#reverse robin au

I think it starts because damian tries to think of some cool name when he becomes a vigilante, but eventually people start calling him batman's shadow. It sticks and suddenly the vigilante shadow is named.

Damian hates the name. He doesnt want to be his father's shadow, he wants to be his father's equal. And the name shadow always makes him feel so young and small next to his father who hes never had a really good relationship with, even at the start. So hes doing all he can to prove hes a good partner for his father and instead hes batman's shadow. It feels humiliating it feels discouraging. So when damian leaves on his redemption arc after Bruce continues to distrust and always suspect the worst of him, he leaves the name shadow behind.

Duke has the name shadow very, very briefly and hates it the entire time. He spends the entire time trying to remove the name shadow from himself and find his own identity, and he finds an easier time removing himself from it. He doesnt want to be shadow because he does not wish to be batman's shadow, batman's his distant mentor who occasionally helps him in stopping crime. Hes certainly not batman's shadow. And 2 he certainly doesnt want some kids name who batman cant even think of without scowling. Can't be the shadow of a kid who's family painting is covered up in the manor because Bruce cant stand to look at it. So he removes himself easily from the name.

Steph doesnt really ever get the title of shadow. Its offered to her, but like duke, shes uncomfortable with the idea and is instead the first batgirl.

Tim on the other hand. Oh boy. Tim idolized shadow as a kid. Theres this kid, who's skilled, strong, and powerful. Who obviously knows well enough about higher elite etiquette and instead chooses to ditch it to speak his mind and encourage people gruffly but kindly. Shadow saves tim during one of the gala's that get taken over and shadow, who was like 13 to tim's 9, cheered him up and encouraged him to keep going. Even if it was through some not so nice words. He idolized him even more when he found out that shadow was damian Wayne and that he knew Gotham elite etiquette but was brave enough to stop doing it and just be himself. Damian was what tim wished he could be as a kid in not having to deal with stuffy galas or backhanded compliments from people, or weird formal language. So when tim becomes batman's sidekick, he eagerly takes the name shadow. And doesnt get why damian hates him so much. Damian doesnt trust him to be strong enough to help, always encourages him to quit, and is barely ever around. Damian on the other hand is grappling with his father taking a child from the streets, not even the streets, loving but somewhat absent parents and to damian my mother tries to kill me and my father would rather die then show any emotion of love wayne, that seems terrible . Then his father gives his old mantle that he hated, barely gives him any actual training (to damian, training from birth, wayne). And goes and adopts the kid, so now they were siblings! So damian just feels immense pity, worry and residual anger at this kid. While tim thinks damian hates him and has a never meet your heroes moment. So he adores the name shadow, still has the childish glee at being shadow, but has immense feelings over being shadowed by damian who seems to hate him.

Jason becomes shadow while tim is missing. Tims been missing for a while and has been being expiremented on by the joker to become joker junior. But nobody knows that yet and everyone thinks tim is dead. So Jason is not only in batman's shadow, but a dead man's shadow. The favorite son's shadow. Because while damian is Bruce's first kid, he'll always have complicated feelings over who damian is and who he was raised to become by his mother. Tim was basically Bruce's do over kid. The one he could actually train and teach and the duo that became dynamic. Tim was more of Bruce's shadow than damian ever was. So every time Bruce sees Jason as shadow, he seems a bit sad and angry, so Jason feels terrible every time he has the stupid title. And then he feels even worse when tim gets rescued and realizes that Jason replaced him as shadow.

I think Cass would like the shadow title. I think she would have it after jason gave it up after being batgirl for a while. But at this point damian is back in the family even if his gruffness hasn't changed. But when Cass comes into the family, little assassin kid raised as a weapon to do whatever her family said, damian takes her under his wing. As does Bruce, But damian gets it. Damian gets how weird their family is as an assassin. Damian gets how to talk to her and ends up teaching her better at how to be a regular person. While Bruce teaches her how to be the best vigilante she could be. Aka damian and Bruce's coparenting arc, except damian is very much big brother instead. Cass and damian get along well so Cass sees shadow as more of a redemption than anything else. Because thats how damian got his redemption. So she enjoys the title and feels high pressure to live up to it.

Ooooo! Thanks for putting one in!!! I'm so excited to really get into this fic!! Unfortunately, it's a ways out. It's a part of my Reverse Robins au I'm slowly working on. ((Like my last one I did of these, I'll share three lines))

Jason had given him one of his usual wry grins, but by the faint dullness in his eyes Dick could tell it wasn’t actually his usual one at all.

Then Batman is running. Running toward Dick like a bullet shot from a gun.

A shuddering squawk leaves the painfully stretched smile, and Timothy falls forward into Damian’s shoulder, burying his face in the Kevlar, shaking apart with sobbing laughter.