After the New 52 of the DC Comics main universe, many Robin's origin stories have been rewritten. For example, the history of Nightwing forming the Teen Titans was deleted. He appeared as Nightwing, and his background story was that he was adopted by Wayne since he was a child. And taught, there is no specific introduction to how he became an independent hero and how he came back.
The same is true for the Red Hood. When he debuted in the New 52 of his main universe, he was already the Red Hood. Barbara's history as an oracle was not deleted, but the paralysis setting became that she had successfully stood up through surgery, and the orphan and Spoiler, both former Batgirls, have returned to their separate identities and are no longer so closely tied to Batman.
But no matter how the background story is changed, the poor academic background of the main universe of the Bat family remains the same. In the solo issue of Nightwing, he went to Hudson University. Although he was expelled within a few issues, his academic background in the "New 52" It's similar to prenatal education, not to mention the others, only Barbara is better.
The most promising among the Bat-family is bat-winged Luke Fox, the son of the CEO of Wayne Group. He is also a product of elite education. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a double degree in business and engineering.
Judging from the backgrounds of the Robins, this situation is understandable. If you have been busy dying for the first ten years of your life, you really have no time to read.
But this does not mean that this situation is acceptable, especially not by Thomas Wayne, who received a traditional elite education.
At the time when Thomas received education, what he received could not be called elite education, but should be called aristocratic education in the old world. Simply put, as long as you can't learn to death, learn to death.
In addition to basic courses such as grammar and mathematics, etiquette courses are a top priority, talent is essential, art appreciation is a compulsory subject, and sports such as horse riding and archery cannot be relaxed. It is best to be proficient in eight languages by the age of four, and by six He completed a trip around the world at the age of eight, became a powerful figure in the business world at the age of eight, rivaled Monet and Chopin at the age of ten, and stood at the top of the human pyramid before the age of fifteen to control the wind and rain.
Of course, this is an ideal state, and the final effect is weakened due to limited personal conditions. Thomas was not a good student when he was a child. He wanted to skip class and go out to play every day, so he only learned 50% to 60%.
But even so, he is proficient in multiple languages, graduated from Princeton University School of Medicine, has three master's degrees and a surgeon's license, served as a field doctor, and came back to inherit billions of dollars in wealth. She definitely lives up to the title of a queen from a famous family.
After Thomas came to Bruce's universe, he had already made many compromises in his heart. In this universe, he died early, and Bruce was stimulated. It is understandable that the education he received was not comprehensive enough.
But then again, although Bruce's education of these children has occasional flaws, there is generally no big problem. From Thomas' critical point of view, it is just a little lacking in the foundation that the Wayne family should have.
But it doesn’t matter, Thomas thought, isn’t he here? It’s not too late to start cultivating hobbies. Each of the children has different characteristics. Dick has a talent for dancing, Jason is strong, Tim is smart and careful, Elsa is extremely athletic and aggressive, and the Wayne family Isn’t a higher-level future within reach?
Because of this, Thomas turns a blind eye to Bruce's current situation of idleness. He can't count on his son, but he can still count on his grandson, all rounding is the same.
People who see hope will be motivated. Thomas was smugly planning to accumulate more resources for the Wayne family, when Dick from another universe in front of him gave him a blow.
It turns out that the situation in this universe has been settled? ! When this idea flashed through Thomas' mind, he felt his heart twitching and his breathing rate getting faster and faster.
"Master, tea." Alfred reminded him promptly. Thomas held his chest and took two sips of tea. He lay paralyzed and gasped for half a minute before he finally regained his composure.
Just as Nightwing was about to speak, Thomas pointed at him with a trembling finger, telling him to shut up. Then Thomas opened his eyes, sat upright, looked into Nightwing's eyes and asked.
"What you mean is that the Batman in your universe not only becomes Batman himself, but also adopts many children and wants to train them to become Batman, and then does not let them go to school and instead learns fighting and rope skills. , causing them all to have no serious jobs?”
"My real job is to fight crime!"
"Then why don't you become a police officer?!"
"Is the identity of the policeman that important?"
"Is the identity of Batman's assistant so important?" Nightwing replied. If he really thinks that the identity of Batman's assistant is important, then why should he become Nightwing?
But if he doesn't think this identity is important, why would he return to Batman? This is a question that has troubled him for a long time, and it is also a question that has always troubled the members of the Bat-Family - who are they?
Are they Batman's sidekicks, or themselves? Should they be Batman, or themselves?
But if the answer is the latter, what should they be like? They have accepted Batman's teachings, so are they really themselves?
And the ultimate question, will Batman like who they become? If he doesn't like it, is there any point in being yourself?
Nightwing sighed in pain. He stretched out a hand to cover his mouth, and then slowly slid it down his chin, letting the chaotic thoughts and contradictory thoughts swirl in his mind.
"I'm shocked by his negligence in your education." Thomas' tone was extremely low. Just as Nightwing was about to open his mouth to retort, he heard Thomas say: "This doesn't mean that he didn't let you get your degree, or that he didn't let you go. Learn talents, but his education for you completely lacked the socialization part." Thomas pursed his lips and said, "Aside from the people you know who are related to Batman, how many friends do you have?" Nightwing was about to speak. When he was talking, Thomas interrupted him and said: "I mean it is related to your crime-fighting career, but really I have accompanied you in your life, communicated with you, shared common interests and hobbies, and provided you with A friend of emotional comfort.”
"This is a false proposition." Nightwing pursed his lips and said, "My friends in the Bat family have done this. They have always been with me. We have common interests and hobbies, and the relationship between us is very deep."
"Then what is the topic you talk about the most?" Nightwing was silent and stopped talking, because he understood that Thomas's ability to ask this question proved that he already knew the answer, and this answer was to the point. Obviously, Bat The central topic in the family is Batman.
It’s not surprising to form a social group around another person, as is often the case with groupies, but it’s a big problem if you don’t have any social interaction outside of the social group around that person, or even don’t participate in this society at all.
Thomas shook his head and said, "I really can't imagine that he brought a bunch of children back and asked them not to study, work, or go out to socialize, but to hang around him every day." Suddenly, Thomas narrowed his eyes and stared at Dick. "Are you sure he doesn't have any other intentions for adopting you?" Nightwing was stunned for a moment, then anger surged in his heart, and blood rushed to his cheeks. He raised his voice and angrily said, "How could you think so of Bats?" Hero?! The Dark Knight of Gotham is not so dirty!"
"I'm just raising a possibility that is common among the upper class." Thomas took two more sips of tea and said, "Even if it wasn't the case, what he did can be called a crime."
"I don't advocate free and happy education at all." Thomas curled his lips and said, "Children are naughty and lazy by nature, but if they are allowed to be like this, what will parents and society do?"
"I didn't like going to school when I was a kid. I could run away from the classes my father arranged for me. But if there weren't those parts that I couldn't escape from, then when I faced the mess of the Wayne Group in this universe, I would only be able to escape. I can look at the ocean and sigh with joy."
"Then, I will miss the most important part of the universe's mission to save Gotham, and watch the opportunity to fulfill my dream slip away. I will regret it for the rest of my life." Thomas looked into Nightwing's eyes and said, " I am a quite authoritarian father, and my demands on my children are never fulfilled. It is best to let them challenge the limits of education that humans can accept mentally and physically, just so that one day, even if something happens that makes them regret it, they will never be blamed on me. superior."
"Aren't you worried that they will hate you for having such a childhood?" Nightwing asked.
"You understand." Thomas' somewhat old eyes contained a determination unique to Batman that made Nightwing unable to look away.
"Responsibility and happiness, I will only choose responsibility, because I am Batman." Nightwing said the right thing.
"This is exactly what I can't understand about your cosmic Batman. Regarding your education, he chose to make you happy instead of making you capable of being responsible. This is not like a Batman choice at all." Nightwing was obviously lost in his thoughts. After a while, he took a deep breath and said, "Maybe this is not without reason."
"what is that?"
"He might... feel guilty."
"Why?" Nightwing shook his head and said, "We have each experienced some bad things, and we all feel in our hearts that it is not entirely Batman's fault. The difference between us and others is that we will not go Rather than criticizing a god for making mistakes, understand that a person always has omissions.”
"But Batman doesn't think so." Nightwing's eyes were covered with mist, looking either sad or sleepy: "He always seems to be responsible for all the tragedies in the world, not to mention Is it the tragedy that happens to us?”
"He never asked us for anything. He just chose to turn around and tell us that everything would be solved." Nightwing shook his head slightly and said, "And we all know that he paid a lot for being able to say these words firmly in front of us. How much."
"Because he felt guilty, he chose to push himself instead of forcing you." Thomas' lips completely pursed into his mouth, and his hands tightly grasped the handle of the tea cup: "So, you really Become a simple bird under the wings of a bat, never have to accept the invasion of real suffering, never have to fly far from the nest."
"Dick." Thomas called Nightwing's name for the first time. When his wrinkled eyes also became moist, it was like the tenderness and calmness of the river of time accumulated in the old rain tree nest.
"One day you will understand what an enviable wealth it is to be able to stand proud in the most vivid stage of life, without having to bow to reality and society, without having to learn to be mature and steady." Yeyi's hand died. He clutched his wrist tightly, his lips pursed until they turned white, and he said in a trembling tone: "And this means that the people who prevent us from having to do this will always be related to this, or will be more... deeply affected by it." Its harm.”
"But now that you have left your own universe, you are finally completely free from the shadow under his wings, aren't you?" Nightwing opened his eyes slightly. He looked at Thomas almost as if he was asking for help and said, "Yes, of course. Yes, he won’t know what we did here, and he won’t feel guilty about it.”
"Then what are you planning to do here?" Nightwing seemed to be choked and didn't breathe out for a long time. After a long time, he turned his head and whispered: "We originally wanted to go back as soon as possible."
"Then you continue to hide in his arms, take advantage of his guilt, and let him face the powerful enemy alone?" Yeyi's face turned red with anger, and he raised his voice and said, "Of course not, we never thought Do it!"
"But the fact is that you can't help." Nightwing took a deep breath, glared at Thomas and said, "As if you can."
"Of course I can, because I'm Batman." Nightwing hammered the sofa hard, but quickly calmed down, then looked at Thomas and asked tentatively: "We can learn something from this, right?"
"Of course, I don't feel guilty about you. Why don't you go to school and find a job?" Nightwing swallowed and asked with some uncertainty: "Then, what should we learn?" Thomas stretched out his hand and looked at it. He checked his watch and said: "It's too late tonight. I have to arrange my class schedule. First, follow me upstairs to check Dick's French homework."
"Well, why should I go?" Thomas said with a smile.
"Because then tomorrow is your French homework."
