa by the other hero. 

“There’s a reason no one knows about us, Wallace,” Rob teased back and in the complete disarray that followed that revelation, Donna decided that their little ragtag team created out of boredom and frustration with the League’s tedium had finally become complete. 

(In the weeks and months and years that followed and the adults questioned the overwhelming success of the Teen Titans, the four heroes merely bowed their heads and credited their mentors for doing such a good job teaching them. And of course that played a part plus it was better than mentioning their on again, off again secret member who organized the Team better than even the League.)

((No one would believe them anyway if they said anything.))

XxX

“I think you should talk to your dad,” Captain Marvel said, awkwardly handling his game controller in his unnaturally large adult hands. Video games weren’t strictly allowed in League Headquarters but the group was constantly in a state of loose, unorganized chaos so he doubted anyone would notice or care. Least of all his companion.

“He’s not my dad,” Robin muttered, hunching over his controller, trying to overtake the magical hero’s Kirby with his Waluigi. 

“You’re here complaining he’s being too over-protective, sorry if I’m not buying what you’re selling,” Marvel said with a wry grin. Rob brought out Billy in Cap more than anyone else, made him feel like less of an impostor in a too big suit.

“I just needed to get out ya know? Get away from Gotham and all the pressure to live up to this impossible standard,” Robin continued, flinging his controller a bit as if that would save him from running off the road. He cursed as he tried to right himself.

“Then go hang out with the Titans,” Marvel said, his passive tone at odds with the full body wiggle he did as he cemented his lead and sped closer to the finish line. 

“Those are Golden Boy’s buds and I do not need any more of his hand-me-downs,” Robin said. “Sides they’re all older, there aren’t many heroes around our age. You should convince the League to recruit more sidekicks.”

“Right, I’ll tell Superman that they need to find some more kids between the ages of 12 and 16 to be sidekicks because Robin, Batman’s partner also probably Mothman’s lovechild or something, wants more friends,” Marvel teased even as he threw his hands up in victory when he came in first.

“You suck,” Robin laughed, watching as Waluigi rolled in 4th. “And I don’t need more friends, I got you Bill. If only you’d stop using your magic mumbo to cheat at Mario Kart.” 

“It’s not cheating if I play against someone who doesn’t exist,” Marvel retorted, looking over at his best friend. They didn’t meet up nearly often as he liked, only when Rob was able to escape Batman’s attentive eye but every time was a small treasure. “And believe me, you’re more than living up to your big brother. Pretty sure Robin I never dared to break into League headquarters to play video games. You’re an amazing hero, I wish I could work with you in the daytime.”

“Yeah, me too,” A device on Rob’s hip beeped. “Looks like our time’s up, a couple of Lanterns are on the floor which means I’m out. Stay safe out there, Bill.”

“You too Robin,” the Captain said, closing his eyes excitedly for a few seconds and opening them to find his friend vanished. Man that never stopped being super cool. Mr. Jordan and Stewart appeared through the double doors a minute later. 

“Jeez, playing video games by yourself, Cap? Talk about depressing, invite one of us next time,” Hal commented as he walked by.

“I wasn’t alone, Batman’s son was keeping me company,” Marvel shrugged as he put the controllers away.

“Right and Bigfoot sold me a bridge in San Francisco, seriously, get another joke man. The Batman ones are getting old.”

(Eight months later, Captain Marvel went missing for several days. When he finally showed up, he had the most heart-breaking somber expression on his face. “A good friend died,” was all he would say. ‘We’re sorry to hear,’ the League said, ‘was it someone we knew?” And for some reason that made him sadder.)

XxX

“Thanks for coming out Rob, we really needed your big brain on this one,” Wonder Girl said, wiping her brow and surveying the damage from the difficult battle. 

“I’d say no problem but you guys can’t keep calling me on such short notice, Batman’s gonna wonder how many last minute science projects they can give me in a semester,” the Boy Wonder sighed, reorganizing his utility belt.

“Oh you stickler, you always say that and you always come running,” she fluttered her eyelids, “especially when Kon is in danger, then you’re almost as fast as Bart.” 

“Of course he’s my friend,” Robin muttered, fiddling with his gloves to avoid looking at her. 

“The Justice League aren’t the only ones in denial, Robbie,” she teased, before looking back on the horizon. “Man we kicked so much butt today, I know why all the secrecy we’d be so much better if we had you with Young Justice full time and didn’t always have to worry about photos and stuff.”

“I know Cassie,” Rob said, hunching his shoulders and turning away from her further. “I get why B does what he does but we do good work, the Titans did good work when they had their Robin with them. Batman is so organized, so disciplined, he would bring so much to the Justice League which acts more like a club than an actual hero institution.” 

“You know, you could just, come out. None of you have to stay hidden, everyone knows about heroes now,” Cassie explained weakly but even she could see the flaws in the plan.

“We’ve talked about it,” Robin, Tim, sighed. “But B is pretty set in his ways and, well, the League is pretty clear on what it thinks of human heroes.”

“You don’t have to tell them, I thought you were a meta for months after you showed up,” Bart said, speeding up to them suddenly. “Not that you’re not super wicked kick-ass as a normal person but it might work.”

“If we’re coming out, we’re coming all the way out, I lie enough in my day job,” he pouted, turning back to Bart. “Weren’t you transporting the civilians out?”

“Done but also Wally texted me that the JLA is almost here and you need to skedaddle.” Robin cursed and grabbed the rest of his gear off the ground, sprinting towards his bike. 

“Jeez thanks for the warning! You keep them busy, my armor isn’t perfect and people like Superman and the Manhunter would be able to pick me out if they were looking,” Rob said in a rush. “See you later and please don’t call suddenly like that.”

“It’s the only way we see you, Kon gets lonely you know,” Bart grinned, waggling his eyebrows but Robin had already zipped off. 

“So what are we going to tell them this time?” Bart asked Cassie.

“Oh whatever we want, anything’s more believable than one of The Bats showing up to save the day.”

(The League, as always, heaped praises on them for their good work. They merely smiled that strange little secret smile the kids sometimes wore. The same smile the Teen Titans had and still did now. The smile Captain Marvel hid behind his mighty fist. A secret right in front of their nose but never seen.)

XxX

Batman was real, he’d always been real. A human man and his human associates had kept the worst of Gotham at bay with their wit and their tools. It was unimaginable, it was absurd, nobody could have possibly could have known.

“Batman?” The kids say with that secret little smile. “You could have just asked us.”