AU Where the Justice League forms as usual except for one slight difference where Bruce just so happens to have been the one superheroing for the longest. (Excluding Diana, who got up to it in World War 1 and then mostly didn't while she learned about Man's World)
Bruce helps form the Justice League, ignoring all of the comments as they come to the sudden realization that Gotham's baby cryptid story is actually a man in a very intimidating armored suit who can and will break your arm if you cause problems for him. They are unaware that this is not the first team he's led, and actually he's used to teams full of mostly teenagers who also happen to be his children. This should be easier, this team is primarily adults.
He realizes rapidly that he doesn't understand these people.
His kids take bonding activities to mean learning a dozen different ways to break someones leg. That doesn't fly with these people. And that is most of Bruce's ideas, hell when he was a kid Alfred took every opportunity to get him out of his room and mostly that was with the agreement that Alfred would teach him how to defend himself. He's come by it honestly.
This team is not easier. They have more drama than when his house was actually full of kids. It's insane. He doesn't know what to do with it, usually he just sent the kids to their rooms or grounded them from patrol. That doesn't work here.
He comes to a strange crossroads. That falls apart when he forgets who he's working with and snaps at Hal with a full room of heroes that the next person to throw a punch or an insult without a reason too will be sparring with him.
A long standing rule in the batcave that worked two fold to prevent infighting between the kids and too ensure that they were well and truly trained.
It works wonders. No one says a word out of line for the rest of the debrief. Bruce becomes the unofficial mediator of the league over Clark because anytime he walked in on a fight it suddenly became 10 times more civil out of sheer terror of what he'd do to them in a sparring match.
Eventually they actually meet his kids. Well, one kid.
Half way through a mission (one of the rare ones in Gotham) the Bat comes to a complete stop at the edge of an alley. Every single league member on the team comes to a stop behind him. Slowly from the shadows of the alley a man in a red helmet stalks out to greet them.
"You don't call, you don't write"
"Red Hood."
"Don't Red Hood me! We've been worried sick!"
"I was at the cave last night."
"You didn't answer my texts B. You always answer my texts."
Somehow it ends with big and scary following them through the rest of the mission with a running commentary of how much Bats has let him down in his failure to respond in a timely manner to a text send less than an hour before he ran into them in the alley. It only ends when Red Robin shows up.
And even then it only ends because Hood can't keep himself from throwing a punch and Bruce has to snap at him that if he throws another one they're sparring when they get home.
And by god is Jason giving up the chance to punch his brothers.
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i got an ao3 comment a while ago saying how it was "uncomfortable" and "out of character" for bruce to use terms of endearment and nicknames towards his kids in fics. which proves to me that some people have truly rotted minds, but also that you've never picked up a batman comic. so, here are some nice panels that show it is very much in character.
sweetheart:
Batman (1940) #452
honey:
Batman (1940) #318 & Batman/Grendel (1993) #2
little one:
Batman and Robin (2011) #22
lad:
Detective Comics (1937) #573 & #574
chum:
Detective Comics (1937) #570 & Superman Annual (1985) #11
good boy:
Robin & Batman (2021) #3
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It'd be really funny if all of the members of YJ are so scared of being punished by their older counterparts, except Tim.
Which boggles YJ's minds. Because HUH? THATS BATMAN??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT SCARED OF HIS PUNISHMENTS? SURELY THEYRE WORSE THAN ANY OF OURS?
Yj gets in trouble. Diana grounds Cassie and tells her no costume for a month. Clark tells Kon "im not mad im just dissapointed" (the boy is in tears). Barry/Wally tells Bart that hes "not crash" and that he's not allowed to run with them to Tokyo for a week. They're all on the ground crying.
Then they look over at Tim. They're terrified for him. Batman is in front of him, looming over him, glaring down at him. They're far away from the others but yj is still shaking in fear because look how pissed Batman is.
Then Tim "I lied to Batman" Drake walks back and grins at them. "He tried to ground me. I'll be back by tomorrow."
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One of my favourite fic tropes is “drugged and loopy on truth serum”.
Normally-stoic characters acting wildly out of character and professing the innermost feelings that canon has implied but is too chickenshit to address? Or fixing toxic canon dynamics because fuck it, fanfic is for dreamers?
Chef’s. Kiss. Mwah mwah mwah, mutherfucker.
Eg:
Bruce Wayne: “I love my sons so much. Even the large murdery one. He was just my tiny little guy, and now he’s so big and problematic but that’s just more to love.”
Or characters dropping absolutely horrific bombshells about canon traumas and giggling like a teenager drinking their first Bacardi.
Eg:
Tim Drake: “I’m so glad I made all those League Of Assassins bases go kablooey. It prolly killed hundreds of people but pssssh I wasn’t ready to be a dad to Ra’s babies.”
Drunk-seeming, loopy, hilariously honest and oblivious character rambles are my jam.
If anyone has any recs, throw them my way.
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your little angel of a son inherits katsuki's bad temper, and it manifests in his terrible fours.
there's an awful little shriek that echoes throughout the house and katsuki is on his feet and halfway to the living room before his eyes are even open—but the only danger awaiting him there is a pouty little brat.
his son is sitting amidst a swarm of toys that have been strewn about haphazardly, and his arms are crossed and big fat tears are in his eyes and he looks mad as all hell. you do, too, sitting across from him with a deep frown, holding the ripped page of a book from his little shelf.
"no sir," you warn, "we do not treat our things this way."
you incite a meltdown.
katsuki feels his own temper flaring—half from shock and awe at his little mini-me and also from the exhaustion wearing him thin—when your son kicks his legs out in a burst of rage, letting out another little shriek of anger. your cheeks puff up, wearing the same furious expression, and at the hiss of his name, the little brat jumps to his feet and snatches a toy truck nearby and launches it across the room.
"oi!"
your son's attention snaps to katsuki, startled, losing a hint of anger as he pouts at the floor.
"what'd she just tell you?" and when he gets no response, katsuki prods with a, "hah? answer me."
but the little boy only stamps his little feet and grunts out a furious, wordless sound that has katsuki's lip curling. you let out a heavy sigh, shaking your head at him before frowning down at the torn page in your hands, and then katsuki is planting a hand on the back of his son's head and steering him towards the front door.
"time to take a walk."
the boy goes, even though his arms are crossed and his eyes are downcast. he only resists once, as katsuki tries to shove his little feet into his shoes.
"i don't wanna." he mumbles, face scrunched and wet before promptly looking away.
"i didn't ask."
"hmm!"
katsuki has to resist the urge to pinch his own son.
they get out the door eventually, and the little boy stomps along for the most part, no longer needing a guiding hand on the back of his head once they get around the block a time or two. neither of them say anything.
fatherhood has taught katsuki a lot of things, which was expected, but the one thing that's surprised him is—he's learned all the things he doesn't want his son to be.
the first of them being angry. not the way katsuki was, mean and selfish, throughout his childhood; hateful and careless, in his teens; shut off and simmering, even now.
he waits until the tension has melted off his little shoulders, until his little face has dried and evened out. his arms swing at his sides, occasionally coming up to wipe his snot with the back of his hand, and he eyes the few wildflowers they pass with a little hum and a small smile.
katsuki tugs once on his ear, frowning down at the little brat when he peeks up at him. "that how you're supposed to treat your mama?"
he doesn't answer at first, leaning his head all the way back and clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, until katsuki stops walking. "no, sir."
"how you s'posed to treat her?"
"with love."
"how you s'posed to treat your toys?"
"with care."
"uh-huh," katsuki squishes his son's cheeks in his hand, shaking his head lightly from side to side until he starts giggling. "that how you acted today?"
"no, sir."
"that how y'r gonna act again?"
"no, sir."
"okay," katsuki murmurs, nodding once before letting him free. the little boy bounces on his feet and sucks on his lip, grinning when his tummy is pinched. "now pick those for your mama."
and he does, carefully plucking a small handful of flowers from the grass as they make their way back home, and just before he runs up the steps to the house, katsuki's little angel of a son hands him the biggest one.
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