Cryptid Bruce Is Awesome

Everyone Wants to Be Tim Drake’s Favorite Brother

Being Tim Drake’s favorite isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s about power, perks, and an almost supernatural level of protection.

It starts with the little things. Tim isn’t one for grand gestures, but when he cares about someone, it’s obvious. He listens—really listens—to the small comments, the things others might forget. That offhand remark about a snack you miss? Tim’s already on his way to get it for you. Complaining that your suit’s not fitting quite right? Tim’s hands-on with upgrades by morning. If you're Tim’s favorite, it’s a constant stream of thoughtful gestures. Gear gets upgraded, favorite books and gadgets mysteriously show up, and Tim’s always thinking of how he can make your life easier.

But being Tim’s favorite is more than just gifts. It’s the way Tim treats you, the way he prioritizes you over everything else. Tim listens when you vent, has your back during arguments, even when you’re wrong, and somehow—somehow—he gets Bruce to listen to you more than anyone else.

Bruce listens to everyone, of course. He’s the Bat. But when Tim speaks, it’s different. Bruce doesn’t just hear Tim—he acts. Whether it’s adjusting mission plans, reevaluating tactics, or considering Gotham’s crime trends. He’ll mention something, and suddenly, Bruce is shifting his approach. No one else seems to have that pull over him. Tim has a way of cutting through Bruce’s stubbornness that no one else can match. It’s not lost on anyone that when you’re Tim’s favorite, Bruce seems to listen to you more, too.

And then, there’s the most dangerous perk of all: Tim’s wrath.

Everyone in Gotham has learned to fear the consequences of hurting anyone Tim cares about. They all remember how Janet Drake, Tim’s mother, was exactly the same. Janet didn’t just love fiercely; she made people fear the consequences of betraying her affection. She’d build strong alliances and maintain an iron grip on them, ensuring no one dared to harm those she called her own. She had a reputation for turning the tables in ways that left lasting marks on Gotham’s criminals, so it’s no surprise that Tim inherited the same instincts. The last time one of his favorites got hurt in Gotham, the Rogue responsible learned the hard way that crossing a Drake isn’t something you do lightly. That night, the Rogue barely escaped with his life, and the damage he caused was felt across Gotham for weeks.

The rumors from that time still make the rounds. Red Robin hunted that Rogue down, dismantling supply lines and ruining their operations in ways no one else could, using connections no one could have anticipated for him to have. He sent a message—a warning—one that still echoes through Gotham’s criminal world. After that, the Rogues were far more cautious when it came to hurting anyone Red Robin seemed particularly attached to.

These days, the Rogues are more careful. If they can see who Tim’s favorite is, they back off. Patrols get easier. The punches are pulled. The threats don’t carry the same weight. It's almost comical. Once, Jason caught Riddler mid-riddle and swore he saw him glance over his shoulder like he was checking for something—and then mutter, “Not worth it,” before retreating.

Of course, everyone’s gotten a taste of these perks at some point.

Jason remembers his time as Tim’s favorite. When he first came back, Tim went above and beyond. His gear was upgraded constantly, his safehouses were restocked with his favorite things, and there were custom modifications to everything. Tim even managed to reclaim all his old safehouses from the GCPD archives with no problem. Jason never openly admitted it, but he savored every moment. It felt good to be cared for like that.

Cass had it too when she struggled to reconnect with the family. Tim stuck close, quietly offering his support—whether it was with training or just sitting together. She didn’t ask for a suit upgrade, just mentioned how bulky it was in passing, and Tim designed a new one for her the following week, fitting it perfectly to her style. And as for the Rogues? They couldn't run away fast enough when she showed up.

Right now, they all suspect Duke to be the favorite. Tim’s always inviting him to collaborate on tech projects or sharing valuable intel. And Duke has started receiving gifts that seem to show up at just the right moment—books, custom gadgets, and even the occasional throwback cereal he mentioned in passing. Tim’s also been there for him every step of the way, making sure he’s always in the loop, collaborating on projects, and taking the time to make Duke feel seen.

“You know,” Duke said one night, stirring his soup casually, “Scarecrow’s been weirdly quiet lately.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Jason said with a raised eyebrow. “What did you do?”

Duke blinked. “Nothing.”

Jason shot Tim a look. “What did you do?”

Tim’s smirk was all the answer Jason needed.

And that’s the thing—being Tim’s favorite isn’t just about attention or gear. It’s about something more. It’s about protection. Once you’re Tim’s favorite, the world seems like it can’t touch you. And everyone knows it.

They’ve all had their time as Tim’s favorite. Jason, Cass, even Damian had his moment. But once you’re no longer the favorite, it’s hard not to crave it again.

Jason lingers in the Batcave, pretending to talk about his gear but subtly hinting at upgrades Tim could add to it.

Damian scoffs at the idea of being prioritized, but Tim catches him comparing his gear to Duke’s own, new and improved gear, muttering to himself, “It’s adequate,” like it’s an insult.

Dick tries to remain above it all—he’s the eldest, after all. He doesn’t need Tim’s attention. But when he sees Tim working behind the scenes, tinkering with Duke’s gear or offering an unexpected assist to Jason, there’s that ache of longing for when he was the center of Tim’s world.

In the end, they’ll never say it, but every single one of them secretly wants to be Tim’s favorite. Because when Tim Drake decides you’re his favorite, you’re not just cared for—you’re protected and given an unwavering loyalty that makes you feel untouchable in Gotham.

And in Gotham, where danger is always close, nothing is more powerful than the protection and devotion of a Drake.

#IsBruceWayneBatman: a social media au | Part I

hc that every couple months jason texts tim like "hey r you going rogue yet?" "no" "alr lemme know if you change your mind" until one night tim gets this text while he's having an absolute shit week and goes yknow what? why not and suddenly the internet is filled with news that red hood teamed up with an unknown associate to cause chaos(stealing from corrupt billionaire type chaos, not mass murder of innocents type chaos) and said associate randomly shows up again every couple months

the thing is, if Bruce plays his cards right, he could get all of his kids in leadership and/or hereditary positions in all of the major superhero, vigilante, and business organizations in the world.

Damian - Head of the League of Assassins, hereditary title from his Mother and/or Grandfather.

Dick - Leader of the Titans, and then potentially the Justice League later. Head of WE’s fundraising arm briefly. Possible option for a politically appointed GCPD or BHPD position.

Tim - takes over as Leader of the Titans when Dick moves into the JL. Head of Wayne Industries/Enterprises/Etc. Influential person to Kon-El and Lex Luthor, by proxy.

Jason - Leader of various Gotham underground organizations, crime syndicates, anywhere in the Underworld that’s useful to Bruce.

Yes, absolutely

Listen I’m telling you every time I look at Soundwave’s alt mode in One I just keep seeing really cool swords, so know he has really cool swords. My excuse? It’d be cool, cuz swords, but also: SG Soundwave is knighted and has a sword of his own so 🙄 anyways I just really needed to get this thought out, cuz otherwise I never would’ve stopped thinking about it (I had the slight idea to make it so his shoulder cannon would unfold into half n half so they’d be the handles of each sword but I got lazy, so just imagine that happens probably)

Dick: So, you know how I’m part of an online circus?

Jason: What the actual hell is an online circus?

Dick, exuberant: It’s like... an on-demand Cirque du Soleil! People book us for events—birthdays, concerts, whatever—and performers log in from all over the world.

Jason: ...so you have clowns.

Dick, visibly sweating: Well, it’s more than clowns! We have aerialists, jugglers, fire-eaters—

Jason, standing up, looming over Dick: But you have clowns.

Dick, desperate backpedal mode: Technically, yes. But they’re like artistic clowns. Highbrow. Minimal honking.

Jason: Minimal honking? You’re telling me there’s still honking?

Dick, defensive: Controlled honking. Tasteful honks only.

Jason, crossing his arms: Joker-level honks?

Dick, horrified: Joker doesn’t even have a clown permit! He’s not qualified.

Jason: He went to clown school.

Dick: No, he shot up a clown school. That’s different.

Jason, sitting back down: You know why this pisses me off.

Dick, quietly: Yeah, I do.

Jason: It’s weird, right?

Dick: Super weird.

Jason: Sometimes I feel like you should be more messed up about clowns. Like, my level of messed up.

Dick: I know, bud.

Jason: It’s just... I feel alone in this whole clown thing.

Dick: You’re not alone. Gotham as a whole has a no-clown policy. Did you know circus clowns refuse to work here?

Jason: Of course. Otherwise, your little e-circus would’ve been torched.

Dick: By Joker?

Jason, thinking about that one time he shot up a department store window for displaying clown shoes: Uh... yeah. Yeah, Joker.

Dick: Well, for what it’s worth, you’d be great in the online circus.

Jason, deadpan: You saying I’m a clown?

Dick, grinning: No, but you are a high-value performer. People would pay top dollar to see Red Hood juggle guns.

Jason, pulling a gun from his holster and spinning it effortlessly: You mean like this?

Dick, mock clapping: Bravo! Now add some honking, and you’re ready for the big leagues.

Jason, standing up, gun still in hand: You have three seconds to run.

Dick, already halfway out the door: for the record, I'm a performer, so this retreat is performative and just to keep you happy-slash-entertained

Jason: get out!

My ideal Batman Timeline

I'm leaving this for reference for any fanfiction I make or post I make. Take it or leave it. Do what you want. I'm just trying to get all of Bruce's Robins in order and some of the DC timeline.

Bruce Wayne leaves at 17 after graduating high school early

Bruce graduates college at 19 with a business degree (Alfred didn’t order him to, but he strongly inclined Bruce to do it)

Bruce trains until he is 22

Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham and becomes Batman at 22

When he is 23 (AKA Year 2) The Long Halloween scandal occurs

By the end of Year 2 Harvey Dent is officially Two-Face

At the beginning of Year 3 Bruce adopts Dick Grayson

During the middle of Year 3, Batman meets Superman for the first time. After an adventure, they become friends

At the end of Year 3 Dick Grayson is properly trained to be Robin

By Year 4, Bruce is officially stuck in a month long entanglement with the Al Ghuls. Bruce and Talia sleep together multiple times throughout this month. By the end of it, Bruce has cut ties with the entire family and they will occasionally feud.

By year 5, the Justice League is formed

During Year 13 of Bruce’s career, Dick turns 18 and has a falling out with Bruce. Dick leaves to become Nightwing and form the Teen Titans

Ages to keep in mind so far

As of Year 3: Bruce Wayne is 24 Dick Grayson is 8 Barbra Gordon is 9

As of Year 13: Bruce Wayne is 34 Dick Grayson is 18 Barbra Gordon is 19 (Barb starts doing Batgirl stuff after 6 months Dick becomes Robin and becomes recognized as a Batfamily member by the end of Year 4)

During the middle of Year 13, Barry Allen dies during Crisis. The Crisis doesn't matter, but now Barry Allen is dead due to stopping a world ending event. Wally West is now The Flash

Year 14, Bruce finds Jason Todd stealing his tires on the anniversary of his parents death. This cracks him up so much that he adopts him (that’s actually canon)

By the middle of Year 14, Jason Todd has been trained to become Robin

By the beginning of Year 16, Joker kills Jason Todd

Ages so far Year 16: Bruce Wayne is 37 Dick Grayson is 21 Barbra Gordon is 22 Jason Todd is 16

Jason Todd is revived by the League of Assassins before he is buried. Bruce Wayne is too frazzled to notice the fake body

Shortly after the death of Jason Todd, Joker shoots Barbra Gordon in the spine, causing her to be paralyzed from the waist down. Since Batman didn’t have a Robin, Batman almost killed the Joker

By the middle of Year 16, Tim Drake recognizes that Bruce is a hop skip and a jump away from killing someone and forces himself into the Batfamily. By the end of Year 16, Tim Drake is officially Robin

Year 19: Jason Todd officially debuts as the Red Hood

By year 22, Damian Wayne is in the picture and Tim Drake becomes Red Robin

By year 24, Jason is accepted back into the Bat Family as he vows not to kill anyone ever again

By year 24 (basically current day):

Bruce Wayne: 45 Dick Grayson: 29 Barbra Gordon: 30 Jason Todd: 24 Tim Drake: 18 Damian Wayne: 14

Got any additions? I'd love to hear!

allow me to hit Tim with the Slavic beam for a second. and torture Jason Todd in the same breath

so in the magical land of Czech Republic we have a dessert. it is a hard slab of egg and vanilla, typically served with whipped cream, sometimes fruit and coco powder. its name? coffins.

so imagine for me Jason pisses Tim off somehow for the twelve hundredth time or whatever and Tim is like Hm. I could be passive aggressive or physically attack him or start a prank war like a normal person bat. But I have been spending unheterosexual amounts of time with my friend Conner "Midwestern farm boy" Kent and it has moved some ancient brick of my DNA into place.

he shows up at Jason's door with a plate of these and then happily skips away.

cue Jason being strangely pleased when the tox screen turns up clean and it actually doesn't taste bad. until he looks up the name

Bruce has come back from the time stream, and he has never been more disappointed in Tim than right now.

He was brought back by the Justice League, and when he finally got back to Gotham, Tim was nowhere to be found.

Tim hadn't even tried to bring him back.

In fact, Tim had abandoned the hero scene altogether.

Tim. The boy who had sworn that the only way he'd leave the caped life was if he was dead.

Dick is being tight lipped and refusing to say anything on the matter.

Damian clearly knows what's going on but, oddly, refuses to say anything either.

Oracle completely ignores Bruce when he asks, at one point just pretending like he wasn't talking at all.

Cass, however, isn't putting any effort into pretending he isn't asking and is instead completely avoiding him.

Alfred seems to be in the same boat as him, deliberately kept in the dark.

There has to be some sort of reason for it, and Bruce is certain that it's the same reason for all of the avoidance, lies, and Tim's disappearance.

So, against everyone's wishes, he investigates.

Tim isn't in the Manor. Tim isn't in any of his safehouses.

Tim is, in fact, in one of...Jason's safehouses?

After covertly watching from a distance, Bruce discovers three things.

First; while Jason does not appear to be on good terms with Tim, he does view Tim as someone under his protection.

Second; Jason must be getting feedback from Oracle, because Red Hood always finds Batman in five minutes or less when he starts a stake out on Tim.

Third; There are babies in that safehouse. Not toddlers; babies.

He saw one of them through the reinforced window, floating a good two feet off the crib before a panicked and exhausted Tim had snatched it out of the air.

Tim...what has Tim done?

Bruce had heard from Clark that Tim had tried to clone Kon, but had he actually done it?

~~~~~~

While raiding Ra's bases and preparing them to blow, Tim stumbled across three babies. Triplets.

Triplets with superpowers.

Triplets that he knows, beyond the shadow of a doubt, Ra's will find again even if he buries them in the Foster system.

Plus, he's heard the horror stories of vulnerable metas fed to the Foster system at a young age.

So.

Okay.

He'll raise them himself.

He's Tim Drake, the kid that blackmailed Batman into taking him on as Robin; raising a few kids can't be that hard. He'll just take care of them during the day, nap when they do, and go do hero stuff at night.

He reaches out to the one person even Ra's would never expect him to willingly work with.

He reaches out to Red Hood.

He hires Red Hood as a bodyguard. It's a purely professional relationship.

Red Hood sets him up in the best safehouse he's got; soundproof, lead-lined walls, hidden weapon caches, the works.

Dick, Damian, and Jason himself think that Tim actually did succeed in cloning Superboy and is taking responsibility for raising the kids.

Damian may not like Drake, but he's snuck into the safehouse and met the triplets, and he may or may not be a little infatuated with them. So he'll keep the secret for them.

Dick and Jason feel like Tim is taking on too many responsibilities, and think he's clearly hiding from the Supers in that safehouse.

Oracle gets her information from Cass, who is the only one who knows the full story.

Tim, meanwhile, is learning that children are exhausting, Cass is an amazing babysitter (as is Damian, but Damian if fickle and Tim has to pretend like he doesn't know when Damian is there), and hasn't had any time, at all, to go out and do heroing stuff.

He has so much fucking empathy for Anita, right now.

He's been so involved with the triplets that he's missed key events like; Bruce coming back from the timestream, Kon and Bart coming back to life, Ra's declaring Tim his One True Heir officially, and a throuple of mad scientist super villains dropping onto the scene and making a stir.

Or; Danny, Dani, and Dan got caught by the GIW, forced into their cores, and then stolen by a league of assassins, of all things. So naturally they put a rush on getting out of their cores, because, see, assassins, but they came out way before they had enough ecto to form their actual ages. They came out as babies. Babies that were promptly treated as treasures by some creepy cult assassin man. Babies that were stolen by that assassin man's...rival? Detective? They weren't sure. But they were taken by him. And now they're being raised in a very ecto-rich city, just waiting for the day they have enough ecto to go back to their normal age. Meanwhile, Jack, Vlad, and Maddie Fenton are some of the scariest supervillains the Justice League has ever faced, and no one knows why they keep targeting US government facilities. Bart, Kon, and Cassie are lowkey convinced that Tim is dead. Constantine has a new assistant who forced herself into the position, and Jasmine Fenton is deadset on learning everything he knows to find her siblings. Booster Gold has run into two new time police, but he has no idea which future they work for; a goth teenager and a techy nerdy teenagers that wear clock amulets and keep disappearing into green portals.

The justice league sees Batman periodically updating a database of his, at the oddest of times, and naturally they think it's got something to do with his contingency plans or a dataset about the Gotham rogues, but in reality it's just him keeping record of his many children's changing tastes

Superman: Woah, he's writing down with such concentration, wonder what could be in there, maybe a new villain in Gotham?

Bruce, writing: "Dick has refused his favourite Pb&J five mornings in a row. Delete from favourites. Ask for new favourite food."

"Jason didn't seem as Eager to read the new book by his favourite author, put it in neutral category."

"Tim chose a green shirt instead of a red one at the mall today. More research needed."

"Cass listened to arctic monkeys on repeat this week. Update to favourites."

"Duke expressed an interest in slam poetry and called band practice lame. Put poetry in favourites and band in neutral."

"Damian watched Bluey for a total of 50 hours this week. Update to favourites."