Duke Thomas - Blog Posts

If none of you understood what I meant by my last post, here’s the introductions in the umbrella academy. There’s no video of the first introduction scene on youtube so I had to put the sparrow academy, and a comparison video instead. Sorry

Since it’s confirmed that james gunn’s first robin that he wants in his universe is damian wayne, that means all the batkids might already exists.

So on that topic I want them to be all introduced Umbrella Academy style

Ok so I need some people to post some comments(or put it in my asks) so I can get some thoughts on this. I have had this hc for a while that Bruce Wayne just ABSOLUTELY has a bad habit of like unmasking at ransom times and it freaks people out. Like I'm neurodivergent so let me set the scene. Bruce Wayne out at a gala like usual and he is SO BORED talking to some rich snob and so to entertain himself he just starts daydreaming (for me when this happens sometimes i unconsciously unmask) so his face just drops and he gets this almost like dead doll like look on his face and just dead eyed STARES INTO THIS PERSONS SOUL. Like it's so bad he scares someone half to death and then he like snaps out of it and switches back to Brucie and it damn near gives them a heart attack. (I also hc he's done this to the justice league and it still freaks them out till they realize he was paying ZERO attention to what they just said) I also believe his kids have picked up on this habit and do it too.

Reality can be so tragic 😔

When Tim is seven, they have a parent career day at his school. The point of the project is to showcase to other classmates, staff and the parents and families that visit what their parent or parents do for a living.

A lot of the students have businesmen for dads and stay at home mums, as typical for the high class, but not all of them do. Some are CEO’s, some own a unique company or business, or got their wealth from sports or entertainment.

For Tim, his parents have two very unique jobs even if they are technically from generational wealth, that being Drake Industries that creates medical supplies as well as funds vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks. Stuff that looks great on paper and gets them support even if the two care little for it and more for their second form of income.

Janet was more into the archeology that showed history in culture and progression of society, story telling and proof of civilisations, while Jack was far more fond of the animals that existed or still do and how they have changed.

So naturally, Tim excitedly chose to talk about their extensive work in the latter.

Janet had single handedly proved several historical theories true and false, her unrelenting determination to proving she was right and using her connections and charming nature to do so.

Jack had discovered a whole new dinosaur that he named after his wife, as well as being one of the loudest in discussion of such beings and their feathers.

Tim found he enjoyed his mother’s work most, as cool as dinosaurs were, because his mother had taught him about how ropes and cogs were once all the ‘technology’ anyone had.

So, Tim Drake set about showcasing his mums hard work and after being denied brining a rare pot she had found, he decided to make a copy of it out of clay in the schools art room. The teacher helped him with dry hands and a kind smile, excited on his behalf as he so clearly enjoyed the process and seeing how else clay crafts were used.

Tim stood proudly at his table, several paragraphs written out and printed out for people to read about his parents achievements and a diagram of the skeletal structure his father had discovered not long after Tim was born. Many people praised him, saying how well he did for such a young age, only to be even more awed when he explained he made the pot himself and it wasn’t the real deal, but a replica.

It depicted Aphrodite as she stood over roses, at the time white but some clearly darkening as the thrown cut her foot, while she made her way over to a figure that was known to be Adonis as he laid dying from a boar beside him. It looked very simpler to real Greek art, though of course a little wonky and with less dirt and ancient clay, but the pottery was exceptional by a child’s hand. Hell, even a teenager.

Tim was so very happy, waiting patiently for his parents to come and see what he had done, how he had shown everyone in his school how cool and clever they were and even made some of the olde kris look at him with jealousy, but…

They never came.

Not because they were hurt or sick or worse, dead, but because they were too tired from their trip they had gotten back from a week ago.

But Tim was a Drake, he wouldn’t show his growing anxiety and fear, instead he stood tall and spoke animatedly too anyone who would listen and avoided questions on where Janet and Jack were just like they had taught him to when pushed for sensitive information.

Tim took the pot home and Janet smiled at him, telling him it was ‘nice’.

She didn’t point out the errors or anything, said nothing bad and had no disgusted expression, she just… called it nice. And moved on.

Seven year old Tim smashed the pot against his bed room wall and cried his eyes out until he fell asleep.

When he woke up he came to a conclusion: he simply hadn’t done a good enough job and if he was more accurate, had less bumps and used more polish, he’d get a better reaction.

So that’s what he did.

The second pot got a confused brow furrow and he was asked why he was showing it again, after all they were busy people and they had already seen it?

Tim made a different one and got a similar answer to the first, though Jack did give him a pat on the head!

Tim decided to make a few, perfect his craft more, until he showed them more so he could truely wow them.

Yet a funny thing happened while he made his replica pots and bowls.

He started to have fun.

Soon it became known to the staff at his school that if you couldn’t find Timothy, he wasn’t flagging school, he was in the art room. Given he had such good grades and had plenty of friends, none of them had a problem with this as it wasn’t affecting him badly.

Tim made a mug for his art teacher that was shaped to look like a tree stump and asked for help to paint it from his friend Ives whose mother was an artist, who got tips from his mum and taught his friend how to shade and paint on canvas first.

As thanks, Tim made Ives a little clay mushroom charm that the other boy made into a bracelet.

Eventually Tim is having so much fun with his crafting he’s even having to buy creams and ointments so his hands don’t get so cracked and cry. He has a whole draw for his art clothes lest he get too many dirtied, as well as a shelf in the art room for his creations.

By the time he’s nine he hasn’t shown his parents many of his creations and while he enjoys the bits of praise he gets, the lacklustre response just bums his out, so he stops. They aren’t mad about it, nor are they really in favour of it, they just don’t seem to care all that much.

Tim knows better than to waste their time too much and just enjoys their company when he can.

When Tim becomes Robin he’s started commissions within his school and friend group, including a smoking tray for Kevin, a chess piece set for Wesley and a rose candle holder for Darla.

Ives gets the most bit that’s because he gives them to his mum as gifts.

He stops his craft while he trains, usually too tired to do so, but finds making simple vases and bowls is calming for his mind. Batman tells him he needs to have ways to detach from his night life so they don’t get too blurred, a mistake he himself made, and so Tim uses his clay craft to do that.

He makes Bruce a mug shaped like a bat for him to have in the cave and it’s the first thing that starts to break Bruce in regards to seeing Tim as more than just the new Robin.

Tim makes Alfred a kettle pot, a simple thing as it’s his first time doing so, and paints it with buttercups.

Barbara gets a big eye charm that has several little ones hanging off wires from its base. The window charm moves with her to the clock tower even years after.

He makes Dick an elephant with pink markings over it like the one he saw on the circus posters from The Flying Grayson’s. Dick still ain’t happy about there being someone in his brothers suit, not really, but he was never going to truely take that out on Tim and seeing the sweet gift left in his car makes him feel a little lighter.

It still hurts them all to see a young boy in their house that’s not Jason, but with Tim being so different they soon stop making the comparisons so much. There’s still damage down, words that will stick with Tim, but it’s not as bad.

Tim makes Cass whole collection of little things like a tiny duck and frog, as well as hats for them. He makes her a plate that’s just for her with a teddy bear curled around a heart, her initials on the back.

He makes Steph a stupidly intricately engraved brick all for the inside joke between them, but the way she cackled is well worth it.

His teammates get so many gifts he can’t count them all, though his favourite will be the mini versions of them he made and that they put as the centre piece of the towers dining table.

When Jason comes back he doesn’t make anything, not even when the misunderstandings have been cleared up. Jason openly refuses to change his violent ways even if he promises to be more friendly, but that’s not why. Tim is still so hurt at seeing his childhood hero so broken that he can’t bear to think of it, until he watches Bridgerton of all things and starts to think differently.

Tim comers how different Jason must feel and how lonely that must feel, so he makes him something special. It by all means looks like a book even it’s an all clay, though the bones and flowers over the binding give it away with their glistening. Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility was hard to paint, and that wasn’t never one of Tim’s strengths, so he doesn’t do the cover art and instead writes out the letters prettily and hopes it’s enough.

Jason never responds to the gift outwardly, but the way he ruffled Tim’s hair just to annoy the other tells him enough.

Duke gets three necklaces that piece together to make one big charm, blending together in a colourful spiral perfectly. One is for him, the other two for his catatonic parents. When he realises what Tim made them for her cries, hugging Tim so tightly he’s afraid he’ll pop.

Damian is the last to receive any gift, their rivalry far too strong, though it ironically Tim’s favourite.

The stump like cup has several little mushroom cups around its sides and set of dips fit for a paintbrush. Tim explains the centre is for water and the other parts made for water colour paints or even acrylic, though that will be harder to clean even with the setting spray.

Damian claims to not use it and only Alfred knows how he asks how to properly clean it without causing damage.

Tim never truely gets to show his parents his hobby, not even when his mum goes and he and his father get a little closer. It hurts him naturally, though when he spots an old high school friend at a coffee shop asking for a drink in her keep cup he made her, he decides that his city has given him what he needed. Gotham and its people, his friends and those who watched him grow up, they gave him the acknowledgment and encouragement he wanted from Jack and Janet.

It’s not perfect, his city isn’t, but neither was his first pot.

Thinking of making a DPxDC Twitter AU, but I have several projects, over half a dozen asks in my inbox, multiple unfinished works, and I'm struggling with formatting, god gave me ideas but not enough to execute them.

-> Next Part

IT'S BATMOMA TIME!!

As I said, Batmom promotes long hair, so the birdies use them

Duke doesn't know what's going on

More Pet AU (click for clarity)

Or what if the Phantom siblings were cursed into pets and the Batkids found them.

Jazz is a borzoi/Russian wolfhound, Dan is a Turkish boz shepherd, Danny is a Turkish angora, and Dani is a calico cat. When the Dannies transform, Dan’s colors get inverted, Danny is a tuxedo cat, and Dani’s fur turns full black.

Inspiration:

Y cuando aparecen unos supuestos Batwoman y Batwing, ve resandole a los dioses hasta que... ves a un perro, no, dos perros con mascaras y capas identicas a las de Batman a su medida...

CARAJO

I bet the JL has a “how fucked are we” metric that’s literally just how many of Bruce’s kids are there.

Like if he pulls up to the alien invasion or whatever with just Robin, then everything’s fine. More than fine, actually, because Bruce feels comfortable enough to bring his eight year old along for the ride. This battle will take approximately fifteen minutes and they’ll all get shawarma after. Not fucked in the slightest.

But if Red Robin shows up too… hmm, okay, this is getting somewhat serious. Tim is one of Bruce’s most trusted partners; he’s the smart Robin, the tactician, the loyal one, and so if Batman brought him along then it means he’s at least a little bit worried about shit hitting the fan and wants one his advisors around. But the combined brain power of Bruce and Tim is pretty much unmatched (DC plot armor for the win), so everything will be fine, basically. Superman might take a hit, but everything’s going to be fine. Just keep calm and you’ll all make it home in time to Door Dash some Panda Express before it closes. So not that fucked.

It starts to get serious after that. When Signal and Spoiler roll up the scene, shit has definitely hit the fan. Batman’s worried enough to call in reinforcements and he’s probably doubting the League’s ability to listen/obey his orders, so he needs a backup plan in case things go really south. But with Signal’s abilities and Steph’s superpower of turning anything into a joke, chances are you’ll be okay. Maybe impaled or something, but okay. But still, fucked.

When Nightwing shows, the JL knows it’s starting to get dicey out on the field. See, Nightwing’s got his own team, his own issues—the fact that he set that all aside to help out his dad is cause for concern. On a scale from 1-10, they are at a 7. Above moderately fucked.

And… oh God. Black Bat? Most of the time the JL doesn’t even see her, but once she makes herself known and starts fighting alongside her siblings, they all start to silently freak out. Black Bat is a fucking machine and if she’s breaking a sweat trying to fight the Big Bad, things are definitely not going to go well. They start praying that Batman figures something out. They freak out. They are intrinsically fucked.

But God Forbid you catch sight of the Red Hood. The prodigal son is a legitimate killer, and if Batman’s letting him blow out brains then the JL knows he’s desperate. And a desperate Batman is not good. At all. They are definitely fucked.

Did you guys know that Duke's tag on Ao3 only has 7,000 fics? Because I didn't.

"My career of choice has crazy hours, bad benefits, and doesn't pay. But it's the dream I never knew I always had. Mom, dad... I'm going into the vigilante business. I hope I live to tell you all about it."

welcome 2 the day shift!!!!!!! finished this instead of doing my [redacted] lecture because my brain has been deep fried since work this morning :)

Cherry-On-Top Cheesecake pretty please and I’m going to steal a cookie too :) *Shoves a cookie in my mouth and runs*

"Golden Hour"

Pairing: Duke Thomas x GN!Reader Setting: Gotham, early evening in spring

Duke wasn’t sure what surprised him more — that he had a free evening, or that you actually said yes.

Now you were both walking side by side under the gold-streaked sky of early evening, the sun dipping behind Gotham’s skyline like it was shy. The two of you were sharing a drink from a café neither of you had ever tried, just because it was there and open and the patio had twinkly lights strung overhead.

Duke caught himself glancing at you again — quick, subtle. You looked... happy. At ease. Maybe a little nervous, but not in a bad way. More like is this a date? I kind of hope it is nervous.

“I’m glad we did this,” you said softly, nudging his arm with yours. “You don’t get many chances to actually chill, do you?”

Duke chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, not unless you count rooftop stakeouts and dodging knives ‘chill.’”

You grinned. “Gotham romance at its finest.”

“Exactly,” he said, returning the smile, then hesitated. “But... I wanted this to be different. With you.”

Your steps slowed. His voice had changed — quieter, more thoughtful. You looked up at him, heart skipping once.

“I mean,” he went on, fumbling just a little, “I spend so much time trying to protect this city, or being around people who only see me as a vigilante, or... whatever. But with you, I get to just be Duke.”

You blinked at him — not because you were confused, but because no one had ever said something so honest to you before. And you could tell by the way he was looking anywhere but at you that it cost him something to say it.

“I like Duke,” you said, stopping on the path.

He stopped too, finally meeting your gaze. “Yeah?”

You stepped closer, bumping your shoulder into his gently. “Yeah. And I’m really glad you asked me out. Even if we’re still pretending it’s ‘just hanging out.’”

Duke laughed, the tension easing from his shoulders. “Okay. Fine. It’s definitely a date. Can’t take it back now.”

You smiled and held out your pinky. “Deal.”

Duke linked his hand with yours — warm, steady — and for a second neither of you let go.

Golden light flickered through the trees, catching in his curls and warming the soft smile tugging at his lips.

And just like that, the night didn’t feel like Gotham. It felt like something softer. Something yours.

I saw a post a few months back on here but I can’t remember who it was by and it driving me nuts. I think it was hc post but it was one specific part that I’m trying to remember it was about Steph Duke and Jason calling each other Narrows, Alley (?) and something else respectively and for the life on me I can’t remember.

Don't apologise for speaking the truth. You should be more passive-aggressive if anything. Or maybe just aggressive :D

people know Duke Thomas's mom is fine and he's living with her again, right??? They know that he helped her through her recovery and she knows about his life as Signal? And that he was living with his cousin Jay prior to that? Everyone understands the concept of temporary guardianship and how an adult can be a mentor without being a parental figure, right???????

You are the devil. I sat here for 20 minutes, debating which one to pick.

you know what I'm curious, for the duke girlies (gender neutral)

The chaos really happens when night falls and they need to sleep.

Damian, standing on the only twin bed in the room: I will get the bed.

Jason: Like Hell! You're small enough to be sleeping in the fucking sink. I will be getting the bed.

Dick: I think two people can have the bed.

Damian and Jason: NO!

*Tim, too tired for this, kicks off his shoes and gets comfortable on the small kitchen counter using the paper towel roll as a pillow. He is asleep within seconds*

Dick: well if you both won't share, then I'll take the bed.

Jason: That's not fair!

Damian: You can't do that!

Dick: I am the oldest, I get to do whatever I want!

The ensuing pillow fight was vicious and would have taken the bedside lamp as a casualty if Duke wasn't there to save it. Duke, like Tim, is tired and sees the bathroom tub for the option that it is. He uses the chaos to grab a pillow from the bed and lock the bathroom door. Duke took the bedside lamp with him.

With the Girls:

Barbra: I get the right side.

Cass: left.

Stephanie, debating if getting squished in the middle is worth still sleeping on the bed: I want a pillow.

Okay so i hate that the batkids are rich purely because they dont have those classic siblings experiences. So here is me putting them in those horrible situations.

*the batkids are in a hotel room with only one bathroom*

Jason: DICKHEAD get the fuck out or im gonna piss in your suitcase!

Dick, over the sound of water: I'm taking a SHOWER

Tim: AND? Hurry it up assman, I gotta brush my teeth!

Damian: I hope you all eat shit and die. I've been waiting longer than all of you.

Meanwhile, in the girls room:

Steph, barging into the bathroom: i gotta take my makeup off and brush my teeth. Deal with it.

Babs, in the bathtub: i dont even know why i try to lock the door at this point.

Cass, slipping in to use the sink: making instant mac n cheese. None for you guys.

Steph: bitch.

Cass: whore :)

Headcanon for the Batbros, at the beach:

Dick, drawing something on the sand:

Duke: What’s Dick doing?

Tim: Looking for Damian.

Duke: By drawing a pentagram on the sand?

Jason: Exactly.

Bonus:

Duke: He’s not actually gonna show up-

Damian, coincidentally, shows up after Dick is finished with the drawing: You called, Grayson?

Duke: …

god it took me AGES but it’s finally done. Happy Batman Day!

 [SOURCE]

A list of things that are in fact cannon in my own little batfam world

- “Are we getting Jason’ed???” Something you say when you think you’re about to die by the hands of the joker.- Coined by Steph, when she thought she was gonna die at the hands of the joker with Tim. Is now used by everyone.

- WWRHD = What Would Red Hood Do?- was coined by Steph, is now used in every situation possible by every bat kid.

- Evil Baha Blast = The Lazarus Pit- was coined by Duke, when he thought that saying the actual name might trigger Jason. Jason laughed his ass off for about 10 minutes and has not called it by its actual name since.

Will continue this when I come up with more.

Dick: okay so we all agreed we're gonna focus all of our trauma healing, the skills we have gotten by our pain and suffering, and pass those tools along to Damian so maybe impossibly he'll end up a functioning adult

Jason: you really think this will work?

Steph: give him the stability of a family we never got? Damn if you're sure

Tim: idk he was already so traumatized when he got here it could be too late-

Dick: yeah but believe me Bruce is a wayyy better dad than he was with me, he was like 21 and encouraged me to jump chandelier from chandelier in the mansion because he thought it was funny

Jason: all the gentle parenting in the world isn't going to fix the demon brat's crazy genes-

Duke, rushing into the room: everyone shut up and look at this! Damian, tell them what you just told me!

Damian: -tt- I don't see why the fuss-

Duke: Tell them!

Damian: I am planning to retire Robin and instead focus my efforts on becoming a doctor.

Tim:

Jason:

Steph:

Dick: holy shit it actually worked

I want a Batfam au where everything is the same except Dick is the same person as Robin from the Teen Titans series (2003) but not because of the apprentice arc like many of you might be thinking, (though it wouldn't hurt to throw it in) no I want Dick to have the same "Skills" Read: Superhuman abilities as Robin.

Robin in the Teen Titans was throwing a giant made of cement, shattering his pole with one hit, taking on the rest of the Titans at the same time, when they were holding back and not.

Clark: Are you sure he isn't a meta or alien or something?

Bruce: I check every few weeks.

Oliver: Wait, he's human?

Tim: B! We need backup.

Bruce: No

Steph: Nows not the time for your no outsiders in Gotham rule!

Bruce: Fine I'll contact Nightwing.

Tim: Another non-meta won't cut it!

Bruce: Nightwing is more than enough.

Everyone: ?????

Dick obliterates a massive wall of Ice left by Mr. Freeze

Duke: I thought I was the only one.

Tim: You are.

Jason: You don't sound confident in your answer.

Tim: I'm not

Raven: Why'd I get paired with Nightwing? I don't stand a chance.

Damian: You are the daughter of Trigon.

Raven: And?

Dick, done interrogating someone: Thanks for the Info.

Beast Boy: Back in the day you would have totally sent them to the hospital man!

Jon, unintentionally listening in with his super hearing: huh?????

here are some batkids faces..might color them might not🤷🤷🤷 we’ll see..

batman…..

Hc that Duke and Danny are so oblivious to each other’s feelings that even Bruce had to intervene and help the rest of his kids matchmake them (click for clarity)

Square: “Good Friends”

Returning to my old roots of being the CEO of Duke/Danny

Honestly surprised there's not much fics pulling from the Ultimate Enemy Timeline, and I'm talking Abt post semi redeemed Dan, or Danny's friends and fam die but he doesn't go evil just traumatically runs away, id like to see an in the middle concept. Like post him becoming full ghost but pre him becoming Dan.

Now being a full ghost and a powerful one at that, Danny's chaotic destructive ass makes a beeline straight for Gotham due to its raw supernatural energy that he's heard rumors about from peeps in the Ghost zone. And his ass goes there to chomp on weaker/blob ghosts (idk if it was said how Dan got powerful like that so I'm making shit up)

Like usually some people who see him do this are like "omgee, new hero/protector!!" And he just hisses and vanishes, bro has reached cryptid poltergeist status. he doesn't care about saving people cause that's LAME, and he DOESN'T DO THAT ANYMORE, cause it's LAME, but he doesn't admit that deep, deep, DEEP down, there's a flicker of humanity that buzzes with warmth at being recognized as a protector again

Batfam is obviously suspicious of this deeply suspicious and mistrusting ghost guy but Duke has a bit more of an open minded thinking bro is going through a metahuman crisis and wants to help because there's not a lot of open metahumans in Gotham (that aren't evil) and wants to offer some sort of guidance before the intricate web of evil catches him.

So Duke is investigating Danny on his own, trying to learn more about ghosty dude and how he can find him or help him, eventually learning about the GIW and their attempt to enact anti-ecto laws which by association would allow them to experiment ghost/specter powered metahumans. As well as wanting to take them down, he also wants to find out if they have anything about the Ghost boy he's investigating.

While casually breaking into one of their facilities in Gotham, he finds a group of scientists in the middle of beginning some type of ghost dissection on Danny while hes still awake and thrashing, so as one does, Duke proceeds to jump everyone. In the scuffle, Danny gets freed and is about to escape but actually sticks around to start beating everyone's ass with Duke.

Duke guides Danny out of the building and before he can even say anything, Danny hisses and vanishes. Duke sighs at the loss of his investigations victim but finds himself being almost stalked by the ghost. Dried ectoplasm smeared above doorways which only he can see because of his perception of light, electronics being finicky around him, being surrounded by a cold air, and a whole bunch of semi threatening gestures

Unknown to Duke, this is Danny trying to befriend him aggressively due to kinda forgetting how to do it normally

Updated My bat-family fan designs for my imaginary animated show ! ! 🧍🧍🧍

Ages shown are not meant to be accurate to canon = ]! ! !

insp

I think the Batkids reaction to a Bruce who isn't de-aged to 8 but rather 29 (pre-Jason death, post his adoption) would be fascinating. 

Their reaction would vary wildly:

Dick: Oh. Bruce is soft again. Bruce calls them ‘chum’ and ‘buddy’ and gives head pats for no reason. He still isn’t perfect, his communication skills are still a work in progress, but compared to his future self? Without actively dying Dick is hugged plenty. Bruce asks him to go to the zoo, unrelated to any case, just to spend time together. Dick is hit with more nostalgia and longing for the past than he knows what to do with.

Also notable: his dad is younger than him. That is something. Second, holy existential crisis Batman, his dad is younger than him and already one adult and one teenage kid??? Dick is not ready to feel this old yet. Third, Dick has absolutely no idea how Bruce managed to stay patient through his no-pants years. He is going to thank reason every day from now on that Damian wears full protection.

Jason: After his death and League he clung to an image of Bruce. One many tried to beat out of him, but he still kept it somewhere close to his heart, buried deep enough even he couldn’t see it. When he came back Bruce wasn’t like this idea of him. How stupid of him to believe the mind of a traumatized kid. Trying to create one good thing before the kid drew his last breath. Making up memories that never even existed.

But they did. Every smile and hug and even his words reflect the image tugged safely against his still-beating heart. His dad very clearly, very deeply loves him. Which is so much worse. Because he can understand why a Bruce, who never cared, didn’t kill the Joker. But he cares. So why the fuck did he not kill the Joker?

Tim: The reason he joined the family, the reason why he became Robin in the first place was because he saw a problem when Bruce started self-destructing and thought ‘Someone needs to fix that!’. Therefore he went and collected Dick, who didn’t seem keen on fixing it. So, the job fell to him to fix it.

He thought he did a good job, he thought he fixed the problem. Except now he sees who Bruce was, and he knows he failed. Their Bruce is less soft, less affectionate, less like he was before. Batman needs a Robin and Tim didn’t manage to be good enough of one to save him. 

[Or: Tim has a guilt complex a hundred miles wide and blames himself for things that aren’t his fault part 52]

Steph: Jason and she are very similar. Both come from the Narrows, both have a mother addicted to drugs and a shitty father. The differences start when Steph keeps waiting on the roof of their apartment for Batman to whisk her away, while Jason tries to steal the tires of the Batmobile and is taken in.

When Steph started out as Spoiler Bruce tried to keep her off the field, and obviously this one would too (even if he would probably be less paranoid about it), but she knows this Bruce would have also taken her in. This Bruce would be the father she always wished for when she sat on their roof and couldn’t see any stars. 

And she didn’t get to have this because Jason went ahead and died. (Of course, she knows she isn’t fair to the guy. Dying isn’t fun… And she knows the only reason she lived is because he died. When Batman rescued her from Black Mask she was in such terrible shape that Leslie managed to convince the World’s Greatest Detective that she died. If Jason hadn’t died Bruce wouldn’t have been as paranoid, wouldn’t have noticed her missing so soon, wouldn’t have been as urgent in his response. Would have been just a minute slower, a minute which would have killed her. Just as it had Jason.)

For her, this Bruce is a distorted mirror into a past which never was. 

Cass: This Bruce and B are not the same person. They don’t move the same. In a fight, this Bruce is younger, faster, stronger. Doesn’t compensate for a previously broken spine. Less experienced. Still one of the most experienced she knows, but less. 

He still moves differently, outside a fight, less pain. More likely to engage in physical affection, more likely to hug and pat and talk. He talks more than B. B knows what she means without words. This Bruce doesn’t.

She likes this Bruce, warmth, and softness. But not as much as B. He knows what she means, when she wants a hug, when she tells him ‘I love you’ without words. B doesn’t need words. This Bruce doesn’t know her, doesn’t communicate like her. She wants B back.

Damian: At first, when this version of his father seemed uncanny and oddly familiar, he assumed it to be due to the stories of his mother. After all, she always told him tales about his father. He simply did not have the frame of reference to understand the kindness she spoke of. Clearly, the clash between the ideals of the League and the ones of his father causes these feelings, just as they did when he first entered the manor.

He presumed this to be the case until one day on patrol Batman laid a hand on his shoulder and told him he did a good job after no particularly impressive fight and he nearly called him ‘Grayson’. Because the stories of his mother may have painted the picture of this version of his father, however, it wasn’t what made it familiar; no, he knew this kindness. These hugs and compliments one would bestow upon a child. Compliments which, despite the indignity, still warm him. Because Grayson learned how to be a… caregiver from his father.

His father used to be like Grayson, used to be until his grief hardened him. Damian could have had this. Damian could have a brother and father who would- But he doesn’t because of Todd. He loathes Todd. Loathes him for ruining the life he could have had.

Why did he die anyway? Damian certainly wouldn’t have a problem escaping bonds created by the Joker, Damian would have disarmed the bomb in time, Damian would have never thrown this life away like he did.

[Or: Damian is a child who was raised by assassins and has unreasonable standards for fighting abilities and also is a child who needs to focus his rage on someone.]

Duke: He was neither there before Jason died nor in the aftermath [according to my math he was around 4 when Jason died] he joined the family when Jason was already back for 4 years or so. He mostly skipped all the drama. For him, Bruce is the way Bruce is because he is Bruce. It’s weird to see him so different, to see how grief shaped parts of Bruce which Duke assumed were just Bruce things.

He’s glad this Bruce is brighter, or not because it just highlights how much that light will dim? Who knows, certainly not him. 

What he does know is that, with their Bruce, he has a distance which, with his parents still alive, he appreciates. With this Bruce, he can understand why Dick struggled so much whether he wants to be his ward or son, how he doesn’t want to replace his parents but still have this Bruce as a dad. It definitely explained the ted talk Dick tried to give him after Bruce officially took him in as a ward.

He likes this Bruce well enough, but he doesn’t necessarily want him to stay this way. Yes, their Bruce is less happy, less open but he did heal, he did grow. Duke met a Bruce who tried to learn from his mistakes, learned to communicate better, and learned when to pull and when to push. For Tim, Damian, Dick, and certainly Jason there is too much baggage, too much history in their relationships, it’s difficult for them to ever move past- anything really.

Sure, when Dick and Bruce are on the same page they are essentially invincible but then the past catches up again and they don’t talk to each other for months. And honestly? Apart from Cass, Duke’s pretty sure he has one of the best relationships with Bruce simply because he got to know him at a better time.

Duke doesn’t mind this Bruce. But their Bruce loved Jason, cared for him so deeply the scars still show to this day. And he still chooses to open up again even if just a bit by bit. Even if just Duke can see it. He is used to being the only one that can see.

And maybe knowing this care extends to him, this love even grief can’t shake? Maybe it makes him feel just a little bit safer, a little bit warmer, a little bit brighter.