#both about jason and about his death. that his death didn't matter? that he's... replaceable? (*JAYTIM TROPE AIRHORNS*)

[ragnarokhound]

re: your tags on the jason’s anger post~

hard agree!! i will read reconciliation fics bc like… i do enjoy them getting to be a happy family/group but ultimately, i am firmly in the Jason Todd Was Right camp, &. serious work would need to be done for him to ever actually be part of the family again, bc the actual roots of his issues run DEEP. (and again! he has points!!)

and also same again on like… if i mention the batfamily dynamics in my fics, with the exception of au’s, jason’s relationship with bruce especially is still at least a little strained. he’s a member but also kind of an outsider and maybe he has complicated feelings on that sometimes but ultimately it’s bc his convictions / beliefs run deeper than his need /want of acceptance / belonging.

anyway sorry to dump a rant in your inbox but, i loved your tags & wanted to reply 💞

OUUGHH YES THO!! THANK YOU FOR RANTING, ALWAYS RANT IN MY INBOX STAY IN THIS SPACE WITH ME <333

(I'm about to have a mini-rant of my own, and disclaimer, it's largely informed by my terrible foundation of the UTRH movie + fandom osmosis + the occasional page/panel drop/arguments from other fans skdndndj sO GRAIN OF SALT THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND: )

Because yes yes absolutely! It would take serious work on Both sides for Jason to be brought back into the fold. They would both need to want it, and someone would have to be willing to bend on what they are ok with letting slide. Bruce would have to allow Jason his independence and divergence in philosophy; Jason would have to make concessions to Bruce's hard anti-murder stance.

There would have to be compromise, and reparations of some kind. They would have to actually talk and be able to listen. Apologies exchanged (mostly from Bruce because lmao) and a bunch of stuff people with the whole picture could probably tell me better lmao. ALL HARD ASKS

Because yes yes yes!! Jason's convictions and his beliefs ABSOLUTELY run deeper than his desire for acceptance. That's not-so-low-key the biggest obstacle for both him and Bruce in their ever reconciling. It's why Talia was able to manipulate him at all (idk the specifics of that, but details), it's why he hatched a deeply convoluted plan to get back at Bruce and the Joker and fuck over Black Mask in one fell swoop.

He wanted to confront Bruce with the consequences of letting Joker run around even after committing a deeply heinous and personal crime. Show him that taking a more intense and hands on approach and cracking down HARD on the crime families in Gotham would have more immediate results than what Bruce did. And that's not even getting into the Robin stuff yet lol

I don't personally agree per se with Jason's stance on murder and crime fighting lmao - but I also think he has a goddamn point, especially in this universe. In the world of batman, where death can be impermanent and supervillains pull all kinds of heinous, torturous bullshit, Jason has a lot of righteous and justified anger about how Bruce does things, on top of his hurt and betrayal over how both he and his death were treated.

Bruce's stance makes sense to me too, in a 'everyone deserves a second chance' and 'no one is beyond redemption' and 'its a slippery slope' perspective. But at some point you have to wonder about accountability. About what's acceptable. When the Joker is an unrepentant, murderous, sadistic criminal who has demonstrated that he cannot be adequately jailed or rehabilitated, what do you do? Do you ever give up on him? When is enough enough? Is the death penalty ever justifiable?

It's what makes Jason vs Bruce's arguments interesting and tragic to me, because from Jason's perspective, he is seeking retribution for himself as a victim. He is an avenger for victims failed by the system as it stands. And the system fails a lot of people. It needs to change. (And it's something being felt very strongly by a lot of people rn IRL which makes Jason's ideals v sympathetic.)

But from Bruce's perspective, Jason has given up. He has lost hope in the inherent goodness of people. He no longer seeks to find the good in people; he has decided that there exists instead a sharp dichotomy, that there is such thing as a bad person who deserves to die for what they've done, and for being bad. As opposed to seeing deeply injured people who need help, even when you find them repulsive. Rotten work, that.

Bruce sees the end of the path that Jason is on, and it's a bullet that Jason puts in his own brain - because if there are good people and bad people, and bad people deserve to die... won't Jason lump himself in with the bad people eventually? (I am once again standing on my 'Jason Todd wants to die on some level' soapbox)

Anyway, all this to say - there is a sharp divide in Bruce and Jason's methods/beliefs that makes their reconciliation impossible if neither of them is willing to budge. And when they both see budging as a terrible thing to do, a failure to the very people they are dedicating their lives to protecting...well.

It's gonna take a lot of angst and a lot of work.

#slsncjdk #that got longer than i intended #and i didn't even talk about everything i could have #don't get me started on the complicated feelings jason has about robin #both as a role and tim drake's sucession to it #and how that would feed into Jason's resentment of Bruce and the tapestry of failed accountability #because if Jason died as robin but he comes back and fuck all has changed - #theres still a kid running around gotham getting into truly dangerous situations and at risk of the same fucking thing jason died of #still a target for rogues who want to pull one over on batmam and have zero problems with killing and torturing a minor #and those rogues are STILL running around for that matter! so its even LIKELY. #its not the only problem jason has with Bruce upon coming back. but its a pretty big one. because what does that say? #both about jason and about his death. that his death didn't matter? that he's... replaceable? (*JAYTIM TROPE AIRHORNS*) #its an ugly and complicated relationship with ugly complicated problems. which is why its a) easy to misunderstand and b) so compelling #jason todd #dc #dc meta #THANK YOU TAURIA I LOVE HAVING AN EXCUSE TO TALK ABOUT IT #asked and answered #ladytauria

[pinkcowzz]

something about tim & dick’s relationship makes me feel so. !!!

they are both such complex characters and it really makes my heart feel so heavy to think about them for too long.

like. dick created robin out of his parents blood. the costume was inspired by his family's colors. the name was one he was given by his mother and the only reason he took up the role was because he wanted to get justice (revenge really) for his parents death. he was taken in by bruce who was SO YOUNG at the time and who was still learning how to cope with his own loss still. their relationship was built off of that shared grief and understanding. but then one day, dick learned to let go of that grief. he was able to not let it consume and control him. and he grew tired of living in the dark nest that bruce built for them. and bruce doesn't know how to deal with someone else he loves leaving him so he kicks dick out. like yes bruce is dick's father figure of course he is. but he was also his brother in a weird way. dick didn't want or need for his parents to be replaced so bruce offered him something different. he offered him a partnership. and partners are supposed to be equal but somehow bruce ended up placing himself higher than dick and it was suffocating so he had to leave.

and in dicks absence, bruce finds another kid. this time, it's a kid who does need a parent. jason's relationship with bruce is so different than the one that dick had and i have to imagine that it hurt. it hurts to see your father be better for someone else. it makes you think why? why not me? why wasn't i good enough? and to make matters worse bruce gave away dick's blood without a second thought. jason is given the mantle of robin and my god i cannot imagine the pain it caused dick to see someone else flying around in his colors. that was his name. and dick is still just a kid. yeah he's like legally an adult but his prefrontal cortex was nowhere near developed. so he's bitter and short and rude to jason. he has to take time to get used to having another kid at the manor and another kid in his colors but its fine! its fine! he does come around eventually and his guard starts to come down and he commits to being there for jason. but it was too late. dick leaves the planet to be a hero and when he comes back? jason is dead. the kid he was just starting to get used to is dead.

not only is he dead, but he's already in the ground and bruce? bruce goddamn wayne didn't even bother to tell him. how in the world could bruce ever consider them partners. as far as dick was concerned bruce was just as good as dead to him as jason was. and it hurts. it hurts to not be able to go home without seeing the ghost of a kid you chose not to protect, the ghost of a kid who died too soon wearing the same colors that your parents died in.

so dick doesn't go home. he doesn't speak to bruce. he builds himself a new life, the teen titans become dicks home. and he's okay with this. his origin is so similar to bruce's but he refuses to be the same as batman. so he faces his ghosts. he doesn't let them haunt him. he hears about haly's circus potentially getting shut down and he goes to deal with it.

and here is where dick meets tim drake for the first time. tim who tried to help him save haly's circus (albeit he accused the wrong guy but he was trying). tim tells dick that he needs to save batman.

and so dick brings him back to the manor. where tim tells dick just how important he was to his childhood. tim explains how that night at the circus shaped him just as deeply as it shaped dick. tim shares this complete and utter faith in robin, as if robin is enough to save batman from his own grief. but dick knows this isn't true. dick was barely enough to save himself from his own grief much less bruces. but nonetheless bruce saved dick when he was at his absolute lowest. gave him something to believe in. so maybe, just maybe, he can try again for bruce. but not as robin. it can't be robin. his partnership with batman died when he was kicked out and it was buried when he was kept out of the loop about jason. but tim knows that batman needs more than nightwing by his side. so he takes up the robin mantle. he takes it upon himself to 'save' batman. and in a way, he does. he helps bring bruce back from the edge.

and dick. the last time someone took up his families colors, someone died. and he refuses to allow that again. he refuses to be the reason that tim suffers. so he becomes the older brother he couldn't quite bring himself to be for jason. and to tim? he's wearing the mantle of two robins on his back.

his own standards are set so high and he tries his damndest to meet them every time that he puts on the mask because he knows where the colors of the suit came from. he knows why dick created this identity. he was there. he saw the grayson's fall.

and for a while, things are good between them. things are great even.

then the attack at titan's tower happens. and tim is told that he is just a placeholder (not a replacement like fannon likes to claim, but the words jason todd used were placeholder). and seeds of doubt start to be planted. was he ever wanted? was he ever truly appreciated? he did steal the suit the first time he put it on. was it fair for him to wear the colors that were born of dicks blood and that jason died in?

then tim loses his whole support system. stephanie. bart and kon. his dad. and finally, bruce.

dick has been so committed to never being like bruce. he has been so dedicated to relying on those who offer him help. nightwing is pillar in the hero community, but batman. batman was the foundation. he is considered a founding member of the justice league. he doesn't want to take up the mantle. it had never been in his plans. but jason proved too unstable to take up the role and of course he can't ask tim to. so he dawns the cowl he has grown to hate.

this just leaves one little problem. damian.

damian who has just been dropped off on bruce's porch by talia. damian who grew up in the league of assassins and is so out of place in gotham that dick doesn't know what to do. he never asked to be batman and he definitely never asked to be a father. yet here he is. having to do both. so he does what bruce did all those years ago and provides damian with the mantle that he created in order to give this kid some sort of outlet. he knows damian needs it.

by some unfortunate twist of fate, dick has unknowingly created such a painful parallel between his own firing and tim's.

and then tim discovers that bruce isn't really dead.

and this kills dick just a little bit more. of course he wants to believe tim. of course he wants his dad back. he wants someone else to be the one to make these hard calls and he wants someone else to parent damian. he doesn't want to be the one who has to fire his little brother in order to save the other.

but he can't take that chance. he can't risk the hope. because losing it would actually ruin dick. so he tells tim it isn't possible. because to dick? it can't be possible.

and this just furthers the wedge between the two of them. tim feels abandoned and lost and he feels as if he has nothing left.

and dick doesn't understand why tim can't see that he's right here. he's right here tim i'm still here why aren't i enough for you to stay?

anyway this got away from me a little bit but god their relationship could make angels weep it truly makes my heart stop if i think about it too much.

#batman #tim drake #batfamily #batfam #dc comics #dick grayson #a lonely place of dying #red robin #sorry this is so long #i just have so many thoughts #they mean so much to me #tim and dick #nightwing #robin

[alfredsolos]

I don't like how some writers bash or exaggerate the other batkids' behaviour and personalities in order to whumpify their favorite batfam member.

If Dick Grayson is the main character in the fic, then every other batfam member are suddenly incapable of doing the most simplest tasks and ask Dick to help them. He solves every single problem of his family because he is the 'eldest'. And he always puts a smile on his face and let's them treat him like shit.

Yes, it is true that Dick has more responsibility compared to his siblings. Not because he is the eldest; but because he has to keep an entire city safe all by himself, mentor teen sidekicks, lead the Titans, go on missions with the JL and so on. And he does this not because he has to, but because he wants to.

Also he may be more emotionally open than rest of his siblings, but thats just it. Compared to his siblings. Nightwing says puns and jokes yeah, but he is not at all can be classified as emotionally vulnurable. Dick led and mentored so many teams, and you can't do that while being light hearted and smiley all the time.

Dick is serious and firm when needed to. He doesn't baby any of his siblings (especially Damian), or act like an angel all the time. He has anger management issues and does not take bullshit from anyone. Not even his family.

He lives in Bludhaven to get away from the craziness that is Gotham. He loves his family, but he simply does not have the patience to deal with them all the time.

When the fic is about Jason, most of the plot is about him being dead and how Bruce betrayed him by replacing him. That Dick threw him in Arkham and everyone treats him like a monster.

Well firstly, Jason is not all about his death. He doesn't really bring it up unless he wants to make a point to Bruce.

Jason doesn't hate Tim because he replaced him. Jason hates Bruce, for taking in another Robin when the first one actively get murdered because of it. He beat Tim up to prove to him and Bruce that taking in a child, and making him his partner is seriously wrong. Jason hates the idea of kids becoming soldiers for a war they didn't start.

Another point is that after Jason came back from the dead, he wasn't an anti-hero. He was a full on villain that tried to kill most of the Batfamily. And no I'm not talking about him beating Tim up in the Titans tower (It was to send a message to Bruce) or cutting his throat (which he didn't. It was a small scratch):

I'm talking about Battle for the Cowl, when he beat Tim up badly because he refused to be his Robin. Jason thought Tim was dead at the end of their fight (Tim slowed down his heartbeat). And this is his reaction:

And yet again in Battle for the Cowl, he shot Damian. Which resulted him getting more than 70 stitches:

Also this was his reaction when a nuclear powered supervillain blew up Bludhaven:

He poisoned 82 inmates while 'Dick sent poor Jason into prison :('

Now does this mean Jason is a bad character? Fuck no! Infact he is one of my favorite characters. Jason is such an interesting character and sometimes you can't help but condone his mistakes no matter how bad they are. Even I do this.

So what I mean is that, we should stop babying him and see him as the flawed character he is. Every single character has their own flaws and that's what makes them special.

Jason was a hero, then a villain, then an anti-hero, then again a hero.

Also he doesn't get pit episodes. The only time he got one was right after getting out of the pit. Lazarus pit did not made him violent and it's not the blame for Jason's past actions. Jason was awake and aware of the things he did. And he feels guilty. But he learned to forgive. Both himself and Bruce.

Our next member is Tim Drake. Fanon Tim Drake is a coffee addict, he is thin and small, is quiet and doesn't believe he is apart of the family. Dick stole Robin from him and gave it to 'evil and cruel' Damian who bullies him every time they interact. Jason always calls him replacement and threatens to kill him most of the time. Dick is a monster that tried to lock him up in Arkham.

God I cringed writing this. Anyways firstly Tim is, in fact, not a coffee addict. I'd say he is more of a tea person and only drinks coffee to stay awake.

Tim is not short and all skin and bones. He eats properly and is very muscled. Especially around his back and biceps. He is also not short either.

Tim is quiet, yes. But not in a shy way. He is cold and calculative and sometimes a little apathatic. He isn't scared to do what's necessary and is always ready to sacrifice himself for the sake of the mission. He also definitely sees himself apart of the family.

Another really misunderstood point is that Dick took Robin from him, when it was actually Alfred who gave Damian the Robin suit.

Yes, Damian tried to kill him multiple times and it was very traumatising for Tim. But they do get along most of the time. In fact Tim may be the second closest to Damian among the family. Because no matter what happens he loves his little brother. As it was shown when he hallucinated and hugged Damian after he died.

Jason and him may be at odds from time to time, but Jason gets along with him more than most of his siblings.

And Dick most certainly did not try to put him in Arkham. Bruce was dead and Dick saw Tim. How devastated he was, so he offered him to get therapy. Like a good brother would do.

Last but not least is Damian. I think most of the time Damian centric fics manage to represent him properly. But let's start with the ones that are the most cliche-d and wrongly written.

Damian talks the Queen's British and is spoiled. Dick Grayson is his actual father and Bruce always insults him. He trains all day and goes to patrol at night. He hates his mother, always gets his ass handed to him in a fight. Tim Drake treats him horribly and everyone calls him Demon or Demon Brat. Jason is the best brother in the world and him and Dick always protect him from Bruce's wrath. Alfred annoyes him and Damian doesn't really care about him. All of his personality is summed up with: "Yes, Father."

In actuality, Damian is most of the time sassy or straight up mocking. He uses slangs and isn't scared of disrespecting Ra's or Talia and Bruce (in fact he may be enjoying it a little).

Dick Grayson is in fact not his father figure. That title belongs to Alfred, who was always there whenever he needed him.

Damian plays video games and his favorite one is cheese vikings.

He also loves his mother and forgives her even through all does horrible things she does to him. He is most likely conditioned to feel that way. Because it's not normal to treat someone normally after they murder you. He is also an exceptionally good fighter.

Tim Drake is possibly his second closest sibling. They banter and fight sometimes, yes. But they still very much care for each other. When Tim was thought to be dead, Damian was shown to be holding his bo staff and mourning.

Him and Jason were never close. Jason tried to kill him and so did Damian. They don't know each other well and Damian does not want to; since at the time he was Robin, Jason was a villain that actively tried to hurt him and Dick.

I don't think anyone ever called him a Demon Brat. Or if they did it was probably like one time, since I couldn't find any panels that refer to him that way.

Damian is the most rebellious and hot headed Robin. He doesn't shy from saying what wants or stepping up to Bruce. In fact those two are the ones who fight the most in the family. Even more than Tim and Damian.

And Bruce doesn't always insult or bench him. He just straight up ignores him or his needs and always puts him in second.

There are obviously way more than these, but I'll stop for today. No hate to the creators, this is just my own opinion.

#damian wayne #dc comics #batfamily #batfam #tim drake #bruce wayne #jason todd #dick grayson #fanon batfam #canon batfam

[fantastic-nonsense]

wait so dick said to damian "you were my robin" which is sweet but also dick worked as batman with tim as his robin like, way before that, right? was it just not for very long?

Yeah, it didn't last very long! Prodigal was a limited arc that acted as an epilogue to the epic Knightfall saga, the story where Bane broke Bruce's back. After first enlisting Jean-Paul Valley/Azrael to temporarily become Batman while he recovered (it went badly), Bruce accepts Dick's offer to fill in for him as Batman while he goes on a globetrotting training spree to get back into fighting shape:

"I can't replace you, Bruce...but I'd be lying if I said it's not going to be wild standing in for you." -Batman: Prodigal Part 1

Dick works as Batman with Tim as his Robin during this arc, and it's full of a lot of really fun and wholesome Dick-Tim moments. It's also explicitly temporary, and served mostly as an opportunity to grow Dick and Tim's relationship and as a character exploration for Dick about what it meant for him to take on the cowl. He's coming out of a personal rough patch (his relationship with Kory has fallen apart, the Titans have temporarily disbanded, he wasn't Bruce's first choice to fill in for him as Batman during Knightfall, and he feels like a failure in a lot of ways), and it shows in how he approaches being Batman in this arc. He starts off fairly excited, but by the end he's learning the toll the cowl takes on him:

"Why was it such an effort to don the cape and cowl--to leave the Cave? Why does it feel like it should be finished? Did I put the Bat over my heart just to test myself-to get the memory of Two-Face off my back? No--I did it because Bruce asked me. Because he needed me. I gave my word, and that kind of promise-no matter how long the night-sticks for the duration."

"And now he's Batman, the culmination of a dream he thought he'd always had. But it's been wrong. Like [Jean] Paul, he was just filling in for somebody else--marking time till the boss came home. And when it seemed to be going well-this. Failure."

Dick doesn't really consider himself to be Batman in this arc: despite acting as Batman for around a month or so, he really thinks of himself as "Nightwing, filling in for Batman." It's not until Bruce's death and Battle for the Cowl that he actually "becomes Batman" in the way we think of it. And thus, he doesn't really consider Tim to be "his" Robin.

Sidenote: honestly I really feel like Prodigal (and Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul) should be required reading before anyone touches Tim's Red Robin run and Dick and Damian's Batman & Robin book, because it it provides so much background context, character nuance, and story depth to that entire era and shows how far these characters have come: Dick saying Tim was now his "equal" in RR #1 wasn't a joke. He knew how far Tim had come since Prodigal:

"Now I'm the Batman." "Saddled with the responsibility of your own tagalong Robin--and you're afraid I'll do what you did." "No, Tim...it's not you I'm worried about...not you at all." -Batman: Prodigal (1997) /// "He's my responsibility now. You're not my protege, Tim, you're my equal. My closest ally." -Red Robin #1 (2009)

Anyway, for Dick, Damian is "his Robin," and for Damian, Dick is "his Batman." While Tim worked as Robin alongside Dick as Batman in Prodigal, both of them knew it was temporary. Tim is his brother, but not his Robin; that's Damian. Tim still considered himself to be Bruce's Robin at the end of the day, and Dick only operated as Batman long-term with Damian at his side. It's also true in that scene that Dick was talking more from Damian's perspective than he was from his own:

"Tim, Steph, Jason...we were all Robins to Bruce first...but you were my Robin." -Robin (2021) #5

Damian barely knew Bruce when he died in Final Crisis, and him not knowing anything about his dad was actually an explicit plotpoint that cropped up multiple times during Dick and Damian's time as Batman and Robin. More importantly, Bruce didn't make Damian Robin; Dick did. Damian staying Robin was Dick's choice, not Bruce's, and that makes all the difference in the context of Dick and Damian's conversation. So while Dick and Tim did work together as Batman and Robin, Damian is Dick's Robin at the end of the day.

#dick grayson #tim drake #damian wayne #dc comics #batman meta #dick grayson meta #batman prodigal #long post #asks

[oflowtides]

⸻  DOVE CAMERON. SHE/HER / have you ever heard of I SO HATE CONSEQUENCES by relient k?  it describes BARBARA ‘BABS’ ALLERDYCE to a tee! the twenty seven year old CASHIER AT UTTERLY SWEET was spotted walking down the beach - do you know them? would you say SHE is more awkward or more HEARTFELT instead? anyway, they remind me of almost always running late, the guilty pleasure of watching reality tv all day, the vague realization that something is burning in the other room, and eating ice cream directly from the container with smudged makeup because you tried your best but it wasn’t good enough, maybe you’ll bump into them soon!

death tw

Babs started life being dealt the wrong hand; the second child, it's not that Babs wasn't loved - because she was, very much. She was just an extremely unlucky child; she was often sick, and somehow Murphy's Law seemed to follow her around. Things were constantly going wrong in her life, be it a fight between friends, flunking assignments, or just her constantly getting sick and her parents trying to figure out what they could do.

She was undoubtedly a daddy's girl, and she adored Viktor with her whole heart. She liked when he'd take time off to stay home with her, and even when small stress fractures began developing between him and her mom, she often ran to his defense. It wasn't that she didn't love her mother - because she did. But as a child, she didn't understand the complexities of adult relationships and how Viktor taking time off work was an issue.

While things were rocky, they were stable - until Babs' older brother, Jason, got into an accident. He had been dropping off a friend and someone had driven by, mistaking him for someone else and shot him before screeching off. The entire Allerdyce family was rocked from that moment on. Soon the foundation of the marriage came tumbling down, and Babs found herself a child of divorce with a father who was both trying to be there for her as much as he could but someone who was also drowning himself in work.

Babs felt lost; she lost motivation in most things and only finished high school because she had to. It was around this time that she met Hero Dixon, and their on again/off again relationship started. With his inability to commit, and her insistence that she was a magnet for bad things happening, it felt like a cursed pairing from the start - no matter how deeply the pair loved or cared about each other, there simply wasn't a world where it could work long term.

Babs flit from job to job every six months; her bad luck continuing to follow her and often get her fired from jobs or needing to leave because she'd gotten sick (she just had a weaker immune system than most, but occasionally it caused her to wind up in the hospital from dehydration) and couldn't work.

When Viktor brought Vivienne into Bab's life, she was nervous, but also excited. She had mended her relationship with her mother, but Vivienne didn't seem to want to replace that role in Babs' life - she just wanted to be another form of support for her, which Babs welcomed with open arms. Her life constantly seemed to be spiraling out of control, and even just one more extra pillar sounded like it would make all the difference.

Despite her constant misfortunes, Babs is extremely social, managing to make friends every time she goes out and even finds herself falling in and out of different romances (some better than others). While she does view herself as cursed and a hashtag girlfail, she tries to take it in stride most days, cracking jokes with friends and rolling her eyes to keep things light. If it wasn't for Auggie by now she'd have gone completely inside, but girls that fail together gotta stick together, and as long as she has her family on her side, Babs feels like she'll be able to get through whatever life throws at her.

#babs allerdyce ; biography #the last line is corny i know but it's also true

[superboy-prime]

(Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer - Gotham by Gaslight)

I have a lot of feelings about Jason in this issue.

Something that I've always considered a major aspect of Jason's character post-resurrection is his profound sense of displacement. He rises from the grave to a world that has moved on without him. Obviously his driving motivation when he first appears as Red Hood is the idea that his death has gone unavenged, and his anger towards Bruce regarding that. But there's also this intense sense of just not belonging in the world anymore. There's a new Robin who has replaced him, his father and his older brother have rejected him (and are, I should note, completely justified in doing so since he's, y'know, been fucking up their lives and slaughtering people en masse, but this isn't about them) and no matter what he does going forward none of his or his family's actions can be undone. There is no going back for him.

Jason in pretty much every appearance during this era - particularly in Under the Hood - is clearly suicidal. He doesn't want to be here. He didn't ask to be brought back to life. Hell, iirc he never even finds out how it happened. And despite his (violent, occasionally stupid) efforts to carve out a place for himself in the world, there just isn't one. He does not belong here anymore.

In Countdown that concept is directly addressed. According to the monitors he's an anomaly, someone who is not supposed to exist. That theme of displacement is brought to the forefront of Jason's character.

During the events of the arc he and the other Challengers spend weeks traversing the multiverse and Jason sees dozens of alternate Gothams, in one of them he even meets a version of Bruce who did avenge his death and who he kinda awkwardly bonds with (though it's clearly painful for both of them and ends pretty tragically.) But it's here on Earth 19, the Gotham by Gaslight universe, that Jason thinks "I could belong here."

And later in the same issue he wonders if he could find a way to come back here again when all of this is over.

I don't have much to say other than that I found his inner monologue here very sad. What is it about this Gotham in particular that tugs at him? Is it the setting? The aesthetic? Is he idealizing the past? Is it the fact that this Gotham never had a Jason Todd in the first place?

It made me imagine a version of events where Jason does return to Earth 19 and assimilates himself into its universe, living in Victorian-inspired Gotham and maybe even being an ally to its Batman. I wonder if he'd be happy there, or if the sense of belonging would pass after a time and he would start to feel that creeping sense of loneliness all over again...

#i just have a lot of thoughts about jason todd #jason todd #red hood #dc comics #dc #batman #countdown #countdown to final crisis #the search for ray palmer #under the red hood #pockets reads dc

[wolfverse-behind-the-scenes]

Hey big brother

Finish the fanfic 1#

"Red wing!" Damian yelled as Tim stumbled back holding his side

"Robin go get Batman" Tim said not taking his eyes off Red hood. Some how the drug Lord had managed to jam there emergency signal.

"I do not take orders from-" He was cut of as Tim stepped infront of him still facing the Red Hood.

"Go get Batman now" Tim grunted adjusting his grip on his bo-staff. Damian started to protest but thought better of it. Instead he swung down the building using his good arm.

"Not so fast" Hood drew his gun out of it's holster. Without thinking Tim lunged forward knocking them both to the ground. Hood leaped to his feet grabbing Tim's bo-staff, using it to pin the vigilante to the ground.

"What do you want?" Tim growled as blood dripped down his lip.

"You don't know?" He bent down, looking Tim in the eye "I thought you were suppose to be the smart on Goldie"

"J-Jason?" Tim sat up, staring in shock as Jason stood back up tossing the bo-staff aside.

"Always knew you'd be the one to figure it out" he smirked taking off the helmet "didn't think it took you this long though" As soon as Tim saw the green glow in his eyes every thing clicked.

"Ras...he put you in the pit" Tim frowned.

"Right again" Jason smiled coldly "but you always were the better Detcive...the better son, no matter how hard I tried I never could live up to you"

"Jay that's not true" Tim said getting to his feets.

"Yes it is and you know it" Jason snarled "but you know what? I was always the better fighter" Tim barely had time to register as Jason hit him knocking him to the edge of the roof.

"Jason you don't want to do this" Tim said holding his side "This isn't you talking it's the pit"

"Don't you get it this is bigger then you bigger than me" he grinned.

"Jason stop it" Tim struggled to get back up "You can come home we'll figure this out"

"You replaced me" Jason snarled grabbing him by the collar.

"Jason you're my younger brother I would never-" Tim was cut off as Jason punched him in the face knocking back on the ground.

"Then why is he running around in that suit" Jason growled circling Tim like a lion about to go in for the kill.

"..." Tim didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell him that Damian stole the suit and snuck out. No, Damian was just a kid he didn't deserve the Pit's wrath.

"You know Ras wants me to bring the kid home" Jason said pulling out his gun "I had others plan I want Bruce to pay I was going to kill his precious robin"

"He's just a kid" Tim protested.

"I was just a kid!" Jason shouted bring the gun to Tim's head "I was just a kid and you let my die then you gave away my suit"

"I didn't let you die" Tim said standing on his knees.

"Yes you did just like your parents and everyone you care about" Jason laughed bitterly.

'He's right' Tim though as a his chest tightened for the overwhelming guilt'it is my fault'

"Which do you think would hurt Bruce more the death of his biological son or the death of his perfect son" Tim closed his eyes accepting his fate...

Now the rest is up to you to finish

Fan fic Based on this Au

#batfam #reverse robins #batman #tim drake #damian wayne #reverse batfam #dick grayson #jason todd #red hood #FinishTheFanfic

[catxsnow]

VENGEANCE T.D.

Summary: After Jason’s death, Tim was the one person that you could lean on, now more than ever. 

Tim x reader and Sister!reader x Jason

Warning: Jason’s death, obviously. swears

A/N: I’m not entirely content with this, might fuck with a part two, who knows.

GIF not mine 

Part Two

Word count: 2.6k

Jason Todd didn't hate Tim Drake.

He never hated Tim, he hated Bruce for allowing Tim to be put into the same situation that he was in. Jason never wanted to see another Robin be brutally murdered like he was. He never wanted another opportunity for some innocent kid who was just trying to make good in the world be beaten to death.

Jason did however, hate Bruce for not getting revenge on his behalf. He hated that Bruce never killed the Joker for killing him. That was why he was filled with so much hate towards the Wayne family. He thought he meant enough to Bruce to cross the line for once. Then again, he also thought that you would too.

You were Jason's younger sister, only by just under two years but he acted as if he was your parent half the time. When the two of you got taken in by Bruce, he became even more protective over you - if that was even possible. You were all Jason had for a very long time.

The shit that the two of you had gone through together, the things that you needed to do to survive, well, nothing could break that bond. Nothing besides the Joker.

The Joker took Jason away from you. When Jason found out that your mother was alive, he went on his own. He knew too well that you would want nothing to do with her - the two of you never got along, not that it was very easy to get along with her in the first place.

So, when Jason was on that cold, concrete floor, beaten half to death and blood dripping everywhere, his last thought was that he was glad you never came with him. He was glad that you never had to go through the pain that he did and the death that followed.

You had never felt so much pain in your life. The heartbreak that Jason's death caused you broke you in ways that you didn't think possible. Jason was the only one that was there for you when you needed someone, he was always the person who knew the right things to say, and wouldn't hesitate to get his hands dirty and make someone pay if they dared hurt you.

Jason was the best big brother you could have ever imagined. Losing him, was like losing a piece of yourself. You couldn't take the pain of missing your other half - so, just like Bruce had done, you put every spare moment of time out on the streets. Your mantle of Batgirl was upheld, but your antics more violent.

Bruce saw it, GCPD saw it, even Dick saw it and he barely stepped foot into the manor after his departure and fight with Bruce. However, no one said anything about it. Bruce was just the same, if not worse. His punches became harder, never ending until his victim was barely breathing. So close to crossing the line, but never far enough to not be able to come back.

And then Tim Drake came around.

He somehow figured out Bruce was Batman and that you were Batgirl. He knew that the two of you needed a Robin, someone that would keep you from passing that line for good. So Bruce took him in, he trained Tim and made him the next Robin.

You didn't mind Tim. He was a nice guy - even though you were very rude to him at first. The loss of Jason turned you in to a completely different person. Cold, untrusting, snappy, nothing like you used to be. He knew what had happened and tried his best to make life better for you.

Slowly, you started to warm up to Tim. You saw him less as a replacement to your brother and more of a friend. He didn't want you to think that he replaced Jason, he simply wanted to help to make sure that you and Batman kept your morals that you spent years maintaining.

He was the reason that you never crossed that line. Tim stopped you from killing the Joker. The moment that he popped his out of the twisted shadows he hid within, you were there, beating the ever living hell out of him. All you could see was him beating Jason, an innocent kid. You did this for Jason, to avenge him.

Joker was left in a bloody, beaten, lifeless pulp when you were done with him. Broken ribs, displaced knees, so much blood on his face that he wasn't recognizable. You wanted to kill him, you tried to, but Tim was the one to swoop in the last minute, stopping you from something you would regret for the rest of your life.

You broke down in his arms, crying that your brother was gone and that he was right, killing the Joker wouldn't bring him back. Tim held you as you bawled, promising that he would be there for you, no matter the pain. You just wanted to feel something other than the heartbreak that filled your chest - so Tim changed that.

Instead of grief, he filled you with happiness, love, desire. Upon trying to help you, Tim fell in love with you along the way. He spent hours with you, training to be better, crying on the year death of your brother, anything  to distract you from the pain. He was there with you every step of the way.

He was scared to tell you how he felt. Scared that you only saw him as a crutch rather than a lover.

On the night of a Wayne gala, he couldn't hold his tongue any longer. You wore the most gorgeous gown that he had ever seen, or maybe it was just because you were the one in it. So, when the two of you danced, hand in hand and effortless gliding across the ballroom, he ended the dance with a kiss.

You weren't expecting it, but the moment that he had his lips on yours, you completely melted into him. Feelings that you never realized were even there erupted through your whole body, a happiness that you hadn't felt since that day. Tim swept you off your feet, literally.

You were happy with Tim. He brought a smile to your face on the hardest of days. Patrolling became something that you looked forward to again rather than feeling like a chore. You were no longer as violent as you once were, Bruce was slowly feeling the same way. Tim brought a light to both of your lives.

Things finally seemed like they were getting back to a place of normalcy. You could sleep at night without waking up from a nightmare, visit Jason's grave (something that was always too painful to do before Tim), even go into Jason's old room. Things were getting easier, but the pain was still there.

"Batgirl to Robin," you spoke over the comms. It was a pretty normal night on patrol - a few common thugs but nothing major. A new and improved Batgirl suit covered your body - you had finally outgrown the old one.

"Robin."

"How do you feel about a late night sushi date after this?" It was nearing the end of your guys night and you were starting to get hungry. The bright lights of a 24-hour sushi restaurant were catching your attention.

"You always hated sushi."

The voice made you jump. This wasn't Tim's voice, in fact it wasn't even over the comms. It was coming from right behind you. Not very many people could sneak up on you - in fact only Batman was able to and this sure as hell wasn't Batman. A tall man with a red helmet and guns holstered on his hips stood before you.

His voice was distorted and you had no idea who it was or where they had come from. Gotham was filled with all kinds of crazy, but only few were skilled enough to best you.

However, it was what he had known about you that threw you off - hating sushi. It was true, you never liked sushi until you met Tim. He had taken you there on a date one evening and before you could complain about the choice of food, he had given you the best meal of your life. Not only did you like the food now, but eating it always reminded you of him.

You decided that attacking first, asking questions later was your best choice. You didn't know who this guy was but you weren't planning on finding out the hard way. This guy could be wanting to kill you - not that you would be surprised. After upholding the mantle for several years after Barbra, you had a pretty long list of enemies.

This guy, wasn't one of them. Yet.

Whoever he was, he knew how to fight. Every move that you pulled on him, he somehow knew how to block, counter, or predict. He managed to dodge nearly all of your attempts at a batarang hit and those that he wasn't able to dodge, deflected off of his helmet. He was good, maybe better than you.

You landed several good punches on him. Since his helmet seemed to be strong, you aimed for the ribs, the knees, and shoulders. However, it seemed that with every hit you got, he had returned. Pain flared up in your ribs and you were sure that they were cracked, if not broken.

The man's kick had pushed you across the roof and you landed painful against the ground. A loud groan was emitted and all the wind was knocked out of your lungs. This guy was good, there was no way that you could take him on your own.

"Robin I-" you never got to finish you sentence. A loud gunshot rang out with a bullet zooming right by your ear. Ringing filled your head and you flinched away from your earpiece.

"Batgirl? Batgirl! What happened? (Y/N)!" Tim yelled. You didn't dare reach to try and speak to him again. Not when his gun was out and pointed right at you. Instead, you raised your arms in a temporary surrender. This man, he obviously wanted something otherwise he would have shot you already.

"What do you want? Who are you?" He never lowered his gun. You narrowed your eyes at him, "you're not going to kill me, so what the hell do you want. Better make it quick, the Bats is on his way."

"You've gotten better at being Batgirl," He finally spoke again. The modulated voice rang loud and clear in the traffic filled night. "I still beat you though, just like always."

Just like always? What the hell was this guy talking about. You had never met him before in your life. You had fought a lot of people in your line of work but you would have remember someone like him - someone that could put you on your ass in a matter of minutes.

A fear began to well in your chest about what was going to happen to you. A fear that maybe this man would bring you to the same demise as your brother. It had been a long time since you feared death.

"What do you want?" You repeated a final time. With a wince, you pushed yourself off the ground, eye level with the barrel of his gun. Obviously, he didn't trust you enough for you to be standing without a weapon pointed between your eyes. You just hoped that Tim and Bruce would show up fast enough before this guy could do anything to you.

"Your brother would be disappointed in you."

Your breath caught in your throat. How did he know about Jason? How did he know what had happened to him? And mostly importantly, how did he know that you could never bring yourself to kill the joker? This man knew who you were, your real identity - or maybe he was just bluffing.

You didn't give him a reaction, that had to have been what he was looking for. How he knew your brother - and you- and why he was interested in the relationship, left you more confused than anything. You wanted to know how this man was, and more importantly, you wanted to know what he wanted.

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know everything about you," he argued, his voice rising. "You couldn't avenge your brother, you let Batman replace him, what else have you done?"

"He never would have wanted me to cross that line, because he knew I would never be able to come back!" You matched his voice. Your fists clenched at your sides and you suddenly felt furious that this man standing in front of you pretended that he knew who you were and who Jason was.

"He would have wanted you to make sure that no one took the mantle of Robin again, he would have wanted you to make sure that no one would have to share the same death as him but what did you do? You welcomed the replacement right into your bed!" This man seemed to know more about your life than you would have ever thought.

Very few people knew your identity, Tim's, and Bruce's. You made sure that it was kept well under wraps so that cases like this would never have happened. No, this stranger was taunting you in the worst kinds of ways - your brother, and what he meant to you.

You always thought that you had done Jason's memory well - maybe not perfect but he wouldn't have been wanted to be remembered as the perfect son. He was brave, dauntless, he acted real and never caved into the posh society that the two of you were dragged into. Jason was human, and you made sure he was remembered that way.

Your jaw clenched and you swore that you face twitched in anger. Seeing red, you didn't notice that the man had picked up one of your previously thrown batarangs and threw it right into your shoulder. You cried out in pain and before you could retaliate, he was gone. You braced yourself for the pain and pulled out the metal just as Tim arrived on the rooftop with you.

"(Y/N)," Tim sighed in relief. He rushed over to you, pulling you into a tight hug. His hands cupped your face and without thinking, he kissed you. "I was so worried, you didn't answer and I heard the gunshot. I thought you were dead." You shook your head, still fazed by the interaction.

"He knew who I was," You voice trembled. You finally looked over at Tim. He saw the blood drip from your shoulder and pressed his hand into the wound to hopefully slow the bleeding. "He knew who Jason was. Tim, h-he... the things he said, he thought that I would have been a disappointment to him."

"You know that's bull," Tim promised you. You were too much of an emotional mess to even feel the pain coursing through your body. "Jason would be so proud of the person you've become. You've saved so many lives - he would be happy for you. We're going to find this guy, he'll get the justice he deserves."

"No," You shook your head. The anger that he had cast upon you only kept growing in your chest. No one, disrespected your brother's memory, ever. You were going to make sure of that. 

"I want him dead."

#tim drake #tim drake imagine #tim drake one shot #tim drake x reader #jason todd #jason todd imagine #jason todd oneshot #jason todd x reader #rip jason todd #sister!reader x jason #dc imagine #dc #batfam #batfam x reader #batfam imagine #red hood imagine #red hood oneshot #red robin #red hood #red robin imagine #red robin one shot

[angelswithcigarettes]

“A new trust”

Summary: After Gideon leaves Morgan is left with picking up the pieces. But he doesn't have to do it alone.

Series: The journey of finding a home [Part 2]

Warnings: Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-Con

Relevant Tags: Autistic Spencer Reid

Pairing: Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid

Word Count: 8613

First Chapter:

[If you haven’t read the first part you probably won’t get this]

The reason why this works. Why Spencer can do this job. Why Spencer can be on the team, why he is this good is because Gideon does everything else.

Getting him up in the morning if he isn't already, getting him to work, making sure he knows what to do, making sure he has everything he needs, communicating for him with the others if he does need something, making sure he doesn't forget to eat and drink, getting him home, getting him to bed and doing the same things over and over and over again no matter were there are no matter what they are doing,the plans need to be changed in the exact way that it won't upset him and if it does he needs to find a way to tell him why this needs to be done and why this is not a thing that is bad.

But now, the letter addressed to Spencer already found, Hotch and Morgan are standing in Hotch's office trying to make some sense out of everything while JJ got Spencer to calm down for a while. It had been four days of an absolute chaos leaving not only Spencer but also the others exhausted.

Spencer always had a firm hand to guide him eventhough it was not a kind one for 19 years it was still someone who told him exactly what to do and Gideon tried to make him more independent but it had always been a constant.

"Gideon can I do this?"

"Gideon can I eat?"

"Gideon can I go to the bathroom?" "Gideon can I take my jacket off?" And now he doesn't know how to ask or who to ask.

"You spend a lot of time with him you need to know this."

"It's up at six, shower, coffee, gideon comes into the apartment at seven, eating at least one toast, shoes on, jacket on out of the apartment."

"You need to know more than this." Hotch's nerves are working overtime right now. Strauss his breathing down his neck for a replacement, he has to do interviews and on top he has to take care of this.

They owe Spencer that much.

His eyes traile back onto Spencer's book. It was an attempt to make him speak more with the team, but he wasn't really bothered and more frustrated by it so Gideon was always keeping it with him but it was almost never used.

What used was was Spencer's notebook were he writes everything down he wants to say when he can't.

The last words looking at Hotch, burning itself into his mind. "Gideon left" It was written under something completely irrelevant but these two words were the foundation of talking to Spencer over the last days. "I want to see Gideon now."

"Kid you can't see him."

"It's 8pm. Gideon comes for dinner."

"He doesn't today. What does your notebook say?" Morgan had been kneeling down in front of him pointing on the two words.

"Gideon left."

"That's right. What does leave your conclusion for the evening with?"

"No Gideon. Gideon left."

"That's right so we are going to eat dinner alone."

"Yes. With Gideon. Gideon steps by at 8PM."

They haven't even found out what happened until both of them didn't show up to work and Morgan drove to their apartments to check on them finding Spencer sitting on his kitchen table. The empty coffee cup in front of him. "What's going on kid? You are suppose to be at work now."

"I am waiting for Gideon." He points at his chart at the wall. "Gideon will come by at 7am" He reads.

"Do you know were he is?"

"Gideon left."

"He left?"

"Yes."

"What happened? Why did he leave?"

"It's in the letter."

"In the letter?"

"Yes in the letter. I am waiting for Gideon. We eat breakfast together next." Confused and with a tight throat Morgan grabs the envelope reading everything that was written and knowing that this was going to be hell for every single one of them.

"We are going to drive to the office now."

"I am waiting for Gideon."

"No Gideon today, I will take you." Nervously he grabs Spencer's shoes and gets him into them while Spencer is visibly confused by why Morgan was doing this. "It's gonna be okay" He takes Spencer foot and places it on his thigh tying the shoelaces. He collects Spencer's note book and checks Spencer's jacket if he has his stim toys in them and when he sees he doesn't he walks into the kitchen to get one. "Alright it's warm we will just take the jacket for precaution." Spencer hates going anyway without a jacket a jacket provides pockets were he can keep his stuff and something he can feel safe in. He likes the blue FBI jacket, the summer one the most but he can only were them on duty so Gideon got him one without the emblem. Careful Morgan holds his hand out for Spencer to take it and he does,his cold long finger grabbing Morgan's and then following out of the apartment like a scared child.

"You spend your free time with him-"

"And that's it. Me interfering in any of the routines was never something Spencer allowed. I could be there for breakfast or when he goes to bed but I was never allowed to do anything that Gideon did and we tried to talk to him about it but he just wouldn't understand it that someone else would do those things without wanting something in return."

They had been an evening were Morgan tried getting the night routine done with him because Gideon wasn't in town because of a family emergency and Morgan had promised him it would work out just fine he can leave Spencer with him.

Eating dinner,getting into the bathroom, encouraging him to shower, blow drying his hair, pyjamas on, making sure he brushes his teeth and then into bed with him letting him ramble if he needs to and then going out of the apartment when he says goodnight.

But everything after getting him into the bathroom was a disaster. Getting undressed wasn't a problem for Spencer, since he never felt like he had the right to hide his body from anyone anyways but Morgan felt uncomfortable until reminding himself that this is not hurting Spencer.

But showering needed a whole more motivating, first the temperature wasn't right and until he was finally in the bathtub with shower head they had passed the twenty minute mark and Spencer was crying,sitting down while Morgan washes his hair out. "What am I doing wrong? Please tell me." He had begged and then had to bite back his own tears just continuing with what Gideon had told him to do and then finally he was laying in bed, Morgan on the chair next to bed and he felt like he cheated death a couple of times that night.

"Okay everything like before I will help you. Morning and night routine like Jason did." Hotch's last thing he wants is to make this even more traumatic than it is already is for him.

"I got this."

More on Ao3:

#spencer reid #criminal minds #derek morgan #moreid #aaron hotchner #david rossi #jennifer jareau #emily prentiss #criminal minds fanfiction #cm #criminal minds fic #penelope Garcia #jason gideon #autistic spencer reid