This is a sideblog of @zeebee823 with (hopefully) a focus on DC stuff | Icon by ted-kord, used with permission | header image by impyssadobsessions I mean it’s mostly batfam but yeah I will do by best to keep a coherent tagging system but no promises
word gets around gotham (somehow, some way) that the Bats all know a variety of rare or difficult languages, including several varieties of sign language.
the Gotham PD language line/translation services are woefully underfunded and never show up on time on a good day.
cue an enterprising sergeant on night desk duty routinely using Gordon’s bat signal to put out a request for language services in the middle of the night.
the kicker? Batman or one of his kids usually — sometimes — shows up. more frequently than the actual services, at least.
Me, seeing an interesting Jason Todd fic at the end of July 2024: ooo interesting Jason Todd fic, I wonder what dc’s been up to with him and the rest of the batfam
Me at the start of August 2024: why is Bruce in a nightwing costume. What the fuck is the hill and how was red hood related to it. Are Tim and Damian both just?? Running around as Robin??? At the same time????
[if someone would like to let me know I am all ears cus like. What the fuck]
"why is Bruce trying to be Nightwing, they should have let Tim or Jason do it" why does ANYONE else have to be Nightwing. Can't Dick have one thing that's just his
It's about the struggle of preserving your individuality and identity within a large family......I'm not saying you can't understand Dick if you don't personally have four younger siblings but I WILL say that you don't get it. and I am available for consulting yes
If you’re still doing requests now that you’ve done Jason and Diana what about little Dick and Clark - the boys can argue over who has the better photo
I really don't like the narrative of "Bruce thinks if he hadn't made Jason Robin, Jason would have ended up as a criminal."
I much, much prefer the narrative Robins (2021-) gave us. Jason knows he did illegal stuff to survive. He did what he had to do. But has been called a crook, a criminal, a kingpin and similar stuff so many times and yeah, he is one, that he believes this narrative of "oh, I so would have ended up as a criminal." Jason does not have a high opinion of himself. He knows his skills, he knows what he is, but his self worth isn't big.
And then you have Bruce. Who doesn't think that at all. He expects Dick and Stephanie to still be heroes if they hadn't been Robin. But Jason? No. Jason would be successful. He would use his skills, combine it with a passion and help others that way. In #5, they were all in a simulation based on Bruce's idea of what their lives would've been if they hadn't been Robins. And Jason? Jason is a famous race car driver. So good that he wins and wins and wins. He has his own charity dedicated to his mother. Every single penny he wins goes to that charity.
There’s a goddamn reason he wears a full face helmet with the best air filters he can buy.
He gasps for air, choking his breaths and gasping harder because the warehouse is full of fear toxin, he knows it is, and his helmet is lost because they needed an explosive and his backup rebreather was shot out of his hand and he can’t breathe.
He stumbles away from a shadow all in black, looming over him like Death itself, and a hand snags his wrist as the Devil smiles.
“It’s not real,” Batman growls.
“It’s not real,” the Joker croons.
No.
No.
But it’s too late. He can already hear the laughter.
~#~
Hood doesn’t start screaming until they get him in the Batmobile. Dick holds him down, pinning him flat against the backseat, and keeps his fingers interlaced with Jason’s as he murmurs, “It’s not real. Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real, okay, you’re safe, you’re safe, it’s not real, Jaybird, you’re safe, you’re safe –”
Standard fear toxin protocol. Restrain and reassure. The effects of each one vary, but sometimes it’s possible to lead someone out of their head with the soothing words.
Hood isn’t calming down. He’s just screaming louder.
~#~
The broken bones, he can feel them, he can feel the agony as they shift underneath his skin, as the Joker nears and he chokes on a sob because please, no, not again, he can’t take this anymore, he wants Bruce, he wants Batman, he wants someone to save him from this monster.
The Joker crouches next to him and watches him, those bright, bright eyes that are sharp like poisoned daggers. He reaches out, and Jason can’t help the tears, but all the Joker does is carefully, gently, curl his fingers between Jason’s, careful not to jostle the broken bones.
“Shh, little Robin,” the Joker says, and Jason stares at him. “It’s not real. Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real. You’re safe.”
A curl of hope inside of him – this is a nightmare, it has to be, if he just concentrates, he’ll be back in the Cave and Bruce will be there – of course this isn’t real, this amount of pain isn’t possible, he feels like he’s going to die –
The Joker’s smile widens.
~#~
“No,” is the first thing Jason says, his voice hoarse from screaming, and he says it as they lock him into the restraints. They don’t have a choice, he’s thrashing and screaming but he tugs at the restraints – once, twice, thrice, before going alarmingly limp.
“No, no, it’s real, it’s real,” Jason says, his eyes unfocused, and Steph takes over the reassurances, the steady prattle second nature after how many times she’s done it.
“It’s not real, Jason, whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real,” she says, low and soothing, “You’re safe, you’re in the Cave, you’re home, we’re all here with you, it’s not real.”
“Stop,” Jason says, choked, “Stop – stop saying that – it’s real –”
“No, Jason, it’s not, you got hit with fear toxin, it’s not real, you’re okay.”
“Please,” Jason begs, and she doesn’t know who he’s talking to.
~#~
“It’s not real,” the Joker laughs, and the crowbar comes swinging down. Jason screams at the snap of bone and the hope is dying.
This is real. It’s real, and it’s killing him.
“Fuck you,” Jason snarls, “You think I can’t tell you’re making it up? Fear toxin doesn’t feel like this.”
“It’s not real,” the Joker repeats, laughing as he swings the crowbar down again, “It’s! Not! Real!”
Jason wants to believe it. Jason knows better than to believe it. He’s hurting and screaming and the pain is so vivid it doesn’t feel real.
No.
This is just another one of the Joker’s sick games.
It’s real.
He’s hurt and dying.
It’s real.
Or…is that the joke?
A thumb rubs over his knuckles, “You’re safe, Jaybird.”
The Joker laughs as Jason falls.
~#~
“Jason, please,” Tim says hoarsely, “Please, this is real, you’re safe, please, please hear us, you’re safe.”
Dick had to leave. He couldn’t stay, not with Jason alternating between screams and sobs and begging that made it extremely clear what he’s seeing. They all eyed Bruce, but the man has planted himself in a chair next to Jason’s bed, and refuses to move.
He doesn’t speak either.
They’ve tried everything, the whole protocol for fear toxin, they’ve double-checked that it’s the same standard toxin, they’ve given him the antidote even though it won’t do much good this late after exposure.
It has to wear off at some point.
Right?
~#~
“It’s not real,” the Joker laughs, “It’s not real, it’s not real! Can you tell yet, Boy Blunder? Is this real?” The crowbar swings out, and Jason screams as it crashes into his dislocated shoulder. “Or how about this?” It slams into broken legs, and his breath turns into a wheeze.
It’s not real.
It can’t be real.
The pain is so intense he feels like someone decided to rip his skin off and douse his bones in acid.
It’s not possible.
It can’t be possible.
This can’t be real, because he cannot live with himself if it is.
~#~
“Stop,” Cass says sharply, and pulls Tim away. She was watching all this time, but she only sees it now. The way Jason curls further into himself every time they tell him he’s safe.
It’s not helping. It’s only reinforcing whatever is in his head.
“Don’t,” she says when Tim tries to start again, “Making it worse.”
“What,” Tim rasps, “Why?”
Cass does not know. Her little brother has many prickly edges, and she has not cut herself on all of them yet.
“Stop,” she pleads, because they are losing him, she can see it, his eyes are unfocused and distant, and he is not getting any closer.
Tim looks at her, and back at Jason, and sighs, slumping back into the chair and burying his head in his hands.
~#~
“Okay, pumpkin, why don’t you close your eyes, and when you open them, you’ll be back safe with Batsy!”
Jason closes his eyes – please, please –
The Joker shrieks with laughter, and hope and dread war in equal measure. He just wants this to be over.
“Sweet dreams, Boy Blunder!” the Joker cackles, and Jason can faintly hear a door shut.
It – it’s ending soon. Right? He’ll wake up and he’ll be fine and it will just be one bad fear toxin nightmare.
He pushes himself up. Onto broken bones. They scream and grind painfully.
This can’t be real. His whole body is broken. He will never be able to fight again. He might never be able to walk again.
He crawls forward. Inch by inch. The door is in front of him.
It’s just a bad trip. Because Batman would’ve come if it was real. Batman would’ve saved the day if it was real. If Batman’s not here, that means it’s fake.
He pulls on the door handle, and it doesn’t turn.
It’s not real, he imagines in Bruce’s voice, you’re safe, Jay-lad.
He hears the ticking.
It’s not real, Dick says, you’re safe, you’re in the Cave, you’re going to be fine, Jaybird.
00:05.
It’s not real, he tries desperately to believe, to wish himself back to the Cave, to watch his surroundings waver and break, to blur out entirely, it’s not real.
00:01.
Jason closes his eyes and lets out one last sob.
It’s not real.
~#~
The Cave has turned into a mausoleum. Damian creeps down the stairs and shivers as he heads to the medbay.
Cain is perched on a free bed, staring intently at Todd as though she can distinguish microexpressions. As though there are any expressions to distinguish. Drake is at the computer, sending frequent glances towards Todd as he attempts to analyze the toxin for the hundredth time.
There is no point. The toxin was standard. The bloodwork came back clean. For all intents and purposes, Todd should be fine. They even removed the restraints.
Todd is not fine. He stopped screaming and thrashing, and now he’s just staring vacantly into empty space. Brown and Damian have been busy keeping Richard and Pennyworth occupied in the Manor so they don’t come back down. So they don’t see the shell that has replaced Todd.
No one has been able to get Father to move. He’s sitting on the bed now, Todd’s head in his lap, carefully stroking the hair away from his face.
Father’s face is wet, but he hasn’t made a single sound.
i think the popular fanon that dick and jason had a horrible awful relationship when jason was robin comes from them actually having an exceedingly normal "boring" relationship (except for the way it intertwined with both of the relationships with bruce which are very not normal)
like sorry but theyre living the life of siblings who have a large age gap where one is out of state attending college (partially true) with the added caveat of being adoptive siblings who haven't met before (mostly true)
when dick finds out about jason sure he blows up at bruce (complicated relationship) but he gives jason his original robin costume and says we're brothers call if you need me (very normal and not complicated relationship)
there's no more idolization and hero worship than a younger brother who thinks his older brother is just as cool as he is lame and there's no more extension and recognition of the self in you my mini me than an older brother who understands dad kinda sucks sometimes
sorry not sorry i find such a mundane relationship in a world where the stakes are always life and death where the relationships are always heart and gut wrenching allegories where connections range from soulmates to mortal enemies with little in between to be interesting as is
because characters die every other week in modern comics people forget that death in the family was an actual, textual shift in tone. a robin dying in uniform changed how batman comics were written. stakes were higher. conflict was more intense. suddenly tim is brought on and characters can point to a gravestone and say if something goes wrong you’ll die because children in costume are now mortal here. like dick and jasons relationship was relatively conflict averse and distant because of geographical constraints because that was the time they were living in. inserting drama where there wasn’t any in the first place cheapens what comes after imo. u only get the kind of toxically codependent, debilitatingly overprotective relationships after experiencing that kind of loss. dick and jasons amicable relationship just makes what follows more tragic
jason reading a book on a couch, cozy vibes. gun on a table next to the couch tho. he's ready 4 anything
or dick doing his epic quadruple flip. or maybe tim holding a pic of dick doing that epic flip with realization dawning on his face.
hope these give you some good vibes!! :3c i like ur art a lot
yes yes good vibes, thanks 🌹
I drew Dick as well but gonna post him separately later 😗
Okay, so Dick is facing the sunrise, soaking it in, almost looking as if he’s appreciating it as tho it might be his last. His facial expression is speaking so loudly to me, I just afdsklajf–he looks so relieved that he made it to another sunrise. I feel like it also symbolizes that Dick is the one most willing to hold onto his hope and faith, no matter what the universe throws at him. You’ll never be able to convince him that the world isn’t worth saving, because he knows there’s good in it, even if it’s not obvious at first glance. So, he lets himself bask in the sunrise, in the warmth of it.
Ohhh Jason. He’s facing away from the sunrise, and right off the bat it reads to me that he’s rejecting the light and warmth of it, because he doesn’t deserve it. He’s done so much wrong, so why should he allow himself the comfort and beauty of a sunrise? I also like to think that him facing away from the light symbolizes the joy and love from his life before he died–he believes that it’s behind him now and all that’s ahead of him is shadows and darkness.
Tiiiiim! Okay yeah, he’s facing the sunrise but he’s turned away from it. He can see it in his peripheral vision, sure, but it’s not his main focus. It almost feels like he’s forcing himself to even have his body turned towards it, and turns his head away at the last moment, unable to make himself look. He knows he should, but he can’t. He knows it’s expected of him to hold onto his hope, onto the good and just push through, but he’s seen too much of what’s hiding in the shadows to make himself believe it. I feel like it’s really symbolic of his mental health, that he’s really struggling internally.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but Damian is facing the sunset as opposed to the sunrise, yes? I see sunrises as being new beginnings, and hope. Sunsets though, I feel are more of an ending, a closing of a chapter, the transition from day to night. So I’m really feeling like Damian facing the sunset is him transitioning from his life with the League of Shadows to his new life with Bruce and taking on the mantle of Robin. It’s him closing the book of him living his life in the shadows and moving on to living his life in the light, providing hope for the citizens of Gotham as Robin, and maybe, just maybe, finding some for himself as well.
AHHHHH this is all so YUMMYYY thank you for taking time to type all this out ;A; <33
Yes you're pretty spot on with my feelings.
I will add -
For Jason: i feel he is often the one put into situations because people expect him to "be that guy" you know - the bad one, the black sheep, the BAD robin, the angry guy - so ok. if people think that's him, he'll play into that stereotype, but he will do so with a plan in the back of his mind that will hit you till its too late. I want it to show that although he is willing to go to those dark places to serve the better good, he is still there, feeling the warmth of the sun, waiting for the sun to rise and greet him. it's like a hug from behind, unexpected, but good- if not almost better than a hug from behind. bc it means you're not forgotten even if you think you are. he is a good man and is still worth saving. (also tho he just has really awful writers lately like good god man just say you hate jason todd - oh wait you all did that at NYCC 23 nvm I SHOULD KNOW I WAS IN THE AUDIENCE it SUCKED)
for damian: it is a sunrise, but i really love your thoughts on a sunset too!! honestly that works so much better LAMOFEL If you look, he's the one still most in the shadow out of them all OWO !! He still is growing from that darker place, but now that he's with B and the family, he's learning to look towards a better tomorrow and embracing what that means. For once, he is feeling the warmth and he is there to greet it.
but i loved your interpretation it's so GOOD and i love hearing your thoughts. im very happy that this could be interpret in so many ways ;A; thank you again. AAAAA
if anyone else has thoughts.... please... my ask box is open i love talking about these boys ;A;
I finished this drawing on my phone while I was at work so I didn’t have my normal “Kirby dot” brush that I normally use to fill in their chest emblem. But that’s okay I drew these dots by hand!!
Yeah originally I was gonna give her a golden chest emblem but then it was just too much yellow in one spot so it didn’t look good,,, Maybe I’ll change Freddy’s color from a silvery blue to yellow just to spice things up, so they don’t all look the same lol.
But yeah I made her outfit white because sometimes it’s red but Billy is red. It made sense for both of them to be red when they were canonically twins however, in a lot of stories they aren’t lol.
Anyways enjoy! ~✨⚡️
Bonus: a closeup for people who wanna see those pixels.
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