Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: Don’t own DP or DC.

Prologue

He looked down at the tiny baby sleeping in the cot. It was hard to believe but he was a father. It had been an accident, failure of birth control with a woman he normally wouldn’t have looked twice at. Sure, she’d been pretty he supposed, but lacking wealth or status. He hadn’t believed the child was his until after she underwent several tests and now looking at the baby, his son didn’t really look like him. Which was good as he had no intention to raise him. His mother had already given up her rights, all he had to do was sign, and yet…he was hesitating.

This was his son, perhaps the only heir he would ever have given his luck with women. But he couldn’t keep him. He had too many enemies, the child would never be safe with him.

“Julian,” he murmured, reaching out to run a finger over fine black hair. Julian Luthor, though no one would ever know. The adoption would be completely sealed, he would never know who took the baby and they would never know who Julian’s birth parents were.

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Jack grinned as Maddie cradled the baby in her arms. He was perfect! And he looked like Jack so no one would ever question if he was theirs or not. Jazz had been begging for a sibling for over a year and now she’d have a baby brother. Though he didn’t think much of the name Julian. Julian Fenton? No, he needed a better name, something like…Danny!

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He smiled as Julian Luthor became Daniel ‘Danny’ Fenton, all was as it should be. His life would not be easy but the reward in the end… he could do no more for the boy, not yet.

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She loved her little brother! She did, she was so happy that her parents had adopted Danny. She just wished…they’d pay more attention to them. She’d hoped a new baby would do that, and it had for a while but now looking after Danny was left up to her.

And now she was putting an ice pack to his black eye and it was all their parents fault. Why did they have to fight in public? And right in front of the Santa photo area!! Danny had dreaded going back to school and he’d been right to, his classmates were not at all happy with his parents yelling about Santa not being real. They were only six, they should get to believe even if it’d been ruined for Jazz and Danny years ago.

Danny pretty much hated Christmas now…most holidays really. She wasn’t much better…not after the turkey incident. Why couldn’t they just try to be normal parents for a single day? That wasn’t asking too much, was it? She loved them, she did, but sometimes it was so hard…

Danny’s first words had been to her, he had called her Mom, she’d had to teach him who Mom really was. She’d worked out to figure out how to make them food that didn’t come back to life. It was so hard to do that and keep up with class work, it’d keep getting harder as she got older and classes got harder.

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Lex walked down the hall briskly. Luthor’s did not run unless their lives were in danger. There was no danger here, just rage. How dare they! Yes, he helped fund them, but he had never signed off on such a project. He should have kept a closer eye on them since he had retired from the Presidency. In some ways, it had been everything he had imagined but in others it had been a nightmare. He was better off running his company than the country.

He stormed into the lab and stopped, staring at the tube and its contents…a child. Soft black hair floated about their face, their eyes hidden by closed lids, their…his face slack, body limp. He grimaced as he realised that they hadn’t even given the child any privacy. Then again, if he had been created within that tube, they may have no access.

Lex approached the tube, ignoring the scientists, taking in familiar features but much younger than he had ever known. Superman. This boy was a clone of superman, except they had needed human DNA to stabilise the Kryptonian DNA…and so some bright idiot had used Lex’s, without his permission. The boy had no name, not yet, but looking at him, he couldn’t help thinking, remembering… Julian. The Kryptonian DNA was dominant but…that was his nose. The boy looked a lot like how he imagined Julian would.

He had hated Superman, had never trusted him and yet in the end, the alien had given his life for Earth. That granted him respect. Lex had pulled back in a lot of ways from various villainous contacts after having to give Julian up, hadn’t actually tried to kill Superman in that time, stop him yes, but not kill him. And this…this was an innocent child. They called him a clone but a true clone would only carry Superman’s DNA. This…this was their child, as messed up as that was.

A scientist approached and began droning on, Lex only half listening, but he quickly focused when they mentioned the accelerated growth. Within a month, the boy would be the same age as Superman. They were imprinting knowledge directly into his brain as he grew so he would be able to function in the world at least. But it wasn’t right that they planned to copy everything they knew of Superman into the boy.

It seemed he had some interference to run.

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He frowned at the message. That was not someone he had ever expected to hear from, not since he had served his term as President. Sure, they’d had contact in the civilian sphere, but the man didn’t know his identity so didn’t know that. Why would Lex Luthor be reaching out to Batman and so soon after Superman’s death?

He took precautions but, in the end, he went to the meeting. “Mr Luthor,” he growled out.

“Batman,” the man nodded slightly, a glass of brandy. “Thank you for coming. I know you had no reason to or to trust me.”

Lex didn’t know he was speaking with someone he once went to school with, granted, Lex had been in his final year and Bruce in his first. But that Lex had been very different to the man he was now. That boy had still had a kindness to him, one that had him defending a scared and still mourning Bruce from some bullies. And maybe that was part of why he had answered.

“What is this about?”

“How much do you know about Cadmus?” the other man answered instead.

“Not a lot, we know you helped fund them and so did the government.”

“Hmm. They work with DNA, specifically alien and meta. Somehow, and no, it was not through me,” he looked at Batman who stared back, patient. “They got their hands on Superman’s DNA.”

That…that was not good. His mind when to a small boy and his now widowed mother. Jon was so young to have lost his father.

“They’ve made a viable clone, I’ve seen him. He’s a child at the moment, locked in a tube and kept unconscious. They are implanting knowledge directly into his brain. Within three weeks, he will have aged to the same age as Superman. I have done many things over the years, Batman, but this is an innocent child. He should not be forced to adulthood in weeks or to be made to try and take over Superman’s life.”

Bruce nodded. If Lex was telling the truth… “You want us to rescue the boy? Why not take him yourself?”

“I know nothing about helping a superpowered teenager. Metropolis does not need that kind of damage either. You have your Robin’s after all, human though they may be, they also work well on teams with aliens and Metas.”

“How old is he now? Is he stable?”

“As far as I could tell, yes, but it isn’t impossible that they’ve coded something in to ensure he remains under their thumb. As for age, I would guess around thirteen or so when I saw him.”

Lex tossed him a flash drive. “Save the boy, Batman.” He turned and went inside.

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Tim smiled at the bewildered boy across from him, bō lowered so as not to be threatening. “It’s okay, I know it’s a lot, but we’re going to help you. I’m Robin, can I come over?”

“Robin?” he frowned, and Tim could see Uncle Clark in that expression, but…not fully. Something about his face seemed a little different. Age? Or something else? “Batman?”

“That’s right, I work with Batman,” he agreed. How much information had Cadmus given him? The process wasn’t complete after all. He stowed his bō and stepped towards the other teen, hearing Bruce grunt over his comm. He knew the man didn’t like him being at risk like this but he’d been outvoted. Everyone agreed that a fellow teen would appear much less threatening.

Tim approached slowly, the clone watching him quietly the whole time. “Here,” he held up a cloth. The clone flinched slightly but then froze, and Tim carefully dried his face off for him, refusing to look down. They needed to find some clothing for the poor guy, fast.

“What…” he shook his head, more liquid dripping from unruly curls. He could do with a haircut, or at least a trim to make it neat. “Who…am I?” he asked, sounding so lost, and Tim felt sick. Right, they’d gotten him out before they could imprint Clark’s life in his head, except only the Superman bits since they thankfully hadn’t cracked his civilian id.

“It’s okay,” he whispered.

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Maddie stared at the small blanket; to think Danny had been wrapped in it the first time they saw him. He’d grown up so much since then, where had the years gone? It seemed like just yesterday they had sent him to kindergarten and now he was starting high school.

She sighed and put the blanket back in the box, finding the papers she was looking for. They would take both kids to school for the first day, she’d set several alarms to make sure they wouldn’t miss it. And then back to work. It was almost done…their greatest work, the thing that would prove to everyone who had ever laughed that they were right.

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Dick swallowed as he listened to Timmy talking gently to the newly woken clone. His brilliant little brother had managed to coax him into coming with them and away from Cadmus, the clone clutching a gloved hand but thankfully not tightly enough to cause damage. Tim had a good poker face but not that good for so long if the grip had been truly painful. Maybe he would need to be in the sun for a while for his Kryptonian heritage to kick in?

The Watchtower medics were itching to get their hands on the kid, but one glare from Robin had sent them running. Tim was…creative when people pissed him off and everyone affiliated with the JL had learnt that either personally or through the grape vine. Tim was really a very different kind of Robin to him or…Jason. But that was good, he’d been worried the kid would try too hard to be like them. It did make him wonder just what Tim had gotten up to on his training trip. He’d come back almost a year later, almost four inches taller and wielding a bō like it was an extension of himself.

The clone looked a lot like Clark but he could tell B and Tim had noticed as well, there were differences. And then his comm beeped, Oracle.

“He’s not a true clone,” she announced on the batline only. “Cadmus couldn’t stabilise the Kryptonian DNA…he’s partially human but the data on that donor has been completely erased.”  

“So, he’s like Jon?” Dick asked, hearing B’s grunt of agreement with his question.

“Possibly, without tests it’s impossible to know how the ratio of human vs Kryptonian has stabilised. And I doubt he’ll be keen on tests.”

“But he was unconscious in that tube.” Had they brought him out before for tests?

“They were part way through the data download into his brain, he should know what a lab is and he woke up in one, naked and wet. That would make anyone wary. Honestly, it’s shocking he’s trusting Robin as much as he is.”

Okay, she had a point.

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Danny took a deep breath as he got out of the GAV, putting up with Mom and Dad’s overly enthusiastic actions. It was his first day of high school, he was a freshman…and he knew nothing would change. Especially with his parents insisting on dropping them both off today. Even those from different middle schools would see and start whispering, would hear from those he’d gone to school with.

“Danny!”

He turned, relieved to see Tucker running over. And then he spotted Sam as well, relaxing as he realised both his closest friends were there too. They could survive high school together, right?

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Lex opened the door and stared at the boy in surprise, though he hid it. It was him, who else could it be on the penthouse balcony? Could he fly already? The boy shifted nervously, looking around. “Hello,” he called, not wanting to start things off badly.

“Hi,” the boy answered. “They said…well, Robin…”

“Do you want to come inside?”

“Why?” the boy blurted out. “Why did you tell them? They said Superman was your enemy…”

“And you are a child,” Lex cut him off, stepping outside to join him. Robin, so the bats were staying closely involved. Was one of them nearby? “Do you have a name?”

He shook his head. “Robin said I should choose one I like but nothing feels right.”

“Give it time, you’ll find something.”

“Why did you tell them?”

“Because you needed people who could help you and sadly, that means the Justice League.”

“Do you know who they are? Robin said there’s human DNA in me…but the records were gone.”

Lex closed his eyes, taking a slow, deep breath. “Come inside.” Where they could talk without any bats listening.

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He sat carefully on the…couch. He had to be careful; he’d broken a door yesterday. And touching people was even more dangerous but Robin let him hold his hand. He shouldn’t be here, he wasn’t meant to have heard Batman, but his hearing was going crazy. Robin had helped him leave, said he deserved answers that this man might have. He hoped Robin didn’t get in trouble; he was nice.

“I do know who the human donor was,” Lex Luthor told him, and he straightened up, nervous. “It was me.”

He stared with wide eyes.

“I did not know they had a sample; I didn’t learn anything of the project until a few days before I contacted Batman.”

“You didn’t want me?” he asked, unable to help it. Luthor moved closer, kneeling in front of him and taking his hands, not seeming scared of his strength. Why else would he delete the data?

“I do,” Luthor murmured. “But you would never have the life you deserve if you were publicly linked to me. The Justice League would always be wary of you and I didn’t want that for you.”

He stared at the man before him and then he slid off the couch, reaching hesitantly. Soon he was wrapped up in his…dad’s?...arms.

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Danny collapsed on his bed, aching. So at least high school lockers were a bit roomier? Didn’t make being stuffed in one any nicer though.

“Hey little brother,” Jazz called from the doorway, and he groaned. “That bad?”

“Dash,” he grumbled.

“Jazz! Danno!” Dad called, sounding very excited.

The siblings exchanged a look but headed downstairs. In the lab, they found their parents excitedly moving about the ‘portal’. Was it finally done?

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Tim knew Bruce was mad at him but he didn’t care. The boy deserved answers and Luthor was the only one who might have them. And it seemed he did. He was basically the son of Clark and Lex…and Lex had even offered up some names if the boy wanted them. He’d been different the last decade or so. Tim had gone through the records thoroughly and the man had backed off a lot in his confrontations with Superman and even his more questionable actions. He had been part of a supervillain group but had mostly cut ties. Why? What had happened? No one had ever worked that out but…Tim had a small suspicion given his reaction to the boy. Not that he was going to tell anyone.

Tim knew the only reason B hadn’t tried to ground him was because of the boy, he reacted to Tim the best so he was still allowed up on the Watchtower even though he was off patrol. A lot of knowledge had been downloaded into his head while he was in the tube but he knew nothing of how to live with people, so Tim was doing his best to help with that. Current events, pop culture…he was missing a lot because he’d come out of the tube early. And Tim liked teaching him.

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“So this is it?” Tucker asked, and Danny nodded.

“Yep, the thing my parents have spent the last decade working on.” No, he wasn’t even a little bitter about that, he wasn’t.

“Cool,” Tucker moved around, trying to see more.

“But it doesn’t even work,” Sam rolled her eyes.

“Nope.”

Which was why they weren’t home, Jazz had forced them away for the weekend since they’d just been moping around. She was hoping that the time to clear their heads would help, that they’d come home ready to be proper parents…Danny would believe it when he saw it.

“So, it’s safe right?” she asked, and Danny shrugged.

“I guess?”

“So let’s get a picture inside it.”

“What? No way,” he shook his head.

Ten minutes later he finished zipping up his hazmat suit, staring at the inactive portal. This was crazy but he at least had safety gear, Sam didn’t. He took a breath and then stepped inside, looking around.

“What’s it like?” Tucker called.

“Dark!” he answered. Right, get a picture and get out. Piece of cake. He took a step, feeling his boot snag on something and then he was falling, throwing a hand out to try and catch himself. His hand touched something smooth and then there was a click.

TBC…

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 1

Lex tensed as a thud sounded from the balcony. If it was that blue boy scout again… he kept blaming Lex for Conner’s existence, demanding to know what plan he’d had and he’d been very thankful for the lead lining in the penthouse. He’d retreated inside and messaged Batman to collect his raving teammate. The world may be glad to have the true Superman back, but for him, it had been quieter when he was dead.

He was ready to call security but then he saw the hunched shadow and moved closer. His eyes widened and he rushed outside. “Conner?” he called, seeing the blood.

“Help him, please!” his son begged, and Lex realised he was holding a smaller form…dressed in red, green, black, and yellow…Robin.

“Let’s get you both inside,” he urged. Conner looked far too pale himself, a familiar sickly green tinge to his skin. Kryptonite exposure. “Can you tell me what happened?” he asked as he moved some throw pillows on the couch so that the vigilante could be laid down. That was a lot of blood.

“He…he got into the Tower,” Conner whispered. “Just walked through all the security, used some kind of gas to flood the rooms…all of them except where T, Robin was.”

Lex ignored the near slip up, once he would have jumped on the chance to learn a secret identity but this was the boy who had led Conner to him, had helped his son adjust to life, and he was just that, a child.

“He went after Robin, wouldn’t stop. When I got out there, Robin was down, bis bō shattered. But he didn’t stop. He kept calling Robin, Replacement, he was so cruel…” Conner’s breathing was shaky and he hoped that was only due to shock.

Lex felt sick as he checked over the injuries he could see. “He needs a medical team, surgery. Will you let my team handle it, while keeping him masked, or do you want to call the Justice League?”

Conner hesitated, staring at Robin. “They’re good?”

“The best, but the Justice League may have tech I don’t have access to,” he warned. He had no doubt they had access to alien technology.

“Batman sent him away, kept secrets and there was something a few months ago…it really messed Robin up,” Conner admitted, reaching out to gently brush Robin’s hair off his face. “Call your team.”

Lex nodded and made the call. Within minutes, a transport crew was in the apartment, moving Robin onto a gurney. Lex grabbed Conner’s arm before he could follow them. “How badly were you exposed to Kryptonite?”

“He tried to keep me from grabbing Robin.”

“Do you know who your attacker was?”

“The new Gotham Rogue, Red Hood.”

“Alright, I’ll alert security in case you were tracked, Robin will be under guard the whole time, even in surgery,” he promised.

He had seen Conner’s fascination with Robin from the beginning, he had chosen his name because it had been one of the few suggested by both of them. They followed the medical team to the basement where there was a full hospital suite set up for his own needs since he preferred full privacy. Given some of his old associates, a hospital would never be secure enough.

“Do you know of any health issues?” one of the doctors asked, and Conner frowned.

“He’s an insomniac? He lost a lot of weight recently from stress and not eating but he’s got most of it back…oh! He was exposed to that disease that was released in Gotham, nearly died.”

“The Clench?” she asked in alarm, and Conner nodded.

Lex was impressed, that disease had had a very high fatality rate. How did Batman do it, send a child out into the city knowing a plague like that was spreading? If he had Julian with him, if Conner was human enough to be susceptible…he didn’t think he could have done it. Unless Robin had snuck out?

“Is there any security in his suit? We can leave the mask but the suit needs to come off, it’s contaminated and in the way.”

“I can get it off,” Conner answered, and she nodded, taking him into the surgical suite.

Lex watched from the window as Conner carefully removed the Robin suit, revealing the form fitting shorts and tank top underneath. He left the room and kept hold of the suit, joining Lex in watching. His colour had improved so the exposure was healing, thankfully.

“What of your other teammates?”

“Everyone else went home for the weekend, don’t think Hood knew that since he gassed the place.”

They fell silent, watching the surgeons work on Robin.

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Bruce desperately searched the Tower, Dick doing the same, but in the end, there was no sign of Tim anywhere. There were signs of a fight – bullet holes in the walls, blood smears… Tim’s broken bō. The blood was Tim’s or at least it matched his type. The place was empty, silent.

“I just got through to Wonder Girl, Superboy should have been here. Robin and he were the only ones staying,” Dick called over comms. “I’ve sent the security data to Oracle to see if she can get anything from it.”

Bruce stared at Tim’s bed and the single bullet left behind on it, a message. Red Hood had come for his youngest son. Had he taken him? Or had Superboy gotten them both out? He knew Tim was close to Conner but the boy had ties to Luthor and he wasn’t sure of those. Yes, Luthor had given them the information on Conner in order to free him from Cadmus but that didn’t mean the man had no plans concerning his ‘son’. But Bruce didn’t believe that Conner would put Tim in danger, the two had become very close. Exactly how close was not something he had asked, there were some things even he didn’t need to know. Just like he had never looked into Dick’s time with his girlfriends. Not that he even had any proof that Tim and Conner were dating, they might just be best friends.

He hadn’t seen Tim for almost a month, he was meant to be safe here in Titans tower. He had sent him away to keep him safe, he had never thought Hood would come after him here. The Tower had the best security possible. He spotted Tim’s laptop, discarded as if he had been using it when alerted to Hood’s presence. He picked it up and found the security data…old codes had been used to access the Tower…Robin’s codes…Jason’s codes.

He'd suspected but hadn’t wanted to believe it. His son would never do what Hood had and yet…every piece of evidence kept adding up to it being Jason. How? He had buried his son years ago. His moves, the way he fought now, there were signs of the League of Assassins but even the Pits couldn’t have brought Jason back after so long dead.

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Danny lay on his bed, he ached. The two points were the Plasmius Maximus had hit his skin burned still, even with his powers back to normal. The point of contact always took the longest to heal, even with his healing rate.

“Danny?”

He looked up at Jazz, seeing her worry.

She entered his room and sat on the edge of his bed. “This can’t go on,” she whispered, lifting his shirt to check his wounds.

“Mom and Dad won’t listen, not really.”

Mom had a bit, even she had realised Vlad was a bit creepy. But Dad? He thought that him and ‘Vladdie’ were still the best of friends. And Danny was still forced to spend time with the man. He was a monster but anytime someone got close to the truth, they were Overshadowed and discredited or vanished. He was getting worse with time, not better.

He’d considered asking the Justice League, but an Overshadowed Wonder Woman or worse, now that Superman was back? He didn’t know if he could beat them, not without really hurting them. He’d seen what he could do, had seen the grave markers in that dark future. The Justice League had been all but wiped out. Aquaman and his people had survived, Green Arrow, one or two of the Bats but not Batman.

But who else could help? Especially with the US government involved. The GIW hadn’t been a threat at all, more of a joke, when they’d started but lately…someone had seriously worked on their training.

Between the GIW and Vlad, he was being worn too thin and the whole team knew it. At least Val was on their side now, part of team Phantom. Not that anyone else knew since they kept up the antagonism in public. It was safer that way, she was their spy against the GIW.

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Jazz had watched the last few years as Danny got more and more tired. He was being pulled in too many directions, attacked from all sides… it wasn’t right. She’d stopped telling him to tell their parents the truth last year after…well, if she could afford to house the two of them, she would. But even with scholarships and a part-time job there was no way she could afford an apartment off campus. She’d gotten into Princeton which meant during term, she was far too far away to be of any help when it was needed, but Danny had insisted that she go, that she couldn’t waste the opportunity. Her brother was way too selfless.

Maybe…she went to where she’d long ago stored all their most important documents, digging through them for the adoption paperwork. There was nothing indicating who his birth family was, not even a last name. He’d had a first name, Julian, but that wasn’t a lot to go on. Would it be enough for Tucker? Hopefully. There was no guarantee that his birth family was alive or would be good people, but they were running out of options. She needed her brother to be safe, and he wasn’t with the Fenton’s, not anymore.

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Conner kept his senses locked on the surgical suite. He didn’t look away even when they were operating. Tim was draped so he couldn’t see much and the suite was lead lined so he couldn’t look through anything for a clearer view. Even his hearing was muffled but he could still make out the familiar heartbeat, slower than normal, but mostly steady now that a bag of blood had been transfused.

As the surgeons seemed to move to cleaning him up, one left and moved to the door. They opened it and stepped out to face him and Lex. “He’s stable,” was the first thing she said. “He’s in for a prolonged recovery though.”

“How bad was it?”

“Gunshot wound to the right shoulder, we removed the bullet and it didn’t hit the bone thankfully.”

Thankfully…right, if it had hit the bone then it could have broken it. Flesh wounds healed quicker.

“The wrist on that had is broken as well, as is his left tibia. The patella was dislocated and the bone is badly bruised but he escaped a break there. His ribs on the left are all badly bruised, three are cracked and one broken which had to be stabilised. He’s had a blood transfusion and respiration is almost back to normal now that the pressure if off his ribs. We’re keeping him sedated for now due to the pain he’ll be in once awake.”

“But he’ll be alright?” Conner pressed for assurance.

“I’d suggest he take a good, long break from vigilante work, at least the field side of things. Bones take time to heal and he will lose muscle until he can get back to full mobility. He’ll need physiotherapy as well; we’ll forward the surgical reports to whoever he chooses to see unless he remains here.”

And then the League comm he’d been given began to beep. He looked at it and winced. “Nightwing.”

“Is he involved in Robin’s issues with Batman?” Lex asked.

“I don’t think so. Robin really looks up to him.”

“If any kind of alarm went off, he may be trying to reach Robin.”

“Right.” He took a deep breath and lifted it. “Superboy.”

“Is Robin with you? We’re in the Tower and…”

“I got him out,” he assured Nightwing. “He’s just out of surgery; they left his mask on. It’s…he’s going to be out of the field for months at least.”

“Where are you? Do you know who attacked?” Nightwing demanded, fear clear in his voice.

Conner glanced at Lex and then answered. “It was Red Hood, Robin identified him before he passed out. Metropolis, LexCorp. There’s a private surgical suite here. I can hand you over to one of the surgeons who saved Robin. They said he’s stable now.”

“Please.”

Conner handed the comm over to the surgeon.

“I’ll warn security that we’ll soon have a Bat infestation and to lead them down here.”

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Dick put the comm away, leaning heavily against the wall. And then Bruce stormed back into the main living area. “Tim’s stable and just out of surgery,” he announced before he could say anything.

“Where?”

“Metropolis LexCorp, Conner wasn’t sure where to go. It’s bad B, but he’s stable. Apparently… things aren’t good between you and Tim? So he wasn’t sure about contacting the JL, especially since Hood managed to get passed the Tower’s security. What the hell Bruce?” he snapped at the end.

He’d left for two back-to-back missions; he hadn’t wanted to but they’d been important. Tim had insisted that it was fine even with him missing his birthday. But apparently, Bruce had screwed up, again. At least Tim was alive, unlike Jason.

“I sent him here to keep him safe from Hood. He made obvious threats against Robin; he’s been staying here a month. Conner lives in the Tower too so he wasn’t alone.”

Dick glared, that would upset Tim sure, but not to this level.  He stalked out to the nearest balcony. “Superman!” He yelled.

A few moments later, Clark was landing. “What is it?”

“I need a lift to Metropolis, the LexCorp building. Tim and Conner are there, Lex’s medical team just saved Tim’s life.”

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Clark was shocked, quickly scanning the Tower, seeing the signs of a fight…and Bruce. “Bruce?”

“Not coming,” Dick growled, obviously angry.

Clark picked him up and then lifted off. “How bad?”

“Surgeon said he’s stable but…they had to give a blood transfusion and he’ll be out of the field for some time. The bastard was torturing him Uncle Clark, he gassed the Tower to ensure he had Tim to himself…exposed Conner to Kryptonite but he’s okay now. If Conner hadn’t managed to throw off the gas, Tim…”

“But he did,” Clark assured him. Conner had fought past some kind of gas and Kryptonite to save Tim. Had taken him to help, even if it was Luthor. “Is his identity compromised?”

“Conner said Tim’s mask has been left on.”

They fell silent then since the wind made it hard for Dick to hear him. They landed on the penthouse balcony a few minutes later. A security guard stepped outside and nodded to Dick.

“You’ve got permission sir.” His gaze moved to Clark.

“Call if you need help or a lift.” He didn’t like the idea of leaving them there, but Dick could handle himself.

He went home to hug his son. Tim had been tortured…he couldn’t help but see Jon in his place.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tucker leant back in his chair, stretching his back. Jazz hadn’t exactly given him a lot to go on. He’d known that Danny was adopted, he’d told him after he found out when they were nine. But records hadn’t been as computerised back then and whoever his birth family was had obviously done their best to ensure no traceable links. But why? To protect Danny? Themselves? Was he that unwanted by them?

But family outside of Amity Park would do Danny good. The town was tearing him apart. Sam wasn’t helping with her pushing him to be a hero. It hadn’t been too bad at the start but she’d become a little obsessed…like the Fenton’s had become even more obsessed with Ghosts… it was happening all over town and Tucker figured it was the higher levels of ectoplasm in the air. If the Fenton’s would just lock the portal when not using it… but they refused to listen to any opinion but their own.

Everything was getting worse, they were graduating in just under two years and every one of them planned to get the hell out of Amity Park, if they could all see what was going on, why couldn’t the majority of adults?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He felt…floaty, weird…but then slowly, pain begin to creep in. He didn’t want it.

“Shh, it’s okay Robin, you’re safe now.”

Voice…he knew that voice… slowly he became aware of a hand holding his, twitching his fingers.

“Yeah, I’ve got you baby bird. Don’t try to move.”

Baby bird…Dick. After a few tries he managed to open his eyes, whining at the bright light.

“Hey,” Dick murmured. He looked tired, drawn…why was he wearing his mask? “Bout time you woke up, I told them they should put coffee in the IV,” he teased.

“W…wha…” a straw was pressed to his lips.

“You were attacked, do you remember?”

Attacked…gas…pain…guns…red helmet…Red Hood!

“Easy kiddo, it’s over, you’re safe. He’ll never look for you here. Conner brought you to LexCorp. Luthor has this whole floor locked down to keep you safe. Even had his personal surgical team see to your treatment. It…it was bad, we nearly lost you.”

Tim managed to squeeze his hand and Dick smiled.

“You’ve got a lot of healing ahead of you, but they should you should be fine at the end of therapy. You’ll be in a wheelchair for a while because of the gunshot to the shoulder and your leg.”

A wheelchair…fun. But not yet, he was so tired. Why had Hood…Replacement…he heard the machine beeping fasted even as he weakly tried to pull Dick closer.

“Easy, calm down, it’s okay.”

He tugged again, and Dick finally realised leaning closer.

“What is it?”

“J…Ja…son…” he slumped back, eyes closing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Dick stared at Tim in shock and confusion. Jason? He couldn’t mean…was Hood somehow connected to Jason? Someone he’d known growing up in the Alley? What the hell had he missed while away?

“Conner, I need to check in with Batman.” He told the young man who nodded.

“I’ll stay,” he promised.

Dick headed for the nearest Zeta. Bruce better have answers.

TBC….

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 2

He stared at the gear in the corner, stained red with blood. What…what had he done? The green had taken over when he went to talk to the kid. Had he…had he killed him? Robin or not, replacement or not, he was just a kid. He had to do better; he had to get control. He hated Batman, hated Bruce, but Dick? Dick hadn’t gone to his funeral but the records he’d gotten access too seemed to indicate he hadn’t known, that he hadn’t made it back from his mission until after it was done. Dick would hate him for what he’d done.

Robin hadn’t been seen anywhere, please let him be alive.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Conner held Tim’s hand as he slept, the painkillers meant he was sleeping a lot and the doctors said that sleep was good for healing. They would be getting him up in the morning, just in the wheelchair, but he needed to get out of bed. It seemed weird to him that the bullet injury would actually heal the quickest but bone took longer to heal than flesh. He had been very lucky; the bullet had hit the best possible place in his shoulder…or had Red Hood done that purposely to drag out the torture?

“You should get some sleep,” Lex told him.

“He could have died,” Conner whispered.

He heard Lex sigh, walking across the room, and then a hand rested on his shoulder. “But he didn’t Conner, you saved him. You fought past a sedative gas and Kryptonite, something even Superman would struggle with. And I doubt he would like you refusing to rest. The security team is in place and every alarm is armed. There is no way for the Red Hood to get in here without me knowing. Robin is important to you and he is a child, we’ll keep him safe.”

He hated admitted that Lex was right, but he was tired. He let Lex take him up to the Penthouse, finding a room done up for him. He blinked and looked around but soon collapsed on the bed to sleep.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lex made his way back to the medical suite, checking that Robin was still sleeping comfortably. He looked so much smaller and younger in the hospital bed than he did in footage. How old was he? Did he have a family in Gotham who were worried about him? Or did Batman have custody of him? He couldn’t be Batman’s son surely, at least not biologically, what would be the odds? Three Robins and three sons?

Nightwing would hopefully take word to whoever needed to know of the boy’s condition. He assumed the Bat himself would show up eventually for a status check on his bird. And if Red Hood showed up, his people had orders to shoot to kill if he didn’t stand down, he would not handicap them against such a dangerous opponent.

For now, he would research this Red Hood, see if he could work out why they would target Robin. For everything he had done for Conner, Lex would do what he could to protect him. He settled into the visitor chair to begin his work, he was used to all-nighters with business deals and various plans, and this way he could reassure Conner.

He doubted he could pay Hood off to leave the boy alone, it would take leverage. It seemed the Red Hood had just one day appeared, taking the drug trade in Gotham by storm…he’d literally made heads roll and stuffed them in a duffel bag to make a point. He appeared ruthless but there was the contradiction…he had rules about kids. That made his actions towards Robin very strange. For someone who had such strict rules about protecting kids…unless he didn’t see Robin as a child?

He had the connections, he could simply hire someone to deal with Hood, but he doubted Batman would like that…or Robin.

A soft moan sounded from the bed and he looked up to see Robin’s head tossing on the pillow, mouth tight. He got up and checked the painkiller dispenser, pressing the button for the boy.

“Try not to move Robin,” he murmured, hearing a soft whine of distress from the teen. He placed his hand against his forehead, he felt a little warm to him. The last thing he needed was an infection. And then the kid stiffened, trying to press away from him. “Easy, you’re recovering from surgery, do you remember? Conner’s asleep upstairs.”

He saw the mask crinkle, moving with his skin. Was it good for his skin to keep that on for so long? Maybe they could switch it out for a surgical mask or would that give too many clues to his identity? After all, he would technically have seen his whole face even if not at the one time. There were no cameras in the room, the next time Nightwing came, he would tell him to lock the door, pull the blinds, and let him have some time with his face bare.

Though Conner seemed to know his name, had he seen his face? If he had and knew how to re-attach the domino or where to get a fresh one, then he could do it.

“L…r.”

“I’m going to call the nurse, you feel a little warm. Just rest Robin, you’re safe here.” He patted his shoulder and then pressed the call button.

“Sir?” the nurse asked when he entered.

“Robin is in pain, I pressed the pain button for him, but his forehead feels warm.”

“I’ll do some checks.”

Lex backed off to let the man work.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Everything felt foggy and vague. He hurt. A man leaning over him…bald…knew them. A voice, Luthor? What? And then someone else…so tired.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Nightwing here,” Dick picked up the comm.

“It’s Superboy. Robin’s developed a fever and is getting combative. Can you come?”

“I’m on my way,” he answered, scrambling from his bed.

“Can you bring a new domino too? We’re worried it’s going to irritate his skin.”

“Got it.”

He nearly ran into Bruce in the hall.

“Dick?”

“Tim’s developed a fever and isn’t settling. Sounds like he’s fighting in his confusion.”

Bruce grimaced but nodded, turning to his study. Looked like they were both going then. Wonderful. He still didn’t have the full story behind what was going on between Tim and B, hopefully this wasn’t going to make things worse.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Bruce stood at the doorway to the medical suite, watching Tim struggle against Conner who was holding him down as gently as possible, medical staff bustling about, adding new medications, putting Tim on oxygen…

“Come on Robin, focus on me. You’re okay, you’re safe. I know it hurts but they’re helping,” Conner was murmuring.

“Hey baby bird, let them help,” Dick moved to the other side of the bed, grabbing Tim’s hand before he could try and hit someone.

“Fever’s still increasing,” a nurse called.

“Get me blood work!” A doctor answered. “Full panel.”

Tim had had the cure for the Clench, had fully recovered…but it hadn’t even been a year. Was his immune system still recovering from it?

Finally, a mild sedative was administered and Tim went limp, panting softly.

“How is he?” He asked, and the doctor glanced at him nervously.

“If we can keep the infection from getting a good hold on him then he should stay on course. If it gets too established though then he’s in for a long fight. If you have preferred medical personnel, we can forward his results.”

“I will handle that.” He wouldn’t risk them tracking Leslie. And he might send it to the Watchtower too, just to be safe.

“He should sleep for the rest of the night with that sedative. If you want to remove his mask, you can lock the door and pull the blinds, there is no remote visual monitoring of the room. If you do that then please give his face a thorough clean and leave it off as long as possible. There’s a button for pain meds and to call for help. We’ll be monitoring his vitals closely.”

Bruce nodded and they slowly filtered out, leaving the three of them with Tim’s sleeping form.

“I’ve seen him without the mask and I know his name,” Conner stated. “I’m not leaving.”

Dick chuckled and pulled out the mask solvent, gently wiping over Tim’s face with it before carefully removing the old domino. Bruce went to the sink and wet a cloth with soap as well. He gently cleaned his newest son’s face. They had done a good job cleaning up the blood and thankfully it seemed that his nose hadn’t actually broken, but the blood had soaked into the domino.

“He’ll…he’ll be okay, right?” Conner asked, sounding so young. And he was really, it was easy to forget given that physically he was about sixteen.

“Timmy’s a fighter Conner. He made it through the Clench, an infection’s easy compared to that.”

Bruce let them talk, focusing on cleaning Tim up. He’d messed up, this was his fault. As soon as he suspected…why had he never removed Jason’s codes from the systems? Barbara was doing it now but it also meant Tim was likely safest where he was. He gently brushed Tim’s hair back from his face, seeing his eyelids flutter slightly, fighting the sedative or nightmares? “We’re here son,” he murmured, turning off the voice modulator in the suite.

Tim was his son, legally and in every way that mattered. But he knew Tim still grieved for his parents, no matter how bad they’d been at the job. Jack had tried but he hadn’t exactly gone about it in the best way. Bruce had kept as close an eye on Tim as he could during that time, had seen his resentment of Jack growing when he tried to make Tim like the same things he did rather than get to know what Tim liked.

He loved Tim, as much as he had fought it at first. Tim had been this bright bundle of curiosity and stubbornness when he’d shown up. Had forced Bruce to care about things again. How could he help loving Tim? And he knew he’d made mistakes with him too, especially in the early days. But he’d thought they were in a good place. He should have explained sending him away for safety better.

“Agent A sent you some things, including some of his famous chicken soup for when you wake up,” he told him, he might be able to hear them depending on how ‘light’ the light sedative was.

He settled in to keep watch as Dick and Conner washed Tim down carefully since his struggling and fever had caused some sweating, plus it would help cool him down.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tucker was ready to tear his hair out in frustration. Four days and he had nothing more than Metropolis to go off. Whoever Danny’s family were, they had done a very good job of erasing their link to him from the system. He was going to have to call for backup, hopefully the interest of different systems would be enough payment for him not to cause trouble.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He blinked slowly, seeing a white ceiling above him. He tried to move but his body was so heavy and pain… “Ngghh…”

“Tim? Hey there little brother,” Dick, that was Dick in his suit but maskless. “You with us?”

He struggled to speak, finally managing to mouth his name, and Dick smiled in relief.

“There he is. Welcome back.”

Had he gone somewhere? It was hard to think…drugs?

“You’re still at LexCorp. You developed an infection and a fever. They had to sedate you because you were trying to fight the nursing staff,” Dick explained, running his fingers through Tim’s hair. “You’ve been out for five days, the fever finally broke last night. We’ve been trading off shifts staying with you.”

Tim managed to lift a shaking hand, pointing at Dick’s unmasked face.

“There’s no visual surveillance in here, we triple checked. We had to take yours off before it damaged your skin anyway.”

He blinked and then Dick had moved?

“Go back to sleep kiddo, you need rest.”

Sleep…that sounded…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Dick slumped back in the seat before grabbing the comm to message everyone, Tim had woken and been aware, able to communicate. They’d kept his fever from reaching dangerous levels so there hadn’t really been any concern about damage, but it was still a relief to have him awake and responding.

And now that he was on the road to recovery, again, hopefully Dick would have the time to look into what Tim had said that first day. Jason…it wasn’t possible, was it? Little Wing was long dead. A clone? Magic? It couldn’t really be him. Why would he hurt Tim?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Danny floated above Amity Park, staring up at the stars. He could do it, go up there, leave the planet. He was a Ghost; he didn’t need air in this form. Rumour said the Justice League had a base in space, could he find it? And then what? They’d ignored them so far after all. Though, it was harder to ignore someone who was right in front of you. But he was still worried about an overshadowed hero, though these days most of his rogues wouldn't do that. 

He knew Tucker was looking for his birth family, that they wanted a legal way to get him away from Vlad and the Fenton’s. But to leave Amity Park? To leave his Haunt and his people? He wasn’t sure he could do that.

Part of him wanted to know who they were, why they had given him up. And did his Dad know he existed? What if it was his Mom who had done it? But she would have needed his permission, wouldn’t she? Why hide who he was so thoroughly? It did make him a bit worried. What if they were the mob or something?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“B?”

He looked up at the croak, relieved to see sleepy blue eyes staring back. “Good evening, Tim.” He stood and approached the bed, reaching out, shocked when Tim flinched back into the pillow. “Tim? It’s alright,” he tried to sooth his son.

“Why’re… you he’e?”

“You were brutally assaulted, needed surgery, and then ended up with a post-operative infection. Of course I came, you’re my son.”

Tim stared at him, seeming bewildered. Did he know the attack was Bruce’s fault for never removing the old codes? Did he…did know it was Jason? Think that he wouldn’t be wanted now? That sounded like Tim.

“Alfred’s been sending soup every day, I think he’s gotten your nurses addicted to it. Think you could eat?”

Tim nodded hesitantly and didn’t pull away when Bruce raised the bedhead and helped him to sit. He poured out only a little soup, not wanting to risk Tim being sick.

“Your broken bones are healing well and the bruising’s gone down a lot. But the gunshot wound is taking longer due to the infection. If you’re doing well enough tomorrow, you might get to try a wheelchair. They don’t want you on crutches till the wound has healed, and you have a broken wrist anyway.”

Tim huffed softly in annoyance and Bruce chuckled, brushing some unruly hair away from his face, happy that Tim didn’t shy away this time.

“I’m glad you woke now; Conner will be trading off with me soon. Apparently, he already knew you id and had seen you without your mask?”

Tim didn’t flinch or look guilty. “Trust,” he whispered.

“He’s been very worried about you, hasn’t wanted to leave your side. I think he blames himself for not getting you away quicker. Between the gas and Kryptonite, he couldn’t have done any better.”

That got a flicker of a smile. He meant the praise, he knew Clark at that age wouldn’t have been able to act any faster.

“The two of you are very close, just…be careful Tim. Conner may physically be your age, but he is very young,” he said awkwardly and Tim flushed slightly, embarrassed. “That’s all I’ll say. I want to take you home, but you’re old enough to have a say. You can either come home or stay here for therapy.”

Tim’s eyes widened slightly and then the heartrate monitor sped up.

“Tim?”

“J..Ja..son…” he forced the name out. His throat had to be dry and sore from wearing the oxygen mask for almost a week.

“Don’t worry about it, he won’t hurt you again.”

Tim’s energy was obviously fading fast so he got a little more soup into him before he fell asleep again.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jack paused and then stepped back, smiling at the sight of Danny slumped asleep at his desk. The last two years had been so busy and Danno had just…drifted away. The school didn’t even bother calling anymore when he was absent or missing work. No matter how they tried, he wouldn’t open up. And they were so busy with their work and helping the GIW.

Maybe this summer there’d be enough time spare for a father-son fishing trip.

TBC…

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 3

Tim smiled at Kon as the young super entered the medical room. “Hey,” he greeted, watching Kon light up in happiness.

“Hey,” he greeted back, trying to play it cool. “You look a lot better today.”

“Thanks, they’re finally letting me out of here for a while,” he answered, happy to leave after a week mostly conscious. His energy levels were finally rising, which was nice, the bullet wound no longer throbbing. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been there all up; he’d lost a lot of time via surgery and the infection.

“You really had me worried birdie,” Kon tried to joke, even as he moved to the wheelchair, setting it up for Tim.

Tim reached for his hand with his good hand. “B told me what you did to save me,” he whispered. “Proud of you.”

Kon flushed slightly. “Yeah we…I owed you at least one.” He tried to shrug it off as he hovered beside the bed. “You’re looking a lot better. When I found you…the Kryptonite messed with my senses, I…I couldn’t hear your heartbeat. Tim…I really thought you were dead, there was so much blood…”

“I’m not, you saved my life Kon,” Tim assured him even as he lifted his arm.

“Are you mad that I brought you here? I know what the JL says about him…” Kon carefully lifted Tim from the bed and set him gently down into the wheelchair.

“He gave us the intel that led to finding you and I know he set up your bank account, civilian id…he’s good to you. You deserve that, Kon, not how Superman treats you. And he has been getting better for almost as long as I’ve been alive.” And Tim had his suspicions about that, especially once the man learned about Kon. But he would never say anything, it wasn’t his business. “B said there’s no surveillance in here, if he was going to betray us then he’d be trying to peak behind the mask.”

“Hood got into the Tower…I didn’t know if he knew how to get to the Batcave or even the Watchtower,” Kon admitted.

“You did the right thing,” Tim promised, leaning back in the wheelchair. He hated the things but given the state of his arm and leg, it was the only option. He checked his domino was secure and then they left, heading upstairs so that Tim could get some sun.

“Good thing I can darken the lenses,” he murmured as they entered the small staff lounge and he was blinded by the sunlight, making Kon laugh.

“About time you got some sun, you look like a sickly Victorian child usually, you’re even worse now,” Kon teased.

“I’m from Gotham! We’re not meant to be tanned,” he grumbled but he had to admit…the sun felt kind of nice.

Kon settled beside him, watching over him, and that was nice too.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lex entered the medical room to find Robin was awake, his mask in place, his leg elevated. Had the limb been swelling? “Hello Robin, how do you feel?” he asked, taking the chair.

“Better,” the teen answered. “Thank you, Mr Luthor.” There was something different about his voice to what he had heard before…softer, more refined…Gotham upper class, Bristol. An identifier…a show of trust?

“You don’t owe me thanks. What was done to you…” he shook his head. “I’d ask if you’d like me to reach out and have the Red Hood dealt with, but I already know the answer you’d give.” He smirked at Robin who just shrugged slightly before wincing. “Security is tight to ensure your privacy and safety. Though I doubt this man would ever think to look for you here. If you need or want anything, please let me know. You are my guest, Robin.”

“Is Kon okay?” Robin asked.

“He’s trying to keep you from worrying about him,” Lex sighed. “He is dealing with what happened. I will suggest he speaks to one of the therapists that the Justice League employs as they are trained to deal with this kind of guilt.”

“It’s not his fault,” Robin stated, and Lex nodded in agreement. The boy relaxed at that; he was sweetly protective of Kon. “I can pay for my treatment,” he offered.

“There’s no charge, I assure you that the medical staff receive a very good salary. Have you decided if you will be doing rehab here or back in Gotham?”

“Isn’t that B’s decision?”

“You’re what, the same physical age as Kon? That means you’re at least sixteen so no, it is your choice. And it is also your choice who is allowed in. If Batman disagrees then I will lock him out.”

That got a startled laugh from the young vigilante. “I’d kind of like to see that,” he admitted, and Lex frowned.

“Robin,” his tone turned serious and the teen straightened. “Does Batman treat you well? Kon doesn’t talk about the team but some of his comments, especially when he brought you here rather than to Batman…” he trailed off. It wasn’t really his place but if things were bad between them then he had a moral duty to act, even against a member of the Justice League. If Robin needed safety, then he would offer it or find a way to give it to him.

Robin stared at him, seeming shocked, shifting on the bed nervously. He took a deep breath. “Things got a little complicated a few months ago, a botched training exercise. He’ll never say he’s sorry, it’s not his way. And…then he sent me away and now I know it was to keep me safe from Hood but when it happened, I thought he was mad at me or something. He’s a very complicated person and he didn’t choose me as Robin, so things between us can be confusing.”

“Is it true, that your predecessor was killed?” It had never been publicly confirmed but everyone assumed when the boy vanished and no new vigilante appeared.

Robin hesitated before nodding. “It was bad,” he admitted softly. “After that things in Gotham were on edge, B wasn’t dealing with it well at all. I knew who they were, I worked it out as a kid. So, I went to Nightwing, got him to come back to Gotham because Batman needs a Robin. In the end, they got in trouble and I took a spare Robin suit to save them. Got to hit Two Face,” he smirked.

Lex was horrified but kept it from showing. The second Robin had really died and from what this Robin was saying, Batman had lost it. And it had taken a child to fix things. He pulled out his tablet, quickly inputting a few things. He swiped the card he had brought and then held it out to Robin. “This will give you legal access to LexCorp buildings,” he explained, seeing the whites of the mask widen.

“You are Conner’s friend and a child. If you need a safe place then you will have one,” Lex told him firmly. “No matter the reason.”

Robin took a shaky breath. “Thank you,” he whispered, taking the card. “I don’t agree with Superman, I don’t think you have plans to use Conner.”

Lex was surprised but kind of touched that Robin, a recognised genius detective, believed that he was genuine in his helping Conner.

“You started pulling back from the worst things not long after I was born…and I think I worked out why, but I’d never tell.”

“You really are a genius,” he murmured. Honestly, if anyone was going to work it out, it would be one of the bats, he’d just assumed it would be Batman himself. “His name was Julian,” he offered, obviously surprising Robin. “I made sure I would never know who adopted me and that he couldn’t be traced back. He deserved a good life, away from all of this.”

Robin nodded. “Does Conner know?”

Lex shook his head. “Should I tell him about the brother he will never get to meet?”

“You never know with our lives; he might end up saving the guy during an invasion or something.”

Lex groaned at that. “Please no.”

And Robin laughed at him. “I think you should tell him. I can’t keep a secret like this from him and…it’ll hurt him if he finds out some other way.”

Lex nodded. It wasn’t a conversation that he was looking forward to.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jazz watched Danny trudge off to school, looking like he hadn’t slept at all. She hated this but there wasn’t anything more that she could do. Tucker was their only hope to find him a way out.

She wanted to believe that their parents would never hurt him if they knew…but she couldn’t, not anymore. They loved them, they did, but they were too obsessed with their theories…and Phantom. She hated the way Danny spaced out at joined meals as their parents talked about what they wanted to do to Phantom. If they ever found out, she wasn’t sure that it would stop them. They’d probably declare Danny dead, his body Overshadowed.

She couldn’t let that happen.

And if the GIW got their hands on him? The very idea of that made her feel sick. He’d be better off in Vlad’s hands than theirs. At least Mom was becoming more suspicious of him, she’d practically kicked him out of the house last week which was a big change. He was becoming more erratic, how long until he gave himself away? and if he did…he’d have no reason to keep Danny’s secret.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Lex?” Kon called, spotting the man sitting on the couch.

He looked up and offered a slight smile, motioning for Kon to join him. “Here.” He passed over an object…a photo.

Kon took it and looked. A baby? He studied it. “This isn’t me,” he murmured.

“No…your older brother.”

Kon froze. “What?” his heart was racing. Lex had sworn he didn’t know about Kon, about his DNA being used.

“Well, half-brother. Technically he’s older than you but physically you’re the older. His name was Julian,”

“I don’t understand.”

“Even I can end up with an unplanned child,” Lex answered. “His mother was a one-night stand, the contraceptive failed. She signed away her rights and gave him to me. But…my life was too dangerous. I could give him money at that point but little else.”

“You gave him up?” Kon asked softly, taking in the baby’s features, seeing some of his own. A brother…he had a human brother out there somewhere.

“Yes,” Lex admitted. “I ensured the adoption was sealed, that there were no leads back to me for his safety. All I gave him was his name, Julian, but I doubt his new parents kept it.”

“Have you ever considered looking for him?”

“A few times, especially since I found out about you. I could do it; I’m sure Robin could too. But do I have the right?”

Kon nodded slowly in understanding. Looking for Julian could ruin his life if anyone realised his link to Lex.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tim stirred, sensing movement, struggling to become alert despite the nights dose of painkillers.

“It’s me.”

The familiar voice calmed him and then he felt a warm hand take his. He hummed sleepily, tugging, hearing a chuckle, but then the mattress dipped, a very warm body settling beside him, careful of his casts. But something was wrong and Tim fought to open his eyes.

“K’n?”

A shuddering breath answered him.

He struggled to sit up but Kon wrapped around him, holding him still. “Wr’ng?”

“I…I have a brother,” Kon whispered, and Tim went limp, forcing his brain to work.

Lex had told him, that was good. He tried to tell Kon only to slur something, Kon chuckling.

“Go to sleep Tim. Can I stay?”

“Mmmm.” He shifted onto his side and Kon took the hint, curling against his back. It was nice, warm…

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Dick walked in and then stopped, taking in the sight of the two cuddled together on the bed. Good thing it was bigger than a standard hospital bed. Kon was carefully curled around Tim, even in sleep his body kept clear of Tim’s casts and leads. Since he’d been so sick with that infection, the doctors had him hooked up to the monitors when asleep, just to be safe.

Kon shifted, tensing.

“It’s just me,” he called softly, not wanting to wake Tim. “Did something happen?”

Kon shook his head but…had he been crying? Still, he obviously didn’t want to talk to Dick about it.

“Nurse is behind me, he masked?”

Kon shifted to look and nodded so Dick stepped aside to let the nurse have access to the room to do the morning checks. Sadly, that meant Tim began to stir, waking slowly.

“Morning baby bird!” Dick chirped, smothering a laugh as Tim groaned, fumbling to get a pillow to throw at him with his good arm.

Kon chuckled, catching Tim’s arm, moving off the bed to then raise the head so Tim could sit up.

“Too early,” Tim grumbled, rubbing at his face. But he let the nurse check him over and unhook him from the monitors. “Can I have a proper shower yet?” he asked the nurse.

“It should be alright, but not alone. I’ll double check with the doctor. You’ll also need to cover the casts and stitches.”

Tim nodded, looking excited by the idea of getting to shower and Dick didn’t blame him. Bed baths sucked. Soon, Tim and Kon vanished into the attached bathroom. It made sense for Kon to help him between his strength and TTK. He’d been with the Titans as a kid, he knew that teammates often saw more than they wanted either in the changing rooms or medical. Though with those two…he wasn’t sure it was unwanted viewing. They were very close but how close? Nope, not his business as long as everyone was safe.

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Kon was very careful as he steadied Tim, helping him out of the gown. While he was stuck in the casts, a gown was easier even if Tim didn’t like it. “You okay?”

“Bit achy,” Tim admitted, leaning against him. “You were upset last night? It’s fuzzy, stupid painkillers.”

“Lex told me…I have a brother.”

Tim nodded.

“Did you know?” he asked. Tim wouldn’t keep something like that from him…would he?

But Tim shook his head. “Suspected,” he admitted. “Giving up a child fit a lot of the clues, especially when you came into the picture. Didn’t have confirmation till yesterday when he came to see me. Told him I wouldn’t keep it secret, that he should tell you.”

“He showed me a picture; we have the same hair. His name was Julian,” Kon knew the room was soundproof and the water would have covered them anyway. “One-night stand gone wrong and she signed over her rights. Lex wanted to keep him but didn’t think he’d have a good life with him. He made sure Julian can’t be tracked back to him.”

“Do you want me to try?” Tim offered, and it felt good to have him just offer without even thinking about it.

He carefully lathered up Tim’s hair for him, feeling the tension drain out of him as he massaged his scalp. Tim was like a cat sometimes, affection starved even if he refused to show it.

“No,” he finally answered. “He deserves to just live a normal life.”

“Kay,” Tim agreed.

“Come on, before Dick gets the wrong idea.”

That got a soft chuckle from Tim as Kon helped him out of the shower. “They suspect we’re dating,” he agreed.

Kon hesitated, holding Tim steady as he worked to dry himself. “I really like you Tim, you’re my best friend, I…”

Tim looked up at him, head tilted slightly to the side. “It’s okay Kon, I know.” He smiled softly.

Kon relaxed, of course he did. He could see it happening one day but not now. He might physically be almost seventeen but technically, he wasn’t even five yet. Tim carefully shifted his weight and Kon smiled, hugging him.

“Let them talk, it doesn’t bother me. Unless it bothers you?” Tim asked, and he shook his head.

“It’s not their business to know. Having a secret from the bats is cool.”

Tim laughed at that and Kon supported him while he cleaned his teeth then scooped him up to carry back into the other room.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He scoured every news article, ever website that tried to track the bats and nothing. Sporadic sightings of Batman and Nightwing but nothing when it came to Robin and people were talking. There were whispers, was another Robin gone? But no one was claiming his death, not like when the Joker gleefully claimed the second Robin’s. He dug into the Bats’ systems, very careful of this Oracle person and Agent A. Zeta usage between Gotham and Metropolis for both B and Nightwing. Were they hiding the kid outside of Gotham while he recovered? He had to be alive, right? Surely there’d have been something by now about Tim Drake being missing or dead if he’d died.

This wasn’t what he’d wanted…was it? Sometimes he didn’t know what he wanted, what thoughts were his own and what were Talia and the Green. Why…why did they want Robin dead or at least retired and away from B?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Bruce carefully held Tim up as his son took a very shaky step. He was healing well since getting over the infection and was up quicker than expected but the doctors said it was because he was so fit.  “You’re doing great,” he praised.

He and Dick had had a…discussion while Tim was bedbound. It had turned into Dick screaming at him when he found out about Tim’s birthday. He insisted that Bruce needed to show his emotions more around Tim, to praise him, or else Dick would fight for custody of his little brother. It hurt to have Dick tell him that he’d messed him up enough, that he wouldn’t let him do it to Tim too, especially after he’d already had the Drake’s absences to teach him, he wasn’t worth sticking around for. Had he really been that bad a father to him?

Dick was in Gotham at the moment, hunting Hood. He didn’t believe it was Jason, that his Little Wing could ever hurt a kid the way Hood had hurt Tim. Dick said it had to be a clone or something. Bruce wasn’t so sure. Jason had been dead; a check had shown his coffin was empty now…and whatever had brought him back on top of the trauma of his death…

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Tucker placed a single printout in front of them. “I’m sorry guys but someone really doesn’t want Danny’s birth parents found. All I’ve got is Metropolis,” he admitted, hating that he couldn’t find anything else.

“Could be worse, could be Gotham,” Val offered.

“What’s wrong with Gotham?” Sam demanded.

“Girls,” Jazz sighed, looking at Danny. “It’s a starting point.”

“And this level of erasure suggests someone very powerful and likely wealthy which does kind of narrow things.” Tucker put a list down. “Families with the kinds of connections that could do this. Whether or not they’d admit it if you show up…”

“I can’t just leave you guys,” Danny argued weakly.

“Danny, we all love you. But staying here is going to kill you the rest of the way,” Sam admitted stiffly. None of them liked admitting it.

“And someone with this much access might be able to help,” Val added.

Danny stared at the list and they could only hope that he’d agree to run.

TBC…

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 4

Kon supported Tim as he took a few hobbling steps. He still couldn’t use crutches due to his hand so Kon was acting in place of one, taking Tim’s weight as he walked. The leg was still in a cast but he had to move around, laying about would apparently make healing take longer. It was weird to him, he’d never been hurt that badly, not yet anyway. Superman had been killed so being hurt or killed was definitely possible, but it wasn’t something he liked to think about, not when he was barely two years old.

Cassie, himself, even Bart…they all healed so fast compared to Tim. Since joining the Titans it was the same thing, Tim was the only unenhanced team member. And honestly, he missed when it had just been the four of them with Greta, Cissie, and Anita. The team felt closer then than it did now, more like a family. Probably because they were all the same age, physically at least, but with the Titans they had the older group who had come up through the team with the Dick. He just could never feel as comfortable with them.

“You okay?” Tim asked, and he nodded.

“Need a break?” he asked in return.

“Three more steps,” Tim insisted, that was three more than last time.

“Okay,” Kon agreed, and Tim pushed through them, Kon taking basically all of his weight by the end of it. He lifted Tim and carried him back to the bed, getting his water for him. “Tired?” he asked, and Tim nodded.

“Hate recovery,” he muttered, settling more comfortably.

“I wouldn’t know but it seems frustrating,” Kon admitted.

He grabbed Tim’s tablet for him and Tim brought up a show they’d started watching a few months back, to expand Kon’s knowledge of the wider world. Cadmus had been very selective in what they had shoved into his head. Popular culture was not amongst it.

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Tucker stared at the update on the search that Technus had sent, not sure what to do. It was such a tenuous link, was there any reason to mention it? And Danny didn’t look anything like the man, did he? But if it was real then why had he given Danny up? He had to have been involved if the link was real since Danny’s mother would have had no reason to use that name. But Luthor? Out of the fire and into the frying pan! Danny couldn’t be a Luthor, could he?

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Dick slipped silently through the shadows, tracking the figure. Finally, he’d found the Red Hood. He hadn’t really been active since the attack on Robin, not out in public anyway. The man had obviously still been getting orders to his men during that time. But now he had eyes on him. “Got him?” he asked softly.

“I see him,” Babs answered. “Be careful Wing,” she warned.

“If it comes down to it, I’ll yell for Superman,” he promised.

B was with Tim in Metropolis, leaving Dick patrolling alone. Thankfully, he and Tim seemed to be mending things. Finding out what they did on the kids’ last birthday…why was it every time that Dick thought Bruce was getting better, he took a hundred steps back emotionally and screwed everything up? And Tim was far too forgiving, likely due to his parents never being around and wanting a family.

He moved in carefully, wary of a possible trap but Hood seemed unaware that Dick was trailing him, good. Realising where he was heading, Dick moved to get ahead of him, lying in wait. Sure enough, Hood soon landed on the roof and Dick dropped down on him, electricity crackling around his eskrima.

The crime lord dodged at the last second, rolling away, coming up with hands on his guns but then he seemed to hesitate. To Dick’s shock the other backed away, raising his hands.

“Is he alive?” Even through the helmet his voice sounded wracked. “Is Robin alive?” He sounded almost…desperate?

“Why? Want another go at him?” Dick growled. He’d lost one brother to a maniac; he wouldn’t lose another to a different madman.

But Hood shook his head. “I don’t…I don’t remember,” the man answered, and that had Dick pausing. What? “Tell me I didn’t kill the kid.”

Dick slowly straightened, disengaging the electricity, studying Hood. His posture was slumped, tired… something strange was going on. “He’s alive. Superboy got him to a medical facility, it was touch and go for a bit but he pulled through the surgery and is recovering.”

Maybe more than he should tell the man but he wanted to see his reaction and…there, a slump of relief. So he hadn’t gone to Titans Tower to kill Robin? Then why?

“So what, you just wanted to beat the hell out of a kid? Make a statement?” he pressed.

“Robin should never have been passed on!” Hood suddenly shouted. “He should have learnt, it’s not safe.”

Dick kept his face smooth but he was rather confused by Hood’s mood swings. Something was odd…teasing at him…but what? “What does Robin matter to you?”

“Robin’s everything! Robin died and that should have been it. No more dead Robins.”

No…that…that wasn’t possible, and yet… he stared at the featureless helmet and there…a faint green glow from the whiteouts where his eyes would be. Green… but how? He had to be seeing things surely, and yet he couldn’t help hoping.

“Little Wing?” he asked softly, and Hood stiffened, taking a small step back. Dick swallowed, fighting to remain calm. “Is it you?”

“Back off,” he growled, hands clenching but still not going for his weapons.

“Jay?” he pressed but didn’t move closer.

It was obvious that he was emotionally compromised. If it was what he suspected…

“Why didn’t you come home?” he whispered, and Hood…Jason snarled.

“You replaced me!” and there was confirmation.

“No,” Dick stated firmly but calmly. “We could never replace you. When I came back from the mission, you…you were gone, the funeral over, and B…he was falling apart. Agent A tried…B and I were fighting… I left Gotham, left the Titans. And then this tiny kid tracked me down to the circus and demanded I come back and be Robin again.”

Thankfully Jason seemed to be listening, wary and confused, but he was listening. “He wanted…you to be Robin again?”

Dick nodded.

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Jason had not been planning on facing Dick tonight but he should have expected it. Dick would want vengeance for his little bird. It was hard, listening and not reacting. But…the kid hadn’t set out to be Robin? Had wanted Dick to take the roll back? An image of Dick as he was now in those scaly shorts flashed through his mind and he almost giggled at it. His emotions were all over the place, the green boiling inside him. Dick…Dick knew but he didn’t seem angry to know that Jason was alive.

He forced himself to focus, to hear what Dick was saying about the kid. About a lonely boy living right beside Wayne Manor, who had worked out their id’s years before, had…had looked up to Jason’s Robin. And that made Jason feel sick; Tim wouldn’t look up to him now. He’d almost killed him, if not for Superboy…

“Jay,” Dick whispered, and Jason realised that he’d put the eskrima away now. He watched as Dick took a slow step towards him. Part of him wanted to run and another part, the scared fifteen-year-old, wanted to run to his brother.

“I’m not right, I came back-”

“It’s okay,” Dick cut him off before he could say it. “No one comes back the same, it doesn’t make you wrong or bad.”

Jason snorted. “Actions say otherwise.” He didn’t regret most of what he’d done since coming to Gotham.

Dick moved closer again and Jason’s hands curled into fists; he wasn’t going to run. “Can I see you?” he asked.

Jason hesitated, backing away a bit, deeper into the shadows, and Dick followed like an idiot…or a trusting brother. He took a deep breath and carefully unlatched his helmet, pulling it off, revealing the domino below. He stayed still as Dick studied his face, did he see the kid from back then? A stranger?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

She stared at the footage coming in clear from Dick’s domino. It wasn’t possible, was it? She brought up an old photo of Jason and then began running comparison software. They would need a DNA sample to be sure but Dick seemed pretty sure it was him. And the facial recognition pinged an affirmative. There was some margin for error though given the old photo had to be aged up and Jason…he’d been beaten so badly. Whatever brought him back, if it was really him, may not have been able to fully restore his features. His nose was different, evidence of several breaks by the look of it, and the other changes were likely due to healed breaks too.

His lack of emotional control, brain damage? But then there was the hint of green she could see in the footage from the whites of his domino, the patch of white in his hair. That could be from the trauma but there was another, more dangerous option. The al Ghul’s whispering poison in his ears could explain a lot. Had they set him after Tim?

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“Come on Tucker, spill,” Sam glared at him, arms crossed.

It was obvious he knew something but what?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he tried to deny.

“You’re not fooling anyone; did you find something?” she demanded.

She was torn; they needed Phantom! He protected them, kept people safe. But Amity Park wasn’t safe for Danny. Didn’t he deserve to know who his birth family were? But if he left, what would happen to them? Heroes weren’t meant to abandon the people they protected. And Phantom was their hero, helping them gave them a purpose, they were a team. And a team should stick together, no matter what.

She stared him down and Tucker finally caved. A Luthor?! The Luthor’s were horrible! That factory outside the city had caused a lot of trouble before finally shutting down when they were back in Middle School. Sure, Lex Luthor had been President a few years back but there’d been quite a few questionable policies regarding the environment. There was no way Danny could be related to him! That would be worse than being related to Vlad. No, it wasn’t possibly but…a Luthor would be fine with abandoning them.

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Vlad knew his little Badger and the other brats were up to something but for once he wasn’t sure what. They were being very careful to not talk at Fenton Works where his cameras were set up. He had others around town but they had become very good at finding them.

He was busy himself, between being Mayor and working on his latest plan to kill dear Jack. The buffoon still didn’t suspect a thing, proving how stupid he was. Maddie was more perceptive, he knew that if she suspected his involvement then she would take longer to woo. And Daniel was proving as reluctant as ever to listen to him, despite how dangerous Amity Park had become.

How was Daniel to reach his full potential without his aid?

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Tim relaxed on the couch, hating that he was basically living in his domino. But it was worth it to spend time outside of his room. And the small staff lounge was kept secure, requiring keycard access. The couch he was on was nicely positioned to catch the afternoon sun without risking sunburn. He was able to transfer to and from the chair by himself now, his wrist was healing very nicely which made life easier. Not to where they’d let him use crutches but enough for short bursts of using it.

He knew something was going on back home, B had taken a call from Babs and basically run off. Had Dick confronted Jason? He hated being so out of the loop, even at the Tower he’d had his ways of checking but not here. At least he had schoolwork to do, Kon had gone back to the Tower to grab his things for him. Which meant that technically he could try and access things back home…except Oracle had locked him out. He was good, very good, but not quite her level, not yet anyway.

He didn’t know how his absence from school had been excused and didn’t really care. If he could, he’d just test out, but when he’d suggested it, Alfred had just given him a look and Tim hadn’t dared mention it again. He just didn’t see the point of school; it took up time that could be spent doing more important things. Yes, he had friends there like Ives, Zoanne, and even Bernard but he didn’t have to go to school to stay friends with them. B wasn’t letting him have any of his civilian devices for security, in case someone saw something that could identify him, so contacting them was a bit complicated. But he had managed to send a message apologising for missing the movie they were meant to see because he’d been planning to head back to Gotham, Bruce’s orders to stay out or not.

At least he now knew that it had been because of Jason and not the mess around his birthday. He still didn’t know how to feel about that. He’d always known Bruce would never apologise…and then he had. Sure, he figured it was because Dick had yelled him into it but still, he’d apologised. He knew how to read Bruce, knew he was a little confused about why he needed to apologise but that he also felt bad about something…hurting Tim or not realising that what he did would hurt Tim?

B wouldn’t like the way he had talked to Lex, had accepted the access card. But Tim trusted his own ability to judge people, the man was genuinely worried about him - either for Kon or because he was still a ‘kid’. The man’s humanitarian works had increased ever since he left the Presidency, he barely even plotted against Clark these days. Was that why he’d let his accent slip around him? A show of respect? Trust?

Julain Luthor…it was so tempting to see if he could trace the adoption, to at least let Kon know how his brother was doing. But he wouldn’t do it, he would respect their wishes, he would…no matter how much he would want to know if it was him.

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Danny could feel his classmates staring and found himself checking to ensure he hadn’t accidentally lost a piece of clothing like he used to. But nope, he was fully dressed. The stares had him fighting the urge to become invisible.

And then Principal Ishiyama appeared, ushering him along to her office. This…could not be good. He was soon seated in her office and listening in shock and confusion. How the hell had a rumour that he was a Luthor started?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Lex sat back in his chair, turning to stare out at the Metropolis skyline, thankful to see no sign of the blue boy scout. Then again, with the Bat invasion of his building, Superman probably felt safe without ensuring Lex knew he was around.

Activity in Gotham was at a strange low but he knew both Batman and Nightwing were there. He suspected they had tracked the Red Hood down finally. The man would deserve anything they did to him for what he had done to Robin. His research showed that the area locals called Crime Alley was improving under him but he was too dangerous. Fighting the teen heroes was one thing, but seriously trying to kill them? No one was that crazy, if they succeeded then they wouldn’t just have the Justice League out for their blood.

Robin was recovering well, better than originally anticipated given he’d nearly died from a deadly virus not that long ago. The recovery from that must have been horrible. But he could tell the teen was becoming restless. He’d been given schoolwork to do on top of his rehab but that was it. Maybe…Lex could find something for him to do? Would he accept the offer? But it was worth making it, a bored Robin was likely not good for anyone’s mental health.

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Clark smiled as Lois worked to teach Jon how to make cookies. He had almost missed out on it all and that was something he regretted. But he didn’t regret giving his life to save the world, he couldn’t. He still didn’t really know how to deal with Kon, it wasn’t fair to the boy and he knew it, but he couldn’t help his feelings. He’d started talking to Dinah about it and she’d shown him all the recovered records. It seemed Luthor really hadn’t known about Kon until shortly before he contacted Bruce for help saving the clone.

And now Tim was in his clutches, helpless, recovering from a near-fatal attack by Gotham’s newest crime lord. Kon-El had saved him, fought against Kryptonite poisoning and sedative gas to do so which was impressive. Or did his human heritage make him less susceptible to Kryptonite? Did it matter?

Bruce and Dick were in and out of Luthor’s building, Kon mostly staying. The building was well protected against his abilities, he couldn’t hear any of them within it. And he couldn’t help worrying because of that. If something happened and they needed help…

But Luthor had saved Tim’s life by calling his medical team, surely, he wouldn’t then turn around and harm him?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“I’m so sorry,” Tucker whispered as they hid under the bleachers.

“What’s going on?” Danny asked. “Why are people saying I’m a Luthor?”

“Technus tracked the name Julian to the Luthor family. Apparently, Lex Luthor had a much younger brother who died as a baby, his name was Julian. But it’s not definite proof. But Sam knew I knew something and kept pushing and I told her…and suddenly the whole school’s talking about it.”

He didn’t want to think Sam had spread the rumour, but who else could have? And why would she do it? Sure, no one really liked Luthor but this just put more stress on Danny! Sometimes it felt like he barely knew her anymore. The Sam from before Danny’s accident wouldn’t do this. And she wanted Danny to be the hero, how did this help that? Technus was hardly going to spread the possibly link around though so who else could have?

TBC…