#batpups

Jason: Yeah. It’s tropey but it works.

Dick: Exactly. Wanna flip for Bad Cop?

Jason: You’re kidding.

Dick: Or we could play Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock?

Jason: Dude, I can’t be Good Cop. I kill people, remember? You can’t kill people and be Good Cop.

Dick: Those were traffickers and mob lieutenants. These are Rogue goons.

Jason: What, like that matters?

Dick: Yes, that matters. They don’t care that you took out some mobsters. They care that you revived the Joker after beating him to death and then let him go.

Jason: I didn’t revive him, I just didn’t let him die yet! And I didn’t let him go either! That was Batman! I was gonna kill the psycho!

Dick: Yeah, well, you still kept him alive and the goons probably know it. Just like they know I was happy to leave him dead when I killed him.

Jason: What?

Dick: You heard me.

Jason: You…?

Dick: Killed the Joker? Yes. I thought he killed Timmy and then when I confronted him, he said your name and…I didn’t stop hitting him until he choked on his own blood.

Jason: Then…how is he still alive?

Dick: Batman revived him.

Jason Fucking what?

Dick: Yeah.

Jason: Well, now I definitely can’t be Good Cop. I’m way to pissed for that shit.

Dick: Well, so am I.

Jason: Fuck.

Dick: Fuck.

Jason: So now whadda we do? Try to beat it outta him?

Dick: No, he'll lock down. That's why I suggested "Good Cop, Bad Cop" to begin with.

Jason: So we need a Good Cop.

Dick: Okay, I’m gonna call Timmy and see if he can come play Good Cop.

Jason: Good plan.

Dick [talking into a secure (& Batman-proof) phone]: Hey, Robin, you busy?

Tim [on speakerphone]: Kinda, yeah. What’s going on? You sound weird.

Dick: Hood and I need to get some intel from a goon, and we’re thinking “Good Cop, Bad Cop” is the way to go but neither of us can pull off Good Cop right now.

Tim: Shit. I’m in Bangkok right now-

Jason: The fuck are you doing in Bangkok?

Tim: Speedy needed help with a thing.

Dick: In Bangkok?

Tim: No. She’s in Korea.

Jason: So, again, why the fuck are you in Bangkok?

Tim: Because Lady Shiva’s here and she’s perfect for what Speedy needs, so I’m calling in a favor she owes me.

Dick: You’re calling in a favor from Lady Shiva because Speedy needs help with a thing in Korea.

Tim: Yep. You got it.

Dick: No, that’s- You say that like it doesn’t require any further-

Tim: Can you hang on for a second? There’s an assassin tailing me.

Dick: Shit. Do you need us to send someone out there?

Jason; Starfire should be done with her thing by now. She's not on your shit list, right?

Tim: No, I like Kori. But I’m good now. My assassin got the other assassin.

Dick: You have an assassin?

Tim: Kinda? She defected from the League of Assassins and is up for hire but she always gives me priority since she feels like she owes me a life-debt.

Dick: Again, you sound like you think that statement doesn’t require any further explanation.

Jason: So you hired your assassin buddy to kill the other assassin?

Tim: What? No. Of course not. She didn’t kill him. We’ll question him later. She never kills on my jobs since she knows I don’t like it.

Dick: What about other jobs?

Tim: That’s her business. We aren’t all control freaks, you know.

Dick: That’s-

Jason: That’s good, Little Red. Good that you have healthy boundaries.

Dick: I have healthy boundaries.

Jason: Sure you do.

Tim: Okay, you’re gonna have to argue that on your own. I’m supposed to help my friends out with something after I get Shiva to help Speedy, but I have to handle this interrogation first. So how about I just send my friends the twenty-five plans I drew up and ask Bunker if he minds helping you out before he joins us? He should be able to get inside Gotham in less than ten minutes.

Jason: Oh, Bunker’s perfect for Good Cop.

Tim: Right? They’ll spill everything and probably give him their grandma’s secret family recipes on top of it.

Dick: Wait. Back it up. You have twenty-five plans drawn up? What are you guys up against?

Tim: Nothing we can’t handle. Young Justice figures, why even bother with a plan B if you aren’t gonna cover the whole alphabet?

Jason: There’s twenty-six letters in the alphabet, Little Red.

Tim: Yeah, but plan Z is always the same, so we don’t bother listing it anymore.

Dick: Is it ‘get an adult’?

Tim: Of course not.

Jason: When you were a Teen Titan, how often did you call in an adult when you probably should have?

Dick: Okay, that’s fair.

Jason: So what’s plan Z?

Tim: ‘Fuck it, we ball’.

Dick: That’s not a pl-

Jason: That’s perfect. I love it.

Dick: No. Don’t encourage him.

Tim: Thanks, Red. So do you want me to ask Bunker about helping you? I’m kinda on a time crunch now.

Jason: Yes, please.

Tim: Okay. He’s on the way. Is there anything else?

Dick: Whe-

Jason: No, we’re good. Have fun storming the castle!

Tim: ‘Kay, bye!

Jason: Bye!

Dick: The fuck-

Jason: Bunker and I can handle the interrogation here and Timmy and his assassin friend are gonna be busy with an interrogation there for a bit. If you take off now, you can probably catch up with him and go all big brother like you’re dying to.

Dick: You sure?

Jason: Yeah, I’m sure me and Bunker can handle this asshole.

Dick: Thank you.

Jason: Yeah, well, you did kill the Joker. That’s gotta count for something, right?

Dick: I’ll tell you all about it after I make sure Timmy doesn’t get himself killed or lose another organ.

Jason: I’ll hold you to- Timmy lost an organ?

Dick [already calling Kori to get him to Tim]: Later. I’m on a time crunch now!

Jason: I’m holding you to that!

The fact that Bruce was Tim’s biological father was something of an open secret in the Drake household. Both Jack and Janet knew it. They both passed away before Tim ever met Bruce, but Janet’s parents had known as well. However, they never openly acknowledged it. Jack alluded to it the most often (usually when he feeling pissy about something or other) but but even then, he never outright said it.

Tim caught on early enough to subtly make comments here and there that Janet could confirm or deny (or ask what he was talking about). She confirmed while also making it clear that it was a family secret without ever explicitly stating that Jack wasn’t Tim’s father.

Once he started spending time at Wayne Manor, Tim figured out that Bruce was his biological father (based mainly on some comments Jack made when he heard his parents arguing about whether to let him continue to do so). Since he was used to it being a shared but unspoken secret, and since Bruce was supposed to be the world’s greatest detective, Tim figured Bruce knew, too. He made similar comments alluding to it early on and Bruce, not in the state of mind to truly pay attention to Tim, just didn’t catch on to ask questions or realize what the boy was saying. Tim took his responses as confirmation that Bruce was aware of the situation and it would just be more of the same (don’t ever say it aloud) at Wayne Manor.

So Tim never said anything.

Until Damian came along. Because Damian obviously wouldn’t know and his whole ‘trying to murder Tim’ issue was rooted in the belief that he was the only blood son who needed to eliminate the interloper. Therefore, Tim figured that telling Damian would be the first step to them coming together as a family (and him no longer having to watch that the little jerk wasn’t trying another attempt against his life).

“I think we need to tell Damian the family secret.”

“He already knows.”

“He does? Since when?”

“Talia told him I’m Batman from the beginning.”

“No, I know that. I meant the other family secret.”

“Which one?”

“The one we don’t talk about.”

“Hng?”

“Look, I know it’s gonna be weird ‘cause of the whole thing where we never talk about it, but he needs to know.”

“Needs to know what? What are you talking about?”

Which is how Tim realized that Bruce had no clue the whole time and how Bruce learned that he had two biological sons.

One of which he let live with an asshole and then a hired actor before he legally adopted him because he hadn’t figured out that the boy was already his. The other of which his ex managed to hide from him for ten years.

Dick and (later) Jason will never let him live it down.

Jason: What are you doing here, Boy Wonder?

Tim: Probably the same thing you are. Spying on criminals.

Jason: ...

Tim: Want some fries? They're Jokerized, just to warn you.

Jason: Why?

Tim: Kon-El got some to try the last time he sneaked into Gotham and it turns out they're really good.

Jason: No, why would you offer me fries?

Tim: I have enough to share and I can always buy more?

Jason: Why are you being nice to me?

Tim: I'm offering fries, not a kidney. Why wouldn't I?

Jason: Because of the knife to the throat or, you know, that time I beat you within an inch of your life?

Tim: ...

Jason: ...

Tim: What the fuck was your time as Robin like?

Jason: The fuck?

Tim: A mentally unstable individual violently attacked me because he was scared or mad at Batman. That's like a bi-monthly occurrence for me, minimum. At least you were really insane and want to get better now-

Jason: I never said I wanted to stop killing.

Tim: I said get better. You want to be in control of yourself instead of being all Lazarus crazy, right?

Jason: Yes. But that doesn't mean I won't kill.

Tim: That's still wanting to get better. You think half the rouges who rotate through Arkham are actually trying to get better by even that much?

Jason: No.

Tim: Me, either. So that makes you an improvement over the usual. Plus, you know, the trauma from being murdered and all.

Jason: That's not an excuse to attack a kid.

Tim: No, but it's an explanation, which, again, is better than the usual. And you're showing signs of genuine remorse. That's huge around here. How often do we get that?

Jason: Anyone ever tell you your standards are kinda fucked up?

Tim: They'd have to pay closer attention for that.

Jason: Fucking what?

Tim: Doesn't matter. It's not like you're going to talk to anyone and even if you did, who'd believe you?

Jason: ...

Tim: So, you want some fries?

Jason: Yeah, sure.

Jason: These are good.

Tim: Right?

Jason: Is this nori?

Tim: Uh-huh; with paprika, kosher salt, and msg. I think there might be something else in there, but I haven't been able to place it.

Jason: Potato starch.

Tim: Oh, that makes sense.

Jason: I am definitely Jokerizing my fries from now on.

Tim: Try them with the Riddler Shake, too. The mint really compliments them.

Jason: I'll do that.

Tim: Wait. Doesn't that guy work for Black Mask?

Jason: Yes, he does.

Tim: So...want to pull a World's Finest?

Jason: A what?

Tim: You know, a team-up?

Bruce and Alfred had found it slightly odd that Jack and Janet Drake didn't ask any questions about Tim spending so much time at Wayne Manor. True, the Drakes could have questioned Tim and he simply could have not told them. However, the boy knew better than to keep it to himself if he'd made any excuses Bruce might need to know or if his parents were likely to make any complaints. Neither of the Drakes ever contacted Bruce or the Manor. They never requested to see or speak with any member of the family.

While they were making the arrangements for Janet's funeral (because Jack was in a coma and Tim was just a child), Bruce received a summons from her lawyer, stating that she'd remembered her dear friend in her will. Bruce was immediately suspicious because he and Janet Drake hadn't been friends.

Bruce receives a letter, along with a small, locked box, about the size of a document mailer. The letter apologizes for the deception and requests that Bruce give the box to Alfred Pennyworth, stating that the combination was Tim's birthday. Out of respect for Alfred more than anything, Bruce follows the instructions.

After going through the box privately, Alfred appears more solemn than Bruce has seen him in decades. He tells Bruce that -years before- he'd slept with a upper-class woman when visiting his father, who had already been working for the Waynes. After coming to work for the Wayne's himself, Alfred had learned that the woman had gotten married not long after and had a child. A child that was just the right age to potentially be his. At his request, Thomas and Martha invited the woman and her husband to a party at the Manor. Alfred very professionally informed her that she had an important phone call and to please follow him to an appropriate guest phone. Once they were in a private room, Alfred calmly informed her that he was going to require proof that the child was not his. He would be happy to take a paternity test himself, or she could take one for her husband that proved he was father. Whether she told her husband or did it behind his back, Alfred didn't care. He had no intention of causing a scene but he fully intended to be there for his child if he had one. The woman had agreed and discreetly had a paternity test done that had proven her daughter was her husband's child.

Alfred had thought that was the end of it. However, Janet Drake had left him a letter informing him that she had been that child. More importantly, she had informed him that the paternity test had been forged to keep him out of the picture since her mother had found a better prospect in her husband. After her parents died (she'd been an adult), Janet had found the results and a letter from her deceased maternal grandmother (who helped with the forgery) explaining the matter. She hadn't been sure how to feel or what to do about it. She'd ended up just ignoring it.

She had been concerned when Tim suddenly started spending time at Wayne Manor, but when she asked Tim about it, after talking about how nice Mr Wayne was and how cool Dick was and learning to play tennis and getting help with his gymnastics et all, he'd started talking about Alfred. He kept talking about how amazing he was. How kind he was. How funny he was. How clever he was.

Even though Tim hadn't known about the blood they shared, he'd clearly loved Alfred. Janet couldn't take his grandfather from him. That was why she let him spend so much time at Wayne Manor. That was why she never demanded to speak to Bruce. As far as she was concerned, it wasn't really about him. It was about family.

She also let Alfred know that she'd always been the primary caregiver for Tim. She'd always made the decisions in regards to him. She selected his nannies, babysitters, and boarding school. She saw to his medical appointments and made sure anyone preparing meals for Tim knew about his allergy (I always headcanon hazelnuts for some reason). She signed him up for gymnastics and martial arts. She made sure he got to and from Summer camp.

She knew Jack wouldn't know how to be a parent and requested that Alfred help out as much as he was comfortable with.

She also apologized for not telling Alfred the truth until it was too late for her to get to know him herself. She told him that the more Tim talked about him, the more she considered telling them both the truth. That she'd truly wanted to know him but just kept putting it off. If he was reading the letter, then she’d obviously waited too long.

Bruce and Alfred double check Alfred's blood against Tim's in the Cave before Alfred tells the boy he's his grandson. With Tim's permission, he discreetly has a proper blood test ran and uses the results to quietly assume custody of his grandson while Jack is in a coma.

When Jack wakes up and Alfred learns that he's both made arrangements for Tim to get an early junior's license to drive him around and also to work at Drake Industries for him, he doesn't just complain. He sees Jack privately and informs him that HE has had custody of Tim, not Bruce, as the city has assumed. He informs him of their relation. He informs him that he made a good deal of money both in the service of Her Royal Majesty and the Waynes and he invested that money wisely. In fact, he currently has more money than Jack. He informs Jack that unless he wants them to take it to a judge, Tim will not be acting as a caregiver, chauffeur, or executive assistant to Jack. If the man cannot afford to hire appropriate help, then Alfred will happy to pay for it, discreetly, of course.

Jack takes the latter option. He and Tim still move into the Manor next door, so that Tim can easily & quickly go to Alfred if he needs anything. While he's reluctant to say it aloud and almost petulant about it at times, Jack actually appreciates Alfred's help with Tim. He doesn't pay as much attention to the boy, but Tim ends up better taken care of anyway.

Alfred attends the Young Justice parent-Red Tornado conference alongside Dick (he asked Dick to still come as he’d understand the needs of a group of young heroes better than anyone else present). Unlike the others, he always stays on top of what the kids are getting up to. He refuses to participate in the sixteenth birthday trauma, which Tim figures out quicker since Bruce is working on his own (and he has someone to turn to afterwards -Alfred and Bruce have WORDS). He also holds people who hurt him accountable (it's harder with Bruce, who he sees as a son, but he does not mince words with Jack, Stephanie, or anyone else). He adored Dana and they had tea together once every fortnight just to ensure they were on the same page with Tim. He steps in and treats Tim much more fairly after Damian enters the picture. He goes full John Wick on Ra's after the man goes after his grandson.

Jason: ...

Tim: What?

Jason: Let me make sure I'm understanding this correctly before I respond. Your dad was murdered. Your stepmom, who never adopted you, was in a mental hospital. Dick was awol. Cass was still basically a baby as well and was finding herself. B was avoiding you because he felt guilty about getting your dad murdered.

Tim: He didn't-

Jason *speaking over him forcefully*: Then you dropped out of school, so no one could possibly miss you while you lived with a man who was a complete stranger to you and who knew you had money and no adults worth a damn in your life.

Jason *takes deep breath*: Why the fuck would you do that?!

Tim: Well, at first I wasn't sure what was going to happen to me and Batman needs Robin, but we also both needed some space to grieve. I had to make sure I was still available to Bruce while also leaving us some breathing room. Plus, Dick was out of town, so Bludhaven needed a vigilante anyway.

Jason: Okay, ignoring the twenty other things wrong with that statement, did it never occur to you that Bruce could just adopt you?

Tim: Well, Yeah. But he'd just adopted Dick, which was a really big deal for him, emotionally, you know? I was worried he'd feel bad if Bruce turned around and adopted me.

Jason: You were worried Dick would feel bad if Bruce adopted you when you had literally no one else?

Tim: Yeah. I was used to being alone anyway and you know how he can get when it comes to Bruce.

Jason: So you decided to move in with a strange man who was down on his luck and might, oh, I don't know, murder the weird, wealthy child whose bank account he had access to?!

Tim: I paid him. I never gave him direct access to my bank account.

Jason: Oh, well that makes everything fine then. He'd just have to force you to hand over more cash. Or hold you hostage against Bruce. Or blackmail you to keep you as his baby sugar daddy.

Tim: I set up everything about his fake identity so he couldn't try to blackmail me without looking really sketchy himself and he never knew about Robin, so what would he blackmail me with anyway?

Jason: How about telling Bruce what you did, since the charade was obviously mostly for him?

Tim: Then he'd risk losing everything while I moved in with Bruce. Nothing he could do against me would gain him anything, so what was the worst that could happen?

Jason: He could have murdered you in your sleep! He could've jumped you while you were vulnerable! He could've threaten to report you to a truancy officer if you didn't do something he wanted! He could've drugged you and sold you to traffickers! Fuck, I don't want to keep thinking about all the horrible things that could've happened to your idiotic baby past self. So let me just reiterate the important question: What the fuck were you thinking?!

Tim: Why does every funny story I tell you end up with you freaking out and yelling at me?

As a teacher, she is against him dropping out of school but she knows him and listens to him, so she realizes how hard the last few years have been on him, especially with how often he had to change schools. They compromise, with her signing him up in a homeschooling academy. He does a lot better and even starts taking AP classes in several subjects since his training has caused him to advance in them. Not having to get up early for school or hide so much from his teachers/classmates/parental figures(s) also takes a lot of pressure off of him.

Helena gains access to the Robin's Nest Tim builds in or near their building. She also upgrades her suit and staff using some of the materials and specs from his suit and gear. They both are very good at recognizing when the other is getting close to someone who isn't good for them, or pushing themselves too hard, and they intervene.

When Barbara eventually learns that Helena is posing as Tim's aunt (probably because Helena told her) she's like "Okay, I expect this kind of thing from Tim, but why would you agree to this?!"

Helena points out that she needed to find a way to supplement her teacher's salary if she was going into keep up the vigilante gig anyway; Robin's new computer set up rivals Oracle's; and this way she can make sure the bambino does his homework and gets enough sleep.

Barbara realizes that both Robin and Huntress have been on top of their game lately.

Once she calms down from realizing that Tim just needed a decent parental figure all this time, she and Helena start trading notes and working together to keep Tim and Cassandra from turning out like Bruce, Dick, or Jason.

Whenever they learn about this, Bruce and Dick will be insulted. Jason and Alfred will add their own notes to help.

When Tim's report card comes back with straight A's and Cass has learned to read all the street signs, Helena and Barbara take them out for pizza and gelato to celebrate.

Occasionally, Tim reminds Helena that she's just supposed to pretend to be his aunt. She ignores this and reminds him to do his schoolwork and eat something before patroling.

Janet wasn’t in any rush to get married, but being a young woman with a steady boyfriend from a well off family, naturally everyone kept asking when she and Jack were going to take the next step. Janet always remarked that she was happy with the relationship as it was; that she was focused on her career goals; that she and Jack were letting things move organically.

In her presence, Jack always gave similar answers. One day, when he didn’t realize she was in hearing range, he joked with some peers about not wanting to settle until he’d explored all his options. She let him know she’d heard him and told him to feel free to explore his options and that she’d do the same. He pulled a med student; a barista; a couple administrative assistants: young women who were very sweet and equally boring. She pulled men like the Davenport heir, Adrian Veidt,John Constantine (she’d been a Mucous Membrane fan in college), and Bruce Wayne. Realizing he was going to lose the most impressive woman he’d likely ever know, Jack told her he wanted to get back together and proposed shortly after.

When Janet learned she was pregnant with Tim (and what the due and conception date ranges were), she knew right away who the father was. As they’d been split up at the time, Jack couldn’t hold it against her. However, he didn’t want Bruce involved in their marriage (he was a bit jealous of the man). Janet didn’t want anyone telling her what to do with her son, so she agreed not to tell him.

It was always something of an open secret among the Drakes (Jack, Janet, Tim, and Janet’s father who died when Tim was little) that Tim was Bruce’s child. They never talked about it. Ever. Not even to confirm it to Tim who just kinda worked it out for himself. Janet always suspected that Tim knew but again, they never spoke of it.

After he intervened on Bruce’s spectacular breakdown following Jason’s death, Tim assumed it was the same in the Wayne household. After all, Batman was considered by many to be the world’s greatest detective. Alfred and Dick were certainly no slouches in the investigation department either. Of course, they’d figured it out for themselves just like Tim had.

And, just like the Drakes, of course they didn’t openly acknowledge the fact.

It wasn’t until Bruce returned with news that he had a son with Talia that Tim finally acknowledged it, thinking Bruce would get the joke because he already knew.

“If you had a nickel for every illegitimate child you had, you’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s still weird that it happened twice.”

“…”

“Especially with you being, like, the master of preparations and contingency plans.”

“…”

“It’s just weird, is all.”

“Who else do you think is my child?”

“…”

“…”

“Oh, shit, you have no idea.”

“No idea about who?”

“This whole time, you- Crap.”

“Tim.”

“Crap.”

“Tim.”

“Give me a minute, I think I’m having a nervous breakdown.”

“You look completely calm.”

“Yeah, well, my nervous face and my calm face are the same.”

“…”

“…”

“Tim?”

“Not that I want any details, but, uh, do you remember sleeping with my mother?”

Bruce was not expecting that response but he quickly does, in fact, remember having sex with Janet. He then connects the dots to the joke that started the current conversations and does some quick math.

“Sleeve up. We’re drawing blood.”

Sitting down in shock for a minute as the paternity results stare him in the face, Bruce realizes that Tim’s reactions suggest Tim knew and assumed Bruce knew and that just goes in a loop in his head for a bit: all this time his son thought he knew.

He’d sent Tim home to an empty house or overseas to train with strangers, and the boy had gone, thinking that was his father knowingly sending him away.

He’d been dismissive the one time Tim commented on his parents always extending their trips or otherwise fighting, and the boy had kept his silence, thinking that was his father knowingly leaving him in that environment.

He’d given Tim back to Jack when he woke from his coma, and the boy had gone, thinking that was his father making a deliberate choice to give him up.

He’d let Jack take Robin from Tim (and keep him from seeing him) in exchange for his silence on Bruce’s identity as Batman, and the boy had agreed, thinking that was his father sacrificing him for his secret.

He’d offered to adopt Tim after Jack’s murder, and the boy had turned him down, thinking that was his father refusing to publicly acknowledge their true relationship.

He’d helped Tim solidify the records on his fake uncle and the boy had accepted the help, thinking that was his father knowingly passing him off to some stranger.

Tim had been prepared to move into the stable apartment after his fake uncle died, until Bruce brought up the adoption again, and the boy agreed, thinking that was his father telling him their relationship had to remain a secret.

The joy of realizing that Tim was truly his warred with concern over the fact that his son thought such behavior was not only acceptable from a father, but should be accepted quietly.

Wherein Willis Todd had mad rizz and is the biological father of not just Jason, but Dick, Cass, and Tim as well.

Mary and John were friends and coworkers who were romantically interested in each other but were reluctant to make a move. Mary was worried she’d seem unprofessional if she acted on her feelings. John couldn’t tell she was interested and didn’t want to risk making her uncomfortable by saying something. Mary met Willis while the circus was in Gotham and had a date with him after their show that culminated with Dick’s conception. John was very supportive of her after she learned she was pregnant and the two of them finally admitted their feelings for each other when she was helping him put together a temporarily solo act.

Sandra and Willis had met when they were both young and first striking out on their own. They would hook up whenever she was near Gotham and he wasn’t in a relationship. She honestly hadn’t thought to say anything to David Cain when he made his offer because a) her private life was none of his business and b) she’d slept with Willis enough times that she thought, what would be the odds she happened to get pregnant right before trying to have Cain’s child? She similarly didn’t mention having a kid to Willis because it wasn’t really any of his business.

They didn’t flaunt it or even bring it up in civilized company, but Jack and Janet had something of an open relationship prior to getting married. They always attended events together and knew they’d commit to one another eventually, as everyone assumed they would. As long as they were honest with each other and used protection, they didn’t hold any temporary infatuations against the other. Janet and Willis met at the library one day and the chemistry was there so they had a fun night together (the condom failed) without ever even exchanging surnames or numbers. When she learned she was pregnant, Jack knew he might not be the father, but they decided it didn’t really matter since he felt childcare was largely the woman’s domain anyway.

Dick was too young to remember his parents’ wedding and everyone considered him John’s kid, too, so no one at the circus thought to mention it to him.

When Sandra realized Cassandra was her daughter, it still hadn’t occurred to her that she might be Willis’ child.

Janet and Jack never told anyone that Tim might not be Jack’s biological child, including Tim, and they were married so no proof was needed to put Jack’s name on Tim’s birth certificate.

Jason was too young for Willis to tell him about any of his youthful hookups before he died. It never occurred to him that the man might have other children.

None of the batpups had any idea that they shared a biological father.

After Red Hood made his big reveal, Bruce ran some fo his blood to confirm it was Jason before allowing himself to get his hopes up. He was initially too stunned (and heartbroken) at the knowledge that it truly was Jason, to pay any attention to the other little dings the Batcomputer made.

Some time later, while organizing his files, Bruce notices that Jason's file had a mark for several first-degree blood relatives that shouldn’t be there. When he checks, he finds out that in addition to proving Jason's identity, the Batcomputer had matched him up to Dick, Cass, and Tim. He runs the tests again, just to be sure (because what are the odds). Again, it says they’re biological half-siblings.

He does a little investigating in the hopes of being better prepared to answer some questions for them when he tells them, but Sandra Wu San is the only one still alive to speak to. No one at Haly’s Circus will tell him anything other than how beloved each of the Graysons were and are. Janet Drake kept excellent records when it came to travel logs, business proceedings, and Tim’s health to education, but nothing that could possibly tell him how Tim came to be.

Eventually, he decides (after Alfred threatens him) that he has to tell them the truth.

Dick hops on his bike and heads straight to Haly’s because they’ll tell him anything they wouldn’t tell Bruce. Mr Haly does end up telling him about his parents, although he never knew Willis’ name. Dick is reminded that his parents loved each other as much as he remembers and that this doesn’t change his memories with them.

Cass contacts Lady Shiva to meet her and demands to know everything she can tell her. Then she kicks Shiva’s ass because she could have never met David Cain. She could have been raised with her little brother. She could have protected her little brother. She doesn’t know what (if any) official records she has, but she starts introducing herself as Cassandra Todd instead of Cassandra Cain afterwards. David Cain breaks out of Black gate to leave her a note that she’ll always be his before returning to his cell.

Tim has no one left to ask about it, but he knew Janet much better than Bruce, so he goes over everything the older man had, to see if he can glean anything from it that Bruce couldn’t. Unfortunately, Janet didn’t leave any answers behind so he’ll never know how she and Willis Todd ended up having a kid together. If this is after Bruce adopted him, he keeps the name Wayne and if it’s before, he still accepts the name Wayne afterwards.

Jason had seen Willis’ little black book, so he’s not surprised to learn the old man got around back in the day. The only thing that truly bothers him is Tim being his little brother. Assaults and murder attempts against said little brother aside, Jason knows his dad hadn’t met his mom yet when Dick, Cass, and even himself were conceived. However, Tim is just young enough that it’s hard to say if Janet got pregnant just before or after they started dating. He goes back to his old neighborhood to try to find answers. No one can tell him the exact date his parents met or when their first date was, but all are convinced that Willis loved Catherine and would never have cheated on her.

Jason will just have to hope that’s true.