Your gateway to endless inspiration
I want to explore the Bernard-as-the-third-Robin idea a little more.
Firstly, that's a mouthful and we're calling him Robern from now on.
CW: in theorizing backstory we address potential/canon child abuse and suicidal ideation.
How does he come to find himself in Batman's orbit? By accident. By storming out of his house after a fight with his parents. By blindly walking to the more dangerous part of town, or climbing up to a rooftop, or standing at a bridge.
By looking at something dangerous and thinking, "how much would they care if I were hurt? Would they care at all?"
And then along comes the goddamn Batman. And he's a fucking mess. He burned the bat signal onto a guy's face earlier.
And maybe that's where this change in the timeline starts; with Batman sitting next to this kid who looks nothing like either of his sons, listening to him talk about his parents and his fears and...
Bernard is just a kid who wants his parents to love and accept him.
Just like Jason.
Do y'all think Batman would take him home immediately or do you think he'd try to find alternative arrangements for this kid?
Because I rather like the idea of a deeply concerned Tim Drake going to Nightwing sooner rather than later, holding photos of messy!Batman ushering a sad-eyed blond kid into the Batmobile.