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So… we already established that Batman is a scary guy. Actually, "scary" might be underselling it. Batman is the kind of person who can make gods nervous.
The kind of person who walks into a room and immediately lowers the collective IQ because everyone is suddenly too busy wondering if they've done something wrong. The kind of person who somehow manages to intimidate criminals, politicians, aliens, and fellow superheroes with equal efficiency.
Which is honestly impressive.
But somehow the guy could still surprise Barry.
Some months after Starro's attempt at world domination, they were in a meeting rehearsing some outdated protocols. Some of them no longer worked, some needed readjusting and some situations had happened recently that required entirely new protocols. Apparently, saving the world generated an absurd amount of paperwork.
Who would've guessed?
Arthur was currently talking about diplomatic protocols regarding interactions with other societies like the Atlanteans and Tamaraneans.
The latter being Starfire's people, she was a princess after all.
Talking about Starfire, she was a senior member of the Titans. The team had been under Nightwing's leadership for years. The boy - or man, technically, though Barry still occasionally forgot how old some of the younger heroes were - was a wonderful hero.
Barry knew he was Wally's best friend, a kind guy, an excellent strategist, a capable leader and someone with years of field experience despite his age. He was very flexible too, both figuratively and literally.
Barry had unfortunately witnessed enough acrobatics to confirm that. The guy practically ignored the laws of anatomy.
So Barry liked Nightwing, both as a hero and as a person. In fact, he had been seriously considering nominating him for Justice League membership. The nomination period was just around the corner and Nightwing had more than earned it.
The only thing making him hesitate was that Batman didn't seem to like the young hero.
Well, Batman didn't seem to like people much. Except Superman, of course. Everyone with functioning eyes had noticed that.
But he really didn't seem to like Nightwing. Every single time Nightwing entered the same room as the Dark Knight, Batman would tense automatically. His shoulders would stiffen. His jaw would tighten. And his mouth would become a thin line.
You want more signs than that?
Yeah, didn't think so.
So he was betting on the other Leaguers to help secure the votes if he eventually submitted the nomination.
Barry respected Batman immensely. But more often than not, the man's paranoia got in the way. Particularly, Barry thought Batman disliked Nightwing because of his outgoing personality.
Wing laughed, joked around, started conversations with strangers, talked during missions, talked after missions, talked before missions. Honestly, Barry wasn't entirely sure the guy knew how to stop talking. And their resident Bat hated that sort of thing on principle. He was simply too serious.
That was Barry's theory, anyway. Not necessarily a good one, but it was all he had.
What really confused him was that Nightwing seemed so much like Superman. Friendly. Approachable. Optimistic.
The sort of person who naturally brought people together. And Batman tolerated Superman just fine. More than fine, actually.
So it was surprising that he seemed far less open toward Nightwing. Maybe it was because Nightwing was younger. Maybe he didn't meet Batman's impossibly high standards. Maybe Batman simply enjoyed being difficult.
Honestly, any of those explanations were equally plausible.
But Barry got sidetracked. Again. The perks of accelerated thoughts. One moment you're listening to diplomacy protocols. The next you're psychoanalyzing Batman.
It happened more often than he'd like to admit.
He was just listening to the King of Atlantis discuss diplomatic procedures when the lights suddenly dimmed. Immediately afterward, an emergency alert appeared across the Tower's screens. The signal originated from Titans’ Tower.
The atmosphere changed instantly. And before anyone else could react, Batman was already on his feet. Seeing that, Batman was the first to get up and accept the emergency call.
"Nightwing." The name was spoken in a voice that left absolutely no room for nonsense.
"B! I'm being attacked by the Titans!"
Because he was startled, Barry thought he heard wrong. Surely he had. Right? Because Nightwing had just called Batman "B."
Not Batman.
Not Dark Knight.
Not anything remotely professional.
Just...
B.
And somehow nobody reacted.
Not a single person.
As if this was completely normal.
Barry didn't even have time to process that revelation because Batman immediately started issuing orders. Precise and efficient, like always.
Within seconds everyone knew where they needed to be. Then Batman was gone.
In a flash. (I’know. Hilarious.)
The vigilante practically launched himself toward the Zeta Tube.
The scary thing was that Batman was the first one there and the last one to leave.
He seemed intensely focused. More focused than usual. Which was saying something. The man tore through the chaos with such determination that Barry briefly questioned whether Batman was actually human.
Because normal humans did not move like that. Normal humans did not bulldoze through disaster zones powered entirely by stubbornness. The vigilante only stopped charging like a madman when he finally reached Nightwing at the center of the fight.
The fight were on the Titans’ Tower training grounds.
Barry was honestly surprised Batman knew the layout well enough to navigate directly there.
Then again, this was Batman. Of course he knew.
Nightwing and Batman immediately fell into formation.
Back to back.
No planning.
No hesitation.
They simply moved.
And suddenly Barry couldn't look away. They complemented each other's attacks perfectly. Covered each other's blind spots. Protected each other's backs instinctively. Every movement looked practiced.
Refined.
Like they had spent years doing exactly this.
Like they trusted each other completely.
It was astounding.
The other Leaguers barely had time to intervene because the duo had already neutralized most of the threat.
The Titans were completely out of their minds. Even restrained and handcuffed, they continued trying to attack Nightwing. Starfire included.
And seeing how efficiently Batman and Nightwing dismantled the opposition was a whole new level of terrifying.
Batman was notorious for working alone. The man didn't adapt to others. Not really.
He made everyone else adapt to him. The entire League functioned around that reality. So watching him move in perfect synchronization with another person was deeply unsettling.
Because this wasn't an adaptation.
This wasn't a compromise.
This was a partnership.
Equal and seamless.
Even knowing Batman was a force to be reckoned with, seeing him work so naturally with somebody he supposedly didn't even like was frightening to say the least.
When the chaos finally died down, Batman stayed behind to sort out the details of what had happened. That was another thing Barry admired about the vigilante. You could never call Batman unprofessional.
Ever.
No matter how personal a situation becomes. No matter how emotional. The mission always came first.
And for the first time, Barry saw Nightwing visibly on edge.
The young hero wasn't smiling or trying to lighten the mood.
He looked tense and exhausted. Concerned as he watched his teammates.
The sight felt wrong somehow. Like seeing Superman without his smile.
Then Batman stepped closer.
Not much.
Just enough.
And Barry noticed Nightwing's posture relax slightly.
The tension didn't disappear, but it eased.
Just a little.
As if the presence of Gotham's most terrifying vigilante was somehow reassuring.
Barry immediately stored that information away for later.
Because that was interesting.
Very interesting.
Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to investigate.
Right now, they had a team of young heroes who needed help.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
There was a similar occurrence with the Young Justice.
They were a younger team of heroes formed by the Justice League's protégés. A sort of bridge between sidekicks and full-fledged heroes.
Young Justice was composed of some of the most talented young people Barry had ever met. Which was both impressive and deeply concerning. Because teenagers with superpowers were already dangerous enough. Now imagine teenagers with superpowers, combat training, and enough confidence to challenge world-ending threats.
Exactly.
Their leader was a boy named Red Robin. He was young, a bit inexperienced compared to the veterans of the League, but he was a good leader. A very good one, actually. Good enough that even Batman recognized it.
Also, Red Robin was terrifying with a computer in his hands. There was no system that stayed intact when he decided to break through it.
Government databases.
Corporate firewalls.
Alien technology.
If it had code, he could probably dismantle it.
Barry was fairly certain the kid hacked for fun.
Some weeks later - after what happened with the Titans, and Barry was still very glad everyone had survived that mess - another emergency call was received on the League's monitor.
Immediately, the room fell silent.
The alarm had become associated with a very specific type of disaster recently. And nobody liked that.
Batman was again the one to answer it at lightning speed. He already had a serious scowl on his face. At least, what Barry assumed was a scowl. Reading Batman's expressions through a cowl was a skill Barry had never mastered.
The giant screen flickered to life and Red Robin's face appeared.
The young hero looked exhausted and stressed. And, for the first time Barry could remember, genuinely worried.
"B!"
There was that nickname again.
The exact same one Nightwing used. Interesting. Very interesting. Barry, again, filed that information away for later.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know! The team just started to go crazy! They are trying to attack me and Robin! Just the two of us! We need help!"
Robin.
Now there was another terrifying child.
Robin had the unfortunate habit of treating a katana like a perfectly reasonable solution to most problems.
No one should cross that kid's path. Seriously. Barry had watched grown villains retreat after seeing Robin pull out a sword. The fact that the child was carrying one in the first place remained deeply concerning.
"I'm on my way."
That was all Batman needed to hear. Immediately, he started calling names. Superman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter and Flash. Within seconds, everyone was moving.
Batman stormed out of the room with the kind of urgency Barry had only seen a handful of times before.
And that was what worried him. Because Batman was always urgent, focused and intense. But this felt different.
Barry knew Batman probably had a hunch that Wally might be caught in the crossfire. Even if he wasn't part of Young Justice anymore, Wally still visited his friends frequently. And if there was one thing Batman never ignored, it was a potential threat to someone under his protection.
When they arrived, chaos greeted them. The training grounds looked like a battlefield.
Heroes were fighting heroes. Powers were flying everywhere. And right in the middle of it all stood Red Robin and Robin.
Fighting against everyone else.
And they weren't being pushed back.
What the hell?
Barry actually stopped for a second. Because surely he was seeing things. The odds alone should have overwhelmed them. The Young Justice roster was huge. Several members possessed powers capable of leveling buildings. Others had years of combat experience.
And yet the two boys were holding their ground.
Not comfortably.
Not effortlessly.
But they weren't losing either.
They were almost on equal footing.
Which somehow made the situation even more absurd. More importantly, they worked together perfectly.
Barry had to do a double take.
Robin moved like a blade given human form. Fast. Precise. Aggressive.
Meanwhile Red Robin controlled the battlefield with his staff. Directing movement. Covering openings. Anticipating attacks.
Every time one of them was exposed, the other compensated instantly.
It looked less like teamwork and more like instinct.
Batman joined the fight immediately.
Without hesitation.
Without even assessing the situation for long.
He simply appeared beside them, gave something to both boys and then moved toward the others.
The Young Justice roster was massive, so the League members naturally moved toward their respective protégés.
Leaving Batman and the Robins to handle the rest.
Belatedly, Barry realized the objects Batman had handed them were restraints. Meta-human restraints for the powered members and regular handcuffs for the human heroes. As if Batman had arrived already expecting the exact situation he found.
Which, unfortunately, sounded exactly like Batman.
The boys took care of the majority of their teammates like it was nothing.
What the hell?
Seriously.
What the hell?!
Barry couldn't stop thinking about it. Because every time he looked somewhere else, another Young Justice member was already restrained.
If Barry didn't know any better, he would've thought they were Batman's kids. Especially Robin.
The permanently scowling face certainly fit, the terrifying combat skills fit too. The overwhelming confidence and the alarming amount of weaponry.
Actually...
The more Barry thought about it, the less he liked where that train of thought was going. Barry was sure he could take on some of the Young Justice members.
Years of experience counted for something. Even then, he knew he would struggle against someone like Aqualad or Superboy while they were out of their minds. The kids, however, made it look easy.
Barry was genuinely aghast.
"Report." Batman's modulated voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Immediately, both boys straightened. Robin especially. The kid snapped into military attention so fast Barry almost got whiplash watching him.
"We were all training when all of a sudden the metas started to come at us together. After that the others joined. We don't know what caused it."
Red Robin answered without fear or hesitation. Without even blinking. Like being questioned by Batman was completely normal.
And by their reports, Barry knew something was going on.Something bigger.
First the Titans.
Now Young Justice.
The similarities were impossible to ignore.
Someone was targeting young heroes. Or at least targeting the teams connected to the League. Maybe they were trying to reach the Justice League through their protégés. Maybe it was a distraction. Maybe it was something else entirely.
But Barry knew there was more to it.
There had to be.
Because if leadership was the target, Robin should have been unaffected.
Instead, he had been targeted too.
Which meant the connection wasn't leadership. It wasn't rank. It wasn't authority.
There was another link.
Something connecting Nightwing, Red Robin and Robin.
And whatever was happening. Barry just couldn't see it yet. But judging by the look Batman was wearing, he would.
Soon.
Very soon.
XXXXXXXXXXX
The third time something happened, it was different.
The emergency call didn't come through the Justice League's systems. Instead, the call came through Batman's private line. And somehow, that made the situation much worse.
Because Batman was many things.
Paranoid.
Secretive.
Terrifying.
But he rarely looked surprised.
The moment his communicator went off, however, every League member noticed the change. It was subtle. A slight stiffening of his shoulders.
A fraction of a second where his attention became razor sharp. The kind of reaction that told everyone this wasn't a normal call.
The person speaking wasn't anyone Barry recognized from their voice alone. They sounded gruff. Direct. Slightly out of breath. Like they were in the middle of a fight.
"B, there's something wrong with the Rogues. They started to attack out of the blue. They don't seem to be in their right mind."
And Barry saw it.
The exact moment Batman figured it out. The exact moment the World's Greatest Detective placed the final piece of the puzzle together.
The Titans.
Young Justice.
Now this.
Something connected all of them. Batman's entire posture changed.
His mind clearly moving faster than anyone else's. The speed with which he stood up was almost on par with Flash's.
Which was frankly disturbing.
Batman didn't even bother calling the League this time.
He simply moved. And everyone followed. Because when Batman looked that concerned, you followed first and asked questions later. The hurried silence that accompanied them out of the Watchtower was almost worse than any explanation.
And then they arrived in Gotham.
Surprisingly.
Because if Barry had to guess where the next incident would occur, Gotham would've been near the bottom of the list.
The city was already a disaster on a good day. Apparently it had decided to become worse.
When they arrived, chaos was already in full swing. The streets looked like a warzone.
Destroyed vehicles. Collapsed storefronts. Rogue technology firing in every direction.
And right in the middle of it all stood one man.
One man fighting an entire group of Gotham's most dangerous criminals.
He was tall. Broad-shouldered. Built like a tank. Wearing armored gear with a red bat emblazoned across his chest.
But what caught Barry's attention immediately was the helmet. The red helmet. There was only one person who dressed like that.
Red Hood.
Number one criminal on the Justice League's most wanted list.
Barry blinked.
Then blinked again.
Because Batman was moving directly toward him.
Without backup.
Without hesitation.
Without even pretending to consider alternatives.
Which was shocking. Maybe even reckless. Except Batman wasn't reckless. Batman was caution incarnate.
The man had backup plans for his backup plans. What was even more shocking was that Batman wasn't moving to fight Red Hood. He was moving to fight alongside him.
To detain Gotham's Rogues.
Batman.
Protector of Gotham.
And Red Hood.
Feared crime lord.
Were fighting together.
Together.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Barry genuinely questioned whether he had accidentally vibrated into another universe.
Because this made absolutely no sense. He wasn't alone, either. Judging by the expressions around him, the rest of the League was equally baffled. Even Superman looked surprised.
Which was saying something.
And then things somehow got worse.
Because Batman was doing the same thing he had done with Nightwing.
The same thing he had done with the Robins.
He was adjusting.
Adapting his fighting style to accommodate Red Hood.
The League was so stunned they barely managed to participate.
The fight itself ended quickly.
Mostly because Gotham's criminals suddenly found themselves fighting two nightmares instead of one.
Barry noticed restraints appearing. The Rogues being secured. And eventually, the moment Batman and Red Hood started talking.
Not arguing. Not threatening each other. Talking. A few minutes later, they approached the League together.
"We need to go back to the Watchtower."
Batman spoke as if bringing Gotham's most wanted criminal to the League headquarters was perfectly reasonable. Red Hood stood beside him like an oversized watchdog.
Barry didn't even have time to object.
Batman was already gone.
Again.
At this point Barry was beginning to suspect the man teleported when nobody was looking.
So when they reunited in the meeting room with Red Hood sitting beside the Dark Knight, things deteriorated immediately.
Questions started flying. Complaints. Demands for explanations. Accusations.
Nobody was particularly happy about the situation.
Batman remained silent through all of it. Which made everyone even more annoyed.
Then the Zeta Tube activated making the room immediately quiet.
"Nightwing, B-01."
Everyone froze.
"B-01?" Barry repeated internally.
"Red Robin, B-04."
That couldn't mean…
"Robin, B-07."
No.
Absolutely not.
The boys entered the room like they owned the place. Actually, correction. They entered the room like they had been doing this for years. Which raised several concerning questions.
First of all, how did they have clearance?
Second, how did they know exactly where the meeting room was?
Third, why did nobody seem remotely intimidated by Batman?
Nightwing walked straight over and sat on the armrest of Batman's chair.
Barry nearly had a heart attack.
"What’s wrong, B?"
There was the nickname again.
And Batman didn't even react. Didn't Batman hate Nightwing? Wasn't that Barry's entire theory? Maybe Barry was terrible at reading people. Actually, that felt increasingly likely.
"Hood was attacked by the Rogues."
The atmosphere changed instantly. Every single one of the younger heroes went still. Like they had all reached the same conclusion simultaneously.
"They are after us...?" Nightwing asked quietly.
"Why?" Red Robin followed right after.
"I don't know, but until I find out, you're going to stay here where I can see you."
The oldests immediately groaned. Simultaneously.
"But, B!" Nightwing's response was spectacularly whiny. The drama queen.
"No buts. You're staying here where it's safe." And that was final.
"No chance of that, old man." Red Hood crossed his arms, Batman didn't even look surprised.
"I won't be fighting you on this, Hood. I can't risk losing you. Not again."
The silence was immediate as something passed across all of their faces.
Something heavy.
Painful.
Old.
Barry suddenly felt like he had stumbled into a conversation he wasn't supposed to hear. At this point, he couldn't make heads or tails of the situation. Not even a little.
Thankfully, Hal shared none of his restraint.
"What is happening?!"
Every single one of them turned toward Hal at the exact same time. All in perfect synchronization. It was deeply unnerving.
"Red Hood, Nightwing, Red Robin and Robin are being targeted, and I think it's because of their association with me." Batman spoke slowly, like he was explaining something obvious to a five-year-old.
Red Hood immediately snickered.
"With you?" Arthur asked. "What kind of association?"
Every single boy looked at Batman. Then immediately rolled their eyes.
Barry was beginning to see a pattern.
"You didn't even tell them this?" Nightwing asked. Still comfortably perched on Batman's chair.
Batman sighed. A long, tired, exhausted sigh. Just like Barry would do when Wally did something similar.
And suddenly -
Suddenly -
Batman didn't look like Gotham's terrifying vigilante. He looked like a father. A very tired father.
"Oh."
Barry froze.
"Oh."
Everything clicked. He didn't even need to ask for confirmation. Because Robin gave it to them.
"Tsk! Father doesn't have to explain himself to these idiots. It's their fault for not realizing sooner."
"Father?!" Hal practically shouted.
"Man, this is good" Hood said, thoroughly entertained.
"Yes! We are vigilants of Gotham and Batman’s sons. I'm the eldest." Nightwing chirped excitedly.
"Second eldest." came Hood's bored voice.
"Third." Now it was Red Robin’s turn to shock all the members of the Justice League.
"I'm the blood son. Legitimate heir of Batman."
"Yeah, yeah. We already know that, demon spawn." Hood responded unamused.
"I can't believe Spooky has kids."
"Problem with that, Jordan?!" Damian immediately snapped while reaching for his sword. Every single one of them subtly shifted closer to Batman. Protectively.
Like a pack gathering around its leader.
And somehow that terrified Barry more than anything else.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
The nicknames.
The familiarity.
The trust.
The impossible teamwork.
The way Batman always showed up first.
The way he knew exactly where to find them.
The way they relaxed around him.
The way these boys protected Batman.
Everything fits.
And honestly?
Batman had somehow become even scarier. Because his sons were monsters. Not in a bad way. But in the most terrifyingly impressive way possible. They were exceptional fighters. Exceptional leaders. Exceptional strategists.
People who inspired loyalty so strong that others would fight the League itself for them.
One of them was literally a crime lord. For God's sake.
Batman had raised some of the finest heroes of their generation. And every single one of them was fiercely loyal to him.
Just as loyal as Superman.
Obviously more.
The boys would do absolutely anything for their father. And suddenly Barry found himself respecting Batman even more than before.
Because fighting aliens? Saving the world? Outsmarting gods? Those things were impressive.
But raising four children like these?
That might have been Batman's greatest achievement yet.