Batfamily Beauty and the Beast AU where Bruce is the beast and with every child he adopts he becomes slightly more and more human.
He finds Dick in the woods, sobbing over the loss of his parents. A year later, he looks in the mirror and wonders if he's only imagining that he's gotten shorter.
Jason sneaks into the castle and steals a loaf of bread, hungry and desperate. Bruce takes him in and offers him a proper meal. As he's putting his new son to bed one night, he notices that his claws have shrunk.
Tim marches into the castle and demands Bruce take him, knowing the stories of the monster who kidnaps children. Bruce's snout feels flatter than it used to when he presses a kiss to his forehead.
Cassandra lasts a full two weeks before anyone even notices she's there. The fur on Bruce's arms begins to thin as he holds her close, and she smiles up at him.
Tim brings home Stephanie, who loudly insists that she does not need nor want a new father. His skin grows less leathery, and the beginnings of crows feet appear on the corners of his eyes.
Damian is brought to them by Talia, rigid and wary of everything, convinced of his birthright as the Bat's heir. The fangs in Bruce's mouth seem to smooth over as he learns to gentle his speech.
The day Duke joins the family, still reeling from the plague that claimed his parents, something clicks. Bruce steps out, and before them stands a perfectly human man, finally made whole by his love for his children.
The batkids do not have a mother to find items for them that they themselves cannot find, so they find the closest replacement at the moment
Bruce:… Tim why is Harley Quinn eating cinnamon rolls in our kitchen Tim: *typing on his phone* oh I couldn’t find my headphones Bruce:… what does that even mean ~ Bruce: *walks into living room*… hello Selina Selina: *watching cartoons with Jason’s head in her lap* oh hey baby! Bruce: w- why are you- not that I’m not happy to see you but why are you here? Selina: kitten needed help finding his helmet. Jason: *lifts helmet* we found it Bruce:… *walks back out of the living room* ~ Bruce: *staring at Talia* Talia: Hello beloved. Bruce: … wha- why- how??? Damian: forgive me father but I needed to find my favorite dagger for show and tell tomorrow Bruce:… first of all no- ~ Bruce: *walking into Dicks room* hey Ivy- wait Ivy: oh hey bats! Believe me I don’t want to be here either but baby robin needed help finding his old suit Dick: *lifting his discowing outfit* we found it Bruce:… Ivy I will fund all of your plant experiments if you swear to never find that thing again-
Okay but what if, Ra's Al Ghul although being affably evil in my eyes, when the Court of Owls invade his palace to harm his family is not what he will let happen.
*yes some ooc, this was written for fun and for me I do still see Ra's as a villainous man that I don't like, but I've also always thought as bad as he is, he would never let snooty rich foes harm his family... that's his job and he labeled them as tests lol. Context here is that the Court of Owls after being rejected by Ra's and Batman, tracked Damian and Talia and were going to do unspeakable acts to them. Ra's made it in time and he's about to go full bad ass grandpa!
Ra's al Ghul entered the palace, his green and black cloak billowing as he stepped over the body of an owl member he had just stabbed.
Ra's: I come back and find my palace desecrated, sacked like Gotham. Worst of all, I hear you dare to touch my daughter and hurt her boy! I... have had.... enough.
The countess of the court, Lizabeth, stepped forward, her blonde hair slipping from her cloak.
Lizabeth: Old king, we only wanted to convince you to join us. The one who spoke those threats is dead, thanks to you. How about we handle this—
Ra's’s arrow cut her words short as it pierced her heart, sending her crumpling to the ground, lifeless.
Ra's (calmly, almost mockingly): No.
The lights in the palace went dark as Talia entered, cradling Damian in her arms. Though only eleven, she effortlessly carried him, surprising the young boy as the sounds of scattering and screams echoed through the halls. The palace staff remained hidden, leaving only the formerly ruthless assassins to fall one by one to Ra's's fury.
Ra's: "Let's go after a man who's practically a God, who has spent countless years mastering numerous fighting styles and weaponry, and think we can harm his family." Brilliant strategy, truly. You’re all so clever, aren’t you?
He struck down another panicking member who hadn’t seen him in the shadows. Any assassin who dared to attack was met with the swift bite of his sword, sheathed at his side.
As panic spread, six members huddled together—four men and two women.
Sebastian: Where is he? WHERE IS HE?!
Mara: Keep your head down! He's aiming for the torches!
Henry: Our weapons... they’re missing! He’s using the darkness to mask his approaches!
John: Our only chance is to strike in the darkness. We know these halls! We can tilt the odds!
Ra's (from the shadows): You don’t think I know my own palace? I BUILT IT!
In a brutal flurry, Ra's slaughtered all six members. More deaths followed until he cornered the remaining foes in a room after they attempted to harm Talia and Damian.
Alvah (with a sword embedded in his chest, begging): Mer... mercy...
Ra's: Mercy? MERCY?! My mercy has long since drowned. It died to make me who I am. And as long as you're around. My family's fate is left unknown. You plotted to kill my grandson... You planned to RAPE MY DAUGHTER! ALL OF YOU ARE GOING TO DIE!
Ra's yanked the sword free and seized Alvah by the hair.
Ra's (coldly): You filled my heart with hate. All of you who've done me wrong. THIS WILL BE YOUR FATE!
In a swift motion, Ra's beheaded Alvah, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground, horrifying the remaining members. As they screamed in terror, Ra's and Talia dispatched the rest with ruthless efficiency.
Damian (hidden in a closet, whispering): I want to come out, but I feel like I’ve seen enough blood for a lifetime.
Talia: Oh, yes, stay there, tifl. Give us a few minutes to clean up!
Damian (surprised): Mmmkay... did grandpa save us?!
Talia (smiling at her father): I think he did.
Ra's (shaking blood off his sword): Don’t dwell on it. Just... no one harms my family. No strangers, and no foolish, wealthy simpletons. And don’t hug me!
Talia shrugged, giving her father a gentle pat on the shoulder. Ra's, now covered in blood, felt an odd sense of relief in having saved his family. He knew he was ruthless, but he felt justified—it was a necessary purging for the protection of those he loved. In his formative years, he had sworn he became softer with a grandchild, but this time around, he didn’t mind.
The fact that the Httyd gang knows about the effect of dragon nip but they are never seen using it on any dragons throughout the franchise unless it's like a last resort or an emergency to stop extremely out of control, hostile dragons. They know that grass is like a drug for the dragons so they never use it against them even to try and train them. As if it is against their moral code to try the easiest way to tame any dragon.
Like, these kids know all these little perks about dragons that Hiccup learned in the first movie. The dragon nip, eels, moving spot of light, specific disabling scratch spots etc. And none of them uses these to befriend or train any dragons throughout the course of the franchise! Dragon nip is an emergency last resort for when they encounter a super aggressive dragon, eels are an absolute no, nobody used shiny laser light spot on any dragons post Httyd 1.
No, they befriend the dragons with trust. They'll only give a dragon scratches after asking permission that is telegraphed in their body language.
The riders respect dragons and there are so many little subtle things which show how they never treat these incredible amazing beings as if they are animals, they always treat them as individuals. As equals.
I love Httyd so much like you have no idea.
My child is growing wings under his skin and they look… pretty fully formed… like they’re about to burst out any minute
Do you know which hospital has better care for….alternative biology we’ll say
Or would I be better off getting him to a metropolis hospital in this case?
For the growth period we’ve been managing the pain for him pretty successfully with some pain killers and occulting between a heating pad and a cooling one but… idk somethings about to happen I know it
Good question. Gotham is getting better about (as you put it best) alternative biology. Probably ever since the Signal showed up and people remembered that metas exist. But I'd definitely still recommend going to Metropolis for this. I've got some friends at Knight Memorial who see cases like this pretty regularly. Keep at the heating and cooling routine and (depending on your kid's age), you can cycle between ibuprofen and tylenol as needed. Best of luck and let me know if you need anything. I'm not well read on wing development, but I'm happy to look into temporary housing out in Metropolis or to call in a favor with the good people of Knight Memorial. Stay safe out there
I actually made it comic form lmao this was fun
Don’t get me wrong I love the Tim drake tells his family about his trauma with out thinking to hard about it and them freaking out that’s great I love that hilarious BUT have you considered the hilarity of Tim Deliberately Hiding it from his family and the shenanigans he has to pull to keep them from finding out?
Que Tim drake trying to drink his coffee before Bruce comes to pick him up for lunch when suddenly one of Ra’s assassins come from the shadows to try to kidnap him and while Tim is trying to fight him he hears the alert that Bruce’s car pulled up his eyes widen as he shoves the assassin into the closet before Bruce can see and telling him to shut the fuck up for both of their sakes the assassin is so confused he just goes along with it
When Bruce comes in and see’s Tim’s ruffled shirt A broken vase in the hall and someone very clearly in the closet he chooses to ignore it because he REALLY does not want to know about his sons sex life
Red Robin gets stabbed mid patrol and has to pretend he’s worried about blood loss but actually he is annoyed because it was a rusty pipe so he KNOWS it’s gonna get infected and he does not wanna deal with that but can’t say that because then his family will know he doesn’t have a spleen
When a new supervillain comes around and starts cloning people Tim is the one who has the most information on how to catch him because of when he tried to clone Kon but only he and dick know this dick was obviously gonna bring this up so Tim could help on the case but it was also like 2:30 and he hadn’t slept in days so he decided to take a nap first only to be woken up by a shadow holding a hand over his mouth he nearly broke Tim’s jaw because of how bad he scared him and when dick asked him what the hell he was thinking Tim said to keep what happened with Kon to himself or else… the case was solved two days afterwards and dick kept his mouth shut but he had a new found fear for his little brother whom he loved (and feared) so much
There are many more fun instances that I am not creative enough to come up with so PLEASE feel free to add on
how the fam find out Jason's still alive
Dick, looking through old photo books: aw, it's such a shame Talia didn't tell B about you until recently Dami, I'd have loved to see photos of you as a baby
Damian: ? I can get baby photos if that is required in this family
Dick: what, how? Talia doesn't seem like the baby-book kind of woman, no offense.
Damian: She was not, however after my brother was brought out of the Lazarus pit he was given a few old cameras in an attempt to make his mind focus on something not harmful to himself and settle down. He took a lot of photos of our family during his training.
Dick:
Bruce:
Both, simultaneously: your what now?
-later-
Damian, walking into the room with an old box: Alright so I broke into his current safe house while he was working and took one of the boxes. I believe these should suffice for your 'baby books'
Bruce: hold on you broke into his- your brother lives in Gotham??? there's a trained league assassin working in this city and you didn't tell me? Damian we need to talk about your habit of withholding important infor-
Dick: Bruce.....
Bruce: -mation. what?
Dick: look at the.... photo...
Bruce, leaning over to see a photo of Jason Todd holding baby Damian up at the head of a meeting table like in the lion king, red smear on his forehead, while Ra's Al Ghul stares at them both from his seat looking Tired Of Jason's Shit™:
Damian, peering at the photo: yes, Todd got quite good with the timers on those cameras, he took many a photo holding me like that. I believe it was a special campaign designed to get on grandfather's nerves enough that he'd agree to watch the movie with us.
Bruce:
Dick:
*screaming*
bonus:
Tim: you know some of these photos are actually really good, like the angles and tones you used
Jason: you steal Robin, I steal photography.
Tim:
Batman: Commissioner Gordon, I'm here.
Gordon: Finally—
Gordon noticed the young black-haired boy next to Batman, dressed in a bright and colorful hero suit.
Gordon (pointing at the kid): Who's that?
Batman: The child next to me?
Gordon: No, the Bat-Signal. Yes, I mean the kid!
Batman looked down at his Robin, who is mesmerized by the bright lights of the Bat-Signal. Batman turned his to face Gordon.
Robin (waving): Hi!
Gordon (slightly concerned): Hey, little kid. Oh, you're so cute. I'm just going to talk to your guardian for a second.
Gordon looked directly into Batman's eyes with a judgmental stare.
Batman (unaware how odd this looks): What? Is it the costume I gave him because that was his idea.
Gordon: Oddly enough, that's not my issue; he looks adorable in it.
Robin smiled while swaying back and forth.
Robin: Awww, thank you!
Gordon (frowning): Batman, I can forgive you for many things. The numerous parking tickets that you haven't paid for your Batmobile, the fact that I had to install a giant Bat-Signal on the building and you have not paid me the rest of the money for that yet, and even the time that you hit a fire hydrant and left a note saying ‘sorry'.
Batman (interrupting): I am sorry about that, by the way.
Gordon: Doesn't fix the fact that you haven't paid me for that either! Not the point, why is there a precious child next to you?
Batman: Well... I have a sidekick now.
Gordon: You have a seven-year-old!
Robin (offended): Hey, I am 8!
Robin held up both hands with four fingers on each of them.
Batman: He's 8 and an orphan. Not as weird.
Gordon took a deep breath, trying to accept that this is reality.
Gordon: I should not have to explain to you how that is not better! That's infinitely weirder, not going to lie.
Batman (hiding his embarrassment over his bad wording): I am now becoming aware of how this looks, but he is legally adopted by me. That is all you need to know.
Gordon (taking a deep breath): I have so many follow-up questions, and as a cop, I need you to answer a few of them. I won't be mad if they don't lead me to arresting you because I do kind of like you.
Batman (taken back): Oh... Thanks. Do I have to tell you, though?
Gordon (sternly): Yes.
Batman (relenting): I didn't kidnap him. I legally adopted him after his parents died, through no fault of my own—I realize how weird that sounds, but it's true. I took the kid in, and he's my... son—ch—wa-sidekick! Yes. It's not weird! It's not. He just needed a home. He's a good fighter too. Right, Robin?
Robin (confidently): I can do flips and tricks!
Batman: Yes, he can do flips and tricks. I like him so far; he’s... he’s neat.
Batman patted Robin on the head. Robin smiled giggling.
Gordon (smiling softly): Aww... Dang it, that is cute. Just don't get him hurt, okay?
Batman (sheepishly): Mm hm... Definitely did not have to deal with him getting eaten by a Venus flytrap. Twice. Yeah, we dealt with Poison Ivy earlier this week.
Gordon removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes in frustration.
Gordon: Right... He's walking across the edge of the building, by the way.
Batman (not turning around): Yep, he has a lot of energy.
Robin: This is awesome!
Batman spotted the child flipping on the ledge effortlessly. The new father groaned.
Batman (monotone): I'll go get him.
Batman reached out to grab Robin, but the lively young boy leaped off the ledge and darted away, laughter trailing behind him. Gordon observed the scene in confusion as the normally reserved Batman sprinted after his mischievous youthful partner.
Gordon (wistful): My kid is hyper like that... I hope she got her milk tonight.
Gordon wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.
Batman (trying to grab his son): Robin, stop running!
Robin: No!
Batman: Dang it, child! Stop!
Robin: No! I want to play!
Batman: The night of patrolling isn't over yet.
Robin: I'm hungry!
Batman: I got you McDonald's earlier!
Robin (demanding): I want more McDonald's!
Gordon (chuckling): You get used to it. Tell him you'll punish him if he doesn't listen.
Batman stopped running, realizing that this could work.
Batman (sternly): Robin, if you don't stop running, I will make sure you have no cookies for dessert at dinner tomorrow!
Robin stopped running, huffed, and went back to Batman's side. The little hero crossed his arms, pouting.
Batman: Thank you, kiddo.
Batman patted the boy on the head again. Robin giggled and hugged the man's waist, surprising the adult hero.
Gordon (smiling): Okay... I'm not too worried about this anymore.
Second Robin
Third Robin
Being Tim Drake’s favorite isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s about power, perks, and an almost supernatural level of protection.
It starts with the little things. Tim isn’t one for grand gestures, but when he cares about someone, it’s obvious. He listens—really listens—to the small comments, the things others might forget. That offhand remark about a snack you miss? Tim’s already on his way to get it for you. Complaining that your suit’s not fitting quite right? Tim’s hands-on with upgrades by morning. If you're Tim’s favorite, it’s a constant stream of thoughtful gestures. Gear gets upgraded, favorite books and gadgets mysteriously show up, and Tim’s always thinking of how he can make your life easier.
But being Tim’s favorite is more than just gifts. It’s the way Tim treats you, the way he prioritizes you over everything else. Tim listens when you vent, has your back during arguments, even when you’re wrong, and somehow—somehow—he gets Bruce to listen to you more than anyone else.
Bruce listens to everyone, of course. He’s the Bat. But when Tim speaks, it’s different. Bruce doesn’t just hear Tim—he acts. Whether it’s adjusting mission plans, reevaluating tactics, or considering Gotham’s crime trends. He’ll mention something, and suddenly, Bruce is shifting his approach. No one else seems to have that pull over him. Tim has a way of cutting through Bruce’s stubbornness that no one else can match. It’s not lost on anyone that when you’re Tim’s favorite, Bruce seems to listen to you more, too.
And then, there’s the most dangerous perk of all: Tim’s wrath.
Everyone in Gotham has learned to fear the consequences of hurting anyone Tim cares about. They all remember how Janet Drake, Tim’s mother, was exactly the same. Janet didn’t just love fiercely; she made people fear the consequences of betraying her affection. She’d build strong alliances and maintain an iron grip on them, ensuring no one dared to harm those she called her own. She had a reputation for turning the tables in ways that left lasting marks on Gotham’s criminals, so it’s no surprise that Tim inherited the same instincts. The last time one of his favorites got hurt in Gotham, the Rogue responsible learned the hard way that crossing a Drake isn’t something you do lightly. That night, the Rogue barely escaped with his life, and the damage he caused was felt across Gotham for weeks.
The rumors from that time still make the rounds. Red Robin hunted that Rogue down, dismantling supply lines and ruining their operations in ways no one else could, using connections no one could have anticipated for him to have. He sent a message—a warning—one that still echoes through Gotham’s criminal world. After that, the Rogues were far more cautious when it came to hurting anyone Red Robin seemed particularly attached to.
These days, the Rogues are more careful. If they can see who Tim’s favorite is, they back off. Patrols get easier. The punches are pulled. The threats don’t carry the same weight. It's almost comical. Once, Jason caught Riddler mid-riddle and swore he saw him glance over his shoulder like he was checking for something—and then mutter, “Not worth it,” before retreating.
Of course, everyone’s gotten a taste of these perks at some point.
Jason remembers his time as Tim’s favorite. When he first came back, Tim went above and beyond. His gear was upgraded constantly, his safehouses were restocked with his favorite things, and there were custom modifications to everything. Tim even managed to reclaim all his old safehouses from the GCPD archives with no problem. Jason never openly admitted it, but he savored every moment. It felt good to be cared for like that.
Cass had it too when she struggled to reconnect with the family. Tim stuck close, quietly offering his support—whether it was with training or just sitting together. She didn’t ask for a suit upgrade, just mentioned how bulky it was in passing, and Tim designed a new one for her the following week, fitting it perfectly to her style. And as for the Rogues? They couldn't run away fast enough when she showed up.
Right now, they all suspect Duke to be the favorite. Tim’s always inviting him to collaborate on tech projects or sharing valuable intel. And Duke has started receiving gifts that seem to show up at just the right moment—books, custom gadgets, and even the occasional throwback cereal he mentioned in passing. Tim’s also been there for him every step of the way, making sure he’s always in the loop, collaborating on projects, and taking the time to make Duke feel seen.
“You know,” Duke said one night, stirring his soup casually, “Scarecrow’s been weirdly quiet lately.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” Jason said with a raised eyebrow. “What did you do?”
Duke blinked. “Nothing.”
Jason shot Tim a look. “What did you do?”
Tim’s smirk was all the answer Jason needed.
And that’s the thing—being Tim’s favorite isn’t just about attention or gear. It’s about something more. It’s about protection. Once you’re Tim’s favorite, the world seems like it can’t touch you. And everyone knows it.
They’ve all had their time as Tim’s favorite. Jason, Cass, even Damian had his moment. But once you’re no longer the favorite, it’s hard not to crave it again.
Jason lingers in the Batcave, pretending to talk about his gear but subtly hinting at upgrades Tim could add to it.
Damian scoffs at the idea of being prioritized, but Tim catches him comparing his gear to Duke’s own, new and improved gear, muttering to himself, “It’s adequate,” like it’s an insult.
Dick tries to remain above it all—he’s the eldest, after all. He doesn’t need Tim’s attention. But when he sees Tim working behind the scenes, tinkering with Duke’s gear or offering an unexpected assist to Jason, there’s that ache of longing for when he was the center of Tim’s world.
In the end, they’ll never say it, but every single one of them secretly wants to be Tim’s favorite. Because when Tim Drake decides you’re his favorite, you’re not just cared for—you’re protected and given an unwavering loyalty that makes you feel untouchable in Gotham.
And in Gotham, where danger is always close, nothing is more powerful than the protection and devotion of a Drake.
Pest control