Chapter Text
Superboy sat quietly outside the Justice League’s meeting room. It had been a week since he’d been living at the Watchtower. Metropolis was still recovering from the last intergalactic battle the city had witnessed, and Lex Luthor had been sent to Belle Reve. So Superboy was alone….
Superman had been distant towards him, and brushed Superboy off almost anytime he’d tried to speak with his…father.
Over the week, Superboy had been able to talk a bit more with the other Justice League members, but most of them were also distant. Like they were trying to pick him apart like a puzzle.
But he did get to learn a little more about Superman. He leaned the he had grown up in Kansas, that he apparently had a job as a journalist, and that he had two names. An alien name, Kal, and a human name, Clark. Superboy was almost jealous, he wasn’t even give a name, just Superman by Lex Luthor and then renamed Superboy by the press. He didn’t have a human or alien name.
But maybe he would! Because today, after almost a fully week of ignoring him. Superman had called the Justice League to a meeting to discuss what he’d do about Superboy.
Superboy wasnt invited to the meeting, obviously. But they were talking about him, so he had every right to eavesdrop on the conversation, it was kinda hard not to do with his super hearing anyway. Plus, he secretly hoped that Superman would take him in, let him come live with him and train him to be the next Superman.
Lex Luthor had been a horrible father figure to him, but he was sure that Superman would get over the initials shock and take him in. Of course, he understood why Superman was being distant, he had Lex’s intellect after-all, the man had just woken up from the dead and found out he had a kid, it make sense that he’d be confused about it. But time had passed now, Superboy knew that Superman was a good person, surely he’d do some thinking and decided to take his own child in and apologize for being cold to him earlier.
Superboy crouched down on the floor when he heard the Justice League members take their seats at their meeting table…..
—————————————————
Inside the meeting room, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Shazam, Cyborg, Superman, and a very irritated looking Batman were sat for their meeting.
Superman got up from his chair to lead the meeting. He cleared his throat before starting, “We are here to discuss what shall be done about the clone.” And Superboy’s heart sank a little, clone??! He was a person!
Luckily, Batman agreed him. Batman banged a hand on the table, “Clone!? He’s a child.” He glared at the Kryptonian sitting across from him at the table.
Superman scoffed, “He’s a genetically enhanced and modified version of me.”
“So your child then” Batman spat.
Superman pinched the bridge of his nose, “No, he was created by Lex Luthor to serve as a weapon for his ambitious fantasies.”
All present members of the league could feel the tension in the room. So Barry took one of the team and raised an uncertain hand, “So what do you think we should do with the kid…I mean clone?” He corded himself when Superman glared at him.
“Yeah, from what we gathered he seems to have most of your powers, but he can’t fully control them yet” Cyborg reported, based on his analysis of all recording he had gotten of Superboy.
“We can’t allow a creature of such power to go unchecked” Wonder Woman spoke coldly.
Batman crossed his arms, “You have to train him, you’re his father.”
“He’s not my son. I wasn’t even alive when he was born” Superman sounded exasperated.
Batman shook his head, “That doesn’t matter, he didn’t ask for any of this. But he’s half Kryptonian, and you’re the only person who can train him.”
Superman raised an eyebrow, “And how do you suggest I do that?”
“Take him to Metropolis, train him there.”
Superman sighed, “I can’t. I literally just got back from the dead, I still need to get so many things from my civilian life sorted out. And Metropolis needs me….I-I didn’t even ask for this?!”
Batman’s shoulders softened lightly, “I understand how you’re feeling.”
“Do you? Do you really understand? Has a villain ever used you to create an artificial child to be used as their weapon??” Superman said in a mocking tone.
Batman shrugged, “Believe it or not…yes.”
Everyone went silent after that, all staring at Batman who wore a neutral expression on his face. None of them knew who the man was or what he did in his free time, but none would expect him to openly share such information about himself.
Barry made a confused expression, “Wait, you have a kid?”
Hal put a hand on his friend’s shoulder, “I think you’re better off not knowing.”
Superman huffed, “Look, I didn’t want to be a father right now, much less have a child with Lex Luthor. I just….I need time.”
“And what do you expect hin to do while you take this time to think about it?”
It was Green Arrow’s turn to take one for the team, “Maybe someone else can start his training until you’re ready” he suggested.
Women Woman shook her head, “Well I won’t train him, I train other warriors of Themyscira.“
Barry raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, “Well don’t look at me, I already got a wife and my own kids to look after.”
“I’m not taking him to Atlantis” Aquaman added.
“I could take the kid up to space if you want” Hal offered.
Superman shook his head, “An unchecked Kryptonian out in space alone, that’s a terrible idea!”
“So what do you suggest? Gonna leave the kid with Lex Luthor?” Hal asked sarcastically.
“Absolutely not!” Kal’s voice grew louder. Scarring nearly everyone at the table, and Superboy in the hall.
Except Batman of course, who kept a scowl on his face. “Face it Kal, you gotta train him. He’s your responsibility!”
“A responsibility I never wanted or asked for!”
“He could stay with my dad at STAR labs, he could learn some stuff about Krypton and other planets that the scientists are working on.” Cyborg suggested next.
This one cause Superman’s attention, and he placed a hand under his chin in consideration, “That could be good for him.”
But Supeboy’s breath hitched quietly. He had lived for months, most of his life, in a lab. He had been poked and tested on for months on end until Lex considered him good enough to be introduced to the public. He refused to be sent to another lab.
“You want to send a kid that was grown in a lab into another one?! Are you serious?” Batman took the words right out of Superboy’s mouth.
“It would be good for him, he could read their entire database on Krypton and several other worlds, and he’d have access to technology not even Lex had.” Was the best Superman could come up with decent the idea.
Batman got up from his chair and looked over to his fellow leaguers, “And you’re all okay with this?”
Everyone kept quiet, what could they even say? Everyone knew that the boy was a clone of Superman, so if anyone could dictate what would happen to the boy was Superman himself. Besides, sending him to live at the lab for a while wasn’t such a bad fate.
After what felt like an eternity, someone finally spoke up. “Uh, can I say something?” Shazam avoided Kal’s piercing gaze.
“Go ahead Shazam” Batman spoke in a softer tone.
Shazam gulped, “O-Okay, look!” He found the courage to raise his head, “We all know I got my powers when I was really young and….it was hard to learn how to fly, and shot lighting, and control my super strength all by myself. I know what’s it’s like to be a kid and suddenly have a bunch of powers and hero responsibilities just thrown at you. It would have been nice to have someone there to teach me all that….”
Batman was proud of him, he knew Shazam was just a teenager underneath all the power. If anything, both him and Robin reminded him of his sons. He looked into Kal’s icy blue eyes, “Superboy needs you Clark, he needs stability. He can’t learn properly if he doesn’t have that.”
“And you would be the expect at training children I assume?” Wonder Woman directed the question at Batman.
Bruce rolled his eyes behind the cowl, “As if a lot of you don’t have prodigies of your own” but he held back. “I taught my apprentices the skills they needed to stand on their own. I’m proud of what they accomplished. It’s what you need to do for Superboy!”
“Wait there’s multiple Robins?” Hal blurted out.
“I thought it was just the one kid we met a long time ago” Aquaman chummed in.
Bruce wanted to face palm himself, did any of the other leaguers pay attention to their prodigies. But it made sense as to why Dick and Tim would invited their fellow Teen Titans to Christmas at Wayne Manor. Hell one time, when Dick was still Robin and the Titan Tower got destroyed because of an intergalactic battle, Starfire, Raven, and Beast boy had stayed at the manor for two months while the new tower was under construction.
Because yes, while Batman had never revealed his identity to the members of the Justice League. A great portion of the younger heroes knew who he was under the suit. And all helped keep it secret. “Two of them joined the titans if you all bothered to pay attention” was all Batman said.
“Oh..” Hal closed his mouth after that.
“Enough” Superman brought the attention back to his himself, “Batman I understand what you’re saying….but I’m not ready to train anybody. I need time to sort things about, Metropolis still needs to be rebuilt, the people need to trust me again. Once I do that, then I can take him in.”
“And how long is th..”
“And until then he’s going to STAR labs where he can study and not cause trouble to himself or anybody.” Superman said with finality.
—————————————————
Superboy felt that little hope within him crumble, so both his fathers wanted nothing to do with him, and both just put him in a lab. He wanted to barge into that meeting room and yell at Superman that he wasn’t as better as Lex Luthor as he believed himself to be.
But if Superman had made his decision then so would he! Superboy got up from his spot on the floor and started making his what he had been told would be his temporary room at the tower. If Superman wanted to send him away, Superboy would do the job for him…..
—————————————————
Inside the meeting room, everyone was silent. “Anyone opposed?” Wonder Woman asked the table. No one spoke a word, Superman had made his ruling.
Batman knew there was no use arguing with Superman, so he turned around and left the table all together. He would not be a part of this.
“Where are you going?” Barry asked as Batman walked over to the door.
Batman put a hand on the doorknob before he spoke, “Since you refuse to see reason, I refuse to be a part of this meeting.” He turned the knob and pushed the door open, “Don’t call unless the world is ending.” And he shut the door behind him…..
—————————————————
“That’s a bit dramatic” Green Arrow spoke up after Batman had left.
The green lantern held his face with his hand, “Ill never understand that guy”
They were discussing what had just transpired, but Superman wasn’t listening. He was busy staring a the door that Batman had just walked thought. He understood his friend’s anger, he really did. While they weren’t the closest with one another, Superman had always eeeb how Batman had a soft side for children, carrying lollipops in his belt or comforting them after a battle had been over. Heck, he was probably the leaguer who spent the most time with the Titans and other younger heroes. Of course he’d be angry at Kal’s decision to turn Superboy away.
But Kal needed time to come to terms with everything. He had never expected that the first thing greeting him once he came back to life would be a young teenager calling him ‘dad’. He had never expected Luthor to go as low as to make a clone of Superman and himself. And if he were to have a child, he had always wanted….no expected it would be a with his soulmate, not his greatest hater.
At first, he had thought that he would never find his soulmate, they were probably Kryptonian and he was the only one left. But after some thinking he came to the rational conclusion that, since he had been destined to reach each, it was well to assume that destiny would provide him a human mate. He had thought that Lois was his soulmate, but the theory was discarded since she couldn’t feel that he was alive, and soulmates were supposed to always be able to feel each other.
He didn’t have many other guesses as to who his soulmate could be, but it wasn’t the biggest weight on his mind at the meet. So now, he hadn’t even met his soulmate yet he was supposed to be a father to Superboy.
Wonder Woman nudging him on the shoulder brought Superman out of his daze and back to the discussion at the table.
Cyborg raised an eyebrow at the Kryptonian, “So, STAR labs it is?”
Superman took in a deep breath “Yes.”
“Hey, don’t let Batman get to ya, I had to live there for a bit after my…..transformation. It wasn’t that bad, maybe he’ll even make some friends” Cyborg added.
That made Superman be more at ease, he hasn’t asked for Superboy to exist, but he knew it wasn’t the boy’s fault. He had been distant, but he’d make sure the boy was taken care of and safe…
———-———-———-———-———
Superboy was throwing all his belongings into a black double bag, good thing he didn’t have that many belongings anyway.
He wasn’t sure where he was gonna go the only city he’d lived in was Metropolis but it was the last place he could go to. He just had to be as far away from Superman as possible.
He wasn’t sure if his father would come after him or not. But Superman would have to drag the boy’s body across the world before he let himself be thrown into another lab.
“Superboy” a gruff voice came up behind him.
He knew it wasBatman. He was grateful that Batman had defended him again the other members of the Justice League, but he wanted to be alone, “Leave me alone.”
Batman didn’t leave, instead he actually came inside the room and shut the door behind him, “We have to hurry.”
Superboy had no idea what the bat wanted, but he didn’t have time to waist. “Didn’t you hear me? I said leave me alone!” He repeated, louder this time.
Batman let go of the door and tried getting closer, “Listen I need you to…”
Supoerboy snapped, “No, I’m not doing anything anyone tells me. I did everything Lex Luthor asked of me, and he tried to get rid of me when he thought I was a failure!” His voice cracked a little, “I’m not letting Superman put me in a lab again, I’m not a clone!”
Batman looked at him sympathetically, “I know….you’re a person.”
Superboy met Batman’s gaze, “At least someone thinks so.”
Batman looked the boy up and down, “You remind me of someone.”
That peaked the boy’s interest, “Who?”
Batman smiled softly, “Someone I want you to meet.” He then looked over to Superboy’s duffle bag, “Now hurry up with that bag, we need to go before they finish the meeting.”
Superboy blinked at him, “Wait! You’re…..helping me leave?!”
Batman nodded, “Yes, Superman is being stupid and I won’t let him sen you to a lab.”
Superboy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Someone…..cared? Both his fathers didn’t want him, one say him as an intellectual property and the other saw him as a nuisance. But why would Batman of all people care about him? They had no relation to each other, why would Batman want to train him, could he even train someone with superpowers?
Superboy wasn’t sure if the bat could be trusted, he had already been let down by several people he thought he could rely on. But did he even have a choice? It was either trust the bat or be sent to STAR labs…..the choice was obvious.
Superboy sighed but accepted his fate, “Okay, so where are you gonna send me?” He wanted to know, if not a lab maybe he’d be able to hide out in another big city for a while.
“I’ll take you to Gotham…” the bat replied nonchalantly. “You can stay with me and some others.”
Others. Superboy wondered who these others were. He had never been to Gotham before but he had read and heard about it, a dark city filled with crime and asylum patients blowing up buildings. It was no Metropolis, but maybe a place where he could blend in. If Superman found a way to live a life among humans then so could he.
So Superboy pulled up his duffle bag and zipped it closed, “Okay, let’s go!”
Batman looked skeptical at the half empty bag in the boy’s arms, “That’s…all you have?”
Superboy felt a shiver down his spine, he knew he didn’t have much, but someone else pointing it out stung a bit. “L-luthor didn’t give me much besides my super suit. A-and Superman never really took me shopping…” he explained.
Batman nodded in understanding, “It’s alright, we’ll get you more clothes when we get to the city.”
Okay, so first Batman wanted to take him Gotham, and wanted to take him shopping. Superboy had to ask himself if he wasn’t hallucinating all of this. He shook his head, all those questions would have to be answered later, “How are we sneaking out of here?”
———-———-———-———-———
Superboy and Batman walked quietly but quickly thought the halls of the watchtower. Superboy used his superheating to keep tabs on what was happening in the meeting room, “They’re on call with Cyborg’s father.”
Batman nodded as he turned down another hall, “Stay behind me, we just need to reach the hanger where the Bat Wing is” he instructed.
Superboy raised an eyebrow, “You named your ship the Bat-Ship?”
Batman looked over his shoulder to glare lightly at the boy, “You have a problem with that?”
Superboy gulped, even though Batman was helping him he couldn’t help but still be unnerved by the vigilante. “Nope, Bat-Ship is good” he raised an awkward thumbs up.
Batman didn’t say anything, just kept walking until they reached the hanger bay. Superboy hadn’t been to the hanger before, but it wasn’t like there was much to see anyway. Most of the Justice League members could fly on their own, Superboy included, but Batman always came in his steel black ship.
Batman input a code into the launchpad to open the hanger doors. “Get on the ship.” So both Batman and Supeboy hoped into the Bat-Ship.
“We did it?” Superboy asked as he took a seat on one of the sleek leather seats.
Batman was busy turning on the ship’s engines, “Yes, now sit down and put on a seat belt” he lightly bushed the boy off.
Superboy laughed, “I can’t believe Batman is helping me run away from Superman” he said in Alamo disbelief.
Batman paused what he was doing for a moment, “It’s not running away, it’s he said he needed time. We’re giving him time.” He then got back to the steering wheel as the doors to the hanger were fully opened, “Now put on the seat belt!”
Superboy laughed again but put on the seatbelt like he was told “Alright, all strapped in.”
So Batman turned on the engine and got the ship to take off from the watchtower. They were on the air, headed to Gotham.
Superboy watched from the glass as the watchtower became father and farther away. He had flown in the air more times than he could remember, but witnessing flight from inside a space ship felt entirely different. It quite hit the same as having the wind blow through your hair and face, but watching from the glass let him take in the full view.
So they flew in comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Batman typed on the touchscreen of the control panel. Superboy watched as the bag typed out what looked like a phone number on the screen. And after a few seconds, a ringing screen popped up. Batman had called someone.
It didn’t take long for someone on the other end of the line to pick up the call. “Alfred?” Batman called out. Superboy wondered who this Alfred was.
“Yes sir?” An older male voice on the other line responded.
“Please call the boys and tell them to meet me in the cave” Batman instructed. “All of them! Tell them it’s urgent” he emphasized.
The voice was quiet for a moment….”Should I be conceded sir?” The person on the other side sounded tired.
Batman sighed, “No, but I need you to do one more thing.”
“What else do you need sir?”
Batman’s eyes moved a little to his side where Superboy sat, “Can you make sure that one of the guests rooms is ready for use.”
Superboy’s breath hitched again. Batman was giving him a room? Seriously, why was this man ready to give him all the things his supposed parents should have been getting him.
“We are having a guest over?” The voice asked. And Superboy looked up at Batman, as if waiting for the verdict.
“No, just…..someone will be staying with us for a while and I want them to be comfortable” Batman said.
“Very well sire, I will call the boys and prep the room for our guest” the voice on the phone replied.
“Thank you Alfred” Batman spoke and ended the call.
Superboy knew he probably shouldn’t ask, but his curiosity had been peaked, “Soooo…who’s Alfred?”
“Im Batman, but I don’t work alone you know.”
Superboy was a little speechless, “Huh, I always thought you did.” Batman never gave off the energy of being a great team player, though Superboy had to keep in mind that practically all he had seen of Batman for the past week was the bat arguing with the rest of the league.
Batman laughed, an actual amused laugh, “It takes more than just me to keep everything running .”
Superboy felt good, good considering all the circumstances, he looked at the scenery ahead but his mind wasn’t focused on what his eyes were seeing. His mind was filled with questions and doubts. What would he even do once he got to Gotham? Was coming with Batman the right decision? Would Superman be mad that he fled and come looking for him and take him to the lab?….No!
He wouldn’t let anyone trap in a lab again, he was a person not a lab rat. Batman say that, so coming with him had to have been the right decision. Yeah, he would go with Batman and figure out what to do with his life from now on. “Thanks by the way” he spoke softly while still looking at clouds.
“For what?” Batman asks, not removing his eyes from the front of the shop.
Superboy sighs, “For helping me. Ever since….ever since everyone found out about me being a clone of Superman and Luthor they all look at me different.” His stomach did a turn, “The league thinks I’m a threat, the people of Metropolis thought I was some weapon Lex made to destroy Superman, and a bunch of reporters would ask me questions about my creation, and Superman won’t even talk to me. You’re the first person that……sees me as a person.” He felt a little better saying it all out loud.
Batman was quiet for a moment, probably pondering over his words before he spoke, “You are a person” he affirmed, “You aren’t a clone Superboy, you were made with Luthor and Kal’s genetics, but you’re not either of them. You’re your own person.”
That makes Superboy smile, he was a person. He was different from Superman and different from Luthor. He would figure out who he was and maybe Batman would help him do that, “Thanks for letting me stay with you.”
Batman chuckles lightly, “Your not the first one.”
Superboy raised a questioning eyebrow, “You know, I only get like half of all the things you say.”
Batman laughed again, louder this time…more genuine, “You’ll understand better when we get there.”
“If you say so” Superboy shrugged and slumped into his chair.
“I hope you like the room we prepare for you” Batman.
Superboy felt a piece of his heart heal with that, it was the first time someone actually cared about his comfort….his opinion on something! On the inside, he was doing a happy summer sail in the air, but on the outside he simply said, “Anything is better than a lab.”
They flew in a comforting silence after that. Batman wondering how he would calmly explain to his sons that they were basically about to get a new brother. While Superboy wondered where exactly they were going, Batman’s….lair?….base?….home? Though it didn’t really matter.
———-———-———-———-———
Back at the Watchtower, the Justice League meeting had ended and all league members had returned home, expect Superman.
They had spoken with Dr. Stone and gotten his approval to bring Superboy to STAR labs. Though Superman had decided to wait a few days before bringing Superboy to the lab, after the argument with Batman, Superman decided that he should sit with the boy and properly explain himself to him. Explain how he was adjusting to the whiplash of being cloned…of being made a father without his knowledge.
Superman hated admitting it, but Batman was right. Superboy hadn’t asked to be created, and he had no right to take his frustrations out on the boy, but he needed time.
So after everyone left, he walked over to the room he had given Superboy to live in during his stay. He reached the door and hesitated, he wasn’t sure how to explain the situation, how to delicately tell Superboy that he’d be staying at STAR labs for a little while and after……maybe he’d come live in Metropolis at Clark’s apartment. Well Clark would have to check if he even still had an apartment after being gone for so many months.
So he knocked on the door lightly, “Superboy, we need to talk” then he waited……..but no one answered. Superman was confused, usually Superboy just stayed in his room doing the day. He used his super hearing to try and find Superboy’s heartbeat, but he couldn’t hear it.
The heart beat wasn’t there. Wasn’t in the room, wasn’t in the hallway, wasn’t in the entire watchtower….
And Superman panicked, where could the boy have gone? Why did he leave? He pushed the door to the room open and froze.
The room was empty, the little clothing and personal items that Superboy had brought with him on the first day were all gone. His bed was neatly made, and there was a piece of paper on top of the bed.
A note Superboy had written for Superman before Batman had come into his room, but Superman didn’t know that. So Kal took the paper off the bed and read the note:
Dear Superman,
If you’re reading this then I’m already gone. I overheard your meeting, and I’m not letting you shove me into another lab. I already spent most of my life trapped in an underground lab, I don’t want to be sent to another one. So I’m leaving, I’m not sure where but I’m not letting you control me like he did.
-Superboy, a person, not your clone.
Superman felt guilt hit him like a kryptonite bullet! Superboy had heard! Heard Kal say he didn’t want him, that he was going to send him into a lab like Lex Luthor had done. But the worst part was the simple words “a person”, Superboy didn’t want to be Superman he just wanted to be a person, and his own father had told a group of people that he didn’t think of the boy as a person.
Batman was absolutely right, and Kal had to fix this. He had to find the boy and apologize…..but where could Superboy have gone?