Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Bruce, or as he currently was, Batman, looked troubled as he sat and stirred his coffee for the hundredth time. It was long since cold yet he still hadn't bothered to take a sip. He was sitting up in the watchtower at one of the monitor stations, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. He really needed some sleep, probably a few stitches re-stitched, and to narrow down where Scarecrow had gotten his newest batch of chemicals required for his fear toxin, but instead he was internally battling his thoughts as his mind replayed the tragic scene he'd witnessed at Haly's Circus. The girl had been so… bright, before everything had happened. The real tell for how deep in thought he was, was the fact that he didn't notice his friend and colleague gliding into the room, a few feet off the ground. "Hello Batman, I thought you were taking a few days off this week, you don't have monitor duty until next Tuesday." Superman, AKA Clark Kent, smiled at his friend before it turned into a patient yet knowing chuckle as Batman sighed. "I know, I know, what did you say that one time? Justice never sleeps?" Seeing the bat working when he should be off was nothing strange, but the way Batman didn't seem… focused set the man of steel on edge. Batman was by pure definition, a work-a-holic. The man could chase dead ends and turn cold cases into hot leads. He didn't sit back and take a break, it was almost a joke with the Justice League that Batman didn't know the word relax. "Something up?" Superman questioned.

Setting aside his coffee, Batman let out a sigh before pulling back his cowl. He trusted Superman to alert him if someone who didn't know his identity was making their way towards them. "It's just…" Bruce hesitated, running a hand down his face and looking up at Clark, making the other hero frown as he wondered if Bruce had even seen a bed in the last week. "There's this case I'm working on." Bruce hesitated again, making Superman frown deeper and still. If something was bothering Batman this much it clearly was important. "This girl's parents were killed in front of her, and I can't get it off my mind. She has no one. No living family left and Gotham's orphanages aren't the best." He grimaced.

Superman sighed sadly, a knowing, sympathetic frown on his face. Now he understood what was bugging his friend. "I'm so sorry Bruce, one of my colleagues at the paper just ran that story, I'm sure hearing about it was hard enough as it is." But Batman was already shaking his head.

"I was there, Clark. It… There's some times that it almost makes me wish for some sort of meta-gene. I was there and I couldn't do anything." He ran a hand through his hair, a clear sign of stress.

Superman put his hand on his shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. "We can't save everyone, and if you let yourself get too hurt by grief for the ones we couldn't save, you'll be too bogged down to be of any use for the ones we can." Superman gently offered.

Batman let out a soft scoff. "They performed without a net. It was apparently their thing. They had a daughter. The ropes snapped and, God..." Bruce rubbed his eyes again, squeezing them shut. "It just felt… pointless. Pointless and easily preventable." He waved his hand angrily in the air before letting it drop. "The equipment wasn't secure. Had it held up for a few more seconds, their kid would have joined them." Bruce's voice was low, devoid of emotions and might seem harsh for anyone who didn't know the man. Superman however saw the way Bruce's eyes seemed to lose focus when talking, the slight hesitation in his words and actions, and could hear his heartbeat quicken ever so slightly. His friend was absolutely grief-stricken over the preventable deaths; he was simply pushing it down as he had with so many other things to get through.

Superman let the silence linger for a moment before quietly asking, "You said case… Do you think they were murdered?" He asked, not sure what would be the better option.

Bruce let out a slow breath before shaking his head. "There's nothing. No evidence. No one saw anything, there's no leftover acid or clues. The Flying Grayson's fell to their death because of whatever reason, they failed to see that their equipment wasn't secure." He sounded so defeated.

Superman moved to sit by his friend. "I'm so sorry Bruce, I'm sure this must bring up some unpleasant memories, you look like you haven't slept in weeks, why don't you head home to the manor and try-"

A hoarse laugh escaped Bruce, but there wasn't any humor in it. "I can't." He insisted, much to the dismay of Superman. When the Man of Steel opened his mouth to try and reason with him, Batman turned fully to meet Clark's eyes. "Every time I close my eyes, I hear their screams and the sound of their bodies hitting the ground. And every time I get up, haunted by the cries of their only child, and try desperately to find some, any clue that might give me some way to give them justice, to give their daughter peace. But there's nothing. So no. I don't really feel like going to take a nap, but thanks." Bruce practically growled, and turned, pulling his cowl back over his head.

Superman looked genuinely hurt for his friend, reaching out to give another encouraging squeeze to his shoulder but letting his hand drop as he received a glare from the other man. "Bruce, you're already doing so much for this girl by making sure there was no evil there that night. It was a tragic accident. And no matter how much we hate them and wish for someone to blame, sometimes that's all they are. A mistake." He tried gently before sighing as Batman seemed to still before his shoulders sagged and he slowly nodded. Standing back up, Superman nodded his head towards the hallway which would lead to the zeta-tubes. "Even if you don't sleep, go get some rest Bruce, I'm sure your family is worried about you." He tried to tempt the man, and it wasn't a lie either. Batman and his brood were no joke, with or without the cowl. What had started as a biological son being dropped off at his doorstep, had somehow become one of the biggest families in the league, and all of them had some sort of dedication to the superhero community. Superman never fully agreed with Bruce on that, letting children fight in their war, but at this point it wasn't like he could stop the man, legally or in debatably in a fight.

Batman stood, eyeing the door as if tempted by the offer before his frown deepened. "Gotham isn't kind to anyone, let alone kids lost in the system." He said quietly.

Superman let out a breath of disbelief. "Bruce." His voice was filled to the brim with disappointment. "You can't be serious. At this point I'm starting to think GA is right about you having an adoption problem." He scoffed. "You said it yourself, there's no evidence of a crime. It was a horrible accident, but just because you see yourself in her trauma doesn't give you the right to drag her into your campaign!" Bruce's head whipped up glaring daggers at Superman who stared pointedly back.

"I understand what she's going through. I could help her! Just because I would take her in doesn't mean she would be donning a mask!" Bruce snarled back.

Superman let out a sharp bark of humorless laughter, "And how many times have you lied to yourself with that line with each new kid?" He wasn't holding back, and wouldn't be surprised if the bat pulled out kryptonite right then and there. "How many times are you going to let these kids join your fight, Tim wasn't even-" Batman was in his face before he could blink.

"Don't Clark. Just… Don't" Batman had returned a hand to rub tiredly at his eyes as he sat back down.

Superman lowered himself to stand on the ground before sighing and shaking his head. "You can't save everyone Bruce, and inviting a grieving child into your life like that is already setting her up to lose." He quietly stated. Silence hung in the air, heavy like smoke before Bruce stood again and brushed past Superman without a word. Superman watched him go, ears listening for the sound of the zeta-tubes before sitting down himself. Was he wrong? He knew he might have hurt Bruce bringing up Tim after the "Joker Junior" incident, but it was something Superman felt he needed to hear, no matter how cruel it was. These were children, not soldiers for their fight against evil. Letting that child live a normal life, gave her an actual chance.
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Two Weeks Prior, At Haly's Circus, Outskirts of Gotham:

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"I'm sorry commissioner, but we don't have any foster homes available for her, and the orphanages have no free beds. There's nothing we can do. Procedure calls for her to be placed in Gotham's Juvenile Detention Center where she'll be safe. There's school hours, food, shelter, I'm not being cruel against the little gy- girl, this is just the way the cookie crumbles." Commissioner Gordon let out a growl. Who even let these people be in charge of children? The tall, slender man in an ironed suit had barely looked up at either the police commissioner nor the wide eyed girl who had tears running down her cheeks, mouth slightly ajar with a look of horror plastered on her face as she stared ahead at nothing. Instead, he was busy filling out forms on a large tablet and wrinkling his nose in distaste at the smell of the circus and any performer that came near.

Jack "Pop" Haly, the owner and ringmaster of the circus stood beside the girl, resting a gentle hand on where her shoulder was buried under Gordon's large trench coat. Gordon had done the same for another orphaned victim years prior, when he was still just a detective, and yet here they were again. At least at this point it looked like a genuine accident and not an alleyway murder. "We're just as much Diane's family as anyone! She should be allowed to stay with us! We can look after her!" His tone mixed between desperate begging and grief filled anger, a strongman and bearded lady gently hovered next to them, already having to hold back Haly several times.

Gordon turned to stare tiredly at the social worker. "Maybe she could stay with them for a few days at least, see if something opens up. I mean, there's nowhere else you can find?" He asked pleadingly, once again feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place, but then again welcome to Gotham.

The social worker let out an unamused snort which had Haly looking near ready to throw a punch, and Gordon wouldn't try and stop him if he did. "Here? Absolutely not. For starters you would need an actual permanent zip code. Not to mention, none of you are actually blood related, nor did the Grayson's have a will set up. If I were to leave her here with you lot, you could take off and we might never see Miss Grayson again." His lip curled at the start. "I wouldn't be surprised if you're used to doing things however you want, but here in the real world, we have laws." The strongman had gently put his hand over Haly's shaking arm, who looked like he was trying to find the right words that didn't involve cursing the government drone out or wringing his neck.

Gordon looked down at Rachel, the kid was clearly in shock, and let out his own frustrated groan. At the end of the day the social worker was right, but the very thought was screaming wrong. The few words the commissioner had heard her speak had been a foreign language he couldn't even begin to recognize. The petty criminals and misguided youth that were locked in Gotham's juvie hall would eat her alive. "There's no emergency fosters? Just a few days, to see if something opens up. For fuck's sake, look at her man! Put down your screen for five seconds and actually look!" It'd been a while since he'd lost his temper, but tonight felt like a good time for it. He put his hand on the tablet and moved it down, forcing the worker to finally look up at them all. His gaze moved from Gordon, to the performers, to the child herself.

The man cleared his throat and looked away, before looking back and anxiously licking his chapped lips. "There's… I can't just…" He seemed to be fighting something in himself before hesitating. "Technically, I mean it's pretty frowned upon because of the paperwork and filing and crossing county lines and well.." His eyes drifted back to Rachel Grayson who didn't seem to even be aware of what was happening.

Gordon pushed, a sliver of hope appearing at the idea of technicalities. "What?" He felt himself getting a headache over this conversation.

The social worker, whose name tag apparently read, "Hi! My name is: Gary!" in cheerful lettering that didn't fit with his personality, cleared his throat. "If we could get the right paperwork approved, we might be able to move her to either Metropolis or Star City, and they would most likely have an opening." Of course they wanted paperwork. Someone could be drowning and there would need to be proper filing before anyone could actually help the poor sap.

Gordon sighed and rubbed his eyes. This entire event had been horrible, and any event like this made him just want to get home to his daughter, and give her a hug that lasted a few moments too long. "And how long will that take?" Gary hesitated again and Gordon put a steady hand on his shoulder. "How long, son?" He asked, feeling the performers behind him hold their breath.

Gary grimaced, "As soon as you have the paperwork done, give it some time for proper processing through the correct channels, wait for approval… A few weeks?" Gary seemed to finally realize he was in danger of being attacked by the grieving circus performers. "Or sooner! As soon as it's given the green light she'll be out of there!" He quickly promised.

Gordon let out another sigh and turned to look towards the twinkling lights of Gotham City. "If that's the best we can do for now-" God help them. "Then it's better than nothing." He softly agreed. Gary was just a bureaucratic cog in the machine. The fact they'd even been offered a transfer to another city was huge.

Gary nodded and nervously licked his lips again. "I- I'll give you all time to say goodbye, If she has some personal belongings that can fit in a small bag she's welcome to bring those too." Gary's posture and voice had softened immensely and Gordon quickly realized the rule following apathy was a very clear mask of a Gothamite who was trying, but had seen too much to have hope for something better.

Haly still looked upset, but he had also just lost his friends, and grief was still thick in the air. "Jess, Tommie, go pack a bag for Diane, please." He hummed, the two performers hesitating before heading towards the train's cars. Crouching down on his knees, Haly kneeled in front of the small girl before gently pulling her against his chest. She didn't seem to react as the man whispered gently to her, rocking as he spoke soothingly. As the performers returned, Haly gently squeezed her in a hug. "You're going to fly so high, little bird. We'll visit. You'll be okay. You must be so brave for me now, so brave." It was unclear if he was reassuring her, or himself.

The only indication of Rachel understanding what was going on happened as Haly moved to set her down. Her hands suddenly gripped his shirt and a heartbroken scream escaped her throat. Gordon guessed being stabbed in the back would have probably felt better to the ringmaster than handing over the pleading child who was a sobbing mess and even after being placed into the back of the car, desperately clawed at the window and door trying to escape.

Chapter Text

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

A high-pitched beep jolted Rachel awake, her rough sheets twisted around her legs as she blinked, trying to adjust to the bright lights. She looked around and realized with a start that she was not in her family's trailer, taking a shuddering breath in as everything came crashing back to her. Her parents. That Zucco man. The snapping of the rope and her parents-

"Get up brat! This look like a vacation home to you?!" A snarling voice brought her back to the current nightmare she now called her life. In the past six weeks, she had been living with Gotham's youthful scum and delinquents. And maybe she deserved it. After hearing Zucco threaten Pop Haly, Rachel had been assured by the ringmaster that they were full of hot air and there was nothing to be afraid of. She had worried about it after seeing some strangers near their equipment, but hadn't gotten the chance to tell her parents before they were all climbing the tall ladder to start their routine. She hadn't warned them. Maybe if she had checked the ropes herself, or been more insistent that what she had to tell them couldn't wait. Thus she was here, being punished for watching them fall to their deaths while she survived.

Her cellmate, Kallie Jones, as one of the guards had called her, was standing by the bars with an annoyed look on her face. "Surprise inspection." She grumbled, rolling her eyes and curling her lip as a second guard started going through their cell. Diane was pretty sure that her cellmate had sold drugs at some point or been part of a gang, maybe both if what the other convicts were saying was true, but Diane wasn't about to ask. All she knew was that if she didn't do what her roommate told her to do, she would get hit.

"I said get up!" Speaking of getting hit, Diane quickly kicked off her sheets and pushed off her bed on the top bunk, gracefully landing on the floor and quickly shuffling out of the way, making Kallie roll her eyes and mutter something about a circus freak. Rachel felt tired. She was tired of being here, tired of getting hit, tired of being alone. Standing next to Kallie, Diane shivered. Her favorite sweater had been taken, along with everything she had owned when she was put here. She really missed her stuffed elephant Zitka. Jess had made sure to pack it, but the entire backpack had been taken once she'd arrived. Now, she was wearing an orange jumpsuit just like everyone else with a series of numbers on the back.

A third guard stopped in front of their cell, one reading off a clipboard. "147290, Rachel Mary Grayson?" She called, looking up with an annoyed expression.

Being called out was never a good thing. It meant punishments, chores that burned your hands and made your body sore and tired. Rachel found she was very good at messing up. "Um.. yes?" Her blue eyes scrunched up, recounting everything that she had done that might have gotten her in trouble. She tried not to talk, her accent apparently was wrong and made people mad. She mixed up English words and butchered her sentences. She was too short, too small, too weak. She had quickly learned that apparently, she was all wrong.

"Follow me, now." Was all the guard stated, already moving along. Rachel dashing to catch up, if she was too slow, there'd be punishments, the bruises on her body reminding her of each rule she'd unknowingly broken. With a swipe of the keycard the two moved out of the cell block. They walked down a long hallway, passing the med bay and library. The only other place on the west wing was the exit and the Warden's office. Only the worst of the worst would get to see the Warden. Whatever she had done must have been very bad. Kallie had told her that if you were really unlucky, you'd get put in solitary to rot. Although mostly too afraid to do much speaking herself, Diane appreciated the noises and chatter of the people. It let her zone out and not have to be alone with her thoughts, which were usually loud and inescapable. Despite her dragging feet and growing dread, they arrived without incident, the guard ushering her inside. The office was large and had several plush chairs, awards, and photos of the prison throughout its construction hanging on the walls. Behind the daunting, metal desk was a large woman wearing a pantsuit, and a man who Diane vaguely recognized as the nice commissioner; she liked his mustache.

Commissioner Gordon coughed before stating awkwardly, "How are you my dear?" He was visually giving her a once over, and Rachel quickly straightened her posture to be stiff and straight as she gave him a blank, if not slightly worried look, unsure if his question was rhetorical or not.

The guard standing behind her reached a hand down and squeezed her shoulder, tightening her grasp enough to hurt. "The commissioner asked you a question, don't be rude." She warned.

Panic flew across Diane's face. "I'm very g-good today. Nais Tuks-" The guard squeezed her shoulder again, harder this time, making Diane wince with a small cry.

"Speak English Gyp!" Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed, preparing to start over. It wasn't that she couldn't speak English, it was more so a panic and comfort response. Slipping into Romani felt like wrapping a blanket around herself. It reminded her of her mamă and Tată, of their soft spoken stories and laughter, and it was so easily ready to use on her tongue. Luckily, before she could stumble over her sentence again, Gordon cut in with an angry look. She must have really insulted him with her stupidity.

"That's enough." He stepped forward, hand outreached to move Rachel protectively closer to him, not missing the way the girl flinched away from his touch.

The warden looked uncomfortable, or at least semi-guilty at being caught with how her guards treated the prisoners. Clearing her throat, the Warden nodded. "You're dismissed, Officer Hindy. Return to your rounds." The guard snorted softly before nodding and shutting the door behind her. The silence felt heavy as Rachel stared nervously at Commissioner Gordon's shoes. One of the fancy laces was starting to fray.

The brown shoes moved, turning the man towards her. Wasn't she already in prison? How much more punishment was there? Rachel's hands twisted her fingers in a nervous motion. "Rachel, honey, I was able to pull some strings and there's room in a group home in Metropolis, and I figured it would be better than staying here for you." He trailed off sounding hopeful.

A… group home? Rachel frowned as she processed that information. In Metropolis? Was it a different form of prison? Trying very hard to squash any form of hope down, Rachel slowly glanced between the two adults, waiting for the punchline. "I..I can leave?" Diane was sure she heard wrong and everyone was about to laugh at this hilarious joke that she had just stated.

The commissioner kneeled down on one knee so he was eye level with her, giving her a gentle smile that seemed twinged with sadness. "Yes, you never belonged here Rachel, I've been told that this group home is run by some very sweet nuns that will take very good care of you. Once you're changed and ready, I'll drive you over there, alright?" Gordon smiled kindly at her hoping to ease her after what must have been a week of fear.

For the first time in days, Rachel felt like she could breathe. She was leaving! Glancing at the Warden who was now standing, Rachel quickly nodded. "T-thank you." She got out, worried that if she broke another rule or made Gordon angry, she'd be left here, and it would still be her fault.

Gordon stood again with a groan, gently reaching out and ruffling her hair, frowning as she jerked at the gentle touch. "Here's your backpack that you had when you came here." He held it out to her from where it had been sitting against the warden's desk with a stack of paperwork, the ink still wet from several signatures. She gently took it and held it in a hug against her chest.

The warden cleared her throat and nodded towards an attached door. "You can change in there, be quick Grayson." She warned, and Rachel didn't hesitate, pushing the door closed behind her. Pulling out a blue knit sweater, Rachel swallowed back tears as she buried her face in it, the comforting smell of her home, her mother's laundry soap, wrapped around her. The soft fabric was a change from the coarse jumpsuit she'd been in. Realizing she might be taking too long, Rachel quickly changed into her clothes and exited the bathroom, folding the jumpsuit as best as she could and carefully setting it on the Warden's desk. As if worried she would be forcibly taken back to her cell, Rachel grabbed the commissioner's hand, surprising him, and together they walked out the doors to his car.

An hour later they arrived at the group home. Gordon reached over and tried to gently coax Diane awake. She jolted, taking in a sharp breath before they settled on his worried face and relaxing slightly. Reaching up with a yawn and rubbing her eyes, Rachel glanced out the window, squinting at the sunlight that streamed over a large building with a playground outside.

"Hey Kiddo, we're here." He smiled gently at her, she was a cute kid, and hopefully now that she was out of juvie and Gotham, she'd have a fighting chance. He could almost see it, a nice Metropolis couple, a big dog and backyard, a loving, doting family that could show the kid that the end of the world hadn't happened with the trapeze wire's snap.

Saint Mary's was run by a group of nuns that were all gentle smiles and kind eyes. They blessed Gordon several times over, who every time stated he was just doing his job. They gave the pair a tour, Diane peeking curiously into every room, eyes growing wide as she studied the different children they came across playing, reading, or doing something else relaxing. The protective and flighty stance she had was slowly relaxing, Gordon noticed with a small smile. They finished the tour by ending in one of the rooms with several beds. Gordon had ruffled her hair again, before giving her another tired smile. "It'll be good here kid, do you want help unpacking your bag?" He offered, Diane shook her head. Giving her a nod, Gordon shook the head nun's hand before waving goodbye and heading back to Gotham and feeling like maybe everything wasn't always hopeless.

Rachel watched out the window as Gordon's car drove away. The nuns had said something about letting her settle in. Carefully climbing onto her bed, Rachel opened her bag and pulled out a worn, stuffed elephant. Hugging it to her chest, Diane's eyes closed as she tried to let the smell of her family's little trailer teleport her to happier days.
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Lex Luthor was not happy. How had everything gone to shit so quickly? He snorted as the blonde news reporter, Cricket Kelly, was doing a fantastic job of trying to destroy his character, all over that spandex wearing, flying menace. So what if he was behind a Superman smear campaign? Or had sold weapons to arm dealers in the Middle East? His latest failure was just as infuriating as it was simple. He was outbid by fucking Oliver Queen. What did Queen even want with those old blueprints? He couldn't possibly be smart enough to know they were plans that held the key for kryptonite powered weapons. All of this was starting to affect his business relations too, people wouldn't make deals with someone who was an opponent of Superman, and had a reputation for public disapproval, not when his plans kept blowing up in his face. He needed to do something to get his reputation back in order. People seemed to like Wayne, and what did he do? The halfwit partied, charmed, and what? Adopted a bunch of whiney, snot nosed brats? God. Why he hadn't shipped them all off to military or boarding school was beyond him.

Lex groaned, readjusting his relaxed position on his couch, before continuing his typing on the laptop he was currently coding on. Cricket had finally stopped praising the alien freak and moved onto her next segment, "In other news, the happy day at the circus turned into a nightmare is wrapping up. The world renowned Flying Grayson's were buried tonight, their funeral paid for by an anonymous donor. The famous acrobats John and Mary Grayson passed away suddenly while stopped in Gotham for a show. Police have declared that no foul play was involved. The Grayson's are survived by their only daughter, Rachel Grayson, only aged eight years old. It's reported that Rachel has been taken into state custody at this time to be placed into foster care. Our hearts go out to the kid, and fellow performers who are going through this tragedy."

Lex hummed with a snort. Who the hell stepped foot into Gotham and didn't expect a tragedy? Honestly, it was a constant reminder to him that most people were simply stupid, and survived out of sheer luck. But… his curiosity couldn't be helped. The pair had left behind a child, and after a few bugs, Lex had hacked into the police report. He scoffed, bad equipment? They failed to make sure their things wouldn't break while also refusing a safety net. Again, idiotic. He scrolled down, surprised to see a few updates from Gotham's own police commissioner. What made the acrobats so special that they received such attention? The kid had been sent to… Gotham Juvenile Correctional Facility. Apparently the girl was made out of bad luck, he scrolled further and found a secondary update. She'd been moved right into his sunny backyard. The name of St. Mary's orphanage rang a bell… He quickly pulled up an online map. Oh yes. Lex Corp had owned that entire lot, and he had planned to demolish it before that annoyance of a reporter, Lois Lane, wrote a piece about the poor, poor orphans and nuns. Then it didn't matter if he owed it or not. People had stood outside protesting, it wasn't a good look. He'd blamed some poor schmuck in his company and had to give a very large donation while grinning so hard his teeth hurt. Apparently nuns and orphans were in a very special group that people loved to adore. Lex put them closer to annoyances such as drooling dogs and half-wit reporters. He closed the map and let his gaze run over the police report again as his mind whirred in possibilities. The Grayson's death was apparently reported about almost globally. Maybe if she was lucky Bruce Wayne would take notice and adopt her as well as his other twenty kids. Then everyone could swoon and sigh over Wayne and how much of a goodie two shoes he was and so-

Lex sat up straight with a frown. Unless… He shook his head. What the hell did he want with a kid? Sure the publicity would probably solve a majority of his current problems… and sure he would probably only need to stick with the kid for a few months before reporters and the world moved on… but again, that would also mean he would have to interact with said child. The whiney, snot nosed, ungrateful, and probably stupid child. Then he could send her away, to boarding school, a job internship, an orphanage in some European city where she'd never be heard from again, whatever. He weighed the pros and cons. A few months of hell… He could hire people. Nannies. Tutors. Whoever just so his contact with her could be minimal, controlled enough to be seen as a doting and loving father by the press and public, and left to his plans in private. He wondered vaguely how pissed it would make Superman, a slow grin growing on his face. Let the alien take her for all Lex cared, hell, maybe if he did Lex could spin in into a kidnapping.

Closing his laptop, Lex pressed a button on his watch, notifying his assistant that he needed her service. "Mercy, call my driver, we're heading out." He said smirking, he could hardly stand himself, he was such a genius! Sure he might have to deal with a few inconveniences, but nothing he couldn't stand for the greater good. Mercy was smart enough to not ask, only pulling out her own laptop and blinking as Lex forwarded her relevant information as well as to do lists. He could play the father role, not that he'd ever felt all that nurturing, but if he bought the kid some candy maybe he could even bribe her to call him pops on camera, wouldn't that be rich. Report that, Cricket Kelly.
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"Diane? Sweetheart?" Diane looked up from where she had been playing with her stuffed elephant, Zitka, to see a tall, bald man following Sister Josephine the caretaker. The sister kept glancing behind her at the man and the man pretended not to notice. Rachel skeptically tilted her head, eyes narrowing at him. He met her gaze and gave her a smirk. She didn't like nor trust him in the slightest. The clowns had muttered names for men like him, which were apparently extremely rude. Diane let her gaze move back onto the nun who had a firm grimace on her face as if trying to sell how fun a trip to the dentist would be. "Rachel, this is Mister Lex Luthor, and he's very excited to meet you." She smiled at Diane but her smile still did not reach her eyes. Rachel hugged Zitka to her. She wanted this Lex man to go away and leave her alone.

He didn't seem to notice her distrust or didn't care. He strolled closer to her, standing above her and looking down. "Hello Rachel. It's lovely to meet you." He paused before smiling. "I'd like to take you in as my ward. You'd get to live with me, can go to school, you'd have your very own room, and plenty of toys and games all for yourself, I'll make sure you want for nothing. Wouldn't you enjoy that?" He had bent down so they were face to face and Diane leaned back, away from him. She did not trust him or want to go with him. She glanced back at Sister Josephine who was giving her encouraging nodding.

Rachel hurriedly shook her head. "No." Simple. Easy to say. And efficient. Case closed. Diane turned back to her elephant, considering the issue done.

There was a beat of silence as Luthor sat squatting with an open mouth. "Couldn't you consider it?" He asked, looking more like he was going to force her into it than anything of her choosing but quickly Sister Josephine rushed to the rescue.

"Rachel Mary Grayson!" This was the first time either of them had heard her cheery voice turn sharp, so it surprised both Lex and Diane. "You have been offered a very nice home with a very nice man and you do NOT get to act that way." The sister had a worried frown on her face, but her brow was drawn angrily together.

Diane bit her bottom lip, ducking her head with a sigh as she stared down at Zitka. "Sorry..." Diane mumbled. So this was another one of those fake choices that adults asked your opinion on, and you were supposed to be thrilled to agree with them.

The nun hummed with a sharp nod. "That's better." She hummed, turning back into the cheery woman she was before. "Let's get your things packed and you can say your goodbyes." She ushered Rachel up and towards her room. By the time they were leaving the building, a crowd of reporters had circled around the orphanage's gates and started excitedly snapping pictures. Mercy had sent in several tips that Lex Luthor had been spotted there. Putting on his best dazzling smile, Lex gave Rachal what he hoped was a caring smile. Diane, startled by the sudden action, grabbed Lex's hand and practically hid behind him as he walked. Lex's smile widened, the kid was playing along perfectly! Just a few months of media attention, and his little popularity problem would be gone.

"Lex!"

"Question!"

"What spurred this sudden action?"

"Why are you doing this now?"

"Are you prepared for the responsibilities of fatherhood?"

The reporters yelled out questions as Lex ushered Diane into the waiting Limo.

Before he climbed in, he turned to the nearest reporter and simply gave a sad smile, shrugging. "After spending a couple of nights by myself in my home, I realized how quiet it was, quiet and lonely. I've been missing something in my life. When I saw Rachel's story on the news something in me realized, she and I both were alone and needed a family. I hope that with my resources and care, she can get the second chance she deserves. No more questions." The reporters clambered for more questions and smirking, Lex closed the door, trapping himself with his new ward who stared at him with a distrustful gaze. He ignored it. She didn't have to trust him; she just needed to play her part.

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In an apartment elsewhere in Metropolis, a plate shattered as the news played a clip of Lex ushering the child away, a look of anger and horror on the man's face. With Luthor's record, how was he even allowed to...? Clark Kent swallowed, what was his scheme? There was no way anyone was actually buying this father of the year crap, right? Grabbing his phone, Clark quickly pulled up his contacts and hit the call button, the phone ringing before a low voice asked, "Kent? What is it?" Clark could hear quiet voices on the other side, most likely the Wayne children, making comments.

Clark sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Please tell me you've seen the news. Lex apparently took a ward, a child. There's no way he's suddenly found goodness and love in his heart. I've got half a mind to fly over there and-"

The sound of fast typing had started halfway through his sentence. So, they were probably in the Batcave. A young voice belonging to Timothy, interrupted him, meaning at some point he had been put on speakerphone. "From what I can see so far his paperwork is actually in order. Real judges, all that. I'd have to run some tests to check for forgeries but..."

Bruce cut in again, "If you do anything against him currently, you'll be on the wrong side of the law." Superman wanted to shake the other man in his frustration, but Bruce was usually painfully right.

"What? So, we just sit around and wait for him to do whatever evil scheme he's decided to do against a child? You can't be serious!" Clark groaned.

The sound of shuffling came through the phone, probably more of the Wayne's trying to see what was going on. "No, we investigate. Find evidence. You're right that the chance of Luthor deciding to become a family man is close to zero." Bruce sighed. "Don't do anything rash Kent." He warned.

Clark rolled his eyes. "I can play nice for now. But if he does anything-"

"We'll beat the shit out of him!" A younger voice belonging to Bruce's youngest, Jason, cut in, immediately followed by several scoldings about language and his name making the boy grumble.

Sighing, Clark hummed. "I'll probably see what I can hear tonight, and Lois and I can try and get the details on the ground." He planned, already heading towards where he kept his Superman suits.

There was a beat of silence before Bruce added, "We'll keep digging here, let me know if you need backup." Clark's mouth twitched upwards with a feeling of fondness.

"I appreciate that Bruce, I'll keep you updated." Clark ended the call before frowning. "What are you planning, Luthor?" He mumbled, shaking his head before pushing off the ground and flying towards his nemesis' mansion, out of all the things Luthor could do, involving a child? It was unacceptable.

Chapter Text

Lex wasn't sure if there was an exact point in his life that things started to change. There were a few moments, blips in a lifetime that seemed to solidify Rachel in his life. But that's all they should have been, meaningless blips. Yet, Lex Luthor couldn't help but almost cherish the moments, and how they changed his life.

Looking back over the last year or so, Lex wondered where exactly his plan started to deviate. His plans were usually foolproof as long as a caped freak didn't stick their nose where it didn't belong, and even then, he was a great strategist, adaptation was how a person survived in a world of metahumans, so why the hell, was a child, absolutely blowing it to pieces? The car ride home had been in awkward silence as Rachel kept pretending not to stare at Lex, and Lex Luthor preferred to not engage in mindless chatter with a child, in fact a quiet kid was very much preferred. Unfortunately the quiet, reserved nature of the girl did not last more than a few days. She was prone to cartwheeling down the hallways, sliding down the banisters, and flipping over staff. You could apparently take a child out of the circus, but not take the circus out of the child. The original plan had been minimal contact. Children never seemed to like him in the first place so Lex figured only interacting in the public's eyes and spoiling the kid every so often would be enough to keep her satiated and happy enough that his public image could skyrocket. Eat your heart out Brucie, old boy! Wayne wasn't the only one who could adopt some stray kid and win publicity points. Lex had hired nannies and tutors, the kid would be taken care of, wouldn't want for anything! Especially since the over eager boy scout seemed to be breathing down his neck about the kid. Yet she seemed insistent on spending her time with him any chance she could and escaping the people who were supposed to be keeping her away from him.

The first few months were an ongoing headache of running into each other when they were supposed to barely know the other existed. There was only so much an evil genius could take, but luckily for Lex, he was also a business man and great negotiator. He traded some of his peace and sanity for evening dinners a few nights a week. The girl was insistent about it as well, no matter how late he came home, and if he didn't, she refused to eat! Lex took a bite of the salmon that the chefs had made, and watched his new ward give the fish on her plate a disgusted look. "It's salmon, it's good for you." He snorted, watching her with an unimpressed expression, which she matched.

Rachel let out a grumble. "Why don't we ever eat anything normal? Like pizza or mac'n'cheese? Or umm cereal." She complained, dropping her fork to cross her arms with a scowl.

Lex snorted again. "You had cereal this morning." He pointed out, watching her throw her hands in the air.

"That was boring, healthy cereal. I'm talking about Super-O's." She grumbled.

Lex rolled his eyes. "First of all, that has way too much sugar to be healthy. Second of all, your obsession with Superman is noted and not appreciated." He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Rachel sat up with a scoff of her own. "First of all," She shot back with a grin, clearly mocking the man with his own words, "That's the point, it actually tastes good. And second of all, I don't think you have any ground to judge anyone for being obsessed with Superman." She narrowed her eyes at him, while Lex let out a surprised laugh.

"Who told you that?" He asked curiously, wondering which of the nannies, tutors, guards or chefs had a death wish.

Rachel let out a cackle, clearly pleased with the reaction she'd gotten out of him. "Nobody! The internet talks about you, a lot." She eagerly beamed as Lex gave her an unimpressed look.

"He asked about you." It was Lex's turn to grin at her reaction, but groaned at the starstruck look on her face. "He thinks I'm torturing you." He added with an amused look, anything that brought that alien annoyance was a win in his book.

Rachel sighed again. "You are! Your food is gross!" She shoved the plate away from herself. "Why didn't you let me see him!? I want to meet Superman!" She huffed, slouching in her seat.

Lex snorted. "Because," He waved his fork in the air as he tried to decide how petty he was willing to be to a child who he needed to like him, "He shouldn't be sticking his nose where it doesn't belong." He decided on, taking another bite of the salmon.

Rachel was staring at him in disbelief. "It's Superman! That's like the biggest part of his job! Wait… does he know my name?!" She had shot up to stand, pushing her hair back excitedly. "Superman knows who I am? Can you call him? I mean you probably don't have to because of the super hearing and the flying! Imagine if he took me flying! Why are we still sitting here?! Let's go to the roof and yell for Superman! I bet he'd totally come and-" She had already started moving towards the door, excitedly chattering just about every thought that came through her mind as Lex let out an irritated groan.

"We are not calling Superman." Lex growled, grabbing Rachel by the shoulders and moving her to be still, standing in front of him.

"Why not?" Rachel almost looked devastated at the thought.

Lex took a breath in, trying to rein in his temper. Why Superman? Out of all the idiotic hero worship, Batman, Wonder Woman, any one of the Lanterns would have been better than that overpowered, alien freak. "Because he's got alien germs." Kids knew what germs were, right?

Rachel rolled her eyes. "That's probably the dumbest reason I've ever heard." She scoffed before a grin broke out on her face. "Oh Superman! Help me! There's a rich baldy feeding me terrible fish!" She called out in a loud sing-song voice, throwing a hand up to her temple with an offending gasp.

Lex felt his eye twitch. "Nice try, the place is sound proofed. I don't need him trying to listen in on my conversations in my own home." Luther groaned before holding up a hand as Rachel opened her mouth again to argue with him, which she seemed to annoyingly enjoy. "You are not meeting Superman. However, fine. You don't like fish. You need to eat something." He gestured towards the attached kitchen before frowning in realization that his private chefs had already left for the night. Ugh. He was half tempted to give in and order a pizza, but then his careful control over the situation would clearly show a slip. Turning towards the kitchen, Luther stuck his nose in the air. "Come along, there's got to be something that isn't just sugar that you like." He was a genius, how hard could cooking be?

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Mercy Graves had helped, protected, watched, and coordinated many things over the years for Lex Luthor. Evil schemes, business plans, personal endeavors and delights. She held the ship steady when the storms hit and returned the helm to the captain when he inevitably returned. As his assistant, driver, and bodyguard, Mercy wasn't sure there was much more that could surprise her. That at least, was what she had assumed when she'd burst into the kitchen to the sound of shouts, smoke alarms, and the distinct smell of smoke. She expected assassins, an angered ex-employee, even the possibility of Superman, instead Lex Luthor had his new ward crouched on his shoulders and waving her hands as she yelled in another language, Lex was shouting back at her in English as he tried to use a fire extinguisher in one hand and keep them both balanced with the other, and what looked to be a food fight all over the kitchen. Grabbing the fire extinguisher out of his hands, Mercy quickly put out the small kitchen fire that looked to have originally been some sort of pasta dish? And stared at the two with barely concealed shock and dismay.

There was a beat of silence before Rachel broke it. "Now can we have pizza?" Lex let out a defeated groan and nodded, looking pained as Rachel started cheering. The pair were covered in flour, shredded cheese was stuck in Rachel's hair, and Lex had several large splotches of red sauce down the front of his button up and work pants.

Looking over at Mercy, Lex grimaced. "Not a word." He warned, Mercy giving him a nod with only the slightest hint of a teasing smile.

"Wouldn't dream of it sir." A photo of the two mid-disaster would be found framed on his desk in the morning, which somehow, Lex never quite managed to throw away.

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Lex had also made another serious miscalculation. He had assumed he wouldn't need any staff on site besides his regular security for Rachel at night. The kid never seemed to stop moving during the day, so it would be safe to assume that she'd crash and sleep at night, simple. However, by six months of living together, he found that she actually slept, very little. He had studied her quietness in the morning and the eyebags that seemed too dark for a mere child. The first few weeks he was suspicious, after all, he'd brought a random child inside his home and now his staff was constantly having to escort her back to her room at night, every night. The following night he had made it clear, she wasn't to leave her room until the morning. She was caught in the library getting a new book to read, or caught in the kitchen getting a snack, or whatever other million reasons she was wandering the halls like a lost Victorian ghost ready to spook his night staff by appearing next to them. Enough was enough.

Returning late from Lex-Corp, Lex was relieved to find the girl already in bed, supposedly asleep. Mercy had bid him goodnight and gone to her own room, but Lex hesitated. He was a man who liked answers, and every night, despite any consequences or threats, Rachel refused to listen. He quietly strolled down the hall, eyes landing on the door he was looking for, and pausing just outside it. The lights weren't on, but that meant nothing. He paused as a thump sounded from inside the room. Great. What was the kid doing now? Acrobatics? Dancing? Refusing to sleep and making Lex look like he was some evil villain who haunted children's dreams? Lex vaguely wondered how much of a sick pleasure she got from tormenting him.

Ready to catch Rachel in the act of whatever headache she was cooking up for him now, Lex slowly opened the door just as another soft thump sounded. Letting his eyes adjust, Lex took in the room as a whimper sounded out, immediately putting him on high alert. The sheets in the bed shifted as small legs kicked out as if trying to break free. What was she-?

His thought was broken as a scream broke out from his ward, and didn't stop. Reacting on instinct, Lex rushed forward, looking for whatever was attacking his newest investment, only to find nothing. He clicked on the bedside lamp with a bewildered expression before frowning further as he took in the sight before him. Rachel was twisted, blankets kicked off and sheets caught with her legs. She was shaking, arms wrapped tightly around her torso as hiccuping sobs wracked her body. Oh… A nightmare. Lex reached a hand out, hesitating a moment. She didn't know he was here. He could go get some rest, no one would be the wiser. It was just a dream and she'd be fine. Another ragged scream exploded from his ward as she reached out blindly for something, begging pleas for help falling from her lips. With a firm frown, Lex reached over and gently shook her shoulder. "Rachel. Wake up, You're having a nightmare and you're going to wake all of Metropolis with that racket." He half hissed before letting his shoulders drop as the girl's eyes didn't open. Should he get Mercy? Another brokenhearted sob escaped the girl as she jerked in her sleep and Lex felt incredibly out of his depth. Reaching over, he carefully tried to sit her up, gently supporting her as he shook her awake with a frown. Her eyes ripped open, a terrified expression on her face as she took in the room and Lex, before practically throwing herself at him, burying her face into his chest as sobs wracked her body. She was speaking in her native tongue, and Lex was grimacing as he sat stiffly as Rachel cried into his chest. Hesitantly, Lex let his arms wrap around her small frame and rub soothing circles on her back. Looking back, he would reason that his actions came from a rational choice of the quickest route to calm her, while ignoring the fact that he technically hadn't even been required in her room to begin with, or the fact that he could have called Mercy or someone else to deal with the girl. Instead, he had moved onto the bed, sitting against the headboard and letting Diane cling to him while she cried, his hand soothingly running through her dark curls. When she had finally fallen asleep, Lex had stayed awake, not daring to move lest he stir her, and had mulled over his newest answer, as well as the problems it presented, there would need to be changes. The first being the fact that although he appreciated the sound proofing of his home to keep out nosey caped freaks, it apparently also kept secrets in his home as well. How many nights had the kid been screaming from fear and not one of his staff had heard? That alone felt like a security risk. Lex let his head fall back against the headboard and his eyes closed as he mulled over these newest problems in his plan.

After that first night, Lex had moved Rachel's room to be in the same hall as his, quoting that the one she had originally been in needed work done. He also had some of the soundproofing removed on the internal walls, as well as gifted her a two way radio monitor. It was in the shape of an elephant and projected stars onto her ceiling. It was technically nothing more than a glorified walkie-talkie combined with a night-light, but Rachel's beaming grin at him had Lex deciding he was alright with getting a little extra credit from the kid who unfortunately now seemed even more eager to spend time with him. As for the night terrors themselves, it wasn't as if Lex had thought that Rachel would be over her parent's death, it just had never occurred to him that her grief seemed to haunt her. It was almost incredible to him as he watched her while pretending to be busy, at dinner, or through cameras while she was in lessons. During the day, Rachel was bouncy, cracked jokes, grinned widely at practically anyone, but at night she would wake almost nightly from terrors that would leave her a shaking, crying mess, usually only calming down after a few hours of sitting with him or Mercy. But the more Lex watched, the more he started to see the cracks. Yes, Rachel would grin, but he slowly started recognizing the ones that never seemed to reach her eyes, versus the ones that would rival the sun with its brightness. Her laughs were different too, and Lex had had to hide his smug smirk the first time he'd recognized a fake laugh from her at a tutor's pathetic attempt to use Rachel to talk with Lex. Whether he realized it or not, Lex had grown both used to, and fond of Rachel, who was quickly a normalized staple in his life. Somehow, the kid had wormed her way into his closed off world, and it unfortunately showed. What once started as a passive side plan to use the charity case to rise in popularity, had quickly become an active part of his life. On the daily, Lex found himself wondering if Diane would find something clever while going over inventions in the lab, he found himself casually looking up recipes she might like, and even searching how best to learn Romani, all for a kid that he was planning to ship off to boarding school sooner rather than later, at least that's what he told himself. However, even that story was slowly changing from a few weeks, to once she was older, to if that was the best opportunity for her, to being a general excuse if someone asked, but not a real foreseeable future. Against all odds, Lex Luthor had become something of an estranged father figure to the little orphaned acrobat, and she was his ward, his charge, and his kid, as strange as that sounded and as much as he denied it.

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The sound of the door being opened as it brushed against the thick carpet stirred Lex, but after a little over a year of living with an acrobat that seemed to detest sleep, this was unfortunately common, so he didn't open his eyes as he felt the bed shift at someone climbing onto it. At least this time it was morning, and not at two AM with barely suppressed tears. A small laugh escaped his charge as she shifted closer and poked a finger at his cheek. "Hey. Lex. Are you awake?" Rachel asked in a mock whisper, and Lex could hear the grin in her voice.

"As if that's ever stopped you. What time is it?" Lex grumbled as he rolled over and squinted at the clock on his bedside table. It read 5:14 am. He flopped facedown into his pillow letting his eyes close once more.

"It's basically morning, and look! I made breakfast!" Diane's voice sounded much too gleeful for that early in the morning. Lex Luther raised his head again to see his ward sitting on the edge of his king sized bed, proudly holding a tray of what looked to be buttered toast, orange juice, and some unrecognizable form that might have once been scrambled eggs.

"The sun hasn't even come up and you want me to do what now?" Lex groaned, shifting in the bed so that he was sitting up, rubbing the palm of his hand into his eyes trying to wake up a bit more.

Diane didn't miss a beat. "We can share this breakfast I made! It will be perfect! It'll just be me and you, no one to tell us that our manners are imperfect." She said happily plopping the tray of "food" on the bed between them. With an upcoming charity gala in Star City at the end of the year, Lex had hired a governess to teach Rachel etiquette of high society, which she seemed to find a special hatred for, and a sick glee in getting away with doing the opposite. Lex wasn't sure yet if the trait was charming or sneaky. He'd decide after the Gala depending on how much it fell back on his own image.

Gently throwing a pillow at Rachel's head which she easily dodged, Let snorted. "That's because you have the table manners of a wild ape, and that's saying something as I've dined with a gorilla. Stop getting crumbs all over my bed." Lex snapped trying to brush the crumbs away from himself and his down blankets. Gorilla Grodd might actually make a better governess if this was where the kid was still at. He looked up to see Diane pouting, looking dejectedly as the food. Lex sighed and reached over, hooking an arm around her side he pulled her over next to him and grabbed the plate of food, putting it on his lap to avoid more of a mess on his bedspread. "Fine. We can have your breakfast." Lex huffed, poking at the questionable eggs with a fork. "How did you even make this without setting off a smoke detector or getting caught by the security?" He glanced down at the now nine year old and chuckled at the guilty expression on her face, she was becoming easier to read by the day.

"I.. Well you see… I kind of.. swung on the chandelier? To get past the entrance? Then bam! Kitchen." She shrugged and gave him a sheepish grin, "Please don't be mad." She winced, hoping to escape reprimand despite the many times Lex had made it clear he did not enjoy her acrobatics on his furniture.

"Well, I'll have to improve security, but I think eating this horrible breakfast with me might be punishment enough." Lex chuckled, although he would never admit it, throughout the little over a year and a half that Diane had lived with him, she had grown on him to the point that he saw her quirks with more fondness than annoyance.

"You can have the eggs, I want the toast." Rachel childishly declared, picking up one piece and chomping into the middle of it.

Lex gave a fake gasp of indignation before poking her side, Rachel breaking into laughter at the action. "I take you in and you repay me by trying to poison me. Clever, but you're not in the will quite yet kid." Lex picked up the only other thing that looked actually edible, the orange juice and sipped at it, despite a strong preference for coffee. After almost two years of living with the tiny acrobat Lex had gotten used to being woken at strange hours. Her mood in the morning was usually a tell for how the night went if he wasn't awoken anyway from her screams. The previous night seemed to have been a better night of sleep because of how chipper she was acting. The therapist he had hired must have been slightly working as her night terrors, although still frequent, felt more manageable.

"Pan eye pum wib youb to wook todway?" Diane asked him something around the mouthful of toast, receiving an unamused look in return.

"No talking with a full mouth, and no, you cannot come with me to work, but you already knew the answer to that question. It was a valiant effort with the attempted bribery, but next time I suggest you bring coffee as well. Now if you excuse me I'm going back to bed because I don't have to go to work till seven." As he was talking, Lex set the tray of food on the bedside table, brushed the crumbs off his bed, and laid back down on his bed, turning unceremoniously so that his back faced Rachel. The hope was that she would take a hint and leave him alone to rest, or at least stay quiet so that he could get a few more hours of shut eye, but Rachel was never one to let him sleep.

"Hey Lex?" Lex felt Diane shift on the bed next to him.

"Hmmm?" He could feel himself start to relax, drifting to the edge of sleep.

"…uh it's nothing." He felt her shift again.

And on that ledge, Lex felt his mind cling onto her question. She sounded hesitant and suddenly Lex felt very awake. He let out a heavy sigh before turning back towards her and giving her a look. "What is it? Don't start something and not finish it. Follow through! It shows backbone." Lex was tired, he wanted to go back to sleep. He did not want to have to deal with a little girl at this moment. He wondered if she would forgive him for calling security to take her back to her room.

"It's just…Did you just… Did you take me in just to make yourself look better?" Rachel suddenly stilled as if her life depended on her answer. Lex sighed. She had read those newspapers he had tried to throw away, or seen the news segment. Over the past year and a half, Lex had tried to keep Diane away from the media as much as possible. She wasn't ready for the spotlight, Lex couldn't guarantee she knew her lines, wouldn't say something to the wrong reporter or get taken advantage of by some tabloid creep hoping to swoop down and remove her from Lex's home. This meant private tutors, indoor gyms and pools, nannies, and higher security. Lex had run a very tight, selective ship, and Diane had made many efforts to jump overboard despite it all. She begged to go to public parks, join clubs and god forbid school. Mercy had even made a comment about children needing friends, something Lex was still hesitating about allowing. The maid sometimes brought her daughter along to help, and Rachel had quickly discovered the teen and stolen her away as an afternoon playmate. Lex had allowed her to join an online language class, strictly monitored so that the calls with other students stayed safely away from her real identity. For the most part, Rachel had been seen being taken in by Lex Luthor, and then… Nothing. Some sadistics claimed he did something to her, killed her and replaced her with a robot or worse. In reality, he was just preparing her for a presentation to the world and suddenly discovered at the same time just how terrifying it was to let your kid join said world.

It had been the one-year anniversary of Lex taking Rachel in a week prior, and two reporters had gotten through. The kid had begged on hands and knees to go to the zoo, specifically for the elephants, and Lex could only take so many badly concealed hints, deep sighs, and sad elephant drawings before giving in. The day had been actually nice with the two of them and Mercy strolling Metropolis Zoo before having lunch at a secluded gazebo. Mercy had presented a small cupcake with a blue "1" candle on it and Rachel had given them both one of her beaming, real smiles. And then the camera flash ruined it. Sure, Lex had wanted to prove to the public that he had not just taken in Rachel to make himself look better in the eyes of the people, which is exactly what he had done, but the way Rachel's smile disappeared had weirdly turned his stomach. It must have been all the smells from the dirty animals. They just weren't ready to actually face the public yet. There were many excuses, but none really mattered as Lex quickly ushered Diane away as Mercy broke one of their cameras. The other must have gotten away. The photo had quickly made the news and Lex could only shield Diane from seeing the articles for so long, she was a rather clever child.

Lex considered his options. "Yes." He said simply, but before the girl could wilt more than she already was, Lex gently grabbed her chin and lifted her face so they were looking eye to eye. "But you changed my mind. I never thought that I'd meet someone as special or clever as you in my life, at least not without a good cloning project." He chuckled at his own half joke. "In the most boring way, yes, but I don't regret that decision. No matter the choices that led up to it, I'm happy with the end result." Lex let go of Diane's chin and ruffled her hair awkwardly before turning around and flopping back into his bed despite the very loud question that was appearing in his mind. "I hope you might come to that same conclusion, on your own I mean." He cleared his throat awkwardly before pulling his covers back up around himself. "Now stop waking me in the middle of the night. I'm a busy man and I need to sleep." Despite his declaration, Lex lay facing away from Rachel, eyes open and craning his senses for any noises from his ward in the comfortable silence that had fallen between them.

The beat of silence was interrupted as Diane let out a yawn and shifted on the bed, pulling at his covers as she tucked herself in on the other side. "Thanks Lex." She hummed a note of contentment in her voice that finally let Lex close his eyes. Eventually, he would move forward with his plan. Rachel's success would make him look good to the public, but that felt not as important anymore, a backburner benefit. Rachel was hopefully happy, she was smart and would almost guarantee to be a success in life no matter where she went, and Lex felt a weird proudness at the thought.

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Lex finished shrugging on his suit jacket before doing a double take at Diane draped dramatically against the wall, staring at him with her best pitiful expression, after almost two years of getting to know Diane, Lex simply snorted at her dramatics. She wanted something. He raised an amused eyebrow at her. "And what has you in such a depressing state now?" He kindly stopped himself from adding that he had just seen her five minutes ago eagerly smothering some waffles with way too much syrup.

Rachel let out a dramatic sigh before turning and wrapping her arms around him, tilting her head back to look up at him with a serious frown. "Can I please come with you to work? I want to see it all! I'll be so good! You won't even know I'm there!" She eagerly asked, lighting up at the prospect.

Lex didn't seem affected, reaching over to unhook her hands from around himself and ruffle her hair. "I'm not just playing there you know, I have actual work to get done. Plus, you have your classes. I'll see you when I get back, alright?" He turned as Mercy opened the door for them. "Have a good day Diane." He waved vaguely in the air as the door closed behind him.

Diane watched the door closed with a small huff. Her tutor was already setting things up in the classroom, which is where she should have headed, but she'd never been used to staying stuck in one place for so long, and the temptation to follow after was incredibly strong…. But Lex would be more than pissed about it, and she had just gotten done with being grounded and so did not feel like the dozens of extra assignments about responsibility that he'd have her tutor add to her homework.

"A respectable gentlelady is always on time, Miss Grayson!" A cross voice called out, making Diane grimace. The voice belonged to her governess and the enforcer of manners and all unimportant etiquette. Lex had increased the amount of times the lady came by due to that stupid gala that wasn't even happening for a few more months! Diane let out another groan at the thought before glancing at the door. Avoiding the nitpicking alone was worth the trouble she'd get into from her escape.

By sprinting the entire way, sliding down a banister, and leaping out of a one story window onto a flagpole and sliding down, Rachel beat the pair to Lex's car, but she knew she wouldn't have long. There was only one place she might get away with, and she thanked everything that the trunk apparently was unlocked. Jumping inside, Rachel squirmed towards the back, moving a large box of something between her and the opening in case they did open it and see her, but luck was on her side. She listened to two doors open and close, before the car started moving. The biggest downfall in Rachel's plan was the realization that she really couldn't see anything, and just had to sit tight and hope they stopped soon. She gave them about an hour before her tutors realized she was not just hiding from them and was in fact not still in the home. A turn had the large box sliding towards her and she kicked out trying to stop it, making the thing tip over. She winced, waiting to see if the car would stop and either adult would check, but the car just kept driving. It was hard to see in the darkness of the trunk, but Diane made out random tools that were scattered around her. Curiously poking through them, Rachel couldn't help but notice that they seemed… different. They held power mods and seemed more like a mix between weapons and tools. Rachel frowned at the thought, fiddling with a green bracelet that had sleek wires down the side before freezing as the car came to a stop and shut off. She could just barely hear her guardian and his body guard exchange a few words before the conversation slowly grew more distant. Reaching out, she pulled on the tag and the trunk slowly popped open.

Blinking in the light, Rachel just caught sight of an elevator closing and heading to the 28th floor, before she deemed it safe enough to start her exploration. Cars. Fancy cars. And… Oops! Security! Rachel dodged behind a van just in time to avoid being spotted by a patrolling security guard. That would have been embarrassing! Her first big rebellion and adventure and she gets caught right out of the gate? Lex would give her such a judgmental look. Diane had dubbed it, The Lex-Glare, bold enough to scare the toughest security guards and judgmental enough to shame the haughtiest of business partners. Also given to her when Lex thought she had done something especially stupid. Watching the guard round the corner, Rachel headed towards the elevators. Lex had gone to the 28th floor, was that where she should go as well? Rachel pressed the call button and mulled it over as it returned. She could always go to a different floor and then follow Lex, just to make sure her exploration wasn't over before it started… Floor 25 had a nice ring to it, and Rachel had just decided on that as the doors opened when a shout startled her.

"Hey! Hey Nancy, you're right! There's a kid in here! Where'd a kid come from?! Hold on- Are you lost? This isn't a playground!" The security guard was talking with someone on a walkie-talkie and Diane's head whipped up to stare at a camera, looking directly at her.

Oh cheese and crackers she was a moron. "Uh- Uh! Not lost, thank you anyway!" Diane started hitting the closed door button in a panic as the guard picked up her pace. "No, no, no!" Diane winced back before letting out a sigh of relief as the elevator started ascending. Perfect! Sure her timeline might have gotten shorter, but it was still going! As the elevator broke the surface onto the main floor and continued rising, Diane's relief was short-lived. It was a glass elevator, and she could see everything, and everyone. And they could see her. Looking back up at the shiny camera lens, Rachel gave it a grumpy frown before watching as now several security guards started to move. Uh Oh… Hitting several elevator buttons, Diane watched them light up before dashing off on the third floor which was apparently a maze of cubicles, how drab! Phones quietly rang and the sound of soft voices and keyboards clicking filled the space. The huge building couldn't have this on every floor, could it? Rachel made her way through the maze, startling several workers who quickly alerted their fellow office workers that hey! There was a kid here! One woman reached out for her arm and Rachel was having none of that. Dodging to the side, Rachel quickly rushed ahead, bounding into a stairwell and taking off up the stairs. She skipped two levels before slipping through the third.

This level felt much more interesting! Workers wearing lab coats moved between rooms, and Rachel felt a rush of excitement. Stepping up to the glass of the first room, she curiously watched as two scientists were testing the mechanics on some sort of robot. The next room flashed lights and Rachel turned just in time to see a scientist using a flamethrower at several materials before inspecting the damage. Now this was cool! Lex had always made his work sound boring, just meetings and budgets and endless paperwork. Why hadn't he ever mentioned flame throwers and robots?! He always focused on the wrong stuff. Luckily for him, she was always happy to liven the place up, and she would not let him ignore that fact that… That one of the scientists was testing hover boots?! Rachel rushed onto the next observation deck with stars in her eyes. No.. not just hover, anti-gravity boots! Her mind buzzed with the thought of what the math and science behind them could be. Here Lex was all worried and lecturing about keeping up with her studies when the man had people fighting gravity?! Oh she was going to beg to come here everyday instead of her classes, this was just way too cool! Following the hallway, Rachel jerked backwards, ducking under a table as a group of scientists left a room and started down the hallway. She listened to their chatter about deadlines and needing another cup of coffee fade away before she continued her exploration. Glancing in the now empty test chamber, Rachel frowned. Sitting on a pedestal was what looked to be a camera with a large green vial on it? Rachel hummed in thought, maybe it was some type of portable x-ray machine? The door leading to the stairwell on the opposite side of the building beeped as someone started to open the door. Rachel jumped into a back handspring before rolling back under her hiding spot under the desk just in time as another scientist pushed inside. The man was grumbling to himself as he hesitated before entering the empty room. Rachel tried to shift to see into the room but to no avail. The sound of the man's boots reappeared as he left the testing chamber, and then the door beeped again and she was alone. Crawling back out, Rachel glanced in the chamber to find it empty. Huh. Shrugging to herself, she slowly opened the door to the new stairwell and checked it was empty before heading up again.

The next floor she stopped on, Rachel huffed, a breakroom styled cafeteria was a major letdown after anti-gravity boots and other inventions. There were a few workers gathered around the coffee stations, but the room was otherwise empty. Diane turned to go before a shock of red hair caught her eyes. It was a young boy, who seemed only slightly older than her! There were other kids here?! Stepping fully inside, Rachel studied him from afar. A bright smattering of freckles adorned his face and his green eyes seemed to study the crumbs left on his plate. He was sitting alone, and Rachel watched him glance at the food being served before sighing again and looking back at his plate. Rachel swallowed, feeling a bit nervous. Sure, she talked to and hung out with Cat, the maid's daughter that stopped by when she had school breaks, and some of her online classmates seemed cool, but she really hadn't had any friends since she left the circus, let alone hung out with anyone her own age just because. "Come on Grayson, don't be a chicken!" She grumbled to herself before casually walking over to the redhead. She was cool. She was an acrobat, and a mathlete and could totally be cool! Lex would be laughing at her if he saw, and she hoped beyond anything that he would not. Clearing her throat and wincing as she saw the boy jump slightly at the action, Rachel gave him her best grin and a small wave. "Hi! I'm Diane! I didn't know there were other kids here today, do your parents um.. Work here?" She tried to radiate confidence, that she was not only allowed to be at Lex Corp as he was, but went there on the regular.

It must have worked as the boy's startled expression settled and he gave her a half smile. "Um… Hey. No, my aunt is a reporter and is in an interview so I'm just waiting for her, I'm Wally by the way." He returned her wave with a hesitant lift of his hand.

Diane didn't wait a second before nodding along to what he was saying. "Oh neat! There's some pretty cool stuff here so I get why a reporter would want to check it out! As long as she isn't like… stealing company secrets or something. My guardian is always so worried about that. I personally thought he was being dramatic, but after seeing some of the inventions, I get it. I'd want to steal them too if it meant getting cool robots or something." She chattered, waving her hand in the air.

Luckily, instead of getting annoyed, Wally seemed to relax, listening with a small smile as she talked. "Robotics are cool. I like chemistry more though." He added with a shrug, blinking as Diane seemed to smile even bigger if that was possible.

"You like science!? I love science! And math! I'm in advanced algebra and will probably start calculus next year! And for science it's super cool, I'm taking forensic science where you get to analyze a crime scene and figure it out by clues!" She gushed excitedly.

Wally gasped and waved his arms around quickly in the air. "Dude! My uncle is a forensic scientist for Star City's police!" He bragged proudly.

Diane grabbed his shoulders, feeling bad as the boy flinched slightly. "That is amazing. You are amazing. Can we be friends now? You have to tell me everything!" She squealed excitedly.

Wally let out a laugh and nodded with a grin. "Only if you tell me about these cool robots?" He offered, making Diane eagerly nod.

"Okay, yes, of course. But also, do you want more food? You were looking very sad at your plate earlier." She asked, nodding towards the food line.

Wally's face flushed in embarrassment and he cleared his throat. "No! It's fine. It costs money anyway and I don't want to bother my aunt with it or anything. I'm fine, really." He quickly dismissed it, but Diane had just found her first friend in what might have been years, and she was not about to let something silly like money or permission get in the way of making sure he was happy.

Grinning like a shark with a mischievous look, Diane pulled out a small wallet from her pocket. Inside was a sleek, black credit card that Lex had given her in case of dire emergencies. This felt very dire and emergency like. Looping her arm through Wally's, Diane pulled him up with her and went through the line with him. He seemed to hesitate, and kept trying to refuse, in which case Diane would order extra of whatever he'd been staring at, making him laugh and groan. By the end of the line, the pair had four trays practically spilling over with food between them. The cashier at the end gave them a nasty look that had Wally shrinking back. Diane considered that unacceptable. She glanced at his name tag with a sneer. "This should cover everything… Dylan." She put on her best Lex Luthor impression, voice dripping in distaste that seemed to take the man by surprise.

He took the card and opened his mouth before doing a double take at the card. He seemed to be studying it before looking up and studying Diane. She frowned further at him and glanced at Wally, trying to keep a feeling of cool control on the situation. Dylan slowly swiped the card, and the machine dinged before printing a long receipt in the silence as he handed back her card. "Sorry about that… miss… ma'am! Miss ma'am?" Dylan cleared his throat before swallowing nervously, staring at Diane as if she were a bomb ready to go off.

Diane decided to ignore it and grabbed two of the trays with a laugh. "Come on Wally!" She eagerly invited, the red head startling before grabbing the others and following suit. He apparently was not lying about being slightly hungry, and Diane watched in a mix of amazement and slight disgust as he ate a majority of their food while chatting excitedly about science, favorite colors, favorite heroes, and the like. Wally apparently was the president of the Flash Fanclub which that alone was very cool, but then he invited her to be his vice president! Diane gave him a sheepish grin. "Can I still be in the club if I think he's cool but my favorite is Superman?" Wally seemed to think it over before nodding and the two continued to excitedly chat. Diane was over the moon. Wally was great and she was having so much fun and… And a security guard was talking with Dylan, who was now pointing at them. Uh oh. Grabbing Wally's hand, Diane quickly pulled him to his feet. "You want to see something really cool? Come on!" Despite the hesitations on Wally's face, the boy only resisted for a second before eagerly joining her side, and Diane's grin completely lit up her face at the action.

Heading further up the stairs, Diane led the way for her new friend, despite having no clue where she was off to. "Umm… I think it's this way." She shot him a confident grin she didn't quite feel as she opened the door to a new level.

Wally raised an eyebrow at her, tilting his head. "You think? I thought you knew your way around this place!" He half teased with a snort.

Diane rolled her eyes but laughed with a groan. "It's all very tall and maze-like. We'll find something interesting eventually!" She beamed, stopping short in front of a solid door. Clearly whatever was hidden here felt… more secret, special! Diane flung open the door to reveal a janitor's closet. "Hm.. well. Maybe not here, here, but there's definitely cool stuff tucked all over!" She sputtered, trying to regain her companion's confidence in her abilities.

It might have been too late for that considering that Wally was letting out a cackle at the sight. "You have no idea what's here, do you!?" He pointed accusingly at her while he tried to regain his composure, a grin on his face at the newest development.

Rachel's face flushed in embarrassment as Wally finally saw through her bluff. "Yes I do! Well, okay maybe not like all over, but I know some ways around!" She argued, thinking back on the stories she'd seen before meeting the boy. Yeah.

Wally was clearly not believing her anymore. "Yeah? What's on the next level? Or the one after that?" He challenged.

Diane let out a strangled noise before admitting defeat. "Okay, so I maybe don't actually know where anything is." She admitted with a sigh.

Wally patted her shoulder in mock comfort. "So how often do you actually get to hang out here?" Diane couldn't meet his eyes.

"This is.. My first time."

"...What?" Wally groaned and ran a hand down his face. "And I just left where my aunt told me to wait! Dude! I'm going to get into so much trouble! I don't want to… I just can't mess things up with them, alright? We have to go back." He tried to rationalize with a slightly growing panic, and Diane gave a heavy sigh of defeat.

"Alright, are we still… friends?" Rachel hesitantly asked, watching Wally nervously.

Wally seemed taken aback by the question before giving her a small grin and throwing his arm around her neck. "No duh! Why wouldn't my vice president be my friend? That's basically written in the by-laws!" He grinned down at her and seemed to relax as her smile returned.

At least until the door they were walking back to burst open with a very red in the face security guard. "I got them Hank! Seventeenth floor, door 2B! Come on kids, just come with me, we'll call your parents and maybe we can avoid calling the cops." Rachel felt every muscle in Wally's body stiffen. The boy seemed genuinely scared, shaking slightly as the guard grew closer. Diane didn't like that her newest and maybe only friend was afraid, and as the now official vice president of the Flash fanclub, she had to act. Reaching for the first thing on hand which was a toilet paper roll, Diane flung the wrapped roll at the guard who jumped back in surprise. Taking Wally's shaking hand, Diane turned the opposite direction and started running, ignoring the shouts of the guard as he took chase. Apparently, this floor had several meeting rooms, the different groups turning in startled surprise to see two children being chased by one of the Luthor Corp security officers. Spotting their escape, Diane pointed to the staircase door and the two practically exploded out of it into the stairwell.

Wally started taking the lead, their feet pounding against the stairs before Diane pulled them to a stop a few floors up. The door had an electronic keypad to open it, but Diane had taken a special interest in coding as of late, and found a special joy in hacking. A few moments later, the door was clicking closed behind them just in time to duck out of view of the officer who rushed further up.

Catching her breath, Diane looked up at Wally with a half smile but let it drop as she noticed how pale he'd gone. The boy looked ready to throw up and was still badly shaking. Lifting a hand up, Diane tried to catch the panicking boy's gaze. "Wally? Hey, it's okay, we'll just go a different way and everything will be fine." She tried to soothe, feeling bad at possibly getting her new friend in trouble.

Wally shook his head with a firm frown. "You heard that guy! He'll tell my Aunt and Uncle and the police and we'll probably go to jail and we should've just stayed put, I really wanted this to work and for Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry to like me and I-" His speech had started increasing in speed as he paced, and Diane was having a hard time understanding what he was saying.

Reaching out and grabbing his arm to stop him, Diane shook her head. "Listen, this is all my fault. I'll take all the blame, okay? You can say I forced you to come with me and then nobody can be mad at you, alright?" She tried to offer, and it seemed to work slightly. Diane figured she already was getting grounded for just being there, helping her new friend would just be a bonus.

Wally frowned at the thought but didn't seem to be as panicked as he had started to become. "But then won't you get in trouble?" He asked softly.

Rachel gave him a giant grin with a shrug. "Eh, it'll be worth it, besides, what are friends for?" She lifted her fist in a hopeful motion and Wally gently met it with his own with a soft, nervous laugh.

"Okay, okay. Sorry, I just really don't want to get in trouble... How do we get back down to the lunch room from here anyway?" He asked, glancing around the floor.

Diane chuckled, nose wrinkling with a gentle hum, pleased to notice that Wally's shaking hands seemed to have calmed. "We can go to the other stairs again and head back down, come on! They should be on the opposite end of this floor." She nodded her head and the two started walking. The floor was empty, the lights off and plastic sheets hanging on bare walls. Apparently, the entire floor was under construction. As they neared the other door, the pair froze at the sound of movement. Diane put a finger to her lips and crept forward, Wally sticking close behind. Peeking around a tarp, Diane frowned at what she saw. A man was hunched over something, grumbling to himself as he worked. He didn't look like a construction worker. Diane glanced at the door, the man's back was to them… maybe they could just sneak by without him noticing? He seemed pretty focused on his work. Glancing back at Wally, Diane motioned towards the door. They crept forward, and Diane gently pulled the door handle, hoping to avoid any noises that might alert the man. The door resisted, making her grit her teeth. Why was it locked from the inside as well? There wasn't anything important here! Reaching for the keypad, Diane's hand froze as she noticed the thing had been destroyed, a large screwdriver sticking out of it. Well that wasn't any good. Shaking her head at Wally, Diane turned to lead the way back before letting out a startled scream as she made eye contact with the man, who was now looking incredibly angry, and holding the camera invention from earlier.

"What the fuck are a bunch of kids doing here?" He scoffed, running a hand through his hair incredulously and looking rather panicked. Diane figured she could do a few well timed summersaults and get around the guy, but that would most likely leave Wally to get caught and in trouble, something she had a sneaking suspicion would quickly end their newfound friendship. No, if she was going to escape, it would have to be with Wally. Glancing back at the boy had Rachel frowning in concern, he was once again starting to shake, which might actually work in their favor, Rachel had been performing since before she could walk, and she was more than ready to put on a show.

With wide eyes and a scared expression, Diane grabbed Wally's hand. "I'm so sorry mister! We were on a tour and were looking for the bathroom and now we're lost and we just want to go back to the lobby! Can you please help us find the stairs?" She didn't blink, forcing her eyes to start to water, and sticking out her lower lip.

The man seemed taken aback and swallowed, glancing at the door and them as if not fully convinced. "You're… you're lost?" He glanced between the two, missing the way Rachel elbowed Wally who quickly nodded along. "Oh, oh I see… It's alright then, don't worry, my name is Simon." He lowered the camera and Diane let out a breath of relief. "You took a lot of wrong turns… That door is broken. I'll show you how to get down." He sighed, looking irritated at the inconvenience before gesturing with his head for the pair to start walking ahead of him. There was an air of awkward silence as they headed back to the first stairwell. Simon was the first to break it. "Do your parents work here or something?" He asked almost too casually, Diane felt goosebumps on her neck raise at the innocent question.

Giving him an empty smile, Rachel shook her head. "No, we're just here on a field trip!" She wondered if schools did that, and if so, why they would be allowed to see Lex Corp before she was. Simon seemed to find that answer acceptable, which slightly irritated Diane on the implications alone. Grounded or not, she mentally decided she was going to start an argument with Lex when she got home. The door was in sight and Diane squeezed Wally's hand.

"You two have been wandering around for some time?" Simon sounded almost nervous about it. Rachel wondered if Lex's paranoia was contagious or if he just hired people like himself, it was probably the second one.

Giving a non-chalant shrug, Diane hummed. "Maybe for a bit? I'm not sure." The less info the better.

Wally cleared his throat. "We should probably get back as soon as possible though, don't want to make them worried, you know?" He spoke quickly and Rachel gave him an encouraging smile. Just a room away and they'd be home free.

Diane started quickening her pace, pulling Wally with her as she set her gaze on the door. "Yeah! Thanks Mr. Simon, we'll tell our teacher you helped us out." She praised, hand reaching for the handle.

Simon's hand landed heavily on her shoulder, yanking her back. "Actually kids, why don't- wouldn't you like to see something cool first? Some real science that you can brag about?" Rachel swallowed and glanced back at Simon who now had a wild look in his face and was badly hiding it with an unsure smile.

Shaking her head, Rachel gave a sad frown. "No, no that's alright, we wouldn't want to bother you and um- our teacher is going to be really worried!" Her heart started beating a little faster, and she could feel Wally's hand shaking again in hers, but Simon kept his grip on her shoulder, and it was starting to become a little painful.

"I came all this way; I can't have some stupid kids blabbing about me and ruining this!" Simon hissed, shaking his head and glancing behind him. "You… you've seen my face! And my name?! Oh…" He squeezed Rachel's shoulder again, making her wince.

Why was he on this floor alone with some project? The pieces were not adding up. Diane's eyes widened and her heart plummeted to her toes. "You don't work for Lex Corp… do you?" She muttered, making both Wally and Simon's head whip over to look at her.

Wally looked a mix of confused and horrified. "He doesn't?" He asked at the same time that Simon scoffed.
"Of course I don't!" Simon was now glaring daggers at the pair. "Not after Luthor decided my life's work wasn't worth pursuing anymore! The man's going soft in the head, and I don't need two idiot kids ruining months of planning!" He snarled, waving a hand angrily in the air. Of course, of all the people to get caught by, the two had been discovered by a crazed ex-employee in the middle of his revenge plan.

Diane couldn't help feeling protective with Lex not being near to defend himself. "He's not going soft! I bet he only stopped your work because you're nuttier than a squirrel!" She scoffed, ignoring the slightly judgmental look she was getting from Wally, before hissing with a wince as Simon dug his fingers into her shoulders and shook her angrily. She loosened her grip on Wally's hand hoping he'd turn tail and run, hopefully find his aunt and get some help.

In a single blink, Diane went from hissing in pain as the man tried to pull her closer, and to feeling like her heart and stomach did a jump into her feet and back as the world became a blur. Then Rachel was back on earth, at the top floor of the stairwell, and despite the way her vision was still spinning, she could see Wally holding his hands out uncertainly with a scared expression, and he was shaking still, but no… That wasn't right, he wasn't shaking, he was vibrating. Little sparks seemed to jump through his hair, fingertips and around his feet before settling, unlike Diane's stomach.

Diane was slapped in the face by two very loud facts. One was that Wally had powers, and the other was that she was feeling very uncool as she started throwing up next to him as she lost the battle with her stomach. This was turning into a disaster, heavy on the dis.