I may not own Batman or Young Justice but I do own this story
Putting the A/N up here so you get some background. So the story is done and everyone is happy. This isn't strictly necessary but I've been compiling this list of headcanons pertaining to events during and after the events of I&E and I figured I might as well share it with you all. Thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, followed this story. I can't believe so many people liked it which is why I wanted to put up this last look into what I believe happened in the new reality plus future Damian getting back to his own time. Of course, if you have your own thoughts and ideas as to what happens, it's all up to you. Thank you again, I have a bunch more Batman stories right now, so much I'm thinking of doing a collection. Also considering another long, drawn out story but that's for another time. Thank you again for stopping by one last time, it's been fun guys.
*Just as an FYI Future Dami refers to the Damian we know, the one present through the main story. Lil Dami/Dami refers to the baby in this new reality. Most of these hcs refer to Lil Dami and the new reality created by the story. The last few pertain to future Dami returning to the old reality. Hope that makes things easier!
- For those of you who are nerdy like me and like to see behind the scenes stuff of how things come together, here's how the story came together. It started way back when I was trying to match the YJ timeline with the comics timeline. This then got me thinking on how characters like resurrected Jay, Cass, Steph and Dami would fit into YJ. I was then intrigued by how the Dick/Dami interaction would change which then led to Damian's reaction to a younger YJ Dick. I amused myself for awhile with time travelling Dami unabashedly spoiling the hell out of the future but then got serious when I contemplated how a just on the edge of puberty Dickie would deal with all this. I've long since played with the AU of Bruce raising all the Batkids together and once I decided to give this story a shot, that was always endgame.
- For those keeping track of the time stamps, the whole adventure, from when future Damian arrives to when he leaves, takes places within about 36 hours maybe a little over. It's why I had to keep throwing in those random breaks because these poor children needed to sleep. So the story started near midnight on Friday March 18th and ended late afternoon Sunday March 20th 2011. I believe the adults kept the kids home the next day to recover from the strenuous weekend and then head over to the Manor to celebrate Dick's birthday/all the adoptions.
- The villain's name, Epoch, means "a period in time" specifically when one era ends and a new one begins. I liked this because one, its a cool slightly cheesy name which fit my villain's time MO and two, this story is an end of sorts. It ends the reality that would have happened had Damian not appeared (IE the real YJ timeline). Epoch's, and Damian's, arrival is the beginning of a new era in that reality. So jokes on you, I spoiled the story from the get go.
- a friend gave me a really interesting idea that Epoch comes from the future where Terry McGinnis is Batman and Epoch has run likely across the Tomorrow Knight at some point. I like it cause it kind of stiches the whole extended batfam together through this one villain. So, it's now canon for this story that Epoch has run into McGinnis Bats and was one reason why he took the job to kill the past batboys because it would mean he could prevent Terry from being Batman. Thanks for the idea!
- Alfred thought Bruce was joking when he called him Saturday afternoon to say he was adopting another orphan. But Alfred quickly delighted in having another boy in the house. He was thus shocked when, Sunday evening, Master Bruce came home not just with Dick and the newest boy, Jason, but neighbor Tim Drake and a young baby who was genetically Bruce's son. That was a long conversation after that but Alfred quickly fell for each and every kid to live in his house. What a big soft heart his grim Master has.
- At the end of Chapter 8 "The Lamb" when Batman calls Damian and Dick up to the Watchtower, he does it to tell Dick and Damian he wanted to adopt Jason and asked what they thought about it. Dami was relieved that Todd would be a part of the family though he pretended to be indifferent. Dick was excited but really nervous. He liked Jay and wanted to be a good brother to him, but he still was getting used to being an older sibling. They both gave their consent on the adoption which is why all the Bats were in agreement when they confronted Jay at the start of chapter 9.
- Dick aggressively big brothers the heck out of his new family. He knows he kinda screwed up at first with future Damian but he does his best to live up to the ideal Damian set. He's very attentive to Jason, tries to help him settle in at the Manor and makes sure the boy is smothered in love (YJ also told Dick of future Jay's potential death). He spends time with Timmy so he doesn't feel so lonely. He adores baby Damian and boy does that baby love his big brother right back. Once he settles into the role, he loves it. It helps define who he is as he grows up and really gives him some maturity.
- Dick gifted Jason with the Robin title once Jay completed his training. Jay was beyond ecstatic but questions what Dick will do. Dick reveals his plans for Nightwing, which he's discussed at length with Bruce. While Jay still has the training wheels on, he and Dick tag team as Robin until Jay is confident in himself that Dick can shed the Robin persona for good and becomes Nightwing fulltime. Bruce has worked very hard to give the boy his space and Dick appreciates it. They avoid many of their biggest fights and Batman, Robin and Nightwing become a formidable trio in Gotham. Dick stays at the Manor until graduation before moving out.
- Dick tries college and decides it's not for him. Again, he applies for the police academy and Bruce very, very reluctantly lets him go. As Dick has no need to run from Bruce, he goes through the GCPD and stays in Gotham. He gets a small apartment in the city (but not too far from his batfam for visits) and becomes a cop. Though Bruce hates that his boy is doubling the danger in his life, he respects the choice. Plus Dick is able to funnel so much more information so the Bats are even more efficient. The GCPD has no idea where Batman gets his information, rookie cop Grayson whistles innocently off to the side.
- Dick kind of suspects that Bruce is dead in future Damian's reality. Despite his initial jerkiness, he noticed how happy and surprised Dami was to see Bruce. It was the face of a son who hadn't seen his father in a while. He also thinks of how much Damian attached himself to Dick as almost like a second parent. He tries not to think about it because the thought of losing Bruce on top of his birth family is too much. Instead he becomes protective of Bruce which the original Batman finds both annoying and endearing. He does nothing to confirm/deny Dick's evident suspicions.
- Dick was already best friends with Babs by the time Thomas came and went, but many obvious hints future Dami dropped made him suspect he and Barbara might someday be a couple. He scoffs until the first time he sees her kick butt in the Batgirl costume and he is just gone, smitten for life. His fling with Zatanna had mutually fizzled out due to their busy schedules and they remained friends. He and Barbara dated seriously with relatively few complications. Since Barb's accident didn't happen, much of the turmoil of their lives was avoided. She eventually did give up Batgirl because she felt she could be more useful elsewhere. She became team manager of YJ plus a coordinator of the JLA but still goes on field missions whenever she can squeeze it in. Dick and Babs continue to be very happy together and are in no rush to marry, they have all the time in the world.
- The media circus surrounding the adoption of Jay and lil Dami was a nightmare. Don't even mention it to Bruce, it was so bad. Bruce claimed, with some creative hacking, that Jay had been a part of a Wayne outreach program. Once he heard that a boy "under his Foundation's care" had to see his mother get murdered, Bruce adopted him. As if that wasn't an upset enough, then Bruce says that he discovers he had an out of wedlock child and was taking him in too. Predictably, the media went ballistic. He explains that Dami was the result of an affair with a woman (who he doesn't name) who cannot take care of the baby at this time. He tries to make it clear to Talia, who he knows is watching, that she'll always be welcome to come complete the family.
- It takes Jason the longest time to settle in at Wayne Manor. Before, at the Mountain, he was there to keep him safe from Epoch, but now he's part of the family, the Wayne family. At first, baby Damian's presence makes him anxious but once he gets used to the little nugget, he becomes Dami's primary babysitter when Dick and Bruce are out patrolling. Jason loves to carry the baby around with him, read him and Timmy stories, and he becomes the biggest brother in the house until he too begins going out on patrol.
- Jason never reaches his full height due to him not being put in a Lazarus Pit and 'healing' him from his years growing up malnourished. He's able to catch up pretty good, after some pretty painful growing pains, but he's still a bit shorter. Instead of being about Bruce's height or taller, he levels out about an inch or two higher than Dick which he constantly gloats about. But he's still more susceptible to broken bones and takes a little longer to bounce back from injury. But he's alive and happy so who cares lol.
- Jay eventually does become Robin, but a year or two later. Bruce had insisted on Jason seeking help for his anger and PTSD from his childhood. He also worked hard to be attentive to all the boy's needs because if he doesn't, that possible future were Jason dies might become a reality. Jay appreciates and soaks up the love and, by the time he dons the Robin costume, he's in a much happier, healthier state of mind.
- When the issue of his birth mother does come up, Jason agrees to check it out but that his home and family is with Bruce and the rest. He locates Shelia doing her charity work and accepts her reasons for abandoning him. He helps her get out of the trouble she was in and they maintain a distant but healthy relationship, exchanging occasional letters and he goes to check up on her every few years.
- The Team was ecstatic when Jay showed up in costume for the first time and became super protective of him when they were out together. Since Jason was sort of in-between generations, he's the youngest by far and is dotted on by everyone in both the Justice League and Young Justice. Jay pretends to hate all the attention, he doesn't really, he loves it.
- Young Justice become basically like his cousins and he becomes really close to them, in and out of costume. God help any villain that injures their little bird. But he also really bonds with the younger generation, he hits it off immediately with Billy Batson. When Garfield comes along he becomes absorbed into the group as well. Jay becomes one of the core members of the second wave of YJ members and maintains his friendships even after he leaves the Team.
- Jay eventually gives up the hero gig after serving faithfully as Robin for a few years. He loved it, but he knows beating up criminals doesn't fight the real problem. He focuses more on his schooling, becoming the first of the Waynes to graduate from college (with a double major in English and Social Welfare). He starts by working with Gotham outreach programs, donating time and money to helping Gotham's youth. He end up coordinator of the Wayne foundation, though he's still heavily involved keeping track of his siblings' vigilante activities. He keeps up training, helps Alfred/Barbara with support and fills in for Nightwing when his big brother is busy.
- Also Jay ends up adopting a couple of street kids he met through the program and thus becomes the first Batkid to be a Batdad. Bruce is such a proud BatGrandpa and begins highkey hinting to Dick and Barbara to tie the knot already and have their own kids.
- Though Timmy doesn't technically live with Bruce at the beginning, he is basically family and is treated as such by literally everyone. Bruce secretly makes a deal with the Drake parents that he'll watch Tim when the Drakes are pulled away by business but that they really should try to be home more often. They hesitate but once they see how happy and at ease Tim is with the family, they agree it's better for him than being home alone.
- Bruce actually strongly considers accusing the Drakes of neglect and applying for full adoption of Timmy. He sits Tim down at 8 years old and lays out the facts and is reasonably confident that a judge would want Tim removed from their care. He asks if Tim wants to go forward with the case. The boy comes back the next day with a serious face, he thought it over and while things aren't ideal, he still wants to make things better with his family. Bruce accepts the decision, lets Tim know the adoption is always available and it's never brought up again.
- Lil Tim becomes very attached to Jason. He loves everyone of course but Dick and Bruce are busy and Damian is a baby, so Timmy often looks to Jay for everyday things. So Jason just gets in the habit of dragging Tim and sometimes Dami wherever he goes, and soon he finds he really likes the company. They grow up really close. By the time Jason is Robin, Tim feels a little bit abandoned. It took a lot of convincing, but Bruce agreed to train Tim too. As with Dick/Jay earlier, He and Jay took turns being Robin while Jason was wrapping up his hero career before passing Robin onto Tim for good. By the time they're both teens, the two are inseparable despite the five year age gap.
- Tim spends most of his younger years at Wayne Manor. He is very happy there but still wishes for his mom and dad. His parents do eventually become more involved in his life once he gets older but by this time he's already heavily integrated into the Wayne family. Even the newspapers jokingly call him Tim Wayne. It causes contention btw the Drakes because they felt Bruce stole their son, It upsets Tim who wants both in his life. However, when Janet Drake is killed and Jack is put into a coma, they stated that Tim was to be left with Bruce Wayne. As more and more tragedies befall Tim, he remains strong with the support of his family.
- Tim and lil Dami eventually develop a pretty good relationship, in this world, Tim has always been Dami's big brother and thus is given that respect. Not to mention Tim is probably the closest in age to Damian so Tim can understand some of Dami's kid problems. They're not besties, Dami still ribs him more than anyone else, but they are happy and comfortable together. Tim more than happily passes Robin onto Damian when the time comes, he was getting too old to be a Boy Wonder anyway. Red Robin and Robin commonly patrol together, Dami has been training since birth, he doesn't need the help, but he appreciates having his big brother there for him.
- Bruce does find Cass eventually, about 2 years after future Damian returns, he is able to track down David Cain and Cassandra. Batman rescues Cass, puts her in social services and, a week later, Bruce Wayne is walking out holding his nine year old girl's hand. She isn't able talk at all so she's put in therapy and eventually finds her voice. She uses it most often to tease her brothers and tell Bruce she loves him. Bruce and everyone adores her. She continues to hone her skills to become the second Batgirl years later.
- Cass has never been a real 'Team' person so she is more an occasional member of Young Justice, sorta like how Roy was in S1. She's on missions when they need her impressive skills but she mostly stays in Gotham. She does however develop friendships with Wonder Girl and Blue Beetle through Stephanie and, of course, the original YJ members lovingly welcome another Bat into their hearts.
- Bruce loves his little princess, yes the boys are great, but having a little girl is very special. He is smitten immediately. He is very doting on Cass, knowing that, in this universe, Cass has probably had the roughest childhood. He takes her with him everywhere, not just to show off his girl but to get her used to public places. The other boys see how quietly damaged she is and become protective too. Jason got into a fistfight when some boys as school mocked Cass's silence. Bruce didn't even punish him. They work through her therapy and Cass becomes very kind and soft spoken but also kicks major ass.
- David Cain was on Infinity Island that day and was one of the many men Batman took down. Cassie was on the island too, was actually seen by the Team while they searched for Tim. Bruce unknowingly came so close to finding his future daughter there. After Ra's defeat there, Cain split with the League and continued travelling and training Cass which is why Bruce had such a hard time finding them later on.
- Cassandra helps train Steph as Batgirl before handing over the mantle for good. She never held any strong attachments to it but she knows Stephanie needs it more. She becomes the Black Bat and takes her own section of Gotham. She still patrols regularly with the other Bats (mostly Tim and Steph) and still helps out when the Team needs her. But she needs some time to figure out who she is. She takes classes at the community college and finds she really enjoys physical training/therapy.
- Stephanie somehow ends up mixed up with the Wayne family too. While Bruce is dealing with his insane amount of children, he still somehow remembers to help out Stephanie Brown. He gives her a full scholarship to the best school in town (which she supposedly """Applied""" for) where, surprise, surprise, she instantly befriends 8 year old Tim Drake. Now since Timmy spends most of his time at the Manor, he just brings Steph along and Bruce can't even argue so now he's sort of Dad-ing Steph while he's at it ("What's one more Alfred? I've already lost my sanity, might as well get another kid to replace it")
- When Steph finds out that the Waynes are Bats, she is incredibly livid that Tim kept it from her for so long but she gets over it on the condition that she be trained. Bruce folds rather easily thinking of future Damian's note. She trains with all the Bats and becomes a standing member on YJ as Batgirl. Her vivacious personality makes her very popular but she's probably the closest to Cass and Babs. She helps Cassandra be more social and helps her develop friendships with the team.
- Young Justice become regulars at Wayne Manor to the point where they have assigned rooms and stored clothes. M'Gann loves to dote on the boys, baking cookies and happily playing with them. Jason develops a small crush on her until he meets Donna Troy for the first time and his little heart is smitten. No matter how busy they are, Team and League members like to drop by the house for some time with their favorite Bats and enjoy a bit of domestic bliss. Tim is still attached to Superboy and soon Conner grumbles that the little brat isn't so bad and they become close friends once Tim is older. Artemis ensures that Damian isn't overly spoiled and likes to train him to give him his edge. Dick just loves showing off his cute siblings. It's so embarrassing.
- So... Roy. I just, couldn't find a spot to even mention him? According to the YJ Wiki, he took a leave of absence during the time in the story from the Team to find the Real Roy. So that explained why he wasn't there. But also I just found it hard to even insert him into the conversation without it feeling really out of place. I tried, I did, but Roy refused to be worked into the story. But he's out there, having his lil breakdown, he'll come back and find there's like 5 new Bats and just be like ?
- Speaking of Roy, when Clone Roy discovers his daughter, Lian, he spends a lot more time around the Manor with Dick who now has experience dealing with really young children. The clone gets advice and tips on how to care for an infant and soon Lian and Roy are regulars at the Manor. Roy gets full custody when Jade falls back into her criminal ways and works hard to raise his daughter right. I mean if Batman can have 6 kids then he can raise 1 right? It really helps Roy cope and get his life back together after they found the real Roy Harper.
-Before you ask, they save Wally. The MFD in the North Pole is one of the first ones disabled due to orders from Batman. While Lex is cursing how they knew to disable it when he didn't include it in the plans, Wally goes on in blissful ignorance, not knowing that a half scrawled note from future Damian saved his life. He proposes to Artemis not long after. Bruce never quite figures out what would have happened should the MFD have gone critical, but he suspects someone would have died.
- Everyone's dead parents are put in the Wayne cemetery and every other Sunday, Bruce will walk Dick and Jay (Little Tim likes to tag along sometimes too, just to be included) to the graves to see their respective parents. It helps both boys to have that regular scheduled time with their relatives. Bruce meanwhile, will bounce Damian in his arms with Tim hiding behind his leg and talk to his own parents about his growing family. Tim's folks are eventually put in their own family plot but Bruce puts up memorials in their honor on Wayne property so Tim can mourn them whenever he needs to
- The kids develop this tactic where, when they all go out with Bruce, they form a big circle around him and protect him from any paparazzi getting too close. He's like got this circle of very small, vicious bodyguards but they're effective as none of the reporters want to anger Mr. Wayne (and boy will he get angry) by roughly shoving past his kids to get to him. Bruce hasn't had to put up with interviews he didn't want to in a while, maybe all these kids are worth it.
- Bruce doesn't even try to keep the younger kids away from League business and they're as integrated into the Network as most heroes. He brings them to Mount Justice and the Watchtower all the time. Sometimes they have to wear domino masks if there's going to be people/heroes not in the know there. But it's not unusual to find Batman grumpily nagging at some hero while Damian is squirming in his chest harness and the other Batkids are running around or chatting up whoever is around. Everyone loves it.
- Dick and Tim continue to call their adoptive father Bruce. Both Cassandra and Stephanie start out with Mr. Wayne but as they grow more comfortable in the family he becomes Bruce. Jay is the only one who goes back and forth, he says Bruce most times but occasionally Jay will slip a Dad into there. It starts off being ironic ("Thanks Dad" as Bruce picks him up from detention) but Jay truly does think of Bruce as his dad after awhile and it just slips out sometimes. Bruce loves it. Damian also calls him Dad most of the time with Father being a special treat that reminds Bruce of another little boy.
- Ra's is furious after the whole ordeal on Infinity Island, his army was beaten, his future assassin killed and he lost both his future protégés. He vaguely suspects Talia's betrayal but, in the end, she remained with him so Ra's chooses to blame Bruce. He makes a few attempts on the family's lives over the years, each more unsuccessful. Eventually he faces both Tim and Damian as Robins, he tries to sway both only to have the boys wipe the floor with the immortal and proclaim their allegiance to Batman.
- Talia continues to stop by the Manor every now and again to see her son. She goes out of her way to avoid the others. While she is heartbroken she had to give up her baby, as she watches him grow up happy and loved she knows she could not have given him that life. She was also afraid her Father would have eventually convinced her that her son was a tool, not a person. She was afraid of what she might have done. She continues to serve her Father faithfully but secretly longing for a happy life with her son and Beloved. But some things were not meant to be.
- Bruce is such an open and affectionate dad with lil Dami, constantly holding him and taking him places. It's because he remembers the anger and sadness in that future Dami and, now that he gets a second chance, his baby will grow up happy. The other kids don't feel much jealousy, most remember that bitter future boy and understand Bruce's attention. Not to mention Bruce tries to be more open and caring with them too, it's not the best but the effort is appreciated. Alfred takes him during patrol time, but as soon as Bruce gets home, he'll sit up with Dami all night if he has to. He'll rock Damian to sleep and kiss his forehead. Dami grew up without a loving father in another world, but he wouldn't in this one.
- in Chapter 13 "A Cradle Song", several characters wonder about the Leaguers who went and bought all the Batman themed baby supplies. It was Hal and Barry. They went to several different stores to ensure that they got Batman themed everything. Bruce would be annoyed but little Damian looks way too cute in his teeny Batman onesies. He tries hard not to be offended at the Batman diapers.
- Dami is such a fussy baby. He cries, a lot, he hates getting in and out of clothes or being alone for too long but he hates when the wrong people hold him. He can be temperamental and stand-offish but he just melts when in the arms of his favorite people. He prefers Dick and Bruce best, always calming down in their arms. Talia too, when she visits, can make him quiet instantly like no one else can. He's fussier with Jason, choosing to crawl and wiggle when the older boy wants him still. Tim has a hard time dealing with Dami since he's so young himself, he cries the most with Timmy but, at the right time, will sleep comfortably in his arms.
- The first word baby Damian ever said was 'Dee'. Bruce thought he was trying to say Daddy, Dick had been trying to get Damian to say his big brother's name, Timmy agreed with Bruce since, statistically, it's the most logical choice, Jason thought he was trying to say his own name, Damian. Alfred has no opinion but enjoys listening to the many, many breakfast conversations about what the littlest member is saying while Damian bangs on his baby tray shouting 'Dee!'
- Lil Damian wasn't given a middle name by the League, it was universally decided that Thomas would be his middle name, not just to pay tribute to future Damian but bc of the initial connection to Bruce's father. Future Damian shyly reveals his middle name was also Thomas for the same reason, but he'd never felt like he'd lived up to the name until now.
- As lil Damian grows up, the media refer to him as "Wayne's son" or "the true heir" and a bunch of other prejudiced BS completely leaving out the other boys and, later, Cass. None of the family likes how people dismiss the adopted kids but, surprisingly, young Damian is the most incensed. These adopted kids loved him, raised him, they risked their lives to rescue him from the LoA. They are his family. Once Damian gets old enough to make public statements, he verbally obliterates people who talk down about his family and makes a point of only giving interviews to reporters who treat the kids as equals. Damian makes sure that he says things like "my brother/ sister" and that the reporter prints it as such.
-Baby Damian grows up happy, he is trained from the earliest age by all the Bats but it's done lovingly and with care. He's taught truth and justice and he never spills innocent blood. When his father and family deem him ready, he takes to the streets as Robin. He is identical to the other Damian but he smiles more, he makes jokes and gets along a bit better with people. He's still quiet, still believes himself the be the best. He is his father's son so he is more taciturn that most ten year olds. But he grows up happy and is loved.
- When Future Damian returns to the future, Dick Batman is, of course, freaking out. His small Robin disappeared in a portal only to come back out, bruised and disoriented about a minute later. Dami tries to explain where he was, about the new reality he created. No one, not even the other Bats, believe him and think Dami was just hallucinating. Eventually Damian gives up trying to convince his family, those two days in the past with his father, watching a better world be created, those moments are his alone to treasure.
- Also Damian has gone through a very emotionally and physically intense 36 hours in the minute span of time he disappeared from his future. Damian is half asleep within minutes of arriving back in his real time and continues to slumber for the rest of the night and most of the next day. He wakes up to the entire Batfam (minus Bruce obviously) hovering anxiously over him. Dick had freaked out and called them all home, Damian is annoyed by the attention but also very pleased to see them all. (Even Drake but don't tell him)
- But of course Bruce does come back from being trapped in time much to everyone's shock. Future Damian immediately latches onto Bruce like there's no tomorrow, he knows what he could have with his father thanks to his experiences. He's going to get Batman's love even if it kills him. So things continue on except Damian is working super duper hard to be the perfect son. The complete change is surprising for Bruce but, before he knows it, he is completely in love with his small little boy who just wants his dad's love.
- In the future Damian returns to, he doesn't notice at first but after awhile he finds there are some little differences bleeding over from the other universe. Todd comes over more often. He's still Red Hood, he's still separate from the Bats but occasionally he'll come over as Jason, especially after Bruce's 'death'. Tim is friendlier with both Dami and Jay, every now and again Tim will ask Dami's advice or just seek him out for company. Dami believes this to be weird at first but then he remembers that things have always been that way. He settles into his slightly different reality. There is no perfect time travel.
- Speaking of which, future Damian himself makes a much greater effort to get along with Tim and Jay. It's still strained and they still fight, but Damian realizes how he could have lost them both and that they are his family no matter what. Since Damian arrived in a slightly different reality, he had a much easier time integrating with the other Bats and their relationship is a lot smoother than in original comics canon. Basically everything is happier in this reality and it is beautiful.
- For those of you who don't believe there was enough angst in this, imagine this. Future Damian returned to a slightly altered reality from the one he had known. Eventually, he just sort of accepts it and goes about his life. But there's a reality out there where the lost little bird never came home. Imagine the devastation to the Bat family if they lost Bruce's son not long after Bruce. I'm sure your own imaginations can do far better than my words.
- M'Gann worries about the future Damian who started this whole new universe. She still remembers the visions of his death in the future and had started secretly asking around to other time travelers if they can find out what happened to him. Booster Gold eventually helps her sift through the multiverses to find the one where Damian came from. She bursts into tears when she finds a magazine article talking about the 5 Wayne kids, including a bored looking 13 year old Damian scratching a Great Dane. She saves the picture and doesn't tell anyone but she keeps it safe to remind her.
- I had so many different versions of this story. It took me months to start writing because I couldn't decided which of the 5 plots I would use. The initial idea was Damian (very poorly) trying to hide his identity and future knowledge as he connected with the past heroes. It would have ended with Damian saying 'screw it' and helping rewrite reality by grabbing the future Batkids. One didn't involve Tim and Jay at all, it had Ra's seeking revenge for the future loss of Damian by taking Dick to Infinity Island to make him his new apprentice. Another had Jay be killed by Epoch and Damian trying to cope with the radically different reality. The one that came the closest to being written was similar to the current version, but Dick Batman, Red Robin and Hood showed up 3/4 through the story via after recreating the portal trying to find Dami. The future Bats work with the team to take in Epoch and fix the timeline. But I decided, one, it was overly complicated and, two, the story was really Damian coming to grips with his relationship with his family and working to create a better world so the future bats weren't needed.
- Another thing that almost happened (like so close I wrote in dialogue in the story to set this up that I never removed) was that at the same time of the Infinity Island battle, Ra's had also sent soldiers after some of the Batgirls, specifically Barbara and Jim Gordon. There was going to be this whole separate plot of Jason keeping watch on the girls only to see ninjas attack the Gym where Jim and Barbara were at. Jay organized some members of the League (it totes would've been future BOP members lol) to protect the Gordon family. Lil Jay may have even donned a little mask and helped kick butt himself 3. The II battle was already very complicated and switching back and forth I felt was too much. Besides, it's reasonable enough that Ra's is a sexist jerk who wouldn't believe the girls were important to the overall crusade. I still kinda wish it had been there but I hate when books/movies try to cram too much into such a small space. You can accept it if you want. Maybe one of these days I can add it in as a post-I&E story that someone's goes after Barbara (either pre- or very early BG) and it would Robin Jay's first real test as a hero...