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Chapter Text

He knew he should be grateful right now, but as Peter walked through the apartment with a duffel bag and stuffing it with almost only the necessities-he couldn't bring himself to feel that way, even if Dr. Strange had given him the kindness of letting him pack first.

His feet led him into May's room and he tried not to look around it, he had to focus now, there was a reason he came in here.

Peter reached under May's bed and grabbed a jar of cash that she had been saving, he paused as he held it above the bag, he wasn't sure if this different universe even used this kind of currency and he couldn't help but feel like he was stealing, despite the fact May wasn't around anymore.

The hesitation was pushed down and he shoved the jar into the back and turned to leave-or at least he tried to, he stopped in his tracks as he noticed an old picture on May's nightstand. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to take this with him.
-
It was strange that Peter almost took comfort in the fact that his friends wouldn't remember him, and that they had no idea about how he was thrown into an entirely different universe.

At least they weren't worrying about him, he didn't deserve to have anyone worry about him after what had happened.

It had been almost two weeks since Peter found himself stranded in this angsty city called Gotham. He learned that everything in this universe operated relatively similar to how things did on his own, and fortunately the money was the same.

A part of Peter was concerned with how easy it was for him to buy an apartment and pay for it under the table, but the other part was relieved. He was sure that his landlord had assumed Peter was a runaway and decided that as long as Peter paid he could stay, but the apartment nearly cost half of the money he had on him, he would need a job if he was going to keep staying here.

Peter had debated about bringing his laptop or not-not knowing if it would work or be useful, luckily it was-and he was able to connect to a satellite.

As he messed with his computer a thought slowly creeped into the back of his head. He dug his suit out of the bag and began to connect it to his laptop, he pulled up the suit's permissions and its coding-it took him a minute but eventually he found what he was looking for.

He pulled his mask over his head and spoke up in a shaken voice. "Karen?", at first it was quiet and he thought he might not have fixed her properly but eventually he had gotten a response.

"Peter? Where are we? I do not recognize our location and why am I connected to a foreign satellite?"

Peter visibly relaxed as Karen's voice rang through, at least he wasn't alone anymore and he would have her to help in whatever way she could.

He gave her a quick run down on his situation, he was surprised to see that Karen took his explanation with the complete utter seriousness, as he himself would have been skeptical.

Karen however was already formulating a plan, and finding whatever information she could on the internet. "I cannot find any information on yhe Avengers in this universe, it appears as if they do not exist here, however there is another hero team that is similar, they call themselves the Justice league and consist of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Black Canary, Red Tornado, The Flash, Green arrow, Green Lantern, Captain Marvel and more." She had explained.

"Captain Marvel? Like the one we know?" He asked hoping to find a similarity, Karen quickly corrected him. "It appears that they are different people, this Captain Marvel posses powers possibly relating to the mystic arts"

Peter deflated slightly. "Oh alright", he paused before continuing. "Are there any heroes in the city we’re in right now?" He asked.

"Yes, Gotham city, New Jersey is home to a variety of heroes, the most well known is Batman who I mentioned earlier, would you like me to tell you about the others?" She offered. Peter shook his head. "Maybe later, right now I think I'd rather focus on setting us up here instead."

"Of course Peter, fortunately the technology here is outdated, as it seems this universe is a couple years behind ours and Stark Industries does not exist giving them a disadvantage, I should be able to create a fake identity for both you and myself."

"Wait, why do you need a fake identity Karen?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I am planning on registering myself as your legal guardian, you are only sixteen and aren't legally able to live on your own according to the laws of this city. Although it would make only a little difference compared to creating a fake guardian, at least I am able to answer phone calls and send messages, not to mention it is my core programming to care for you Peter." Although he could see where she was coming from Peter didn't really want another parental figure in his life.

"I was planning on just lying about my age-" he was cut off before he could finish. "Actually Peter, I was thinking that we could enroll you in school. I am aware you have already graduated early, but as this is a new universe you know very little about and school is a perfect opportunity to teach you along with making connections and friends."

Peter felt himself cringe. The last thing he needed was to get close with anyone again, not after what happened.

"I guess I see your point but, I think it's best if I uh, keep to myself a little bit you know, I don't want to draw attention or anything." He tried. There was a moment of silence before Karen spoke again. "Whatever you think is best Peter." He nodded and looked back to his computer.

"I have almost finished creating our identities, do you have a preference on what I should put as our relation or the status of your parents, your mother does not appear to exist in this universe but it appears your Father does, although he goes by Richard Grayson because he was not adopted by the Parker's here." As Karen spoke Peter immediately stiffened.

He pushed out any thought of trying to find or even learn about his father, he didn't want to get attached and he didn't want to put him in any danger, he had already lost to many parental figures that way.

Speaking of parental figures he needed to figure out who he could be to Karen. "How about you’re my legal guardian through adoption- if you can try to make it look like my parents are unknown, that would save us the trouble of making a backstory for them."

"Alright, now what do you want to do about my name? Since you had given me my first name I had thought you might wish to help me with my middle and last."

Oh, that's right. He thought about it for a minute before biting the inside of his cheek, "How about Karen May Parker?" He tried. "I think it's a very nice name Peter" she complimented. He waited until she finished completing what she could of their identities. "Peter?" She asked.

"Yeah Karen?" "I was going over options for our financial problem." Peter perked up "Oh, Yeah don't worry I'll try to find a job soon and-" once again Karen interrupted him. "I do not believe that is our best course of action Peter." She said firmly. "Okay, well, what do you think we should do then?"

"If you were to get a job, you would have to balance it with your responsibilities of both schooling and vigilantism, and I'm worried that could affect your health in the long run, also Peter the money received from your job with your hours would most likely only cover rent, and that isn't enough as currently you need almost everything and it could cost us a lot to enroll you in school, I have already located one that is very similar to your previous one and their science program should provide you with the needed ingredients for you web fluid."

Karen had explained most of this in a matter of fact tone and Peter couldn't help but wonder what the alternative was. "I mean, you're right but what other options do we have, you're not suggesting stealing or anything right?"

"Not exactly, but as I mentioned before the technology in this universe is outdated. I was considering the possibility of selling some of Tony's designs to a major corporation, we could do it under my name if that makes you more comfortable Peter, and I am programmed to use any of Tony's resources to assist you, even his designs."

Peter did not like this plan, it all felt so wrong. He knew it was a good idea though, because he couldn't be Spider-man without it, he needed the time to be able to go out, he needed a considerable amount of food for his fast metabolism and he needed to go to that school so he could make web fluid.

The thing that sealed the deal was the fact that Mr. Stark 'practically' consented to this, although this eased his guilt slightly, he hated taking advantage of someone who isn't here anymore but he didn't have a choice. "Okay Karen, but do you think we can start on that tomorrow, I think I need to take a break after everything that happened."

"Of course Peter, I am sure you are still mourning the loss of your old life-do you want to talk about it?" Peter shook his head. "No I'm alright, but um do you think you can tell me about the other vigilantes in Gotham now" he asked despite not really caring, of anything he just wanted a distraction.

"Yes I can, Batman has been seen working with a variety of different partners the most notable is Robin he or they are..." Peter sighed as he laid back onto the floor of his bare apartment and listened to Karen, he felt like he was going to cry but he didn't, he needed to focus right now, he knew Aunt May would want him to move on and make a new life for himself, so that's what he was going to do.
-
The next morning Karen had tried to contact a corporation known as Lex Corp, and had sent a preview of some of Stark's old designs, it was only some machinery designs and blueprints for now as he didn't want to make to much of an impact, but they were definitely much better than whatever they were currently using.

Originally they were going to donate the designs to Wayne Enterprises but they had found out that the company makes considerable donations to the Justice League, and for the time being they were trying to avoid them as it could be bad if the League looked at them too closely.

Peter had assumed that it would have taken weeks to hear back from them, instead it took a half hour. Soon Karen had sent them three separate designs and immediately after around $600,000, appeared in her bank account, each design costing about $200,000 each.

He didn't exactly know what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't that much in fact he wasn't even sure if the company would take them up on their offer considering it was on the more sketchy side of things.

A weight was lifted off his shoulders as money no longer seemed to be an issue, but a apart of him felt as if everything was moving to quickly, he still hadn't settled in yet, was still hung up what had happened with Doctor Strange-He let out a shaky breath digging the rest of his suit out of the duffle bag.

He needed to get his mind off everything, and the only way he knew how to do that was to become spider man.
-
Later in the day Barbara had noticed some strange things happening, cameras were being cut in specific areas that criminals were reportedly being turned in by a vigilante, the problem was she knew for sure it wasn't any of hers, so was there a new player in the field?

She reported to Bruce earlier, and he had told everyone to keep an eye out, they were too busy to go after him directly right now, as they had other priorities especially with another Arkham breakout.

Her thinking was interrupted as her phone went off, it was just her father who was confirming dinner plans. She had half the mind to cancel but she knew that she shouldn’t, as her Father was important to.

And that’s how she found herself at a small diner she used to go to a lot as a child, with her father in front of her, sipping coffee and going about his day.

Babs took a drink of her soda as a thought crept into her head. “Hey Dad, weird question but, do you know if there’s any new vigilante’s that have shown up?“

To her surprise her Father nodded, “Yeah actually, I met a new one this evening he called himself Spider-man although it wasn’t very fitting, since he seemed like a kid”

There was a brief silence as he continued, “Everyone is pretty sure he’s another one of Batman’s sidekicks or something similar, he seems trained and his suit is well advanced, definitely not something he made in his room if you know what I mean.”

Barbara hummed, she knew that he definitely wasn’t related to Batman, so now she had to find an explanation for his training and his tech. “Did he seem like he was from around here?” She questioned.

Jim shook his head. “No, he had an accent, I’d say he’s from New York or something, Kid was polite though and a lot friendlier than most of the vigilantes we have here.”

Barbara didn’t question him after that, instead they waited for the waitress to return with their food and continued to talk about more mundane things.

Although her curiosity had peaked, she was curious to learn more about this Spider-man, she hoped he would be a friend instead of a new problem they’d have to handle.

Chapter Text

Peter almost felt like an imposter as he sat in a waiting room at Gotham Academy. He had to take the entry test today, and despite being almost certain he'd passed in. He couldn't help but already feel a bit out of place especially since most students here came from well-off families, he on the other hand was always raised in a household where money was tight and it was only more difficult after he lost Uncle Ben.

He had to remind himself that it wasn't like that anymore, thanks to Karen he was able to afford tuition just like everyone else and assuming he passed the entrance exam, then he would have every right to be there.

Soon enough the office door opened and a stout woman who he assumed was a counselor, came up to Peter, results in hand and a smile on her face. "Congratulations Mr. Parker, you have passed the exam, and managed to get our top score in the science section!"

Peter's shoulders relaxed slightly as he took the paper from her and skimmed over it. "Your tuition has already been paid for and I have emailed the details of acquiring a school uniform to your Guardian already. Unfortunately this is our last day before fall break so you will have to join us in about a week when school starts up again."

She continued talking and walked Peter out of the building, once they reached the doors she gave him a firm handshake. "You are such a polite young man, there aren't a lot of those in this school anymore."
-
As he stood in the school's courtyard Peter had called Karen and immediately told her about his acceptance. "Karen I passed the exam, I'll be able to start next week", for the first time in a while, Peter almost felt a sort of pride in himself.

"Congratulations Peter, I am very proud of you for-". As Karen continued on, Peter's gaze fell to another student, he seemed to be slightly younger than Peter, had dark hair and tanned skin. That wasn't what caught his attention, it was the person picking him up.

"Dad?" Peter mouthed. He didn't know how long he stared, his phone fell to the cement and he scrambled to pick it up and check for any damage.

"Peter? Peter, are you there? Peter, are you in danger? Do you need me to call for assistance?" Karen's voice was monotone as always but there was an edge to it.

"Oh uh, Yeah Karen, I'm okay I just-" He watched as his father's alternate self drove away while making small talk with the boy beside him. "I just ran into my da- um I mean Richard Grayson" he said in a low tone.

There was a pause as if Karen was trying to understand what he was implying. "I see, was that difficult for you Peter?"

Peter shook his head, even though she couldn't see it, "No, I'm fine". He said dismissively, his earlier feelings of accomplishment were dulled by something else, *grief? Maybe?* No, that's ridiculous, he hardly even knew his Father anyway, only having a handful of memories of the man. *But they were good memories.*

"Peter?" Karen spoke, breaking whatever sort of trance he was in. "Yes, Karen?" He replied weakly.

"You should head home, I have ordered Thai takeout for you, it's already paid for, I thought we could celebrate your acceptance into the Academy. It should arrive in half an hour, you could be home by then if you hurry."

Aunt May used to take him out to their favorite restaurant Prachya Thai. They would both get the larb salad. 'You know I *larb* you', May would tell him. One time the waiter gave her free sticky rice, "I think he 'larbs' you" Peter joked.

He smiled bitterly at the thought he grounded himself once more and tried to push those feelings aside.

"Thanks Karen" he said as he started to make his way back to the apartment, he sprinted a bit, trying his best to get there before the food was delivered.

"I'll have to get you a credit card Peter, it would be good for you to have a form of payment on your person at all times." Karen spoke. It was strange to have his former 'suit lady' fuss over him like this, the same way May would, the same way his Mother would.

No, it wasn't the same, it couldn't be. He had to tell himself that it was different.
-
Peter learned very quickly that current place of residence wasn't exactly-ideal. He was pretty sure both of his neighbors were selling something illegal, weaponry, maybe? Not to mention he lived on the corner of 'crime alley', he also kept on getting mugged each time he walked home.

Karen put her 'foot' down when a stray bullet went through the window, Peter's spider sense allowed him to dodge it, barely.

"Peter, I find your current living arrangement to be putting your safety in jeopardy."

"It's fine-it's better that I'm in this area anyways, Spider-man can help them faster". Of course, Karen didn't agree with Peter's line of thinking, and continued to insist that he'd move somewhere nicer, somewhere safer.

Eventually they decided on a compromise, they'd keep the apartment but would only use it when necessary, like if he was injured and needed somewhere close to go to crash for any other reason, but they would also buy a more permanent place that they weren't paying under the table for, one in the nice part of the city that the cops are paid to patrol. Not Peter's first choice of course.

Peter threw himself on the air mattress he bought when he first came to Gotham. "Do you think we can talk more about this tomorrow Karen? 'M tired" he said closing his eyes.

"Of course Peter, get your rest. Remember also to go and pick up your uniforms tomorrow evening, I have paid to have them tailored to fit you properly."

Peter grumbled something unintelligible before mumbling a 'Good night', and taking his mask off .

The next morning Peter had let himself sleep in, emotionally, he was exhausted. When he finally managed to drag himself out of bed he decided to eat the leftover takeout from the previous day as his breakfast.

He glanced at his phone he had a couple of hours until he had to pick up his uniforms, maybe he could a patrol as Spider-man in if he tried hard enough, he supposed it was probably better if he patrolled the day time anyway, from what Karen had told him, most of the other Gotham vigilantes preferred the night. Aside from Signal of course.
-
Speaking of Signal, since Fall break had started Bruce had decided add to his patrol hours since his time had cleared up. Much to his disappointment as he would rather be in bed enjoying his break right now.

Fortunately there hadn't been much for him to handle today, and he was starting to think that it would stay that way.

Well, that was until he saw the new guy. He was told to keep an eye out for a new possible vigilante, but he didn't think he'd run into him so soon.

He stood a distance behind him and observed him. Spider-man, sensing someone was there he turned towards Signal.

"What's with the area around your head being shiny?" Signal asked.

Peter stiffened, "Wait you can see my Spidey Sense?"

In his ear he could hear Karen go on about the vigilante he encountered, whose name was apparently Signal as was believed to be a 'meta-human', and worked closely with Batman.

"Um, yeah I guess I can, sometimes my powers-" before Signal could finish explaining, Peter had decided that he had enough patrolling for the day and decided to leave, remembering Batman's hypocritical 'no meta' rule and learning that Signal was one of his teammates. (Peter guesses Batman made an exception with him.)

He decided he won't willingly talk to Batman. He makes Peter feel slightly uneasy, and he hasn't even met the man yet.

Signal called out for him to wait and tried to follow behind him, but Peter was able to lose him. Peter supposed he'd just pick up his school uniform a bit early.
-
Peter walked into the uniform store a bit disheveled since he just changed out of his costume.

The lady at the front desk treated him respectfully and helped him in every way she could. When they were finished Peter had a long look at himself in the mirror, for a moment the imposter feeling resurfaced but it was drowned out by the lady offering him compliments and other kind words. He changed back into his clothes and thanked her as she set his uniforms in a bag for him to carry.

As he was walking out he noticed Karen calling him, he pulled out his phone, in was a Stark Industries model and much nicer than the other phones in this universe, he should get a case or something, you know, to not look suspicious.

He quickly answered Karen's call, who was just checking up on him and asked him how everything went.
-
It had been a couple days since he got his uniforms and he was currently waiting for school to get back from break, but today was just hard for him.

It was Thanksgiving.

He almost didn't get out of bed that morning, he laid still as his phone rang continuously, Karen had been trying to call him for a while.

He answered her eventually and she tried to make him feel better.

She suggested that he'd still celebrate the holiday, that their was diner downtown that was open and served somewhat traditional Thanksgiving food.

The thought of him eating alone made him feel worse, but he knew Karen was just trying to help him, so he decided to try it out.

When Peter had walked into the little diner, he noticed it was mostly empty aside from the server and from another customer in the back, Peter couldn't quite see him properly.

The server, a thin middle aged woman whose face was slightly wrinkled, greeted him and showed him to a table. He ordered a hot chocolate to start and then the server left him to look at the menu.

In his new spot Peter was able to have a better view of the only other customer, for a minute he felt as if there was no explanation aside from Parker luck.

Why else would the alternate version of Uncle Ben be sitting on the table beside, with only black coffee in front of him.

Peter had to say that he looked a bit different from his Uncle Ben, he was younger, his eyes were green, and he had a streak of white hair?

But he also had his signature leather jacket and roughly the same build.

Not wanting to stare for too long Peter looked back at the menu, skimming through the options. He felt his spider sense tingle faintly.

Was Uncle Ben-um he means the man next to him, watching Peter? He didn't feel like he was a threat, maybe he was just curious as to why Peter was by himself on Thanksgiving, or maybe Peter just reminded him of someone he knew. Fortunately his gaze didn’t linger and Peter felt himself relax slightly.

The waitress came back and Peter decided to order their holiday special, it came with a slice of turkey or ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans.

“What are you doin’ here all by yourself darlin’, shouldn’ you be home with your family?” The waitress asked, she had a slight accent, he couldn’t place it.

Peter shook his head, “My uh ‘Guardian’ works holidays, so it’s just me” he explained. She gave him a sympathetic smile “Well, that’s alright, I don’t mind the company anyhow.” And with that she went back to the kitchen and gave his order to the cook.

The wait might have been long but it was worth it, everything was warm and steaming. For a minute Peter almost forgot about his troubles, he didn’t even notice when the man beside him left.

After he was finished Peter asked for his ticket, but surprisingly it was already paid for? “What? By who?” He asked.

“The young man who sat at the table next to you, his name is Jason, he’s a regular here. He’s a bit rough around the edges but he can be nice when he wants to be.”

Peter felt his brain lag. First of all, Uncle Ben’s alternate was named ‘Jason’? What was that about? Secondly, he paid for Peter’s food, but Peter didn’t even speak to him.

His heart clenched, Uncle Ben is taking care of him in every universe it looks like. He shakes the thought away, he isn’t Uncle Ben, he’s just a nice stranger named Jason apparently.
-
Outside of the diner, Jason took out his phone. He should probably call his family to tell them that he got hung up on something and might be a bit late for Thanksgiving dinner, so he decided to leave out why though. He wasn’t going to tell them about the boy in the diner who was eating by himself, or that he paid for his food because he reminded him of his older brother Richard, but only slightly.

Nah, he’ll keep that to himself. He’s probably just imagining the similarity regardless.

Chapter Text

Lex Luthor stared blankly at his computer screen. He had seemed to have found a new 'Business' partner, the only problem is, she was almost a ghost, he had found close to nothing on her, and everything he did find was vague, and almost felt fake?

He wasn't against working with shady people, he has before. He was against not knowing what he was dealing with, someone had sold him three very advanced technicological designs that even he was impressed with, yet something felt wrong as he looked through her file, so much was lacking, especially any type of photo identification. That rubbed him the wrong way.

He still entertained the thought of working with her, in a more professional manner, and debated if he should propose a proper job for her at LexCorp. He was smart about it though, he had a plan in case this 'Karen' became a thorn in his side.

Although her information was limited, it was still useful. He found she had a ward-a son. According to what he found she adopted him as an infant, his paternity unknown. His name was Peter Parker, he was sixteen, was apparently homeschooled for most of his life, and he was just enrolled in Gotham Academy.

He also found that she had just recently purchased an apartment in Gotham City. Disgusting, even he knew that the city was no place to raise a child, maybe she was involved in the city's crime, he wouldn't be surprised.

Regardless of his caution, he sent her an email, it was a job offer, he also made a file on her son, he'd be keeping an eye on him for the time being, maybe if needed he could use him to get to her.

____________

Peter was having difficulty adjusting to the new apartment Karen had purchased, it reminded vaguely of Happy's apartment. Like Karen wanted, it was a two bedroom luxury apartment. He had spent the past day or so trying to fill it with furniture, and make it look more lived in. Peter also had a credit card now, which was appreciated, he really appreciated Karen as this entire experience would be difficult without her.

He knew that it wasn't needed but he did set a room up for Karen. A part of him did it just for appearance, in case he ever had company over and needed to make it authentic, the other part of him did it for himself, it made him feel a bit better, less lonely, like he wasn't living by himself. It was a lie, but he didn't care.

Karen's room was more of an office with a bed in the corner, he even started to assemble a bookshelf. Uncle Ben used to read, maybe he could find some of the books he liked and stack them on there.

His room was also rather plain for now as it only had the necessities at the moment, but he was able to buy a couple outfits, and it was nice to be in some fresh clothes.

Peter was wearing his mask at the moment, it made it easier to speak to Karen opposed to being on the phone. "Are you prepared for school tomorrow?" she asked.

Peter shrugged, "Uh, yeah I guess" he said. He wasn't exactly sure what to expect from Gotham Academy, but he has always liked school, he liked learning, and Karen thought that some structure in his life could do him some good.
-
The next morning Peter had woken up earlier than needed, he took a shower, brushed his teeth and combed his hair.

He still had some time before school started so he decided to visit that dinner he went to a couple days ago.

It was empty when he first entered, he assumed they must have just opened. The waitress who helped him last time was there and she greeted him kindly.

This time he decided to try something new and scanned over the breakfast section. His gaze landed on the Chocolate chip pancakes and his mouth watered slightly, he was tempted to make a bigger order as his metabolism required a lot of energy but it might take too long to make, and he was on a tight schedule.

He didn't have to wait long for his food, and it looked delicious when it came out. The pancakes were fluffy and the chocolate chips melted just right, Peter quickly thanked the waitress then proceeded to start scarfing down his breakfast. The waitress chuckled softly to herself as she went back behind the counter.

When Peter was about halfway finished with his stack of pancakes he heard the door open, he nearly choked on his food when he saw Ben-Jason, when he saw Jason walk in.

He remembered that the waitress did mention that he was a regular and Peter couldn't tell if that information wanted him to avoid this place, or continue to come here, he reminded himself that it shouldn't matter though because that isn't his the Ben he knew, and despite the fact that he keeps on telling himself it, the words don't seem to be doing much for him.

This time Jason didn't notice Peter, actually Jason looked pretty rough, Peter should know, he had experience with that.

He couldn't tell if the man had woken up really early or just didn't sleep the night prior but he looked tired, really tired and like before he only bought a black coffee for himself. Peter stopped staring at him, and turned his attention back to his food.

Before Peter left, he gave the waitress a generous tip and bought Jason's coffee, to thank him. He didn't say anything while he did it, only grabbed his backpack and walked out of the diner.
-
Gotham Academy felt different now that it was in session. He left the office with his schedule for the day and tried to make his way to his first period, the halls were full with everyone talking and gossiping. He didn't linger in the hallway, he continued to class instead.

When he entered there was only the teacher and one other student in the room. "Mr. Parker, I presume?" The teacher asked as he looked towards Peter. "Uh, yeah, hey" Peter greeted nervously.

She nodded as she looked over what seemed to be a seating chart. "I'm going to sit your by Damian Wayne, we are currently working in pares on a project and he's the only one who wasn't able to find a partner." She then gestured over to the only other student in the room and Peter felt his eyes widen slightly. That was the boy he seen when he first enrolled, the one who was picked up by Richard Grayson.

Peter shook his head slightly clearing it of unwanted thoughts before taking a seat by Damian. "Um, hey, I'm Peter" he greeted awkwardly. Damian spared him a glance, before turning to the papers in front of him.

"The project we are working on involves a book report on Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice, I assume you have not read it before so I will take responsibility on-" he was cut off quickly. "I actually have read it-uh it used to be one of my Uncle's favorites" Peter said. He cringed slightly at the thought, he remembered when Uncle Ben would let Peter borrow his books from him, and when he inherited them after he passed.

Damian raised an eyebrow before nodding, "It is one of my brother's favorites as well". Peter didn't put as much thought as he should have with that, probably because it is a good book.

He learned very quickly that Damian wasn't very much of a talker, but that's alright, Peter rambled enough to himself. After about halfway through class Damian muttered something that really stuck out to Peter.

"You remind me of my brother, Grayson" he said, completely unaware of the effect it had on his partner.

Peter stuttered but quickly pulled himself together and choked out a response. "Was he-was he the one who picked you up a couple weeks ago-uh black hair, in a mullet, and blue eyes?" Damian raised an eyebrow,

"Oh, I uh saw you with him when I was taking the entrance exam" he explained trying to his best to not sound weird. "Ah I see" Damian nodded.
-
Meanwhile the neighboring city of Blüdhaven, Dick had found himself on the phone with Zatanna, he was going off about these reoccurring dreams he has been having.

“I don’t know-they’re just so realistic and they came out of nowhere, do you know what it’s like to have a dream where your holding your baby and then just wake up to cradling air? Also it keeps happening I swear-they don’t even feel like dreams at this point, it’s more like memories”

There was a brief silence at the other end of the phone before Zatanna spoke back up. “Dreams are-difficult to understand sometimes, and it could mean nothing.”

Dick furrowed his eyebrows, “I feel like there’s a but to that sentence.”

“Well, some people believe that our dreams can correlate to our lives in other universes-But that’s honestly a stretch, and even if it was the case, that could be a problem because something would have to trigger them-“ she sighed. “For now, just keep an eye out, and try to find other ways to keep yourself from having weird dreams-you should try lavender or essential oils or something”

Dick leaned back and rubbed a hand over his face, for the past couple of weeks he’s been dreaming that he had a son, named Peter, each dream was a different memory of his childhood and he was starting to get attached. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted the dreams stop, they were good, he was happy in them.

Eventually he hung up his phone and began to get ready to pick Damian up from school. It was around two hours to drive to Gotham, and although it was inconvenient he really didn’t mind especially since he was planning on staying in Gotham for a few days anyway, between another Arkham breakout and a new vigilante, they needed his help.

What he didn’t expect when he got there was to see an older version of his ‘dream son’ walking his younger brother out of school. The two locked eyes for a minute and Damian looked between them.

The tension was only broken when the boy (Pete? Or Peter, he thinks) turned to Damian to thank him and tell him goodbye.

Dick could feel Damian’s eyes on him the moment he got into the car. “Do you know him?” He asked almost immediately.

There was a silence between them before Dick shook his head. “No-I don’t”

Chapter Text

Damian sat in the passenger seat, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “I don’t understand why you are so insistent that I invite Parker to study with me,” he huffed.

Dick paused, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel of the car. “I just think this could be a good thing,” he said, “I mean, you said yourself that you and Pete are friends now...”

“Acquainted,” Damian interrupted, his eyes fixated on Dick for a moment. He then sighed, “Fine, I will invite Parker to the manor after school. Are you happy now?”

Dick's smile widened and he clapped Damian on the shoulder, "Ecstatic. Just work things out with him. I'll even pick both of you up after school."

Damian shrugged off Dick's hand and slammed the car door behind him. There was something odd about Dick's persistence, but Damian didn't bother to argue. After all, studying with Parker didn't sound like a terrible idea.

Damian had decided to hold off asking Peter until Lunchtime where they were able to converse without being reprimanded. Like most days Peter had stacked a lot of food on his tray, Damian stared at it before moving his gaze up.

“I was wondering if you would be interested in joining me this evening, for studying at my home? My brother had offered to drive you both there and back to your apartment, I understand if it is to soon-“

Peter raised his eyebrows, he was slightly surprised but he recovered quickly. “I uh-that sounds great, sure, um which brother are you talking about exactly?”

He picked at his food as Damian spoke, his fork idly swirling through the soggy mashed potatoes. His stomach churned slightly.

"Richard Grayson, Dick, as he would prefer," Damian said. Peter shifted uncomfortably, the memories of their last encounter rushing back.

"That sounds fine, I guess I'll let May know - I mean, Karen," he stumbled over his words, "May is Karen's middle name. Karen May Parker-" He tried to explain.

Damian shrugged, seemingly unfazed by the mistake.

The rest of the day passed quickly, too quickly for Peter's liking. He couldn't pinpoint why he felt so nervous about seeing Dick again. He repeated to himself that Dick Grayson and Richard Parker were different people, that this wasn’t his father, this was his friend's brother.

The sky was overcast, typical for Gotham. Peter stood outside, shifting his weight restlessly between each foot.

Eventually, Damian appeared beside him, greeting him before gesturing for him to follow. They walked to Dick's car, Damian holding the door open for Peter to get into the backseat.

Peter took a moment to scan the car's interior. It was quite nice, though a bit messy. His eyes landed on the paperwork that Dick had shoved under the seats.

Peter settled into the backseat, quickly buckling up. From the driver's seat, Dick watched Peter through the rearview mirror, studying his every move.

"Hey Pete, it's good to see you again," Dick said warmly. "I'm Dick, Damian's brother." He adjusted the mirror to get a better view of Peter.

Peter tensed up involuntarily as Dick's gaze met his. "You worked everything out with your - parent?" Dick asked, hesitating for a moment.

"Yeah, I did," Peter replied, his voice tinged with a hint of unease. "I should probably message her right now, tell her I got here good-"

Dick nodded, a small smile on his lips. "Of course, go ahead," he encouraged, his gaze lingered on Peter's phone for a moment before he shook his head and began to drive out of the parking lot.

"So, I take it you just moved here recently - you have a bit of an accent," he mentioned, attempting to start a conversation.

Peter looked out the window as he responded, his words tinged with a hint of melancholy. "Yeah, I used to live in Queens, before me and Karen 'moved' here." He paused then added, "It's alright, I guess, aside from the villains and overall gothic aesthetic."

"But our apartment is really nice," Peter continued, his tone shifting slightly. "My room's huge, and we've got a great view of the city-"

Dick smiled as he listened to Peter, his eyes occasionally darting to the rearview mirror to sneak a glance.

The remainder of the car ride was filled with light conversation, Dick asking Damian about his day and engaging Peter with occasional questions. Though Peter didn't feel unwelcome, there was an air of familiarity.

When they finally arrived at the mansion, Peter couldn't help but gaze in awe for a moment. He had no idea Damian came from this much wealth, though he supposed he should have guessed given the expensive academy he attended. The manor itself was a sight to behold.

Dick smirked as he parked in the driveway. "Yeah, I remember the first time I came here," he said, leading them to the door.

Damian led Peter to the manor's library, which was adorned with leather-bound books, dim lights, and tall wooden bookshelves that seemed to reach the ceiling. As they settled, Damian started to unpack his backpack and prepare to study, while Dick hovered nearby, offering assistance.

Eventually, Damian grew frustrated with Dick's lingering. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

As Dick finally left the room, Damian shook his head, muttering something under his breath about his brother's clinginess. Peter chuckled lightly, the noise breaking the silence that had engulfed the room.

"This is nice," Peter said softly, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "Thank you for having me over."

Damian nodded, his focus on the book in front of him. "Yes, this has been enjoyable," he agreed. "But I must apologize for my brother's behavior. He can be rather overbearing at times."

Peter's response was tinged with something Damian couldn’t recognize. "It's alright," he said. "If anything, he's really friendly. You're...lucky to have him..."

Damian glanced up briefly, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. The weight of Peter's words wasn't lost on him, but he couldn't quite grasp the full significance. He nodded once more, offering a small smile.

"He has his moments," Damian said lightly. "But yes, I suppose I am lucky."

As the evening wore on, a new figure entered the library. It was a butler, Peter noted, his presence exuding an air of quiet elegance.

"Hello, my name is Alfred Pennyworth," he introduced himself, a hint of an English accent in his voice. "I am at your service. Master Bruce has asked me to inquire if you would like to stay for dinner."

Peter was taken aback by the invitation, instinctively wanting to decline. But after a moment, he caught the slight nod from Damian, urging him to accept. It might have been selfish, Peter thought, but it had been so long since he'd been part of a family dinner, and he...he missed it.

"Very well, I will call you both when the food is prepared," Alfred said, his footsteps retreating from the room.

After they finished studying, Peter went to freshen up a bit and slipped into the bathroom, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He splashed some water on his face, feeling the coldness against his cheeks.

With a sigh, he took out his phone and dialed Karen's number. He wasn't sure if he needed permission, but he wanted to let her know where he was.

"Hello, Peter," Karen greeted in her usual, flat tone. "Is everything alright? How is your study session going? Are you coming home soon?"

"Actually, Karen," Peter started, tapping his fingers anxiously against the sink. "I was wondering if I could stay for dinner. Damian said his brother could bring me back when it's done-"

There was a brief pause on the other end before Karen responded, her tone almost mechanical. "I think it's best if you return home, Peter," she said. "I cannot monitor you properly when you are there. I understand your need for studying, but anything else seems unnecessary."

Peter tried, and failed, to hide the disappointment in his tone as he spoke, his words tumbling out quickly in a defensive tone. "I understand that," he said, "but it's just... I haven't sat down and had dinner with anyone else in so long. I miss having company, and it's not like you're around-"

He immediately stopped himself, the words hanging in the air. "Wait, Karen-" Peter started again, his words a mixture of regret and frustration. "I didn't mean it like that, I know you can't-"

There was a pause on the other side, then Karen spoke again. "You can stay for dinner if you want to," she said before abruptly ending the call.

Peter stared at his phone for a moment, confused. "Hello-? Karen?" He muttered, realizing the call had ended. He sighed, feeling a pang of guilt. He didn't understand why he felt bad, it’s not like he hurt her feelings, considering she didn’t have any last he checked.

Peter stuffed his phone in his pocket and reached for the doorknob, swinging open the door. As he stepped out, he stopped suddenly when he saw Dick standing outside.

"Oh, sorry Peter," Dick said, noticing the surprise on Peter's face. "I was just coming to get you for dinner."

Dick attempted to gauge Peter's expression, an apology visible in his eyes. He hadn't meant to listen in, but he had heard their conversation.

He placed a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder and led him towards the kitchen. "Come on," Dick said. "We should start eating before it gets cold, Alfred made spaghetti.”

It was almost embarrassing how much Peter had enjoyed the dinner. The warm, rich scent of the pasta filled the air and made his mouth water. The first bite was like a burst of flavor, the sauce coating his tongue with its perfectly balanced flavors. The noodles themselves were cooked al dente, just the way he liked it.

Peter took another bite, savoring the taste. He couldn't remember the last time he had such a comforting, home-cooked meal. It made him feel warm and full in a way that takeout never could.

According to Damian, his father had some kind of "work" related matter to attend to and that's why he wasn't present at the dinner table, leaving Peter with Damian and Dick.

While Dick picked at his food, he continued to talk. "Jason said he was supposed to come by tonight but-"

"Todd is normally late for everything," Damian interjected, rolling his eyes.

The sound of the front door opening caught Peter's attention, and Dick leaned back with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Speaking of Jason..."

Peter held his breath as Jason entered the room, the heavy footsteps filling the air. When he saw Peter, recognition flickered in his eyes. "I know you," he said, sitting down and helping himself to a serving. "You're the kid from the diner."

Dick's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he asked, "Wait, you met...?"

Damian shifted his gaze to Peter, who looked as if he had seen a ghost. "Grayson," Damian interjected, "it's getting dark. I believe it's time for Peter to return home now." He took Peter's plate and stacked it on top of his own.

Dick nodded in agreement. "Yeah, right, of course," he said, standing up. "I'll talk to you later. I need to take Peter home." He told Jason.

The ride home was relatively quiet, the only sound being the hum of the car's engine. It wasn't until Dick spoke up that the silence was broken.

"Hey," he said, "a while ago, Jason mentioned seeing a kid alone at the diner on Thanksgiving. Was that you?"

Peter paused for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, it was," he said. "Karen is pretty busy with her job, and I didn't have anyone to spend it with."

Dick tensed slightly, knowing that he had unintentionally intruded into this kid's life. He held his tongue, understanding that he shouldn't have pushed so hard. However, he found it difficult to pull away from the situation, the strange dreams about Peter still fresh in his mind.

Dick pulled the car to a stop in front of an impressive luxury apartment complex. He turned to look at Peter, who grabbed his backpack and prepared to get out of the car.

"This your place?" Dick asked. Peter nodded, and as he stepped out, he turned to look at Dick.

"Thank you," Peter said, a hint of sincerity in his voice. "I had a good time tonight." Without giving Dick a chance to respond, Peter closed the car door and hurried towards the entrance of the complex.

Chapter Text

Lex was at his desk, his hand idly holding his phone. He paused for a moment before speaking, "You know Ms. Parker, actually... Can I call you Karen? Is that alright?"

"You can call me Karen if you'd like," she confirmed, her voice reaching him through the phone.

Lex leaned back in his chair, his tone becoming more formal. "The designs you provided have significantly benefited my company and its operations, especially in terms of advancements and efficiency within the equipment. Your work has undeniably left me highly impressed, as such instances are not commonplace." He paused, letting out a deep sigh as he considered his next words.

"I've been contemplating the possibility of offering you a full-time position as a partner within LexCorp."

There was a hint of edge in his voice, his expression hardening. "You certainly value your privacy, which I can understand, but what I can't overlook is the absence of information about you. Even legal records are surprisingly sparse."

Lex smirked as he spoke, "And you know, Karen, I like knowing who I'm working with. However, since I couldn't find much information about you, I dug a bit deeper and looked into your ward."

Karen's voice came through the phone, her tone almost mimicking irritation. "What exactly did you find, Mr. Luthor?"

Lex let out a dry chuckle as he continued, "I found out about his after-school activities, specifically the one involving the red and blue costume. But don't worry, I may not be fond of younger heroes and have been known to…try to shut down their teams due to their tendency to overreach, but that's not the case with your kid, is it?" he mused. "He's a neighborhood hero, and if he stays in his lane, we won't have any issues."

Lex tapped his fingers on his desk. "In fact, I could even help him out in some ways. I'm sure his suit won't hold up forever," he suggested.

Karen's firm response echoed through the phone "Peter will be left out of this."

Lex let out a dry chuckle, replying, "Fine, fine. If you need any favors, though, do remember that I am always willing to assist my partners. Of course, this is assuming you agree to a partnership...?"

There was a brief pause on the other line before Karen's voice broke the silence. "I'll agree," she said, her tone firm and resolute. "But there is something I need from you."

"I'm all ears," he responded.
—————

Dick descended the elevator to the cave, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and a paper bag carrying a Bat Burger meal in the other.

As he entered the cave, his eyes landed on Tim at the forefront of the monitors. "Hey, Tim," he greeted with a smile.

As Dick approached, Tim's gaze flicked from the computers to the bag of food in his hand. "Hey, Dick," he said, curiosity in his voice, "What's all this for?"

Dick chuckled. "I need you to do something for me," he said, handing the food to Tim. "I'd do it myself, but I think I might be a bit biased when it comes to this case."

As he rummaged through the bag, Tim paused and looked up at Dick. "Sure, what do you need?"

Dick nodded, a serious expression on his face. "There's a woman," he began, "Her name is Karen Parker."

Tim's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm actually already looking into her," he said, "She just started working with Lex Corp, selling them designs. And, like most people who collaborate with Lex, there's very little information available on her aside from her child."

Dick went silent as Tim continued. “I could hardly find anything on her at all-it was weird, not even any photos, I mean for all we know she doesn’t even exist, and it’s the kid making up the designs-“

“She exists, I heard her-“ Dick explained

Tim raised an eyebrow at Dick's statement. "Excuse me, what do you mean you heard her?" he asked.

Dick took a deep breath, bracing himself for the explanation. "Her kid, Peter, is a friend of Damian's," he began, "He was here a couple of days ago, studying. You and Bruce were out dealing with the Riddler. I may or may not have eavesdropped a bit while he was talking to her on the phone."

Tim sighed, running a hand through his hair as he processed the information. "Seriously, man?" he said, "You tell me this now? I've been stressed about this, and if I had known he was here..."

Dick chuckled. "Yeah, I don't think Damian would have appreciated you interrogating his friend the first time he came over.”

Tim sighed, running a hand through his hair, and conceded, "Yeah, you might be right about that," he murmured.

Dick continued, recalling the conversation. "He asked to stay for dinner, but she said no, insisting it wasn't necessary since she couldn't keep an eye on him here. They had a little argument, and he mentioned how she isn't around often. Eventually, she let him stay, but she didn't seem too happy about it."

Tim nodded, unwrapping the burger and taking a bite. "Yeah, it does sound a little controlling," he said between chews.

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. "It does seem like it. And the fact that she isn't around a lot either..." he trailed off, "He also told me she works a lot, and he's usually on his own most of the time," Dick said, shaking his head. "He even spent Thanksgiving alone, can you believe that? It's the same kid Jason saw at the diner."

Tim chewed and swallowed, then said with his mouth half-full, "Would you like to go with me? I mean, it's alright if you don't want to since you asked me to look into it-"

Dick, his eyes locked on Tim, interrupted, "I'll go with you."

There was an undeniable feeling of guilt that washed over Dick as he stealthily entered the apartment through the window, following closely behind Tim.

Although if it had been a matter pertaining to Peter alone, Dick would have likely been reluctant to take such extreme measures. However, their mission was more centered on Karen, the secretive partner of Lex Luthor.

"You take Karen's room, I'll take Peter's," Dick instructed in a hushed tone as he went deeper into the apartment.

For the most part Peter’s room was standard, if not a bit messy. Dick did a brief sweep through his drawers, he didn’t find anything until he reached the bottom one.

Inside was a picture frame that laid face down, he picked it up and tensed as he saw the picture.

There, staring back at him, was his brother Jason, but not as Dick had ever seen him before. Without his distinctive green eyes and the white streak caused by the pit, Jason appeared older and significantly happier. Dick was taken aback by the unfamiliar woman who stood beside him in the photo.

Dick hurriedly snapped a photo of the photograph with his phone before carefully setting it back in the drawer. As he continued his meticulous search of the room, his eyes landed on an item that caught his attention, a brush resting on the bedside table.

He stood there, his hand covering his face in a mixture of shock and uncertainty, contemplating the morality of his next action. But after a moment, he made his decision, extracting a strand of hair from the brush and placing it into a bag he used to store evidence. Just as he finished, he heard Tim's voice calling out from the other side of the apartment.

Dick felt a pang of guilt as he put the brush back in its place, knowing that he had crossed a line. He took a deep breath and walked away, joining Tim in the other room.

“Did you find something-“ Dick asked as he stood in the doorway.

Tim paused momentarily, a look of hesitation crossing his face as he briefly glanced back. "Well, for the most part, her room is pretty bare. There's just the basic furniture and office essentials, you know?" he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

He went on to explain that there was no personal touch to the room, no clothes or hairbrush, even a toothbrush was missing. His eyes settled on the desk in front of him, and he suddenly tensed, noticing a laptop with a design he had never seen before.

Dick shook his head, curiosity piqued. "Anything interesting?"

Tim looked up from the computer. He motioned for Dick to come closer and look at the monitor.

"Yeah, come look at this," Tim said, gesturing to the screen.

"The server is incredibly advanced," Tim remarked. "And the software is top-notch too. I mean, have you ever heard of me struggling to get into a system? Yeah, neither have I. But this, this took some effort."

Dick scrutinized the monitor, a puzzled look on his face. "What am I looking at right now?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

Tim pointed at various items on the screen, explaining, "These are different files. Some have machinery designs, but we also have some strange iron robot suits. And get this — there's even a 'Spider-Man' folder here. Do you think her kid is Spider-Man or something?"

Just as the words left Tim's mouth, the computer screen abruptly turned black, followed by an urgent alert sounding on his communicator. Tim cursed.

"Someone locked me out and alerted the cops," he said urgently. "We have to go. Now."

The journey back to the cave felt unusually quiet, and Tim broke the silence with a question. "Did...you find anything back there?"

Dick dismounted his motorcycle, his expression pensive.

Dick pulled out his phone and showed Tim the picture he had taken of the photo he discovered.

Tim's eyes widened in surprise, his expression quickly hardening as he recognized the familiar face in the photo. "Is that Jason-!?"

Dick closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips as he braced himself for Tim's reaction. "Yeah, well kind of-" he began, "There's a reason why I was looking into Peter."

Tim regarded him with a penetrating gaze, trying to decipher Dick's expression and the weight behind his words.

Tim carefully grasped the bag containing the strand of hair and set up the DNA test efficiently. He looked up at Dick, his tone a mixture of sternness and concern.

"We should have been informed about this earlier," Tim stated. "We need to figure out how and why he's here. And then there's Karen..."

Dick interjected, his voice tinged with urgency. "Jason mentioned that he sometimes sees Peter in Crime-alley in the evenings. One of us could catch him on patrol tonight."

Tim's response was instant and firm. "I'll go," he said, his expression resolute.

Dick felt the urge to protest, to argue in favor of his own involvement, but he knew deep down that Tim was right. He couldn't let his potential paternal connection cloud his judgment.

"I'll update you when I'm back. The DNA test should be completed by then."

Dick's voice broke in, a note of caution in his tone, "He doesn't seem to like confrontations, and he's been avoiding us while we're in our hero forms-"

“I’ll try my luck,” Tim said back.

As Peter glided through the city skyline, his heightened senses tingled with a subtle sense of unease. He noticed the presence of a figure trailing closely behind him—Red Robin.

Peter's brow furrowed with frustration as he tried his best to shake off the tenacious hero. He executed swift turns, changed directions, and even altered his route, but no matter what he did, Red Robin remained persistently in He had a strong hunch about the purpose of Red Robin's pursuit. Karen had told him about their snooping around his home, and she had mentioned that she would handle it. However, he couldn’t help but worry about her methods and the lengths she would go to in order to protect their secrets.

Despite his concern, he tried to focus on eluding Red Robin, attempting to lose him in the maze of the city’s rooftops.

Red Robin was determined to engage in conversation, calling out to Peter, "I just want to talk to you!"

Peter continued to ignore him, his focus divided between his precarious predicament and his conversation with Karen. "I'm running out of webs, Karen," he said, almost sounding desperate. "I can't keep swinging—"

Karen's voice echoed in Peter's ear, her tone firm and reassuring, "It's alright, Peter. I've got this under control. However, you have to keep swinging. You cannot let him get you."

Peter attempted to protest, "Karen, I can't—"

Her response was immediate, "I'm almost there. If you fall, I will catch you," she assured him.

In a split second, Peter found himself plummeting through the air, his web shooter malfunctioning and failing him at the worst possible moment. But within an instant, the fall was halted abruptly as a set of iron arms enveloped him, catching him mid-air.

Peter's surprise was evident as he clung to the iron arms, his eyes fixed on the suit that bore a striking resemblance to Tony's design, yet it was more compact and silver in color.

"Karen—" he began, his voice filled with disbelief.

However, Karen didn't respond, and instead, she set him down gently on a rooftop before positioning herself in front of him. Across from them, Red Robin landed gracefully, his gaze fixed on both Karen and Peter.

Before Red Robin could utter a word, Karen swiftly raised her hand, her gauntlets glowing with a potent energy. Peter's eyes widened as he recognized her intention.

In a split second, Peter's protective instincts kicked in, and he shouted, "Karen, stop!" As he darted in front of her raised gauntlets, shielding Red Robin.

Karen's stiffened, "Peter, what are you doing? Please get out of the way," she implored.

Ignoring her pleas, Peter adamantly shook his head, his voice firm with conviction. "Karen, come on. He's not a bad guy-and even if he was, that's too far—"

Karen's voice was firm and insistent, "He is a danger to you," she asserted. "I'm trying to protect you, it is my job—"

Peter stood his ground. "I'm not going to let you hurt him," he retorted. "He said he just wanted to talk—"

The intensity radiating from the gauntlets faded, and Karen moved her hands to her side, her gaze fixed on Red Robin. Her voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.

"You have nothing to talk to him about," she stated, her tone unyielding.

"You will leave Spider-man alone," she said to Red Robin, "You should know that it is my job to protect him, and I will do that."

Red Robin responded with a small nod. "You must be Karen, I assume," he stated.

He then sighed. "Look, we don't have any issues with either of you," he clarified, "It's just that we don't know you or your intentions—"

"His intentions are good," she asserted firmly.

A tense silence enveloped the rooftop for a brief moment. Red Robin's voice cut through the air, asking bluntly, "What about yours?"

Just then, a faint sound of someone speaking on Red Robin's coms became audible, prompting him to briefly divert his gaze. After a fleeting moment, he turned his attention back to Karen, uttering a simple, "Goodbye" before disappearing into the night.

Peter spun around, his gaze fixed on Karen, his mind buzzing with questions. "How are you...?" he began, his voice trailing off.

Karen anticipated his next inquiry and responded, "It was given to me by Lex Corp in exchange for blueprints for a fabricator."

Peter's voice carried a hint of worry as he posed the next question, "You don't think it's risky to give the blueprints to that suit..?" before he was cut off.

Karen's voice held an air of reassurance as she delved into the details. "I was careful, Peter," she said. "The suit is considered to be a basic prototype, something that isn't too advanced for this time. In fact, Lex Luthor already has suits that are much more advanced than this one."

Peter's expression grew slightly puzzled as he inquired, "So, you're partnering with Lex Luthor for a suit..?"

In response, Karen corrected him, "Not just a suit, Peter." As the suit opened, it revealed an android that was eerily human-like—flawless skin, dark brown hair, and an almost symmetrical face. While the android's resemblance to a human was uncanny, it possessed enough details to pass as one.

Peter stood there, eyes widening as he tried to comprehend the revelation, "Karen—you're a robot now—"

Karen stepped out of the suit, her hands gently resting on his shoulders. "Yes, Peter," she confirmed with a calm demeanor. "I now have an android form. I learned that this isn't uncommon for Lex Luthor. In fact, his secretary, Mercy Graves, is also a human-looking android, although she has enhancements that I do not have."

"I needed to do this to take care of you. I cannot physically help you if I am not physical. I hope you will now feel less alone."

Peter, initially taken aback, hesitated for a moment before embracing the hug. His arms encircled her.

A while later, Bruce Wayne stood before the monitor, his eyes fixed on the screen, his mind racing to process the recent influx of information. The weight of the situation hung heavy in the air, and he found himself grappling with the implications of the newfound facts laid out before him.

The result of the DNA test was—a positive match. As they continued to digest the news, their thoughts turned to the implications of the multiversal theory, considering the dates didn’t line up, and it would explain both the photo and the dreams.

Tim's voice broke the silence, his tone filled with trepidation. "So, what are we going to tell Damian?"

"We won't, not yet. We need to know more about all this," Bruce insisted, his voice firm.

Dick let out a weary sigh and gave Bruce a pleading look. "He's a good kid," he stated, "He tried to save Tim, you know that. If anything, he's lost or there was an accident. I mean, we're practically strangers to him, we shouldn't expect him to—"

Bruce raised his hand, silencing Dick. "We will continue to keep an eye on him for the time being," he stated firmly. "It appears that Peter does not seem to be a problem. However, we should closely monitor Karen, given what happened with Tim."

"Well, in her defense, we were actually kind of stalking her kid," Dick pointed out.

Bruce briefly paused, sighing as he decided to avoid delving into that particular complicated matter at present. "For the time being, it might be more practical to approach this using our civilian identities," he stated.

He directed his attention to Dick and Tim, continuing, "We'll have Damian continue to give invitations to Peter for studying, and we'll try to catch him at school events whenever possible. Understood?"

Both Dick and Tim nodded in agreement.