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In Gotham, when people don't want to list the real father of their child, they write down the name of a vigilante. What are they going to do? Stop Red Hood on the street while he's beating up some rogue just to ask for a paternity test? No, but they do find him at the local Bat Burger after a shift. "Excuse me, Red Hood? Hi, I'm with Child Protective Services. I would like to inform you you are marked as the father of a child, I figured you'd want to meet her?"
"I'm sorry? No, I can't. That's not my daughter." It's not impossible that it's his; he's had a few…incidents while in the suit. But those were years ago when Jason was technically dead! None would be able to be born now! Plus, he just can't take care of a kid right now! "I'm sorry, but I can't take care of her. I don't want to hurt her." He went to the cave as fast as he could.
Jason walked into the cave that night, took off his helmet, and looked at Tim. "Did you know civilians are using our likeness as vigilantes for their kids' birth certificates?"
Tim, who was half-asleep at the Bat Computer and surrounded by empty coffee cups, looked up at him with the most exhausted face and slowly blinked. "Why the hell would they do that? We can't be parents?"
Jason picked him up from the chair, lifting him over his shoulder. "I don't know, Tim Tam, but I do know that you need to go to sleep. You are exhausted."
Jason carried his little brother up the stairs and tucked him into his bed.
Before falling asleep, Tim looked at him. "You'd be a good dad, JJ." And with that, he passed out.
Jason just stared at him before turning and walking off to bed.
~~~~~~~
The second incident came with Nightwing. He was feeding birds at a park after patrol, as one does at midnight, when a CPS agent came up to him. "Excuse me, Mister Nightwing? A mother is claiming you are the father of her son; can we get a quick paternity test?"
Nightwing knew better. He couldn't have a kid. He'd only ever had sex with two women (and a handful of men), and those were both years ago. "Nice try," he responded, "but if you want my secret identity, you'll have to try harder than that."
The worker stared at him with a shocked, yet understanding look. "Look, recently, parents whose baby daddies left have been putting down vigilantes' names as the dad, probably assuming we couldn't get a DNA test. We just need to prove you're not the father." She ran her hand through her hair, obviously stressed. This is the fifth Nightwing kid this week.
Nightwing's face pulled up into a grin. "So, what you're saying is, I have a new kid? Sure, he's not mine biologically, but if I'm on that birth certificate, that's my new kid; take me to see him."
The worker sighs and takes him to where the mother is. She's sitting in a small hospital room with a small baby. "Miss Mya, the…father of your child is here."
The mother, Mya, looks up and gasps when she sees Nightwing. "I didn't think you'd come, he's not actually—" She was cut off by Nightwing.
"I don't care if he's mine by blood; if you trust me enough to list me as the father, that is all that matters to me. What's the little guy's name?"
Mya smiled at him. "His name is Cody, he's named after my grandfather." She offered the child to the man, who took it. He gently held the baby, cooing at how adorable he was.
He sat down and rocked the baby. "Don't worry, I'll always be here if you need me. Your papa is here." He held the baby's forehead to his, as if telling him telepathically how much he loved him.
Dick got home happy, yet confused. He ran into Jason's room. "Jay! Jay! Jason! Hey! Did you know that I have a kid?!" He was practically bouncing off the walls.
Jason, who was researching for a college project, looked at him slowly and let out a long, hard sigh. "Do you have a child, or does Nightwing have a child?"
Dick looked at him like he was stupid. "Jason, I am Nightwing." Did Jason forget? Was he playing with him?
"Dickwing, whose name is on the paper, yours or Nightwing's? Does it say Nightwing or does it say Richard Grayson?" Jason was done with the bullshit. He knows Dick doesn't have a real son; he and Wally can't make one unless they find some science-y way to create it. So why was he acting like this was his son?
That pissed Dick off. "Jason, I don't care if it says The Boogeyman on that paper, I'm still his father, biological or not, and I WILL show up for him." No one can tell him who is or isn't his child. If this mom wants him to be the dad, then God damnit, he's a dad.
Jason rubbed his temples. "Dick, you aren't listening to me. That child is not yours, you can't just go up to it as Dick and say it's your kid. You can only see him as Nightwing. It's not your son; it's Nightwing's. Do you understand me?" He sighs heavily and tries to turn back to his laptop.
Dick grabs his chair and pulls it to him. "Jason, you are the one not listening! I don't care if I have to be in disguise, I want this to be my son! Come on, man, what if Bruce just left us without a family? What if he didn't adopt us? This kid needs me. And I hope you can learn to understand that." He pushed the chair away. "I thought you'd be an understanding brother. I guess I was wrong." And with that, he walked out of the room. He expected his brother to be kind and understanding, seeing as they both lost their parents and would've been fucked if Bruce didn't take them in. Why doesn't he think he can do this?
Dick went to his room to call Babs next, maybe she'd be more understanding? She picked it up after 3 rings. "Hey, Dick, what's up?" She sounded like she'd been asleep, which is reasonable.
He sighed. "Hey, uh, I just need someone who can hopefully tell me if I'm right or wrong? Jason is giving me shit, and now I'm scared I've made a bad choice."
Barbra let out a laugh. "You know I'm like, the worst person to ask for that, right? Why don't you talk to Bruce?"
Dick bristled at the thought. "Babs...I have a kid." Before she could say anything else, he cut back in. "Not biological! Someone put my— er, Nightwing's name down on a birth certificate. Technically, he's mine, but Jason says it'd make me a bad father."
Barbara rubbed her forehead, mostly annoyed, but mildly amused. "Dick, I can't tell you how you'd do as a parent. I think it's fine if you only see him in costume. I mean, how cool would it be to say your dad is Nightwing? Who cares if he doesn't know who you are? You're giving a kid, who wouldn't have otherwise had one, a father. Jason is just nervous. You'll do great, I promise you. Although you should probably call Wally and tell him. He deserves to know."
"Noooo! I don't wanna tell Wally! He'll make fun of me!!" Dick whined, almost sounding like a crabby toddler. He didn't want to admit that the real reason was he was terrified of him thinking he cheated and hanging up before he could explain.
Barbara did not have time for this. "Tell him or I'm telling him. Good night, Dick." And with that, she hung up.
Dick sighed. He didn't want this. He didn't want any of this. Well, he wanted the kid, but he didn't want to have to tell Wally! Reluctantly, he called.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
Ri—
"Hey baby, what's up!" He answered...
Dick tried not to break. "Hey, sweetie... I have a question? Kind of?" He was on the verge of tears, begging he would listen and realize before thinking he cheated. "So, hypothetically, if I told you I had a kid, how would you react?"
Wally was silent for a few seconds. "I would support them as much as I need to, no matter what. Why are you asking, love?"
Dick let out a sigh of relief. "So, someone put my—er, Nightwing's name in as the dad because she didn't like the baby daddy, so I now legally have a child. I just wanted to let you know, I especially didn't want you to see me with him and the mom and assume the worst of it." A few tears streamed down his face at the thought of Wally thinking he would ever cheat on him.
Wally chuckled at the other end. "Baby, I would never assume that of you. You know why? Because I know you're a good person, and I know you could never live with yourself if you did that. I love you, Richard Grayson. And if Kid Flash comes to help with the kid sometimes he would be more than happy to." His voice was soft, kind. He just wanted to help his love in anyway possible. He really was a perfect boyfriend.
Dick was close to tears. Hearing Wally tell him he would always be there for him made him remember how Bruce would hold him as he cried when he was Robin. When he skinned his knee or missed his parents. When he and Babs argued, when he and Kori broke up, when Jason died. His dad was always there. And his circle expanded. Jason came back, he got the Titans, he got Tim, and he gained so many friends. And he gained Wally, one of his favorite gains.
He almost forgot he was on the phone as he reminisced about everyone he had, until Wally spoke up. "Hey, baby, are you ok? You sound like you're crying?"
Dick snapped back into reality. "No, I'm ok lovely, just— just remembering things. You make me so happy." He sniffled. "Thank you, my love."
Wally chuckled. "I love you too, birdie. I'll see you Wednesday?" All he got back was a small 'mhm' before Dick hang up.
~~~~~~~
After the whole Nightwing fiasco, the Batkids started to become used to the whole thing. Even Steph and Cass got put on a few of them. Parents started to trust them.
On Cody's first day of Kindergarten, Wally and Dick cried more than Mya did. They were so happy to watch their kid grow up.
Jason laughed at him, until his first kid, Bailey got there. He held it together in front of the mom, but afterwards he sobbed into Roy's chest about how he "doesn't want his babies growing up so fast" and "this must be how Bruce felt". Roy just sat there and rubbed his back.
Then, came Tim's first. The mom couldn't make it to drop off and planned for the kid to ride the bus. The kid, Ryu, ended up showing up to his first day of kindergarten driven in the batmobile and walked in by Superboy and Red Robin. He immediately gained many friends. Tim and Kon were VERY proud of themselves.
Steph and Cass ended up just co-parenting all of theirs, considering they dated anyways. Their first kid, Phoenix, was the sweetest little boy. They were so excited to watch him walk in. They nearly screamed when he stopped halfway to hug them and have all three of them walk him into the school.
~~~~~~~
Highschool was another round of crying for all of them. They were nearing adulthood. They were becoming their own people.
Cody still had Dick and Wally walk him into school. He was scared, and needed them to support him.
He came home and told them he made tons of new friends. They were so proud of him.
Jason drove Layne, once Bailey, to school on his motorcycle—because he asked him to. The kid walked into school and Jason smiled, proud of the man his son was becoming.
Layne came back angry, although he wouldn't tell Jason why. He soon found out that the kids made fun of him for looking too feminine. Jason taught him some tips that Tim gave him on how to properly pass.
Tim and Kon still drove Ryu to school in the batmobile. It became his thing, and it's what made everyone love him. Especially because his dad's and mom taught him how to be cool AND kind.
Ryu came home telling them all about how he defended a kid who was getting bullied and got them to back off. They soon became friends.
Steph almost let Phoenix skip the first day. He was terrified of the new school. Cass talked gently to him, telling him everything would be ok. They eventually got him to go.
He came home excited. He told them how he made a new friend! He was getting bullied for his race and this kid came up to him and defended him! They sat together at lunch and told crazy stories about their lives. Phoenix told him about how he has three mom's, his new friend told him how he had a little sister that tries to break his collarbone with a baseball bat.
~~~~~~~
Relationships were a struggle with the kids. They all knew how it would end. And that answer was always bad.
Cody dated quite a few people. His first girlfriend being a girl named Veronica. She was nice enough, but they just were too different. He ended up going to senior prom with a girl named Kaycee and they got married.
Layne dated a lot of people. He even dated Phoenix at one point, but that was a poly relationship, him and a boy named Autumn. They dated for two years before he dumped them both right before senior year. He said Autumn couldn't be fixed how he wanted to. Jason tried to help him find love, but no one seemed to stay. He ended up alone, although he was ok with it. His cats made him happy.
Ryu wasn't much for dating. He stayed to off and gained more platonic relationships. And that made him happy. He ended up as the godfather to the friend he met on his first day of highschool's child. And he couldn't have been more happy for his best friends.
Phoenix only ever dated Layne and Autumn, but they were his everything. He was devastated when Layne left, and Autumn even more so. He continued with Autumn, as he knew it wasn't his fault and they thrived. They eventually got married and had a kid together.
The kids were so proud watching they're children grow. And they will always be there when one of them needs them.