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My most random Duke headcannon is that he would have a pet rabbit.
The rabbits name is Bat-Bun and they go paroling together sometimes.
Duke teaches Bat-Bun all the cute trick like playing soccer and giving high fives.
Damian often goes over to Duke's to play with Bat-Bun, even if Duke isn't there. He often comes home from patrol to Damian and his mum sitting together and talking while feeding Bat-Bun sweet potato.
Duke threaten to steal Damain's mum in retaliation.
Damian threatens to steal his rabbit if he tries.
They both settle for playing soccer with Bat-Bun together.
Do you think when Duke was starting out as the Signal and got his bike Gothamites gave it a dumb nickname? Like how Batman has his batmobile, Duke has a signalcycle.
Genuinely just curious, no hate or anything. Honestly I don't fully understand what is going on with him.
Duke Thomas consumes my every waking thought. Every conversation leads back to him. Every song relates to him. Every time I see the sun or moon, I think of him. I find myself thinking, "what would Duke do?" for almost every situation. Just, Duke, man, he is everything.
Random Duke Thomas Headcannons pt 4
Insired by @overcookedfool 's headcannon about Cass and Duke being banned from hide and seek, Bruce uses their hiding skills to train the other batfamily members.
The training involves Duke and Cass hiding around Gotham and the others having to find them before sun up (for Cass) or sun down (for Duke). So that everyone can still get their work done, this only happens once a week.
If someone finds them in time, they can get a trophy from the batcave, if Duke or Cass remain unfound, they get the same deal.
Dick gets them to use carnival rules so winning a lot of little trophies can get you a big one. After a few months of the training exercise Duke and Cass put their trophies together to offically own the dinosaur.
Random Duke Thomas Headcannons pt 3
I think Duke would gets given a lot of gifts while on partol. It comes with working the day shift, really.
The first few weeks people were hesitant about a Bat being out during the day, some openly hostile, but now many see it as just a part of Gotham's charm.
One day, a girl runs up to him, holding a paper tightly to her chest. It was a drawing she made in class of Batman. The girl asks all shyly if Duke could give it to him and what was he meant to say? No?
So Gothamites started giving him things, first with kids crayon drawing, the some teens who made badges and pins, adults with letters of gratitude. Soon Duke was passing on drawings, t-shirts, crocheted dolls, poems, etc to all the batfamily.
Gothamites wanted to share their love to their heros. Bruce, Dick, Barbara, Cass, Damian, Stephanie, Tim, Kate, even Luke now had piles of trinkets after only three weeks.
One day, while on patrol as usual, a kid waved him down. He held poorly wrapped box in his hands. Duke swung down and took the box from the boy. When serching for the same he was shocked to find "Signal" written messy across the top.
Inside was a drawing of Duke a week ago, saving the boys dad who got trapped under his car. He hung to photo up on an empty wall in The Hatch.
Soon, that wall became more full than the rest of the family's piles.
When he gets in his own head, doubts clouding his brain, he stares at the wall. Art, photos, poems, letters, badges, stickers, patches, pins, shirts, dolls, shoes, all the items from Gotham, showing how he is loved by them. How he is their hero.
Duke still is asked to pass on gifts for the rest of the Batfamily, but more often he gets given gift for himself.
Random Duke Thomas Headcannons pt 2
I think Duke and Bao (Clownhunter) would be childhood friends.
Bao and Duke both grew up in the Narrows. I imagine Duke meet him at Bao's parents pho restaurant and dragged him off to play together.
The two would run through the steets, play tag with the other Narrows kids, do their homework, which at that age was mostly just colouring in, in a cornor seat at the restaurant.
When Zero City happened, Bao's family would move in to the apparentment block with Duke's family and others. It was that point when their relationship chnaged from friends to brothers.
They were attched to each other. Duke took it upon himself to be the older brother (dispite only being a year older). He would tell Bao to do riddle while he went out to get fish, no matter how much the other protested (or how much he was scolded when he got home). Bao use to pretend to be more scared than he really was so he could stay with Duke, hoping to protect him a bit.
So their bond grows, as they start middle school they don't hang out as much being in different grade but are always together at lunch. They get into petty fights, play video games together, were general hooligan(/aff) on the streets.
Then Bao's parents we killed by Joker. He started living with his aunt and uncle, Duke and his parents would bring food around, mostly as an excuse for Duke to just sit with him. In the grief, Bao closed himself off, stopped responding to Duke's messges, stopped going to school, stopped leaving the house.
Duke tried to keep contacting him, he would show up at his house, force Bao to sit with him and do his online school homwork while Duke did his, like when they were kids in the restaurant. That stopped by Joker got Duke's parents too.
Duke got washed away in the foster system, in being Robin, in becoming Lark and later Signal, in joining the Outsiders.
The Joker War started, Bao became Clownhunter, was washed away in his bew found duty to finally stop the Koker how Batman never could.
They almost naturally just stopped talking.
Until, while waiting for Jay to be able to take custody of him, Bruce sent him to Gotham Academy.
There was Bao again. The first thing they did was fight. They were both mad at each other for abandoneding the other. A few hours later they made up. Dispite not talking for so long, they were best friends, more than that, brothers.
They caught each other up if their lives, keeping the vigilante business out. They started messaging each other regularly. Duke would fight the people who builied Bao, the two spending a few afternoons in detention because of it. They would just sit with each other, happy to be in each others space.
Bao joined Batman incorporated which caused Clownhunter and The Signal to finally meet.
After taking down Professor Pyg's operation, some of the Batkids, lncluding Signal, arrived for clean up. Clowerhunter knew about the Signal, he was Gotham's hero. Signal knew about Clownhunter, he'd read the file Batman had on him. When they saw each other they immediately understood who was under the mask.
There wasn't a chance to talk that night, they didn't want to reveal each others identifies to the other vigilante's and Ghostmaker had an argument with Nightwing, quickly ending Batman Incorporated's time in Gotham.
They meet the next night, in costume, on the roof of their old apprentment building. Once they shared during Zero Year. Not much was said, Duke didn't mention the people Bao had killed, Bao didn't mention him joining the Batfamily. However, they understood each other mor now. Not much needed to be said. Duke gave him a Signal beacon, a promise to help if Bao ever needed. Bao gave the same sentiment. The two parted ways again.
They knew at that point they were closer than ever, dispite being so far apart. They had their own paths to follow but they felt more secure now knowing they had family in the hero community who will help them in any way.
Random Duke Thomas Headcannons pt 1
Duke is my all-time favourite character, and he doesn't get enough love, so I'm going to share some random head cannons I have for our boy.
I love the idea of sensory seeking autistic Duke.
He is canonically a fan of a metal band and I can imagine after a log day of patrol and school him just listening to them full volume. Even with headphones his cousin, Jay, still have to bang on his door sometimes to turn the volume down.
His meta ability would let him visually stimming by causing the light in a room to flash repeatedly. This would also work with him manipulating shadows to make the area dark and light again.
Or he would use his Ghost Vision and pace around a room so the versions of him all burn into one. Duke would also do this during bat family dinners. With so many bats around running all over the manor to help with food or run from each other in importune game of tag. I image the overlapping visual would be immaculate.
Did I give his these head cannons as a form of projecting?
Mostly, yes, but it's my post so I can do what I want./lh
they're brothers your honour
Damian: GRAYSON! TODD! The girls wanted me to inform the both of you that they have challenged you to a water fight.
Dick: oooooooh we haven't done that in a while.
Damian: yes they will perish beneath us. We will drive them to the ground! WE WILL-
Dick: ok-ay. Jay, you coming?
Jason: gimmie a sec. The water js almost finished boiling.
Damian:
Dick:
Duke, who listened to it all from a concealed area of the room: THE FUCKING WHAT?!
Batfam as things my family said pt.2
Jason(while robin): if i'm 25 and not covered in tattoos and have a motorcycle punch me in the face
steph: i’m convinced men are the ones with periods
dick: the eggs were carbonated
tim: i feel like a flintstone
babs: the mormons are out-
duke: actually ima be a stripper now
tim: what's goin on single fucks?
damian(talking to tim): i'm gonna put you in a box and send you to north Korea
bruce(to dick): what kind of crack are you on?!
dick(to bruce): the good kind obviously😃🔫
damian: i am not a demon for you to summon
cass: i have the butt of a ballon dog
inaccurate Batfam quotes #35
The Batboys Ranked for how rebellious they are.
Starting at number one: Timmy Drakeson.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "Isn't Jason the most rebellious?" No. No he is not. Timmothy fucking Drake is a powerhouse of untapped chaos and a goldmind of comedic genius, just look at the iconic Truth or Dare pannel where he was dared to take off his mask. He did so and underneath his mask, was another mask. Secndly, he doesn't give a shrap about the "Protect ID" rule. Also, he was the one that diliberatly went out of his way to find out Batmans Identity by stalking him and taking lots of photos, sneaking out at night and throwing himself into fights even just to get information. Plus, he 100% discreetly shares Batmans weaknesses to the rest of the league because it's "unfair for him to have a strategic plan against them without them having some way to get through to him".
Number two: Terry McGinnis.
Need I say more? If there's anyone who dislikes supers more than Bats himself, it's this guy. But Duke is ok in his book.
Number Three: Dick Grayson.
He left the fam and even the mantle of Robin, which meaned so much to him, to find his own path and had diliberatly made it so that Bruce knew him leaving was all his fault. He even neglected his own "Brothers" somewhat because he didn't want to see that man up until Jason died.
Speaking of, Number four: Jason Todd.
To be Honest, not that rebellious. Sure, he's kinda edgy, but it's a good look for him. Really good. Do I simp for Todd? Hell yes, I do. The actions that lead to him going burserk honestly, not his fault. He was hyped up on the glorified pool water and felt betrayed from the very people who took him in. He understood that when one robin leaves, another steps up because Bruce has issues with the 'sad orphan eyes'. He just can't help himself. But the Laz made his views boggled so he went cray. A good kind of Cray. I don't blame him for being upset about the ordeal. I'd slap the shit outta Bruce.
Okay so hear me out... Five: Alfred.
We all love our main man, glue of the family butler. But on multiple occasions Alfie has stated he would violate the "no kill rule" to protect his charges and honestly, what a King. Pop off, Pennyworth. He loves Bruce, but he puts this grown man in time out and I don't blame him. the guy makes questionable moral decisions and that's coming from a diagnosed psychotic. We stan Alfie✨
Number Six: Damian.
We all know that this little boy got some mommy issues here and some daddy issues there, but honestly when it comes down to it, he's pretty obedient. He has the sass levels of a litterate XBox gamer and the backbone of a snake. you tell him to do something in that stern dad voice and he'll cuss you out on the way to do it. Honestly, best boy. I love him lots. And guys, stop making his character so serious. You need to check yourself on his analysis cause honEE this boy cracks jokes 24/7, likes to poke fun at people and on multiple occasions tried to make superboy, the actually serious fluff roll, swear.
Number SeVeN, Last but certainly not least: Duke Heckin' Thomas.
Our local cinnimon roll™. Not only is he badass, but he's cute and lovable too. Duke is one of those teens that don't really care if it's this way or that. He's kinda on the quiet side unless you engage in conversation with him directly and I mean, come on. Just read any comic with him in it and I guarentee you will fall in love. Just- yEs. Even though he's the only one in his family with superpowers, he stays humbled and is kinda like everyones voice of reason. Seriously, he's so underrated and I love him with all my heart.
"zombie." "flashlight." SJFIFKMGH IM WHEE ZING
Duke and Jason have been banned from being anywhere near each other in costume because the arguments they will break out into is both too intense and too distracting for patrol. Everyone thinks they're serious but after the first 10-20 times they do it for the love of the game.
Duke: Shut the fuck up.
Jason: You shut the fuck up.
Duke: Zombie
Jason: Flashlight
Duke: That's why the joker still alive
Jason: That's why the joker did what he did to ya mom.
Duke: Nigga where ya mom at? Dea—
Bruce over the comms who, along with the entire bat family has been listening to entire thing: Signal, Red Hood! SPERATE! NOW!
They are now giggling as dick and cass drag them apart.
You are the devil. I sat here for 20 minutes, debating which one to pick.
you know what I'm curious, for the duke girlies (gender neutral)
here are some batkids faces..might color them might not🤷🤷🤷 we’ll see..