gotham city is a cryptid and the batfam are Their children.
warnings and tags: blood, injury, fighting, a little angst
Dick was the first to see Them, likely because he was the first Robin. He had only just become Robin, so when he got lost on the streets of Gotham, he didn’t want to admit to Batman that he was lost. So he wandered the streets, looking for something familiar.
Slowly, he became aware of something behind him. Oddly, despite knowing he was being followed, the presence didn’t make him feel unsafe.
Dick wondered if maybe it was a child, or someone who needed help, so he turned around and called out, telling whoever it was that he could help them.
Nobody answered. But the wind blew a bit harder and Dick swore he heard a voice, so he called out again.
This time They answered. “You’re lost, little one, not me.”
Dick jumped. “Who are you?”
“I am no one. But I can help you find the Bat.”
“I can find anyone. Come, child, it’s too cold for you.” a breeze nudged at Dick, feeling more like a parent, nudging their child along than wind. So Dick let himself be guided through Gotham, giggling when the wind tickled him.
And then he was deposited behind Batman and Commissioner Gordan.
“Batman!” Dick bound over to Batman, hugging the man's legs.
“I was exploring! The wind brought me home!”
Batman frowned. “Stay close, Robin.”
Tim met Them next. He too, was lost on the streets of Gotham, but unlike Dick, Tim was injured, and badly. He was beginning to think he might die, like Jason had, only he would die because he couldn’t figure out where he was or stop the bleeding.
As Tim was trying to stop the bleeding, a gust of wind tore through the alley he was hiding out in. When Tim looked up, a shadowy figure stood at the entrance.
“Batman?” Tim’s voice shook, because he knew it wasn’t Batman.
“I am not the Bat, child. I can help you, though.”
“Okay, well why should I trust you?”
This seemed to stump Them for a moment. Then They answered. “The first little bird did. I took him home one night.”
“Can you fix a bullet wound?” Tim didn’t want to die here and No One seemed nice enough.
“I can. I can also take you to the Bat, if you’d like.”
“I’d appreciate it, yeah.” The figure moved towards him and seemed to stoop down in front of Tim, reaching out a shadowy limb. They pressed it to his wound, ignoring his wince.
Then, the pain was gone, and They were standing, offering Tim a hand. Tim took it, and was gently pulled up and off the ground.
“Come, little one.” They turned away and walked off, leaving Tim to follow, and he did, partially out of curiosity.
After a while, They turned a corner, and vanished, but Tim was standing at a crime scene. Then he saw Batman and went over to him.
Jason didn’t meet Them until after he came back from the dead. He had just killed off a room full of drug dealers that were selling to kids when the doors flew open, wind pushing them open.
“What the fuck?” he muttered, going to close the doors. When he turned back around, his eyes landed on a shadowy figure in the corner that hadn’t been there before.
“I am no one.” Their voice echoed around the room, Jason’s hair standing up on end.
“Well you must be someone. And if you don’t tell me, I’ll shoot ya.”
“I am no one and shooting me will do you no good.
“Then what the fuck do ya want?”
Jason scoffed. “Help? Help with what?”
“You are lost, little one. I can take you home.”
“Kay, this is weird. I don’t need your help, I ain’t lost, physically or otherwise, so fuck off.” oddly enough, They did, and Jason didn’t see Them until he asked to.
He really was lost and he just wanted to go home, wanted his dad, wanted to see Alfred and Dick and maybe the new kid. So he called out.
“I am always here, child.” Their voice echoed less this time.
“I wanna go home.” Jason was crying.
“Then I shall take you home. Come, little child.”
A warm breeze guided him to his bike and when he climbed on and started it up, it was like someone else was driving, guiding him though the streets and eventually, to the manor.
The breeze came back, nudging him up the stairs and knocking on the door for him. It stayed, wrapped around him, until Alfred answered the door, then They were gone.
Damian met Them when Dick was Batman. Dick had been injured, and the comms were out. The two of them were stranded in a field outside of Gotham’s city limits, a fight with Scarecrow leading them out there.
Damian didn’t notice the wind picking up, but he did notice the figure that stood just a few feet from him.
“Leave us alone!” he had cried, knowing that if they were attacked, more than likely they would die.
“I am here to help, little one. Do not be afraid.” They said, which historically, has never worked well.
“I am no one, and your brothers have trusted me. Let me save this one again.”
“Okay.” Damian was tired and he knew Dick was dying. So he sat back, watching Them approach and kneel next to Dick.
They placed a hand on his chest, and after a few seconds, Dick’s eyes flew open and he gasped. When he saw Them, he smiled.
“I am always there, child. Let me take you home now.”
“Yeah, okay. Damian,” Dick turned to Damian, and frowned when he saw that the boy was crying silently. “Come here, bud, it’s okay.” Damian hugged Dick tightly while Dick carried them home, a warm breeze swirling around them.
None of them knew exactly what or who They were, but if they asked for help, or got lost, They were always there when needed.
Strangely, or maybe not, they never appeared when Batman was around. Maybe they knew he would help them and that he could save them, but even when having Them help would be good, if Batman was there, They never appeared.
Until one day. One day, when a new rogue appeared, this one with deadly intent. When It went after all of them, taking out one member at a time, It saved Batman for last.
Except the wind kept picking up, giving them all slight advantages, making them hard to beat, but still, It eventually was able to take them all down.
And when It turned to lunge at Batman, It found a shadowy figure standing next to him.
A voice echoed. “I will not allow this. You will not hurt them.” as They spoke, every vigilante it had taken down, had killed, even, stood up, uninjured, full of energy.
And the rouge started and then started to attack again, only this time, They were there, They were fighting it, and They were angry. It had hurt Their children and this was an unforgivable crime.
They would kill It and Their children would be safe. And that is exactly what They did. They made Themself into a weapon, a killer, took all the pain It had inflicted and then, They killed It.
When They were done, when It was dead, Batman approached. “What are you?” he asked quietly, somehow knowing that They were not a who, but a what.
“I am Gotham City, and you are all my children. You were created by my hand and I am always there.” and then, They were gone.
Of course, They are still around, when the Bats need help, they call out, and They appear, ready to help Their children.