Nini

and the building makes it very clear that AIs were immune to the spell.

Tony: “FRIDAY, have you been socializing with young geniuses behind my back?…You’re job hunting, is that it?”

FRIDAY: “Trust me, boss. He can’t afford me.”

Peter: “It’s true. It’s extremely, extremely true…

-WAIT.

What if after Friday realized that Tony doesn’t remember Peter, she kept bringing him up to see if he will remember him, then just to keep him in Tony’s life…?

“…Boss, that Peter Parker seemed like a good fit for your internship program. Why not consider him?”

“That internship’s for high school students.”

“You have one for college students as well.”

“That’s pretty tough to get into. You really think that kid could handle it?”

Imagine Tony, newly retired, feeling his age more because of his AI child bullying him into hiring a broke college student than due to post-snap recovery.

Long-suffering Bot Dad Tony dealing with FRIDAY who keeps sending him files on Peter's genius abilities at 2:23 in the goddamn morning, to the the point where a horrible feeling creeps into his gut...

Tony, horrified: FRI, be honest with me...is this...have you got a crush? Is that what this is?

FRIDAY, doubly horrified, trying to bleach her memory drives, realizes there's only one (1) photo of Peter Parker left in her drives, in a bunch of data she recovered from JARVIS' old drives in The VISION (insert hand-wavy science tag); the one at the stark expo where he's wearing an Iron-man helmet and repulsor gloves...

And that's where Tony rabbit holes into solving the Peter Parker mystery, by first, trying to, most unsuccessfully, hire him as his intern...

BUT WAIT

If bots aren't affected then that means DUM-E, U, BUTTERFINGERS too remember Peter!

god, he tries to stop those habits because he could see from everyone’s reactions how his subconscious actions remind them of one of the hardest times in their family, but he slips up. he forgets.

in his realization, he distances himself for a bit. bites down his tongue before he could call out to damian, scared that his voice will echo with the boundless love he carries for his—

brother, partner, robin, son, son, son—

for damian.

Thinking about how he took in the child left, maybe out of obligation at first, but still did more by him than the biological father in the six months before his death...

Thinking about how Dick and Damian formed the strongest of bonds, of how Dick was Damian's first parent to love him unconditionally, if at all, how Dick was the first to see Damian as a person, as a life deserving of love, patience, and respect, as the child that he was and not the general, almost derogatory tag placed on Dami when convenient. (a child that was different than other children in almost every conceivable way because he never got the reprieve of childhood, and had been introduced to the filth of human nature before he could walk properly).

(Thinking about Steph finding acceptance for the first time in that family)

And thinking about how both their lives, experiences, and needs were thrown out of the window the minute Bruce came back. About how no consideration was shown to either of them and their choices and lives by the others.

And it makes me so angry that it was acceptable to anyone. 1 year is a whole lot of time to develop new instincts and forge a new life. How can it be expected of others to act like a wholeass year just didn't happen????

Starts with Batman staring out at Gotham. Classic sort of monologue.

Eventually there is a scene where the man behind the mask is standing in a graveyard. There is a specific grave in front of him. You can’t see the full name, only the last name “Wayne”.

He says “I’m sorry dad. I know you do not wish this life for me. But I’m trying to help Gotham. And raise a boy.” Then Alfred comes along. Telling his pseudo child that his father would be proud.

Then there is a scene where Robin almost kills a man. He seems extremely angry. Batman almost says his real name “D-!” But stops, quickly saying adjusted “Robin, we don’t kill”

“but this is Tony Zucco!” Robin explains angrily, expecting sympathy at his reasoning. But Batman shakes his head.

“I know. And I wanted to kill the man that murdered my parents at some point, but that isn’t the way. Your father wouldn’t want this for you.”

Maybe court of owls are the villains. Maybe they kidnap Batman, when he is out of costume, and tell him that his ancestor’s have been members of their ranks for generations. That he should join them. They could say his ward also has ancestry in their ranks.

In the manor, Batman tells Robin that he can’t go back to where he was before Gotham. It isn’t safe for him. Robin doesn’t believe him.

Batgirl is mentioned, but not seen.

There was a point of time where they were easily one of the most important people to each other, and while that has continued to be the case for their relationship with Alfred, their own relationship never gets the weight it deserves.

It's canon that Dick thought of of Damian as his almost s..

It's canon that Damian's favorite person was Dick

Why are we deprived of this duo and their significance to each other? T^T

_

Bruce dies, is in the time stream but the characters don't know that yet. and Dick has to take care of Damian, right? but he hates it. he doesn't necessarily hate Damian but hates that he has to raise him and teach him and such. Damian being from a cult of assassins and having the mindset of one doesn't help but it's not the boy's fault but it does make it harder for Dick. it's a complicated situation.

however, Batman is needed in the Watch Tower and Dick can't leave Damian alone so he brings Robin with him. obviously. and he hears the other heroes talk and treat Damian very similarly to how they treated and talked about him when he was Robin.

"he was an assassin, he can handle some excessive training."

"he was an acrobat, he can handle the long training hours."

and it hits Dick like a train that Damian is a child. he is a child that was ripped from everything he knew and placed in the care of a strange man in a strange place after losing his father.

like how Dick was ripped away from everything he knew and placed in the care of a strange man in a strange place after losing his parents.

Dick's entire world view of Damian flips and he, for once, has lost balance.

There's few people who can go through what Damian did, achieve what he has, and still hold such a capacity for goodness.

Damian, who complained about Dick calling him chum, hears Dick use sport and immediately twists his face and argues, “No, no, I’ve changed my mind, chum is fine.”

Dick coming up with the first nickname as a way to show affection cause Damian's still skittish around non-violent touches ("That was a perfect landing, Dami!") deliberately using it with a praise to soften any consequent blows. (Damian stills, confused. The praise is genuine, not a hint of mocking to it. So, that name can't possibly be patronization. He's noticed Grayson has them for all the others )

Dick comfortably using child-related endearments a few months later ("You did so well, kiddo." "Hey buddy, need something?" "You are benched, Robin. Hey, you know I'm not doing this to punish you, right kiddo? I need you to be safe more than anything else, and letting you out in the field with a broken wrist is...it's not about whether you can handle it or not, squirt. It was never about your ability. Always, always about your safety and my sanity. Humor me, bud.")

Dick finally using all the lovey-dovey endearments when he comes back from Spyral to find Damian alive ("Y-Your alive, oh my god, you're alive...I missed you so damn much sweetheart, nothing was the same without you...I'm not letting you out of my sight for even a second, angel, no arguments...Thank you for coming back to me, baby.")

—