#but like Cass is the best fighter in Gotham but do the other ones not have formidable skills?

[supershot73199]

Dpxdc prompt here.

Valerie goes to Gotham and gets a bat Boy/Girlfriend

So the setup for this is that Danny just got done helping the big bad bat with some big ghost themed problem. What was it? Doesn't matter but in the epic adventure that happened identities were revealed (its a good parent fentons so no adoption) and at the end Batman says "If there is anything I can do to return the favor let me know."

And Danny responds with "Actually there is something but it's something Bruce Wayne is better suited for."

Danny then goes on to explain what happened with Cujo and Valeries dad and how he's pretty sure that the way he was fired is illegal in some way. Now he's not asking for you to try to sue these guys but if Maybe you were able to offer him a job with a living wage so that Val doesn't have to stress so much since Danny can't do anything to fix this himself.

Bruce who had already planned to open some form of Wayne Tech branch in Amity to give him an excuse to be seen there if it was ever necessary just says he'll see what he can do.

So Damon Gray (also I love how he has such a similar name to a bat) gets a call from a Wayne tech hiring manager saying that they are opening a location in Amity and would like to interview him for a position. Damian gets the past the initial interview but he has to go to Gotham for a few weeks foe relevant training etc.

Obviously Valerie has to go with him so they pack up and are off on this all expenses paid trip with a bigger paycheck at the end to look forward to.

Now obviously Bruce's kids notice what is happening and after he explains that a young hero he met asked for his help in setting things right that he doesn't have the resources to do himself. Of course the kids have to meet the family that this (rather impressive from what Bruce was saying, which is not biased by him looking like he could be one of his kids no way) hero gave up a favor from the Batman for so they "just so happen" to stumble upon the two and in true batfam manner convince the tour guide to let them tag along.

Now here is where things get fun so depending on which bat you choose obviously determines who's all there as if you choose Dick then the only other bat's of that age would be young Jason and maybe Barbara if you drag her in. Now me personally I think the best choices are Damian who's not my favorite for this as I think Val would find it weird to date a guy who has such a similar name as her dad one of either Cass or Steph and while that could be fun i think the only Bat boy who as far as I'm aware has not had a badass vigilante girlfriend who can snap him like a twig so far is Duke.

Now some other reasons I think it might be fun for Duke and Val as a couple is maybe he can see the changes her red huntress suit causes to her with his powers thus leading to that initial curiosity that causes him to spend more time with her to get to the bottom of it.

Maybe she asks one of the Wayne's if they know somewhere she can get a good spar and the others sacrifice Duke as he's got the least experience under his belt (not saying he's a bad fighter but some of these bats have been fighting since before puberty) since they assume she's just a standard civi. He tries to hold back since again civi, but she knocks him on his ass before he can react before saying she probably should have mentioned being a black belt.

Just think of all the cute moments they could have together.

One interaction I thought of for after they know each other's vigilante identity and val learns Danny is why Bruce reached out to her Dad. (She knows he is Phantom in this)

"So that dork went out of his way to ask Batman for help even after I finally pulled my head out of my ass to see it wasn't his fault? Of course he still feels guilty over it, damn Martyr complex, we aren't even dating anymore!"

"You guys dated?"

"Yeah in civis while I was actively hunting him for revenge in our hero ids. Who dates a girl actively trying to kill you?!"

"Can't blame him."

"What?"

[whalehouse1]

Me seeing a Jason was such a good student who loved homework and loved reading so much that none of the other Bats could touch him: I’m feeling an extremely strong urge to go through the golden and silver age Robin comics and pull every panel of Dick being comfy in a chair reading. And the admittedly few of him doing good in school. He did hate homework, that is true though.

[veryace-ficrecs]

Cass Cain Fic Recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Before Gotham by Hinn_Raven - Rated G

Before Cassandra Cain became Batgirl, before Jason Todd became the Red Hood, before Bruce Wayne, before No Man's Land, before everything, Jason and Cassandra have a chance meeting.

backwards and in high heels by destiny919 - Rated G

Cass sits placidly tied to an uncomfortable chair, letting fear show on her face while feeling mildly irritated. Her captors keep shouting at her and don't understand sign language. She has already decided Batgirl will be teaching all of them the sign for 'S'. Repeatedly. But it's not Batgirl who got kidnapped, it's Cassandra Wayne.

This Might As Well Happen by goatsghost - Rated T

At a gala, Cass notices someone slipping something in her drink, but she’s not able to decline without bringing unwanted attention to herself. Here we go, she thinks, and tips the drink back, downing it in one go.

Zugzwang by Hinn_Raven - Rated T

Stephanie Brown is dead at the hands of the Black Mask after War Games. Cassandra Cain knows this. So when the Court of Owls sends an assassin to kill Bruce Wayne, a Talon with long, blonde hair, Cass knows she’s just seeing ghosts… right?

Maybe with a Shift in Planets by SilverSkiesAtMidnight - Rated G

The shadow is a silhouette on the edge of the roof. She can’t see his eyes behind the blank white lenses of his cowl, but she can feel the cunning weight of his gaze as it rakes over her, a pair of predators recognizing one another. She keeps her posture relaxed. She looks back at him with steady eyes. She is not prey. She will not allow the kind boy behind her to be prey either.

diamonds are a girl's best friend by destiny919 - Rated G

Cass finds the jewelry boxes up in the west attic, one dusty afternoon not long after Bruce adopts her.

Rings by justaddwriter - Rated G

When Cass acts a little strange over a new piece of jewelry, Bruce starts to get suspicious. And worried. And confused. Turns out he really had nothing to worry about.

do I dare disturb the universe? by Hinn_Raven - Rated T

Cassandra Cain was falling, and there were stars. When she landed, she found herself stranded in a universe where there never was a Batman. Good thing that she’s a detective.

the journey & the destination (are the same) by britishparty - Rated G

The first time Cassandra speaks to Batman, it's in the language David Cain taught her. The way bodies speak is simple. Cassandra watches Bruce Wayne go, and thinks that people are not. She goes back to Barbara. "I want," she says, and stops. She doesn't know the words for what she wants. There's a story Cassandra heard once, about a boy made out of wood. He wanted something like this, too. - there are a lot of steps in between being a weapon and being a person. Cassandra Cain becomes Batgirl. Batgirl becomes Cass Wayne. Cass isn't sure what it means, to be a person, and Batman isn't very good at teaching that. luckily Bruce has a protege or five to help her figure it out.

Take a Break by Sohotthateveryonedied - Rated G

Cassandra Cain is used to working in less-than-perfect physical shape. In her unconventional childhood, she suffered her fair share of broken bones and open wounds, and she weathered them without complaint or weakness. It’s one of the many prices of being a fighter, and so Cass embraced it. She pushed herself through everything that tried to hinder her. It eventually became part of her training—learning how to fight through whatever weaknesses tried to hold her back, despite the pain, despite the slip-ups. If Cassandra’s arm was broken, David Cain simply made her fight with the other one. If she broke a rib, he made sure she took twice as many hits until the pain became an afterthought. The same went for when she was sick.

Meet Me Where You're Going by Hinn_Raven - Rated T

When things get complicated in Hong Kong, Cass requests help from Batman Inc. Unbeknownst to her, Bruce dispatches not one of her brothers, but Stephanie Brown, who Cass has not spoken to since she gave up the Batgirl mantle. Steph is eager to reunite with her best friend, but things between them are complicated. Not the least of the problems is the fact that Steph might be falling in love… but of course, Cass is straight, so Steph really shouldn’t dwell on that. Friendship and romance, conspiracy and adventure await the two of them as they try to unravel a complicated plot that seeks to stop Batman Incorporated before it can truly begin.

something other than violence by TheyReapWhatWeSow - Rated G

"In the relative quiet of the kitchen, Alfred noticed immediately when the kitchen door creaked open, and a swish of fabric slipped inside. With his usual steadiness, Alfred didn’t hesitate for a second, trying not to let on to the little intruder that he’d noticed their entry. A few silent moments passed without a peep from the visitor, and Alfred wondered how long they would hold out, hidden under the far ledge of the counter he was working on. " OR A young Cassandra Cain finds herself in the domain of a master, and Alfred finally gets to meet his newest grandchild.

carbon first, then light by cassiopeia721 - Rated G

Seeing Catwoman in action makes Cassandra realize that her life has room for beauty in it, now.

“Oh this? Just a little something that caught my eye.” Catwoman draws her bag back around to her front. Her long, pointy nails run along the black leather—smug, smug, smug—and then she unzips the bag and— —a glittering diamond the size of Cass’s fist, sparkling like the stars in the low light of the roof they’re standing on. Catwoman chuckles. The lines of her body have softened a little. “Gorgeous, isn’t it?” she asks lowly, and Cass abruptly realizes she’s leaned in close to get a better look.

Heaven Knows by orphan_account - Rated M

• 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐔: You feel your soulmate's pain. Most people think that soulmates are romantic, and that whoever is your soulmate is supposed to be the one you were meant to be with. But that isn't always the case. Because, for Cass and Tim, nothing was romantic. They were siblings, best friends, through and through. But they were not lovers. They were platonic soulmates. And neither of them would have it any other way.

Are You Winning? by blaircow - Rated T

Cass didn’t often feel the need to exude confidence. She felt confident most of the time but she also knew fear kept her loose and on her toes for the unexpected. In the face of two anxious younger brothers, she needed to embody every ounce the older, reliable sibling.

[igotanidea]

The fear: Jason Todd x fem!reader part 4

part 1

part 2

part 3

Driving back to Gotham was…. Intense. A lot of memories started creeping inside Y/N mind, both wanted and unwanted, good and bad. Most of them were about her time with batboys, all the fun and fear combined, but on the other part there were recollections of her father’s lab, late nights working on some chemicals and substances.

Even the weather seemed to fit into her melancholic mood, since satisfying Gotham notoriety as the most depressing city in the world it started heavy raining the second she get into the car…..

“Oh, boys…. What did you got yourself into this time?” she sighed, trying to focus on the road.

One year ago.

The boys were out, as usual, doing their usual crime-fighting vigilante shit. All four of them, even if Y/N and Babs were repeatedly warning Bruce that making them work together was not a good idea. However, Batman was not known for his listening-to-reason skills. Instead of changing plans, he decided to involve Cass and Steph into the mission as well, treating them like some sort of safety valve in case his sons really started fighting themselves.

Chemist and Oracle stayed in the batcave, in front of the computer, shaking their heads in disapproval as they watched how the patrol was going. Bruce and Dick dealt with the problem head-on, Jason went rouge and solo within first five minutes, Tim was trying his best to hold back Damian, who became unhinged with his katana and only Cass and Steph were doing good work.

“This is a disaster….” Babs muttered rubbing her forehead

“Yeah, tell me something new.” Y/N muttered, biting on the cracker. She never cared about Bruce’s rule prohibiting food in the cave. “Maybe we should use…..”

“Y/N…..” Babs warned the other girl

“What?” Y/N shrugged “you know my mixtures never fail. And look at them, they are going to get hurt…”

 “They always get hurt. Shall I remind you, your boyfriend got so badly hurt he actually died?”

“Well thanks for the reminder, Oracle. Do you wish for Dick to go through the same or do you want to actually be a life safer?”

“They would hate our interference….” Babs smiled mischievously

“And?” Y/N smirked, her eyes glistening

“Let’s do this.”

So the girls took matters into their own hands, sending one of Wayne’s remotely controlled robot loaded with Y/N’s chemicals to remedy the situation. Thankfully, all the Waynes were quick enough to wrap their heads around what was happening to cover their faces and not inhale any of it. Within seconds, all the criminals were unconscious on the ground.

“That’s a win for us, Babs!” Y/N smiled and high-fived her friends.

“Y/N……” Bruce warning tone reverberated in the comms.  

“Oh, shit…..”

***

“Why am I the only one here? Babs was involved as well!” the second Batman got back from mission he summoned Y/N to have a conversation. And now, she was facing him, all alone, trying not to become intimidated.

“We both know it was your idea. You really know how to mess around.”

“And that makes me a perfect addition to the family, doesn’t it?”

“Y/n…..” Bruce sighed deeply. He hated to admit it, but he had soft spot for her.

“What, Bruce? Why are you like this? You know well enough you were outnumbered there. You had zero chances, even if you decided to work together. What was I supposed to do? Watch you all get beaten to death? I’ve …. I’ve been through it once when Jay….. “ she inhaled calming herself down. That was in the past. “Sorry.” She shook her head getting rid of the memories. That was not the way to convince Bruce “When you took me in, after my parents went haywire, the only thing I wanted was to be useful, to help. I am not a front-line fighter, but ever since I’ve been doing my best. Having your backs. And now you want to punish me for this?”

“I don’t want to punish you.” Bruce whispered

“What? You don’t?”

“No. It was a good call.”

“Um…. Thank you?”

“You can go now. “

“If that’s your way of thanking me, then you are welcome.” she smirked and Bruce mimicked this expression “Are you all right, Bruce? Anything broken?”

“I’m fine. But if there’s any of that healing serum of yours left then…..”

“I was supposed to save it for Jay, but he would probably refuse to take it, damn his ego.” Y/N shrugged “and since you asked so nicely….” She reached to her pocket and retrieved a small vial tossing it to Batman “enjoy.”

***

“Oh, there she is. Finally. I see you handled Bruce by yourself.” Jason was already in his room, laying on the bed on his back, turning towards the door when she came through them.

“I’ve been doing it for the last couple years. Unlike someone else I know, I learn from experience.” She came closer and sat on the bed, close enough to see his face in the dim room but not enough for him to touch her.

“Someone else, huh?” Jason scoffed trying to grab her, but hissed in pain and fell back immediately “Fuck.”

“Mhm. You’re just proving my point here. Stay down.”

“I thought you preferred me on top.” He smirked devilishly

“On top of your stupidity, for sure.” She rolled her eyes, but moved just a tiny-teeny bit closer.

“In comparison to anyone else in this family I am practically a genius.”

“A genius in the kindergarten.”

“Still, a genius.” He groaned when the change in position made the injured part of his abs hurt.

“Where does it hurt?” she asked calmly

“Nowhere.”

“Stop it, you fool. I told you hundreds of times – you don’t have to act stronger than you really are when you’re with me.”

“I don’t. I am the strongest one in the family.”

“The strongest and the smartest? God,  how did I get so lucky to end up with you?”

“I keep asking myself the same question.”

“How did I get so lucky with you?” she raised an eyebrow in confusion

“Oh, you silly one….” He smiled and lifted himself up a bit (surprisingly noting hurt at the moment) capturing her lips in his. The kiss was soft, slow and gentle. He was never good with words, but his actions spoke for themselves and she knew it.  She loved him and he loved her. He pulled away after a few seconds and cupped her cheek, connecting their foreheads “tease….” He whispered

“Look who’s talking.” Her hands sneaked up his arms and shoulders, locking on his neck not wanting to let him go, not just yet. Enjoying this little moment just between two of them, without interruption of his family, or the work or some sort of emergency.

“I missed you.”

“How could you missed me, if you saw me a few hours ago?”

“I don’t know. But I did. Can’t hold that against me. ” Jay rubbed her cheek affectionately.

“Good thing I missed you too, Jaybird.”

“Stay with me? I might need some comfort after I got so badly bruised.”

“I thought you were the strongest in the family?”

“And that is why you should stay with me. If anything happens I am the only one to protect you…..”

“I’ll stay with you” she pecked his lips quickly and he smiled lightly “but only because I want to see if you can live up to your words. Now scooch over, I need some place for myself if….”

“Oh, no, you don’t….” he grinned and pulled her on top of him, so that she was lying fully on his chest, his arms tightly wrapped around her, his breath steady and calming.

“Jay, what about your injuries…..”

“Irrelevant.” He muttered holding her even closer “You’re my only focus now. “

***

Now

She stopped her car in front of Wayne Manor,  a tad anxious, not sure if she should rush to the door or rather prolong the moment of seeing him again. However, considering all the security cameras and her bat-friends instincts they already knew she was there. No turning back now she thought to herself and gathering all her confidence walked towards the door.

“Hello, Alfred” she smiled when familiar face showed on the other side

“Hello, miss Y/N. Welcome home.”

@pinksirensong

to be continued

Part 5

@shadow-pancake9

@lwtmonster91

@your-local-cryptid87

@@princessbl0ss0m

[fenrir-wolf-of-gotham]

This was an ask by a person I don't want to be associated with anymore. Its also one of my favorite asks I've ever received because I got to talk a lot about my f/os in a deep way so I'm gonna repost it as a non-ask.

This is the ask game it was drawing from.

🧡: Tim Drake. He and I struggle to find things to talk about. We're just not very compatible socially. I suppose you could also say Bruce fits this. He's not happy about Cass being with someone romantically because nobody will ever be good enough for her but he does care about my opinions. He knows I'm very objective when I'm distanced from a situation. Now, I know this isn't part of the question, but Duke Thomas is my best friend. We're both Metahuman Vigilantes who grew up in Gotham, though he grew up in Burnley and I grew up in New Gotham. We still had very similar childhoods minus the fact I’m Irish and he’s African American.

💚: Oh absolutely. Cass and Steph are very protective of me and it is not helped by the many seductive villains in Gotham (even some guys believe it or not). Steph is the most open about how much she doesn't like other people flirting with me but Cass dislikes it more than her, she's just used to holding her emotions in. Cass will just stare angrily at them while getting physically close to me but Steph gets really sarcastic and passive aggressive (the first time it happened she grabbed me by the arm and loudly called me her boyfriend while telling me we were going on a date "right this second"). My obliviousness to when people are doing that means they also get the fun of seeing me completely miss social cues they picked up on hours ago. We have a code for when people are flirting with me that Steph or Cass asks me, "Did you water the tulips?" We don't have any Tulips. We only have a Peacelily that I bought for our room after watching Hot Fuzz (my favorite movie).

💘: For Cass, I caught feelings first and knew it the moment I saw her unmasked. Cass and I worked together on missions before that point and I respected and admired her but I definitely caught feelings once I saw her without her mask. It was also shot into overdrive when I saw her exercising in the Batcave (you could cut metal on her abs). Later, Cass became a little obsessed with me after she realized I could deliver a decent challenge as a fighter thanks to my metahuman powers. That evolved into romantic affection and she realized it after she saved my life and kissed me. We started dating.

Now we get to talk about Steph's side of the story which was much more emotionally taxing for her. Imagine you're Steph. You've been waiting for Cass to actually ask you out because she obviously has to know that you like her (Cass did not in fact know that Steph liked her), you know she likes you (Cass did not know that she liked Steph despite the emotions being there), and she never has a boyfriend so there's plenty of time for her to ask you out in between the boyfriends you keep bringing along just to highlight how much you're not into anyone but her (this was not her best plan).

Imagine all of that.

Now also imagine that this new vigilante rocks down to electric avenue, Cass seems to fall head over heels for him despite barely showing any interest in guys up to this point, and now they start dating within a few months of being friends despite the fact you and Cass have known each other for two years and have saved each other's lives on multiple occasions, one of which involved an explicit confession of love that she somehow managed to miss completely (see figure a).

Imagine all of that.

So she was trying to get over that when Deathstroke kidnapped her and injected her with a serum that made her emotions go into overdrive and manipulated her to follow his orders in an attempt to kill Batman.

Cass and her had a duel which ended with Cass hugging her until she stopped fighting and just started crying and emotionally laying all this out while I beat up Deathstroke.

It was a close duel but I won. Yes I am very proud of that fact.

A few days later I started taking Steph out to places to try and see how compatible we were (me and Cass called it "Operation: Stephside"). We went to a tabletop game store and played a few games with each other, we went to a music concert, we stayed home and played video games, and then later we went on a picnic which was when Steph started to get suspicious. Steph told me that, while she did like me, she wouldn't help me cheat on Cass which was when I told her what was really going on and that we were considering making it a throuple. Steph got really nervous but I made sure to let her know she had passed all the tests in no uncertain terms with flying colors. Then we headed back to the manor where the three of us spent our first night as a couple playtesting a game I had made in the Batcave.

It took a while but Steph finally got her perfect romantic ending.

You have no idea how funny it is to me that it took some random guy to finally get me and Cass together.

I absolutely love how incidental I am to your version of the story sweetheart.

Oh shut it you know what I mean. The irony that it took a man for two girls to finally go sapphic for each other? That doesn't usually happen.

Heh, yeah I get what you mean.

[dc-said-bi-robin-rights]

Rant Post incoming:

Anyone else have any common Batfam fandom tropes they absolutely despise?

Mine are:

-Woobyfying

-Those fics were everyone has to apologize and beg for *insert character here(usually Tim Drake)*’s forgiveness for *insert situation where they wronged said character here*. It ignores all the context of all their previous interactions and it’s just a petty thing overall.

-Cass being treated like a service dog because for some ungodly reason half the fandom thinks she’s some perfect little girl who’s vocabulary consists solely of the words “little brother”

-Cass being beat in a one-on-one fight by anyone in the batfam. She has been defeated before by metahumans, people taking her by surprise, or enemies that use gadgets she physically can’t counter, and that’s fine, but in a straight fight Cassandra Cain would fistfight God and win and it’s a disservice to her character to treat her like a throwaway tool to show how good *batboy of choice* is.

-Cass being treated like a mind reader. She can read body language. She would know Person A is afraid, sure, but that doesn’t mean she would instantly know why or how or of who or even what she should do about it.

-Tim Drake hahaha coffee hahaha so funny

-Duke either not being mentioned as one of the batkids or being treated like an outsider even when he’s like the only brother (not counting Dick) Damian can stand and has been shown to have a really close relationship with Cass

-“Duke is the sane one because….” the first time we saw that boy he jumped out of a moving police car off a fucking bridge what the fuck are you talking about

-Damian talking like a Victorian prince. His dialogue has always been a mix of the formal dialect that he was taught in the League mixed with the modern slang he has learned while in Gotham. He uses modern phrases all the time. He shouldn’t sound three sentences away from being cast in a Shakespearean play.

-People who have Damian not use contractions, just… why? I literally saw a fic in which a major plot point was that Damian had hidden a secret message in the contractions he used in a letter because “Damian never uses contractions!” and I’m just like motherfucker have you read a single panel with Damian in it in your entire life what

-Latino Jason Todd. As an actual Latino I hate this trope so much I wrote a multiple paragraph post about about how offensive it is (street kid= Latino? Really?) and how many hoops you’d have to jump through to get to that unbelievable convoluted racist headcanon (One of Jason’s potential moms was Lady fucking Shiva does Lady Shiva look like a fucking Latina to you?).

-Giving other people’s skills and traits to Tim.

Best hacker in the Batfamily? Barbara, not Tim.

Best fighter in the Batfamily? Cass, not Tim, and it’s not even close. No, not even if Tim “strategizes” or whatever that is bullshit and you know it. The only Bat Tim could ever credibly beat in a fight is Damian and the kid’s literally ten.

Hooded Robin? Damian, not Tim. Damian’s canonically the only Robin ever allowed to wear a hood because he’s the only one of them that wouldn’t be hindered by the hood (“… a hood can become a blindfold…” “…I can fight blind…”)

-Dick Grayson being treated like a sex object and being cool with being objectified by complete strangers.

-The erasure of Tim and Dick’s brotherly relationship. He can have more than one brother at a time guys.

-Dick/The Titans treating Jason badly while Jason was Robin.

-Shut the actual fuck up about Tim Drake if you haven’t ever read a comic, seriously. Y’all literally just making up your own character at this point and it’s the most boring person imaginable.

[hintofelation99]

Batfamily sorted into Hogwarts houses?

Ooohhhh a classic, I love it! Tbh I have no clue how controversial my opinions are here, like honestly each member fits several houses well. So I just went with what felt best to me, but I'd love to hear other's opinions!

First let's go over the main traits of each house, these are the traits I will be focusing on.

Gryffindor -> Bravery, daring, nerve, and confidence

Hufflepuff -> Hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play

Ravenclaw -> Intelligence, knowledge, curiosity, creativity, and wit

Slytherin -> Ambition, leadership, determination, cunning, and resourcefulness

Bruce

-> Hufflepuff: I feel like this one will be rather controversial and honestly it was pretty difficult to decide on. But I think his overall dedication to the mission is what sold it for me. Like that's one of his more consistent character traits, he values the mission above all else. And I don't think of that value or dedication as coming from a place of ambition, but rather a place of loyalty. Honestly Batman's relationship with Gotham really exemplifies both patience and dedication, at least it does in my mind. Hufflepuff is also sometimes thought of as the house that accepts all, so people who don't have a good designation can go there, which is pretty on point with Bruce adopting a shit ton of kids.

Dick

-> Gryffindor: This one might be a tad cliche, but I think that it fits. Because all of the batfam is daring and brave, but Dick takes so much joy from these traits. He’s known for defying gravity and having fun doing it. He’s also the typical confident older brother, like he definitely has insecurities but overall he’s a pretty confident guy. He’s a leader who paved the way for Robins and continues to protect the rights of young heroes. He’s known for being super protective of his family and is willing to make sacrifices for them. Also he brave enough to design a custom that had no pants and confident enough to run around in that costume.

Babs

-> Ravenclaw: Babs the oracle, she’s basically the definition of knowledge. She definitely exemplifies other houses as well but her dedication to knowledge and intelligence definitely put her in Ravenclaw for me. After being paralyzed a lot of people thought she would give up being a vigilante, but instead she turned information into a weapon and a shield. Instead of giving up she created a new and now invaluable position. She isn’t just smart, she’s clever and quick thinking, always ready for any situation.

Jason

-> Hufflepuff: Okay, so in a lot of ways Jason mirrors Bruce. He’s incredibly loyal to his home, has strict rules that he (mostly) stands by like don’t hurt kids and no abusers get no mercy (and yes I’m using the terms rules loosely here). But honestly what sold the whole ‘Jason is hufflepuff’ thing for me is how protective/kind his is of crime victims, specifically women and children. He was a crime lord who fought to for kids, who didn't tolerate abuse, and who protected prostitutes. And yeah that's all super brave and very Gryffindor-esque, but in my mind it all comes from a place of genuine kindness, and that's what makes him a Hufflepuff to me.

Cass

-> Hufflepuff: Cass is deadly, she could snap just about anyone like a twig, but she's also a complete cinnamon roll. She's a sweetheart who adores her family and, for the most part, likes people. Cass is kind and sweet and she literally booped Batman on the nose. Like if that isn't the most Hufflepuff thing, than I don't know what is. She's just the epitome of 'soft cute Hufflepuff,' but also never forget that she can easily kill you.

Tim

-> Ravenclaw: In my opinion (and I think also canonically but I'm not 100% on that) Tim is the smartest bat. Tim literally outsmarted Ra's Al Ghul and he figured out Batman's identity when he was just a child. And he's not just 'I know a lot of things' smart, he's cunning and knows how to plan for any outcome, how to out wit others, how to lie to Batman. Like in the Red Robin arc his Tim's side quest is outsmarting the league of assassins and pissing off Ras Al Ghul. That's such a Ravenclaw (and baller) move.

Steph

-> Gryffindor: Steph had the nerve to put on a purple suit, she was daring enough to hit Robin with a brick, and she was brave enough to become Batgirl even after her encounter with Black Mask. She's bold and shameless in all the best ways. Like Steph isn't the greatest fighter or most skilled bat, but she's bold and fearless and that's what makes her such a great hero.

Duke

-> Slytherin: This one took me forever to decide on, but I realized that Duke has all the smarts of a Ravenclaw and all the bravery of a Gryffindor. Traits that both fit perfectly into Slytherin. He's cunning and smart and an amazing leader and so determined. Duke lead the 'We Are Robin' movement and made his life goal to out riddle the Riddler. Honestly he's the perfect mix of smart and brave and really exemplefies the best of the Slytherin traits.

Damian

-> Slytherin: This one is a bit lack luster and a bit typical, but I do think it's fitting. He's cunning and ambitious and really values his heritage. Damian knows his life goals, he knows where his heritage can take him, and he will do anything to reach his full potential. And I do think that he has some Hufflepuff undertones, undertones that come out even more around animals and Jon, but overall he is a Slytherin.

And wowie, I'm done. This took waaayyyyyy longer than expected, so sorry for that. Honestly when I saw this ask I was like 'oh, cool, easy!' then I tried to answer and holy shit. I went back and forth so much and could not decide. So after many days and much thought this is what I ended up with. That being said I did really love this ask bc it was super fun.

Also srry if there are any typos but if I keep trying to edit this I will never finish bc I will keep changing my mind.

[bluegarners]

do you have any dick grayson hot takes? not including fanon hot takes

hey non! hmmm hot takes? i don't think i have many tbh...

i do think he is chronically sleep-deprived/fatigued. i just can't see him doing all the things he does (at some point in time leading the Titans, handling Gotham & Bludhaven [Bludhaven is just a mess by itself and I would argue even worse than Gotham], being Nightwing [detective work, long hours in the night, fighting people, physically exhausting himself, exposing himself to indescribable violence and trauma nearly every other day] , maintaining a good relationship with his family, having a day job, being on stand-by with the Justice League, helping younger generations of crime-fighters, constantly bettering himself [i.e: training/working-out, learning new things, adapting to others, studying fighting styles and other techniques], and even having somewhat of a social life outside of anything having to do with his night-job [I assume as much at least because he just seems popular with civilians in his civilian identity] along with his public persona as a son of an infamous billionaire) and not being absolutely exhausted from it all. even extroverts and people built to constantly be in the mindset of go go go just cannot keep up with the mountain of things Dick does and still be somewhat healthy and normal. he's a freak, is what i am saying

that being said, and i think this is both a canon and fanon thing at this point, i don't think Dick has an "off-switch". meaning, i don't think he knows how to take a break from things. if he's not doing something, then he's going to find something to do. sitting still, waiting on the sidelines for something to eventually happen, is just not his style in any way, shape, or form in my head. he needs to be occupied. if he's not, then he feels useless or just like he's not doing his job right. which ties in with, again, another more canon than fanon thing, being that i think he's got a huge guilt complex. i don't think i really need to explain why i think that, but, hey. i think if he could, dick would probably blame himself for nearly every bad thing to ever happen

but. that being said. i think Dick is the most (and this is a bit controversial) capable fighter in the batfam next to Cass. he has just as much experience as Bruce, has trained with the very best in the world (Deathstroke is just one example), and despite the interpretation that Dick hates guns just as much as Bruce, he does know how to use one and use it well. i don't think he's an expert like maybe Jason is, but i think he could be a sniper if he really wanted to is all i'm saying. he's got one of the more diverse and expansive range of skill-sets, and is one of the smartest batfam members. i honestly don't put much stock into intelligence in the batfam though because they're all extremely smart, but Dick applies that sort of tech/street smart more often when he's taking down large groups or toppling crime organizations. with all that combining, i also think he's one of the most manipulative (if not already the most manipulative) people in the dc universe. not meaning that in a negative connotation or anything, but he's just.... that guy. he's been around for a long time, has worked with so many people in both the League and out of the JL, good guys and bad guys, and he's extremely capable. if he asked, i'm sure most people would say yes to whatever he asked of them purely because he's built up that sort of connection and trust and reputation with everyone. i don't think it's manipulation done on purpose, but he's like a siren. he calls and you might just come running

[incoherentbabblings]

Is it just me or does Cass seem to be...a bit OP in every way. I get it she's ONE of the best fighters in DC, I wouldn't outright she is THE best because that way she gets no character progression in that sense where she can be officially the best fighter. But also she just seems to annoy me a little when people always say she is the best Batfam member as a whole, I love her, but I feel like bc she is such a good fighter I like that she has drawbacks with her speaking and reading.

Hi anon! Thank you for the ask, I think it's interesting what you mention, but I disagree in places I think! I think how she is portrayed in canon is not the issue, rather its fandoms habit to narrow down traits and plot progression for the sake of ease of consumption which can lead to sweeping generalisations, and how frustrating these can be to those who prefer the complexity.

Cass isn't the best fighter in the DCU, I don't think. But I'll concede for the batfam, yes she does trump Bruce for plain old hand to hand combat (note: I side with Tom King in this debate [gasp] and also put Dick above Bruce but that's a convo for another day). I do think there are smaller characters that 'rank' higher than her, I think her mother still 'officially' is placed higher than her. I don't mind so much that Cass has nowhere to go so to speak in terms of fighting skills, because I think that's kind of the point. It's her biggest attribute as a vigilante but the way she got there was so crippling that it's also her biggest hinderance as a person. Her most interesting character moments I think are the 'here's what was forcibily taken from you on the road to that top spot - is 1st place really worth that?'

I think in canon she is a very flawed individual; her social and emotional intelligence doesn't much stack up against other more balanced batfam members. Jack of all trades is master of none perhaps, but punching good isn't - snort - good enough in Gotham. The city has systemic problems that require more.

I think the fact that her very first arc kind of proves your point maybe? The fact that with the gaining of the ability to speak, zoop went her flawless fighting, and how much her entire conception of self is built around that fighting style, and why she was so frantic to get it back. She was not interested in learning who she is without the fighting, because at that point the fighting is all she was. I like that her development is learning who she is outside of that. And who she is can be... difficult.

She creeps Tim out, Steph finds her very frustrating to start with, Dick is pretty wary too. But she's just a bit of a tough nut to crack, we know she's very... nougaty under that exterior. Her stories in her solo very much reflect this I think, and her best stories were her seeing what there was outside of that violence, e.g. her experimenting and having fun with Conner (the fact it was kind of doomed to go nowhere isn't really a problem to me, it could have been anyone Cass flirted with, the point was she was trying and having fun. Relationships are supposed to be fun). Idk, the times I find Cass the most interesting is when her fighting skills have little to no part in the story. Or rather, the fighting skills are actively hindering her role in the story.

Her relationships with Babs, Tim and Steph ultimately are not really about her ability to punch really good, though it definitely plays a part at the beginning. The scene were Babs snaps at her for not being able to read in a high pressure scenario is really good because I think it shows off what kind of person Babs is under pressure versus when she's had a moment to think; how insecure Cass is in looking for approval; and also on a more meta scale how ableism isn't restricted to abled bodied persons. Babs is in a wheelchair, she aggressively and harshly puts down Cass, someone who is neurodivergent and cannot read, and she is not excused for being ableist. It was wrong, no matter how high pressure the scenario was. I dunno, that scene is really good, if only for the fact it's one of the few times where Babs is portrayed as being in the wrong, and is actually treated as such in text.

Sorry, I've gone on a tangent here. I guess when it comes to fanon interpretations - is Cass the best because she can punch good? Is that what qualifies her to be the best Bat successor? I'd say not. Is it because she's the only one who actively wants it? Again, I'd say not. Wanting something doesn't mean you should get it, but I know I am in the minority here for that.

Thoughts thoughts... Thank you for sharing anon!

[carrotkicks]

I’m white so it might not be my place to say. But it really seems like Duke, Cass, and Damian’s constant mischaracterization within fandom is all about shoving them into the only archetypes readers can see them fitting into based on their race. Like...Cass being martial arts based and mostly nonverbal is probably already kind of stereotyping on the part of her creators, but the fandoms remaking of her as a quiet and demure little nonentity when she’s historically been a full of herself little shit. Or, like, Duke being made into “the calm sensible one” when he’s just as Batshit (pun intended) as everyone else in Gotham really just seems like him getting put into the “witty black guy serving as voice of reason for a bunch of white people” box. And I can’t even begin to parse out Damian’s simultaneous CONSTANT whitewashing andvilification for his ethnicity.

hoo boy this one is MEATY. In short: You're right, and your right for saying it. But you obviously brought your take to me for a reason, so lemme offer ya my perspective. As a person of color.

It's fairly easy to recognize racism in canon since a.) we know exactly who's writing (usually an old white cishet guy :/) b.) we as the audience tend to use actual critical thinking skills more often with official works, we actually pay attention to and can identify racist subtext much easier. And this is a general statement for all fandoms but like,,, when people consume fan content, they tend to turn the critical thinking switch off -- which is fine! totally fair because fanart, fanfiction, headcanons? thats all for self-indulgence more than anything.

Now since fandoms are much more prominent on platforms like Twitter and Tumblr you’d imagine people would display more awareness for racist/misogynistic/bigoted subtext, considering these sites are known to host people who are,,, well, socially aware is how I’d put it. (don’t believe me? take a trip down to some Reddit discussions. it can shrivel your soul) Uhhhh... but sometimes I find the double standard in fans so offputting. 

For more Batman-fandom specific racism,,, it’s kinda a lot actually. Listen, listen comic books are kinda racist sometimes. It’s an old medium, and has had a long line of old white guys penning them, it’s just a thing. Not a good thing, but what’s been printed just is y’know? I see a lot of these racist storylines or characterizations from old and I just cringe and move on bc a lot of the problematic writers are out of the game now, and in modern books we can go harass the creative team on Twitter. That’s in the bag. But in the actual fandom? Like i said, people don’t really think. they don’t understand or just don’t care if their art/writing/hcs are problematic bc it was made for fun - being morally correct isn’t really a concern. (especially considering we got murder/abuse sympathizers in this one but lest definatly not get into that agian--)

Since you mentioned some specific ones I’ll talk about them for a sec. Takes like “Cass Cain is the most powerful baddest b*tch in the fam and she can do no wrong at all” but also portray her as only existing to support her brothers or Steph is a huge disservice to her entire character. Like yeAH Cass is obviously the best fighter in the fam but there is so much more to her than that! (actually now that the cat’s outta the bag, i’m a lil wary of Cass ships in general bc SO OFTEN they use her as just a prop for the other partner and im just hhhhh ok back on track) and lemme be real with ya, the reason Cass is so often portrayed like this because they are blatantly riffing on the “Dragon Lady” and Asian houswife tropes. (now Cassie defs has some dragon lady as a part of her base character/backstory but, her solo actually worked to make her way less one dimensional.) And while I’m still talking about Cass and how she’s always portrayed as the perfect Good Daughter-- I feel like it’s kinda a lil just maybe a bit sexist to portray female characters as flawless since it’s kinda takes away a central part of their character that humanizes them perhaps? I know I was just talking about how some people unecessarily emphasize female character’s problems but I feel like the opposite is true as well where some people gloss over their issues and make them out to be too good for anyone unproblematic queens. I see it a lot with the Batgirl trio and honestly I’m annoyed by it a little bit. Flaws make a human too, and depicting females without them feels like taking a piece of their humanity, if you get what I mean? I just wanna be able to relate to the ladies being crappy! I have enough self awarness to want that.

Okay back on the rails for reals now haha! I ALSO see that people sorta box Duke into the stoic black guy trope a lot too which is also.. yanno... racist? Duke is definiely as insane as the rest of the fam- homie jumped off a bridge from a moving police car. Honestly that trope kinda reads to me like they either don’t care about Duke, or just don’t wanna let him have fun too? (ok adding this but I don’t wanna sound hypocritical or anything bc I know I hardly talk about Duke either. I just.. don’t have any strong opinions on him? I feel kinda bad but also,, i can talk about what i want. That being said i will talk about how he gets the sh*tty end of the stick which homeslice doesn’t deserve)

With Damian, it’s not even disguised, just plain racism. Nothing I can say more than that regarding his villification based on his backstory and ethnicity. The whitewashing though... uh okay so listen closely. Lisght skinned Arabs do exist but is it proper representation to depict him as white passing? no. I’m not Arab but lemme explain it to you in terms I know. In India, colorism is a really BIG problem. Most Bollywood stars you’ll see are very fair skinned for an Indian, and they’re praised for that specifically. Sometimes when I tune into whatever program my Mom is watching, ads for skin whitening treatments come on and it’s so strange. Like, as a more overt example, dark skinned people are considered “dirty” in some castes. (note, I didn’t grow up in India, that is from my parent’s accounts) Soo rounding back to Batman, a lot of Damian’s whitewashing is also rooted in colorism. Which is why I feel like drawing him with darker skin is much more fair representation.

This is getting really long but I really wanna mention this just to kill (what? 5) birds with one stone. But i feel like some of the fandom’s racebends are pretty... sus. the Latino!Jason headcanon in particular kinda feels not right to me. It’s just, did they decide he was Latino because he was a street kid? because he’s more rough and violent? Guys that’s kinda stereotyping... Also that one hc with Tim as an asian? I’m lukewarm on it. obviously riffing on the “smart asian” thing (and i’ll admit it’s not wholly inaccurate this coming from a rather unintelligent indian) but it’s still really i dunno... it’s based on racist stereotypes. And look. Racebending is great! I do it too! (Tim Kon and Dick are drawn with darker skin sometimes cuz ur local brown girl is feeling self indulgent haha) but I feel like if you’re gonna racebend, maybe don’t do it in an obviously racist way maybe?

Anyways the true takeaway from this crazy long wall of text is that fandoms are racist sometimes. And problematic in a bunch of different ways. The Batfandom is no exception apparently, and that should be called out. which I just did. great job me! and you too anon

[forevermore-quoth-the-kitten]

I love the Batfam, so here they are as dogs, because I also love dogs.

Bruce Waye is a Great Dane, tall, strong, can look mean, especially when their ears are cropped like a Doberman, though his aren't. But he's really just a gentle giant who loves his kids and is very very patient.

I know we all characterize Dick Grayson as a golden retriever, but that man is husky, there is no doubt I my mind. He's emotional, over dramatic is his base setting, and he's always down for anything that excites him. And if something makes him annoyed, this man will be very vocal about it and you cannot ignore his temper tantrums.

Barbara Gordon is a German Shepard. Whether as Batgirl or Oracle, she's fierce, loyal, and one she catches onto someone's trail, she doesn't let up and once you're in Oracle's jaws, there's no escape.

Jason Todd is a Doberman, he's loyal, hardworking, caring and cam be very gentle with kids. He was a sweetheart who didn't have his ears cropped until Talia did it for him. But he also knows when to do more than guard, he's an attack dog who's not afraid to do what's necessary, but also knows when to choose kindness over force. Plus he had Dog for a while, so he's good eith other dogs too.

Tim Drake is a sighthound full of grace and beauty, he's a saluki. They're visual based and aren't as fast as a greyhound, but they're good at chasing over a long distance, and if there's something Tim Drake is good at, it's playing the long game. A smart dog for a very intelligent young man.

Stephanie Brown is an Irish setter. She's loyal, friendly, cheerful, compassionate, but she's still a hunting and gun dog who knows when to go get the prey in question. We stan our Robin queen eho loves purple and waffles, and Dog Steph is no exception.

Damian Wayne is a Great Dane and Dobermann mixed breed. But he's a hyperactive, annoying little nutcase who doesn't quite get the gentle giant part of his breed yet, but he's learning. I believe he'd have cropped ears and tail because of Ra's and Talia, which makes him look and help him act even more emenacing, but his real temperament is more Great Dane than anything else, which helps him really embrace being his father's son.

Cassandra Cain is unique, she has Shiva's mutation and is a solid black dalmatian. She's a scary dog with a bad reputation, but really, she's a sweet heart who might get things wrong sometimes, but tries very hard to be a good girl. Even when she's the strongest and fiercest fighter of them all, Cass is docile and loving at heart.

Duke Thomas is a silly nutball of a pit bull who really doesn't know how to be a bad guy or mean. He's friendly, open, and there's a reason he's Gotham's day time hero, because he shines with sun and has the biggest grin whenever he gets to do some good. He'd never hurt a fly, but when it comes to his family, he knows how to protect and fight with the best of 'em.

Alfred is an old staffordshire bull terrier, and no one would survive without this nanny dog who is always exasperated, but loves his chaotic little family.

[river-bottom-nightmare]

Experience: knowledge or mastery of an event or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it

a stack of america’s most wanted cases, scribbled over with a bright purple pen and various shades of highlighters and sticky notes, but the final product is a meticulously written case file, organized and detailed with standards higher than the government’s, completed because dick was bored one afternoon. a way of thinking to the left and upside down of batman’s, different enough to look at the mystery from another angle but similar enough to crack it in record time. hearing a low rumble in his ear, telling him to calm down and not lose himself to emotion, to look at a case with an eagle eye in order to solve it; dick listens to the voice no matter how far from gotham he is, because he learned from the best. “i’m asking for your help, son,” gordon says, “you’re one of the best we got.”

each deadly movement flowing into the next like water, fluid and fresh and fascinating, as dick takes down enemy after enemy, breathing hard at the end yet easily triumphant. one small noise and a weapon’s flipped into dick’s palm faster than the eye can blink, electricity crackling the end of an escrima stick less of a warning, more of a promise. kick, double flip, hang back, watch for their projected strike, catch and twist, throw. “he,,,,,moves different. difficult for me to read,” cass says, “dick is fun to fight.”

vaseline on his teeth to keep his performer’s smile on, bony little fingers pinching his cheeks, bubbly champagne popping with secrets and lies, but at the end of the night, dick had put everyone at ease enough for bruce to swipe a usb. his silver tongue flicking against his lips as he talks himself out of another villain encounter, or as he talks his opponent into a rage that dick can take advantage of. cocking his hip here and raising his eyebrow there and soon enough, the target was completely under his thrall, falling prey to the formula dick had perfected for years. “trust me,” steph says, “dick’s our go-to guy for honeypot missions. he’s great at it.”

leading a stretching routine in the morning while simply basking in the titans’ company, each one of his teammates following along with varying degrees of capability as dick takes stock of which legs they’re favoring, which stretches cause them the most pain. laying out a battle plan as easily as a dinner set, directing each hero with long-practiced ease, trusting that they’ll make it back alive. affirming words and gentle touches and tight hugs and easy laughs and every other little thing that makes his team look at him with faith-respect-friendship. “dick? he’s the best leader we’ve ever had,” gar says. “never met a guy that cares for his team as much as he does.”

a bedtime story told to him by his parents, flowing out of his memory and past his lips like an oil spill, tucking damian into bed. sitting cross legged on a kitchen counter as tim rambles about something or the other, the younger boy’s eyes bright for the first time in weeks as dick hugs his little brother in his enthusiasm. chili dogs with jason and ballet recitals with cass and walks in the garden with alfred. “his love is what keeps us together,” bruce says, “i’m not sure where we’d be without it.”

Dick Grayson Anniversary Week ‘21, Day 1: A Celebration Of 81 Years

god am i excited for this event. won’t be doing anything big, but i plan on writing at least a little hc/ficlet/meta each day.

anyway. about today’s prompt. you ever think about how dick grayson is,,,literally one of the world’s most experienced superheroes? in everything? the kiddo solved 4 of america’s most wanted cases in one morning bc he was bored, he’s led multiple teams, he’s one of the most skilled and accomplished fighters in the world. 81 years of practice and talent and skill coming together to create a fucking incredible human being and i am here. for. it.

tag list: @woahjaybird @birdy-bat-writes @anothertimdrakestan @catxsnow @pricetagofficial @subtleappreciation @screennamealreadyused @bikoncon @bonkybearjpeg @maplumebleue-blog-blog @sundownridge @thatsthewhump @dickgraysonweek

[ragingbookdragon]

The thing about Cass and Bat's being scary to criminals in Gotham is that everyone in Gotham already knows that the Batman and those who wear his symbol don't kill. An arsekicking isn't and has never scared off any criminals which is why Gotham just keeps getting worse. The Bats are objectively the worst crime fights in the Dcu. Harley is scary, Joker is scary the batman and his family not so much

I don’t know if you know this, but Jason actively kills super bad people. Dick Grayson killed the joker at one point. Damian and Cass were assassins. And Kate Kane killed Clayface. That’s called murder FYI

I would be terrified if I was a criminal and I knew that a masked vigilante was going to stomp a mud hole in my ass and walk it dry. Even if I knew they weren’t going to kill me. The idea of bodily pain is an actively terrifying concept.

But let’s do a quick headcount on just who trained these “objectively worst crime fighters in the DCU”.

Bruce Wayne was trained by Ra’s al Ghul and Lady Shiva—two of the deadliest fighters alive. And he picks up things from other fighters along the way.

Dick Grayson received all training from Batman while growing up. And at his best, he outclasses Bruce in every way.

Jason Todd was trained by Batman, Talia al Ghul, Lady Shiva, and The All-Caste and has been seen to beat supervillains stronger than him like Ra’s al Ghul.

Cass Wayne is Lady Shiva and David Cain’s daughter—two of the deadliest assassins. She was raised to kill before becoming Orphan/Batgirl/Black Bat.

Tim Drake received training from Batman, Nightwing, Lady Shiva, and Ra’s al Ghul. He has been labeled by Bruce as smarter than everyone (except Alfred 😉) and a better detective.

Damian Wayne was trained by Ra’s and Talia al Ghul in the League of Assassins with a multitude of other teachers whom Talia probably killed afterwards but that’s besides the point. Bruce has also mentioned in the Batman Beyond comics that a fully grown Damian has surpassed Bruce even when he was at his best--that's Bruce admitting that Damian is better, faster, stronger, and smarter than he ever was.

But:

Go off I guess about how the members of the Batfamily aren’t scary and are the worst fighters in the DCU despite the fact that they’ve been trained by some of the deadliest people alive and actively know how to take down other superheroes if they go rogue.

[mydeardeath]

Forever mine

TimDamiWeek day two : League of Assassins

Sorry for any mistakes, this was not proofread.

Also on AO3

¤

Tim is no longer a vigilante, not really. He still worked as the new oracle on a regular basis, but he was rarely on the street himself. Most of his time was dedicated to WE and to creating a better future. He had abandoned his role as CEO to work for the research department, putting his brain to good use. While most of his projects were for clean energy, he also worked on better equipment for the bats. 

It had been weird to hang up his cape, for him and the family. He had been the first one to abandon the R peacefully and chose his own replacement. He hadn't known Duke that well at the time, but he never regretted choosing him. The man had easily fit into the family, Bruce hadn't complained much, and Jason had been accepting of the new Robin.

A few years had passed since he had hung up the cap, and he had picked up his habit of following the dynamic duo at night. He did not indulge in it that often, but they were nights where he would climb on rooftops and watch the action from afar. Tonight had been one of those nights. Tim had finished his most recent project and had taken a few days off. He sat upon a building overlooking the diamond district, offering a great view of the fight going on below. It still amazed him to see Dick flying through the air, even after so many years spent working alongside the man.

A few months back, he would have been tempted to jump in to fight alongside Dick, but now he just appreciated the show. Dick is going up against a major threat, just kicking the ass of a few wannabe robbers.

The night is somewhat calm for Gotham, and Tim doesn't see the attack. One minute his eyes were on the street below, the next he's swaying dangerously on the roof's edge. He had barely time to regain his footing that another blow came to hit him in the back. He thankfully managed to avoid the next one and rolled back to a safer place.  It doesn't take long for his attacker to come at him again, but this time he's facing him. It took a split second for Tim to identify his opponent as League of assassins. His memory takes him back to his meetings with Pru, Z, and Owen. He had not hesitated to fight them. This man, even standing alone, seemed more dangerous than they were. It's obvious by his stance that the guy has proper training, but what made Tim anxious were his own abilities. Tim was still dangerous himself, but he imagined that this man trained more frequently than him recently. Probably studied Tim's fighting style before attacking him, knowing the level of preparation the league put behind its assassination attempts. Tim can't afford to make a mistake. Hell, he should call Bruce or someone, but he doubted the assassin would let him make a call or even reach for his phone. 

They danced around each other, exchanging a few blows. Tim could see that the man was holding back as if he was playing with his prey and waiting for him to get tired. He needed to find a way out of it, quickly.

His biggest hope might be to catch Dick he was still near him, but that would mean giving his back to that guy, and Tim didn't like that idea much. He still decided to attempt it. He packed a powerful punch toward his assailant before taking off to the next building's roof. Tim had never been the strongest in the family, but he was fast. He also had the advantage of having spent years on those rooftops and knew them better than this man. In the end, it didn't matter at all. The man didn't try to catch up to him, just threw a small knife to his leg that made him lose his balance. Then the man jumped after him. He was on Tim in no time, katana in hand. He managed to avoid the first slash but, soon, he felt the blade sliced through his skin. The wound wasn't deep, but the assassin kept going, covering his body in cuts. 

Tim retaliated with a few blows of his own or attempted to anyway. The man was more than good. He could read him so easily, and Tim stood even less chance as time passed as his movement became slower and sloppier while his assailant was moving with grace, dancing around him. Tim fell to the ground a few minutes later, hitting his head hard on the floor. He tried to stand, but a harsh blow to the head made his vision blur, and all he could do was try to crawl away. 

That was not how he had imagined dying. 

 ***

 Tim startled awake to the sound of his alarm clock. He attempted to reach for his phone, but searing pain stopped him midway. Yesterday's fights came back to him, and Tim wondered how he was still alive. It had looked like an assassination, not a kidnapping.

Tim slowly pushed himself in a sitting position in the bed, in arms straining under the effort of carrying his aching body. His wounds had been tended to and bandaged. Some painkillers were even waiting for him on the nightstand, next to his phone and some clean clothes.

Somebody had taken him to what seemed to be a hotel suite and taken care of him. Whoever it had been, wasn't part of their family or they would have taken him to the batcave. It didn't seem that Tim would have an answer quite yet about his mysterious savior. He couldn't hear a sound in the suite, and unless his savior was hiding, he was completely alone.

Tim didn't want to stay in bed too long and force himself up despite his body's protests. He needed to inform Bruce of what had happened. He wasn't a fool, the league didn't like to leave jobs unfinished, and the whole fiasco of the previous was proof enough that Tim couldn't protect himself from that threat. The realization had not been pleasant. But keeping in shape was apparently not enough, not against that kind of opponent.

Once he managed to gather the energy to get dressed and inspect the room(to no avail, there was no clue of who had brought him here), he hailed a taxi to drive to the manor. He was far too tired to make the trip to his own house and take his car.

Tim hoped that the driver hadn't recognized him, he didn't need to make the front page while looking beaten up. That would be hard to explain to the press, and Tim still didn't like dealing with them despite how many times he had to. 

Tim gave him a good tip before exiting the car, hoping he would keep silent about dropping off a beaten up man at Wayne Manor. Then he made his way to the front door where Alfred had appeared. The butler led him straight to the medbay with a somber expression. He knew that Tim wasn't the kind to get in a fight. That was not supposed to happen to him now that he was retired.

The cave was empty at this hour. Bruce was probably sound asleep at this hour, and nobody else was living at the manor nowadays. Tim let Alfred examine him in silence, still tired and preferring to wait for Bruce to start speaking. He was sure to get a thorough interrogation, so he didn't see the need to tell Alfred every detail right now, simply informing him that it was the league of assassins.

Tim was glad to learn that he didn't have any kind of internal injury. He had hit the ground pretty hard, but he was not concussed. The only problem Tim could have to face now was septicemia because of his weaker immune system. Alfred would keep an eye on him to check he didn't forget his medication, and that would give even more of an excuse to make him stay at the manor for a while.

 ***

 Tim couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. He had already checked his room twice for cameras, and even though he had found none, he still felt observed. It was hard to tell if the presence if was feeling was a friendly one, watching his back, or an enemy waiting to strike him down.

He knew that Bruce was worried about the league of assassins. Batman hadn't run into Ra's Al Ghul in a while, and Bruce couldn't decipher why he would send his men after Tim now. Tim's works with Wayne Enterprise didn't interfere with any of the league business. There was nothing he could think of that would explain the sudden interest in Tim.

Everyone was worried about him. Bruce had demanded that Cass came home. She was by far the best fighter in the family and had been assigned as his unofficial bodyguard. Wherever he went, she was never far.

Usually, Tim would appreciate the time spent in her company, but he could tell she was tense. She was better at hiding than most, but they had known each other for a while, and Tim had been getting good at reading her microexpressions. 

Not that Tim was faring better. Barely a day after he had gotten to the manor, he had received a gift elegantly wrapped. Bruce had been the one to open it in the batcave, not trusting a mysterious package arriving shortly after the attack.

The box hadn't exploded as they opened or anything of the kind. It simply held a dagger on a velvet pad. A very ancient and beautiful one, that was still sharp and ready to use. Guessing the origin of the dagger wasn't a hardship, especially considering the note that accompanied it. "You should always be prepared, Timothy."

That was a warning, Tim was sure. The assassin was playing with him. He wanted Tim to offer a bit more of a challenge. 

Bruce had taken the note and analyze it thoroughly, from the type of paper to the handwriting. It was a lot of effort for nothing. It was unlikely that any of Ra's assassins would be in the cave database. Bruce didn't like not knowing why Tim was suddenly targeted by the league and not being able to predict when the next attack would come.

The next days passed in a tense atmosphere. Tim tried to relax and appreciate the time he got off work, but there were always shadows or doors creaking that made him jump to his feet, ready to fight for his life. That was not the greatest time off Tim could have had.

Tim was glad to be back at his office, finally able to take his mind off the attack to concentrate on his work, even if it meant waking up thirty minutes earlier than usual to put on make-up to cover his bruises.

Tim smiled at his secretary as if he was perfectly rested and had an awesome time during his break. She returned it with a knowing smile as if she was on a secret. Tim was pretty dumbfounded. He didn't think he had fooled her enough that she would actually think he had had that sort of fun while he was away. She seemed pretty excited nonetheless and Tim finally understood why when he entered his office. There was a beautiful bouquet of red tulips waiting for him in his office. Tim wasn't an expert when it came to the language of flower but it was pretty sure that red was the color of passion or something like that. It was doubtful that it was the company or a client sending it to him to say "good job".

Tim dismissed his secretary and gave a suspicious glare at the flowers. He had not been on a date in a while or even flirted with anyone recently. There was no reason for him to receive such a thing. Tim was almost tempted to send the flowers to be analyzed in case there were hiding poisonous spores but he would most likely pass as a madman to his employees. Still, he put in a far corner of the room, near the windows with the prepared excuse that flowers needed the sun to thrive. In a few days, it would be deemed acceptable for him to throw them away without generating gossip about him turning down an affectionate lover.

Tim spent most of his time working in the labs instead of his office, all to avoid the bouquet. Maybe he was just paranoid, but he preferred to be careful. Plus, that allowed him to also avoid his secretary who seemed to make him want to spill interesting details so that she could report them to the rest of the employees. Not that there was any to give. Tim just preferred to avoid the subject.

 ***

 A week after he had gone back to work, Bruce deemed it safe enough for him to go back to his own loft. Alfred had dropped off some casseroles while Tim was still in his office, so Tim could sink onto his couch to eat a delicious meal while watching some shitty tv show.

It's only the following morning that he noticed the flowers in his room. A bouquet of purple hyacinth this time, according to the quick search he made. 

Somehow, he doubted those had been from Alfred too. There was a note accompanying it this time, still handwritten in the same beautiful calligraphy. "Please accept my sincerest apologies, Timothy."

That had Tim wondering. Had the assassin not been sent by Ra's? He hadn't thought of one of Ra's agent going rogue. It could explain why he had never come back. Betraying Ra's often meant death.

Ra's Al Ghul wasn't the kind to lie, not like that anyway. If he had been the one threatening Tim's life, he wouldn't have tried to pretend otherwise. And the man did have a weird obsession with Tim at some point that could explain the tulips.

Tim wasn't one hundred percent sure that his life was no longer in danger, but he did finally start to relax.

Three weeks after the initial attack, Tim's peace was once again shattered. It was a different assassin this time. Not one trained by the league or with any real experience, Tim was sure of it as the man started to taunt him instead of doing his job, telling him how much money he would make from killing him and what he would do with that much in his pocket. His obvious excitation was short-lived as a bullet pierced his skull right in front of Tim. Tim saw the man's eyes widen suddenly in stupor just before he fell to the ground, lifeless.

Assassins were a daily occurrence after that, Tim having up to three attempts to his life in the span of twenty-four hours. Not that Tim expected anything else when he learned how much his head was worth. It seemed that if Ra's hadn't been behind the first attempt to his life, then it had given him an idea. 

Weirdly enough, it seemed that all his attackers were taken down by the league's own agents before they could do any harm to him. It was as if Ra's was trying to eliminate all competition. But, Tim hardly understood why he had to be involved in that business.

It went on for weeks. Weeks spent worrying about an attack that may never come. Tim didn't understand why the league was stalling this much to finish the job. So he decided to finally act instead of waiting for assassins to attack again.

Without warning anyone of his intentions, Tim boarded a plane headed to Ra's latest known location. The probability that the man was still in a known base was very low, but Tim would try nonetheless. 

Tim hesitated once he landed. He didn't have much of a plan, beyond demanding an audience with Ra's. He could be killed as soon as he crossed the threshold, and none would be the wiser. Tim wondered if he had really been the smarter Robin once upon a time, sure didn't felt like it now.

Tim took a hesitant step out of the plane before steeling himself. Showing weakness would do him no good, the least he could do was appear confident.

Guards watched him climb up the stairs without a word, not showing any signs that they would try to stop him even going as far as opening the door for him, slightly bowing as he passed. Tim's face was blank, seeming emotionless, but he was freaking out. It was almost as if his arrival had been expected, awaited even.

The White Ghost himself came to greet Tim quickly. It was yet another one. Ra's had gone through a few in past years. None had last long since his son's death.

Tim was lead to a grand room where a man that on a throne. The first thought when Tim's eyes felt on him was that the man looked regal in his green robe.  The second he said aloud: "You're not Ra's Al Ghul." 

The man seemed familiar even if Tim couldn't pinpoint from where, but not the leader of the league Tim knew. Definitely too young, the pit never made Ra's rejuvenated that way. Could be that Ra's soul had been transferred to a new body. He really hoped not.

"Ra's Al Ghul is the title of the one leading the League of Assassins, which I am. The man that preceded me is dead. For good."

"Did you kill him?" The question was out of Tim's mouth before he could stop himself. But the man didn't seem offended by the accusation.

"I did. Grandfather wanted to use my body as a vessel for himself. I choose to take his empire instead. It was my birthright, after all."

"You are Talia's son." They hadn't been aware that the Al Ghul family had expended. Tim hoped that hadn't been done with just the idea to provide a new body to Ra's. That would be twisted and horrible for the guy to be born for that sole purpose. And despite the moral instilled by his mentor, Tim found it hard to condemn Ra's murder.

"And Bruce's. I think you know my father rather well."

"What?"

Tim was having a hard time processing that bit of information. The man didn't seem to be lying, but how could the 'greatest detective' have ignored that bit of information.

"I believe you did not come to talk of my lineage, Timothy. I would like to reiterate my apology for hurting you the first time we met."

"That was you?"

"I'm afraid that yes. I had just taken control of the league, and I wanted to consolidate my power by eliminating all that Grandfather had seen as potential successors. Thankfully I saw your mark before my mistake became irreparable. I see now that you are not a threat to my reign. I will never again cause you harm. And I doubt any other will after all that tried in the last few weeks and failed. The world must have gotten my message."

"I'm not quite sure I understand."

The man stood to cross most of the distance separating him from Tim, stopping only a few feet away. His face only showed determination as he took the hem of his clothes in his hands and started to divest.

"Ra's." Tim stammered out, not quite knowing how to refer to the man.

"You may call me Damian, habibi." 

Tim didn't react to the pet name, his eyes fixated on his mark adorning Damian's skin. Their soulmark.

Tim gaped inelegantly, short of words to express his emotion. He was beyond shocked. He hadn't given much thought to his mark in years. Not many had one, and finding one's match was rare as most people preferred to ignore it to make their own choices.

"I would like to offer you a place at my side to lead the league."

Tim was about to answer but Damian shushed him.

"Do not think of what the league had done so far, but what you could do with its many resources. Take your time to think about it. I will in Gotham in a few days, you can tell me your answer over a date."

Damian escorted back to his plan, bidding his goodbye to Tim with a single blossom of red salvia. A token of his intentions.

Tim was quite relieved that Damian didn't insist he stay longer. He had a lot to think about and some time alone would do him some good.

A true partner of Batman should have said no right away, but Tim saw all the possibilities, all the changes he could bring to the world with the league shaped to his image. The proposition was tempting and Tim was already making plans in his mind.

Tim wasn't quite sure what to make of Damian. The man's apparent desire to date, since he was not based on anything relevant. But Tim's love's life had been non-existent since Tam and he could admit that sometimes he got pretty lonely. He could even admit that Damian was easy on the eyes when he wasn't trying to kill him. It wouldn't hurt to go on a date. 

The only problems were Damian's role as the leader of a criminal organization that his family had often fought against. And that he was Bruce's son.

Tim rolled the flower between his fingers, a soft smile on his face. For once, he would take time to enjoy his life and worry later. He didn't have to tell anything to his mentor and let Damian deal with it when the time came. It sounded like a good plan.

[mattelektras]

I don't know much about Duke Thomas? What do you like about him?

HOW LONG YOU GOT

i think he has a lot of qualities that the other batboys etc have but without their faults?? he has jason’s experience of being a young kid in gotham without the fancy rich upbringing and like. his street level knowledge. he’s incredibly smart like tim but in his own kind of way?? like he has his own areas of expertise that make him specifically invaluable. he’s got dick’s leadership skills and genuine passion for what he does, bruce’s motivation, n damian’s skill but in his own way imo

which is not to say he doesn’t have fault because he does. he’s not great w authority figures and can be abrasive and confrontational because he finds it hard NOT to stand up for himself and others. and he doesn’t hugely open up and embrace ppl like bruce without being hesitant to begin with. he can be kinda stubborn and maybe overconfident at times because he expects such high standards from himself

his parents were exposed to joker nonsense and became mentally unstable so he took it upon himself to lead an entire MOVEMENT of kids who felt that things without batman or someone like batman would be bad for the city and they wanted to protect it in his place

like. he didn’t do any of that with bruce’s authorisation or permission or whatever, he saw what the city needed and what the batman/robin thing meant for the people in it and made his own moves to do good. he’s a little like steph in that way?? they both decided they could and would do good regardless of whether batman wanted them to or not

he’s SMART like people think tim is the Smart One but duke!!!!!! the riddler shut off the power and said he’d switch it back on if someone answered a riddle and duke dedicated all of his time to research and studying to solve it himself. he’s AMBITIOUS and dedicated and confident in his own shit idk i really like that. i don’t think you get a lot of that in younger heroes because a big part of being a younger hero is the insecurity and self doubt. which he still has but i think he ultimately backs himself and knows what he’s capable of

even used a green lantern ring on his first attempt. i think willpower is something you could attribute to him in a lot of respects. like. he’s really dedicated and determined to BE something and DO something. same with how when he fought damian he didn’t give in despite damian being a better fighter objectively

WRITES POETRY….. HONEY SWEETIE BABY

after his parents went down joker avenue mentally speaking, he was put into foster care and was pretty much abandoned to a system that doesn’t favour the kids in it and he KNEW that. no effort was being made into finding out what happened to his parents so he went out and did it himself

knew bruce was batman when bruce had lost his memories!!! and also back when dick was agent 37, he figured that out too

when he finally started working w bruce and co, bruce asked HIM…. bruce wanted him to work with him not the other way around like that’s cool as fuck that mr batman ceo recognised duke’s potential and knew he’d be an asset

he agreed on the basis that he wasn’t another robin. which i love. because he still maintains his individuality and independence. like. he has control over it. and also to say to mr batman ceo, actually no bitch these are my terms and you WILL meet them. love that for him.

so he was lark instead which. the vibes are impeccable. bat vs bird, still connected to the robin concept but it’s own thing, a songbird. chef kiss. it was an unofficial alias i think but. in all ways he was thought of as lark

then some stuff happened and we learned that his mom was a metahuman and therefore so was duke which. again. NEW. something different for batman comics. so duke further stands out as his own thing imo. he doesn’t need batman’s resources or money etc. he can rely on his own natural resources

supervillain dad a la cass and steph. best trio. i think they should have a mini series

his powers are kind of really fucking cool??? and we don’t even know the extent of them yet because he’s still learning what he can do??

possibly immortal???

mostly light based powers. insane vision due to how his eyes process light. i’m not smart i don’t understand it i just think it’s neat

something about being able to see the history/future of light. so he can tell what’s going to happen in a fight for example. i think. like i said; not smart

the tl;dr is basically that his powers are seemingly pretty ??? at first glance but combined w how straight up genius this boy is and his work ethic and dedication, his potential is off the charts. like i said it really hasn’t been confirmed what the upper limits are which gives him so much room to grow and i Would Like To See It. i love powers like that in general like how domino just seems lucky but when pushed she can make lightning strike. that’s where i feel duke sits so by default he’s already meeting my requirements

[bigskydreaming]

Ive been reading some debates on whether or not Dick has LoA training because of the Vengeance Academy stuff and was wondering what you thought about that. Do you think this counts?

Yes and no? I mean, lol, it depends on your purposes for exploring this train of thought.

Thing is, I personally think it would be a mistake to view “League of Assassin training” as some complete singular thing that you either have or you don’t have, like a specific training regimen or course work for lack of a better analogy, that you either make it to the end of and have in its entirety, or else it doesn’t matter.

And I also think that part of the reason for viewing it this way is fandom’s tendency to try and rank the Batkids, according to a lot of various arbitrary variables like skillsets they do or don’t have.....which, if you’ve followed me long enough, you know is something I heavily disagree with, the trying to rank them in skills or competency in general.....as I tend to be more interested in ways this found family that I do ultimately gravitate towards for their ability or potential to be actual FAMILY, can like.....work together and come together rather than so constantly be pitted against each other. Like yeah, I’ll rant to Kingdom Come about times they’ve been pitted against each other in terms of my feelings on those specific instances or how the dynamics played out in them, but that’s in terms of scenes or stories that already exist....for the most part my thing is not really looking to INCREASE the divide between the characters, but rather the opposite.

So like......my point here is I’ve mentioned the League of Assassin training Dick likely has from his time at Vengeance Academy myself, but not in the interest of like......adding to his ‘rankings’ within the Batfam or being like anything the others can do he can do better, as frankly, I don’t think the time Dick spent at VA puts the training he got there as directly comparable to the time Damian or Jason or Cass spent with the League or League trained tutors....but that’s not really my aim in exploring that line of thought. Rather, I look at what League training Dick might have as being more a possible source of insight into experiences his siblings have.

After all, the thing about the League of Assassins is they’re very good at what they do, but what they do isn’t inherently all that different from any of the other hand-to-hand combatants throughout the DC Earth. I mean, depending on what continuity you go with, in most of them Bruce himself trained with the League or various League affiliated teachers before he came back to Gotham to be Batman, and he just sorta took what worked for him and put aside all the more lethal applications of their training and knowledge. But his own training methods when teaching Dick and the other Robins and Batgirls no doubt included more than a little overlap with League skills and training, because not all of their knowledge and expertise is STRICTLY lethal....as Bruce himself has shown, and later on Jason and Cass and Damian....most of what they can do can just as easily be repurposed for non-lethal combat. So in a lot of ways, depending on your interpretation of things and what angle you’re going with, all the Batkids can be said to have some degree of League training.....the same training Bruce himself had.

So when I talk about Dick having League training from his time at VA, Ilike I said, I’m talking more about insight, things he could glean from having firsthand knowledge not just to various League techniques or skills, but also League training methodologies and mindsets. Dick was only there a few weeks, at most maybe a couple months, and the thing is....you can pack a LOT into fairly short term experiences. That’s what boot camps are, essentially, and that’s how I viewed VA....a short term but extremely rigorous and intensive boot camp for prospective League recruits, as Shrike used it to put potential League candidates through their paces with little regard for their health or longterm prospects if they couldn’t make the cut. I called them prospective League recruits but its important that the kids weren’t recruited into VA itself first....they were literally kidnapped off the streets like Dick himself, and forced to prove themselves daily in their training and the missions Shrike set up to advance that. And all of that can be extremely motivating and act as a pressure cooker that packs a ton of training and skill acquisition into very short periods of time......BUT.....that’s not ever going to measure up to all of that being equally in place and acting as a pressure cooker when training Jason, Cass, Damian, etc over even LONGER periods of time, y’know?

BUT. Equally true is all of that is never going to measure up directly to the still extremely intensive and longterm training Dick himself received OUTSIDE of VA....just one on one with Bruce, training with the other Titans, hell, this is a guy who was an acrobat on the world stage before his parents died. Every day of his life he’s been training intensely. VA isn’t just a footnote compared to the lengthier League training some of Dick’s siblings underwent, its a footnote in the overall tapestry of Dick’s own training. And I have extreme reservations about the way League training is referred to as something various Batfam members have in addition to or on top of their other training as reasons for why they’re an even better fighter, etc....same as when Talon training comes up for Dick in AUs....when like......Bruce, Dick and the Batfam overall have never NOT ultimately defeated the League and the Court of Owls every time they come up against them.....so why does assassin training so often get regarded as this ‘leg up’ over the Batfam’s primarily non-lethal approach to combat, as though its a superior skillset? If its inherently superior, why do the assassins keep losing to the Batfam, I’m just saying. So on that front, the idea that “was trained by assassins” is innately translatable to higher elevations in the eternal quest to rank the Batkids, like.....just does not work for me and that specifically tends to be where people lose me here, not whether or not Dick has this training at all in the first place.

Another way to look at things here is like....let’s take one specific skillset: Dick’s use of escrima sticks in his fighting. Now, this DIRECTLY hails back to his time at Vengeance Academy. It was a literal plot point, that VA is where Dick first trained with escrima sticks and discovered an affinity for them. Once he was back with Bruce though, he didn’t do much further with this while Robin, but upon becoming Nightwing, he picked them up again and RENEWED his training with escrima sticks, becoming extremely proficient with them and making them his signature weapon. 

Now, is Dick’s status as one of the best fighters with this particular weapon because of his several weeks boot camp when he was ten? Again - it just depends on what you mean by that specifically. If you’re asking did he gain the proficiency he’s known for with that weapon AS a ten year old during that short span of weeks - hell no. His proficiency comes from the intensive, regular training he does with them here and now, as an adult, over a course of years, still constantly growing and improving day by day. BUT at the same time, you can ask the same question and examine it through the lens of “would he have ever discovered and explored and FURTHERED his affinity with this particular weapon if not for his time training at VA”.....the answer could still very well be no. Thus his training there matters, its just its not the only thing that matters, and the context and qualifiers that go not just with this question but the reasons for asking that question and the purposes you intend for the answer.....all of that matters too.

So to circle back.......do I consider Dick’s time at Vengeance Academy to be him having League of Assassin training?

Yes, but I must specify that my reasoning for that, and for exploring that line of thought, have absolutely nothing to do with my view of Dick’s overall status as a fighter, and everything to do with my view of him as a brother.

I think Vengeance Academy was tough and brutal, and did a lot to increase and hone Dick’s skills in various areas over an extremely short period of time. I think that it absolutely left an impression that shaped his training and fighting in later years whether in terms of preferred weapon choices or even choices he makes in the heat of the moment, like Last Laugh (which I think absolutely built upon Dick’s feelings about having once stood over a similarly unrepentant and mocking Two-Face years earlier, gun in hand, poised to make a choice.....as well as Dick’s awareness of how many times Two-Face, like the Joker, has busted out of jail and hurt and killed more people since that time).

But I also think that Dick would still be one of the foremost fighters in the DCU even without his time at VA, and that his short time there is not anywhere close to being the reason he’s at the heights of skill and aptitude that he’s reached over the course of years and years of rigorous, intensive training.

So while my answer remains yes, he has League training and it matters and counts, my reasons for bringing that up will never be because I think it adds to his status or reputation as a fighter, or is necessary for him to be as highly regarded there as he is.....but more for what his time at VA, his firsthand experiences with their approaches to training, the methodologies and ideologies they train kids with, what all of that gives Dick in terms of insight to members of the League, and to those people League members have trained, like his siblings.

One thing I’ve long wanted to see fandom explore more in the context of Jason’s views on killing is the fact that so much of that was shaped while he was in the pressure cooker of being freshly resurrected, traumatized, still an impressionable teenager, with feelings of obligation towards the League for the Pit’s rejuvenation of his mental faculties, taking him in and training him, and like......feeling isolated and abandoned by everyone else who’d previously known and loved him, thinking that he had no one who really cared about him, and that not only was he dependent on the League for his survival at that time, but like, he owed them and he was that much more open to being persuaded of their way of looking at things. 

And thing is, in terms of like, scale and shit, Dick’s experiences in Robin: Year One and his own mindset at the time and how vulnerable he was mentally and emotionally, they’re not the equivalent of what Jason was going through but like I’m always saying, when you stop looking at trauma in terms of arbitrary rankings and stop pitting what the various Batkids have been through against each other’s experiences and just like......look for potential common ground, this opens up SO MUCH potential bonding, insight and understanding between the brothers and positions Dick to be so much more capable of intuiting even a sense of what Jason went through at the time and why he was clinging so desperately to things he may or may not have actually believed in (at least so strongly) if circumstances had been different, etc....but you get what I mean, I think. There’s so much that can be done with this angle, that’s opened up entirely just by virtue of Dick having SOME shared experiences here.

Because while like I said, in terms of actual training, Bruce has a lot of the same skillsets and knowledge the League does, and his own history with them, its the MINDSET that’s so key here. The one thing that sets Bruce and his experiences when he was a young man with the League and League affiliates apart from Jason, Damian, Cass, etc.....is that Bruce went looking for training, and never was without resources or options. The League-trained Batkids though were either approached (or ‘approached’) by the League at key low points of extreme vulnerability in their formative years, when they HAD no other options (or felt they didn’t) or else were just outright raised by them like Damian or Cass, with no knowledge of anything else until they left or escaped. And that puts everything through an entirely different filter, because its that specific element of vulnerability, of having no one else to turn to or anything else to cling to or put your faith in, that renders you particularly vulnerable to being influenced or exploited by those who seem to hold all the cards there.....and its a shared insight that Dick can have into various of his siblings BECAUSE of his League of Assassins training, as short as that might have been, because of the specifics of why it was so intense and influential despite how short a time it was.

So. In conclusion: 

Does Dick have League training because of his time at VA? My answer is yes, but not if the follow up is anything in the vein of “and how does this factor into which of his siblings he can or can’t beat while sparring.” In that case my answer is yes but YAWN. If however the follow up is along the lines of “and can this open up tons of doors for potential conversations, bonding, trauma-unpacking or camaraderie with siblings due to their own histories with the League and its training methods and teachings and mindsets” then my answer is YES GOOD NOW LET’S HAVE SOME MORE OF THAT PLZ.