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bluejaysandblackbats · 3 months

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Catch and Release

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: AU where Jason doesn't die in the explosion and he and Tim end up attending the same high school months later.

Chapters: 8/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Sebastian Ives, Jack Drake, Janet Drake

Relationships: TBA

Additional Tag: Jason Todd Lives, Jason Todd-centric, POV Jason Todd, POV First Person, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake is Not Robin, Jason Todd is Not Robin (Anymore), Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred Pennyworth Knows, Stalker Tim Drake, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unlikely Friends, Injury Recovery, Emotional Baggage, Rage, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating

Chapter Eight: Pain in the Head

I hung out with Tim's friends and worked on character sheets. I spent three hours there before I told Tim I had to go. I had a great time. Don't get me wrong. But I was nauseous and didn't want to be sick at his house. Ives planned on sleeping over at Tim's place, so I didn't have to feel bad about leaving him home alone. I got a ride to the manor, and Bruce sat on the porch waiting for me as soon as I arrived. "Where have you been?" Bruce asked.

"I could ask you the same thing, Bruce... Can I go inside now?" I asked.

"You're pale," Bruce replied.

I wanted to lie down and nap, but I could tell Bruce didn't plan on letting things go. I didn't have the time or energy to explain myself, so I did what any reasonable teenager would do. I made myself throw up and burst into tears. "Jason," Bruce sighed before helping me to the family room. He couldn't accuse me of anything while I was sick. That and throwing up stopped the onset of a migraine.

"I'm so sorry, Bruce-."

"It's fine... When is the last time you took-. I swore I wouldn't ask you that," Bruce replied.

"I didn't think I needed them anymore... I thought I'd been feeling better lately," I replied. Bruce felt my forehead.

"I've been home for two days, and you-. Jason, I'm sorry for walking out on you. I wasn't trying to hurt you... I'm-. Our bond is different from the bond I have with anyone else. I'm holding on for dear life with you... And I know I'm losing you. I feel like you're slipping away when I look at you.

"I can't take the thought of knowing you suffered because I chose to leave you alone that day. Jason, you're so precious to me... And I'm terrified that if I let you talk about what happened, you'll say what I've been most afraid to hear," Bruce confessed. I wasn't in the mood for a serious conversation, but he was finally willing to speak about what happened to me.

"I don't hate you... And I don't blame you for what happened. I've been trying to tell you all this time," I paused, "I'm sure Dick told you I wanna die sometimes... But you don't realize what I have to experience every day."

Bruce exhaled through his nose. "Go ahead..."

"I wake up under debris almost every day... And then I lie about my nerve pain, which I know everyone can see. By the time I get to the mirror, I'm already so disheartened by the countless efforts I've made to appear normal that I barely notice my scars anymore. When I shower, my skin still hurts like the burns are fresh, and I want to cry, but if I do, I'd never get anything done. Then, I come down for breakfast... And sometimes the medications I'm on make me so sick I don't want to eat, but I know I'd be worse off if I didn't.

"Then I go to school, and you wouldn't believe what they say about me," I swallowed hard.

"Jason-."

"But I endure it because I know I have to... What I can't stomach is the isolation. Don't ice me out, Bruce," I begged. Bruce sighed.

"I don't know how-. I can't pretend that almost losing you didn't change the entire way I had to look at our life. You can't be Robin anymore, Jason, and I feel awful for having to take that away from you," Bruce whispered.

"You're saying our, but you mean mine. How can you expect me to step down from being Robin when you can't even walk away from being Batman?" I asked.

"Jason, it's been over a year, and you're still healing. I can't risk putting you out in the field again. Gotham needs Batman-."

"Bullshit," I snapped.

"Language-." "Oh! Go to hell! I told you about all my issues, thinking you would finally see me, and I realized you're no better than the rest of them!" I yelled. I couldn't help but get mad. I should've seen it coming. He'd never had the guts to say it, but I knew this was his way of shutting me out for good. It pissed me off. I threw my crutches and hobbled upstairs.

"Jason! Jason, you can't-!"

"Screw you!" I yelled as I went to my room. I slammed the door and packed my bag. I almost forgot I felt sick. He saw me as weak. That was the worst thing he could've ever opened his mouth to admit. He was no better than everyone that gaped and gawked at me. I was his walking tragedy, and I'd be damned if I let him treat me like a ghost.

I started packing with tears in my eyes. I wanted to get out of there before I said something vile. "Jason, don't be like this! Please come out and talk to me-."

"Bruce, I need to get the hell away from you before I say something I regret!" I hollered. "And I guarantee that if you follow me, I will never come home! Leave my crutches and get away from me!" I sat down and texted Tim. He was the only person I could trust at that moment. I asked him to come to get me, and he texted me immediately. I waited in my room until Tim texted me, and I left my bedroom. Bruce left my crutches in front of the door and retreated like always. I slung my duffel across my body like a messenger bag, hoping it wouldn't throw me off balance.

I swung the door open and left it like that. Tim took my bag and opened his mouth to ask if I was okay, but he kept quiet. It was for the best because I was in a particularly heinous mood. I fell asleep in the car and woke up in Tim's guest room. He was on the floor with Ives, eating pizza. My head throbbed, and I felt sicker than I did earlier. Ives glanced at me and got up to turn the lights down. "Sorry, were we too loud?" Ives questioned.

"No, I-. How long have I been out?" I asked.

"Thirty minutes... Maybe an hour," Tim answered, "Do you need an aspirin?"

I pressed my palms against my eyelids. "No thanks... Tim, do you-? Who carried me in?" I asked.

"We both did. Tim got you out of the car but wasn't strong enough to get you up the stairs. It was a team effort," Ives answered, "You're heavier than you look." I let out a soft chuckle despite the pounding in my head.

"Know how I asked you to move in with me?" I questioned. "Could it still work if it were the other way around?"

"You wanna live here?" Tim asked. I nodded. "Alright." I was shocked. I thought he'd say no, but he looked thrilled.

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kierancaz · 5 months

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Does anyone else not like the way Damian is drawn in the new Batman and Robin comic ????

Like, after his solo Robin series, I just cannot look at him like that. He looks almost exactly like Jon.

Where is his tan skin ??? His green eyes ??? HIS HOOKED NOSE ???? They took away everything that made his design cool and interesting and new and pretty and also just like a huge part of his ethnicity.

It just bothers me so much like I want to read the comic bc it does seem pretty interesting but Damian’s design is making it soooooo hard. It extra sucks bc the art style is amazing. I actually love the way Bruce is drawn and also White Rabbit is super cool. Damian is just throwing me off so hard like that’s literally not him that’s Tim or Jon or Dick but that isn’t Damian Wayne/AL GHUL like tf look at this

He’s pretty yah, whatever, now look at this:

THESE ARE NOT EVEN THE SAME FUCKING PEOPLE ???? It’s not even a difference in art style bc there was plenty of variations in art style in the Robin series but he still had his main features I mentioned earlier.

Idk call me a nitpicker or smth but this bothers me so much if it doesn’t change at some point I don’t think I will be able to read the new Batman and Robin series.

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abisalli · 2 months

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some panel redraws with young just us

#young justice #dc comics #tim drake #kon el #bart allen #robin (tim drake)#superboy #impulse #my art #digital art #I'm having so much fun with these #finally getting a use out of my big ass comic panels folder #also you're so welcome for the issue numbers because I just screenshot panels while I read without noting them down anywhere #so I had to search through all the pages again orz orz #also I know Bart in that cheerleader uniform was meant to be a ha ha funny joke moment but I think he would rock that whenever

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batcavescolony · 9 months

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People who say "Batman was better without his kids" must really like the whole ELEVEN issues that Bruce had before Dick was introduced because that's the only time he didn't have a kid. Bruce Wayne/Batman was introduced in ’Detective Comics' #27 and Dick Grayson's Robin was introduced in 'Detective Comics’ #38. Dick was around before Alfred existed, if we can have Alfred why can we have the Robins?

#comics #dc comics #robin #tim drake #batman #bruce wayne #dick grayson #red robin #jason todd #nightwing #alfred pennyworth #before robin? BEFORE ROBIN? you mean those 9 detective comic issues? there is no before robin. robin was always there. get over it #go read the Punisher or something because thats what you want not Batman #but batcave what about alt worlds or re boots. nope they said before he has gis kids and his kid was introduced nine issues after him #AND IVE READ DETECTIVE COMICS BATMAN! they wouldn't like him either he was a good guy. he made jokes. he rode down banister. he was free #edit: i cant do math its eleven not nine issues

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puppetmaster13u · 5 months

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Prompt 88

In a world where every human starts with blood that’s a very bright red, only darkening by one taking another’s life, Tim is very careful. Apparently even using explosions in warehouses and wherever else the league of assassins had set up counted as killing, to his slight horror. He couldn’t let his team know of course, even if they joked about joining him if he turned villain.

It was one thing to joke, but if they saw his blood, pitch black and dark enough to nearly swallow the light around it? He really doesn’t want to see the horror or disgust. He isn’t going to let anyone know if he can help it.

So it’s a really shitty situation when one of the henchmen of one of the rogues decides to break his nose and about fifty-something people are suddenly very aware of his very high kill count. He has a choice here. And he isn’t entirely sure if he wants to deal with the consequences of either of them.

#prompts #batman au #dc #dcu #batman #red robin #tim drake #Tim has a kill count in the thousands and really does Not want other people to know #Less because he's sorry and more because the *scandal* that it would bring #He doesn't want to be a problem to the Waynes :(#If/When the batfam find out they are Concerned #Someone bundle this child up in a blanket #Kon does not know the issue is while the rest of the Young Justice team are gaping #Wtf did you *do* Robin?! What happened that caused that?!#young justice

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scintillyyy · 3 months

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i was thinking about tim & his interesting (to me) relationship with physical distance from gotham & how he will often choose to leave to clear his head in moments when he's unsure of life or just not doing very well.

& to me the parallels between the fact that his parents used their trips as a way to try to salvage their marriage & how while he had issues about feeling like they left him behind to go on adventures, he also probably internalized some of the need to get away to think from them.

like robin i, we have tim choosing to leave gotham (& his parents, which was very hard and strange for him) immediately after the events of rite of passage and his mother's funeral & him officially getting the robin costume. and he goes to train, but he goes to train because he feels unsure about his place and whether he's really ready to be robin.

and then we have him choose to leave again to finish his training after the death of young el & tim's inability to save him.

and then he leaves again to go help danny temple after bruce gives away his identity to stephanie & he's struggling with the betrayal of bruce & steph with that whole thing.

and then he leaves for bludhaven after his dad & steph die.

and then bruce, dick, & tim leave gotham during 52 to heal after the events of infinite crisis.

and then he famously leaves gotham to go have his around the world breakdown & search for bruce in red robin.

&&for all of these, it's like. the going away is the breakdown, the return is when he truly heals. so it's like to me, i guess. for tim, he has an extremely good head for when he needs to get away and be alone because he's not happy with his status quo or where he is in life. in fact, the first thing he usually chooses to do when he's at a low point or he's not acting like himself is leave to get some distance from his problem, but him being away is also inevitably a sign that he's avoiding his problems & not actually dealing with it (much like his parents going away to work on their marriage was not actually addressing the underlying problem that is the fact that their marriage was fundamentally not working out). and he always comes to the realization after he's had some time alone that he needs to go back to gotham and not avoid the problem in order to actually make headway on dealing with whatever he's struggling with.

because tim is a character where that physical distance is him trying to get some clarity for himself on whatever situation is ailing him, but he can't actually deal with the situation that's ailing him until he returns home to actually deal with it (also related, why him leaving inevitably ends up in him getting wrapped up in other people's problems, so he can avoid dealing with his own). the answer is usually, for him, "oh, i should go home and face it head on". and that kind of tracks for tim in that, imo, that he is not a character where distance heals for him, necessarily, and space isn't what he needs to work things out, he's the kind of person who needs to be there in order to actually resolve the conflict he feels internally. he's a needler--he will poke & prod at the problem until it's worked out to his satisfaction.

#tim drake #anyways tim probably has a very unique view on going away & getting space to try and solve one's problems #given his parents did exactly that #hell even in jack's depression arc after he lost his money he shut himself in his room and didn't talk to anyone for weeks #and only healed once he chose to get over it and come out and be part of the family again #but there's an interesting thread there of leaving to get space doesn't actually solve any of the issues for them #it's just a bandaid. tim needs to be in the thick of things to deal with them #tim choosing to go away to heal is him inevitably realizing that being away is avoiding the problem

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sharksandjays · 1 month

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ugh i could absolutely write essays about the fact that tim drake is probably the most depressing out of all the batkids. His birth parents hardly cared about him (he is book definition of neglected) and we see that he didn't have that many friends in school. And then he was pressured into becoming Robin and suddenly that's where he felt needed. While reading all the comics i really noticed how Tim is ignored by Bruce unless he is Robin. The only times we really see Bruce care about Tim is when he's injured. Hence, neglected.

Of course Tim isn't going to point this out because this is how he was treated his whole life. But he subconsciously knows that he is only needed while wearing the Robin suit so that's what he relies on. That's why I think he reacted so negatively to Dick replacing him with Damian as Robin. That's why I think he never switched to wearing the bat like everyone else did and instead changed to "Red Robin."

Tim Drake isn't his own person outside of being Robin, and nobody in the series is helping him change that.

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allthegothihopgirls · 2 months

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i think it would have been funny if tim, after discovering his bisexuality and thinking that was the 'unique feature' he brought to his iteration of robin, mentioned this to the rest of batfam, only to find out they've all been some degree of queer this whole time.

#jason would be bewildered #and then has to ask tim how he DIDNT know. because jason's pretty notorious for having boyfriends that cause issues for the family business #ie: having them all on social lockdown for WEEKS after jason decided his current relationship was serious enough for him to reveal #himself as robin... he broke up with that guy less than a month later #and dick never let him live it down #and then they have to have the bruce conversation with him #which pretty much shocks tim beyond what he thought his body was capable of handling #“i thought.. he just didn't ever have a girlfriend because of the whole batman thing?????”#dick would recount it to bruce later on and he'd just sigh #this is all in my head again guys ignore me #jason todd #dick grayson #tim drake #red robin #nightwing #red hood #batman #bruce wayne #batfamily #batfam #robin #dc comics #dc #gothihop speaks

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bluejaysandblackbats · 3 months

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Catch and Release

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: AU where Jason doesn't die in the explosion and he and Tim end up attending the same high school months later.

Chapters: 14/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Sebastian Ives, Jack Drake, Janet Drake

Relationships: TBA

Chapter Fourteen: Needed

Tim settled in on Dick’s couch while I made dinner in the kitchen. “Are you sure he won’t be mad?” Tim asked as he flipped through the channels on Dick’s TV.

“Have you seen the inside of the fridge? Dick hasn’t had a homecooked meal in over a week,” I replied, “He’ll be happy to come home to dinner.”

“Are you sure?” Tim asked.

“Do you want mac and cheese or not, Tim?” I questioned.

“Shutting up,” Tim replied.

I took the mac and cheese out of the oven and removed the tray of wings from the top rack. “He’ll be here any minute. I’ll put his plate in the microwave. Do you wanna eat now or wait for—? He’s here,” I whispered as Dick came through the door. “Hey, Dick. Surprise—.”

“Hell no,” Dick interrupted, “No, you can’t be here. You cannot be here right n—. Do I smell hot wings?” I smiled and nodded.

“But if you can’t spare one afternoon on your brother’s weekend away from school… I guess,” I sighed, “I have no choice but to take our dinner to the crappy motel down the street. Come on, Tim. Let’s see if that motel will let us rent a room for the night without an adult.”

Dick held his hands up, reaching for me before balling his fists and shoving them to his sides. “Fine. Stay,” Dick replied, “Hi, Tim. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you guys.”

“It’s okay,” Tim replied as he checked his phone. He didn’t look up. Not even to acknowledge Dick. And I thought Tim would be thrilled to see him.

I served dinner, but Tim didn’t move from his spot on the couch. He was glued to his phone, which wasn’t like him during dinner. I set his plate on the coffee table and messed up his hair. “Earth to Tim,” I smiled. Tim looked up at me with big puppy dog eyes and showed me a news clip from an hour before.

“What’s wrong?” Dick questioned.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t speak. I stepped out into the hall and called Bruce. He answered immediately. I didn’t expect anything less from him. “What’s wrong?” Bruce asked.

“I need your help,” I replied.

Bruce met me on the roof of Dick’s apartment at ten o’clock. “Likely, they’re still alive. Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can do—.”

“They’re his parents. I need you to bring them home safe,” I interrupted. My stomach was in knots. I couldn’t stomach watching Tim go through what Bruce, Dick, and I went through. It was no time for me to be prideful. I was scared and trusted Bruce more than anybody to find Tim’s parents. If he couldn’t bring them home, no one could. Bruce nodded in full Batman cape and costume… Like he was hiding from me.

“I’ll do everything I can. Stay with Tim… I’ll let you know if I find anything out,” Bruce replied. He reached for me but ultimately decided against physically comforting me. He disappeared into the night, leaving me with Dick, Tim, and my feelings. I took the stairs back to Dick’s apartment, quietly resenting Bruce’s lack of outward emotion. I knew he cared, but I wanted him to show it. I wanted him to be human with me for a moment. I wanted a sign that I mattered more than the mask he wore. That felt like an answer.

I sat beside Tim on the couch, nudging him gently. He laid his head on my lap, curling up there with tears in his eyes. “I should’ve begged them to stay home. I should’ve listened to you—.”

“Tim, this isn’t your fault. I called the GCPD, and they will do everything to get your mom and dad home. Okay?” I lied. Not to Tim. To Dick. “You should get some rest. Tim, I’m here with you.”

“There’s nothing to do but wait,” Tim mumbled.

“Mhm, but your parents would never—.”

“They’re your parents too… We’re brothers, remember?” Tim interrupted. Any words I had in my head were lost to me after he said that. I choked on every word I tried to say as he sat up, locking eyes with me. We were never more related than we were at that moment. United in fear of loss. United in helplessness. I was his older brother, so I swallowed it and pulled him into a hug so he couldn’t see how scared I was.

Dick glanced at me while he ate at the kitchen island, and I nodded. His phone rang, and he licked his fingers before answering. “Hey, Donna. It’s not a great time—. My brother and his little brother are here,” Dick answered. He swallowed hard. “A family emergency… His brother’s not mine. Yeah… I’ll let him know you asked.” I nudged Tim, and he stood up while I pulled out the couch. “Yeah… I love you too.” Dick hung up. “Jason, Donna wants to know if she can see you tomorrow morning.”

Donna and Roy were the only ones of Dick’s friends that came to see me in person when I was in the hospital. Donna thanked me once when she visited, but she thought I was unconscious. She thanked me for letting her vent when she wasn’t sure of herself. I never had the heart to accept her gratitude. Working with the Titans felt like it happened an eternity ago. I wasn’t the same person. I didn’t have all this rage back then. I wondered if she saw me—. I wondered if she’d see how quickly my insides rotted. I wondered if she’d see how far I’d fallen. I lost my hope, and all I had left was my anger, frustration, and stubborn desire to claw my way back to the person I used to be. I liked that Jason a lot better… And I think I was that Jason with Tim.

“Jason?” Dick asked.

“Okay,” I replied, “Did she say—? Was she just—?” I couldn’t ask him what I wanted to.

“She’s gonna flip when she sees you. The last time she saw you—...” Dick trailed off. I was half out of my mind. The doctors didn’t think I would make it, so they’d put me on morphine. When I could speak for myself, I had them take me off it. I couldn’t hear a thing she said over the pounding in my chest. I must’ve cried the entire time. I was a mess. I wished I was dead. I couldn’t look away from her, and she wouldn’t have let me. Everything after that was fuzzy.

I turned toward Tim, forcing myself out of that terrible memory and back to the present. Tim lay curled up without a blanket, asleep on the couch bed. “Dick, do you have extra blankets? Tim’s gonna freeze half to death,” I mumbled. Tim. I had to take care of him until Janet and Jack got home. I knew that’s what they’d want me to do.

Dick grabbed a few blankets from the hall closet and gave me two pillows before messing up my hair. “Are you ever gonna go home?” Dick asked.

“I don’t know, Dick. Even if I wanted to—. I don’t want to, but—. I’m never going to leave Tim. I know you don’t get it, but—.”

“You’re his brother, and you wanna look after him… Unlike—.”

“Dick, I don’t resent you. You had your own problems back then. So did Donna and Roy—. Heck, all of your friends were struggling. I get it... You came to the hospital. You joked around with me when that was the last thing I wanted… Because you knew I needed it. You don’t have to keep beating yourself up,” I interrupted, “And you don’t have to worry about me so much.”

“I know. It’s just—. It’s nice to see you smile again,” Dick replied. I half-smiled and nodded. “Get some sleep. I’m not going anywhere tonight.” And he meant it. Even though I couldn’t sleep, it felt nice having Dick there, watching from his chair until he couldn’t keep his eyes open. I got up and draped a blanket over him.

Then, I whispered something to Tim that I wished I hadn’t. “Everything’s gonna be okay.”

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thecruellestmonth · 7 months

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HISTORY MADE: Bruce Wayne Says "I Love You" to Jason Todd for the first time EVER

It is an historic occasion! In Batman (2016) #138 by writer Chip Zdarsky, Bruce Wayne says "I love you" to his son Jason Todd for the first time in forty (40) years of comics publication. In fact, Bruce says it not just once, but two (2) whole times!

This is also the first time that any of Jason's oddly long series of parents has been depicted saying "I love you" to him.

We do so love an involved parent who openly communicates his feelings about his child. Truly, nobody can shatter expectations like BATMAN!

Now every time someone says "I love you" to Jason, we all can look back at this milestone moment. A first only happens once, and this is now and forever Bruce's first "I love you" to Jason in comics history.

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breadandblankets · 3 months

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read Wayne family adventures and want a more accessible path into comics than a billion issues reading lists?

scared of what you heard about Bruce in comics?

curious as to what duke fans get all huffy about when a new wfa issue comes out?

introducing:

#wayne family adventures #bruce wayne #tim drake #jason todd #duke thomas #here are some more sales pitches:#this is a collected anthology of a lot of duke's appearances as the signal #like yes obv start with we are robin BUT if you want to get Right into the nice mentor&mentee relationship between bruce and duke and thenn #go back and read WAR i underdstand have a nice day #if you only have a little bit of reading time and you wanna understand duke a little better read this #it goes over his training and such with bruce #i think it literally has 4 or 5 issues and includes some of bruce and dukes brain genius thinking (read disasters)#i will make you care about duke thomas or die trying #but just.. please you cannot survive on wfa and fic alone #and bruce and duke's relationship is really nice and mostly healthy #which cannot be said for his relationship with Licherally any other bat #why are you still on tumblr go read it #bread talk

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batcavescolony · 2 years

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"why didn't Bruce just tell his kids to stay home? They shouldn't be out being vigilantes."

*every five minutes in comics*

Bruce: stay home ok?

Literally any of his kids: ok 👍

Bruce: just to make sure we're on the same page, what are you gonna do?

Kid: stay home!

Bruce: good. I'm leaving now, have fun.

Kid: BYE

Kid: ...I'm gonna go out! It'll be fine

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megaerakles · 17 days

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To Whom It May Concern

Tim couldn’t stay.

No matter what Bruce had said when he caught Tim in the act of laying the paper trail to establish his Fake Uncle, no matter how long Dick had sobbed into the phone at him during an inordinately expensive long distance (read: off planet) phone call, no matter how much Alfred had been fussing over him and insisting it was no trouble at all to care for him since Tim’s scheme had been revealed and promptly foiled, it just didn’t change the fact that Tim couldn’t stay. Truthfully, the Wayne family’s apparent sudden burst of affection for him actually made this whole thing worse because somewhere along the way, without even trying, Tim had failed to keep things wholly professional between them and somehow tricked them into thinking he belonged in their family!

He couldn’t let it stand. For the sake of Jason’s memory, for the sake of preserving the sanctity of the true Wayne family, he had to stop this… this absurdity of pretending that Tim belonged with them from continuing! Tim had to run. Tim had to vanish. It was the only way to make things right again. Sure, the thought of never seeing any of them again, the thought of being done with Bruce and Alfred and Dick and Barbara and everyone in his life he currently held dear once and for all made it feel as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest only to be shoved back down his throat to stop the flow of air into his body—but it didn’t matter. He didn’t matter, not nearly as much as they did. This would be for their own good.

Tim was leaving, and it turned out to be easier than he thought it would be in the end. Not emotionally easier, but logistically easier. Bruce had been extra attentive lately, so he thought he’d have to fake an injury and get ‘benched’ so that they would lower their guard long enough for him to slip away. But by some divine stroke of luck, a new player had waltzed onto Gotham’s criminal scene not too long after Tim’s Fake Uncle plan fell through and started making threats against Batman and Robin. They had apparently freaked B out enough to prompt him to send Tim off to Titan’s Tower to ‘focus on his team for awhile’. Tim had accepted the command with the requisite amount of complaint, planted some fake texts to make it look like he’d actually communicated to his Team that he would be there, shoved everything from his guest room in the Manor that he couldn’t bear to part with into a duffel bag underneath a spare uniform, gave Bruce what only he knew was a more emotionally charged nod goodbye than usual, and then poof. Tim Drake was zapped out of the Batcave for the last time ever.

He let himself have one night in the Tower. Partly to catch a few hours of sleep in a familiar and secure environment, but mostly so he could clean up his room for its next occupant, sweep his belongings and his person for any extra trackers, and repack his bag more efficiently. He also took the time to grab a spare backpack and fill it up with emergency rations. While he was taking plenty of cash, he didn’t want to risk having to go into stores with security cameras for a while, at least until he’d cleared a suitable distance from San Francisco proper as well as implemented the first of his many planned disguises. He didn’t think a bottle of cheap hair dye and some colored contacts would be enough to fool Oracle indefinitely, but if he was appropriately cautious it might keep her from getting a confirmation of his location long enough for the Bats to either get bored looking for him or to actually realize they were better off without him around.

When the early rays of dawn started to bathe the sides of Titan’s Tower in ember colored light, he was off. He left behind seven trackers pulled from his clothes and bag and one more from behind his ear; he’d kept the one he noticed in his favorite pair of sneakers because it was a type that wouldn’t start transmitting data until the Bats actively started tracking it and he was hoping to find someone who wore his size at the bus station he could pay to wear them so he could throw them off for even longer. If all else failed, he would just toss them in an out of the way trash can. He had also left a letter of resignation for Batman that he’d whipped up based off of an online template, signed and sealed and awaiting discovery atop the pillow in his nearly empty dorm room (he had tried for something more personal, a longer note of explanation for Bruce about why he couldn’t stay despite being asked, but—the words just wouldn’t come, and he’d been running out of time). His bag was heavy, courtesy of all of the extra supplies he’d grabbed in anticipation of having to evade not only Batman’s team but the rest of the Justice League. His heart was heavy, courtesy of emotional baggage that he wished was as easy to unpack as his actual bags would be when he finally found somewhere to settle.

He boarded the first bus he saw after he’d gone a few blocks and took a seat towards the back, where he leaned against the window and stared back at the iconic giant T that he used to belong in, however briefly, until it disappeared from sight. And just like that, Tim Drake’s life as Robin was over.

—

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to formally notify you that I’m resigning as Robin in Gotham City, effective immediately.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you all for the past three years. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the team and appreciated the opportunity to learn about vigilantism and hone my detective skills. I’m excited to take these skills with me as I pursue the next step of my career.

During the past two weeks, I have done everything possible to wrap up any ongoing cases and leave no unfinished business. The Robin suit as well as my spare have been cleaned and placed in the armory of Titan’s Tower along with any gear I have been issued.

I wish Batman and team the best, but am afraid I will be out of contact for the foreseeable future.

Sincerely,

T. J. Drake

—

Red Hood stalked into Titan’s Tower with all the grace of a wildcat closing in on its prey, his vicious smirk hidden by his helmet, his unauthorized entrance hidden by virtue of the heroes’ own stupidity in failing to remove his codes from the database. Seriously—he’d thought gaining entry into their so-called fortress would be the hardest part of this little trip, and had only tried his access codes for the sake of checking the most stupidly obvious Plan A off his list! For them to work, to realize that there was nothing truly separating the precious sidekicks from the wrath of a vengeance minded crime lord, well… it sure made the message he was about to send feel all the more poignant.

He had come equipped to subdue an entire horde of Teeny Titans without hurting them (much), but to his surprise, the tower was empty of kid sidekicks despite Robin having been sent to work with his team yesterday afternoon, a fact Jason had gleaned last night from listening to the mind numbing chatter of Nightwing being bored on a stakeout and wanting to chat with anyone over the comms Jason had hacked into. Which he’d done in order to better plan his aggressive takeover of Crime Alley, not because he missed hearing his family’s voices. Nope.

(Since coming back to Gotham, it had been more difficult than he anticipated to stick to the plan when some part of his mind still stubbornly clung to those foolish, childhood dreams of belonging and family and a father who gave a shit and things like that, and kept popping up with annoying questions like ‘what if he revealed his identity to Dick or Alfred or someone just to see if maybe Talia had been right and they’d want him back after all. Clearly, the existence of a new Robin meant that they’d never really given a damn about him, so he was going to go through with this thing, just watch him.)

Truly this had to be fate, because the path to Robin was practically unfolding before him with no barriers. All that was left to do was find where in this gigantic clubhouse the itty little birdie was nesting. Jason tried the common room first. Then the kitchen. Then the rec room. And then the training floor. And the med bay. And then the armory, where he found Robin’s suit, but no actual Robin. He supposed the next place to check would be Robin’s bedroom, because even though it was well past eleven, Drake was a teenager and could conceivably be sleeping in, especially since there was no Alfred around to rouse him at a reasonable hour. Luckily, the doors on the floor with sleeping quarters were all clearly marked with either the name or symbol of the person it belonged to, so it was easy enough to find the one with that all too familiar stylized ‘R’. Jason paused to take a steadying breath before gritting his teeth and deciding to really make an entrance by kicking down the door.

…To an empty bedroom. Like, not just devoid of Tim Drake, but also devoid of books, trinkets, photos, decoration, clothes, dishes, mess, et cetera, et cetera. It looked as clean and sterile as a hotel room, and if Jason hadn’t literally just seen Robin’s insignia on the door he would think he’d entered an unassigned room by mistake. He frowned and yanked off his helmet, as if looking with his own two eyes would suddenly change the scene, but no. Nothing. He strode into the room and yanked open the closet—empty. He walked over to the desk and yanked open the top drawer—empty. He yanked open the bottom drawer, and mostly empty except for—wait, was that a pile of deactivated Bat trackers? Fucking bizarre. When he stood up, he glanced around again, and this time something on the bed caught his eye. It had been easy to miss against the white pillowcase, but there was an envelope tucked up against the pillow. With a scowl, he stalked over and grabbed it.

When Jason flipped it over, he noted that it was addressed to Batman, but decided that since he was a crime lord now he didn’t have to care about something as trivial as opening someone else’s mail. He didn't want to take off his gloves and risk leaving prints on anything, so he pulled out a dagger and used it to slice open the envelope. As he flipped it over to dump its contents on the desk, he had the fleeting thought that he probably should have put back on his mask in case this had been some villain’s ploy to poison Batman, but luckily all that fell out was a single sheet of printer paper folded into thirds.

This he was careful not to damage as he unfolded it. It wasn’t a long note, just a few small paragraphs, so it was quick enough to read: To whom it may concern. This letter is to formally notify you that I’m resigning as Robin in Gotham City, effective immediately…

Jason dropped the letter and took a step back, staring at the innocuous piece of paper with wide eyes and racing thoughts. Robin had—Drake wasn’t—Timothy—the kid, he was quitting? Leaving? Gone?

It could be a trap. It probably was a trap. Except Robin shouldn’t have had any way of knowing Red Hood would be able to track him all the way to Titan’s Tower so why would he have set a trap for him in the first place? A trap for someone else, then? If it was, it was really, really stupid of him because the kid had signed his resignation letter from Robin with his actual name, and surely he wouldn’t have made it this far if he were that careless with his identity. So, it was either a very bad trap, or not a trap at all. And if it was not a trap at all, then…

Then Robin had… resigned. Which, ok, Jason’s stated goal coming into this thing was to get Tim Drake to stop being Robin. So he should be happy about this, right? Except he’d not gotten to toss the kid around and work out his aggression at all so there was no satisfaction in it. Also, the timing was fucking obnoxious. Go figure that the very day he decides to do something about his replacement, the kid decides to peace out of the Gotham vigilante scene and… and go…

… Somewhere. Jason had no idea where Tim Drake would go if he were no longer Robin. Given how he’d waited until he was alone and then left the note to be found on the other side of the country, Jason had a sneaking suspicion that returning to Gotham was currently off the table. The letter had said he would be ‘out of contact’ for the foreseeable future; Jason could read between the lines enough to figure out that meant he was running away.

—Which, fuck. Another Robin was running away from Batman because of… well, Jason didn’t know what this kid’s issue with B was, but there were plenty of potential flaws in the man to choose from so Jason was going to play it safe and assume it was something Bruce did. Clearly, the man could never learn. And now, this poor dumb Robin was going to pay the price! Jason was more than familiar with the number of horrors that awaited kids who ended up on their own. He could starve; he could freeze to death; he could catch some disease like the flu, or get cut on a rusty nail and get tetanus, and then die from it because he couldn’t access medical treatment. He could get mugged, or harassed by cops, or snatched up by traffickers, or—

And fine; Jason himself had meant to hurt him. But that had been for ideological purposes, to prove a point about putting children in danger and not taking good enough care of them and stuff. It wasn’t like he was going to hurt him that badly, just bad enough to freak out Bruce a bit. But Jason was also the Red Hood, and the Red Hood’s mission was to do what was necessary to stop awful shit from happening to vulnerable kids. And this stupid, stupid letter was apparently enough to abruptly transfer Timothy Drake into that category in his head.

Everything Jason had heard about the kid said he was smart, and the timing of his disappearance pointed to some thoughtful planning on his part. Jason could imagine that the little shit had some sort of plan in place to evade Batman’s attempts to locate him, and he probably could manage to run without getting caught by Bruce and the Gotham team for a while. Heck, the kid probably had strategies to get away from most if not all of the Justice League members, since B was sure to call in favors once he got frantic enough about the little bird. But one thing the kid likely did not plan for was being pursued by him. Ex-Robin, currently a crime lord, League of Assassins connections, and a bone to pick with Timothy specifically? (He ran away from home and left a fucking resignation letter about it? Does he not realize what that would do to Dick, to Alfred, to Bruce—)

After stuffing the letter into his pocket, Jason put back on his helmet and stalked out of Titans Tower as silently as he’d arrived, this time with a new yet equally furious purpose sharpening his steps. Sucked to be Timothy Drake, he thought, because the Red Hood got his message and he was officially concerned.

#my writing #my fanfic #tim drake #jason todd #to whom it may concern #would be what this fic is called if I ever continue it haha #but this is as far as I got and then kinda lost steam #but it stands as a one shot pretty nicely so I thought I'd share it here see what people thought. ya know.#could it be a multi chapter fic one day? sure. what do I know. will it be soon? probably not.#um ok what else #unreliable narrator #tim drake has self worth issues #are probably the two most critical tags/warnings for this one.#anyway actually being on desktop is giving me way too much power look at me go all these tags and no typos damn!

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arguablysomaya · 1 year

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Bruce, finishing a Wayne Enterprise meeting: Any questions?

Tim: Just one

Tim: Is it okay if I rip off your head and roll it down the hallway like a bowling ball?

#tim has issues #batfam #batfamily #incorrect quotes #batman #incorrect batfamily quotes #incorrect batfam quotes #incorrect dc quotes #incorrect batman quotes #incorrect batfam #dc #tim drake #bruce wayne

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im-totally-not-an-alien-2 · 1 year

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Danny, while out exploring the Infinite Realms, gets caught up in a wierd evil scheme to clone...a robin? Okay, strange but hes dealt with weirder stuff. Nothing really prepared him for finding a little newborn baby amongst all the empty pods and computers he was destroying.

He picked it up carefully and soon discovered it was a girl. Phantom, knowing this was very much not a bird, started looking for answers while the baby rested in his arm. Robin turned out to be a kid who looked around eight or nine...or he was just small. Either way he was waaaay too young to take in a baby and anyone who dressed up like a bat and let thier kid run around with them at two in the morning to fight serial killers and terrorists in the city that is the embodiment of late stage capitalism probably isn't a good fit for a child.

So he turned to the child and muttered, "Guess I'm a dad now." before taking her back to the Infinite Realms. He named her Asteria after the greek titan goddess of the stars.

She was so inquisitive and wanted to grab and investigate everything she saw. She was smart and ridiculously bold, almost reckless, which made it easy to pass her off as his and telling his sister that he had a fling with a tourist and she told him the baby was his. He even presented a fake paternity test to her and then silently waited for her judgment.

She just sighed.

Danny didn't hate being a father but man it was tiring. They had moved away from Amity Park after thier parents and Vlaad "passed away" which was code for Jazz murdering them in cold blood after...the incident

He and Sam stopped being friends after they had a bad break up, but Tucker was his best friend, even all these years later. Valerie still seemed to come and go too. Danny was happy just being a single father.

Until it happened.

Asteria started coughing. He didn't think anything of it at first. Kids got sick all the time but...it never stopped. Danny had taken her to doctor after doctor but no one seemed to know what they were looking at. They all said something similar, that it was some sort of genetic disease involving her lungs but they had never seen anything like it.. they even asked to record this for future medical studies. He agreed so long as it was within reason and wasn't invasive.

The cough just kept getting worse until one day she had a fit so bad it sent her to her knees. She had to stay on the ground coughing as Danny frantically patted her back and tried to comfort her. By the time it was over she was sobbing uncontrollably and hugging her teddybear to her chest as Danny held her.

Danny decided he needed to go back to Gotham. If this was a genetic disease then it must have come from that Robin guys family, right? He didn't want to have to go to him directly, it had been four years since he took her and its possible the guy might sue him for custody. Or the Batman will. Or they might kidnap her and he would never see her agia-

Danny took a deep breath. He was not going to talk to the furry patrol. But he was sure that someone in Gotham had to know what this was.

---

Leslie got a knock on her window as an ungodly hour of the night. She opened it intending to yell at someone, but when she saw that unique look of desperation on a young man's face while holding a little girl in a light blue princess nightgown the words died on her tongue.

The man said he couldn't go to a normal hospital or doctor as they would have questions he couldn't answer and her sickness isn't something he had ever seen before. She was adopted and her disease was appearently genetic. He even offered to give Leslie samples of his blood for study since he heard she liked to study metas.

She made sure he knew this wasn't necessary and that she didn't want him to feel forced before taking the offered sample.

Asteria began a slow recovery after that. One where neither of them could leave Gotham until she was completely cured. Whats more is that Asteria would need medication for years to come. Money wasn't an issue. Danny would just need to find a reliable form of transport between dimensions.

Unfortunately for him, Leslie discovered the "Altered Lazarus water" in his blood samples and notified Batman.

#fanfiction prompts #prompts #danny phantom #danny fenton #dp x dc #batman #robin #tim drake #you could also have it be jasons kid #if you wanted #red robin #danny is just like: oh a baby with no where to go?#danny: well my life is ruined anyway why not add a baby to the mix #danny has self esteem issues #danny wont let batman and birdboy see the kid #custody battle?#if you use jason instead of tim you can say it was jasons angst that made danny not tell him about the baby #cause he would have been a similar age to danny in this #which is 15ish

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