Hello and welcome back to a very special fanfic rec list!
The members of the amazing Holy Server B@tman! Server are an extremely talented bunch - many great artists and writers together in one place to foster each other’s creativity and joy to participate in fandom.
That has to be celebrated!
So, please welcome a list of stories our writers loved to create, their very own Greatest Hits!
(please click on your own discretion - you’ll find the appropriate warnings on ao3)
I saw your sneak peak on I (this too) alive and was wondering what the fic was about?
I don’t wanna give too much away, but essentially it will boil down to Damian mentioning he has an older brother, and everyone else assuming they missed an entire child of Bruce‘s being raised by the League. 👁️
“Your brother,” Bruce starts, stops, steels himself, “He is… Talia’s?”
Damian looks utterly confused, and, oh no, Dick can just feel the onset of a migraine happening like a train crash in slow motion.
“Of course.”
From where he’s sitting, wounds forgotten, Tim is openly gaping now, something like horror in his eyes. No doubt he’s currently imagining another demon spawn trying to cut his grapple line and succeeding, “Never come up— are you kidding!?”
Bruce’s face spasms. Dick wonders hysterically if he’s about to witness someone having a stroke.
“And how old,” he butts in quickly, trying to stick to the important facts because there’s still a good chance that even if the second demon child is also Talia’s, he’s not Bruce’s, and also because, frankly, if he takes more than ten seconds to really think about it he might just try and brain himself on the next good bannister. Something that Alfred would not like at all.
“Nineteen,” Damian responds readily, but there’s a glint in his eyes now that hadn’t been there before, something cautious. Dick knows that look, and he tries to subtly alert Bruce that they have a couple questions left at most before the boy will shut them out.
Bruce, though he’s got the emotional intelligence of a tea spoon, thankfully catches on after a few beats of intense staring, and bulldozes straight to the next question. (Dick is not looking forward to the breakdown from hell a’la Bruce happening later today.)
Which, smart. Damian looks like he’s down to strict, preferably monosyllabic, answers and will fight Bruce with his teeth and an assortment of disguised weaponry if he pushes for more.
Either way, considering it’s Damian, it will end in blood.
“Nineteen, that’s quite…“ Bruce visibly struggles, “old.” He finishes lamely.
Damian’s expression becomes positively frosty and Dick tries to make it look like an accident when he steps on Bruce’s foot. With force.
“Mother and I are grateful for every year we are granted with him,” the boy says stiffly, the barest hint of an accent slipping through the way it tends to when Damian feels cornered and angry, before he visibly reins himself back in and Dick mentally counts down to one.
One more. One question until the baby demon starts throwing sharp things.
B better make it count and ask for the poor kid’s whereabouts or Dick will—
“And why did your mother not bring him to me also?”
— Dick will put laxatives into B’s morning smoothie. God help him, he will dump an entire pharmacy worth of it in there and shove it down B’s throat and make him attend every grueling board meeting he tends to skimp on right after.
One of my fav Jason adoption photos ideas is Jason coming back way late the robins and bat kids are all adults now and settled into themselves, Bruce is retired due to not being able to keep up anymore and he’s a teenager with anger issues and they all sort of adopt him cause they think he’s cute like a feral kitten.
A feral kitten who knows how to use knives which—- murder kitten 😭 Damian will be like “I wasn’t that bad when I was younger, right?”
Can you rank the batboys from how enjoyable they are the write?
Yesss absolutely! 💚
1. Jason. Hands down my fave of the batboys to write. Which probably isn’t surprising lol. Many things about him just deeply resonate with me, and it’s very easy to slip into his mindset. If I could stomach to write it I think I could even do his more… violent and morally questionable moments. And he’s just the right amount of sass and angst that it never gets boring. Also, PTSD rep. ✨🧪
2. Tim. Overworking to the point of exhaustion and so much coffee intake that his blood probably comes out as espresso? Chaos gremlin with flexible morals? Crazy smart and sassy? Yeah, adore him. He’s super fun to write, especially when he’s got his angsty moments. And yes, I like making him soft and vulnerable and baby just as much as I like making him a total badass that’s one step ahead of everybody at all times. Or both those versions at the same time, because one doesn’t necessarily exclude the other. Also, tech genius Tim and cutthroat CEO Tim have my whole heart. I really need to write more of him.
3. Damian. Yes, ironic considering how little I’ve written him until now, but it’s very enjoyable to write the little demon and make him have his moral dilemmas about killing and death and family. And the catastrophes that have to occur for him to admit that, yes, he CARES. Also, animals. Need I say more?
4. Dick. Maybe surprising considering how many fics of mine feature him, but somehow it’s really hard for me to slip into his happy and charismatic mindset. If it’s a feral version of him that doesn’t hate killing as much as he usually does, it’s much easier, but in general… yeah, very hard to write and do his character justice. I adore Dick, but I’m pants at writing him 🥲
Duke doesn’t get a ranking because I haven’t tried writing him yet, and my first introduction to him was through WFA. But from what I’ve read until now he’s an absolute cutie patootie with a side dish of kickass and I can totally see him ranking third or fourth✨
Oh yeah, it was the 'Damian Kills Dick' part that I was focusing on.
Kind of wondering how a crossover between Injustice and Wayne Family Adventures (I love crossing Dumpster Fire universes with my fluffy functionally insane Bats) would go, given that circumstances.
If Injustice!Damian ends up in WFA verse, or WFA Damian ends up in Injustice verse...
It would be pretty painful for either of them I’d imagine.
Damian is very attached to Dick, so finding out he killed him would be devastating.
And for injustice Damian to see what could have been had he been more careful… also devastating. Albeit in a different way :/
Imagining a point and click game focused on Gotham ambience and atmospheric music, having you navigate life as either a Gothamite or someone who recently moved there, with the option to get in contact with the bats, become one of the rogue’s goons, or even join Red Hood’s gang and work your way to the top 👁️
Each choice you make influences the story, and by then end of it you could be a rogue worse than the Joker, or the catalyst that brought the batfam back together 👀
Obviously, there would also have to be a storyline you can unlock where you can become a member of the Court of Owls. Or even another vigilante, working with Batman or Red Hood 👁️
Ooooo, how about during the time that Red Hood first debuts… possible Titans Tower storyline depending on which path you go down!
I love how much attention this is getting. Like, I’m sure somebody else had this idea at some point already so WHY IS IT NOT A REAL THING YET 😭😭😭
Just imagine, DLC’s in other cities, relationship stats with characters that dictate how other characters perceive you. Getting a free pass from some criminals because you befriended their boss or even the criminals themself 👁️
(writer here) perhaps they'd notice us through social media? if we put together a team and made a tik tok and/or instagram account, i know that gets a lot of attention sometimes!
if anyone following this has experience in social media management or marketing, that'd be great!
Honestly I’d rather not get their attention before getting in contact with them directly.
Imagine putting all that together— a social media account, a team, promotional posts— only to have it shut down immediately thereafter. That would be so sad :(((
Like I said we’d need to get into contact with DC/Warner Bros/whoever’s in charge first and get permission. Which is where we’re doomed to fail I fear… 😔
Imagining a point and click game focused on Gotham ambience and atmospheric music, having you navigate life as either a Gothamite or someone who recently moved there, with the option to get in contact with the bats, become one of the rogue’s goons, or even join Red Hood’s gang and work your way to the top 👁️
Each choice you make influences the story, and by then end of it you could be a rogue worse than the Joker, or the catalyst that brought the batfam back together 👀
Obviously, there would also have to be a storyline you can unlock where you can become a member of the Court of Owls. Or even another vigilante, working with Batman or Red Hood 👁️
Ooooo, how about during the time that Red Hood first debuts… possible Titans Tower storyline depending on which path you go down!
I love how much attention this is getting. Like, I’m sure somebody else had this idea at some point already so WHY IS IT NOT A REAL THING YET 😭😭😭
Just imagine, DLC’s in other cities, relationship stats with characters that dictate how other characters perceive you. Getting a free pass from some criminals because you befriended their boss or even the criminals themself 👁️
I love game design so much!! I would do art for this gotham point & click game so fast!!! I probably wouldn't be able to help with writing storyline, but my brain is always full of ideas haha
SOFNALKEJD amazing!!!!!! imagine if we could actually make this work! A collab game called into existence by a random shitpost on Tumblr! Let’s aim for the #1 spot on games of the year! 😩💚✨
So , i recently read a fic called "across the sands" by lulurythmea and has a thought . its shown at some point in the fic that Talia had conditioned Jason into fiercely protecting Damian while he was still catatonic and she had instilled into him phrases like "i command you" and it got me thinking what if Damian got de aged to the age where he remembered Jason as "Ahki" his nanny and Talia had given him the phrases so hed know how to prompt Jason into action. Like im imagining he wakes up as a much younger kid and hes scared and sees Jason, the only one he recognises and just not knowing any better he says one of the phrases and Jasons conditioning just SLAMS into him and for the while hes not letting anyone get close to Damian. Maybe the spell wears off after a few days so there stuck with an overprotective jason who will throw them across the room if Damian gets scared . Sorry for the long ask.
I had a similar prompt a while ago where Jason is terrified of a similar scenario! (The Talia spite fic, iykyk ksksks)
So while it would be very cute for us (and everyone else at first) I think Jason would panic finding out about this. It’s basically like brainwashing, conditioning someone to the point where their actions are largely involuntary.
So the end effect would be similar, with Jason trying to keep as much distance from Damian (or anybody else who might be able to trigger that response) as possible, afraid of himself and whatever else might be hidden deep inside his consciousness :/
For your "what your longing for you claim to abhor" au do you think damian would get into squabbles about having to share Jason? What do you think the other bats feel about Damians closness with Jason? Oooh! Alfred vs Ra's !!
Absolutely! Damian would need frequent reassurances from Jason that he’s still his favorite little brother, lest he start trying to dispose of Tim for real. Dami is very possessive 😂😭
The others don’t really know what to make of Dami being so familiar with Jason. True to this fic’s fashion, they keep drawing the wrong conclusions instead of just asking about it. They’re very concerned this is another of Talia/Ra’s schemes, and that Damian is somehow Jason’s son with either of them. (When Jason finds out about that particular theory he laughs so hard he spills tea all over himself)
Alfred vs Ra’s would be the most sophisticated battle of wits ever. Ra’s knows he’s not allowed to disrespect the “help”, Jason was very firm on this rule, but what is he supposed to do when the help disrespects him?!
Meanwhile Alfred, absolutely convinced along with all the others that Ra’s did unspeakable things to Jason, handing the guy an obviously poisoned cup of tea.
“Jason informed me that you take yours with one cube of brown sugar. Naturally, I made sure to prepare it exactly the right way for someone like you” 😌
Ra’s, repeating a “must not kill or daughter AND grandson will make my life hell” in his head like a mantra: “I am very tempted to drink this.”
And now I'm thinking of talon!Calvin + reverse robins, in which Calvin is about the same age as Damian, or older, and was sent to guide Dick to kill his parent's murderer, as a begining of his talonisation, as killing does break you a lot, especially when you're already vulnerable, or pick slack if Dick can't kill Zucco, and allow him to join, despite falling the test of being capable of killing without electrium running in his blood, which would've made him the best Grey Son
Cue, Calvin clearly remembering being close friends with John Grayson, and being like wait this owling is my friend's, yes, he would be safer if he would be turned into the talon, but I can't let him be broken like I was, maybe I can just give him a shot of electrium without all that to protect him
Cue, while Calvin has a whateoido Bruce, who had his fair share of wild children, starting with his own blood son for crying out loud, adopting the kid
Omg Damian would hate Calvin. Like—- so much. (While Calvin would be largely indifferent and just ignore him. Which just makes Damian angrier lmao)
But the way I understand it, a dose of Electrum strong enough to make a difference on the human organism would have to kill them first! So Calvin would have this awful dilemma about wanting to make sure Dick can’t be hurt but having to kill him in the process. It would tear him up inside. Especially because the kid is so trusting and happy that he met someone who knew his parents well (and angry, yes. There’s also the anger. But there’s also joy still there despite it all. Joy over Calvin of all people.) He doesn’t even have to coax Dick away from the manor, he follows Calvin like a duckling the moment he mentions living in the circus with John and Mary for a time.
(Damian nearly has a heart attack when he goes to check up on the traumatized, angry boy that’s been living with them only shy of a month and finds him missing. The window wide open. No signs of forced entry, but a suspicious track of claw marks on the window sill (the moment Calvin realized just whose child Dick Grayson was) and a parliament of owls suddenly perching on the large oak tree a few yards away. And Damian doesn’t even care that Tim still hates his guts, or that Jason has school in the morning, or that Bruce is still stuck in a WE meeting— he mobilizes all forces to find Dick and bring him home.)
Meanwhile Calvin is screaming internally, perched between the spires of Gotham cathedral with an energetic little circus kid in his lap munching on a hotdog and asking questions about Calvin and the Graysons nonstop. And by the time Dick yawns and sleepily and nestles his head under Calvin’s chin, content to be in the presence of someone from the circus who was friends with his parents, Calvin realizes he can’t kill Dick. Not even temporarily. He can’t do that to him. He’ll just— he’ll just have to protect him himself. Make sure the Court never gets their claws on him. Ever. They get to have him over his thrice dead body.
Reluctant divorced while never really married co-parents Damian and Calvin
Dick who steps between Damian and Calvin when the first one attacks, but then Calvin's "protect" instincts kick in because it's his owling and he has katana pointed at him, cue, even more misunderstanding
And you can bet Dick wouldn’t hesitate to side with Calvin because he knew Dick’s parents and thus is, by proxy, much more trustworthy than the strange and rich people who took him in who he’s also preeetty sure are part of the mafia or something.
Cue: more heartbreak for poor Damian who’s ditched point blank for a literal monster from children’s nursery rhyme 😭
And thing is, Calvin wouldn’t care about Damian threatening him. Or attacking him. He’s quasi immortal, whatever the heir of the demon dishes out, he can take. And if not, he’ll revive anyway. But the second the katana is heading for Dick (idiotic, brave, desperate Dick who thinks Damian is about to kill the one person that could be his real family-), Calvin loses his cool and starts fighting back in earnest.
So now a Talon and an assassin raised guy are at each other’s throat, both convinced they’re fighting for Dick’s life and it’s a big, BIG mess.
Tim is the next to arrive, correctly judges the situation and goes in to restrain Damian while Calvin immediately retreats back to Dick’s side, fussing over him even though he didn’t so much as get a scrape.
Much later, after everything is resolved, Damian and Calvin are still regularly at each other’s throat. But usually over stupid things like Dick’s bedtime or something. And no, Bruce’s input over how HE is legally Dick’s guardian does not warrant consideration. They’ve got it handled. He can be the grandpa if he feels like it. And no, Damian, Dick is not allowed to go out as a vigilante until he’s like— thirty! No point argui- oh, wait, we’re in agreement? Well… cool.
It’s a love hate relationship 🤭 and Dick totally exercises the “If dad says no, then I’m just going to ask mom!” and “Mom can I do this? Dad said I couldn’t… but you know what? He’s not the boss of either of us!” techniques. They work frighteningly often.
And now I'm thinking of talon!Calvin + reverse robins, in which Calvin is about the same age as Damian, or older, and was sent to guide Dick to kill his parent's murderer, as a begining of his talonisation, as killing does break you a lot, especially when you're already vulnerable, or pick slack if Dick can't kill Zucco, and allow him to join, despite falling the test of being capable of killing without electrium running in his blood, which would've made him the best Grey Son
Cue, Calvin clearly remembering being close friends with John Grayson, and being like wait this owling is my friend's, yes, he would be safer if he would be turned into the talon, but I can't let him be broken like I was, maybe I can just give him a shot of electrium without all that to protect him
Cue, while Calvin has a whateoido Bruce, who had his fair share of wild children, starting with his own blood son for crying out loud, adopting the kid
Omg Damian would hate Calvin. Like—- so much. (While Calvin would be largely indifferent and just ignore him. Which just makes Damian angrier lmao)
But the way I understand it, a dose of Electrum strong enough to make a difference on the human organism would have to kill them first! So Calvin would have this awful dilemma about wanting to make sure Dick can’t be hurt but having to kill him in the process. It would tear him up inside. Especially because the kid is so trusting and happy that he met someone who knew his parents well (and angry, yes. There’s also the anger. But there’s also joy still there despite it all. Joy over Calvin of all people.) He doesn’t even have to coax Dick away from the manor, he follows Calvin like a duckling the moment he mentions living in the circus with John and Mary for a time.
(Damian nearly has a heart attack when he goes to check up on the traumatized, angry boy that’s been living with them only shy of a month and finds him missing. The window wide open. No signs of forced entry, but a suspicious track of claw marks on the window sill (the moment Calvin realized just whose child Dick Grayson was) and a parliament of owls suddenly perching on the large oak tree a few yards away. And Damian doesn’t even care that Tim still hates his guts, or that Jason has school in the morning, or that Bruce is still stuck in a WE meeting— he mobilizes all forces to find Dick and bring him home.)
Meanwhile Calvin is screaming internally, perched between the spires of Gotham cathedral with an energetic little circus kid in his lap munching on a hotdog and asking questions about Calvin and the Graysons nonstop. And by the time Dick yawns and sleepily and nestles his head under Calvin’s chin, content to be in the presence of someone from the circus who was friends with his parents, Calvin realizes he can’t kill Dick. Not even temporarily. He can’t do that to him. He’ll just— he’ll just have to protect him himself. Make sure the Court never gets their claws on him. Ever. They get to have him over his thrice dead body.
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