Chapter Text
Th day Dick Grayson got the name “Robin” he didn’t think much of it. It was supposed to be like any other night, a night rehearsed and safe moves, his mother had placed a kiss on his forehead, his father had a hand on his shoulder and they called him “Robin”.
Then they died.
Robin was all he had left of them, no pictures beyond the fake smile of a poster and a stuffed lion his father had won for him at one of the stands. He was Robin, it had been his whole identity, his whole world really.
He’d thought he’d keep being Robin. He thought that even when he hung up the name that it would remain safely tucked in with the fabrics of the past. He had thought that Batman would’ve recognized the names importance to him.
He had not thought that the name would be given away.
Like it was not even his, like his mother hadn’t whispered it in his ear, like his father hadn’t laughed when Dick had whined on how he wasn’t a baby.
Batman gave the name away like it wasn’t even his. As if they hadn’t been side by side together for years.
Dick was angry, really angry. He couldn’t stand Batman could barely stand to look at the kid who got it.
He’d spent days not speaking to him. Only calling Alfred and Jason, who’d he realized never really asked for the name.
Then while he was away on mission the boy with his name died.
Jason, the New Robin with a big smile and a street kid attitude died. A young kid died. His kinda-sorta brother died and he wasn’t there for him.
Dick hung up the name once more, expecting it to be over with a depressing end. A solemn warning really.
Tim was next, he’d snatched it up, after a heavy stalking and declared that Batman needed a Robin. Dick had felt queasy when he first say this new Robin on the news; Robin was never for Batman. It wasn’t supposed to be anything but a tribute to his parents and now a tribute to his dead sorta brother.
He avoided anything to do with it all. Couldn’t really talk to Bruce without it turning into a screaming match over god knows what
Till the unthinkable happened Jason came back.
His Little wing came back with anger and rage and murder on the brain.
Eventually, slowly, they were a family. A family of messed up Robins, some who never really choice the name.
As soon as they got in the groove , Damian arrived with a silent assassiness and an anti-social attitude and what seemed like seconds later Bruce died.
Dicks complicated and very dysfunctional not really-father because he’s rostered but really who’s he kissing father figure died. And he was Batman and Damian was an angry and in need of direction like Dick was as a kid.
Robin was never about Batman, it was about giving kids direction and the ability to provide hope. It evolved pass the tribute for his parents almost like a betrayed without him looking.
Tim may have been hurt, who was he kidding, Dick had hurt Tim when he handed Robin to Damian but Tim was ready to some doing new and even in its evolved form it was still his. And he was justified in who he gives it too.
Robin was his, and everyone kinda forgot that.