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All things considered, things were going okay for Dick.
There had been bumps along the way, of course, but he and his team had escaped unscathed.
Well… mostly unscathed.
Their mistakes and losses weighed heavily on them, Dick most of all. When he joined Young Justice, he’d been just thirteen, full of naive cockiness and bravado. He was older now, and far wiser. A name change - from Robin to Nightwing - only further cemented that. He was a new man now; a new hero.
Dick would never have guessed what else was coming for him.
It all started when Bruce pulled him into the meeting hall at the Justice League Watchtower. At first, he figured it would probably be some new mission Bruce wanted him to handle, or perhaps information about new recruits Bruce wanted him to help train. When he saw that Wally was in the meeting hall, he hesitated.
“Bruce… what’s going on?”
“I’m sure you remember CADMUS,” Bruce said, shifting awkwardly in his seat. “The… research facility.”
Wally raised an eyebrow. “CADMUS? That was years ago. Why are you bringing it up now?”
It was three years ago, to be precise. Their very first mission… Dick felt almost nostalgic remembering it.
“There were some… unforeseen consequences from your first encounter with CADMUS,” Bruce explained, somehow looking even more uncomfortable. “We only discovered said… consequences when Superman and other members of the League made steps to locate the final genomorphs and clones created by the scientists employed there.”
“Did the mission go badly?” Dick asked.
Bruce shook his head. “The mission was a success.”
“What do you want with us?” Wally asked.
“Two speedster children were discovered in the CADMUS laboratories. Given the circumstances, we tested for biological relation to known speedsters, and…” Bruce turned to Wally. “.. you are the biological father.”
“I- You mean- How did-” Wally was too shocked for words. “They cloned me?”
Shaking his head, Bruce replied, “Not precisely. As you and your teammates destroyed most of your DNA, CADMUS weren’t able to secure enough of it to create identical genetic clones. However, they were able to create recombinant DNA through a complex process of isolating and combining genes.”
“Combining genes? With what?”
“DNA from a complimentary partner,” Bruce said, desperately trying to keep his voice level, and mostly failing. “Which is where Nightwing comes in.”
Dick’s eyes went wide. “They made clones with our DNA.”
“Exactly.”
Wally looked like he was about to pass out. “CADMUS made us a baby?”
“Two children,” Bruce amended. “Twins. They’re approximately four years old, but we have no way of knowing how long they’ve actually been conscious for.”
“What’s going to happen to them?” Dick asked. “Are they going to be okay?”
“That’s why I brought you both here. Despite the unusual circumstances of their conception, these two are your biological children. We won’t force you to be involved if you don’t want to be, but we want it to be your choice.”
Dick looked to Wally. “I’m down if you are?”
Stunned, Wally nodded. “Okay. We can totally do this!”
“Are you both sure?” Barry asked. “Parenting is hard, and you’re both so young…”
“Bruce wasn’t that much older when I moved in with him,” Dick said.
“I had a lot of support,” Bruce countered. “Of course, you and Wally will be offered as much assistance as you require.”
Dick smiled. “Thanks, B.”
“Maybe we should move ‘em into the manor?” Wally suggested. “To be closer to your family and everything?”
“What about your family?” Dick asked, cocking his head in Barry’s direction.
Barry waved off the question. “Oh, I’m sure Iris and I can zip over whenever.”
“And I can get to Central from Gotham in less than ten. Five if I’m feeling extra speedy!” Wally said.
Dick nodded distantly. This was really happening. He was going to be coparenting with his best friend. God, could this situation get any weirder?
Apparently, it could.
“What are the kids called?” Wally asked, Given his own history with his father, Wally was handling the whole situation rather well.
Bruce grimaced. “THey don’t have names. They do respond to their… project titles, though.”
Project titles.
What the fuck ? Dick knew CADMUS was unethical, but at least Kon got to be Superboy, instead of solely Project Kr. The kids were four; how had they gone four years without something as fundamental as a name? Beside him, Wally was scowling. If he was any angrier, he would have been vibrating with rage.
“Do you think they’d mind us giving them names?” Dick asked.
Bruce’s frown only grew. “They’ve been very agreeable, thus far.
That was Bat-code for brainwashed.
What were he and Walls getting into?
“We’ve got to call them something, and I’m not calling a kid by their project title ,” Wally scoffed. “They can always change their names later, if they want.”
“Understandable,” Bruce said. “I’ll organise the paperwork to have them transferred to your legal custody, while you two get prepared for their arrival.
“Good plan,” Dick said, his mind still reeling from everything that they had to do to prepare to be the guardians of two toddlers.
As Barry and Wally left the room, Bruce patted Dick on the shoulder. Bruce always felt more comfortable expressing his affection when they were alone.
“Nervous?” Bruce said.
Dick rested his head on Bruce’s shoulder. “I’m terrified. What if we mess this up?”
Bruce was quiet for a long moment. “When you first came to live with me, I had no idea what I was doing. I was so unprepared for being a father, but… that’s a part of being a parent. You have to be willing to make mistakes. As long as you’re doing your best, you’ll get through this.”
Dick closed hsi eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath. “Okay, I can do this.”
“I knew you could, Chum.”
It was nice to be believed in. It was almost enough to quell the swirling anxiety in Dick’s chest…
… almost.