#under the red hood au

[mirthmave]

I’m currently writing an AU Under the Red Hood where Jason doesn’t go after Bruce and Joker. Instead Talia helps him get a handle on his anger and he decides he’s going to go back to Gotham and help the way we know (and love) him for. And if by chance he crosses paths with a certain clown then he’ll deal with him himself.

Progress begins to be shown in Crime Alley, much to the police and vigilante’s annoyance (and somewhat respect) when it comes out that the Mayor has been arrested for corruption.

And then Jason gets an idea.

A marvellous idea.

A marvellously, fun idea.

Since he’s done such good work in Crime Alley, he has the experience to show that he has the experience to be Gotham’s Mayor.

And so, Red Hood decides that he’s going to run for Mayor of Gotham.

[glitter-stained]

Ok sooo don’t know if you’ve ever already been asked this but-

I’m like a sucker for cute baby robin Jason interactions with the Teen titans. In my own wonderful world I like to imagine that Baby Jason had (has) a crush on his older brother’s cool older friends (cough cough Roy).

How do you think that would go? (I’ve thought of these scenarios soooo many times)

Especially when he meets them again when he’s older, and ripped, and ohmygodthosethighs

Just asking Fellow Jason Todd Stan to Fellow Jason Todd Stan :)

Tysm for the ask!

Hmmm

I think the more Titans Jaybin had a baby crush on the cuter it gets.

Dick: so hey Jay how was it what did you think of my team?

Jaybin, who spent way too many hours surrounded by the coolest and prettiest people he's ever seen smiling and talking to him: I think I have arrhythmia.

As for his comeback, I'm gonna be honest I'm very critical of villainous Jason, I think UTH an intelligent, enjoyable story but I personally can't get over its flaws so I'm gonna answer using some AUs of mine, please bear with me. Mostly it's just hard to analyse and make hypothesis about a characterization you disagree with.

Antigonish : that's my personal UTH rewrite where Jason is still a villain/antihero/rogue but the way I'd have written it. In this, Jason (17) looks around 17 years old at most in UTH so he's still not exactly a sexy adult but I don't think the Titans know he's back yet. At the end of Antigonish, Jason leaves Gotham and Dick only finds out from Bruce after he left that Jason's back. So I think the way Dick learns it and passes it on the Titans is "there is a very deeply traumatized highly skilled teenager wandering across the country who needs urgent psychiatric care if lost please return to Batman." I don't know when he first meets the og Titans afterwards (though he maybe meets Roy first since I kinda want him to wind up in Star City for a while, make friends with Mia), but I think there would be that "best friend's undead little brother, handle with care" vibe going on on the Titan's side. On Jason's side, I can see him annoying the fuck out of Mia lmao -"wow your older brother is so handsome I wanna use these biceps as pillows for the rest of my life", "have you seen him with Lian, I wanna bear his children" she would be SO DONE with him

Now in an AU similar to Antigonish, but also closer to canon (aka trying to mash my version of Jason into various dc canons held together with glue to have in character!Roy with an older version of Antigonish!Jason teaming up) which I will call the Jayroy AU as its sole purpose for existence is that I want these people to date, Jason and Roy meet as adults (Jason is 22 and Roy 29). Why did they never meet before? Eh, raising a kid who definitely doesn't get exploded is hard work. Anyway the point is Roy doesn't recognise Jason. Jason is using a pseudonym (probably something stupid like Harper Teal) because of legally dead reasons and just assumes Roy recognised him and followed along, but he looks nothing like the cute little guy who blushed like a tomato every time Roy talked to him. At some point Jason casually mentions the adventure he had with the Titans and Roy goes through several kinds of shock and has to reboot like a computer.

> + bonus lantern AU:

Red Lantern Dick: "hey guys remember my first little brother Jason? He asked if he could get some help on an intergalactic issue."

The titans: "that cute kid? Didn't he die? And why would the second Robin need help with intergalactic threats anyway?"

Jason, thighs and tits on display, in his Star Sapphire uniform, with a machine gun construct under the arm: "Hey guys who wants to help me take down a space wide trafficking ring?"

[itshype]

Expedited Atonement (DC)

Jason stands behind the Joker's body with a gun to his murderer's temple, adrenaline pumping. "Batman, you have to choose. Kill me, or kill him." and that's Bruce's little boy. That's Jason who Bruce adopted first even if he was his second son, the son he loved, and lost, and mourned, and through some cosmic power has miraculously found again. Jason might say he's offering him one, but in reality? Bruce doesn't have a choice here.

It's over, Joker is dead. Jason is so shocked that his ultimatum worked that he runs off anyways (he never really thought Bruce would kill the Joker, he had to ask because he was too scared to even try, but he never thought his dad—). But the Joker is lying dead at Batman's feet.

But that's a crime! And not a cool, bat-approved crime! That's murder. No matter the circumstances, Batman has never crossed that line before. It was important, that no matter the depths of insanity Gotham descended to, that her people knew their Dark Knight was a hero. Heroes can't get away with murder.

Batman can't have one set of standards for everyone else and then get special exceptions for himself! He has to pay for what he's done! But, oh no! He can't turn himself in! There's no way they'll let him keep the cowl on for a life sentence. And if his identity were revealed, Dick, Jason, Tim, Alfred, Kate—they’d all be in danger. The entire Bat-family would be exposed. Batman can't let that happen.

Luckily, there's a loophole.

Batman shows up at Belle Reve to join the Suicide Squad. No matter what Waller or anyone else has to say about this (and believe me they try). These people are working off 80+ life sentences apiece, so Bruce figures he can ritualistically expunge what would have been his sentence in like 3-4 missions. No sweat. He's been doing that for free all along.

News breaks. Everyone assumes Batman’s gone rogue and not even in a 'he snapped' way, but in a calm, calculated way that indicates he's just as level headed and dangerous as he ever was. One week ago, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Superman, and the alien yielded to his instruction. What kind of damage will he be capable of? People don’t even know he was there at that warehouse. I mean, they only found Joker's body because the Red Hood was seen leaving (fleeing) the area and he'd been shot. Batman doesn't use guns. No one realizes Batman was even there - in part because he didn't tell them.

Jason eventually goes back to the manor to rejoin the family after his meltdown, and not only did Bruce not tell anyone he knew Jason was back? Bruce isn't even there!!!!!!

[goldenraeofsun]

Operation Friendship Helmet

Rated: T Length: 33k

When Red Hood meets Dick, he seems almost friendly, compared to the violent hostility he showed Batman and Robin. Tim sees an opportunity. Dick can ask Red Hood about his plans for Gotham and work his human angle, while Tim and Bruce do more clandestine intelligence gathering out of sight. For his part, Dick’s happy to go along with the plan and make a new friend. Maybe, if he plays his cards right, he can turn Red Hood from a crime boss to a vigilante. But the closer Dick gets, the question nags louder and louder: why does Red Hood seem so familiar?

Read the first chapter on AO3!

[grounded-gryphon]

Cracked Cores and Kidnapped Birds

Red Hood is an up-and-coming crime lord gunning for the Bat.

Danny Fenton is looking for a place to lie low and heal.

Jazz thinks she has it all under control.

In Gotham, nothing goes according to plan.

Thing I got written and posted on AO3 while I was away from Tumblr for a few months. First work in a series, and my first work with a co-author.

[kindlingkeen]

Chapter 3: Breakneck

“The Ghosts are trying to cut in on our business at the docks again. We’re taking them out. Tonight.”

“What, all of them?”

“Yeah. Boss says we’re gonna paint the Narrows red.”

Content warning: graphic violence, blood and injury

Chapters: 3/6 Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Jason Todd & Original Character(s), Batfamily Members & Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul & Jason Todd Characters: Jason Todd, Original Characters, Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Gang Violence, Violence against Children, Blood and Injury, Minor Character Death, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Gun Violence, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Competent Jason Todd, Smart Jason Todd, POV Alternating, Other Additional Tags to Be Added Series: Part 4 of Asymmetrical Warfare Summary:

Five times Jason shows up for the Grey Ghosts, and one time they show up for him.

Image adapted from Red Hood - Lost Days, by Judd Winick

[songbiirdss]

UTRH AU

Jason liked to gamble, he always had, he thinks he always will. Especially now that he’s got a second chance at life, carpe diem and all that bullcrap. That is how he found himself killing The League appointed trainers and funneling dirty money into offshore accounts, waiting for the moment he could return to Gotham in a blaze of glory and tear down every last idiot who got in his way.

Talia had approved of his plans, going as far as giving him access to her own accounts. She practically adopted him without any of the formal paperwork and Damian had reacted amiably to having an older brother in his life. But both of them had to stay firmly in the back of his mind as he affixed the explosives to the final support beam of the building he planned on putting Joker under.

Ironically it was the old ACE Building Joker called his claim to fame. Jason smiled thinking about the fucker dying in the same horrific way he did. He suppressed a shudder as he stood, the building was ready and his phone was ringing with an alert from Arkham. He smiled, Talia really did have perfect timing.

A van transport flew through the open bay doors with a terrified driver at the wheel. Jason waved him forward, he trusted Talia but the Joker was insane and unpredictable. The driver unlocked the door and two huge men pushed the Joker out of the rear. Jason waved them off and he was left with a giggling bag of shit.

He shot the bag with a tranq that could take down a whale and the room silenced once again, he had to take precautions with someone who didn’t react to many if any normal tranquilizers. He ripped the canvas open to reveal the Joker in an orange jumpsuit. It was odd to see a man smiling as he slept but it didn’t matter, he was probably already waking up. Jason quickly went to work, cutting the villain's achilles tendons so he couldn't run even if he woke.

He wrapped a chain around his wrists, throwing the other end over a support beam to haul the sack of shit to a kneeling position. Next he attached a soundproof mask around his face, he wanted this to hurt Joker in more ways than one.

Finally, he picked up the lug wrench, something he thought Bruce would appreciate, and he waited.

Joker’s eyes snapped open looking around the room before landing on Jason. He was very obviously trying to speak, and Jason smiled at the peaceful quiet, Joker wouldn’t see his smile though, just a blank, red mask. He waited, leaning back on an old desk that probably had not been used in a decade.

Jason let him figure out that there really was no escape before he checked his watch. Bruce was either getting slow, or he was already there waiting to see what Jason would do.

“Bruce? You up there?” He called out into the darkness. A soft thud and rustle of fabric landed behind him. He smiled once more, knowing this was going perfectly. He pulled out the detonator tapping his hood in a rapid sequence to lock it on.

“Fantastic!” Jason said, his mechanical voice whirring, “I’m so glad you could make it, now for the fun to begin!”

“Jason. What is this?” Bruce asked, stepping forward menacingly, his eyes were snapping around the room rapidly, analyzing everything that was going on.

“This is us moving forward. I’ve figured it out Bruce, how I can forgive you.” He threw the detonator at Bruce.

“That detonator will be the key to our family. It will disarm the bomb that I put in my helmet,” he tapped the two minute countdown on his helmet, “But it will also bring this building down. You can save me, or you can save him. You have two minutes.” Jason smiled as he ran out the door, cutting through the storage room to his motorcycle, if he was going to die he was going to do it his way, and he made sure he would never come back again.

He heard Bruce yelling after him but he didn’t care. Jason flew through the doors racing towards the harbor, he thought it was far enough away.

Bruce was chasing after him with the batmobile, which was a good sign. He stopped his bike at the edge of the harbor, waiting. This would be the good part.

Bruce flew out of the batmobile and Jason saw the Joker sniveling in the back seat. The mask was still affixed to his face.

The detonator was still clutched in his hand as he pressed the button Jason saw his fireworks. The hood fell off his head in pieces as the Joker’s head exploded in the back seat of the batmobile.

He always did love to gamble.

[sagaduwyrm]

Okay,but I'm thinking about how this would affect the Under the Red Hood arc. I think with a relationship like this with Dick Jason might not feel so alienated and abandoned, especially if he finds out about Dick killing the Joker that one time.

But beyond that, how could this affect the story?

Consider:

Tim knows this was his own fault. He messed up, he didn't think things through, and now the teen titans are paying for it. Bruce would be angry. Dick would tell him to calm down and "breathe baby bird, we all make mistakes, you should see some of the ones I've made. No one on your team has died yet."

"Dick?" Tim croaked.

Nightwing was crouched in front of him, half hidden in the shadows. He was injured, Tim thought, with bandages wrapped around his suit in a careful pattern. Recent, but not dangerous, if he hadn't taken the time to stitch it. He was moving a little stiffly too, closer to earth than his usual light touch.

"I'm here baby bird, you okay?"

Tim nodded cautiously.

Dick gave him a quicksilver grin, one Tim could recognize as his family smile, not his work smile. It was a comfort to see. "We have got to talk more. I didn't even realize we were working on connected cases. Would've been useful to have your big brain earlier." His accent was off for a split second, all Crime Alley vowels. Part of Tim's brain suspected he'd just come out of undercover for his end of the case, but the other part was too busy screaming to listen because he'd messed up so bad, why would Dick want his help hE waS SUcH a FaiLUrE—

"Hey, hey," Dicks fingers snapped in front of Tim's face with a louder than normal sound. The acoustics in the place they were hiding were kind of weird. "It's fine baby bird. It isn't over until it's over, and I say it's not over yet."

Tim nodded, firmer this time, and Dick's shadowed face gave him a friendly but vicious smile, the kind he normally saved for battle. "Great. Can you get your team out? I need to go back in for some evidence, but I think most of your friends are done for the day."

That was fair. They were a good team, but it was missions like this that reminded Tim that they were still kids. Besides, Dick would handle it. Nightwing nodded at Tim's agreement, then stood to stride away. He seemed... bulkier than normal, Tim thought. Padding, perhaps. Probably to help with his injury.

Tim tried to walk away with the same confident stride of his big brother, determined to live up to the Robin name.

Later, Tim would find out that every one of the meta traffickers were killed less than ten minutes after his team got out, and that Dick hadn't even been in America. The Justice League suspected a shapeshifter, but Batman and Nightwing were both certain it had to have been some kind of mental magic.

There was only one person who could imitate Dick well enough to fool another Bat.

And Jason was very, very dead.

Y’know how there’s a version of Batman that tried to make Jason look as much like Dick as possible to the point where he made Jason dye his hair black?

This, but Dick realizes it and is like “hm. bet.”

Cue the most Weasley twins-esque shenanigans where Dick and Jason try their absolute damndest to emulate each other and throw Bruce off. Dick adopts Jason’s accent, Jason emulates Dick’s mannerisms, Dick tries to quote Shakespeare, Jason tries to constantly make puns.

Some days, they fully swap roles. Some days, they pick one role to play and try to act the Exact Same, even down to speaking the same words at the same time, finishing each other’s sentences. Sometimes, they’re their complete, separate selves.

They don’t fool Bruce most of the time. Sometimes, they get him real good, but the point of all this isn’t to fool the world’s greatest detective—it’s to call him out on the fact that’s it’s really fucked up to force your second son to act like your first.

And it works. Bruce lets Jason come into his own.

And then, of course, the Lazarus Pits happens. Let’s skip over all the mourning and Red Hood drama and get to the part where more shenanigans ensure.

I think it’s very widely accepted that Jason grows up to be a fucking tank, and I think Dick and Jason wouldn’t see that as any reason to give up—they’d see it as a challenge.

Imagine Dick adding padding to his outfits, adding a bit of a heel to his shoes to make himself taller, carrying himself a lot more gruffly. Imagine Jason wearing a waist trainer and wrapping his arms/legs in something to make himself look more lean (and imagine him cutting off circulation like a moron).

They’re still swapping accents and eye colors and talking at the same time—it’s starting to become scary for the rest of the Batfam who do Not know the context as to how this game started.

Anyway, add y’all’s incorrect quotes in the reblogs. I wanna see ‘em.

[everwalldigan]

Pre utrh Jason opening up a little bookshop as a side hustle to his Crime Lord business (only to do evil of course, like making little book stands to promote his favourite books) and one day Bruce walks by, sees all of Jason’s favourite books on display in the window and decides to walk in (because he’s a masochistic fuck like that.)

Jason, without looking up: judging by you just standing there, I assume you don’t know your way around. Be right with y—

Bruce, sharply scanning Jason’s rapidly paling face while trying to look casual: oh no don’t worry! Take your time! What’s your name?

Jason, panicking: Tason Jodd

Bruce: that’s so funny, that sounds exactly like Jason Todd…

Jason: no it doesn’t

Bruce: It’s literally Jason Todd with the first letters swapped

Jason, sweating: no it’s not.

Bruce:

Jason:

Bruce, grabbing Jason’s arm: you’re coming with me

[strange-birb]

Another sneak peek for the ghost rider au! I have the story drafted out just need to line and color lol

[writing-nothing-but-spilled-ink]

Okay but like imagine Jason Todd living in Crime Alley and he has numerous safe houses in gotham some of witch just aren't for him and in fact are apartment complexes that he bought out for cheap possibly due to a little life-threatening scare by Red Hood and any time he's in crime alley and he notices that especially in the winter months that the kids are sick or don't have a dry place to live he just starts setting them up in the apartment complex, and none of the kids ever talk about where exactly that complex is because they love redhood... Also, I imagine that once a week Jason makes like a really big dinner and he just goes outside and serves it to the kids around crime alley, the kids all love him and feel safe with him. I imagine it gets to a point where if the kids are in danger or are worried or scared they just go running over to Red Hood some of the kids have taken to calling him dad, uncle, and other various family references.. And one day on the way back to one of his safe houses he just hears one of the younger street kids yelling dad and he turns to where its coming from and theres just this small kid holding another small kid in his arms and red's just like what happened and the kid just goes shes sick and idk what to do and red just kinda sighs and goes yeah alright follow me kid and he walks over to one of his main safe houses puts his bike away and gets the kids into the car but before continuing to the doc office he calls out through crime alley of if anyone's sick yall better come here i don't wanna do numerous trips and suddenly theres a small group of kids coming out of the shadows and he ushers them all into the car drives them all to gotham general and the receptionist doesn't bat an eye at the gaggle of sick kids or the fact redhood is checking them all in because he and the hospital have an understanding so he gets them all treated and seen and has to sit in with every nurse and doctor, at one point he gets a call from bruce asking why he's not on protrol and jason thinking nothing of it just goes i'm busy im at the hospital have dickface cover my patrol and then he hangs up to speak to the doctors and check on his kids..

bruce shows up at Gotham general just to find red surrounded by numerous children with various flu's colds coughs one of them has pneumonia and was just diagnosed with asthma and he's just taking notes while there's one child in his lap crying cause she's scared and he's just rocking her gently while writing down various treatment plans for each kid and what safe house he's putting them in because he'll be personally taking care of them... and one of the docs spot Bruce and is like excuse me mr. wayne you can't be back here patients only and redhood can be here because he's there acting guardian which makes Bruce's brain short-circuit entirely

Also alfred 100 percent knows about this and has helped red set up the rooms for the kids and everything and some of those big family dinners Jason has for the kids yeah he's using Alfred's recipes

How Jason got guardianship of these kids is because of Harvey dent he got the proper legal advice from Harvey

[ghost-bxrd]

While we’re at it let’s go for Bruce too!

Jason is so salty he has to save the dumbass “Dark Knight” from getting a face full of toxin but he can’t NOT save him because??? He still needs that showdown????? He doesn’t wanna have cut off eight heads for nothing ok?

But then Bruce takes one look at Jason’s helmet and starts screaming how he’s gonna kill him (Red Hood=Joker) and that this time, there’s no Superman to save him.

Jason.exe just— stops working. Blue screening. Sorry, nobody home. Hard reboot, stuck on the dying windows sound.

Prompt:

Red Hood finds Nightwing in the throes of fear toxin, babbling about missed calls and text messages.

[jeena-says-hi]

Dick canonically drinks boba tea

[u-n-k-n-o-w-n-n]

So I believe many of of us have heard of Danny Todd. Jason's older brother we don't really know much about other than the fact he died in a gun fight.

I believe many in the DC X DP Fandom have seen a post or another about that being Danny Phantom before or after reborn of some kind but....

What if for Danny he was supposed to be taking a vacation? (whether it from ghost king or just genral Phantom stuff before or long after his loved ones died and presumably became ghosts is up to interpretation maybe it's even a classic reveal gone wrong visection if you want some more angst)

But the point is Danny is reborn into some of the worse parts of Gotham (possibly before the bat even premiers depending on timeline and how big you want the age gap with him and Jason) but he's born is the rough parts of town maybe he has memories, maybe not, maybe it's all kinda blurry but let's go with fir now he has his memories or he gets them back early in life and he was again not delt the best hand when it came to parents and there is no Jazz to take care of him this time but when he gets a baby brother of his own he realizes why Jazz was the way she was (not that he would ever admit that out loud) and has put himself on the path to be Jason's Jazz his caretaker when his parents wouldn't take that role but it's not easy to get money as a kid from crime ally and in order to put food on the table for Jason he ends up in some bad situations and dies and for this body he doesn't not die or become a half he just dies becomes a ghost but either because he Dosen't want to admit to his family he died young again or he's to attached to Jason he doesn't move on to the infinite realms he just attaches himself to his little brothers side and tries to help any way he can and that some ends up with the normal addition with Bruce and if this fobin seems harder to shoot or bruise than the other one that's Danny's buisness.

I'm not sure where to go from here. Maybe Danny saves Jason from death? Maybe he still dies and chills as a ghost with his brother haunting Bruce till he's revived? Maybe Danny is able to reveal himself when there's some supernatural in Gotham? Maybe this lasts as normal for Jason until after utrh he's forced to do like a magic check up with the jld because batman is paranoid about Jason's heath and the jld is like : Did you know you have this super powerful ghost falling you? And possibly visibilitying Danny and cueing emotions.

I can't decide so I'm sending this to the tumblr. You have explicit permission to use anything in this post just send me the link because I want to read that.

[dc-gotham-instincts-wild]

Ok I tried writing (part of) that AU where Tim is scared of Jason after the RH incident.

The night air felt cold against Tim’s skin as he stared at the door of the Batcave, frozen in place. Jason Todd had asked him—no, offered him—to train.

It should’ve been fine. It was fine. It was fine, it was fine, it was fine it was fine it was fine it was fine-

Jason was… Jason. He was part of the family, after all. And training with him would have been a good way to catch up, maybe even bond a little.

But as Tim stood there, something inside him twisted, the familiar, choking panic creeping up from deep within his chest. His throat felt tight, his breaths too shallow.

No, no, no. Don't let him see.

His body wanted to scream, to run, to escape into the shadows. Tim clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. His body wouldn't move.

The glinting red helmet was all he could see. Tim didn't know what to do. He could run, and fighting wasn't an option right now.

Red Hood snarled and lunged again.

Tim gasped, backed up into the darker areas of the room, where no one could see him.

Jason had walked away by now, probably off to find something to do. But Tim was still there, trapped in his own head, trying to force himself to calm down. The seconds ticked by, stretching into eternity. But his heart kept pounding. Every tiny noise made him jump, every small shift in the cave's atmosphere felt like an impending disaster.

After what felt like an hour, he finally made a move, but only to scramble to the vent and crawl into it. Small and dark, it offered him some semblance of control. A tiny, hidden space where he could breathe, where he wasn’t being watched, and no one could touch him.

He curled into himself, hugging his knees tightly as if it could hold his body together. His breaths came in ragged, uneven gasps. Please don’t find me. Please don’t let him find me.

The red scar on his neck throbbed.

[starry-bi-sky]

Thinking about the CFAU and marveling at how much Danny and Jason care for one another. Does anybody else figure out that Danny is going to kill the Joker, or is that knowledge Jason exclusive? I can't see Danny being close enough to any other Batfam member to disclose his plans, but I wonder if he drops hints. They're a family of paranoid detectives. I'd be surprised if they don't figure out Danny has a PURPOSE for being in Gotham at some point. Whether Danny's able to disguise it as wanting to be closer to Jason or not is another burning question.

Its def Red Hood exclusive! You're right in that Danny isn't close enough to disclose his revenge plot to any of the batfam members -- hell, not even Sam and Tucker know his true motives for returning to Gotham, and they're his best friends right after Jason! And Red Hood knows only because Danny accidentally slipped up ;].

I do also think that the Waynes kinda think something might be up with Danny -- at least Dick and/or Bruce might since they're the only ones who actually know him beyond brief mentions of him. Tim knows about him due to his stalking, but doesn't really know him -- and Danny plans to keep a healthy, friendly distance from the family so he can carry out his plans.

It's not that he holds any dislike towards them -- quite the opposite. He appreciates what they do for Gotham and recognizes the hard work that goes into keeping their Rogues Gallery at bay (even if he is bitter about Joker, but there's an obvious reason for that) -- but, well. He knows they're the vigilantes, he doesn't want to risk them sniffing out his murder plot before he can even go through with it.

Luckily for him he can excuse any distance he puts between them as just being busy with life and trying to settle in, and they're not close enough to him anymore to find it suspicious. I do think they figure out he's back in Gotham for a reason, Danny's not going to exactly hide the fact that he's back to find some kind of closure -- but what that closure is?

I think the only person who might suspect something sinister going on would be Bruce, who saw the sinking rage in Danny's eyes at the funeral -- it was part of the reason he didn't tell him who killed Jason (beyond secret identity reasons). But that depends on whether or not Danny reveals some of his hand, and the fact that he was still holding onto that rage (somewhat unwillingly) all this time.