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That feeling of missing something was the first thing Kon recognised. Before he had even opened his eyes, he felt the absence. Next, he noticed the oddest thing. A lack of… strength. It was as if his body was walking through water.
Blinking his eyes, his hands reached into the sheets, which were empty but still sort-of warm. He shot up. Tim wasn’t beside him. That wasn’t like him at all.
He extended his minds reach and felt nothing. Now that he thought about it, everything was awfully quiet. Where were the birds and the click of beetle wings? Or the rumbling of the pipes on the bottom floor?
He pushed himself up, and finally took in the state of their apartment. It was wrecked. There were fist-shaped holes in the wall and scorch marks along the walls in two thin and continuous lines.
Kon immediately started panicking, already jumping up to start his air-search. He made it about a metre in the air before he fell unceremoniously in a heap on the floor.
“Tim! Tim!” Kon shouted, already rummaging through the drawers of his dresser and pulling out the keychain/emergency beacon.
Where was Tim? What happened to the apartment? Was Tim okay? What the fuck was wrong with his powers? Tim. Tim. Tim.
His mind whirled and he switched on the tv as he began ringing Bruce. On his work phone, he rang Nightwing and on Tim’s phone - another odd thing, Tim never left without his phone - he rang the Young Justice group chat.
The news on the TV caught his eye. It was a video, too quick to properly perceive, of something flying through the streets, occasionally scraping across the road - tearing up the tarmac - and then returning to the air.
Tim’s phone was the first to pick up, it was Cassie, “don’t panic, Kon. Me and Bart are looking for him right now!”
“Is that blur on the news Tim?” Kon whispered, looking at the destruction on the screen and then looking up to the ceiling to keep his mind sane. Problem was, there was a Tim-shaped dent in the ceiling. Kon held his stomach, a twisting feeling in his gut drowning him.
“Yes. How does Tim have your powers?” Cassie said, and then he heard her say something to Bart just out of his hearing capabilities. Damn human hearing.
“I don’t know… wait- shit! We fought Klarion a couple of days ago… but surely something would’ve happened sooner if it was him?”
“Klarion is chaos personified, it makes perfect sense,” Cassie said and then she gasped.
“What? What is it?!” Kon screeched down the phone. He’d never felt so useless before. Kon twirled, clenching his phone tightly as he jumped from foot to foot. Then he saw the writing on the wall.
It was nothing like Tim’s handwriting. Yeah, because it was written with his eyes, Kon reminded himself. Scorch marks etched a scratchy, barely-comprehensible sentence into wall.
Kon. Desert. Kryptonite.
And then a wobbly heart was put in the corner.
“He’s in the desert.” Cassie and Kon said in sync.
“You have to take me to him! Cassie, I can’t fly. You need to get me!” Kon said, looking around his apartment again and tugging on his hair distractedly.
“Batman said it would be best if you didn’t come. You have no powers and you’ll just get hurt… he’s really out of control Conner.”
“Cassie, please. I can help!” Kon said, moving to the shattered window and peering out into the street. The road had definitely seen better days…
“Please, try to understand. It’s dangerous. There is a crater the size of a house here. We aren’t even allowed close. We’re waiting for Superman!”
“Cassie, that’s only going to stress him out more! I can help him figure out the powers. Please.” Kon didn’t like to beg. But he would for the well-being of his fiancé and soon to be husband.
“He will snap you like a twig if you get close,” Cassie said, and then she groaned as a noise rippled through the air. Thud. Cassie cursed and then shouted after Bart, who seemed to be expertly ignoring whatever she said.
He could hear Bart, “Tim, it’s okay. Calm down, we have got Superman on his way.”
And then Kon heard it. The sharp breaths of Tim as he tried to stop himself from crying. It was an ugly noise. Not that any part of his husband was ugly. But he only stopped his crying because of his parents. His parents, if you could even call them that, were never there enough for Tims cries to be answered. And when they were, they still ignored it for galas. Kons blood boiled at the memory.
“Go away!” Tim screamed, his voice choking off into a sob, “I’m going to hurt you if you get close. I can’t control it. Please, leave.”
Cassie and Bart did a tactical retreat.
“Cassie?” Kon whispered, carefully.
“If Superman can’t get this under control in fifteen minutes, we will get you,” Cassie decided, hanging up the phone.
“Fuck this,” he said, already scrolling through his phone for Wally - Bart wouldn’t be able to carry him, otherwise he probably would’ve helped - and dialling with more force than necessary.
Wally picked up on the first ring, “nope. Strict orders from Dick. Batman has it under control and he doesn’t want anyone getting in the way.”
“Wally, please,” he begged, ignoring the way his voice cracked.
Wally sighed, “Kon, you have to understand. It’s for your own good. And Tim’s. He’d never forgive himself if he hurt you.”
Again, the phone was hung up on him. Really, Kon wanted to be understanding. Maybe they did have a point. It was dangerous for him to go. That didn’t matter. It was more dangerous for Tim. He was going to have serious words with everyone who blew him off today.
Kon understood those powers. Kon had been preprogrammed to handle those powers. And they had developed over time.
Tim was getting them all at once.
The news caught his eye again. His heart nearly stopped. A birds-eye view was all they were getting. You couldn’t even hear the reporter over the whir of helicopter blades. The crater was large, certainly larger than a house, and in the centre was Tim. He was maskless but he had his hands covering his eyes.
Kon shot off to grab a domino mask from one of the many, many hidden compartments in their apartment/ safehouse. He shoved it in his pocket and went back to the tv.
Tim flew several feet into the air and then slammed back into the ground. He couldn’t see much, but the startled ‘o’ of Tim’s lips suggested he had just knocked all the breath out of himself.
Then another blue blur showed up.
Superman.
The news cut back to a woman behind one of those desks, with the video playing in the background. “The Justice League have sent out Superman to resolve the situation. It appears to be another out of control Supe. Though, his costume seems to be little more than an oversized superman T-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts. They insisted they would only need to talk him down, but…” and she pointed to the screen as Superman was sent flying backwards.
Kon immediately started suiting up, his fingers shaky as he pulled his clothes up his legs and fastened his boots.
This was a really stupid idea.
“Klarion! Klarion!” he shouted, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. The kid would stick around to watch the chaos he created. That much was obvious. But whether he’d actually help was up in the air.
Red static flickered and then the horn-haired boy materialised in front of him. The cat, Teekl, meowed devilishly. Kon did not imagine the evil-cat-grin - he didn’t!
Okay, fine. Klarion wasn’t outright evil per-say. He was more… a consistent nuisance. An anarchic toddler with too much power at his fingertips.
“What?” the witch-boy asked, blinking up at him with mock-innocence.
“Take me to Tim,” Kon said, trying to keep his teeth from gritting. When the boy continued to look at him owlishly, he added, “please. I’ll let Teekl play with Krypto.”
Klarion clapped his hands together childishly, “oh, goodie! They got on so well last time.”
There was a snap and then he was in the desert. Klarion immediately disappeared afterwards. That was what Kon had suspected would happen.
And he knew why the boy had helped. Sure, Krypto had sweetened the deal, but there was more chaos from just this outcome. Because after today, it was very likely several members of the league - or just anyone present in the desert right now - would be getting a thorough telling off. What would be better than dividing the league?
Kon was just happy that Krypto actually liked Teekl. Surprisingly so.
Cassie and Bart noticed him simultaneously and immediately honed in to his spot. Which was, at the minute, safely away from Tim.
“You okay, man?” Bart rushed, barely comprehensible as he sped-talked.
“What are you doing here?” Cassie said, though her voice lacked any real anger. He raised an eyebrow at her and she hunched in on herself, “I’m sorry. I really am. We were given orders, though,” she said, looking sheepish.
He wanted to let her know that all was forgiven, though reluctantly, but his eyes kept wondering back to Tim.
Tim, who was being held down by Superman, in a bear hug that would not work. TTK was psychic in nature. You couldn’t contain it with physical strength. And Tim didn’t want to hurt anyone. That’s why so far the only damage had been to the Nevada desert. His mind was preventing any real hurt he didn’t want to happen, even if Tim himself didn’t know that.
But Tim didn’t particularly like Superman. He was civil, sure. But that was it. After Kon was rejected by Superman and ultimately ignored because of his origins as a clone and then Tim himself was not believed when he said Bruce was alive to Superman, it was easy to see why Tim wasn’t fond of him. They both had very little positive memories between them.
Superman was gently launched backwards, and sent through a rather unfortunate patch of cacti. He’d be fine though.
Kon started forward, his legs wobbling as the earth shook violently. In the distance, he could hear the familiar sound of the bat-jet (what a stupid fucking name) and that only made him hurry. Knowing Batman, he’d just use kryptonite.
Kon didn’t want Tim to ever know what kryptonite felt like. If he was to ever be mind-controlled again, which, with Luthor, you never know, Tim might hesitate to use it on him. And that would get Tim killed.
“Tim,” he whispered once he reached the beginning of the crater. Tim would hear him. Tim could probably hear everything.
“Kon,” Tim cried, and his voice was totally wrecked. It was hoarse and filled with fear. “Get away from me, you idiot. Bru- Batman will - kryptonite.”
Kon slipped down the crater towards his fiancée. Tim opened his eyes as he heard the footsteps trudging towards him. He squeaked as his eyes burst out piercing red beams. Then, he groaned as he covered them with his hands and burned himself.
“Tim!” Kon shouted, desperately. He went to move forward but found himself entirely stuck in place. It was nothing like with Superman. Or he assumed it wasn’t. It was only a gentle pressure up his legs, and everything else was left free.
“Tim, look at me. Tim, please,” Kon said again, and then he fished in his pockets for the domino mask, “okay, just-“ and he threw the mask as best as he could, “put that on, okay?”
Tim felt around for the mask, and gingerly put it on. Kon removed his jacket and threw that at Tim next. He caught it. Which meant his eyes were open. Kon sighed in relief.
“Tim. I am okay. You are not going to hurt me. You haven’t hurt me so far. And you won’t. Release me so I can come to you.”
Tim shook violently, holding his hand out defensively, “Kon. I mean it. I can’t control it.”
The hold on his legs was faltering though, and Kon wasn’t surprised. It had taken him ages to learn that sort of control and keep it steady. As soon as the pressure eased, Kon launched himself into the air - Tim would not have control over air particles yet - and closed the distance.
He pulled Tim into his lap, “you won’t hurt me. That genius brain of yours won’t let you. Trust me, I’m safe with you. Always will be.”
“How can you be sure?” Tim whispered, clenching his fists as the ground shook again.
“You loveee me too much to hurt me,” Kon replied playfully, caressing his cheek sweetly.
“Can’t believe you just said that.”
“It’s true!”
“Yes, asshole.”
He carefully carded through Tim’s hair, lulling him to calmness before he reached out for his burnt hands. He tsked, “you know our lasers get past our invulnerability.”
“Silly me,” Tim huffed, the sarcastic lilt returning. Another rumble shook the earth and Tim immediately tensed again, his fingers grasped at the leather jacket and Kon winced. It wouldn’t survive another Tim-attack.
“Listen to me. You are trying to control it which is why it is acting up-“ Tim looked at him, eyebrow raised and expression doubtful, “-hey! Don’t look at me like that,” Kon laughed and Tim’s lips finally twitched into a smile.
“Stop trying to contain it. Let it brush along the earth naturally. You aren’t panicked anymore so the lasers will stop too.” Tim huffed out a shaky breath and one last wave - much gentler this time - of TTK burst and dissipated.
The Earth stopped shaking.
Tim melted into his arms.
And Kon hugged him closer still.
———
Epilogue
Krypto rolled in the mud, yapping at the cat which refused to follow him. Teekl pawed at the sludge, primly turning her nose up at the mess. Klarion giggled before he snapped away the mud, watching as his cat playfully tackled the superdog.
Kon smiled from the picnic blanket, unable to join in with Tim laid so peacefully on his lap. He TTKed the crusts of Tim’s sandwich into the bin and wiped his own fingers clean of Cheeto dust as an afterthought.
He called for Klarion, who was running beside the animals, and he appeared in front of him almost immediately. Kon held back a flinch - but it was a close thing.
“Here is your plain cheese sandwich,” Kon said, brandishing the flavourless monstrosity to the child. Klarion snatched it and returned to the animals.
“Don’t eat and run!” Kon shouted after him, rolling his eyes when Klarion stuffed his face full of sandwich in pure spite.
Tim stirred, and then smiled, “why do weird things always happen to us…”
“You like it really,” Kon laughed, leaning in for a kiss. And if he heard the sound of fake-wretching from behind him, he chose to ignore it. There was nowhere he’d rather be than with Tim, even if he had to babysit an all-powerful toddler and his cat too.
Man, his life was strange.