You know Iād love a batfam neglects batsis/batbro that starts not when theyāre brought into the family⦠but show it as nightmares, flashbacks, etc. warning dead Alfred.
Have batsis/batbro move on in another heroās city as to avoid them. Have them live happy in whatever profession of their dreams after finding themselves. Not the version behind Wayne manor, truly them. Fall in love with someone (maybe a hero kid or something. Hell secret villain kid) and every time they feel good they hear news of justice league, of bat man. Some nightmares⦠flashbacksā¦
Have each unfold the story slowly until you get to the climax, what TRULY happened. They didnāt come to this city under the best circumstances no. The reality was they were kidnapped for a hostage situation and Bruce never paid, forgot them and thought it was a fake. A scam. They survived by mere luck. They shot them and left them to rot, but much to their surprise Harley Quinn found them and helped themāit was one of her āredemptionā periods before going back to the Joker but she still saved them. A villain saved their life when their own family wouldnāt. Thatās when they left, when she went back. They had no reason to stay and built a life away from them all. Have them confess to their lover about what happenedā¦.
Then switch to the bat family currently.
Cassandra, Steph, and Duke never knew them. They look at the few portraits of them in the manor and wonder what they were like, they donāt have the full story. The others had other varying reactions when theyāre brought up. They had so many questions but since Alfredās death, there was no one willing to tell them.
Tim still kept an eye through his skills and connections hoping to find them. He had figured out first after he noticed their lack of presence about the call Bruce had awhile back that he had a hostage situation. Bruce had been second to hear the conclusion that Tim had, that it was no scam because they had batsis/batbro. He knew they were likely dead but he couldnāt rest until a body is found⦠or they come back.
Damian gets quickly irritated, but he has nightmares at night that heād never admit to or tell anyone about. He was younger, but they werenāt strong. Normally that would make him disregard them or just insult them when mentioned⦠but he canāt. Not anymore. At first, heād just remember how he treated them, not these horrific nightmares, but then Alfred died. The nightmares came, repeating how Alfred died⦠then images of all the things that could have happened to batsis/batbro. In some, he saw a demon-like version of himself killing them⦠it shouldnāt bother him⦠but it does.
With Dick, he would wander close to their room when he was in the manor. Heād go in and look at their school achievements and the photos they had with coaches and instructors⦠with Alfred. He didnāt get nightmares, he barely slept since they told him what probably happened. So, so many unkept promises heād probably never get to make up for. One picture had disappeared from the room, he never knew who had it.
Jason felt pissed every time he remembers anything about them. He avoided the manor more than ever. He blamed Bruce, but he knew deep down they all had a contribution. He was horrible to them in life and he fully believes theyāre dead. He doesnāt see how they wouldnāt have come home if they were.
Then thereās poor Bruce. He lives in denial. That theyāre somehow still alive. That missing picture? He took it out the frame and kept it with him. It was one of their birthdays, they had baked their own cake with Alfred and Alfred took a picture of the two of them after. He remembers he never made it home to wish them happy birthday. He made so many mistakes, let his vigilante work consume him so he forgot he had more in his life besides it. And itās likely he lost that for good.
All means theyāre obsessed about finding the truth, finding them. But when will they realize they arenāt in their city?