This is probably EXTREMELY inaccurate, but toxic/dysfunctional batfam is my favorite thing ever.
And I don't mean toxic as in the physically abusive or extremely neglectful way, I mean toxic as in the 'I will hurt myself so you have to stay longer' type of way when someone thinks of leaving/quitting. What do I specifically mean? Well, picture this scenario that got me this idea in the first place! Ehem.
Tim Drake thinks it's time to finally leave Gotham and go off on his own, traveling, preferably with the YJ. He's done enough, hasn't he? He helped Bruce and Dick during Jason's death, helped Jason reconnect with the family, Damian was now officially Robin, he got Bruce back from the time stream, and he's spent his years helping Gotham and W.E.
He wants a break, he admits it. And with the help of his therapist (the YJ pestered him into getting sessions) and friends, he finally decided to tell the others. He expected Bruce to be fine about it, Dick and Cass to be a little sad, but Jason and Damian would most probably be happy to be rid of him.
So, he formally gave Bruce a resignation letter, and told everyone that he was leaving for good. They, as expected, were a little shocked, but also seemed completely fine with it. Smiles and hugs were given out that night, with pats on the back and congratulations from everyone. (Tim pretended that their happiness for him didn't sting. With all his efforts for them, couldn't they at least pretend to be affected?)
Tim finished everything up in Gotham, his cases and his work in W.E. He got all of his stuff packed and everything! Unfortunately, it seems like fate just wasn't in his favor. Every time he got a set date on when to leave, something just had to happen!
The first time it happens, Tim has to take over a case because Nightwing accidentally sprained his ankle and wrist, and everyone else was busy on their own cases. Tim got it, accidents happen, it was fine. So he set his flight on another date!
The second time something happens, it's with Jason. After finishing Nightwings case, he moves the date of his flight to take off a week after. Then suddenly, Jason and Bruce got in a fight, Jason stormed off and did a drug bust by himself as a way to relieve stress, and got shot multiple times in his shoulder and leg. Worst of all, some higher up goons got away and Tim had to help. Dick still had a sprained ankle and wrist, but now Jason had to be in bed rest because of how much blood he had lost since he refused to ask for help in the coms until it was almost too late.
Tim got that situation covered and moved the date again, third time's the charm, right? Wrong. Damian gets benched because he got hurt for being too reckless on a mission, and Tim had to help. Again. Fucking great.
The next time this kind of pattern occurs, it comes from someone Tim does NOT expect. Because since when did Bruce get hurt from goons of all things? Like, seriously? Bruce supposedly forgot to replace the damaged kevlar in his suit, and got stabbed in the leg. A goon stabbed the Batman. A goon stabbed the Batman.
The loop repeats over and over and over again. Tim moves his flight date, and atleast one of the four gets hurt, sometimes even severely, before he could actually leave. Sprained muscles, broken bones, stab wounds, gun shots, getting sick for whatever reason, hell even the equipment kept malfunctioning! Jason, after he was alright again, accidentally fell off the W.E. building cause his grappling hook was faulty. Nightwings electric escrima sticks were apparently broken and a goon got a lucky shot on him.
Damian got sick from food poisoning when he ate at school, which was weird, since he hated eating there. Bruce, during these situations, kept asking Tim to stay for a little while, at least until everyone got better to send him off personally. It was the weirdest, most coincidental (not really) thing Tim has ever experienced, and that was saying something considering the life he has.
It gets so bad that Tim makes up his mind to just cancel his entire plan of traveling. He felt bad when he told the YJ, of course, they all were looking forward to it, but if fate didn't want him to leave so bad, then maybe he should just listen.
Unfortunately, even with his detective skills, he was a little oblivious sometimes, and the others knew that. So he never really saw the way the others' wounds seemed too precise and timed, never noticed the way the others' injuries gradually stopped after he announced that he wasn't leaving after all, never noticed the way his family seemed eerily firm on keeping him inside the manor or anywhere else as long as one of them was there so they could watch him.
And most of all, he never notices the knowing stares his family gives each other whenever he jokes about the time he wanted to travel around the world with the YJ but fate just wouldn't let him.
'Fate' was them, Tim just never noticed.
titsay
yousharknotpass
stormborns
pixelskylines
areudirty
gummygunk
