reverse robins
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He doesn’t ask permission, and he doesn’t even ask forgiveness. One night, in the middle of a fight with some standard thugs, a little Redbird descends from the sky and winds up opposite Batman.
It takes less than a second to piece together who the new vigilante is. He has Bruce's dark hair, shockingly in place and perfect, and he is the same size.
“That,” Damian says in his ever-prim, always-level voice, “was a good demonstration of my skills, no?”
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The Batkids are adopted in the opposite order, and they cause just as many problems.
Series
- Part 1 of reverse robins
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“You already have a sidekick,” Duke says, not looking up from his ruined sneakers. He fiddles with the ruined remains of his red jacket, stained with blood and mud and whatever else they dredged up in the final battle.
If the uniform (or his reputation) allowed more flexibility, Batman would sit down next to Duke on the ratty old porch. Since he would hate to ruin either, however, he remains standing up. “You’re more than capable, and with a little training, you would be a force to be reckoned with. And you deserve…”
“And I deserve…?” At that comment, Duke looks up, a humorless smile twisted on his face. “Mentorship?”
“A place to stay when things get rough.”
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Bruce only has four OFFICIAL sons... but that doesn't mean they're not all part of the family, one way or another.
Series
- Part 2 of reverse robins
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Damian and Jon both remember this story differently.
As they tell their families, lost in a haze of affection and wonder, moments after they decide on the date they will merge their families, they try to tell this story. They strive for honesty, and they strive for genuineness, and somehow, both of them end up with two different versions of this story.
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Looking back, Damian and Jon talk about the first time they met.
Series
- Part 3 of reverse robins
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This one is Wingman.
She can recognize his dyed black hair; it gives off the same unnatural glint as Stephanie Brown’s these days. His uniform is almost only black, the only distinguishing color a bright red swiping over his visor. Unlike the late Tim Drake and even Damian, to some extent, this boy is built to take a punch. He is not the same lean muscle the other sons of Bruce Wayne have been.
If she remembers right (and Cass almost always remembers right), he is the same age as her.
He giggles and lists against the dumpster, lowering his head to rest against it. When the two metal surfaces clang against each other, he breaks out laughing again. By the end, when he reaches up to wipe at his mouth, a string of red comes away with it.
Her communicator comes to life in her ear. “I’ll be there in fifteen. Keep him safe… and let me speak to him.”
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Cassandra adopts a brother (much to Damian's disappointment)
Series
- Part 4 of reverse robins
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“Who’s the Red Hood?” Jason asks that weekend. He sits in the den (because this place is big enough to have a den and a sitting room and a living room), homework spread out before him on the coffee table, watching the news flicker across the screen. It is early enough in the evening Bruce just now starts to sneak out to get ready for patrol.
Bruce pauses. “What?”
“The Red Hood. That’s what the media is calling him.” He jerks his head towards the TV.
Bruce studies the screen. “How recently was this?”
“Today.” Jason twists around. “The media says this isn’t the first spotting of him, but you haven’t seen him before, have you?”
The man’s expression shutters shut. “No, I haven’t.”
And Jason knows, in that moment, Bruce is lying to him.
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Reverse Robins AU: Tim becomes Red Hood and has some tricks up his sleeves, and Jason really just needs a hug.
Series
- Part 5 of reverse robins
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“If you want to become a part of the team again,” Batman says, “you need to prove yourself.”
“Prove myself,” Red Hood repeats. “You said that before. I still don’t know what that means.”
“Prove you’re not going to hurt someone else in the family again. Prove you’re going to be better. Prove you want to be better.” He softens, taking a step closer to him. “Tim—”
“No names on patrol,” he spits.
The wall goes back up. “Red Hood, then. I informed you this doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I could find you a psychiatrist, and you could work with them as a civilian. I could help you find an apartment away from Crime Alley. I could even give you alternatives to guns. This situation does not have to be all or nothing.”
“You don’t get it.” He lets out a short laugh. “It does.”
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The path home has never been clear for Tim, but he's going to try his damndest anyway.
Series
- Part 6 of reverse robins
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It rains the day Master Bruce dies.
Alfred listened to the comms trickle away. All of the usual wisecracks, all of the petty fights picked, all of it starts to die away as the fight gets harder than anything they experience. While he never knew Bruce to have the greatest sense of humor, he knew Bruce would be encouraging the chatter if the fight was anything less than absolute hell. The chatter is a comfort.
The chatter died away.
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Bruce dies; the family copes
Series
- Part 7 of reverse robins
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Damian knows, as the trueborn heir to his father, his succession as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises came as no surprise. While he may not have finished his degree, he took classes in business and accounting. The logistics of keeping Wayne Enterprises afloat comes easy to him. Manipulating numbers fails to faze him, and he knows how to write an exceptional essay due to the years spent laboring for an English degree.
Yet, he cannot find a single redeemable quality about keeping this position.
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Damian struggles with adulthood (and parenthood).
Series
- Part 8 of reverse robins
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"The judge, good old 'Let 'Em Go!' Watson," drawls Two-Face, "and Batman. Two death penalties... unless you want to play with fate."
Batman would tell him not to play games with the supervillains; it will always end poorly. They will never let you win, and they will never let you be the one who walks away.
But if any of his heroes stood here in Robin's place, they would find a way to outsmart Two-Face and make sure both people live. They wouldn't let someone die just because they didn't try.
So, isn't it worth trying? To see if he can save both?
"Odds are fifty-fifty," the man singsongs as he pulls out his infamous coin.
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Dick Grayson's explosive guide to being Robin, being a Wayne, and morality
Series
- Part 9 of reverse robins
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Signal presses a light finger against his comms. “Mom, come pick me up.”
“We’re on the way!” Robin chirps, an infinite supply of energy still.
Signal grins. “Hope you’re not driving. Can your feet even reach the pedals?”
“Uh, they totally can,” Robin says immediately.
“He isn’t driving,” comes Red Hood’s drawl. “I am.”
“I don’t think that’s much better. Did you ever get your license?” Signal says, a laugh bubbling to the surface.
“No,” Red Hood says, “because I died.”
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A quiet moment after an Arkham breakout
Series
- Part 10 of reverse robins
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Damian looks past his reflection, and he presses his thumb against the glass. It thrums as it recognizes the print, the glass lowering to reveal its contents. As if viewing someone else, he watches as his hands reach out, grabbing the cowl off the mannequin, and he watches as he holds it up, his eyes starting to burn as he looks over the rough leather and the neat stitches and the places where stains have come out, and…
And the cowl shouldn’t fit him.
But it will.
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Damian becomes Batman, and Damian gets the Batman-related breakdown all Batmans get.
Series
- Part 11 of reverse robins
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“Can I talk to you now? Or do I have to go say hi to your mom?” Tim asks.
“My mom hates you,” Steph reminds him.
He grins, somehow looking years younger. “She loves me. She always said I was a ‘sweet young boy’ and it was ‘so nice to see her Stephanie hanging out with a good influence.’ Remember when I brought her flowers that one time?”
She thinks about reminding Tim her mom still thinks he’s dead, but she thinks better of it.
“Get in the car, Stephanie. I have something to show you.”
“You know, that’s what all kidnappers say.”
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Or, Steph is trying to have her coming-of-age story while the Wayne men keep having problems
Series
- Part 12 of reverse robins
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Summary
“Every villain has been getting into gases these days. Poison and drugs are in,” Wingman drawls, something exhausted in his voice.
“The Joker tends to—”
“It is not the Joker,” Wingman snaps.
Batman hesitates. "We should be on our guard. He has been quiet."
The unspoken 'ever since Bruce died' hangs in the air between them, but Batman squares his shoulders and presses onwards. He reaches down into his utility belt and pulls out a flashlight, trying to cut through the thick smoke and make out any distinct figures.
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Tim and Jason try to figure out their issues while Gotham crumbles around them.
Series
- Part 13 of reverse robins
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"And who are you?"
Maybe he can convince the other boy to show him around Gotham. At the very least, the boy wouldn’t steal from him. He might be capable of committing other crimes, but, in a fight, the boy would not be winning against him.
“J,” the boy says after a second.
He blinks. “Like the letter?”
“Like the bird.” The boy—Jay—rolls his eyes.
“Roy,” he offers quickly.
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The Reverse Robins universe expands to include some more characters. :)
Series
- Part 14 of reverse robins
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Summary
"He walks into the office party fifteen minutes late—paperwork tends to pile up when you come back from the dead—only to see all of his children already arrived in costume. They float around the party with big smiles and snickering laughs, waiting for him to notice their greatest crime yet.
They dressed up as members of the Justice League."
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Some Halloween fluff, for your consideration
Series
- Part 15 of reverse robins
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On their date, Damian keeps glancing around the restaurant, his lip curling up into a scowl. “Unbelievable. Everyone is here.”
“Everyone?” Jon tears his gaze away from the setting sun.
Damian tilts his head towards a nearby table.
Dick squeaks, throwing up the menu to hide his laughing face. Tim adjusts his baseball cap, making it cover his eyes. Jason simply waves, giving his best smile, before going back to gossiping with his two brothers. The three of them seem to have chosen not to get food; instead, five baskets of breadsticks sit atop the table.
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how to propose to former assassins, a book by Jon Kent
Series
- Part 16 of reverse robins