Fallen

[fallen7780]

I feel like if/when get a "Damian calling for Dad/Baba" in canon, it always has to be super intense, so I'm going throw in an idea I've had for a while:

The Justice League, as well as many other heroes are being mind controlled. Think Maxwell Lord on some alien drugs or Bane juice or both, which would require some real power to defeat. They are in Metropolis because of course there are. Batfam had all been uninvited for whatever reason, needed for potential backup, not told, had another mission, etc.

Batfam realizes that their friends are currently being forced to terrorize the city and they all gather and move into the city to try and handle it (and I do mean every Bat except Batman, including the older ones who aren't technically Bruce's kids).

Damian is told by Dick and Kate to stay up on rooftops as "surveillance" (they don't want him hurt) because the Bats are fighting multiple of their friends and allies, they end up spread out as Damian tries to provide any help he can over coms and try to figure out how to jump into battle without making one of his family members freak out. That is when the Brainwashed Justice League arrives on a rooftop, maybe the one Damian is on, Maybe one he is in line of sight of.

Damian realizes what happened and he, for the first time, feels his age. He freezes. He's actually terrified for a brief moment. He gives off a warning to his family before he actually tries to fight.

Most of the Justice League disperses, leaving maybe 2 or 3 people on the roof with Damian (not Bruce, he went down already). They easily subdue him, taking his sword, grappling hook, most if not all his gear is taken or broken as he fights. He's subdued after a few moments of struggle and brought to the edge of the roof.

Damian is thrown off of a 10+ story building, and he thinks he's going to die, because either no one is near him or they are being pinned down by their brainwashed friends. So he calls out, and his concussed mind can only think about the amount of times Bruce has caught the other Bats.

"BABA!!"

The shriek is heard all around, and through their coms, and the Bats know something is seriously wrong. Damian rarely if ever calls Bruce anything other than Father. It terrifies them even more as they all try to look for him, only to see him falling or hear someone yell that he's falling, bloodied and without gadgets, off of a large building.

It's almost just as scary when they hear Bruce's wail, pained, sorrowful, like he's ripping a part of his body off. Then they hear a grapple and a soft thud from Damian's com. Bruce catches him.

Bruce then, over his own com, explains how to fix everyone (scare them out of it, electric shocks, Kryptonite dummy rounds, etc). Bruce doesn't let go of Damian (bonus if Damian either doesn't or can't fight it because of his injuries). They get everyone back to the Watchtower or Hall of Justice, Bats helping everyone and going over what they need to do to not have this happen again. Then comes the question that seemingly everyone wants to know the answer to.

"Uh... Batman?" It's Superman, seemingly the only JL member that has the gall to ask "Why did Robin call for you like that?" Because no one knows the Bat's are related, no one knows that Bruce is their Dad, mentor, and inspiration.

Bruce is still holding and now bandaged Damian, who's just about to falling asleep in his Father's arms as he hears the almost soft reply.

"I come when any of my family calls. Period."

[fallen7780]

Duke Thomas, as Bruce's newest son, really does show how hypocritical or how willing to bend his rules and disciplines for his kids. He seems to lose all conviction he had about going out during the day, just so that Duke can be more comfortable. And how long has this man said "No Metas in Gotham"? He has used this line against some of the most powerful people in the DC universe, it's been his montra for decades. No matter his relationship with members of the justice league, no matter who he's dating or hating on at the moment, there will be no Metas in his city, period. Then, one day, it changes a little bit.

Bruce, one day during a meeting, adds just one word to his little speech he always gives, and every JLA member clocks it instantly.

Superman: Really, if you're having a problem with Lex or that Metropolis gang-

Batman: I will say it as many times as I need to get it through all of your heads; I do not need any help. Gotham is my city and I am her protector. I do not need any special power to pull this off. No outside Metas in Gotham.

That causes a lot more silence than these meetings usually get, but it's not for the usual reasons. Because everyone just heard a lop hole in Batman's philosophy. Everyone starts talking at once, over each other, and loudly.

Green Lantern: That's not what-

Flash: In what UNIVER-

Wonder Woman: Batman, please ex-

Green Arrow: now wait a damn m-

Martian Manhunter: I emplo-

Superman is too stunned to respond, having been directly in the path of this revelation as Batman stands, and exits the meeting room. He actually quirks a smile as he hears his kids, Duke especially, cackling on the other end of their open com line.

[fallen7780]

I, as a DC nerd, require an Office x Wild Kratts style show where the JLA, Titans, and Young Justice members are interviewed about the BatFam and tell essentially horror stories about the scariest or most serious they have ever been. The talk about best leadership moments, where they just knew what to do, where they all seemed so scarily connected. These moments are all animated and voiced, making the BatFam seem just very badass. One-three of these moments per episode.

Then, in the second part of the episode, it shows the specific BatFam member that we are talking about, and they are just so fucking normal and explain that they weren't death glaring people that day, they had been hit with Ivy's pollen and their eyes were irritated. They didn't know what the fuck was happening and very much winging that mission (using their knowledge, but stilling winging it). This part of the episode shows what's happening in their head or heads and is often much less dramatic than the first half.

Dick: What? On X date? Oh, yeah, I was sick as hell, like, I barely remember that meeting, I was so high on cough medicine, but duty calls! ... I think I might have held in a cough so hard it scared Wally...

Jason: Uh... What did I do that day... OH YEAH! I jumped off a few stories to catch Roy from falling, I was mad at Dickie that day, so I did a few flips just to prove he wasn't all that special.

Tim: What miss- OH! OH! I have literally no idea how we managed that, honestly, I just knew there were kids involved and just knew we had to get them out of there, for one. There was also a bullet I caught for Kon, Kryptonite, y'know?

Bruce: Oh, yeah, that was the day we finally got those Morse code clickers hooked up to our coms, we were using them to communicate all day... I was creatively insulted so many times I barely reacted when I stepped in front of those protesters. Once you have kids, outside insults have no effect anymore. Apparently Clark and Diana were really grateful, for some reason.

And season 2 is them watching the parts of the episodes their colleagues created, all in group, the other being more and more confused by the BatFam, while the BatFam take turns making fun of their images and teammates.

It gets funnier if no one knows identities.

[fallen7780]

If Jason Todd had not died in any way while he was a kid or while he was Robin, then Bruce would not have had as many children. I don't know if anyone else has thought of this, but besides Damian, every other sibling was basically a result of Jason's death. Bruce wouldn't have Tim, airgo Steph. That would probably cross Cass out (not as open to the Bats), same Duke, since by the time he came around, there probably wouldn't have been a robin and he wouldn't have been fighting crime like he was (this means he probably got Joker gassed). Damian would likely never have come to Gotham, maybe dying to Ra's, maybe being sent somewhere closer to Talia because he didn't have a protector. This could even still work if Jason died as an adult, given that he wasn't Bat's Robin anymore, and had actually grown up when he died. Of course, it would hurt Dick and Bruce, but I'm assuming at this point, their relationship would have gotten better and they would actually lean on each other for comfort, not making Tim entering the family necessary. Obviously Barbra and Luke would still exist, same with the other Gotham vigilantes that aren't technically Bruce's kid, it's just the ones he's adopted emotionally or legally would be cut down to just Dick and Jason.

Say Joker didn't fully kill Jason, or maybe it was another Villain that kidnapped him, and he got away alive. Or Dick was on earth at the time, and he and Bruce decided to put aside their differences and rescue Jason. We could still get angsty Jason, just not necessarily to the degree that we see in other comic/shows/movies. We could still get a fight between Bruce and Dick and also probably Jason. Jason could still turn into the Red Hood, just maybe not so deadly (if anyone has read that one AO3 fic where they "have wings", you know what I'm talking about), where he chooses to be Red Hood and doesn't do it because he either feels like he has to or for revenge.

Anyone feel free to add into this, or correct me, because I very well could be wrong and the BatFam could just be canonically fated to happen.