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Bruce left the cafe with a scowl on his face and a tick on his eye.
Is not like he couldnt understand why it was so hard for Clark to accept Conner, but the fact that Superman, of all people, was pretty much letting a kid without someone to look up to and be guided by. . . .
He just couldn't believe it!
Considering all his attempts to motivate Clark into taking action were failing, he only saw one solution for all of this. One he knew more than well.
With a sigh, for he knew he was never going to hear the end of this from Richard (who had already seen this coming all the way back to that night when they found Conner, and who he had told multiple times he did not plan to interfere), he brought out his cellphone.
— Alfred, do you still have those papers I asked for some months ago. . .? Situation changed, I need them. —
|°|
Finding Conner was not hard, the boy spent an awful lot of time in the young justice's quarters, even when he had free time from school.
Luckily, none of the other teens seemed to be there today. Better, he wanted some privacy for what he was about to talk with him, last thing he wanted was for the kid to feel pressured to accept or deny his offer.
He found him lost in thought in the sofa, and almost didnt want to interrupt him.
— May I sit? —
For the record thats a terrible way starting a conversation with someone who is lost in thought unless your objective is to make them jump on their sit, specially if you have Batman levels of deep voice. He will keep note for the future.
— ah!? ah- sure, if you want to? —
Conner tried his best not to appear like he just jumped from his seat, and Bruce knew better than to point that with a teen boy.
So he sat next to him.
A minute of silence passed before he finally decided to spoke.
— How have you been, lately I mean? —
He is more than aware that he is using a softer tone of voice with the clone boy than he has done in almost all their past meetings, but really, he would rather not scare him off right before doing what he intends to do. He would rather it not become a pattern for him to adopt someone in a bad moment of their lifes.
— eh, well, i guess. . .—
— I see, here, I have something for you —
Conner seemed genuinely surprised at the notion that Batman of all people had something to give him, and again, not something he can blame the kid on. Before superboy had too much time to think about it, he pulled the papers and gave them for him to read.
He took a moment to understand what they were, and Bruce was able to see how the confused frown from his face slowly changed into utter surprise.
— huh? Is this. . .?—
— All is already covered up, if you want to, you only have to agree —
The boy looked at the papers once, then to him, then again to the papers, and back to him, and so on once or twice more times, before his eyes finally settled on him again.
— Are you . .serious? —
There was confusion on the teen's voice, yes, but more importantly, there was something else: Hope. He was so hopeful at the meaning of those pieces of paper on his hands, it was almost painful.
— Am I the type to joke around? —
That cracked a smile on the boy, and it was genuinely so honest...
— No, you are not —
And so, the paper work was done.
|°|
As they arrived, in civilian clothes, to the Waynes manor, they were received by a sighing Alfred and a smug Richard. Oh, his son was never letting him live this one down....
Conner looked a little embarrased as he carried his things inside, avoiding with all his might his friend's (now brother? He will let them decide the technicalities later) eyes as he stepped inside. But Dick was much less focused on his friend as he was on his father.
Bruce took a breath, bracing himself for the inevitable "I told you so".
— I got to give you credit, Bruce, I was fully expecting you to take him in the night we met him, you exceded my expectatives —
Somehow, that was worse.
|°|
He was not the type to rejoice in someone's else pain or confusion, but Batman couldn't help but smile under his coffee mug while Superman stared at him with uther disbelief from the other side of the table, hell, the man probably would be able to see it considering the whole X-ray vision thing.
— Batman, can you explain me why, in all heavens, is Superboy calling himself your son right now to the rest of the team? —
Next to him, Diana just shake her head with a smile on her lips. Behind those two, Plastic man paid something to black canary (he will glare at them for that later, this is his moment first), Shazam just stared at them with open mouth, and somewhere behind him he could hear Oliver on a laptop quickly tiping something that he hopes has nothing to do with this whole conversation.
— Well thats easy, I adopted him —
— Why —
— Someone had to do it, since you werent. —
To give Diana some credit, she did cover her mouth and turned her face to the other side to hide her chuckle from Superman.
— Bruce. —
— I regret nothing. —
|°|
Lex awoke with a groan. What could his secretary want this early in the morning?
— Yes? —
He grumbled while sitting up, reconsidering his life choices as he stared at the floor at 5 am. For god's sake, he wasnt even aware his asistant was awake this early in the morning to start with.
— Sir, we are being sued. —
— Ugh, by which hippy now? —
— uh. . .—
Ten minutes and 2 coffees later
Ring Ring Riiiing
— Wayne Manor here, you are talking with Bruce wayne! What may I help you with on this beautiful morning? —
— BRUCE WHY THE ABSOLUTE FUCK ARE YOU SUING ME FOR 16 YEARS OF UNPAID CHILD SUPPORT WHAT THE FUCK —