Chapter Text
“Wow, I think he looks more freaked out than Nightwing did two months ago.”
“Ha! See, told ya.”
“Gee thanks, nice to know I guess.”
The newest addition to the group had taken his time descending the stairs, cup of what smelled like coffee (strong, no cream or sugar) in hand.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Red Robin by the way.” The young man (boy?) stuck out the hand that wasn’t occupied and offered a friendly smile much in the same way Nightwing had, which Clark accepted (there was no reason to be rude). ‘Robin’ was a name that somehow seemed familiar. Like a story that one had once read in an interesting book or article late at night but they were too tired to really remember the full details about the next morning.
Red Robin wasn’t too tall, head just barely reaching Clark’s shoulder and voice, though deep enough to suggest he had already completed the awkward phase of puberty, still retained some of its boyish pitch-hinting at someone going into his late teens, perhaps. Superman was hit with the realization of just how young these allies of Batman seemed. Even Nightwing and Red couldn’t be older than their late twenties.
When had Batman recruited these people?
“You as well, I’m-” Superman started.
“Superman, the last son of Krypton.” Red Robin paused, tilting his head in consideration as he looked up at the ceiling of the cave in thought. Clark wasn’t sure what to do except keep his hand in place mid shake. Then Red Robin lowered his gaze back down, his voice was too casual when he asked, “Or maybe it’s better to just come out with just how much we know about you, Clark Kent?”
The room went silent.
Superman was very very careful in letting go of the other’s hand.
“He didn’t tell us, Bruce that is. We figured it out ourselves.” Red Robin reached out to run his fingers along the back feathers of the duck still slumbering away in Superman’s hold. He didn’t seem too bothered by what he just admitted despite the sudden tension in the cave but he had an apologetic smile on his face. Clark isn’t sure if that made him feel any better about the onslaught of information that he had been barraged with.
First, Bruce had been missing for two months with no word to the rest of the League as to why.
Then Clark finds out Batman had a whole group of other heroes all practically prodigies in their own respect, who have been trained to aid him in fighting crime.
Then he finds out Bruce had been missing because he’d been turned into a duck by an amateur magician! (That one still had to be run through his head many times to make any sense at all).
Now, he finds out Batman’s prodigies even know his civilian identity. Which they were able to deduce themselves without Bruce’s help.
It was… a lot to take in. In fact, which issue is Clark supposed to start with first? Perhaps with what these people were intending to do with their knowledge of his said civilian identity?
“If it’s any consolation, my real name is Tim Drake.” Red Robin then proceeded to take off the mask covering his eyes.
“Uh…” well Clark hadn’t been expecting that.
“Whoa, didn’t see that coming.” Apparently neither had someone else.
“Then again, why am I even surprised about what you come up with anymore?” Red (at least Clark wouldn’t be confusing him with Tim’s title anymore) shrugged, leaning against a nearby table with a slouch. His whole demeanor suggested he’d been pretty much done with whatever was going to happen from here on out.
“Well… I guess we’re all in agreement then? We’re okay with knowing each other’s real names?” Nightwing asked as he began to relax as well. He even seemed relieved, whether that was from no sudden fight breaking out or just that he approved of the revealing of identities was still unknown.
“I think it’d be for the best. At least, this way, we all have the same leverage over everyone else.” Tim shrugged, again he was quite nonchalant for someone who’d just made Clark feel as if he’d been punched in the gut twice. Metaphorically of course. For someone who doesn’t even sweat when he’s nervous, that’s saying something.
“Cool, name’s Barbara. You can call me Babs.”
Clark blinked. Well now… things were moving quite quickly, weren't they?
“All right then. Name’s Dick Grayson.” Nightwing proceeded to take off his own mask, smiling brightly at Clark.
Clark blinked again.
“You’re-?”
“Yes, yes my name is Dick. It’s short for Richard but I haven’t let anyone call me that since I was twelve so go ahead and get it out of your system.” Dick’s smile turned into something not quite irritated but still expectant like he was waiting for Clark to just burst out laughing. Which, okay, Clark can see why but he hadn’t been intending to make fun of the man.
“No, that’s not it. I wasn’t going to laugh.”
“Well that’s not a lie.” Red snorted.
“No I really wasn’t. I just remembered Orac-uh Barbara mentioning-” Clark was not going to say ‘a dick’, “-your name, was all.”
There was a brief pause, in which the men in the cave stared straight at the Bat Computer.
“...oops?”
“Barbara!”
“What?! Oh come on, why are you angry if you were going to tell him anyway?”
“Because he probably thought you were talking about an actual dick.” Red snickered.
Clark did not outspokenly agree. Nor did he disagree.
“Oh please, our conversation couldn’t have possibly allowed for that thought process to make sense!”
“Since when does anyone need a reason to make dick jokes?” Red countered.
Clark failed to see the logic in that.
“Okay, point.”
What?!
“Exactly.” Red gave Clark a side glance that lasted no longer than a moment before shrugging to himself, “Whatever. I don’t get what this information a goody-goody like you has any use for but I don’t really give a shit either so the name’s Jason. Remember it or don’t.”
Clark internally winced at the cuss, so used to growing up avoiding it like the plague. In his younger days, he’d been terrified of his Ma actually acting out her threat of washing his mouth out with soap for daring to utter any such words in their house. Now he knew for a fact she would.
“I can not believe this!”
Eyes widening, everyone again turned to the top of the stairs leading out of the cave. At the entrance was another-no actually it was definitely a boy this time. Couldn’t be older than pre to early teens with that voice and height and dressed in his own vigilante costume. Clark isn’t usually so inattentive as to not notice someone approaching three times in a row. So this is what happens when you get more knowledgeable about Batman? Even children are able to sneak up on Superman now?
A child with a (somehow familiar) scowl set on his face, glaring down at each one in the room.
“Is this what happens when I am not present to be the voice of reason?! You all collectively lose your guards around an intruder?!”
Although Clark doesn’t think he’s ever heard a child say anything with that much venom in their voice.
Dick is the first to recover, letting out a sigh that was equal parts indulging and exasperated almost as if-
“Look D-”
“Do not finish that sentence, Nightwing! Just because you have decided to ignore all the rules that were set in place by Batman himself does not mean I will follow your lead.”
“Here we go,” out of the corner of his eyes Clark saw Tim sit down on the nearest chair, one leg crossing over the other and sipping his now lukewarm coffee.
“Alright fine, Robin.” Nightwing held up his hands in a placating gesture, his tone following the same to try to appease the younger male (again, the word ‘Robin’ causes something to flit through Clark’s head like he was-).
“Good.” the boy nodded, arms folded across his chest in a way that had Clark reminded of small puppies imitating older dogs and he bit his tongue to keep from smiling. No doubt any such actions might set off the already hostile youth.
“Now if you can explain how this trespasser was able to infiltrate our base with such ease, we might be able to deal with this situation.”
“What?! No! Robin, there’s no situation that needs to be dealt with. Everything is under control. Superman isn’t a villain and he’s our ally here.” Nightwing tried to explain but before he could get any further, the boy-Robin (why is that name so familiar?)- had that fierce scowl back on.
“‘No situation’?! Are you even listening to yourself?! Superman may have the world fooled into some false sense of security but I hadn’t thought you would be included in that as well. Just because he has not tried to take over the planet yet does not mean he will not do so in the future.” The younger boy turned to glare at Superman, “He may not be our enemy but that does not make him our ally.”
Oh and where has Clark heard this before?
(Dark walls surrounding them. A bottle of whiskey in lax fingers, almost ready to drop next to its several brothers on the ground.
Tears and broken voices. Admissions that normally wouldn’t-shouldn’t have happened but did under the influence of alcohol.
Two bodies holding each other close, holding each other together.
Warm breath tickling his neck. Shivers down his spine he had no right to experience. Shouldn’t-wouldn’t-should not want-
A slur of words. Mostly incoherent, his companion had been that drunk.
But then-
“Robin.”
A single name, uttered over and over again like a broken record until-
“Robin I’m so, so sorry. Why is it always you? Why-why isn’t it… why is it never-”)
Clark had simultaneously hated and treasured that night. Knew he should have forgotten it, when even Bruce was too out of it when he woke to remember exactly what he had said to Superman the night prior.
But now he knew what the nagging feeling was whenever he heard that word.
Clark had told himself to forget. But he couldn’t. No matter how much he tried, that night would forever remain within his memories. So he held it as close as possible to himself, as much as he could to the point where it wouldn’t surface until he found himself situated in the cave Batman called his base of operations, talking to two boys who held the title of ‘Robin’.
The ‘Robin’ that Bruce had repeatedly apologized to while crying onto Clark’s shoulder.
Or no… no that didn’t make much sense, did it? Now that the memory of that night emerged from where Clark had tried to unsuccessfully keep it hidden, everything was coming back in startling clear detail. Bruce had not just cried a few tears, he had loudly heartbreakingly sobbed against Clark. The type of which Clark knew would have doubled the headache Bruce would normally have gotten just from the hang-over itself come morning. The type of which only happens when someone remembers something they had repressed for a long time.
Clark had thought ‘Robin’ was the name of some former lover Bruce had never really gotten over.
(And no, Clark would never admit to the small part of him that stung with jealousy. He had no right-)
But in reality, it was the title given to-
...to what exactly? Just a helper? A side kick? A hero in training?
Clark slid his gaze across the room.
To Dick. Then Jason. Then Tim. And finally to the one who would not give Clark his name but will only answer to ‘Robin’. Who had called Clark an intruder and trespasser with such malice in his voice and looked at Clark with nothing but disdain.
(Sort of like how Batman used to…?)
“Come on Robin, you know he’s not like that!”
“I do not assume to know anything about the alien. I was not the one who allowed him into the cave for that matter.”
Who was still bickering with Dick about Clark’s involvement. Trading words endlessly back and forth that, had Clark not known any better, he would have assumed they’d been rehearsed a thousand times already.
...or had they?
Eyes widening in realization, Clark once again looked over the room.
To Robin. Then Tim. Then Jason. Then finally to Dick.
Clark paid attention. Really paid attention this time. To Tim who was known as ‘Red Robin’, to Jason who had a red bat symbol displayed on his chest, to Nightwing-
(“Actually I’m… well I was originally trained here in Gotham. Had to spread my wings after leaving the nest.”)
-who had not once raised his voice despite the vicious tongue lashing he was receiving. Who’s tone was still a steady soothing pitch, calmly trying to explain the reasoning for how and why Superman was here. As if-
(It wasn’t just two of them that held the title of ‘Robin’.)
Dick spoke to the newest Robin as an older brother would to his upset younger brother when a stranger was in their home.
Clark felt the breath he didn’t truly need catch in his throat when he finally figured it out. These men-these boys were Bruce’s-
“All I know is that the alien should have had all our consent to be here when-” there was just the ever so slightest pause. “With the situation,” he hissed almost daring Nightwing to contradict him this time, “being as it is!”
“Look, I get that you’re worried for Bruce-”
“Will you stop breaking every protocol we have?! Code names are there for a reason!” Robin had finally reached his breaking point, yelling at the top of his lungs to the point where Clark almost flinched at the sheer volume.
This, unfortunately, also finally meant Bruce was woken up from his nap once again. There was a very startled quack followed by three beat of wings, causing Clark to have to hold Bruce at arm’s length again, least he risk one of those wings accidentally hitting him right onto his invulnerable chest.
There was a collective halt in everyone’s actions, all eyes trained on Clark and the precious (and very vulnerable) cargo in his hands. Once the now turned duck (when is that ever not going to sound weird?) Bruce had calmed enough to be held against him again, he blinked groggily at every one in the room. But his wheh his gaze fell on the youngest Robin who had woken him, the now bird tilted his head in curiosity (was it curiosity? Was he wondering why his youngest had shouted so loudly before?) and quacked at him once.
This broke Robin out of his stunned trance. As if just realizing what it meant that this whole time he hadn’t once said anything of Superman (of the alien he appears to hates so much) holding a very much defenseless Batman in his arms, his face twisted in anger and shock.
But only for a second. Clark wouldn’t have caught it if he were anything but super human.
The next instant, Robin was stalking right up to him and holding out his arms.
“Unhand him this instant, alien!” the young boy demanded, voice tight with barely suppressed aggression.
Clark narrowed his eyes, wondering why he was even trying to hide it. It’s not as if he hadn’t been outspokenly against everything that had to do with Superman from the start. Why was he speaking so carefully…?
Superman glanced down to the duck in his arms. Bruce looked up at him then back at Robin.
Oh… oh of course.
Clark didn’t put up any fight (not that he was ever planning to) and handed Bruce over. Bruce made no fuss either, willingly settling himself into the smaller arms of Robin.
Immediately, the boy began checking Bruce over for any injuries, the bird making not one noise throughout. Clark would have been insulted but he had already anticipated this would happen (what with being called nothing but alien and intruder and trespasser) and he could see how much the inspection finally relaxed the boy when he found nothing out of the ordinary.
The rest of the room following suite.
Clark smiled to himself, unable to help it. He finally understood now. And it all made sense. Of course they didn’t immediately call him when this happened. Of course they would test him. Of course they didn’t trust him not to hurt the man whom they must have thought as invulnerable as Superman himself for most of their lives.
“You’re his son.”
Robin visibly flinched, eyes widening underneath the mask on his face and he took one step back from Clark.
Clark smiled reassuringly back and then lifted his head to look at the other three.
“You all are.”
Tim blinked once then rested his cheek against the arm propped up on the table and gave him a lazy smile, eyes clearly stating how impressed he was.
Jason, however, narrowed his eyes, jaw clenched and fingers tightening where they rested on his crossed arms. His face seemed like it wanted to scream disapproval but in the end he didn’t say anything to rebuke him.
Dick gaped. Perhaps shocked that Clark had figured it out? Or maybe just shocked that Clark would call him (or any of them) that.
But Clark couldn’t be fooled anymore. Not by Robin’s sudden snarl. Nor by Jason’s suddenly angry silence.
He understood. After all, what son wouldn’t want to protect the man they saw as a father?
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-