Wingding

So you have this little 11 year old kid who hasn’t seen his dad or his friends in months, he thinks his grandfather is standing by with a dose of electrum and a scalpel to time how long it takes him to heal from various wounds, and he’s tired and scared and his nerves are fried and he wants to go home, and now he’s being yelled at by people he doesn’t recognize. They’re saying he should have been able to avoid an attack from a magic user. They’re grabbing him and tossing him around and they’re talking at him instead of with him and none of them are noticing the blood stains or the way his limbs are shaking or the way his eyes are specked with yellow.

His grandfather just tortured him under the guise of training, and now he’s with a bunch of unknown supers while he’s actively bleeding and trying not to pass out and the ringing in his ears is making him dizzy.

In his mind, he’s been kidnapped for months. He’s been tortured for months. He thinks he’s stuck and that no one will ever find him.

And then when he’s looking around the room, ignoring the way everyone else is shouting at him and around him and asking for explanations, he finally sees someone familiar. Maybe it’s Oliver. Maybe it’s Barry. Maybe it’s Clark.

And he just crumbles. He cries and he screams and he begs to go home when whoever it is finally comes and catches him before he can fall.

“I want my dad,” he begs. He repeats it, over and over, until he’s gasping, until he chokes on the blood in his mouth, until he’s hyperventilating and about to faint.

Until Batman finally swoops in and holds him, hides him in his cape, and whispers into his ear, “I’m here, you’re okay, it’s okay.”

Then they finally meet Bruce and Dick, and it’s a total 180. Dick holds Bruce’s hands and rocks on his heels and grins, and suddenly the missing baby tooth isn’t frightening, it’s endearing. Bruce has no problem picking Dick up and letting Dick cup his hands around his ear to whisper a secret. Bruce is indulgent and so clearly loves his little son so much, and he brushes Dick’s hair out of his eyes and straightens the collar of his shirt when it’s gone askew from all his playing and he ties Dick’s shoelaces when he notices the knot has come undone.

Idk I just love sweet dad Bruce and sweet little kid Dick making the JL think this all an elaborate prank by Batman and Robin, that the real Batman and Robin must be hiding out somewhere watching them interact with Gotham’s favorite billionaire and his son and they must think it’s all very funny.

hey it's december so time to stare at my work and judge it, here's some stuff that i still like! not included are zine stuff that i'm holding on to for now

"If you need someone to talk to, let me know. I've been there."

Batman Family #7

"If you need any help, any time--"

Batman #455

"There's going to be times when you're going to want to talk to someone. Call me at this number. I've been where you're at and I'm a good listener."

Batman #416

"How can I help?"