A/N: This... Title, I decided on after a small mental debate with myself. It was a toss-up between My Name, Say My Name, or Why?. It's basically the way each of the Bat Boys (minus Bruce and Damian...?) feel when they're called by their last names. Grayson, Todd, Drake, and Wayne. Mainly it's about how Jason, Tim, and Dick feel when Damian used their last names--what they think of when they hear the last name.
The plot bunny woke me up, so I wrote it down and went back to sleep. This is going up before the epilogue to Words for the reason that I just feel like it. Anyways.
Enjoy
My Name
Grayson.
That's what Damian calls him. That's what strangers call him. That's what people call him whenever they're fake towards him. That's what his fellow officers call him.
And he hates it.
He hates it for several reasons.
The Flying Graysons was the name of his act with his family. Grayson was what Haley shouted when they fell. Grayson was what they called his father. "Mr. Grayson?" Now he's supposed to answer to it. On just about a daily basis. Grayson, reminds him that they're dead. Grayson reminds him that he's the last one. When someone shouts "Grayson!" they know he'll answer. Who else will?
He's the last living Grayson.
Richard John Grayson. That's what his Case Worker called him when they first met. That was before she called him "Gypsy trash". That was before he knew she was a bad lady. Even then, he only found that out when Bruce told him what she should have done as opposed to what she actually did. Richard. John. Grayson. They called him Grayson in juvie. "Oooh look out guys! It's Grayson~! The gypsy's here!" It hurt. Gypsy trash, he could take. Them dragging his surname - a surname he'd been proud to have - through the mud, however, both pained and angered him. The other kids making his name nothing.
It hurt.
Dick Grayson. Now, he's got no problem being called Dick. Dick's just a nickname. It's insignificant since it's not his real name. Grayson. Grayson is his last name. Grayson is his family name. The last living Grayson.
Wayne, is technically his last name too, but this was a recent development. Dick hadn't been adopted until a few years ago. So it's Grayson-Wayne. Grayson-Wayne.
Always a Grayson first.
Wayne Galas. That's where he's called "Richard" or "Mr. Grayson" the most. Every time he goes, he goes knowing the pain it'll bring. The pain of being forced to remember the broken and bloody forms of his family on the ground. You would think that... What? Seventeen years would be long enough to "get over" the death, wait no, murder of his entire family. But it's not. He can still hear the screams; the loud cracking and snapping sounds his entire family's bones made. He hears them every time someone calls "Grayson!" if only briefly. He's learned not to flinch or wince outwardly. Then people pity him, and he really doesn't want any pity.
The BPD. Blüdhaven. Arguably one of the worst cities to be an officer in. But it's the best city to be enough like Gotham - like home - and not remind him of his family at the same time. Well... Except when he's on the clock. Then it's usually always "Grayson! Paper work!" or "Pick it up, Grayson!". Then it hurts briefly again.
He knows he should do something about the way hearing the name makes him feel; do something about the way he reacts, but for now he doesn't do anything. Doesn't tell anyone.
Grayson.
Todd.
Damn. He fuckin' hates it when the Demon Spawn calls him Todd.
Todd was his father's name.
Todd was what the other gang members used to call whenever they showed up at the dingy living arrangement. Todd was what Catherine's dealers addressed her by. When his father was still alive - and even after he died - he was known as "Todd's boy". Most of the time, this wasn't a good thing. Willis Todd pissed off many people and they usually used himself or Catherine to get back at the older male. Not that Willis ever gave a shit.
Willis Todd was a monster.
On a different note, Catherine's last name had been Todd. He wonders what she would've thought about that. Catherine hadn't been a bad mom, whenever she wasn't doped up on heroin, anyway. She could be decent. Catherine Todd was the only reason he hadn't hyphenated his last name. Well, that, and some other issues completely unrelated to the current topic. Catherine was gone, though. He's not sure how he feels about that. Damian shouts "Todd!" and with the right tone if one was to yell at a Todd, because he knows Jason'll answer. 'Cause really, who the fuck else will? His dead mom? His dead biological father?
He's the last living Todd.
"Mr. Todd" is what those snobby school teachers at Gotham Academy would call him. Ugh, he hated those jackasses. Whenever he was about to get into a fight, it started with the shout of, "Hey Todd!" and resulted in him winning but getting detention while the other kid got off scott-free. Fuckin' rich socialites.
Don't even get him started on those posh Galas he used to be forced to attend. "Jason" or "Mr. Todd" were names he'd have to answer to. Now, Jason wasn't a hard one to answer to - he answered to it quite often - but "Mr. Todd" was more difficult. Willis was Mr. Todd whenever gang bosses would try to employ him. *He* was not up for hire.
It annoyed him.
Jason Peter Todd. That had been the name he'd been called when he'd first gone to juvie. Then it was street trash, street rat, crime kid, thief, trash, etcetera. He didn't care. Why should he? His "father" had been murdered in prison, and his mom was too dead to care either, so why should he have cared? Being called such common, demeaning, names wasn't new to him, so he ignored the name-calling. He didn't care if they butchered the name Todd; it'd been slaughtered long ago by Willis. He wasn't proud to have it as a last name. If he had kids, he wanted to make sure the name Todd no longer meant abuse and anguish. He wanted the name to be worthwhile...
Yeah, right.
Sure he was technically Todd-Wayne, but that's only on the adoption papers... If they even existed. He didn't remember getting adopted before he died, so there's every chance he's just Todd.
Just a Todd.
Being called Todd, reminded Jason of his oh-so-"humble" roots. Willis abandoned him and his mom. Fucker only came back to beat his "family" shitless then take off again. Willis was enraged when his mom got pregnant again (not to say he wasn't a bit upset too, but he had replacement issues even back then) and took off after beating them both bloody again. Catherine was a good woman... When she wasn't high on opiates. Catherine would yell at him, hit him, scream words that would tear into him, and ignore him whenever she was all doped up. But he didn't care (or so he told himself. It was just the drugs. She didn't mean it..). Catherine overdosed one day, in the bathroom, and he was left alone.
He was alone, and shit if it didn't suck. Whenever Demon Spawn called him Todd, his face twitched down briefly, not that anyone noticed. Not that anyone cared. He never bothered talking about it. Maybe he should, but he won't. Not now.
Now? Now, he's alone.
Todd.
Drake.
He wants to spit at Damian's feet whenever the brat calls him "Drake". He hates being called Drake. Why? He's no Drake and hasn't been one for a long, long ass time.
So he loathes the casual use of the name.
The Drakes neglected him. Hell, they used to disappear for months on end, leaving him with an ever-changing nanny or sitter. Not that he'd cared, then. He wasn't stupid; he knew what a real family was supposed to be like... He'd just never experienced it before. Well that'd been before Jason died and he'd been adopted by Bruce after his parents' death. When he'd started living with Bruce, Alfred had been the one he'd grown closest to. Then came Dick, and eventually Bruce. That's when he knew what a family was, and he couldn't help but curse his "parents" for the way they cared for their "son".
His parents were cruel.
When his mom died, he couldn't bring himself to feel much of a loss. The woman had always scorned upon him much more than his father. The father wasn't as bad, but the man could hardly be called "good" either. But before his father passed, the man made an effort for him. So when his father died? He broke for a while. Whenever someone shouts "Drake!" or "Mr. Drake!" they know he will be the one to answer. Who else will answer the calls?
He's the last living Drake, after all.
He doesn't care much for the Galas. He's attended them since he could remember, and the lies practically gush out of the mouths of the rest of Gotham's "elite"; aka the upper class. They call him "Timmy" or "Timothy" but never "Tim". Not that he cares about that either. The stuck-up snobs always kissed too much ass for his taste. But he can't help the twinge in his chest that he now gets whenever someone calls "Mr. Drake". That was his father's title. Now it's his and he's not sure how to feel about it. He's not sure what to do.
Yeah, technically it's Drake-Wayne, but honestly? Tim doesn't use the Bat's name unless it's business related. The name has too much baggage for him. Plus, after Damian died, Bruce didn't make him or Jason oblivious to the way he felt of them compared to his son.
Drake-Wayne.
"Mr. Drake" is what his teachers call him. Before, it didn't matter. Now, he can't help but sigh forlornly whenever he's reminded of his loss. The loss that he wouldn't feel if it hadn't been for Obeah Man. But he's learned to get used to it. Why wouldn't he?
He had a façade to keep up.
Being called Drake, to sum it up, brought painful memories and feelings to the surface. It's honestly part of the reason he explodes on Damian. The stupid brat only reminded him of his losses. Most of the time, he tries to ignore the kid for the sake of his mental health.
But, hey, we can't keep a reign on ourselves all the time.
Drake.
Bonus ( A/N: This one's shorter than the last three. Sorry, I'm just not very good with Damian.)
Wayne.
The name is hard to live up to.
Wayne is the name of an extremely successful business company run by his Father. Wayne is the name of a billionaire playboy who adopted three boys, a girl, and had a biological son. Wayne, happens to be the last name of Gotham's protector (one of them); the Batman. Wayne is the name the al Ghul's had wanted him to live up to.
And it's hard. He's not like Grayson, Todd, or Drake. No, those three are the last of their names. It's much easier for them to do with the name what they please, whereas he has to live up to a legend. It's part of the reason he resents them, if Grayson a little less. Grayson also had a name to live up to despite the extermination of the rest of his name. Drake and Todd, however, had nothing to live up to. Todd, the name of a low-lifed criminal who made a mistake and had a kid. Drake, the name of dishonorable and dishonest liars who happened to be semi-famous and rich. They had dirt to live up to. But him? Damian was forced into a legend's name.
The name of a legend.
Wayne.
Hope you liked. Please review! I'll be seein' y'all!