Fanfic / Retrograde Motion

Retrograde Motion is a Batman/The DCU Fanfic by Lysical. It takes place in the Post-Crisis continuity, but with some New 52 and Rebirth elements.

Summary:

All Jason wanted was a case that was simple, clean, and far away from the latest mess in Gotham. Magic wasn't the Outlaws' area of expertise, but they soon found themselves investigating a dark wizard with a penchant for organ harvesting.

When an accident on the case leaves Jason as a clueless seven year old with a memory that's spotty at best, what else can his team do but go to his family for help?

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Tropes

• Actually Not a Vampire: Upon meeting her for the first time, the younger Jason declares Kate to look like "an awesome vampire". He still thinks she's a vampire weeks later, because it was Tim that told him that she wasn't.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: In the comics, Jason's relationship with Artemis is romantic. Here, in part due to the de-aging, it's a mother/child relationship.
• Adorably Precocious Child:
  • Jason, who is intelligent and serious but only about the most ridiculous things and acts very much like the child he (physically) is.
  • Damian as well. Despite his insistence that he isn't a child and generally serious demeanor, he very much acts like one at times and is the sibling closest to the younger Jason after Dick.
• Amnesiac Resonance:
  • One of the reasons Bruce bans (or tries to ban) Jason from the Bat-Cave; Jason has enough subconscious knowledge to make him more dangerous than the average child. This subconscious knowledge includes how to reassemble a bomb and a gun.
  • Jason's memories in general are spotty and ill-defined and seem to be dependent on the strength of the relationship he had with a person. He recognizes his teammates well enough, along with those he knew before his death such as Dick, Bruce, and Alfred, but not his younger siblings nor Barbara, who he wasn't particularly close with like he was with the latter three. He also wasn't able to recognize Kory from her voice or from a picture of her, but did remember her when he met her in-person.
• Annoying Younger Sibling: Jason to Tim and, to a lesser extent, Damian. It's implied however that he's just messing with both of them.
• Asshole Victim: The Joker. Absolutely no one is sorry that he's dead, not even Bruce, who even calls it a relief. The only reason he had an issue with the murder to begin with is because it was done in his city, and he has a code he needs to abide by.
• Bad Liar: The younger Jason, mostly due to his young age and his tendency to stick to any ridiculous story he thinks up.
• Big Bad: Circe.
• Bittersweet Ending: Jason is rescued from Circe, who disappears but promises to come back for him one day. The spell is removed, ensuring that he won't die any time soon — but his transformation into a child is permanent, meaning that the older Jason is gone forever. The family mourns the loss but moves on, accepting the younger Jason into their lives, with Dick and Artemis adopting him as their son and moving (back) to Gotham to raise him.
• Bookworm: The younger Jason retains his love for books, and does not like reading time to be interrupted.
• Built with LEGO: Jason's traps for Tim and his 'gremlin invasion'. LEGO in general ends up becoming Jason's favorite toy and weapon, and he frequently pelts his brothers with them whenever he's annoyed by them.
• Butt-Monkey: Tim. Being subjected to the younger Jason's 'gremlin traps', his Epic Fail at babysitting Jason, Aunt Agatha's Education Mama tendencies...
• Canine Companion: Nessie the Cairn Terrier, aka the dog that found the Joker's severed arm. Jason quickly announces her as his and despite Bruce's protests it sticks. One of the first things that indicates Jason's second disappearance is not voluntary is the fact that Nessie, a light sleeper, is completely knocked out despite all the commotion.
• Children Raise You: The presence of the younger Jason has a generally positive effect on the family: Damian acts more like the child he's supposed to be, Dick becomes more responsible and finally reconciles with Bruce, and Bruce becomes a better parent to his children and spends more time with them.
• Commonality Connection: Alas for Tim, Jason and Damian quickly bond over their mutual dislike for him and building 'gremlin traps'.
• Completed Fic
• Contrived Coincidence: The one time Artemis and Bizarro decide to go out on their own patrol of Gotham, they run into the Joker, giving Artemis the opportunity to kill him.
• Cool Big Bro:
  • Dick is this to all his siblings in the present. In the past, however, he was not one to Jason, something he came to regret and seems determined to make up for after Jason's transformation. Jason, for his part, attaches himself to Dick fairly quickly.
  • Damian proves himself to be a caring and indulgent older sibling as well, despite his occasional annoyance at Jason's immaturity. In fact, this could apply all of Jason's siblings, including Tim.
• Crazy-Prepared: The older Jason, who had a 'real estate empire' that hid enough armaments to fight his own war.
• Cuteness Proximity:
  • Jason as an Adorably Precocious Child, quickly charms both his team and his family in quick succession.
  • Nessie the Cairn Terrier, who becomes Jason's dog.
• Deconstruction Fic: Of Fountain of Youth. There's a lot of debate over whether or not the younger Jason is real, and whether or not it's morally correct to turn him back. The fact that the younger Jason wants to stay a child muddles the issue even further, especially after he reveals to Dick that the older Jason was depressed and in pain. Technically, it's all rendered moot after it's revealed Jason can't be turned back, though everyone mourns the loss of the older Jason all the same, and Bruce lets the younger Jason know that if he ever does want to turn back into the older Jason, he'll find a way.
• Desecrating the Dead: After he was killed, the Joker was beheaded, had his eyes plucked out, and was then ripped apart limb from limb. Artemis kept the head, and tossed everything else, including the eyes, into the river. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
• Deliberately Cute Child: The younger Jason isn't afraid to use his cuteness to his advantage. Especially against Bruce.
• Drama-Preserving Handicap: In the second half of the story, Bizarro's cell degeneration begins to accelerate, and he's sent with Clark to S.T.A.R. Labs so he can be cured. This prevents him from interfering with Circe's kidnapping of Jason.
• Education Mama: Aunt Agatha. Which is probably why both the older and younger Jason ended up her favorites, as Jason is the one member of the family that actually likes school.
• Epic Fail: Tim's first attempt to babysit Jason ends with him losing the kid for twenty minutes and finding him having downed an entire bag of gummy worms and throwing up on Tim. Understandably, he's quickly booted to the bottom of the list for possible babysitters.
• Exact Eavesdropping:
  • Jason manages to sneak down to the Bat-Cave during Bruce and Dick's climactic argument, and hears Bruce declare that he isn't "real". This prompts him to try and runaway from home.
  • Damian overhears their following argument after Jason is returned home, including Bruce's suggestion of throwing Jason into the Lazarus Pit. Guess who decides to call mom not long after Jason is kidnapped by Circe?
• For Want Of A Nail: The Joker escaped from Arkham prior to the beginning of the story, which is what caused Jason to leave Gotham with Artemis and Bizarro and what eventually led to their encounter with Harvester and Jason's de-aging. Ultimately, that is what finally leads to the Joker's death, after he runs afoul of Artemis and Bizarro.
• Fountain of Youth:
  • Jason, as per the premise. The change turns out to be permanent.
  • This actually becomes a discussed trope, where there is a debate over whether or not the younger Jason is "real". Bruce keeps insisting that he isn't, but that's because he feels guilty about how his relationship with the older Jason turned out and views getting close to the younger version as "taking advantage" of him.
• Godzilla Threshold: Eventually, Bruce becomes so desperate to turn Jason back to normal that he considers dumping him in the Lazarus Pit, despite very well knowing that Jason would've never forgiven him for it. He recognizes that this was a mistake, and the fact that he was considering it at all shows that he had lost sight of what was important.
• Good Parents: Dick. Despite not actually being his father, Dick is a strict but caring parent to the younger Jason, who pretty much adores him. Which is one of the reasons why Bruce ends up giving up his role as Jason's father to him.
• Hate at First Sight:
  • The younger Jason hates Batman. He likes Bruce perfectly fine, though.
  • The younger Jason also doesn't like Tim, declaring him a gremlin and making one of his primary hobbies annoying him with LEGO 'gremlin traps'. Maybe. It's implied that he's just messing with Tim for kicks.
• Home Sweet Home: At the end of the story, Dick leaves Bludhaven permanently and moves back into the Manor in order to properly dedicate himself to raising Jason.
• It's All My Fault: Stephanie blames herself for Jason's kidnapping. Considering the kidnapper was magic, however, no one else blames her and she's constantly told it wasn't her fault.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: After years and years of escaping justice, the Joker is killed by Artemis and his body is ripped to pieces post-mortem. To top it off, his killer gets to walk, ensuring that no one will be punished for his murder and freeing Gotham from him for good.
• Keeping the Handicap: The younger Jason doesn't want to go back to normal, saying that before "everything hurt". Ultimately, he gets his wish; the transformation is irreversible.
• Kidfic: Of the de-aged variety. While the entire family has their part in taking care of Jason, the one he attaches himself the most to are Dick and Artemis, who become his primary parental figures. They ultimately become his parents for real once it's confirmed the transformation is permanent.
• Kidnapped While Sleeping: In the climax of the story, Jason is kidnapped while he's asleep from Wayne Manor by Circe.
• Likes Clark Kent, Hates Superman: The younger Jason loves Bruce but hates Batman. What makes it even weirder is that Jason is perfectly aware they're one and the same, but still keeps the distinction regardless.
• Maiden Aunt: Agatha Wayne is not putting up with Bruce's antics, bewailing how his bad example drove his children to not focus on their education. Jason adores her, while her other nephews and nieces treat her as a force of nature you just have to survive.
• Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: Weaponized by Barbara. After the family can no longer keep Jason cooped up in the Manor, she devises a backstory using Artemis as Jason's mother and Dick as the possible father. The plan is to keep the charade up until Jason is turned back, and then have the subsequent Daddy DNA Test produce a negative so they can sweep it all under the rug. When Jason's change turns out to be permanent, however, Dick and Artemis are legally (if falsely) made Jason's parents.
• Mama Bear: Artemis. She kills the Joker to allow Jason some ease of mind and is furious after learning that Jason was kidnapped by Circe, and calls in her Amazon sisters to help her rescue her adoptive son.
• Married to the Job: The older Jason, who made no effort to make a life outside of vigilantism. A conversation with the younger Jason causes Dick to realize that this was because the older Jason wasn't happy being alive to begin with.
• Not So Above It All:
  • All of young Jason's interactions with Damian prove the older boy is still very much a child, despite what he'd like everyone else, including himself, to believe.
  • Barbara is clearly relishing the Joker's death when conversing about it with Bruce as Oracle.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
  • A particularly vicious argument between Bruce and Dick, in which Bruce declares that the younger Jason isn't "real", prompts a devastated Jason to runaway from home. After they get him back and Dick decides they need to have another talk, Tim tells the two of them that they should never talk again.
  • Bruce's conflict Dick and his desperation to get back the older Jason prompts Damian to call his mother and have her use the Pit on Jason so they can stop fighting and repair their relationship. He reasoned the decision with the idea that someone had to do it, and at least with Talia, the bridge was already burnt.
• Only Sane Man: Duke, who is bewildered by the dynamics of the family he's recently joined.
• Papa Wolf: Dick. After Jason is kidnapped, Stephanie and Cass are both convinced that if they don't hold him back, the moment they find out whoever did it, they're going to be in more pieces than the Joker.
• Parental Substitute: Like how Dick has replaced Bruce (and Willis Todd) as Jason's father figure, Artemis has supplanted Catherine Todd as Jason's mother figure. Note that the younger Jason does seem to remember Catherine and still mourns her, but not as much as he would have had it not been for Artemis.
• Parents as People: Bruce. He genuinely does love Jason but is so blinded by his mistakes with the older Jason and his desire to repair their damaged relationship that he ends up walling himself off from the younger Jason. In the end, this is one of the reasons why he gives up the younger Jason to Dick to raise and becomes the child's 'grandfather' instead — there's simply too much baggage between them for Bruce to properly raise him without being reminded of what he lost.
• Past-Life Memories: The younger Jason has nightmares of his old life which is partly why he can't keep a consistent sleep schedule. It does get better after he find out about the Joker's death.
• Patchwork Fic: The story takes place in the Pre-Flashpoint continuity, but with some New 52/Rebirth elements, such as the Outlaws (both iterations), and the existence of Jon Kent.
• Platonic Co-Parenting: Dick and Artemis. While the public believes they slept together and had Jason as per his cover story, in reality the two have zero attraction to each other and are only united in their fondness for the younger Jason.
• Promotion to Parent: Due to Bruce's reluctance to get close with the younger Jason, Dick ends up becoming Jason's primary father figure. Barbara even uses this as a basis for Jason's cover story after he starts going out in public, by making Jason Dick's (probable) love child with Artemis. Ultimately, after it's ascertained that Jason can't be turned back, the promotion becomes permanent.
• Properly Paranoid: After Jason runs away from home, Bruce decides to have trackers put into all his clothing (as well as Sparky the Stuffed Dog). Which helps them figure out who took Jason when Circe kidnaps him.
• Race Against the Clock: Trying to return Jason to normal becomes top priority after Zatanna reveals that the spell used to turn him into a child could kill him at any time.
• Reincarnation: This is what everyone eventually concludes the younger Jason to be. While he still has the older Jason's general personality and mannerisms, and rudimentary memories of his past life, he's also his own person with his own experiences. After it's confirmed that Jason won't be turning back, it's treated like the older Jason has more-or-less died.
• Red Herring:
  • We're initially led to believe that the Joker will be the major villain of the story, having escaped before it started and being the cause of Jason's decision to ditch Gotham with the Outlaws. He's dead by the fifth chapter and the rest of the first half of the fic is spent trying to solve his murder.
  • It's suggested that the Joker's murder is part of an ongoing serial killing that the police and later Tim is investigating. As it turns out, they're completely unrelated.
• Running Gag:
  • Jason insisting Tim is a gremlin and his plans to defeat the 'gremlin invasion'.
  • "Your face is a ___!"
  • "Grandpa" Bruce.
• Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Aunt Agatha, who also practices Brutal Honesty.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Dick gets Artemis out of a murder charge for the Joker's death by having her declared immune to normal prosecution as the Amazons' Shim'Tar by Diana.
• Spoiled Brat: While the younger Jason is generally a sweet child, he does show signs of this, and he is unquestionably spoiled. It seems like the only people that are strong enough to say 'no' to him are Dick and Artemis — his parental figures.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: Damian keeps insisting that he's only going along with Jason's requests because he wants to avoid a temper tantrum, not because he actually likes Jason.
• Switching P.O.V.: The story switches between the P.O.V.s of Artemis and the Bat-Family, which an occasional general chapter thrown in that has multiple character P.O.V.s. The only major characters who don't get a chapter are Bizarro, Alfred, Duke, Barbara, Kate, and Jason himself. Even then, some like Duke and Barbara get their own P.O.V. scenes in the general chapters instead.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: The ending of the story. After years of suffering and getting dealt bad hand after bad hand, Jason gets to relive his childhood with his loving family, finally free of the Joker for good.
• Tsundere: Damian, who keeps on insisting he doesn't like the younger Jason or Jon despite all evidence to the contrary.
• Villainous Rescue: Circe is the one to ultimately save Jason's life by removing the spell on him that was endangering him.
• Who Murdered the Asshole: The running subplot in the first half of the story is investigating the murder of the Joker, who was killed not long after Jason's return to Gotham. Naturally, one of the difficulties of the case is figuring out the motive, because everyone in Gotham has motive. The culprit turns out to be Artemis, who originally had no motive to hate the Joker until she found out he was Jason's original murderer. Even then, it was a crime of passion; she wasn't planning on killing him that night, but Bizarro and her stumbled upon him by chance and Artemis had already sworn to kill him if given the opportunity.