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Kon had no friends. Understandably, he'd been alive for, like, a year, and most of the time he had been in a laboratory. Not exactly the fastest way to make friends.
He had a highly developed brain for a seven-year-old, and the scientists made sure he knew a thousand and one ways to kill a person rather than, well, socialize.
His life had already been programmed to become Lex Luthor's ultimate weapon.
Then dad found him and Kon no longer had a purpose.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to be just a child."
It was their first conversation, and dad left him confused as hell. How could he be normal?
It wasn't in any of the guides Cadmus scientists had given him.
What did normal mean? Avoid killing people? Don't shoot laser beams out of your eyes. Not having been created in the laboratory?
One in three was not bad. However, Kon had no idea what normality was, and that had earned him a reputation as a weirdo in his school.
He didn't care if others considered him a strange kid (better than the alternative), but he was starting to feel lonely.
Not that he cared, mind you, he was… he didn't quite know what he was now, but he had been created for greater purposes. To be perfect.
He didn't need friends.
(One of the things he had learned well in Cadmus' day was that the lies made everything more bearable.)
But dad hadn't received the memo.
"At your age, I wanted friends too," he would tell him, helping mom set the table. They will have guests for lunch on the farm.
Jon was sitting in the high chair and they had to tie him up to keep him from flying away. The attempt failed, as Kon could see him levitate. He's going to make things more interesting, duh, than having to be polite to Bruce Wayne and his son.
Hell, how dad used to be friends with Batman when the man had a plan to neutralize? Batman was also creepy as hell, and he didn't doubt that everyone who lived with him looked like him.
He didn't like being considered a threat to the future of humanity by a mini bat.
"I don't need friends," he snapped, crossing his arms across his chest. He was aware of how he looked like a petulant child, but he was fine. Why didn't anyone believe him?
Dad looked at him condescendingly, "Tim is a very sweet child. And he knows our secret. You won't have to hide your powers from him."
"So he can decide if I'm a threat and start preparing twenty or so plans to eliminate me!"
"He's six. And he's very lonely, like you."
"He's the son of Batman," Kon reminded him, as if between the two of them the child was his father.
"The most paranoid man in the world. It will already be a miracle if he doesn't take kryptonite with him!"
The man sighed, "Bruce has his faults, it's true. But he doesn't involve his children in his paranoia. He learned his lesson after ..."
After one of his sons died and returned mad and bloodthirsty.
Kon knew the story and hoped that Mr. Wayne would not bring his zombie son to that merry brigade as well.
He had not yet resigned himself to his fate that there was a knock on the door.
Dad gave him a knowing smile, "It must be them. Would you go and open the door?"
"Do I have a choice?"
He didn't wait for an answer and went to open the door. He didn't expect much, but he was already ready for the disappointment of his life.
When he opened it, he saw Bruce Wayne in the doorway, with a stroller in front with a baby inside him. He didn't think that small children could already have such a frown.
No sign of another child or a revived ninja zombie.
Dad also arrived, "Hi, Bruce. How was the trip?"
"Damian was picky the whole time. He only calmed down when we got there," he replied wearily, a softer tone of voice than you'd expect from someone beating up bad guys at night.
"I'm sure he and Jon will get along well."
"At least Damian won't risk killing him by accident," Mr. Wayne said casually. Was that a normal thing to say?
Maybe it was normal for him, as dad just asked, "What about Tim? Where is he?"
"Ah, he's very shy with strangers. Tim, please introduce yourself."
From behind Mr. Wayne's leg, it sprouted another kid. He had big blue eyes, pale skin, and untidy hair. He looked very delicate, and more like a puppy than someone trained to take down evil aliens.
Kon felt strange. He was sweating cold, his heart throbbing.
He had never felt like this before.
He stared at Tim. Tim stared at him. No one had dared to speak.
It was Kon who spoke first, "You have the eyes like a cow!"
He called himself an idiot. The other was a city boy, he knew nothing about animals, and for sure he will take it as an insult.
The answer surprised him, "Thank you."
"Aren't you offended?" Kon asked cautiously.
The other kid tilted his head, similar to Krypto when he didn't understand something, "Why? Cows are very smart animals."
"Oh…"
"You're cute."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and I like your hair," he muttered, the most adorable expression he'd ever seen. Maybe the rich brat wasn't as bad as he feared.
Kon didn't know why, but his heart was now pounding stronger than before.