It’s Simple Arithmetic

My favourite piece of Fanon that I live and die by despite there being -20 canon basis for it.

Dick Grayson loves whiskey so much, it's the only alcohol he'll truly over-indulge in. (its Slade Wilsons fault)

Jason cannot stand whiskey and is the most stereotypical millennial small brewery beer drinker despite not being a millennial. like im talking flavoured IPAs with the bottles that look like they're made for kids to wanna pick em up.

and whenever they go to a bar together they switch their orders around because Dick wants to seem friendly and approachable and Jason thinks saying 'whiskey neat' makes him seem really cool and fits his general aesthetic.

(Dick also emptied the manors entire reserve of whiskey when Bruce died and Alfred had to hold an intervention)

(the reason Jays loves these drinks sm is bc its what the titans had in the tower when he'd visit Dick as robin and its the first time he was around drinkers who were responsible and visibly being safe. Dick also let him have a couple sips of his beer and no matter how many issues you have, a cool slightly older relative offering you a sip of beer is just a staple of being not the oldest)

Okay listen there are 5000 timelines so stay with me as I cobble like 10 together for angst reasons.

(My weird fanon x canon take on Dick becoming nightwing)

I am a Bruce kicked Dick out truther

So

Bruce freaks after Dick gets shot and goes ‘this can’t go on’ and Dicks like what?

Bruce decides that Robin is done, Dick can’t be Robin anymore. But Bruce doesn’t have that right, it’s Dicks name! Hell it’s Dick mother’s name for him, Bruce has no right!

Except he does, he made the suit, he made the tools, the schedules, the taught Dick most of what he uses on a day to day basis.

Which means he can take it away.

And he does.

Dick of course doesn’t stand for this, which causes a big argument to get even bigger. Alfred is furious because Dick is still a child, a child who just had a bullet pulled out of his shoulder. Bruce should’ve let the boy rest before starting this argument.

But now that it’s brought up, it’s never going back down, Dick won’t take this loss of control as anything other than a lack of trust that he can handle himself. He won’t see that Bruce is worried for him, that Bruce can’t stand to lose him.

They get into a screaming match and it’s bad, Dick Grayson is one of the few people who get pull Bruce out of callous logic and into cruel rage.

So Bruce says something I’m sure at least 50% of children with tenuous relationships with their parents have heard

“If you don’t like my rules get the hell out of my house” or some various, maybe Dick gets him to yell at him for the first time possibly ever that hot raging anger that makes tears bundle in the corner of your eye. Maybe Bruce’s anger is cold that’s honestly your choice.

But Dick… Dick doesn’t take him all the way seriously and pushes just a tad more, yells one last thing. In a rage, maybe something about his parents, or Batman or this whole fight being Bruce unable let go of the image of a loved one dying by gun.

Well whatever he says..that’s it

Bruce’s voice goes back to the dead Batman growl and he tells Dick it was a mistake to make him robin, leave the suit and drop his keys with Alfred.

Now Bruce is a very intelligent man, Bruce is a very calculated man. You’d think that Mr. Very smart and calculating would realize how that sounds to a young teenage boy.

Especially a young teenage Boy whose first experience with the Gotham was being place in a juvenile detention center and being forced away from a life he knew with people he loves.

But no. Bruce is being an idiot and does not realize that he basically just went.

My house

My stuff

My rules

I made you

If you want to make your own choices you get the fuck out and don’t take anything from me.

Nope doesn’t get that at all

Alfred is horrified because he thinks that Bruce is behaving like a spoilt seven year old (oh if you don’t listen to me you can’t play with my toys)

But he doesn’t say anything, just watches as Dick tries to fit 7-9 years of his life into a backpack.

Watches as Dick leaves all the expensive gifts and allowance money Bruce has given in and only takes the money he got from working summer jobs (it builds character which Alfred is a big fan of) or mowing lawns or tutoring kids.

He needs a place to spend the night but him and babs are on the outs, him and the titans are tight but the closes people to him location wise are not Donna or Wally so he doesn’t feel safe collapsing and sobbing into their arms.

It’s Roy, the closest person to him rn is Roy and him and Roy haven’t gotten over their teenage crush/I must be better than you thing and Dick doesn’t wanna be ridiculed (which Roy would never but our boys in a bad headspace)

All and all it leads to him freaking the fuck out in the pouring rain, but fuck it he doesn’t have time for this. He’s on his own now, fine. Whatever he can do this.

Cue Liu, the boys home and the violent manipulation our boy goes through in canon.

“I thought she loved me but she was using me” and keep the age gap fucked up here for angst purposes later!

And he can’t do this

Fuck that

After that shit show and he’s dismantled her little empire and gotten her arrested… he, like a very logical 16/17 year old. Has a fucking huge panic attack. Huge enough that his heart rate jumps so severely a certain blue boy-scout comes to check on him.

And sees his nephew in the pouring rain, violently dissociating, looking thinner, more worn and dead eyed than Clark’s ever seen him.

Yeah no, that’s not gonna work for Clark.

He takes Dick back to metropolis and we get Clois parent comfort hours.

Lois decides she’s gonna Kill Bruce

Clark decides he’s not gonna stop her

Dick gets better with them, less jumpy.

The comfort of people who’ve loved you since your were a child + regular trips to kanas farms for menial labor jobs around animals and southern cooking. Do wonders for a boy wonder lol.

They do the infamous “have I ever told you about the story of Nightwing and flamebird”

It’s a title freely given and that’s a huge difference.

Dick goes back to the titans, does his lil costume change and new name reveal. And then leads them as well as he always had. Without the pressures of disappointing the bat, I mean he’s already ruined that relationship.

The titans do great work, become a respected team, take a bunch of kids under their wings.

They’re messy, drama filled, mirage still happens, Roy gives in to addiction, Wally has a heart condition. Dicks fighting everyone for the right to marry Kori. He’s still being manipulated by brother blood.

But they make it through.

Kori and Dick aren’t together anymore, they both make the mature choice that they need to heal separately. And maybe if they’re better they’ll try again.

Roy has Lian and with Dick and Wally’s help. Gets his shit together

The titans is an entirely independent organization from the league, Dick Grayson will not take a Dime of Bruce’s their money.

Merch sales, stock trading and tax write offs keep them afloat.

He hasn’t spoken to his Dad since he was 17, he turns 20 a week after Donna dies.

He’s met and helped Jason for 2 years in bludhaven but he doesn’t touch Gotham.

Because that’s Bruce’s.

Bruce gave him Gotham, Bruce gave him Robin, Bruce gave him a family.

So Bruce could take it away

And Dick

Internalizes this SO heavy

The titans can’t touch Bruce, Nightwing can’t trust Bruce, he quits any/every job he land if he finds out they’re so much as using Wayne operating systems. His relationship with Jason is entirely separate from Bruce. So much that, Bruce knows about the hanging over of the Robin suit and literally nothing else.

He doesn’t know about aspen, he doesn’t know they meet up for food once a week, or that they’ve taught each other their mother’s recipes. He doesn’t know that they’re close.

When Batman’s busy, Bruce’s life falls down the list of priorities. Jason’s doing his Robin duties, getting good grades and living his life. Bruce doesn’t need much more.

I need Nightwings early habits to be Dicks full on trauma response to basically being informed that the life he fought for was actually a loan that could be taken away from him.

He buys his childhood circus

He buys his apartment building

He doesn’t involve Bruce when the circus burns or building explodes.

Doesn’t involve Bruce when his relationship crumbles. Or for tarantula/ blockbuster/deathstroke/crutches advice.

"Name a character you hate"

THIS MF I HATE HER, I HATE HER SM

https://archiveofourown.org/works/23094079

idk if you like reverse robins but…red hood steph

PFFFFTTTTTTT

BRO I feel like so many times people de age my son and make him a saint or the devil.

No HE IS JUST CHAOS

Bro grew up weird and thinks the way he grew up was normal ofc he’s annoyed your worried for him

There are like 2 things bby Grayson doesn’t like

- insults to his parents

- insults to his showmanship/ skill

If you think a BRUISE is gonna knock him down obviously you’re insulting both and are obviously cringe fail losers lmao

Also I love how we all agree that in the deaged verse Damian is horrifically and cartoonishly protective of Dick Grayson

THANK YOU FOR THE FIC REC

With Wally don’t forget that’s crucial here

Polytitans they call kiss on the lips (dick and Donna excluded)

he wants to be under Dick

imagine being so good at acting like everything is fine even the fandom thinks you are mentally stable ( dick grayson obviously)

You know that TikTok trend like POV: this is your emergency contact.

Imagine being part of a superhero team and your hyper competent team leaders emergency contact is one (1) very flippy acrobat who is 100% here and present in the moment and not being weighed down by the guilt of a thousand deaths. Nor is he seeing any of these shadowy corpses while assisting your team.

No he’s far far too stable for that?

Anyway here’s my list of my favorite unhinged Grayson moments (without panels tho if anyone asks I can prolly track em down)

-Dick licking a random substance of the ground and then going. Yup tastes like heroin

- pulling a gun on Roy Harper (outsiders divorced husbands arc)

- that fight between him and deathstroke

-that other fight between him and deathstroke

- teen titans robin nonsense

- secrets and masks hallucinajaybin being a shadowy amalgamation of ????

- Tim: please be Robin

Dick: how about uno fucking reverse

- literally like 80% of the Grayson Run (specifically any scene with tiger or midniter)

- the desert scene is rated separately bc it’s more insane on its own wdym you walked through a desert for like fuck knows how many days without food or water RICHARD

-bleeding himself to death near radioactive material bc your job is martyr

-bleeding himself to death for his not dad (it’s 100% his dad)

- is it mean to include that ooc time in Batman and Harley Quinn where she ties him up and it’s HEAVILY implied they fucked? Welp I’m including it anyway

- KEEPING THR DISCOWINY COSTUME AFTER MIRAGE??? RICHARD YOU HAVE MONEY USE IT

- young justice robins/nightwings laugh deserves its own mention

-threatening his dad with the promise of adopting his brother

There are more that I am forgetting I am sure. But in summary I love him he’s my son. The fact that he has this much responsibility bc he’s the best equipped worries me about the other characters mental stability

The funniest aspect of a child crime fighter is that sometimes they’re going to run into something that makes no sense because they don’t have the life experience. Because they’re nine.

Like Robin runs into a guy who works for The Penguin and the guy just throws his hands up like, “Don’t hit! I’m not an enforcer. I’m an accountant.”

Robin:

Robin, squaring up: I don’t know what that is.

Jason: pfft, no rest for the wicked? What a lie. I’m wicked and I rest plenty. I rested so hard I slipped into an eternal rest. I take offence to that false statement.

Dick, concussed and glaring pointedly at the time: and if you don’t get out of my apartment in the next five minutes, you’ll be resting in the medbay until next week

Headcanon that bludhaven hates heroes with a flaming passion bc theyre just cops in tights but love Nightwing and therefore vehemently deny his hero status to anyone and everyone.

Like there is no official Nightwing merch bc he’s a criminal he’s committing a crime okay vigilante justice is in fact not legal and he’s not TECHNICALLY on the justice league and he’s NOT TECHNICALLY the leader of the titans anymore. But there are about 400 different Etsy stores that make hoodies, crop tops, joggers, sweats, sunglasses, bracelets, t shirts with nightwings logo or some art of him on them.

Like they love this guy and will get into beef with any Gotham national who tries to claim Nightwing is THEIR hero.

1) hes not a hero he’s a criminal fuck you

2) you have a hero and just bc he’s shit at his job and needs our guy (who is NOT a hero) to help him sometimes doesn’t MEAN SHIT

people are walking around with tiny v shaped blue tattoos or embroidered on clothing but again NOT A HERO BLUDHAVEN DOESNT DO HEROS

There are coffee shops with bad nightwing pun names nightbird, beanwing, nightwinging it and so on

Every third piece of graffiti is this man’s logo

Every sandwich place or fast food chain has a ‘secret menu item’ that’s not actually secret bc everyone orders it and it’s just one of their normal items dyed blue (sodas, desserts, burger buns, condiments so on) some places will sell wings fried in blue panko bread crumbs and call them them ‘nightwings’ ofc these are ALL off the menu you can’t see these items and if you try to order them out of the city you get weird looks.

Superman goes on tv and says Nightwing is one of his favorite hero’s and bludhaven riots. wtf nightwing is your favorite hero you fuckin poser

1) nightwing isn’t a hero he’s a criminal so back off

2) he’s ours you and your frou frou fancy city that hasn’t been nuked by a sentient pile of radiation can fuck RIGHT off

Naturally the only person in bludhaven who is unaware of this is Dick Grayson bc tbh this man is too busy to give a fuck about what his city thinks of him. They trust him to get shit done. Good that’s all he needs okay he has 22 reports he needs to log he’s busy.

Tim Drake professional nightwing fanboy however is fucking furious about this because.

A) dick was a GOTHAM hero FIRST and bludhaven can suck it

B) fuck you nightwing isn’t just a a hero he’s THE HERO and the BEST hero and don’t be rude bc you have a complex

C) all of the cool nightwing merch only ships around bludhaven so has to get it ordered there and it’s just a hassle and he’d pay double he swears just let him get it delivered to where he is please Everytime he stops by bludhaven he leaves with 10 new pieces of nightwing merch and bc he has so much. Damian doesn’t think he notices when some of his doubles mysteriously go missing. He does.

D) since they are anti hero they are firmly unhelpful whenever he or Steph show up bc a case has lead them to the city

The one plus side was watching Jason Todd having a mental breakdown bc apparently in bludhaven redhood counts as a hero and is therefore hated.

“Yous worked with the bat yous a hero thems the rules”

“I KILL PEOPLE”

“Yeah so do cops and people always call them heroes”

“Okay but I kill people to protect the general public I put down scum”

“Cops say they do that too”

“I- okay you know what I’m a hero fine okay. Why isn’t nightwing a hero”

“Vigilante justice is a crime”

“I’m documentably worse than a vigilante”

“But you have worked with the bat”

“For money yeah”

“See you even get paid, face it you’re a hero which means you suck”

“You realize Nightwing has worked with the bat right like way more than I have”

“Listen that ain’t his fault okay, the bats incompetent and so are the rest to you idiots. He’s a nice guy and a good neighbor don’t mean he’s a hero”

“I- what the fuck is in this cities water”

“I don’t fuckin know but it’s prolly better than whatever gothams got in its harbor”

“I- yeah you’re probably right”

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53718373

hiii here is a fic rec i think you would like the author also made another that was really good

I had already read Persephones in hell b4 this one BUT OMG I DID NOT EXPECT TO LOVE THIS AS MUCH AS I DID

Also

This IS MY DICK GRAYSON

Like THIS IS HIM

My son

Also 100% how I think the siblings should sibling

I love the manipulative asshole with a heart of gold Grayson. And him and Jayjay 20/10 I love it

THE FUCKING BLUEJAY STOPPPPP AT THE ALTER IM GOING HOME

(Also I read this at 3 am in a hostel in Prague and idk I need to give it bonus points for ambiance)

Anyway if anyone wants an idea of what I -a complete internet stranger- view Dick graysons character as. It’s this

And to end

I love this section so much

Anyway

100000/10 thank you so much for the rec

I want more but I will not be Icarus I am okay not flying too close to the sun (but if you have more plz do anon)