Thinking about evil Batman's, and Batman time travel "fix-it" fics where someone goes back in time to save the Wayne's from being killed, but it ruins literally everything.
Bruce: since Thomas and Martha lived, the Court of Owls target Bruce, not to kill him, but to manipulate him onto their side. Due to this influence, and his parents (who after all three of them seemingly almost died, are unwilling to acknowledge their son could ever do anything wrong, ending up spoiling him and indulging whatever he wants) Bruce becomes one of the worst criminals in Gotham's history. He's not a Dark Knight, he's the fucking Dark King of Gotham's underworld. He controls the drug trade, he controls the exploitation of the lower classes, he decides what rogues are allowed to run around terrorizing his city. Not a soul dies in Gotham without its King's approval. Brucie Wayne is still seen as Gotham's shining prince who loves the city and donates to charity and wants to make it better, but there is no Batman - not even an Owlman - just Bruce Wayne, King of the Court of Owls, King of Gotham.
To Gotham, Bruce Wayne is the same. He seems too naive and sheltered to be a threat. He donates to charity, nearly any good cause that crosses his path, and Wayne Industries is one of the most equitable in town - paying above livable-wage, hiring ex-criminals, working towards ecological protection and restoration, they are the cutting edge of science that cares. Bruce is a beautiful, distant icon pretty much no one would believe could hurt a fly.
Dick Grayson-Wayne: going with Talon!Dick. His parents still die, then he's put in his grandfather's care, his grandfather who is the Talon for the Court of Owls. Dick is still eventually passed on to Bruce, but as a gift from the Court. Bruce is the King, of course he gets the best knight. Dick is trained and brainwashed until he's barely more than a loyal dog to his master, and Bruce works him like a dog on top of it. And yet, they still love each other. It's the love of a dog and its master, but it's love nonetheless.
Police Commissioner Jim Gordon: Jim likes to believe he's one of the few good cops in Gotham, but he knows there are some people you just can't enforce rules on. There are certain people you just have to make deals with in order to stay alive, and The Dark King is one of those people. No matter how hard he tries or how much it hurts his morals. Jim Gordon is only allowed to be police commissioner because The Dark King allows it. If he could fight it, he would, but this king is the one keeping the real dangers off the streets. Bruce? Tom's kid? Yeah, I like him. He's a good man, like his father. I'd even call him a friend.
Barbra: She really believed she could stop the Dark King, but as time went on, she slowly started to agree with her father. The mystery man who ruled Gotham's underworld seems to be the only person holding Gotham together at all. He took care of all the chaos criminals, only keeping those who he could use and control. He killed the Joker before he could hurt her dad. She doesn't like it, doesn't like how this guy pulls a far off string and someone is dead before the week is done, but she sees why Gotham needs it, and she'll work through a computer screen with the man in the shadows to keep the casualties to a minimum. She still doesn't know his true identity, and she's pretty sure he doesn't know hers (she is wrong, of course Bruce recognizes the daughter of one of his best friends, but since she's Jim's kid, Bruce is going to make sure she's never hurt).
Jason: Growing up in an unstable environment and passed from parental figure to parental figure, none are his legal guardian, but they all at least try to take care of him. Jason, to do his part, takes to stealing. Car tires, wallets, jewelry, whatever he can get his hands on. He gets pretty good at it - and that's when he's caught trying to burgle the same safe as Catwoman. Hey, when an asshole goes out of town and leaves his valuables unprotected (kinda), who wouldn't burgle the place.
Selina: She knew a couple of Jason's "parents", knew there was a kid running around with a gift for stealing, and when she runs into him on a case - she likes the little stray and takes him in. She's the first, since Catherine's death, to keep him longer than a couple months and teaches him the tools of the trade, until one day, they try to steal from the wrong person - a member of the Court of Owls. Selina is given the option of working for them or having her kid killed. She hates it, but she starts working for the Court, and eventually, for Bruce directly. They have the same kind of non-committal romance as usual, but there's this undercurrent of threat - Bruce controls her livelihood and uses her connection to Jason to manipulate her. And then Bruce does the same to Jason - controls his livelihood and uses his connection to Selina to manipulate him into being basically Bruce's #2 henchman behind Dick.
Cass: Never goes to Gotham. She is not a killer. She is not a bat. She finds happiness, and love, and death, in Shanghai.
Tim: Is still Bruce's neighbor growing up. Still saw Dick's parents final show. Still knows there's something wrong happening in the Wayne household. He's spent years, without the supervision of his parents, observing and taking notes on Wayne and his "son" and his "girlfriend" and her son, and Tim knows. He's followed them. He's seen what they do. And he's going to do whatever it takes to keep himself safe - by confronting the evil crime lord next door, present his evidence to the man and blackmail him into protecting the Drakes personally and professionally, as any 13-year-old would.
Bruce is actually pretty impressed. It takes skill and intelligence to get all this dirt on such a careful man. So Bruce agrees to take care of him, in exchange Tim becomes his assistant. A kid smart enough to get dirt on him is smart enough to get dirt on anyone.
Stephanie: Is collateral. Her father wanted to work in Gotham. Stephanie hated him and was eager to get back at her father, to ruin his plans as best she could, so she went out of her way to ally with the biggest bad of the Gotham underworld. Bruce thought he could use Stephanie to control Clue Master the way he used Jason to control Catwoman - it didn't pan out that way. Stephanie was too good an underling, so Bruce took her in and manipulated her until she was calling him dad - just to spite Clue Master, surely. She might have had a crush on Tim, but that's not what matters. What matters is she proves to her new father she's worth the time and effort he's put into her.
Damian: The League of Assassin's needed an in with the Dark King of Gotham, an alliance the man would never betray. Ra's respected the man, Talia loved him, so the agreement was made. Bruce couldn't legally marry her without the press going wild, so they simply agreed on child. Damian is a prince of two nations, son of an assassin and a crime lord, little more than the physical manifestation of an alliance. Talia trained him until he was ready for Gotham. Bruce treats him like he treats all the children in his care - like a beloved pet or a tool to use at his leisure, usually at the same time.
Duke: With Riddler and Joker generally taken care of, there's little reason for Duke to seek out someone who can help him save his parents... Anyway, the Dark King considers everyone in Gotham to be his possessions, so when a fuckin, supposed immortal storms into Gotham looking for his heir, he only gets so far. Gnomon still thinks Gotham sucks, Bruce sucks, and Duke sucks because of it. Probably kills Elaine for running away stealing Duke, probably kills Doug first to rub in Elaine's face what she ran away from, probably tries to kill Duke in an effort to force him to evolve. This Bruce makes sure to actually test the immortality of this Gnomon by letting him get shot by an emotionally compromised cyborg police officer. Just in case Gnomon is actually immortal and tries to come back, Bruce takes in Duke. No, Bruce isn't trying to make up for letting down Duke's parents, he just wants to have an (supposed) immortal who can see the future on his side.
This Bruce loves Gotham and his children as much as any other Bruce does. This version of him really shouldn't be allowed near them, though, since he has such a hard time seeing people as people and not pets and objects to use to control his kingdom.
