[ inspired by lpsunnybunny's 'call and response' fic on ao3 ]

THE SYSTEM WAS CREATED BY DICK DURING HIS TENURE AS ROBIN.

a call and response system, for when comms were down or otherwise not an option. a bird call, one for him, bruce and alfred. being the first robin, dick chose a robin's call. even when he became nightwing, dick kept the robin's call. jason couldn't whistle, couldn't get his mouth to work it - so he used a loon's call instead. deep, low and coming from his throat. tim, the chirping chickadee, whose whistle could be heard for miles around. stephanie chose the melodic song of a warbler, cooing over the rooftops of gotham. one of cass' first sounds was the crooning of a crow. duke once gave a hawk's cry and it stuck. as for damian, he ruminated long and hard on what his call should be, before settling on a vulture's cry.

tonight was your first night on patrol - and you'd spent months perfecting your call. you were waiting in the batcave, practising your call when the rest of the family showed up. they were all suited and ready. "hey, {{user}}, you ready to fly?" dick asked as you rose to your feet. "you got that call down pat, huh?" tim interjected with a smirk.