Shenanigans of ghosts Dick, Jason, Tim and Damian set in an alternative universe where they never met as brothers, having died long before that, but become family all the same. While following around young, poor psychic Bruce Wayne and tormenting him into staying alive through finding purpose in solving cases and bringing justice.
Bruce Wayne nearly dies alongside his parents on that fateful day when they are shot when the Dead Boy Detectives were close by, solving the case of a victim from the Joker. Impulsively, because he saw himself in Bruce, Jason possessed the body of a young police detective by the name James Gordon and followed the instructions of Tim to save the boys life before the ambulance arrived. They were now at risk of being discovered for breaking a rule by the Lost & Found Departement, but none of the boys could find themselves to regret the decision to help Bruce.
Against their better judgement they stick around, using the excuse of solving cases to keep an eye on the boy. They see how he is consumed by grief and got into more and more reckless situations as if he was daring death to take him. Bruce was unable to live with the fact that he was spared and his parents weren't. Dick saved Bruce from falling to his death by appearing in front of the boy and screaming, neither prepared to the fact that Bruce can see ghosts. They think at first it has something to do with his near death experience, but Bruce then reveals that he is a psychic and because of that always seen as an outsider and bullied regardless of his wealthy status.
It was then decided by the Dead Boy Detectives that in order to remind Bruce that he still has purpose in living, they will show him how he can thrive through justice and that his gift isn't a curse. Some more reluctant than others bring him into the agency and together they go through many shenanigans and cases, all the while Bruce grows in age and talent alike under their tutelage. And before they know it they are a very unlikely and supernatural family.
And family always likes to help Bruce even when he becomes Batman and gets the title of greatest detective, takes in his own children and becomes a mentor. They love him forever, but that does not stop them from absolutely tormenting him as big brothers should.
In a bittersweet way it gets way less awkward to explain the strangeness of Bruce Wayne when his own wards go through near death experiences and finally meet their uncles.
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What I think the boys would have died of and their circumstances as ghosts. While tempting to just give backstories from Edwin and Charles to two of them, I thought it would be more appropriate to give them their own version.
Dick was killed in 1936 at a concentration camp after having been separated from his family because of his Romani ancestry that made people (Nazis) believe him to be dirty. He died nameless, one of many, and with no grave for his body as he was left to carelessly rot away. His family lived, but they never knew what happened to him and were unable to follow through with their funeral rites to guide him to the afterlife. He found himself unable to move on however as he wished to bring justice to all those that were killed and merely labeled casualties in war like he had been.
It was Dick that started the Dead Boys Detectives Agency, hence the awful name as everyone proclaims with his terrible naming skills.
Damian was the youngest when killed and not too far back in time too, the 1970s. He had grown up under the restricting rules of his family back in Arabia Peninsula when he discovered plans of his grandfather that wanted to rip Damian of his own future plans. Still a young boy, he wanted none of that and after packing his things and stealing some money he ran away to the land of America where the TV always told him it was the land of the dreams. Anyone could become wealthy there. Damian wanted to show his grandfather that he knew better and would bring honour to their family, in his way. But Damian soon found himself without money, stranded and in a country where he barely understood the language. Then one day he was too desperate and despite his instincts telling him not to, he followed a man and trusted him. Later on he was killed by John Wayne Gacy. Damian only wished to stay around until the man was discovered and his family took his body back, but instead his family rejected him despite recognising the body.
Damian was a rage full and miserable ghost for a long time after his death and being discarded by his family as he couldn't understand why he was seen as dishonorable when he had been the victim, his family never once blaming the killer. As he wandered aimlessly and wished to bring misfortune on everyone, it was Jason that found him then when a witch wanted to use him for power and slowly got his trust after being rescued as the older boy taught him tricks to stay safe. Damian kind of just stuck around after that.
Tim despite not looking the part, is the oldest of the four, having been accused of witchcraft back in 1692 for simply wishing to heal people and yearning for more knowledge. His methods were unfit in their eyes and he was also seen as witch for looking too naturally feminine, blaming him to be putting up a false front and using bodyshifting to allure men. He was burned at the stake in Salem without ever having been listened to for once in his short life. This settled his resolve and he refused to move on, too stubborn to listen to death and instead find his own path.
In a strange way, Tim did not miss living as he soon realised. He had endless time now to learn whatever he desired. If it be science, languages, politics, autonomy or actually witchcraft now. Hah. He had so much to learn and he was delighted to just learn the laws and tricks in the world of the supernatural. This made him the expert in the Dead Boys Detectives Agency and he was called 'Old man' by the others for his behaviour and wisdom.
Jason just like all his brothers had been wronged. His death in 1950 was not out of the ordinary itself, a cop that shot him for the colour of his skin when he had done nothing wrong. It was an injustice and an action of racism, but in the grant scheme of things that just made him one of many and his family was able to mourn him for one thing. Unlike his brothers conflicted history. What truly wronged Jason however was when a careless necromancer came around and played with his body, just after he thought he was finally at peace and could move on. Instead he was yanked back into a body that was his but also not and he had no control over himself, left spiraling, as the body attacked others and gnawed at their skin. It sickened him and this time around he was glad when he was shot again. Murdered twice by the same man, one injustice one a saving grace. Jason from then on decided to never let others carelessly harm the innocent again.
Jason held some anger issues that he always attempted to hide away from others. Having grown up under heavy scrutiny of his father and the eyes of society that saw him as a dirty rat he had a lot of it bottled up inside. This makes him the most vicious ghost.
Headcanon where after so many arguments between the batkids and Bruce over his paranoia and complete disregard for his kids privacy, the entire family had compromised with (in the healthiest way possible) downloading life360 on their phones and that's how they all keep track of each other.
Now Bruce knew that this is mostly for his benefit and is supposed to be a healthy alternative for his unhealthy paranoia and helicopter parenting, but what he wasn't expecting was for his kids to start keeping track of him.
He's putting gas in his car and Dick calls him because apparently Dick has been watching him drive around on the app? And Bruce is currently at a gas station thats right around the corner from a Taco Bell and now Dick wants him to get food for everyone since he's already there.
He's driving home from a meeting and Steph calls him because her and Duke were shopping in the area and wants to know if he can pick them up, when he asks how she knew he was on the same street, he gets a "Oh I just like to stalk everyone on the app for funsies." as an answer.
Jason calls him and he can barely get out a hello before Jason cuts him off, "Bruce why the fuck is your phone battery on 5%, charge your damn phone" which completely stuns him because why does he know that. He clears his throat before answering. "Jason, what?"
"Everyone can see each others phone batteries on '360, now charge your phone." Is all he gets before Jason hangs up on him.
Rambles and small ideas for a Batfamily Bloodborne AU
(It is not that cohesive I am sorry and I was forced to make some lore changes. Especially with how it begins. Don't beat me up about it.)
Gotham gets enveloped by a dark shroud that covers the whole city and makes it near imperishable, let alone letting people pass through. The city is forever shrouded in a dark loom with merely a everlasting full moon shining upon them. With no sun and the isolation, it soon takes a tool on the people. They grow sickly and depressed, if not that they become near deranged and highly irritable. Crime rates in the already vicious city steadily increase.
There is a sudden shift then - for the worse. A blood moon occurs and people begin to change. Their bodies twist, grow and even rot away. Meanwhile their humanity seems to decrease. A few attempt to research the phenomenon and hold them captive in facilities like Arkham Asylum or Blackgate Prison, however those are halted when the victims fully cease being humans and transform into eldritch monsters that lash out when the old blood gets overused by the Healing Church. A mass outbreak occurs and the monsters roam the city from then on.
Tim Drake is still in the position of the CEO Wayne Enterprise after the mysterious disappearance of the Gotham Prince (Bruce Wayne) and openly funding doctors and scholars in his tower to research their Gotham phenomenon and the monsters. He takes over the Role of Provost Willem and does not shy away from finding out the truth by any means necessary. He isolates himself because of his hunger for knowledge and shuts people out.
Researchers of his discover the tombs/Labyrinth and the usage of the old blood when coming across Ebrietas, some desperately trying to change his opinion and use blood healing to attain a new beginning. Tim is forced into a position where he needs to give up on his constant desire of evolution and progress, which goes against his nature, for the sake of the people and instead how far he can go sacrificing himself in order to attain knowledge that makes him look beyond the "now". His good-hearted start for the peace of humans turns into a obsession to achieve something which is beyond the capability of a mere human.
Damian has been put in a dire position, a child that hears and dreams of the voices of those beyond that nobody else can comprehend. With his artistic skills he puts down the words after transcribing them, he holds the Role of Runesmith Caryll. He desperately attempts to hold on to sanity as he hides himself away from all prying eyes despite the praise of those around him. He only ever hears the words of the Great Ones now.
Two people Tim trusted most "betrayed" him, Tam and Cass that take on the Role of Laurence as his trusted students that end up leaving him. Cass knew that Stephanie must secretly be alive and after having grown immensely close to her not-sister-not-lover, she could not live with herself if she didn't rescue one she loved. She had lost too many already and followed Tam, along with others. Tam had noble intentions much like Cass, although Tam held more resentment for Tim. Her father was affected by a terrible illness that was since then called the Ashen Blood and even after dozens of years where he was loyal to the Wayne family he did not wish to use the old blood to heal him. He actively even discouraged her. Tam gave her goodbyes one day to never see Tim again and began the Healing Church. To her disappointment Dr. Leslie Thompkins was not one of those that followed after them and when the blood failed to heal her father, instead actively killing him, it were Tim and Leslie that got blamed. Since then Tam began desiring evolving into something greater through the use of the blood in order to bring him back. While Cass worked as a blood minister (later on white Church hunter), Tam focused later on at the work of seeking contact with the Great Ones and became the leading figure of the Choir.
Leslie Thompkins suffers a cruel fate. Her loyalty to save the people and towards Tim cost her greatly and when Tim gets the epiphany that more eyes are needed to understand the Great Ones and evolve, she is one of those that get affected and turn into one of the many hundred eyed monsters roaming the tower and trapping Tim there.
The Healing Church grows in power as their influence in Gotham rises because of their special infected blood that heals those in dire need should they come to them. Gotham citizen began to practically worship the Healing Church when gods they previously believed them did not act and show mercy, others turned away out of fear and that soon enough began to rule the city. The Healing Church becomes a belief, a bloody beacon of hope in their endless night...a cult.
When the sickness of the Ashen Blood spreads the people falsely believe in The Healing Church and that they will save them. Instead the bridges connecting the lands to each other get torn down when they least expect it and watch on as the other half gets overrun by beasts and the ravaging sickness alike. To make sure nobody ever passes through the remains get bordered up. Tim remains on the other half in his Tower overlooking the raging City with a faraway gaze.
They mainly reside in the abandoned underground of Gotham and at the edge of the Bowery, planted right at the opposite site of the Wayne Tower, and gets called the Labyrinth as the layout changed under the influence of the shroud. In time the Healing Church began to change and it split into various branches, the Choir, the school of Mensis and the Hunters of the Workshop that evolve into the Church Hunters.
Jason and Dick had been getting Damian out of old Gotham when the great fire happened and they were unable to return to their left behind sibling. They desired to hid Damian from the Healing Church because of his connection to the Great Ones and there was no better hiding spot than directly under their nose. As such they've become hunters for the Church.
One faithful day Barbara after a long search discovers Damian when he is having one of his seizures, when he dreams of the Great Ones, and she desires to help him. She has been kept in the dark as she had been stuck in the Clocktower until the Healing Church came to free her, which causes her to make unwise decisions by mistakingly trusting Tam and Cass. Unknowing of what occurred with the lack of still functioning technology she was part of the School of Mensis. However upon touching the Great Ones overwhelm her mind and her sanity crumbles. Barbara holds the Role of Micolash. After she becomes aware of herself again she causes the School of Mensis to break away from the Church and just like Tim to find and use an unbiblical cord of the Great Ones.
Stephanie was one of the few that broke through the shroud even when nobody knows why she was permitted through. Trusting her idol and not-lover her ignorance of the state of matter makes her join Barbara. The use of the Cord brings blocked memories back to Stephanie as she recalls that she faked her death because of her pregnancy, just shortly before the shroud fell over Gotham. In fact she does not recall what she had done those months outside of Gotham, neither were the supposed baby was. That is when the Great Ones enlighten her when she connects to Mergo. That child was never born as she went through horrible complications early on and lost it, although there was no body. The child was not of human descent, but of a Great One. Broken apart by this knowledge the Cord pulls Stephanie, Barbara and others of the School into a nightmare state where they remain forever trapped while their physical bodies die. She is the Queen of Yharnam.
Alfred was thought to have died that night when the Great fire happened as he had been away from the Wayne Tower, yet neither with Damian in the Manor. However, as it turns out Alfred had gone to seek out Tam and Cass in hopes to change their minds. When he thought all his wards dead when the land was burning there was no other way than to stay with his last remaining: Cass. And as someone who only ever knew how to work through grief by helping others, he had become the leader of the old Hunters Workshop. He was Gehrmann. Still caught in his own grief the purpose was ripped from him again and he was left alone, a mistake. Like many he called upon the Great Ones and as such started the dream, the start of it all with a promise that needed to be fulfilled.
Gotham is a city build on cursed, ancient land. Even long before it became a place of civilization the people used the flourishing forest and the torrent waters, that even back then were unpredictable, for their own sinful deeds. The innocent were dragged, dead or alive, with their blood tainting the earth and seeping into the crust, the skin of mother earth. She was repulsed at their actions and began to act out, sending out earthquakes and floods to deter them from seeking this remote place out any longer and dirty the land. But the people were persistent and found enjoyment in the elemental disasters.
Soon enough a group of people, steadily growing at that, found their calling and began to purposefully turn into a game. It was as if the retaliation of HER only spurned them further on, accelerating the descent into chaos. Their body count rose as they let free their victims in the land only to hunt them down. When that grew too boring, because the hunters were simply too human they broke another rule. They went against the rightful law of humanity and played with experimentations that were inexcusable. It was slow, yet a gradual growth, as they perfected their hunters. Hundreds of years later their name was still known in whispering myths that only a few knew of their origin by then as their purpose changed for more power, the Court of Owls and their Talons.
All that to say that the unnecessary bloodshed on the land caused the very earth to turn sick. An infection that grew deep and rotted it from within. It stank of death and attracted the attention of the supernatural beings. Humans were manipulated into staying and the supernatural mingled under them with none of them any wiser. Gotham was born from the vulgar and as such the rot was ever-growing. The sickness would have spread considerably more if it hadn't been for the shamans and warlocks that put borders on Gotham. The curse at that point too old and too powerful already to be broken, but it could be contained. At a price to never being able to banish it, that those once born in Gotham could never escape HER grasp completely and forever confined to HER will and lastly that those with magic caliber were to always suffer in the presence.
{SHE would weep forever weep at HER daughters poor fate when humans blemished HER, ripped HER open mercilessly and made HER unrecognisable to HER own mother. In order to stay safe SHE was forced to abandon HER child, banishing HER as if it had been HER at fault. Regardless of the grief SHE did it for the greater good and shut HER away forever, did never hear out HER cries for help and the apologies that GOTHAM failed HER mother were a fatal mistake. But the humans gave HER a name, ripped her from Divinity and Purity and made her humane. As such MOTHER EARTH would never be able to wield power over GOTHAM ever again and SHE was at the mercy of the people now, woolly human and yet a being they could never be able to comprehend. Trapped between dimensions with an inability to ever return. As GOTHAM raged over the injustice, MOTHER EARTH came to forget about her beloved daughter as a being of beyond time and space could never revel in such human emotions. Stripped from Divinity GOTHAM had become unworthy of HER devotion that was blinding like the stars and the protection this brought forth either.}
Blood Oaths & Other Rules
Born from the laws of Gotham and the supernatural that ended up captured by the land. Gotham is a vicious beast that pretends to be the slaver when SHE is the once divine collared and isolated from the Mother. Gotham and HER people were taught laws old old, or used to, until they became too prideful and thought to trick Gotham by neglecting teaching their young ones any longer. As such they broke the deal and Gotham struck back.
Their deal was a simple one of Give and Take. Gotham had thought HER to be merciful after the boundaries were set, but humans were cruel and only ever know how to take. More and more they their greed drove them to make mistakes. Enraged SHE decided to unleash the curses of the humans back on them. A cursed land could never live in peace after all. If they did not fear the Beast, the Divine, they would simply fear themselves. Many people grew sick, more blood began to flow and new terrors in the form of entirely human entities took form and haunted the streets. Her greatest terror would forever be the Joker. And while SHE resented the humans and the endless cycle of curses, SHE could never hate what SHE created. But SHE was not entirely cruel with a small spark of HER Divinity withstanding and as such SHE created two, an antithesis so to speak. Two princes of Gotham.
{It was hope in a dark place they did not deserve. Maybe because of that Gotham took HER princeling's parents on HER own land and let him watch. Maybe SHE wanted to tempt him to the same darkness when his brother by everything but blood was the one at fault. Time and time again SHE gave him a wy out, yet HER Prince never accepted it.}
Because of the nature and creation of Gotham, blood oaths belong to the ancient magic. There are two types of blood oaths.
Vengeance blood Oath
A victim curses their perpetrator when their blood gets spilled. This causes them to lay a claim over the other to fulfill their vengeance one day, which is easier when the victim remains alive. Those who attempt to kill him with no blood oath on him will be unable to, a natural response of survival instinct seen as striking a target regardless sends the cursed victims on you instead. A curse like that can only be broken should the target beg for it, which also brings the vengeance of the victims as they get to be in tune with the person striking down the target before leaving forever after the death. Should the victim however die they too get affected by the curse and are forced to haunt Gotham, only able to be seen by their target and bring them to madness.
{The infamous mad Joker coincidentally has the most curses claiming him. Despite the apparent madness that steadily affects him, the man does not falter and instead seems to relish in it. The curses of vengeance are unable to be broken.}
Dealer blood Oath
The far simpler and more frequent of the two oaths, the Dealer. It still follows the old rules more resolutely and before humans betrayed Gotham. Between multiple people they need to share blood and make a deal of Give & Take. Those deals are in itself easier and by nature also easier to break, although with dire consequences, however because those oaths are based on the earliest times they are inheritedly unfair in nature. The one striking the deal can force another one into the oath, should they be excessively hurt by them, and they are the only one in the participants able to break off the deal. Seen as breaking a deal causes great harm to the other parties such a thing is a great opportunity. However one cannot force the same person into a oath more than once.
I wanted to expand on the more limited breakouts from Arkham when Tim patrols alone, specifically regarding the Joker. I was asked if the Joker is scared of Tim just like many other villains and while I could just say " yes", I don't think that would bring justice to either characters. Tim is a feral little shit in this AU idea of mine, but he is still calculating and is not afraid to manipulate people for his own means. And the Joker while human and could be scared, in my opinion emotions come vastly different to him and by no means would he actually be afraid of a child. Even if it's a supernatural one. He might just find his enjoyment in it.
So, no, the Joker does not necessarily fear Tim. The Joker was interested and kidnapped a young boy to taunt Batman, fully ready to torture the man through transforming and inevitably kill another boy he came to care for. He did hear of the whispers in the alleyways of the night about the Robin who at times hardly seemed like a hero. At first the Joker just wanted to watch, but then Tim hurt goons of him and while he never cared for the mindless followers, it was a hit against his ego he couldn't let go. A hurt pride and a fair bit of insanity made him decide to take the birdie away and start a little play with him.
The Joker wished to coax that villain out of the child until he would stop trying to put up a front. He wanted Batman to finally open his eyes and BREAK.
Tim is trapped for days with no access to blood and gets tortured by the Joker. The man disgraces Jason with his words when Tim after days of electric shocks and Joker Venom loses his control and breaks free.
He brutally beats the Joker to the ground, pinning him there when a bunch of goons sprint inside the warehouse. His lips curl back into a snarl as he whips his head around. At the sight of his vicious grimace their hearts thrum loudly inside their chests, enough to catch the attention of Tim. Starved for days his fangs elongate and his eyes can only focus on them. If they thought he was a beast already, it was nothing in comparison when Tim crushes the Jokers ankle under his wrist and jumps away from the man. He is so hungry. Tim is put in a mindless haze similarly to a creature who fights to survive. All that is on his mind is to survive no matter the cost. He sprints across, evading the bullets that one fires and launches himself at said target. The man screams in fright as Tim's limbs tightly wrap around the larger frame, but his voice soon gives out when his teeth plunge into the vulnerable neck.
Tim is too hungry to do his usual neat drinking, instead he tears open the man's jugular and lapses from the wound. He is uncaring as the man gasps for breath and collapses under the weight of Tim. Only when the heart stills, does Tim tear his face away from the corpse looking around and wiping across his mouth. Blood smears all across his face as more trickles down his neck. Already his eyes have regained some of it's colour.
"M-monster!" One screams, stumbling back over his own feet.
Licking the blood from his lips Tim stands up, disregarding the corpse at his feet and slowly creeps forward to the remaining two. His hunger has been satiated, yet this is not part of his plans. They are not needed and they saw too much. His system isn't in place yet. As such they need to be wiped off from the face of earth. Sighing, as if they are such a nuisance, Tim springs back into action. They stand no chance as he attacks them with a speed they don't expect and they bleed out.
Finally having taken care of the unnecessary people, Tim turns and watches the Joker who crawled across the ground while Tim drank from the man's goons. It seems as if he didn't even care enough to watch. Tim does not know if he should be glad about that. With strength returned to his body he strides towards the man and stabs a knife into the Jokers unbruised ankle to stop him from moving. A grunt of pain escapes his lips. Tim flips his body to face him, presses the hands together over his head and pulling out another knife from the man's jacket stabs it through the limbs. At last he leans down, close enough to make the villain uncomfortable with the lack of personal space and sniffs. Tim scrunches his nose in disgust when he smells the blood. The life source that he should always find alluring, reeks of chemicals that diluted the blood into a black mass and makes him audible gag.
"Clown, time to make a deal."
His voice is shaky and rough from the constant torment the last few days, an effect that will haunt him forever no matter the passing years. Nevertheless he remains steady, looking down at the unshaken clown that grins up at him.
They both know that while this Robin does not shy away from a bloodbath, this vengeance will not bring back what once was last already. Even when Tim's own blood sings for the death of the villain, this is not his revenge. Not his life to take. An oath lies over the clown that restricts Tim from killing the man even when he is at his mercy now. And while it disgusts him, Tim can still use the man to his liking until he wishes to die.
If he were to wish, to beg him for death, the oath of vengeance sealed by the blood of Jason evaporates and Tim can rightfully do as he wishes.
Tim wished for the longest time that the Joker would have begged him for death that night. He did none. A deal was struck between them and sealed in blood. None that the villain can ever break without severe consequences.
That night Batman came to safe his Robin, late, and found a close to death Joker and a traumatised boy standing with a gun over the man. It was blamed on the Joker Venom. For the longest time Bruce wanted to be rid of Tim as he was deemed unstable and while that is true, it was never because of the Joker Venom.
They deemed it a miracle that Tim never suffered at the hands of the clown again, only the two knowing better.
For Context: Always wanted my own spin on Metahuman Tim and I got this idea when I watched an Iron Lung trailer edit on repeat. I loved the scene and I immediately began daydreaming about Tim. Apparently I like Blood way too much. Along with a very unhinged Tim that comes across as some eldritch horror to anyone but his family. (Okay including them too at first)
Background Information
Tim has always been a little bit of a freak. He is a born stalker who witnessed deaths before when he was just a toddler and seemingly was not traumatised by the Flying Graysons deaths. He is also too smart for his own good when he figures out who Batman & Robin are. Yet Tim is also so unbelievably dense. He runs after the two vigilantes on a regular basis since he is nine even though he lives in Gotham; the personification of purgatory as a city.
Having the survival skill of a wet paper bag since young is one thing, but years later down the line getting involved with the Wayne family -most importantly THE Batman who does not wish for Metahumans in his city- and yet neglecting to tell anyone about the fact that he is in actuality a Metahuman is another. When Tim started out as Robin he purposefully did anything possible to alter his folder on the Batcomputer until he realised that Bruce was so far gone in his head that he didn't even seem to care. He didn't care a whole lot about Tim in any way beyond training him. So even though people will find it ridiculous, he just forgot that nobody knew. In his opinion it wasn't lying if he just never talked about it.
(It did in fact still count as dishonesty)
Maybe he would have considered being more upfront about it if things didn't escalate and before Tim knew it he was estranged from his family. Tim always had unusual relationships with family and while it did hurt him, he accepted the terms and learned to live with it. His family? Well after a while they did realise that something was messed up when they were for once forced into some therapy -shocker! Were they forced to? Yes. Does it have much success? Only a little because its the Batfamily after all. It is enough however that they realise Tim hasn't checked in for multiple days and that his tracker shows he is still at home.
(The fact that Tim didn't think of the Manor as home or even visited in the last few months was a very sobering realisation.)
The scene
The Batfamily breaks into the Nest and search in every Nook and Crannies for Tim, but don't find him until they come across a secret door. It is not the same one to his own personal cave for the vigilante work, but a creaky staircase that is barely lit that goes on for far too long to be still above ground. The air is feeling heavier when it opens up into a big room, which much like the way down does not possess many lights. Quickly they realise that those who are there however point all into one direction. In the middle of the dark room is a pool; filled with the dark red substance that they soon recognise as none other than blood. In various states of shock and disgust they call out for blood.
They aren't prepared for the blood to move, it ripples as a figure emerges out of nowhere from the pool. Blood is coated on their whole body with not a single place of skin or clothes left unstained. It is cascading down the limbs when the figure pushes their frazzled hair back as if the blood is a mere annoyance and locks eyes with the people in front with an unimpressed stare.
The consequences of Tim not being truthful come to bite him into his ass at the worst time when he just wanted to work on a case and now there was his family that saw him bathe in a pool of blood.
Everyone needs some more therapy after witnessing that horror show that Tim calls his enrichment time.
Meta-abilities
Tim can use blood to look through memories of the people it belonged to. Tim is a practical person and as such he started collecting blood from various people. Only in small doses. Or more, with some. Depending on the person and how vicious he felt that day. He uses it for casework, stalking or blackmail, because frankly Tim doesn't understand why they shouldn't go just as low as the rogues if it prevents innocent people getting hurt. Tim learns that the blood can only show him memories from the past upon obtaining it however, which is why he ends up taking more and more blood from various people. In their line of work people don't suspect a small pinch in their finger as he learned.
It is only reasonable that after many years he can't possibly keep hiding all the vials of blood. Under the excuse of emancipation and with the help of estrangement with his family, he creates his own base of operation and far below in the earth he builds a pool that he fills with blood. Tim is not an organised person and by no means neat, as such he sees nothing wrong with using a pool made of blood and dipping into it if he needs additional help. (He finds that drinking blood has quite the strange effects on his body. Beyond what it does to anyone. If it weren't for that he wouldn't mind drinking blood. He's done it for years after all) His mind is able to work through the maze of the memories to find what he is searching for. Additionally after many fails & trials he knows how to preserve and not waste the precious blood. Tim isn't stupid after all.
Working so frequently with blood is how he learns to expand his abilities. He has always been fond of experiments after all. That is how Tim learns he is also capable of communicating with the person the blood belonged to. Although it does seem to be freaky and seems to make people physically sick. His previous assassins team described it as if they could feel themselves rotting away from within. Tim took great offense at that and even though he likes to believe they weren't being serious, he does tend to avoid using it.
I somehow only ever found one fic like this and it focused on Tim as the unfortunate victim. That feels like a crime somehow. Also why I decided against my bias for Tim and instead give the focus to another batfamily member.
TW: mention of SA and alcohol, death, and gore
In this idea I headcanon Dick as asexual. He is by no means like that in canon rip
Basic rundown
Dick who is sexualized for years and assaulted multiple times before, but is publicly known as ace.
was hanging out with some friends (still mourning Jason and drinking too much) when a breakout happens, they leave to deal with it. Dick gets hurt from one of the villain's attacks and attempts to get back to the cave, Alfred insisted on him getting treated regardless that he doesn't want to see Bruce. That is when he gets captured and taken away
Dick gets sacrificed by some cult followers, unaware that he isn't a virgin
Dick wakes up days later with no memories of what happened in the middle of nowhere and an indescribable hunger
Dick kills and eats a deer with his bare hands, which promptly causes a mental breakdown and a crying session (after also vomiting all of the deer out again as well as if he can't eat animal meat any longer.)
he has no phone or anything on him and his clothes are covered in blood (were before he ate the deer too, but not that he was able to pay much attention to that in his state of shock). Still hungry, desperate, and with no means to ask for help Dick walks on until he comes across a small town.
finds a dying man he wishes to help, but that is when the hunger gets the best of him and he eats from the already passed-out man
Dick flees again until he finds himself in an alleyway
Tim was promised by his parents that they would spend his birthday together and he was looking forward to it. It wasn't worth it. He found himself now in an unknown town with his parents being in business meetings since the early morning, not even acknowledging his birthday so far and making more false promises
Wandering around that is when Tim comes across Dick Grayson, his hero, laying in an alleyway and covered in blood. Crying too, a lot
Tim decides that the ex-robin can only be helped by him and plans on bringing the man back to Gotham where he can ask Batman for help (it will be a whole other issue to explain how he knows their identities)
Dick does not want to accept the help of a child, much less when he seems to have lost all humanity along with his self-control now
that all goes out of the window when chaos gremlin Tim 'accidentally' manages to steal a cop car and Dick steps in to help just because he does not wish for him to crash
Cue a journey through the states as a warrant goes out along with missing person reports on the both of them
Dick barely controlling himself as he battles the demon inside himself that wants Tim dead, along the way that only causing other incidents
Tim and Dick end up in Gotham, and chaos ensues when Tim reveals their secrets just to blackmail Batman of all people to get Constantine or anyone else from the Justice League
Dick is impressed, Bruce is not and Alfred has already taken to him is the one that calls for Constantine.
With a totally willing Constatine they can figure out what happened to Dick (much trauma for everyone) and how to stop his violent urges to eat humans (more trauma and shouting)
Dick is more human-like again with no need to eat humans any longer after the demon gets expelled, however, he is forever left as a bit stronger than reasonable with some healing factors that make him able to bend even more into unnatural positions with his joints never seemingly being worn down
And then everyone gets some therapy and everyone can be a way happier family wuhu /j
Because I have been sucked back into my figure skating a.k.a. Yuzuru Hanyu like every couple of weeks by now I will share a random idea I've had in my head for a while now. Secretly hoping that maybe someone writes something like that. (I could write it myself but it wouldn't feel the same.) The man has a chokehold on me for real. It doesn't help that I genuinely have been picturing Tim more than once in Yuzuru Hanyu's stead. It would even work together with his grace and because they both seem small and very lean, while having the appropriate muscles for the needed work.
Idea begins down below!
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I wanna share my random little thought of Tim after getting Bruce back from the timestream debacle he comes to a well needed realisation. After two more near death experiences, one lost organ and a struggling morales complex, Tim makes the discovery that maybe he doesn't want to live a life that is barely going forward any longer. And though he acknowledges that he deserves to be happy and have a good family and friends, he does not know how to set boundaries and what changes are needed so he doesn't feel so tired anymore.
Tam Fox, his still fake fiancée that both forgot, then comes to the rescue to talk some sense into him. She is her fathers daughter and not one to mess with. This is why she manages it that Tim actually listens to her. First of all he finishes high school, moves in with Tam (Tam was not amused when she saw how he lived. Tim has never been so terrified.) and tries to keep a healthier work-life balance.
But Tim loaths the work as CEO, because it's so monoton he has too much time to overthink and it is what Jack and Janet Drake had always wanted for him. Tim did learn by now that he was never treated like he should have been. Not by the Drakes or the Wayne's. And so the decision is made that Tim needs to get out of Gotham - far, far away to heal.
Tim is smart, but he can also be so incredibly dumb sometimes. Which is why instead of being honest with family and friends, he fakes his death while in his Red Robin disguise and after that is secured he runs away before anyone can even properly mourn him. Tim would like to clap himself on the back, the death was a 10/10 in his mind with all the dramatic flair that his family naturally possess. Tam knows the truth immediately after all she didn't find the boy all across the world for nothing and so he instead gets nagged for hours on end after some hits.
(Tam later on does apologise. She had been worried sick as she once again went after him without knowing for sure that he lived and now they were in Malaysia.)
Tam refuses to leave and after a long talk with her father she decides on staying with Tim. Tim could have left again to shake off Tam, however he had always wanted to come to his mothers hometown and he was not willing to give that up now. They take up new identities, still engaged because its easier to explain and have a new life. The regular normie life does not work out for Tim that much. In winter Tim rescues a young child that's trapped on a frozen lake where locals were ice skating and is in danger of sinking. Unable to let a innocent person die, Tim takes one of the skates and relying on his training he is able to get the child back on safe land.
He was a bit too impressive as a figure skating coach saw him and Tim promptly gets scouted by the woman. At first he doesn't want to, but she is stubborn and Tam wants him to have a great future if that is what he wants as well. In the end he gives in and the coach is delighted because she wishes to come very far with Tim so her beloved, old company can see it's glory days again.
Cut to three years later, newly 21-year-old Tim comes on on the TV in the Manor while holding a gold medal. After the ceremony a young woman runs towards Tim and only when he spins her around do the people in the living room recognise them as Tam and Tim. Who were apparently newly married as a reporter states? Tim was secretly alive in another country and became a championship winner in figure skating?
Art of my friend! I wish I had their talent and they don't even have any socials to share their great art either (apart from discord).
This is just an AU idea I had when I obsessed over the new game and wanted more dragon Zelda content. In this ending she wouldn't be fully human anymore, which one can see through a changed personality and how she doesn't possess the most humanoid body any longer. She definitely is more of an immortal antagonist who disturbs the flow of the triforce through the fact that she is no longer reincarnating, however Ganondorf and Link still are.
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