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horsechestnut · 8 months

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Reverse Robins!

But specifically Stephanie and Tim (with a little Jason added when it's relevant).

Note: I'm of the opinion that in Reverse Robin AUs they wouldn't actually use Robin as their code name, but for convince and clarity's sake I will be using it here.

Damian is gone. He left in a blaze of anger. They'd fought before, but this time came with a finality Bruce doesn't known how to handle.

Batman is spiraling. Without Damian around there's no need to be Bruce Wayne, no reason not to follow one more lead before turning in. No young eyes looking to him to be an example. Nothing to keep him from beating the bad guys into a comma.

Tim Drake has been watching Bruce Wayne for awhile. He's been watching Batman for longer. He saw the turn, the way the Wayne Foundation is slowly being corrupted without Bruce's over site, and the more extreme injuries criminals are coming in with. He looks at Bruce Wayne and Batman, and the man behind them both and thinks "Yeah, I can fix that." Maybe it's teenage nativity, maybe it's a drive to do something good, maybe it's the need to be in control of something in his life. Whatever it is, he acts on it.

Bruce doesn't want to let Tim be Robin. Damian was his son, and a trained assassin, Tim is a random kid with no formal training. But Tim is a random kid who figured out his identity and is actively blackmailing him with it, so he doesn't have many options.

Batman and Robin are back together. Bruce Wayne is back in board meetings. The criminals are getting a lot less bruises. Robin is far more impressive than Batman ever would have guessed he could be. Tim is falling asleep in math class, but he already knows it all anyway so it's barely worth mentioning.

There's a new vigilante in Gotham. One who sets a dangerous precedent. It's one thing for Batman to have allies, it's another for outside agents to start taking matters into their own hands. Especially when they're untrained teenagers who are looking for personal vengeance.

He does everything he can to get Spoiler to quit. He tells himself it's not just about his personal dislike of her, it's for the sake of every other misguided kid who might try to follow her lead.

He fails.

The Joker attacks Robin. He doesn't kill him, he has a worse fate in mind. He takes Batman's prodigy and makes him his own. Tries to prove that even the Bat's closest ally can be corrupted if he has a bad enough day. He succeeds, and for one terrifying night The Batman faces off against Joker Jr.

Tim survives, but he's not the same. It takes months for his injuries to heal, and even then he's haunted by what Joker turned him into. Terrified that he could snap again at the wrong moment. He tells Bruce he can't be in the field anymore, it's to big of a risk. He promises Batman he'll find another way to help.

Cluemaster is dead. He died on a suicide mission. No matter how Steph feels about it personally, logically she knows Gotham is safer without him around. Part of her can't help being relieved, and she doesn't hate that part of herself as much as she knows she should. There's no longer any need for The Spoiler.

There's an opening for Robin and Steph wants the job. Wants to prove she can do it. That she's just as good as Tim. That she's not her father. That she can make a father proud.

Batman doesn't want Stephanie. He wants Tim. But maybe Stephanie is a way to get there. To make Tim jealous enough to come back.

Bruce tells himself it's for Tim's own good. Stephanie's too. Tim needs the push, needs to be Robin again so he can overcome his fear about being the field. And Stephanie needs the training, and the focus now that Cluemaster is gone.

Robin tries, she really does. She does everything Batman asks of her, always. Except once. And once is all it takes. Robin is fired, but as she leaves the cave Stephanie grabs on to one last desperate chance to prove herself. Batman never intended for the file to be used, but Stephanie doesn't know that. Batman didn't tell her. He never told her anything.

The war that erupts is unlike anything Gotham has ever seen.

Damian comes home. It's not for Bruce. It's for Gotham, for the city that took him in despite everything.

Batman isn't listening to Oracle. He's cutting him off, overriding his systems, and treating him like nothing more than a glorified phone operator. Tim can't just do nothing. Not when his city is burning.

Black Mask captures Spoiler, and nobody notices.

Robin is back on the scene. He's reluctant at first, but once he starts it's like a switch flips. The moves are second nature, the danger is exhilarating. It isn't a game, but part of him can't help relishing it all the same. He can't remember why he stopped.

Spoiler manages to get free. She manages to ambush Black Mask. She manages to pin him to the ground, gun pointed at his head. But Steph can't pull the trigger. Two months ago she would have, but now Batman's voice is in her head. She can't let him down. Not again.

Stephanie hesitates, and in that moment Black Mask breaks her hold. He gets his gun back. There's no moral code running though the back of his head. He doesn't hesitate.

Gotham is safe. Batman did his job. Damian is back. Robin is in the field again. But Bruce is haunted by what happened. Damian is injured, Tim has nightmares, and Stephanie...

Jason Todd isn't new to being poor. He knows how to be hungry, how to fend for himself. But he is new to being homeless. The gang war left lots of kids in the Narrows orphaned, of course some of them were going to fall through the cracks, and Jason happens to be one of them. Maybe it's for the best. He's heard how the Gotham Foster System treats kids. Maybe he's better off on his own. He just needs to find a way to make some money.

Batman descends with all the furry he's been holding in. But instead of an overconfident car thief, he finds a twelve year old boy desperately clutching a tire iron, trying to seem angry instead of scared.

Bruce recognizes something in him that he can't fully explain. He takes Jason back to the manor. Gives him a home. Does everything he can to keep him away from the cave.

That lasts about two weeks.

Jason wants to give back to his community, to make sure kids don't have to deal with the shit he had to deal with. He wants to thank Bruce for helping him. He wants to be nothing like his dad. He wants to make his new father proud.

Damian is against it. Tim is against it. Bruce is against it. Jason is insistent. He decides to take matters into his own hands, to steal an old Robin suit and sneak out after the others have left. It doesn't go well. He thinks he's blown his chance, but to his surprise Batman relents. If he doesn't Jason will find a way to do it on his own, and he won't let another kid go out untrained.

Tim goes back to Oracle. The way he felt the night of the gang war still scares him sometimes, reminds him to much of Batman back when they first met. Guilt washes over him whenever ever he thinks about it. How happy he'd been, all well Steph...

He should have been in the Clock Tower that night. Should have been keeping better tabs on all of them. He should have known she was missing in action, should have been monitoring her suit's location or trying to reach out instead of just listening when Batman said not to involve her. So if there's a new kid running around in the suit, their suit, he's going to make sure this one is safe.

Robin is good. Really good. He's to angry, he's rash, he's impulsive. But he learns fast, and he seems to almost fly over Gotham. He fits the role in a way Tim never truly did.

Black Mask is dead, and someone else is using his name. Someone who's dismantling the Gotham underworld piece by piece.

Steph has a duty to the people she hurt, a duty Batman will never understand, and one she has to handle her way. Batman stopped the war, but he didn't stop the gangsters. He didn't stop Black Mask, or Scareface, or any of the others. It's not about what they did to her. She deserved it. It was her own fault. But so many others suffered because of them, because of her, and Batman did nothing to stop it. So she will.

Black Mask isn't planning to confront Batman. She doesn't care about him. She's done seeking his approval and following his rules. Doing that got her killed. It got other people killed. But there's another Robin running around, and someone needs to explain that. Steph knows by now that she was never really Robin, it was all just a trick to get Tim back. A trick that worked. So who the hell is this kid? Is he like Tim, someone Batman will keep safe, or is he just another pawn he'll sacrifice the second it's covenant? And when she finally gets around to asking, she lets more slip than she should have.

Batman knows the truth, but that's okay. It was only a matter of time before he did, and it doesn't change anything. Bruce tries to appeal to her, but what can he possibly say that could make a difference? That he's sorry?

He is, but it's to late for that. Stephanie knows the truth. She knows he never took her seriously. She knows he never trusted her. She knows it was all a game, and that in the end Batman got what he wanted even if not in the way he intended. And Bruce can't argue, because she's right. He created her, and he knows it.

Stephanie Brown is dead. She died in Leslie's clinic. She died because her doctor decided teaching Batman a lesson was worth more than her life. A lesson he didn't even bother to learn. She died because she listened to Batman even though he never bothered to listen to her. And she died because Batman used her as a chess piece. Because he wrote her off before she'd even properly begun.

Black Mask is not Cluemaster. She refuse to ever be her father. But she's not Batman either. He never gave her the chance to be. She's something else. Something between those two extremes. Something that's fully hers. She's going to protect the people Batman's to busy to care about, and if she has to kill a few people along the way, so be it. She's not playing by his rules anymore. She never will again.

Black Mask is Batman's greatest failure. Not because she died, but because he never took the time to teach her how to live.

Stephanie is Bruce's biggest regret. Not because she died, but because he didn't care about her until she did.

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hopeworth · 2 years

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they take turns being my rotisserie chicken

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covertblizzard · 2 years

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everything about these panels just makes me aaaaaahhhhhhh! jason being a little detective and trying to put the case together (by cutting out bruce’s newspaper lol)? bruce offering to talk about the case over chocolate cake after jason’s little “oh, okay” and how it instantly cheers him up?? the conversation between bruce and alfred (“i must say. i like having the lad around, sir.” / “so do i, alfred”)???

#jason todd #bruce wayne #alfred pennyworth #robin #batman #mypost #dc thoughts #initially i screenshotted a bunch of different panels here #then i was like NAHHH #this whole set makes me so happy #I'VE MISSED YOU MY BOY #i made such quick progress at the beginning cos i wanted to get to all the natalia stuff #but now it's all over #and for a while it was just bruce which was such a CHORE to go through #no offense to bruce/batman fans #i enjoy the gl / ga / titans stuff i'm reading much more #batman year 1 is by some guy that is ew i think #i already made a post about it but harvey dent is rotating in my head constantly now #task force z shot up WAY up my reading list very suddenly after batman year 1 lol #i'm also very confused by the batman reading orders stuff it's annoying #pre-crisis you had to alternate between detective comics and batman bcos the storyline back and forth between the two #but then post-crisis (so far) they're running two completely separate storylines i think?

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redsray · 2 months

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i love the idea of the batfam wearing each other's merch cause like. i know they'd be petty about it. usually they'd wear their siblings merch in (kinda) equal rotations, but they'd change it up depending on sibling squabbles or sibling favours. Tim, walking into the kitchen in a Red Hood shirt: Dick: TIM!? Tim: what Dick: it's Tuesday. you always wear Nightwing merch on Tuesdays. Tim: oh. Tim: you stole my last granola bar, last week. Steph, looking for something in Jason's room: JASON WHY DO YOU HAVE EVERYONE'S MERCH BUT MINE?! Jason, peeking into the room: i have your merch. in the trash. Steph: WHY Jason: you hit me with a blue shell in mario kart last game night. i'm never forgiving you. Damian, sporting a full-on Red Robin hoodie: Tim: woah. what brought this on? you usually only exclusively wear Batman or Nightwing merch Damian: you helped me take that splinter out of Alfred's paw yesterday. Richard on the other hand has recently messed up my painting palette. Dick, from the other room: IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! Damian: he'll get over it. Cass, wearing Nightwing merch for the 5th day in a row: Jason: goddamn. what did Dickie do to get in your good graces like this? Cass, smiling: he made me a flower crown Jason: ... that's it? Cass: it was a very nice flower crown. Dick, buying seven Signal shirts: One for everyone. Duke, behind him: Dick, you really don't-- Dick: shhhh, sunshine. everyone will love your new merch. (they all wore exclusively Signal merch for a week straight) Bruce isn't allowed to change up his rotation or not wear someone's merch because he immediately gets accused of playing favourites. He'd rather keep some of his sanity, thank you.

#batfam #batman #cassandra cain #damian wayne #dc comics #dick grayson #duke thomas #jason todd #stephanie brown #tim drake #bruce wore a black bat shirt twice in a row once #cause he mistook it for his own merch #and got flamed by the whole family for playing favourites #he never made the mistake again #they all have mugs with their logos on them btw #source? trust me bro

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cloakedsparrow · 18 days

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Red Hood climbs up onto a roof with the intention of watching some drug smugglers below, only to find Robin, crouched in the perfect hiding space Jason had noticed. The boy is eating fries from a curled down Batburgers bag and sipping a Riddler Shake.

Jason: What are you doing here, Boy Wonder?

Tim: Probably the same thing you are. Spying on criminals.

Jason: ...

Tim: Want some fries? They're Jokerized, just to warn you.

Jason: Why?

Tim: Kon-El got some to try the last time he sneaked into Gotham and it turns out they're really good.

Jason: No, why would you offer me fries?

Tim: I have enough to share and I can always buy more?

Jason: Why are you being nice to me?

Tim: I'm offering fries, not a kidney. Why wouldn't I?

Jason: Because of the knife to the throat or, you know, that time I beat you within an inch of your life?

Tim: ...

Jason: ...

Tim: What the fuck was your time as Robin like?

Jason: The fuck?

Tim: A mentally unstable individual violently attacked me because he was scared or mad at Batman. That's like a bi-monthly occurrence for me, minimum. At least you were really insane and want to get better now-

Jason: I never said I wanted to stop killing.

Tim: I said get better. You want to be in control of yourself instead of being all Lazarus crazy, right?

Jason: Yes. But that doesn't mean I won't kill.

Tim: That's still wanting to get better. You think half the rouges who rotate through Arkham are actually trying to get better by even that much?

Jason: No.

Tim: Me, either. So that makes you an improvement over the usual. Plus, you know, the trauma from being murdered and all.

Jason: That's not an excuse to attack a kid.

Tim: No, but it's an explanation, which, again, is better than the usual. And you're showing signs of genuine remorse. That's huge around here. How often do we get that?

Jason: Anyone ever tell you your standards are kinda fucked up?

Tim: They'd have to pay closer attention for that.

Jason: Fucking what?

Tim: Doesn't matter. It's not like you're going to talk to anyone and even if you did, who'd believe you?

Jason: ...

Tim: So, you want some fries?

Jason: Yeah, sure.

Jason: These are good.

Tim: Right?

Jason: Is this nori?

Tim: Uh-huh; with paprika, kosher salt, and msg. I think there might be something else in there, but I haven't been able to place it.

Jason: Potato starch.

Tim: Oh, that makes sense.

Jason: I am definitely Jokerizing my fries from now on.

Tim: Try them with the Riddler Shake, too. The mint really compliments them.

Jason: I'll do that.

Tim: Wait. Doesn't that guy work for Black Mask?

Jason: Yes, he does.

Tim: So...want to pull a World's Finest?

Jason: What?

Tim: You know, a team-up?

Jason: You-? Fucking- You know what? Sure. Let's pull a World's Finest. *under his breath* Little freak.

#dc #comics #funny #ficlet #fanfiction #bat family #bat brothers #batpups #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #Tim Wayne #Red Hood #Robin

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tbcanary · 1 year

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2023 reading list: Under the Red Hood (2005)

“That is a father’s greatest triumph… To have a son surpass his own excellence.”

(ID under the cut.)

ID: Six edits of panels from Under the Red Hood, five of which are animated.

Batman and Nightwing swing on grappling hooks over a nighttime city skyline. Animation rolls through three speech bubbles. Dick: "Good god, he made a joke." / Bruce: "Be quiet." / Dick: "Yes, sir."

2. Batman stands on a roof in front of a sunlit cityscape. He reaches a hand out for Jason, who is suspended mid-air. First, Jason is dressed in his Red Hood costume, but the gif changes to show him as a young Robin.

3. A young Jason, in front of a purple background smeared with red, looks off to the side of the screen. Words behind him read, "He took me away from you," repeated multiple times. The words light up in order, highlighting the sentence.

4. Jason, in his Red Hood costume, perfectly executes a flip from one rooftop to the next. The gif rotates through three poses as he jumps.

5. A still image of Jason in his Red Hood costume. His body is turned slightly to the side, but he looks directly at the camera. He stands in front of a Gotham city scape in blues and purples. He has a faint shadow stretching over the buildings.

6. Bruce holds a bloody younger Jason in his hands. Animated text of the Joker's laughter flashes over the screen.

/End ID.

#under the red hood #jason todd #batman #bruce wayne #red hood #robin #dick grayson #nightwing #batfam #2023reads #tbanimation #tbedits #flashing gifs cw //#gang i am not going to lie to you i made myself really really sad putting this one together

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help-itrappedmyself · 2 months

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Summoning Game Show Part 5

Masterpost

I just spent an unnecessarily long time making A Quiz so I would have questions and answers ready to go, only to not put any of them in. And spend a ridiculously long time doing math because I had to redo it like three times. Numbers are not my strong suit. In any case I now have a fully functional Jeopardy game and the next part.

~~~~~

It’s a close race. They were equal on the mountain track and neither really got sidetracked by Skulker on such a straightforward route. They made it to Zone Two almost even, but Jason almost immediately falls behind as Skulker hits him with a paintball. Being shot at shocked him more than anything, but realizing it was paint, he stopped trying to avoid it and just kept going, letting his armor deal with most of it. Skulker got bored and quickly went after Johnny instead, who got irritated and started a shouting match with Skulker as he drove. The different terrains meant they had to keep slowing down and speeding up, and Skulker got bored with the paintballs and started throwing water balloons instead. This was more annoying for the drivers because the water made the sand and mud trickier to drive on. Both Johnny and Jason both got their bikes temporarily stuck in mud and had to drag them back out while Skulker cackled above them.

Zone three allowed Jason to catch back up to Johnny. This was what he was used to and he was able to go faster with more confidence. Johnny and Jason separated after Skulker shot a net at them both. And they found each other again on a straightaway leading to the finish line. It was close at the end, but Jason managed to pull out ahead.

They shook hands at the finish line, walking back into the main room together. They separated when Johnny left to go back to the stands, followed closely by Skulker.

“Wonderful race, very intense, great driving all around.” Danny says, very entertained. “Well earned win, Jason. I’ll remind you this is what you have currently.”

“What letter would you like to guess?”

“I’ll take I.”

“Another vowel, very good.” Danny waves his hand again. “There are two I’s!

“The next challenge is trivia, which will be played by Red Robin as he is the only one who has yet to participate in a challenge.”

A new podium appears on stage as Danny’s podium rotates so the two are facing each other. Red Robin walks up to the new podium.

“ The theme is SPACE!” Danny is so excited he is practically bouncing. A jeopardy-looking game board appears on the screen. “ You have 6 categories, all space themed, they are: Earth, Other Planets, Space Numbers, Stars, Other Space Entities, and Spacecrafts! There are 9,000 possible points, you need to get at least 7,500 in order to win! The game can stop as soon as we’ve reached that number.”

Red, being Red, decides to do all the hardest questions first. He starts at the bottom left corner, gets the first question right. Tim thinks since he got the hardest one he could probably finish out the Earth category pretty easily, so he goes down the list and gets them all correct.

With 1,500 points he decides to start the next category with the hardest question as well. This is his first wrong answer. He starts going up the list, and gets the 400 incorrect for this category as well. Danny is disappointed. The rest of the boys are infinitely relieved that Tim is the one doing the trivia part. They probably would have lost already.

Tim does get the rest of the ‘Other Planets’ category correct and moves on with 2,100 points and 6,000 points left on the board. He decides to start ‘Space Numbers’ with the 100 point question and keeps going, acing the whole category. He now has 3,600 points. With 4,500 points left on the board he needs 3,900 more points. This means he can only lose 600 more points. He aces the ‘Stars” category, then moves on to ‘Other Space Entities’. He misses the last question, leaving him with 6,100 points and 1,500 left on the board. Tim can only afford to miss the 100 point question, so he decides to start at 500 and get it over with.

He continues until he reaches the 200 point question. If Tim answers this one he will win, and he does so correctly the screen changes to shoots of confetti.

#batman #danny phantom #dcxdp #dpxdc #dc x dp crossover #alternate universe #tim drake #redrobin #jason todd #red hood #skulker #johnny 13 #space!!!#summoning game show #my writing #fanfiction

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ghostly-penumbra · 4 months

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I was thinking of halfa!Jason Todd bc like, HELL YEAH

and i like to use different headcanons and rotate them, so I was thinking of the one where a halfa's ghostly form reflects the age in which they died, even though their living form still ages

and I also remembered the canon detail where, whenever a ghost shows up or Danny transforms, the background/enviroment's colour palette switches too

and in Amity Park, that changes the regular clear colours into purples and green

but in Gotham

so like, you have the Red Hood, scary crime lord, but someone's threatening his city, his home

and let's say that threat released the ambient ectoplasm in the place, and Red Hood is stronger

and in a scene I can't properly narrate here in casual conversation but that looks really cool in my head... he goes ghost!

and then there is Robin! the second one! in a different suit, of course, a clear blue, but him all the same

and with his arrival, the dark, gloomy gothamite landscape becomes clear, colourful

Robin's magic brings light to Gotham

#DPxDC #Danny Phantom #halfa jason todd #this is something i said in discord long ago #but i wanted to say it here too #Jason Peter Todd #Jason Todd #Second Robin #alex talks

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dailycass-cain · 4 months

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2023 was another big stepping stone with Cass. The character was featured in A LOT of stuff this year amongst a few negative antics.

But unlike prior years the good really outweighed the bad. BY A LOT.

So let's take a look back one final time #CAINAISSANCE2023...

The year started STRONG with the release of Batgirls #14 aka the BEST solo story that involved the character this year.

I've gone in LENGTH on how AMAZING this tale was. If you haven't read it DO SO. You don't need any context but to just take in the masterpiece given.

Writers Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad gave artist Jonathan Case just this canvas of an issue to tell AN EPIC mostly silent issue.

If there's a tale Batgirls will be remembered for it'll BE THIS ISSUE.

I've lost count to just taking in the gorgeous art Case delivers here and just letting the actions and emotions tell the tale.

The only regret is well no full payoff to what is fully learned within this issue.

It just hits EVERY mark and is something any Cass fan CRAVED, but never got in Batgirl Vol. 1. Batgirls #14 was a worthy issue that should be talked about amongst fans of Cass for quite some time.

February gave us Cass's grand entrance to Ram V's Detective Comics run (#1069) and what an entrance it was! Literally, I can't let it go of how AMAZING it was.

And the run itself? It just keeps delivering as THE Batman book out currently.

It's a slow burn and when the run lays the payoffs IT HITS THOSE PAYOFFS. The series just ended an exceptional bi-weekly event that featured Cass and well, I'm extremely curious where this run goes with the character.

If anything, I just want MOAR from Ram V or a smaller secondary story involving Cass. But given the various characters he's been rotating and given next year is 2024 (more on that later) I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ALL OF THIS.

This run does work in trade but I digress you'd be missing the GORGEOUS covers this series has been shelling out. If anything BUY the single issues and read the run this way until you get to the present.

Or reread them like I've been doing. 😋

The early half of 2023 marked Cass's surprise return to an actual role in mega crossovers. She took part in the final issue of Batman vs. Robin being one of the random factors to stall the possessed Batman until ALL of DC's magical users came to cast it out of him.

The weakest of the crossovers the character was involved in I have to say was Gotham War. It was a nothing burger that made me swear off the Chip Zdarsky run of Batman completely.

Honestly, I feel more rewarded reading Tec more. Unless Chip pulls off a miracle turnaround in 2024.

But I digress Zdarsky was only half of the problems with the other being Tini Howard and yeah, if you were a Bat Family member who wasn't Jason Todd (how did that mini turn out to be more entertaining then the ENTIRE event?!)?

This story SUUUUUUUUCKED. Quite possibly the worst Batman event story since War Games/Crimes for me.

Sadly, the most disappointing stories I'd have to say are on equal ground in Beast World and Knight Terrors. As there was interesting concepts with Cass involving them, and both stories just go NOWHERE.

I feel more so robbed with Knight Terrors as the design for Cass within it went hard. It's just that you give us THIS design and tease us with this little nugget and give us NOTHING?

COME ON!

Beast World was a whole nothing burger as well, save the pretty art and a full confirmation that Cass's old NML is now canonically her defacto one again.

Even if we had it mentioned earlier last year and again in the best crossover event involving Cass...

WHICH WAS IN LAZARUS PLANET: DARK FATE #1. It gave us Alyssa Wong returning for a THIRD time to write Cass and they were joined by Haining on art which introduced us to the world of Xanthe.

That in itself led to a spinoff mini-series that had Cass in it with SPIRIT WORLD. It did more with the new character Xanthe and laid out their origins and powerset nicely while also laying some seeds for MAYBE future Cass stories.

Again, I feel like a repeating record on how GOOD this series was. Like, I can't wait for the trade next year to take it all in again. But besides the creative team delivering it gave us Dustin Nguyen AND Marcio Takara drawing Cass again OFFICIALLY AS BATGIRL!!

Even when this series ended, I STILL WANT MOAR!! Like what memories did Cass lose? What the heck happened with Spirit World twisting her memories of Batgirl Vol. 1 #72?! How will Xanthe be with the Jade Court?

SO MANY QUESTIONS!!

Something else that left me with MANY questions was DCeased universe as even though the story ended back in April.

I still crave more starring Cass, because let's face it STEPH/TALIA DESERVE CLOSURE!! Cass could be the gateway to that.

Doing so would tie up the final loose ends as well. Let's see how Rose is raising her kid with Jason. Silent Olsen. Harley/Ivy. Ollie/Dinah. Jim Gordon.

But I digress. It gives us more Cazzam. We need more Cazzam.

But an alternate universe Cass just didn't pop up there we had a Cass show up in various other comics. Knights of Steel which also had me hankering for MOAR and Harley Quinn & the Legion of Bats.

I know some didn't like it, but me? I think it was LEAPS and BOUNDS better than what we got in the actual season of HQ.

Let us never talk about that season again…

Now something we SHOULD talk about more is the first actual appearance of Cass in a DC ANIMATED MOVIE!! Yes, Kai Li Cain from Batman: The Doom that Came to Gotham.

I was blown away at the extended role they gave the character in the film (to the, "Oh right Tim is here and alive." role in the books).

Kai Li voiced perfectly by Tati Gabrielle gave a balance of innocence and reason with the batshit craziness this film throws at us.

Like, I really REALLY want a sequel. Just to see what she'd do now given full access to Bruce's fortune? Will she follow his path? I mean yeah we want steampunk Bat!

Speaking of which artists we need designs for this stat still!

It just adds that anchor where you want to see more of this universe and the characters that inhabit it. I mean that's the sign of a REALLY good Elseworlds. Where you want more and sometimes you get just that.

But with all this good came the sad, and that was the canceling of Batgirls. I know many were against the series (especially after #7-8), but the series found its footing with #9 and ran into something I hope more positively can be talked about it.

It's true failing wasn't the creators behind the series, more just elements outside that just slotted it's end (Batgirl movie getting canned making #7-8 more wasteful), Evil Oracle #4 aka the pitch, and just being something it couldn't be).

I'm grateful for each and every creator who worked on this book because it was a GIFT that I'll always be appreciative of.

I'll say it again, THANK YOU TO ALL! 🙏

And its spirit lived on in the Nightwing back up a few months ago. It was something that was TRULY needed after the garbage fire that was Gotham War. It gave us this Cass/Dick sibling stuff and GIVE ME MOAR!!!

Unlike the past where we'd be done, DC brought us back up giving us the current BIRDS OF PREY ongoing which has Cass in it.

Really the series is a revelation of giving us things I always wanted that I'd never thought we get. Cass with Dinah? CHECK.

Cass meeting Big Barda and the two having a bond? HELLS YEAH CHECK! Anytime that bond grows I squee even more.

Just give writer Kelly Thompson ALL the time and ideas she has to churn this out to the proper conclusion she has envisioned. Just give me fifty-plus issues of her, Leonardo Romero, and Jordie Bellaire.

Finally of course there was Batman: Wayne Family Adventures which gave us THREE banger Cass stories. One where she and Steph are a MENANCE (as they should), Cass scaring the crapbaskets out of EVERYONE and of course...

Season 2 gave us A LOT of things I wanted in general (her interacting with Damian) and just showing the world why I really really love this character. Why I talk about her daily.

Really as 2023 closes and 2024 is about to begin... Well, it's the character's TWENTIETH-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY. 25 years of kicking ass and ripping our hearts out.

It's been a journey for sure.

really REALLY hope DC honors this anniversary and continues to mend the bridges burned all those years ago.

Give us that Omnibus. Give us a mini or SOMETHING to celebrate this character. If not, I'll take whatever Ram V and Thompson give us.

#CAINAISSANCE2023 may be over, but #CAINAISSANCE2024 will be the most important year yet.

25 YEARS OF CASS!! LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN ON JANUARY 1st!

#cassandra cain #dc comics #cainaissance2023 #my thoughts #CAINAISSANCE2024 v

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yandere-daydreams · 4 months

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well now I can't stop thinking about (not-so) platonic batfamily where you've been taken in as a forced family member because Dick or someone started seeing you as a sibling and then BRUCE is the first one to go "hmm... maybe I'm feeling not so family friendly feelings...". Like hello you were just talking about how I need to accept you're my father what are you doing... Think Of The Children (Damian) Do Not Traumatize The Children Please Father :)

FMDKSKLSDJFKSJDFKSJDFKLFKDSFJLKS one of the older robins brings you back to the manor under the guise of keeping you safe from a villain who seems to have a target out on your back,,, maybe bruce is injured and out of the patrol rotation so you two end up spending a lot of time fighting off cabin fever together,,, dick is trying to get you to participate in family game nights and tim is bringing home matching '#1 brother/sister/sibling' mugs and jason is leaving 'keep your dick in your pants old man' on the dashboard of the batmobile and bruce is oblivious to it all bc he's too busy exploring the 'son's friend -> younger roommate -> new housespouse' pipeline and refuses to be deterred by things like traumatizing his children. you can try ""accidentally"" calling him dad but there's a ninety-five percent chance he'll just be like 'lmao make it daddy' and now things are significantly worse. damian still wouldn't be happy but there's a good chance that whoever brought you home is going to be the most pissed off because 'hey that was supposed to be MY weird vaguely incestuous situationship >:(' reasons. either way you still are not going to be having a great time.

#personal #anon ask

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babyyoda234 · 4 months

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Alfred’s extra help

Batfamily x new maid part 1

The past couple years haven't been kind to Alfred. Although, he would never admit it... His years have slowly been catching up with him. After a recent attack on the household, Alfred took it upon himself to hire some extra part time help during the school year. The new help just so happened to be a college band kid in desperate need of money. This is how it went.

Jason:

It was the little things, Jason had decided, that made the family enjoy the extra addition to the household. The faint singing that could be heard three doors down as she made her usual morning rounds. Dusting. Bleaching . Sweeping. It didn't matter what she was doing: music always played in her head. If you were lucky, sometimes you'd get to hear it too.

Alfred:

Monday Mornings were Alfred's favorite. After a long weekend of dealing with super-powered vigilantism, Alfred looked forward to the way she would clock into Wayne Manor with shy grin. It didn't take much prompting to get a play by play of how the Gotham U football game went. The Batfamily had never considered her being targeted by Batman's Rogue Gallery until Halftime was interrupted by the Joker emerging from a comically large birthday cake. When reinforcements arrived, they were shocked to discover the entire Color Guard beating the Joker senseless with their wooden rifles. To any outsider, this would have appeared to be part of the choreography with the way each guard member chanted "5,6,7,8 SLAM DOWN."

Y/N couldn't figure out why Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin had all come to check on her until Monday morning when the door opened to reveal a hallway full of smiling Wayne's. Even Damian couldn't help, but give her a hug... after an intense lecture on how dangerous the Clown Prince of Crime was.

Even more confusing was the way Damien's older brother, Jason, would always end up forgetting something at the manor when she worked. After chatting for a couple hours, she would say her goodbyes and silently acknowledge the fact he left empty handed... again.

Damien:

Damien admired the dedication on display. In the early morning mist when she thought nobody was awake, the wooden rifle would make an appearance. With the kitchen wiped down and the oven on self cleaning, all there was to do was wait. Damien admired her resilience when practicing rifle. Each brutal slap of the wood and metal on skin had to be painful, but she never complained when the bruises littered up and down her forearms. She was radiant. In her element, it was easy to get distracted by the crisp rotations on display. One day, he hoped she would feel comfortable enough to show him a few tricks... until then he enjoyed his early morning performances.

Dick:

Dick had warned her against working for Bruce from the beginning. The Bats mood swings could drain even the sweetest of souls. The relentless pursuit of a better Gotham has always been tainted by the blood of those lost. Bruce Wayne was not always known as the nicest guy to work for. Yet, after years of witnessing the tragedies of Gotham... Dick couldn't help, but notice the way her eyes shone with excitement whenever they would visit a new part of the city. The alley Scarecrow tested his fear toxin for the first time now is littered with book shops, ice cream parlors, diners, etc. In every area seeped with trauma, a fresh perspective forms. The quiet formality that he had grown accustomed to growing up in the Manor faded away. It was a nice change.

Tim:

Tim didn't even notice there was a change in the household until he stumbled into her conversation with Jason for the 3rd time that week. Typically, her shift would have been over at 3pm, but since her classes had been canceled that day she had worked overtime. With Jason's sudden reappearance after months of no contact, Tim took note of the way his older brother's voice deepened ever so slightly whenever she was in the room. Or how during Saturday night patrol they always managed to spot Red Hood "doing business" on a building close enough to the stadium to watch halftime. If anybody questioned it, Jason would have fiercely denied any interest claiming that he was merely "watching out for the Joker".

Tim mostly minded his business whenever she was working. His night life tended to consume most of his waking time, so if he got sleep (big if) he tended to wake up hours after she left. Mostly he appreciated the cute little animals she would make out of the groceries that week. One day, he opened the fridge to a cheese ball that looked like a turkey. Two olives made the eyes and each of the turkeys feathers were made out of crackers. His favorite had to be when she made a Robin out of Bell peppers and Grapes. Tim had left his sketchbook out the night before flipped to that exact drawing. After she had cleaned the kitchen, she left the treat along with a note explaining how beautiful she thought the drawing was.

#Jason todd x color guard reader #jason todd x reader #batfamily x reader #red hood x reader #Dick Grayson x reader #nightwing x reader #batfamily x band kid reader #batfamily fluff #batman #batfamily #batfam #batbros #tim drake #tim drake x reader #dc x reader

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makethatelevenrings · 2 years

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(S)he Walks in Beauty // J. Todd x AFAB!reader

Requested? Yes!

WARNINGS: SMUT 18+ MINORS DNI, unprotected sex, body insecurity, cursing

Summary: The Gotham gossip rags decided to make you their target for the night. Jason has some things to say about that.

“I hate these things,” you grumbled as you tugged on the fabric of your outfit so it settled better over your hips. A soft grunt from beside you was the only response from your boyfriend, but his hand settled on your waist. You savored the warm, steady presence behind you and leaned into Jason as the two of you studied the crowd that was starting to enter the lavish ballroom. Bruce and Tim were off schmoozing it up with the folks around you, but you were hanging on the outskirts.

Dick was in the Batsuit for the night with Steph, Damian, and Cass patrolling with him. The family rotated through who attended galas to ensure that the city wasn’t left defenseless and their covers were still established. Jason was rarely put in the limelight at these events because there were always hundreds of questions about the “resurrected Wayne” and where he was all those years. Bruce and Alfred had concocted some story about amnesia and a Swiss medical facility, but journalists were always eager to discover more about the elusive Wayne.

Jason had one stipulation for attending these events. If he goes, you go. Three reasons. One, he was not going to face these vermin bastards by himself. Two, he didn’t like leaving you home alone in the East End all night when he was all the way in Bristol. Three, and he would never admit this out loud, there was some predatory feeling in him that was satisfied by the sight of you on his arm.

“Bruce promised that if we make it to midnight, he’ll get Steph to bring McFlurries back and will distract Alfred long enough so we can eat them.” A tight smile graced his face but you knew it wasn’t directed at you. His lips brushed against the crown of your head and you leaned back against his chest.

“Let’s just get this over with,” he grunted. The vultures were streaming further into the room and you were starting to feel a lot like roadkill that they were circling, intent on their next meal.

You made it an hour.

It was a risky outfit and you knew it when you put it on for tonight. The fabric clung tight in all the right places and the color was different than the normal muted colors you wore. Red. To anyone on the outside it looked like you were just wearing a daring flash of color. To Jason, it was a reminder.

The Red Hood had staked his claim long ago and his color draped your skin.

But it was flashy. Eye-catching. Able to be talked about. And boy, did they talk. It was as if every Gotham gossip column turned their sharp eyes on you and decided that you would be the gossip pinata for the night. Comments about your weight, hair, clothes, skin. Even comments about your nails. You took all the backhanded comments with a small smile and a polite jab in return, but every barb just dug deeper into your chest.

“I see you decided on the walking red flag,” one columnist cooed. “How do the Waynes feel knowing the prodigal son is dating Gotham’s new fashion faux pas?”

“I don’t know, Kelly, you tell me. But please be sure to spell faux pas correctly. I know grammar, spelling, and punctuation isn’t the strong suit of your journalism career.”

“It must be so hard being last year’s model.”

“Well, I hear the newer versions always have bugs and defects.”

“You’re a charity case, Y/N,” Kelly snapped.

“And your press credentials are stripped.” A cool voice came from behind you. She blanched at the sight of the person standing at your side and Tim offered her that shark-like grin that graced Red Robin’s face when he cracked a case. He reached over and neatly snapped the cord hanging from her neck off, holding up her press badge like it was a trophy.

“I would leave before security comes by. I would also leave the city. Maybe the state. I hear Oregon is lovely this time of year.” Your boyfriend’s little brother dropped her press badge into the trash can and looped his arm around yours. Tim steered you away from the press gaggle and towards the dark figure pressed against the wall. Jason was in the middle of lifting a glass to his lips but he paused when he saw the two of you approach.

“What’s wrong?” Jason stood up straighter, his eyes darkening as his sharp gaze darted around the room to find whatever threat was present.

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” you muttered. “I was handling it.”

“Get out of here,” Tim ordered. “Before Brucie catches wind of what the press has been saying and he decides to make Jenna Greene cry again.”

“What has the press been saying?” Jason’s voice was tight and you pointedly looked away from his calculating stare. His rough, calloused hand enclosed around your wrist and he tugged you into his side.

“Go. I’ll distract them and come up with an excuse,” Tim urged.

“Thank you, Timmy,” Jason said. Tim squeezed the hand that rested on your shoulder and you nodded in thanks. Being away from the crowd, the stares, the comments…you could feel the shame creep up into your chest. So when Jason started to lead you out of the ballroom and towards the panel that would lead to the main portion of the manor. You slipped in before him and he shut the door after you, his hand settling on the small of your back.

Jason didn’t say anything as the two of you walked to the stairs, up to the second floor, passing the room that he refused to look into, and to the guest room that you two occupied anytime you stayed overnight at the manor. You quietly entered and crossed to the bathroom so you could start to wipe off your makeup. The bedroom was silent but you could guess what he was doing.

“Damnit,” Jason growled. He appeared in the doorway, his jacket off, cuffs rolled up to his elbows, and tie loose. He gripped his phone in one hand and ran the other through his hair. Messy curls stuck up at all angles as he thudded his forehead against the wall.

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” you said weakly. “I’ve heard it all before.”

His head raised so he could make eye contact with you in the mirror. You sighed and set down the makeup wipe in your hand. Jason leaned his head back against the wall and watched you.

“It’s just…that’s how the way things are, Jase. You learn to live with it.”

“Please tell me you don’t believe in the shit they’re saying,” he croaked. You wanted to tell him that you didn’t. That you were able to shut out the voices and let the words bounce off of some impenetrable armor you had built up, but you could never lie to Jason. From the moment you saw him, you knew that he would ruin you in the best way possible and seeing the look in his eye just now was enough to ensure that you couldn’t lie.

“I get it, y’know? It’s a bright color and it highlights some areas of my body that maybe don't need to be shown.”

A pained noise escaped him and he stepped forward, his chest pressing against your back as his hands wrapped around the edge of the sink. Jason pressed his face against the crook of your neck and inhaled deeply.

“That’s the biggest load of horseshit I’ve ever heard,” he whispered. His right hand came up to slide across your waist and he pressed you impossibly closer. You gasped and let your eyes fall shut as his lips ghosted over the skin of your jaw, neck, and shoulder.

“Jason,” you breathed. Slowly, methodically, as if you were a delicate package, his hands peeled away your clothes, leaving you in the lace underwear you had selected earlier that evening. You eyed your body with disdain as the words said tonight crept into your mind. Jason caught onto your train of thought quickly and he silenced the voices with a quick nip at your shoulder.

“I should go back down there and rip them apart,” he seethed. “Identities be damned.”

A shaky exhale escaped your lungs. The contrast of the pure rage in his voice with the delicate way his hands stroked down your heated flesh made your head spin. He looked directly at the mirror, his lust blown eyes meeting yours. You could feel him press against your ass and he grinned, sharp and dangerous.

“You can feel what you do to me,” he murmured. “Baby, seeing you in my color drove me up the fucking wall. God, your ass is perfect.”

He palmed your ass with one hand and lowered his head to suck a hickey onto your jaw. You mewled and thrust back against him, forcing a groan from his lungs. He rolled his hips and then grabbed your waist, spinning you around so you were facing him. Jason reached behind you and unlatched your bra, letting it fall to the ground to join your other clothes.

He kneeled down and settled his hands on your hips, gazing up at you in a mixture of adoration and lust. You slid one hand in his hair and brushed your thumb along his temple.

“She walks in beauty, like the night,” he murmured. “Of cloudless climes and starry skies.”

His teeth enclosed around the flesh above your breast and you gasped, hands coming up to cradle the back of his head as he added another mark to your skin. Like a painter with a canvas, Jason scattered hickeys across your chest and down your stomach.

“And all that’s best of dark and bright.” He mouthed the words along your stomach. “Meet in her aspect and her eyes.”

He bit down on the edge of your underwear and dragged it down the expanse of your legs until it pooled at your feet. Jason nudged at your knee and you leaned back against the sink and spread your legs, exposing your glistening cunt to him. He groaned and pressed his cheek against your inner thing, his hot breath washing over your pussy.

“Thus mellowed to that tender light, which heaven to gaudy day denies,” he whispered the last lines of the stanza and then his lips enclosed around your clit.

Jason Todd ate pussy like he was a dying man and this was his last meal. He was always a generous lover, but today felt like he was on a mission. All thoughts other than “oh god” and “fuck” fled your mind as he licked, sucked, and stroked your cunt. Your hips lifted up off the counter on their own accord and he followed without hesitation. Heavy gasps and pants escaped you as he buried a second finger in your slit and spread you apart. You could feel him moving inside of you. Every callous, ridge, and scrape of his well-manicured nails set your nerves on fire.

And then he pulled away, leaving you a soaking, whining mess.

Your juices stained his chin as he grinned up at you. Jason spun you back around so you were facing the mirror once more before he wrestled with his belt and shoved his pants down to his ankles. He grabbed his hard cock and pumped it twice before he bent you over and slid into you in one swift move.

A moan escaped you and he grabbed your chin, forcing you to look up into the mirror and watch as he pulled his cock out and then slammed back into you. The sight of your cunt swallowing his dick was so fucking hot that you nearly came right there.

“See how well you take me?” Jason panted. “It’s like you were made for me. Made to take my cock.”

He punctuated his words with another roll of his hips and your jaw dropped open in a silent cry. Jason smirked, his broad chest heaving with every thrust.

“Seeing you come apart on my cock? Best fucking sight in the world. I should take you downstairs and show them all just how perfect you are. These tits. That ass. So fucking perfect.”

You clenched around him, your walls spasming as he continued his repeated thrusts. A keening whine left your throat, mingling with the sound of his balls slapping against your skin. Your body burned with the insatiable heat of your orgasm and sparks of pain and pleasure lit through you as his cockhead dragged against your inner walls again.

“Jase,” you gasped. “Jase, baby, it’s too much.”

“You can take it,” he grunted. He slid his hand down to rest against your swollen clit and he started to rub the bundle of nerves with an easy going vigor. Your head fell forward onto your forearms but his other hand wrapped around your neck and yanked your head up to watch the mirror once more.

“I’m not gonna stop, sweetheart. Not until I’ve fucked all those silly thoughts out of your head. Because you’re nothing less than perfect, baby, and I won’t let those fucking vultures down there make you think any other way.”

You woke up the next day with sore hips, an aching cunt, and a map of hickeys decorating your body. Jason was fast asleep next to you with the sheets pooling at his waist, his scarred torso exposed. Sometime between the third and fourth orgasm, he had moved you to the bed and fucked you so slowly and carefully, it had felt as though he was pulling you apart every time he pulled out and putting you back together with every thrust in.

Rolling onto your back, you traced a finger down the map of bruises that littered your torso. Your neck, breasts, stomach, and hips were all covered with Jason’s marks. You were examining a particularly dark bruise on the inside of your thigh when his strong arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you into his chest.

“Hi,” you whispered in greeting. He pressed a kiss to your forehead and then your nose, cheek, and finally lips.

“Hi,” he murmured. “You know you’re beautiful, right?”

“I do now,” you teased. A soft smile graced his face, the smile only you got to see, and he brushed his fingers lightly across your jaw.

“And smart and funny,” he added. “And unbelievably kind.” It was a secret between the two of you that the Red Hood sets aside some of his bounty from his crime syndicate that was used to help the kids of the Bowery. You had met the infamous Red Hood when you were buying food for a street kid. When a shootout forced you to take cover in the same alley as him, Jason made sure to keep you covered. An uneasy truce had bloomed between the two of you: the crime lord and the caretaker.

He paid for food, clothes, and anything you needed to help keep the kids safe. He made sure your shitty apartment had some security. He showed up on your fire escape with a bullet in his gut and landed in your bed. He wormed his way into your pants and then into your heart.

And by god, he was a sap.

“Thank you,” you whispered. You dropped a kiss to his shoulder, right above a scar that you knew to be from a knife, and pressed your face against his neck. Jason stroked a lazy hand up and down your back.

“How would you feel if all of Gotham’s gossip rag sites mysteriously went down last night and no one’s been able to fix the server?”

“Remind me to give Tim a hug later.”

“You’ll have to give Bruce and Babs one too. It was a joint operation.”

You snickered and traced random patterns against his chest. “What time is breakfast?”

“We have about an hour. Alfie’s making your favorite because he loves you more than all of us.”

You sat up and swung your leg over his waist so you were straddling him. “Good. That gives us the perfect amount of time to discuss your particular brand of self hatred.”

tag list: @annalayton19 @tiannamortis @khaetiin @mcrmarvelloki @gone-batty-fics

#jason todd x reader #jason todd smut #jason todd imagine #red hood x reader #red hood smut #red hood imagine #dc imagine #dc smut

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umbrellacam · 1 year

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Reading A Lonely Place of Dying is so interesting in so many ways, but the question I'm still rotating in my mind is about Dick, and specifically why he ends up smiling and soft-advocating for Tim to be Bruce's Robin, after he had his morality crisis over young heroes with Jason's death.

So when he finds out about Jason's death, Dick feels guilty over giving Jason his Robin costume and not being there when he died:

New Teen Titans #55

To the extent that, later in the same issue, he unilaterally fires 15-year-old Danny Chase from the Titans, over Donna and Kory's objections, citing what happened to Jason. He even expresses doubt over his own young age when he became Robin, wondering whether that was a mistake:

New Teen Titans #55

However, when Dick visits Bruce in Gotham to both express his condolences over Jason's death and also confront him over not telling Dick about it, he explicitly rejects Bruce's implication of blame:

New Teen Titans #55

And later, when the Gargoyle is mentally torturing him over his past failures to the Titans, to Bruce, and Jason, Dick breaks through his self-blame issues and firmly asserts that there was nothing he could have done to prevent Jason's death.

Secret Origins (Vol. 2) #3

But understanding his lack of blame logically isn't the same as being totally past it, as it's part of Dick's larger cycle of guilt, as he acknowledges to his therapist:

The New Titans #57

So how does Dick get from here, still wrestling with guilt and feeling ambivalent about the idea of young heroes as a whole, to the end of A Lonely Place of Dying, where he smiles and basically urges Bruce to give Tim a chance to become Robin?

Like, yes, Dick then spends the entirety of Batman: Year Three worried about Bruce's tenuous mental state after Jason's death, reaching out to him in the midst of Batman's reckless, violent spiral, trying to both express care and to call his mentor and hero back to his foundations of crime-fighting through careful detective work, not through brutality - and getting rejected by Bruce over and over. Even while being proud of Dick's methods and the hero he's grown into, Bruce just can't seem to pull himself out of his own morass of self-destruction. Dick eventually has to leave him to it, though he clearly hasn't stopped worrying about Bruce by the start of ALPoD.

Yes, Tim impresses Dick multiple times over the course of ALPoD. First at the circus with his reflexes and his quick thinking (apparently almost as much as he irritates and baffles Dick with his stubborn evasiveness and pushy presumption, lol this total gremlin). Then at Wayne Manor when Tim goes through his deduction of Batman's and Robin's identities, although this one is more an implication through Dick's decision to show Tim the Cave immediately afterward, and Alfred's words to Tim.

Batman #441

And yet Alfred's sentiment here is immediately contradicted when Tim insistently pushes the Robin costume at Dick, and Dick gets pissed off, saying that, "When Jason died, he took Robin with him. And no matter how much anybody may want it - you can't bring back the dead."

The New Titans #61

How does Dick go from this to accepting Tim as the new potential Robin all of two issues later!! This boy's emotions are so mixed up, lol.

I feel like while Dick is clearly angered by Tim's presumptions, kind of baffled and creeped-out by the sort of parasocial fixation Tim has on both Bruce/Batman and Dick/Robin, below the surface he's also genuinely absorbing Tim's driving love and care for them both. Like, he's way too ticked off to show it or even think of it consciously at the moment - and it's hard to process!! despite that day at Haly's Circus tying them together a decade ago, this kid is a rando, it's out of nowhere, it's wild to be confronted with!! - but on some level he has to be touched by Tim's care and passion for their legacy. He wouldn't make his heel-turn later and smile at Tim so approvingly otherwise.

Like, Dick wants Bruce to have a partner that cares for him that much, that forces him to care for himself in a way that he clearly hasn't been since Jason's death. And Dick is both afraid and aware that he can't fill that role anymore - that he can try to stand beside Batman as Nightwing and support him that way, but he can't stand behind Bruce in his protective shadow again, can't cramp himself back into Robin.

So even as Dick is making line-faces at this bizarre kid pushing himself at them, talking about Jason and Dick and Bruce and what Batman needs like he knows better than Dick, UGH… Dick is also considering… is maybe moved a bit by that star-bright conviction and overflowing love in the face of all the doubts that seem to plague both Bruce and Dick lately… is maybe hoping, seeing a possible light in the dark. Not on a conscious level, perhaps, but it's maybe churning below the surface with everything else Dick is thinking about.

Anyway, Dick still tracks Batman down and tries being a supportive partner as Nightwing, even going "I'm here. Always," when Batman finally brings himself to admit that he needs help. Only to IMMEDIATELY run face-first into Bruce's control issues and post-Jason-disregarding-orders trauma - "You're not with the Titans now. If you want to be with me, you follow my orders. Now do as I say." (The New Titans #61) Oof, instant I'm-NIGHTWING-not-ROBIN friction, but Dick swallows it for now.

Then Two-Face blows up a building on top of both of them, and Tim (and Alfred!) have to rescue them both. By the time that they've been dug out, Alfred and Dick are both praising Tim's potential to a very baffled and alarmed, verging on angry, Batman lol. Dick and Alfred then grin at each other while young Tim struggles against his intimidation and argues the tremendously (and understandably!) reluctant Batman to a standstill.

Batman #442

As they drive away afterward (Bruce, Dick and Tim in the Batmobile to track down Two-Face - using the tracker Tim planted on him, good job Timmy!! - and Alfred toward home in a separate car), we get the following thought-bubbles:

Bruce: Even if he's right, I don't want another partner. Dick: Bruce, for once, think with your heart, not with cold logic. Tim: He doesn't want me, but he hasn't said no. So just do your best… Alfred: …One way or another, the rest will take care of itself.

Batman #442

"Think with your heart, not with cold logic" - so does Dick's line here mean that this is what he himself is doing at this point? Setting aside his logic, his fears and reservations about young heroes, about Jason's death, about putting another young boy in the Robin costume - because Tim joining them, maybe becoming Bruce's new partner, feels right? Because everything that Tim has shown of himself so far means the kid deserves a chance, at least? Because Bruce's caution after Jason's death would mean that he'll make sure to 'do it right this time'? Because Tim's passion and conviction could be what Batman needs, and - maybe as much if not more than that - could be something that deserves to be nurtured into something great, despite Dick's own (and Bruce's) fears?

Because Dick has to be wrestling with and at least quelling (if not fully letting go of) his fears about the risks to young heroes in these issues, it doesn't make sense for him to be okay with Tim as Robin otherwise. And it can't all be about what use Tim could be to Bruce - the leash he could put on Batman's out of control behavior. That's far too selfish and manipulative as a sole motive for Dick Grayson; especially after Jason, he wouldn't encourage a kid to jump into the meat-grinder of vigilantism solely to save Bruce or preserve the legacy of Batman & Robin.

I feel like Dick has to also be seeing something in Tim here, his potential, his determination, the good that he can and wants desperately to do, that Dick has to respect, has to think deserves a shot. When Alfred goes, "The boy should be a politician!" and Dick replies, "He'd do more good with Bruce," (Batman #442; panels above), it does feel like he's thinking of the difference Tim himself could make in the world. Dick has to be remembering why he himself could not be put off from the vigilante life when he was even younger than Tim, why Jason also went out there and did his best every night. To help people, in a way that mattered.

Anyway, Tim also puts in a good showing when they confront Two-Face, despite giving Bruce a near heart-attack over this strange unfamiliar boy wearing his son's uniform when Tim briefly appears to have been crushed - only for him to have saved himself and warned Batman and Nightwing of danger through his quick thinking.

Afterward, Alfred and Dick both advocate for Tim, so Dick is clearly pulling for Tim to be given a chance. Dick's smile here, my heart.

Batman #442

I still wish they'd been a little more explicit with the turn of Dick's mindset here, but at the same time I guess it's pretty effective as show-not-tell!

All in all, I feel like ALPoD was very effective storytelling, well done Marv, hugely enjoyable read, and I can't wait to read more.

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girlbossnezuko · 4 months

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Some scenes from the Stevie Harrington au I’ve been rotating in my mind for months

Details & IDs under the cut:

[ID 1: Stephanie Harrington speaking into a walkie-talkie, her text bubble reads:

“Sound off, shitheads.”

She has long brown hair with big waves, and is wearing a white tank top and blue jeans. She looks vaguely annoyed or exasperated. End ID 1]

[ID 2: Steph lying stomach-down on the end of a bed, propped up on her elbows so she can hold hands with Chrissy Cunningham, who’s speaking. Chrissy’s text bubbles read:

“Jason just doesn’t get it. I wanna hang out, and shop, and cheer, and beat the shit out of interdimensional man-eating monsters. You know, I wanna do girly stuff!”

Steph looks indulgently down at Chrissy, who’s smiling and sitting on the floor. Steph’s wearing a red crop top and blue jeans, and Chrissy has on a yellow and white striped headband, a white and pink floral print button-up shirt, and sunny yellow overalls, which have multicoloured flowers embroidered around the hips and ankles. End ID 2]

Chrissy’s dialogue here is inspired by a similar quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because I thought it would be a fun & cute thing for her to say, and her outfit is inspired by one of princess Diana’s bc she’s a fashion icon.

[ID 3: Steph and Robin Buckley, both in their Scoops Ahoy uniforms, complete with the hats. Robin’s holding up a whiteboard divided into ‘hit’ and ‘miss’ sections. ‘Miss’ has twelve tally marks, and ‘hit’ has a single tally with a small question mark beside it. Their dialogue reads:

Robin: Board’s getting full, Harrington. You’re a real heartbreaker today.

Steph: Told you I could make this outfit work.

Steph is smiling, holding an ice cream scoop, and her hair’s braided over her shoulder with a red scrunchie. Robin looks amused, like she’s teasing. End ID 3]

[ID 4: Steph and Dustin Henderson in the scene from season 2 where they’re leaving a trail of meat for Dart on the railroad tracks. They both have yellow gloves and are holding buckets of meat, and Steph has her bat over her shoulder. Their dialogue reads:

Steph: I’ll bring you some of my Farrah Fawcett spray.

Dustin: Isn’t that for girls?

Steph: It’s for hair.

The word ‘hair’ is underlined. Steph is wearing a light blue and purple jacket over a red turtleneck and blue jeans, and her hair is in a ponytail with a red scrunchie. Dustin is wearing his canon outfit, complete with the baseball cap and headset. He looks skeptical. End ID 4]

Bonus transcript of me explaining the single tally + question mark in dms:

🍓[me]: Snappy dialogue to indicate that the board is abt men failing to flirt with her and not the other way around 👍

🍇[beloved]: who's the hit?

🍓: Eddie lmfao

🍓: The question mark is there bc Robin was so baffled by Eddie’s complete lack of rizz that she’s not sure she even interpreted that correctly

🍇: KNEW it

🍇: robin watching the entire time: 🤨

🍓: He wasn’t even trying to flirt is the thing he just got up there and lost his mind and his friends were standing behind him clearly being like “we don’t know this guy” and somehow steph got like… giggly??

🍓: Robin, afterwards: what the hell was that

🍓: Steph, clueless: what was what? 😀❓

🍓: Eddie crouching down behind one of those large decorative plants for ten straight minutes desperately holding his head in his hands shinji-style to stave off the cringe

🍓: His ice cream melts btw

🍇: his friends are standing a full meter away from him, pointedly not looking

🍓: Yeah they’re on the other end of the food court sitting at a table facing him but very carefully avoiding actually looking at him. They’d put their backs to him but the last time they did that (different mall, long story, they aren’t allowed in anymore) Eddie got kicked out by mall security and it took them like three hours to find him

🍓: This was before Gareth’s time and no one’s ever actually explained the full situation to him bc 1) they keep embellishing it and 2) eddie gets screechy when they try

#god I love her so much!!! wife 💞#the single mark under hit is for eddie #the question mark is there bc robin was so baffled by his complete lack of rizz (he wasn’t trying to hit on her)#and also by how well it was working on her. steph was like fully charmed blushing twirling her hair while he stumbled over his words #big fan of this au. love to write it someday #envy draws #fanart #stranger things #stranger things fanart #steve harrington #robin buckley #chrissy cunningham #dustin henderson #genderbend #female steve harrington #stevie harrington

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