More Batfam musings

[xt1me]

I like the whole the-citizens-of-Gotham-think-the-batfam-are-cryptids idea. But I also like the whole the-citizens-of-Gotham-are-all-jaded from how much they’ve had to deal with over the years.
So I kind of thought how that might work together.

Like, everyone’s pretty sure Batman was summoned from the depths of hell (or the darkest parts of Gotham, same thing). In fact, there’s a rumour going ‘round that the reason Batman never kills anyone is because one of the clauses he was summoned by means that if he very ended a life he’d be banished back to hell. But he’s a demon (or whatever) so he’s good a figuring out how to get around that.
The thing is, he’s obviously trying to pretend to be human.
There’s plenty of people he's met by now, regular citizens or victims he’s tried to reassure, that have seen him look like a guy in a costume. But he’s not fooling anyone. There are just too many crooks he’s beat up over the years. Telling stories about how he’s appeared out of the shadows, or dodged bullets, or just figured out fool-proof plans. No one really believes it.
I mean, look at his car. At some point he must have decided he needed one to get around but he obviously don’t know much about real cars. The batmobile looks more like a nightmare shaped into a vehicle then anything real. Even people who have manged to get a look inside have said it looks like something out of a movie or something.

The rest of the batfam are the same.

Nightwing is nice enough but he never seems to realise that normal people don’t just flip or cartwheel as easily as walking. Regular humans certainly don’t bend that way.

Red Hood dose an ok job at seeming like a regular thug from Crime Ally. Someone that has good aim that just put on a helmet and decided to be a criminal/vigilantly. But he knows a bit too much for someone who for all intents and purposes appears to have grown up on the streets. Anything from literature to languages.
And the people who have worked under him swear sometimes he forgets to breathe.

Black Bat does a terrible job of not behaving like a living shadow but she’s started to figure out human languages, so good for her.

Batgirl was always better than the others at seeming to be human, even back when she had red hair. Some people think she changed it so she would be mistaken for Batwoman (obviously some sort of vampire), it’s a pity she didn’t think to change her age right.

Someone must have told Red Robin that people live off coffee. It’s a pity he hasn’t quite figured out that much caffeine would give regular people a heart attack.

The latest Robin hasn’t really got the hang of curbing his bloodlust yet. There are a few people that prefer him to the earlier ones though. Frankly, being that happy to be beating up criminals was kind of creepy.

Signal obviously thinks he’s getting away with something by claiming he’s a Meta. Maybe because he seems to have light powers rather then the other’s shadow powers. Or maybe it’s just he’s in the daytime more and couldn’t think how else to hide.

Of course, all of them have a hard time remembering to make noise when they move and they can all disappear into shadows so they’re not really fooling anyone.

But if Gotham’s Eldridge horrors want to go around pretending to be human, the citizens aren’t going to call them out on it.
Gotham protects their own.

(The batmobile is ridiculously hi-tech, of course the inside doesn't look like a real car.
Dick's not quite a contortionist but he is ridiculously flexible.
The jacket might hide it a bit but Jason wears body armor, armor doesn't really move enough to show breathing.
The general public don't exactly know about Oracle & Spoiler was around before she got bat training but Batgirl people remember.
Cass is obvious.
Tim doesn't actually drink that much coffee, he just has a habit of making a cup, taking a sip & then getting distracted by something & letting it go cold.
Damian would not like to find out that some people consider him the less scary Robin.
Duke still thinks he's the normal one.)