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Chapter Text

Chapter Text

*Metropolis — Luthor Manor*

Metropolis shimmered under the orange glow of a setting sun. The city buzzed, alive with the usual rhythm of honking horns, people hurrying home, and the occasional boom of distant heroics. But high above the world in a skyscraper of glass and ambition—LexCorp Tower—Vanessa Luthor slammed her bedroom door with enough force to rattle the titanium hinges.

The walls were too quiet tonight.

Vanessa phased through the ceiling of her massive, marble-floored bedroom like a ghost in jeans and a cheer leading jacket, dropping onto her plush carpet with a sigh. Another long practice. Another A+ smile. Another day pretending everything was normal.

Her pod hummed softly in the corner—her sanctuary. A glowing chamber that stabilized her molecular structure while she slept. She’d begged her dad to make it look less weird after the last slumber party incident. He never said no to her. But tonight, he'd said plenty.

The argument played on loop in her mind.

"You’re not ready for the world to know what you are. You think cheerleading and gossip blogs are enough to keep you safe?"

“What am I supposed to do, Dad—live in a box forever?”

“Yes. If it keeps you alive.”

Lex had stood with his arms crossed, unbothered by the teenage storm in front of him. “I protected you, Vanessa. From the truth. From the world.” before he had left and locked her room door behind him.

Vanessa didn’t care about the world. She cared about being normal. About not having to sleep in a containment pod because her molecules wouldn’t stay put. About going to school, leading cheer routines, and sneaking out to parties with Cassidy and Mary. Not about Zeta beam accidents or secret files with her real parents’ names blacked out.

She punched her pillow. Then threw it across the room—straight through the wall. Oops.

Mercy would find it later. Probably shake her head and pretend not to care, the way robot-moms did.

Vanessa climbed into the pod, curling up beneath her mountain of blankets. Her molecular structure began to stabilize, her body slowly turning from semi-translucent to fully solid. She blinked back tears.

If only her emotions were that easy to stabilize.

She didn’t cry. Vanessa Luthor didn’t cry.

Instead, she phased one hand through the pod's ceiling and gave her ceiling the middle finger.

---

*Vanessa's bedroom — 03:14 A.M.*

The wall to her room shattered.

She didn’t even scream. She couldn’t.

A tranquilizer dart hit her neck. Everything blurred. Sportsmaster’s helmet was the last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her whole.

---

The break-in was silent. Sportsmaster didn’t need flashy entrances.

He’d been given a job: grab the girl. Hurt Lex Luthor without touching him. The target was fifteen, small, spoiled, and powered. “Be careful,” the client had said.

He smirked behind his mask. He loved careful jobs.

In minutes, the penthouse’s security was neutralized—Mercy, already incapacitated by an EMP dart. She hadn’t even seen it coming.

Vanessa woke up with a jolt as the pod malfunctioned, its interior lights flickering red. Alarms screamed. But before she could phase out, a hard fist slammed into the glass. Then gas.

Her last thought before unconsciousness: Dad’s gonna lose his mind.

---

Lex Luthor stood in front of a flickering monitor, jaw clenched. "They took her."

Mercy stood nearby, scorch marks on her arm where the EMP had hit.

“She’s off-grid,” she said, grimly. “They disabled her tracker.”

Lex closed his eyes. For the first time in years, he looked... human. He picked up the encrypted phone only Batman was supposed to use.

The line opened in two seconds.

"You owe me," Lex said.

Batman’s voice was quiet but sharp. “Where is she?”

---

*Mount Justice - Night*

Batman, Robin, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Superboy huddled in the briefing room.

Batman’s voice was clipped and cold.

“Lex Luthor has called in a favour.”

The team stared at him.

“Wait, Lex Luthor Luthor?” Wally said, practically falling out of his chair. “Did he lose a bet or something?”

“No,” Batman said. “He lost his daughter.”

Robin’s head snapped up.

Batman continued. The screen displayed Vanessa’s file: VANESSA LUTHOR – Age: 15. Meta: Molecular destabilization. Status: MISSING.

“She's a civilian,” Batman said. “Whatever Lex has done, she’s not part of it. She’s being used to manipulate him. You’ll extract her. She’s the mission.”

Robin frowned. “But, Sportsmaster… he doesn’t usually do snatch-and-grabs.”

“This one’s personal,” Batman replied.

“Vanessa Luthor. Fifteen. Meta-human with molecular destabilization. She’s been kidnapped. Sportsmaster has taken credit. Luthor is off-limits. He believes Sportsmaster will kill her if he intervenes. So he called me.”

“Wait,” Artemis said slowly, “Sportsmaster kidnapped a Luthor? That’s... gutsy. Even for him.”

“Which is why we’re going. You leave in twenty minutes.”

---

*Gotham Docks - 11:53 PM*

The warehouse on Gotham’s docks reeked of saltwater, rust, and blood.

Vanessa came to, groggy and cold, shackled to a containment chair. Her body flickered in and out of phase as she tried to focus, but the collar around her neck kept her unstable.

“You’re not worth the effort,” Sportsmaster said, circling her like a vulture. “Just a bargaining chip.”

Vanessa smiled, even as blood trickled from her lip. “Then why are you monologuing like a Saturday morning cartoon?”

He struck her.

She phased just enough to soften the hit—but not enough to escape.

Every time she phased, it tore at her muscles. Her vision swam as she crawled behind a stack of crates, her body flickering like a broken hologram. A shock collar buzzed faintly around her throat, courtesy of her “host.”

Outside, Robin planted a smoke bomb.

“Now,” Batman whispered through comms.

The fight was short and brutal. Miss Martian flung metal crates like cardboard. Aqualad pinned Sportsmaster with his water blades. Robin leapt into the chaos with practiced precision, bo staff a blur.

She had almost made it to the edge of the ship when she heard shouting—then the crash of something very heavy slamming into the deck.

She peeked around the crate.

A blur of yellow zipped past—Kid Flash.

A blur of black—Robin.

She collapsed just as he landed beside her.

“Whoa, hey—” Robin crouched low, steadying her. “Vanessa, right?”

She blinked at him, half-solid. “You’re shorter than I thought.”

He smirked. “You’re bleeding through dimensions.”

“Yeah… happens.”

“Let’s get you out of here.”

He unclipped the collar. She gasped as her powers flared, her body briefly flickering.

“Luthor,” she slurred. “Tell him… I didn’t... phase into the wrong room this time.”

Robin smirked faintly. “I’ll let him know.”

He wrapped his cape around her shoulders.

“Can you walk?”

She tried. Collapsed.

Robin caught her.

Wally skidded to a halt beside them. “Whoa. Who’s the ghost girl? She single?”

“Wally—” Robin glared. “Shut up.”

Wally held his hands up. “Just trying to make a dramatic rescue moment here, bro.”

---

Vanessa woke to soft beeping and harsh fluorescent lights. She bolted upright—then winced.

“Easy,” said a voice.

She turned. Robin—sans mask. Not completely unmasked, but close enough that she could see his concern.

“You saved me,” she mumbled.

“Technically, you half-saved yourself,” he said, crossing his arms. “We just showed up before you phased through the ocean floor.”

She chuckled weakly. “Thanks. You’re not... like, gonna tell people, are you?”

“About your powers?”

She nodded.

He leaned in a little closer. “Secrets are kind of my thing.”

She smiled.

Wally burst into the room, holding two smoothies. “Vanessa! Girl of mystery and meta-chaos! You want banana or triple berry?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m literally bleeding and your flirting game is still on?”

Wally grinned. “It’s part of my healing strategy.”

Robin rolled his eyes. “Ignore him. He's been like this since birth.”

She laughed. A real laugh. Then flinched.

“Okay, okay, no laughing yet,” she whispered. “Everything hurts.”

Robin sat beside her. “You’ll be safe here. For now.”

She looked down at her hands—flickering faintly.

“Safe’s never really been my thing,” she whispered.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice — Med Bay*

The first thing Vanessa felt was warmth. Not just physical—but something else. Safety. Familiarity. A soft bed. Clean sheets. Quiet voices.

Mount Justice wasn’t home, but it didn’t feel like a prison, either.

She opened her eyes slowly. A curved ceiling of steel and glass greeted her. Monitors beeped softly beside the bed. A blanket had been tucked around her, and someone had braided her hair into a neat plait.

Her voice croaked, dry. “...Where...?”

Robin appeared instantly from a chair nearby, holding a glass of water. “You’re at Mount Justice. You’re safe.”

Vanessa took the glass, her fingers brushing his. “Robin, right?”

He gave a tiny grin. “You remember.”

“Hard to forget the guy who saved me with ninja smoke and sass.”

She drank, then looked down at herself. She was in a plain hospital tee and shorts. The containment collar was gone. A warm stabilizing patch glowed faintly on her sternum, designed to keep her molecules aligned while she healed.

“You’ve been here three days,” Robin said. “You scared us for a minute.”

Vanessa arched a brow. “You were scared?”

He shrugged. “Batman was the one pacing.”

She blinked. “My... dad?”

Robin hesitated. “He’s not allowed in here. Batman’s rules. But he’s been... cooperative. We’re giving it a few days before you go back.”

“Why?” Her voice dropped. “Because I’m a danger?”

“No. Because you need time.”

---

Over the next two days, Vanessa began to learn what “time” meant.

Miss Martian brought her warm tea and hovered with sisterly kindness, always speaking gently when Vanessa’s body began to shimmer uncontrollably. Conner—stoic but soft—sat quietly in the corner once, just to let her know someone was there. Kaldur checked her vitals without fuss. Wally brought her pizza and tried to impress her with speed tricks (she accidentally phased and dropped a slice through the floor, to his absolute glee).

But it was Robin who always stayed the longest.

He never pried. He told her about the Team in clipped, dry bursts. Trained since he was nine. No name. Not yet.

“You’re all... kids,” she said one night, staring out the window. “With code names and missions. I was just trying to pass math class.”

Robin nodded. “You didn’t ask for this.”

She looked at her hand as it flickered in and out of reality. “Neither did you.”

He didn’t deny it.

---

That evening, Batman arrived.

He stood at the foot of her bed, towering and shadowed. Vanessa straightened instinctively—like she was facing a principal, a judge, and a military commander all in one.

“I understand you’re feeling better,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ll return to Luthor Manor tomorrow. Robin will accompany me.”

She blinked. “Robin’s coming too?”

Batman’s eyes flicked to Robin. “He insisted.”

Vanessa swallowed a strange swell of something in her chest. Gratitude? Relief?

Batman turned to leave, then paused. “You’re not your father.”

The words weren’t soft, but they weren’t harsh either.

“Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.”

---

The Batwing sliced across the sky like a silent predator. Vanessa sat in the back beside Robin, hands folded in her lap.

“Are you scared?” Robin asked quietly, watching the city lights below.

“A little,” she admitted. “It’s hard to go back after realizing... everything.”

“Then don’t go back the same.”

She looked at him. “Is that what you did?”

Robin gave her a rare, vulnerable smile. “Exactly that.”

They landed on the private pad at LexCorp Tower. Mercy was waiting, alive and upright, her arm still bandaged. Lex stood just beyond, his face unreadable.

Vanessa hesitated at the edge of the ramp. Robin offered his hand.

She took it.

They stepped together into the fluorescent lights of the Luthor Manor rooftop.

Lex crossed forward, stopping a few feet from them.

“You’re late,” he said coolly. “I was informed you’d land at exactly 9:03.”

“Traffic,” Robin said flatly.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Hi to you too.”

Lex’s mask cracked just slightly. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

There was a long silence between them. Not warm. Not icy. Just... complicated.

Vanessa nodded. “Thanks. I guess.”

Batman stepped forward. “We’ve upgraded her containment pod. She’ll remain under League observation for the next month.”

Lex gave a sharp nod. “Naturally.”

Vanessa looked at Robin. “You’ll... keep in touch?”

Robin hesitated, then pulled something from his utility belt.

A sleek communicator. Silver with a single red light.

“Press the glyph,” he said. “Any time.”

She took it. Their fingers brushed.

For a moment, they didn’t speak.

Then Batman gestured, and Robin turned away.

Vanessa stood on the rooftop, communicator in her hand, her father watching, her powers buzzing softly under her skin.

She wasn’t the same girl who fell asleep in her pod a week ago.

She wasn’t Lex Luthor’s puppet.

She wasn’t a victim.

She was Vanessa.

And something told her—this wasn’t the end. Not by a long shot.

Chapter Text

*Metropolis — Industrial District*

The hum of the zeta tube faded behind Vanessa as she solidified from her phased state in an alley near Metropolis’ industrial district. Her breath puffed in the cold night air. Her hair was tied up, Metropolis High hoodie snug over her tank top, and her cheer sneakers were absolutely not meant for covert ops.

But whatever — she was here.

She wasn’t officially on the Team, but when she overheard Bruce and Lex arguing about a “League tech smuggling op” in the district — and when Lex left the room without noticing her lingering in the doorway — she couldn’t stop herself. Not when she knew the Team was involved. Not when Robin might be there. Not when she was starting to feel like she wasn’t just a rich girl with ghost powers.

And definitely not when her father wanted her to stay locked in a literal containment pod like some cursed heirloom.

---

Inside the warehouse, the Team was already in motion — Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis, Miss Martian, and Superboy had fanned out to surround the convoy of unmarked trucks.

Vanessa phased through the side wall just in time to nearly collide with a shadowed figure darting across the catwalk. She yelped, turned solid mid-fall, and landed flat on top of—

“—ow,” a familiar voice grunted beneath her.

Vanessa froze. Robin's breath caught.

Their noses were inches apart.

He blinked up at her. “Hi.”

She scrambled off him, face hot. “What—what are you doing here?! I thought—uh, aren’t you… grounded or something?”

Robin sat up, voice lowering to that teasing timbre she was learning to recognize. “I could ask you the same. This isn’t exactly the cheerleader squad’s turf.”

“Funny,” she snapped, brushing herself off. “I was trying to help before I got tackled.”

“You tackled me.”

“Semantics.”

They both paused, realizing how close they still were.

Robin stood, brushing imaginary dust from his gloves. “You shouldn’t be here, you know. It’s dangerous.”

Vanessa crossed her arms, flickering intangible for just a second. “I’m always somewhere I’m not supposed to be.”

He stared for a moment too long, then nodded once. “Stick close. Don’t die.”

Vanessa smirked. “Not planning to.”

---

The mission was messy. One of the trucks exploded prematurely. Vanessa phased through a wall to drag an unconscious Kid Flash out before it collapsed. Robin caught her as she stumbled under the weight.

She wasn’t used to using her powers this much in combat. Her body was aching, shifting in and out of intangibility like a flickering candle.

When the Team finally retreated to Mount Justice, bruised but victorious, Vanessa barely made it onto the couch before blacking out.

---

*Mount Justice — Med Bay*

She woke up hours later, in a familiar med-bay bed. White sheets. Soft beeping.

Mercy stood at the foot of the bed — arms folded, expression unreadable.

“You snuck out,” she said. “Again.”

Vanessa winced. “You’re not going to tattle, are you?”

“I’m a security android, not a snitch.”

That earned a faint laugh. Vanessa stared up at the ceiling. “He doesn’t get it. Lex… he

wants me to be this thing. A symbol. A weapon in a box with ribbons on it. Not a person.”

Mercy stepped closer, brushing Vanessa’s hair gently from her face. Her movements were mechanical, but her touch was soft. Familiar.

“Lex sees more in you than you realize,” she said. “But he also fears you’ll reject what he built. He’s flawed. But you are still his daughter. He would burn the world if it meant keeping you safe.”

Vanessa sighed. “So he says.”

Mercy knelt beside her. “He let you go once, to the Team. He let Batman take you. That meant something.”

Vanessa frowned. “I just… I don’t know if I can be what he wants me to be.”

Mercy placed a cold hand over Vanessa’s. “Then be who you are. Just don’t lose him in the process.”

---

The next day, Batman and Robin stood outside the zeta tube waiting to escort Vanessa back to Luthor Manor.

She lingered near the exit, chewing her lip. “So… this is goodbye?”

Robin stepped close. “Until the next time you sneak out and fall on me. Again.”

She chuckled, then looked up into his mask. “You’re different in the suit, y’know.”

His shoulders tensed. “How so?”

“I don’t know. Braver. Sadder. Like you’re wearing more than just a mask.”

Robin tilted his head. “You always this observant?”

“Only when I like someone.”

He froze.

Then grinned. “Duly noted.”

As Batman called her name, Vanessa turned to go — but not before glancing over her shoulder.

“I’ll find out who you are,” she said softly. “Eventually.”

Robin smirked. “I look forward to it.”

She phased through the wall, just for fun — and disappeared.

Chapter Text

*Metropolis High - Monday Morning*

The limo glided to a stop outside Metropolis High, its matte black exterior catching the early morning sun. Vanessa sat inside, legs crossed, nervously adjusting the Pink cuff around her wrist - more fashion accessory than containment tech today.

Lex Luthor sat beside her, crisp in a three-piece suit, glancing at his tablet. He hadn't spoken much that morning, too absorbed in his data streams and encrypted reports. Just when Vanessa reached for the handle, he spoke without looking up.

"Don't phase through the school walls today. I'm told that kind of behavior causes administrative concern."

Vanessa cracked a smile. "Just keeping the faculty on their toes."

Finally, he looked at her. Not as a CEO or a master manipulator. Just... her dad.

"I mean it, Vanessa. Be careful."

"I'm always careful."

"No. You're clever. But that's not the same thing."

She hesitated. "Is that... concern I hear?"

Lex leaned back, folding the tablet. "You're still my daughter. My responsibility. I know I'm not... soft, like you might want. But I do care."

The door clicked open. She hesitated again, eyes softer now.

"Love you too, Dad."

Lex blinked. She kissed him on the cheek and hopped out, duffel swinging over one shoulder, curls bouncing effortlessly around her face.

At least three students stopped and stared at the limo. One of them dropped their coffee.

Vanessa didn't even notice.

Metropolis High was the kind of place where popularity clung to you like glitter. Vanessa didn't just survive - she ruled. Head cheerleader, perfect GPA (thanks to private tutors), and the mysterious heiress vibe that kept people guessing.

Still, there were moments she wished she could be just a normal girl.

Like now.

She leaned against her locker, a flood of glittery backpacks, clacking heels, and perfume swirls filling the hallway. Her five best friends flanked her - Cassidy, Harmony, Gracie, Mary, and the ever-observant Lydia.

"I swear," Cassidy gushed, "if my chem partner says 'molecular bonding' one more time like it's a pick-up line, I'm gonna scream."

Vanessa giggled. "Maybe he's just... chemically into you."

Lydia raised a perfectly shaped brow. "Okay, Ness Spill. You've been all dreamy-eyed since Monday."

The other girls pounced.

"You met someone!"
"Was it at that gala Lex dragged you to?"
"Does he go here?"
"Is he hot?"

Vanessa held up her hands, mock-dramatic. "Okay! Fine! There's a guy."

Five gasps in sync.

"But I'm not telling you who."

Mary clutched her heart."You have a mystery boy?!"

Vanessa leaned back against her locker, lips twitching. "Let's just say... he's confident, dark, and a little annoying in that 'I-saved-your-life-and-know-it' way."

Harmony fanned herself. "I love him already."

"I don't even know his name," Vanessa lied easily. "But he's... cool. Brave. Super annoying in this like-charming, aggravating kind of way-and definitely off-limits."

"Off-limits?" Gracie asked. "Like, brooding vigilante with secrets off-limits or -"

"Exactly that."

Vanessa smirked, but something in her chest fluttered. Robin's smirk. The way he looked at her, like he could see through the walls she didn't mean to build.

Her friends exploded. Giggles. Squeals. Teasing. Gracie mock-swooned against the locker.

"Mystery Boy," Cassidy declared, "is officially hot."

Vanessa laughed.

Before anyone could press her for more info, the warning bell rang.

---

Cheer practice was brutal.

They were rehearsing for the regional qualifiers, and the routine was all high-energy flips and aggressive smiles.

Vanessa stood at the edge of the mat, listening as Coach Jennings called for full tumbling passes.

"You okay, V?" Harmony asked beside her.

"Yeah. Just tired," Vanessa said, shaking out her arms. "Weird week."

But when the music hit and her round-off approached, she gave in to muscle memory.

Mid-air, her atoms shifted. Her body began to phase. For a millisecond, her molecules lost density just as she landed-

The sharp pain shot up her arm like lightning. She gasped and dropped to her knees, clutching her wrist.

There was a sickening crack.

Vanessa crumpled with a cry, phasing back instinctively as panic rippled through the gym.

Gasps echoed across the gym.

"Vanessa!" Lydia yelled, running over.

Cassidy rushed to her side. "Are you okay?!"

Coach Jennings knelt beside her, concern sharp in her tone. "Don't move it. That's a fracture."

Vanessa blinked through the sting, willing her body to stay solid. The last thing she needed was to start glitching in front of everyone.

They helped her to the nurse's office. Ice pack. Splint. And a quick phone call to Mercy.

---

*Luthor Manor - Monday Evening*

By evening, she was back in her pod in her room. Lex was away, "in meetings." Mercy wrapped her arm in an upgraded splint with nano-tech stabilization.

"You overdid it," Mercy said quietly as she fluffed the pillows around Vanessa. "Again."

"I didn't mean to," Vanessa whispered. "It just... happened."

Mercy placed a hand gently on Vanessa's hair. "It's getting harder to control when you're stressed. That's not your fault."

"I was just trying to be normal."

Mercy said nothing.

Because they both knew - Vanessa never would be.

---

*Mount Justice - Wednesday Evening*

Vanessa entered through the side zeta tube, wearing a long hoodie to cover the splint. She hadn't expected anyone to be in the main hall.

But of course, he was.

Robin looked up from the training console, then stood when he saw her arm.

"You're late."

Robin leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

His smirk vanished when he saw her arm and he stepped closer. "What happened?"

Vanessa tried to downplay it. "Took a fall at cheer. You know, high-risk sport."

He walked over, frowning beneath the mask. "Cheerleading didn't break your wrist. You phased mid-air, didn't you?"

Her smile faltered and she blinked. "How did you-"

"I pay attention."

He hesitated-then gently tugged the hoodie sleeve back, examining the splint.

"I'm fine," she said. "It's not broken, just... cracked. Sprained."

"You need rest."

"You always say that."

"And you never listen."

Vanessa smiled weakly. "It's annoying how right you are."

He reached for her good hand. "You don't have to push so hard to prove something."

"I do when the world sees me as Lex Luthor's daughter," she snapped-then softened. "I'm just trying to be something... good."

He nodded slowly. "You already are."

She stared at their hands, then up at him.

Her heart thudded.

The room was quiet for a moment. Safe. Steady.

Then Wally skidded in, half-covered in mustard. "GUYS, THE KITCHEN-wait, is she broken? What did I miss?!"

Vanessa sighed. "Everything, apparently."

Chapter Text

*Luthor Manor - 9: 37 PM*

By day, was all polished marble and silence. But tonight, it pulsed with music.

Vanessa's suite on the third floor flickered with string lights and the laughter of six teenage girls curled around fuzzy pillows, oversized hoodies, and takeout containers. K-pop played softly in the background. A tub of popcorn exploded somewhere between Cassidy's karaoke attempt and Gracie doing cartwheels in socks.

"I'm just saying," Harmony announced through a mouthful of Sour Patch Kids, "mystery boy is giving 'brooding vigilante' energy."

Vanessa, buried under a blanket, tossed a gummy at her. "That's absurd. He's not... brooding."

Cassidy raised an eyebrow. "You said he wore black. And doesn't talk about his feelings."

"Okay, slightly brooding," Vanessa admitted. "But he's also... warm. Just in this weird, quiet way."

Mary cooed. "Aw, you're soft for him!"

"I am not-" she paused mid-sentence when her wrist gave a sharp pang. She tucked it under the pillow and smiled. "Okay, maybe a little."

The girls didn't notice Mercy standing in the doorway, watching.

---

*Luthor Manor - 11:28 PM*

The girls had all drifted off-except Vanessa, who sat cross-legged by her window, resting her splinted wrist on the sill. The manor was quiet again. Moonlight streamed through the curtains.

Mercy entered the room, silent as always. But this time, her steps were slower. Measured.

"You should be resting," she said, not unkindly.

Vanessa smiled softly. "Couldn't sleep. Wrist aches."

Mercy hesitated, then walked over and sat beside her on the small bench.

For a moment, they just looked out the window together, two unlikely women in a world full of chaos.

"You're angry at him," Mercy said. "Lex."

Vanessa blinked. "When am I not?"

"He worries. In his way. You're not a project to him, Vanessa. You're... something different."

Vanessa scoffed, but it wasn't harsh. "I know. But sometimes it feels like I'm being protected from the world while he shapes it into something worse."

Mercy looked at her with those expressionless, glass-smooth eyes. "You want to choose your path. Not have it chosen for you."

Vanessa nodded slowly.

Mercy placed a hand gently over Vanessa's. "Then choose it. But remember-he adopted you when he didn't have to. He built your pod. He gave you this life, flawed as it may be."

"I know," she whispered. "It's just hard."

"Love often is."

Vanessa blinked at her. "Was that... wisdom?"

Mercy smiled faintly. "Don't tell your father."

---

*Luthor Manor - Midnight*

Her phone buzzed softly from her bedside table.

She rolled over in her blanket cocoon, checking the screen. A text, no name.

🎯 Under the stars where silence lives. Wear socks. Don't get caught. - R.

Vanessa sat straight up. Her heart beat faster.

"Mystery Boy," she whispered.

Careful not to wake her friends, she slipped on a hoodie and crept through the silent manor, tiptoeing past sleeping security bots and ducking around corners. Her body phased gently through a locked door with practiced ease.

She stepped out into the gardens.

And there he was.

Robin stood near the marble fountain, hood down, mask on, gloved hands shoved in his pockets.

"I was worried about your wrist," he said quietly as she approached.

Vanessa gave a lopsided smile. "You texted me just to check on my injury?"

"No," he said, voice even lower now. "I texted you because... I missed you."

She stopped a foot away, heart fluttering.

"I keep telling myself I shouldn't," she murmured.

Robin tilted his head. "Shouldn't what?"

"Like you. Let you in."

He stepped closer. "Why not?"

She glanced back toward the house. "Because I live in there. And you don't exactly seem like the kind of guy who does well with complicated girls who come with security cameras and evil billionaires."

"I like complicated," he said, almost in a whisper.

A breeze blew through the roses.

Vanessa looked up at him, tension in her chest uncoiling slowly. "This doesn't make sense, you know."

Robin smiled behind the mask. "That's the best part."

And for a moment, there was just silence. The kind of silence that felt safe. Full.

She wanted to ask who he was. But she didn't. Not yet.

Instead, she gently leaned against his shoulder, and he let her, slowly wrapping his arm around her.

Chapter Text

*Luthor Manor — 11:56 PM*

It started with a text.

Vanessa was curled up in her pod, the room dimmed to its signature calming blue as the bed gently regulated her solid form. Her wrist ached less these days. Her heart, though—that was another story.

[WALLY W. 💥]

hey ghost girl 👻
feel like sneaking out tonight?
minor recon. totally safe.
also, robin doesn’t know 😬
pls say yes

Vanessa bit her lip, already halfway phasing through the sheets in nervous excitement.

She shouldn't.

But the idea of using her powers for something real again… the thrill of it… the idea that Wally thought she could help—it was too tempting.

She slipped out of her pod.

---

*Mount Justice — Zeta Tube, 1:13 AM*

“Back so soon?” the AI chirped dryly.

Vanessa smirked. “I missed the snacks.”

Wally met her in the shadows of the hangar, grinning wide. “Thought you could use a little stress relief. Simple recon, some old warehouse in Blüdhaven. Superboy’s already ahead. I told M'gann you'd be backup.”

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “And the part where Robin doesn't know?”

Wally shrugged. “He’s been broody since you got hurt. Thought I’d lighten things up.”

---

*Blüdhaven – 1:57 AM*

The warehouse was crumbling brick and rusted vents. Vanessa, crouched behind a steel crate, followed Wally’s whispered directions through the comm.

“Just phase through the north wall, grab the visual on their supplies, and get out,” he murmured. “You’re invisible on the heat scans. Go full ghost.”

Vanessa nodded, palms cold with adrenaline. “Got it.”

She phased.

The wall melted around her as she passed through—weightless, fluid—and then—

She froze.

Inside, Sportsmaster stood mid-conversation with a shadowy figure, flanked by goons and crates of stolen LexCorp tech. Her blood turned to ice.

“Luthor tech,” Sportsmaster said. “Just like the good old days.”

Vanessa’s heart pounded. Her fingers twitched.

Don’t panic.

But the thought of him—the one who kidnapped her, who had dragged her from her pod, threatened her life—sent a sharp jolt through her control.

She phased too fast. Through the wrong wall.

Straight into a stairwell with no floor.

She dropped like a stone.

CRASH—

“Aghh!”

A sharp snap of pain lit her side. She barely had time to breathe before something large and solid caught her—arms like stone, a chest like a tank.

Superboy.

“Got you,” he grunted.

Vanessa coughed, blinking. “Hi. I, uh... fell.”

“No kidding.”

He set her down behind a crate, out of sight, and crouched beside her.

“You okay?”

She nodded, wincing. “I glitched. I panicked when I saw him.”

“Sportsmaster?” Superboy’s voice darkened. “Yeah. He’s bad news.”

Vanessa rested her head back, exhaling shakily. “Feels like every time I try to be helpful, I just make it worse.”

Superboy leaned against the crate beside her. “You didn’t make it worse. You saw him. That’s intel. That helps.”

She looked at him. “You’re not mad?”

“I don’t get mad at people for being human.” He hesitated. “Especially not when they’ve been through labs and cages.”

Vanessa stilled. Her heart thudded.

“You too?” she asked softly.

He gave a tight nod. “Cadmus. Grown in a tube. I didn’t even have a name until six months ago.”

She blinked slowly. “I was five when it happened. The zeta explosion. My parents were gone in seconds. And then suddenly... I could walk through walls. Lex took me in. But sometimes I wonder if I’m just another experiment to him.”

Superboy looked at her for a long moment.

“You’re not,” he said. “I’ve seen how he talks about you.”

Vanessa scoffed. “He’s a master manipulator.”

“Maybe,” Superboy said. “But you're more than his shadow. You're you.”

Something in her chest ached. But it felt like healing.

---

*Mount Justice — 3:29 AM*

Robin was already there.

She saw him the moment she stepped out of the zeta tube—mask on, arms crossed, face unreadable.

She opened her mouth.

He didn’t let her speak.

Instead, Robin stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug. Tight. Solid. Unshakeable.

Vanessa froze, then slowly, carefully, let her good hand wrap around him too.

He said nothing.

But she heard everything.

Chapter Text

*Luthor Manor — After School*

The walls of Luthor Manor were thick, but today the tension bled through like static.

Vanessa stood just outside her father’s office, wrist still splinted, her fingers brushing the doorframe. Through the slight crack in the door, she could hear his voice, sharp and low.

“No, I don’t care what Cadmus says. Pull it. Now.”

A pause. A deep breath.

“If I find out this was retaliation for her—”

Another pause. Then: “No, you listen to me. I won’t have my daughter dragged into your mess.”

Vanessa froze.

Your mess.

Her heart stuttered, conflicted. She wanted to open the door. Wanted to ask him what that meant. Wanted to tell him she was okay, that she was still here, still trying.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she turned to phase back through the wall—

CLACK.

Her splinted wrist slammed into the wood mid-transition.

“Ah—!” she gasped, stumbling backward into the hallway as her arm wrenched awkwardly. She clutched her side, gritting her teeth, heart pounding from more than just the pain.

The office door creaked open behind her.

Lex stood in the doorway, phone still in hand, expression unreadable.

“Vanessa,” he said, voice smoother now. “What were you—?”

“I heard you,” she said, not quite looking at him. “On the phone.”

His mouth opened slightly, then closed. “It’s nothing to worry about. Just business.”

She gave a sharp laugh. “Isn’t it always?”

Lex stepped forward. “Is your wrist—?”

“I’m fine,” she snapped, then softened. “I just… I wanted to talk.”

He hesitated.

Then the phone rang again.

He looked at it.

Then back at her.

“I’ll come find you later,” he said.

And closed the door.

---

*Vanessa’s room — Later*

She didn’t cry.

But she sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her splint like it was some kind of cage. Her phone buzzed once. Twice.

[M’gann 💚]

Just checking in. Artemis and I heard about Blüdhaven.
Are you okay? Did you get some rest?

[Artemis 🎯]

Also, tell KF not to drag you into stuff without backup. Idiot.
Seriously though—if you need anything, we’re here.

Vanessa’s fingers hovered over the screen.

[Vanessa]

I’m okay.
Just… processing.

A second later:

[M’gann 💚]

That’s allowed. 💖
One day at a time.

[Artemis 🎯]

And if Lex gives you trouble, I have a bow. Just saying.

Vanessa laughed softly, tears prickling at her eyes. The good kind. The kind that meant she wasn’t alone.

---

*Luthor Manor — Nightfall*

Vanessa sat by her window, wrist carefully resting on a pillow. The moonlight painted lines on the floor. She watched it, breathing deep.

And then—

Tap.

She turned.

Robin stood outside her balcony window, half-shadow, mask catching the faint light.

She slid the glass open without hesitation.

He stepped inside, silent.

For a long moment, they just looked at each other. No words.

Then he reached out and pulled her into a hug. Tight. Fierce. His arms wrapped around her like a shield she didn’t know she needed.

“I heard about the mission,” he murmured, voice barely audible. “And I know I should be mad.”

She tucked her chin into his shoulder, eyes closed. “Are you?”

“I was,” he admitted. “But now I’m just… glad you’re okay.”

They stayed like that, still and quiet, listening to the world go on outside the walls.

Vanessa didn’t tell him about Lex’s phone call.

Not yet.

But for now, she let herself believe in the arms holding her, and the warmth of people who chose her—not because of what she could do, but because of who she was.

Chapter Text

*Luthor Manor — Rooftop, 9:36 PM*

The night air was cool against Vanessa’s skin as she stepped onto the rooftop of Luthor Manor.

Robin had climbed ahead of her, perched on the ledge like he belonged to the shadows. He offered a gloved hand as she made the final step up. She took it.

“Always so dramatic,” she teased, brushing her hair back.

Robin tilted his head. “You phased through a ceiling yesterday and almost gave Kid Flash a heart attack.”

Vanessa smirked. “Fair.”

They sat together, side by side, backs against the chimney. From up here, the manor grounds stretched out like something from a gothic novel—trees swaying gently, lights dimmed except for the occasional flicker from Lex’s study window.

“I used to sneak up here when I was little,” Vanessa said softly. “Before the pod. Before I had to think about control every second.”

Robin turned to her. “You shouldn’t have to hide what you are.”

“Easy to say when you’ve got a mask,” she shot back, not unkindly.

He didn’t argue.

Instead, the silence between them deepened—not awkward, but electric. The kind that comes just before something changes.

“You ever think about what it would be like to be normal?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“All the time,” Robin said. “But then I think—maybe this is our normal. Crazy missions. Creepy bad guys. Falling off rooftops.”

She laughed. “I’m still not over Superboy catching me like a princess.”

Robin raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell him that. His ego’s already tectonic.”

Vanessa smiled.

Robin’s hand brushed hers.

She didn’t pull away.

Their fingers twined, hesitantly at first, then deliberately. She turned her face toward him, the night air catching her breath, and for a second—just one—

Robin leaned in.

She did too.

Closer. Closer still.

His lips nearly brushed hers when—

“Vanessa Luthor!”

They jumped apart like guilty teens—well, they were teens—and turned to see Mercy standing by the rooftop door, arms folded, expression caught somewhere between stern and relieved.

“Mercy!” Vanessa gasped, cheeks flaming. “I was just—”

“Not sleeping,” Mercy said, eyes narrowing at Robin. “Again.”

Robin stood, professional in an instant. “Ma’am.”

Mercy blinked, surprised by the respect. “Huh. Polite.”

She turned to Vanessa. “Lex noticed you weren’t in your room. I volunteered to find you before he sent drones.”

“Classic overkill,” Vanessa muttered under her breath.

Mercy smiled faintly. “Come down before he checks the roof himself.”

Robin gave Vanessa a small, rueful smile as she brushed past him to the door.

“I’ll text you,” he whispered.

“I’ll wait for it,” she said.

---

*Vanessa's Room — Later that night*

Vanessa lay sprawled across her bed, texting with a giddy, involuntary smile tugging at her lips.

[Vanessa]

so dramatic. almost kissed me in full superhero gear?? bold move.

[Robin 🦇]

you were laughing at my cape. i panicked.

[Vanessa]

it’s a cool cape.

[Robin 🦇]

i’ll take it.

She giggled, hugging her pillow.

Then—

Knock knock.

The door creaked open, and Lex stepped inside, dressed casually in a black t-shirt and slacks. No lab coat. No sharp business suit. Just… a tired father, brow creased, holding two mugs.

“I made tea,” he said.

Vanessa blinked. “What?”

“I know, it’s rare.” He set one mug beside her bed and sat in the armchair opposite. “Chamomile. Your favorite, still?”

She nodded, eyeing him cautiously.

Lex studied her, gaze softer than usual. “Mercy told me she found you on the roof. With… someone.”

Vanessa’s heart skipped. “Robin.”

He sipped his tea.

Then said, “Is this a ‘someone’ I need to threaten?”

She stared. “Wait—are you… are you giving me the boy talk?”

He shrugged. “Should I not?”

Vanessa laughed—loud and honest and surprised. “You’re like a Bond villain giving me dating advice.”

“I’ve always preferred the Bond villain,” he said dryly.

Then, after a pause: “But I’m still your father. If he hurts you—”

“I’ll phase him into a wall,” Vanessa said sweetly.

Lex smiled—genuine, brief. “That’s my girl.”

For the first time in a long time, they just sat there. Talking. Not about labs or powers or expectations.

Just… life.

Just tea.

Just them.

Chapter Text

*Metropolis High — Thursday Morning*

“Okay, okay, shut up!” Harmony whisper-shouted as she pulled open her locker, eyes gleaming with gossip. “They just posted it on the bulletin board—Winter Formal is happening!”

The hallway erupted into squeals and frenzied locker slamming as the news spread faster than a TikTok trend. Vanessa, surrounded by her core group of girls—Mary, Cassidy, Theresa, Lydia, and Harmony—felt her stomach flutter.

“Formal formal,” Cassidy clarified dramatically. “As in, actual dresses. Actual dates. Actual music that doesn’t suck.”

“I already know who I’m going with,” Mary chimed, batting her lashes toward a group of senior boys at the end of the hallway.

Lydia snorted. “Girl, he doesn’t even know your name.”

“Yet,” Mary countered, undeterred.

Theresa sighed dreamily. “Okay but can we talk dresses? Because I’m thinking satin. Deep red. Maybe a slit?”

“I want something flowy,” Harmony said. “Like a floating goddess—”

“Or a hovering alien,” Lydia joked, elbowing her.

The group giggled before all eyes slowly turned to Vanessa, who had stayed quiet.

Cassidy leaned in. “Sooo… you gonna ask mystery boy to the dance?”

Vanessa blinked. “What?”

“You know,” Harmony added, wagging her brows. “The one you keep texting like a lovesick Disney princess after school.”

Mary sang softly, “Ooooh, Mystery Booooy.”

Vanessa felt heat rush up her neck. “I never said I was texting a boy.”

“You also never denied it,” Theresa pointed out.

Vanessa opened her mouth, flustered, then closed it again. She fished something out of her locker just to have something to do with her hands. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Oooooh!” the girls chorused.

---

*Mount Justice — Later That Day*

Vanessa twirled once in front of the common room mirror, holding up a hologram projection of a dress M’gann had conjured from her mental images. It sparkled with deep navy and shimmered like oil on water.

“What about this one?” she asked, turning to Artemis and M’gann. “Too dramatic?”

M’gann tilted her head. “It’s perfect. Regal. With just a hint of chaos.”

Artemis raised an eyebrow. “That is dangerously close to your brand.”

Vanessa laughed. “Well, it is a formal.”

“I still can’t believe Lex is letting you go,” Artemis muttered. “He seems like the kind of guy who thinks chaperones are a government plot.”

“He is the government plot,” Vanessa said with a smirk. “But Mercy talked him into it. Plus, he thinks if I go with a boy, he’ll get to do his overprotective-dad routine again.”

As the girls laughed, a voice cut through from behind them.

“Wait… formal?”

Vanessa turned.

Robin stood in the hallway, his mask giving nothing away—but his tone said plenty.

“You’re going to a school dance?”

“Yeah.” Vanessa smiled, casually brushing her fingers through her hair. “Big high school moment, you know? Dresses, music, a lot of questionable shoe choices.”

Robin blinked. “Oh.”

A pause.

Then—

“Well. I, uh. I need to go talk to… Kaldur’ahm.”

Vanessa blinked. “About…?”

“Team protocol,” he said too quickly. “Underwater. Etiquette.”

He vanished down the hall like a puff of smoke.

Vanessa turned back to Artemis and M’gann, who were grinning.

“Did he just panic-leave?” Artemis said.

M’gann nodded. “He’s so asking you to that dance.”

Vanessa’s smile grew. She wasn’t sure what Robin would say when he came back, or if he’d say anything at all.

But for once, she was excited to find out.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice — Training Arena*

The light was low in the training wing, humming quietly from the overhead panels as Robin leaned on the railing, brooding.

Again.

Kaldur approached without a sound. “You look troubled, my friend.”

Robin didn’t flinch. “Just… thinking.”

“You’ve been ‘just thinking’ for two hours.”

Robin sighed, tugging off his gloves. “You ever… get surprised by your own feelings?”

Kaldur gave him a long, calm look. “Yes. Many times.”

“I mean,” Robin hesitated, fidgeting with the edge of his cape, “like you’re doing all your normal things—training, planning, sneaking out onto billionaire rooftops—and then, suddenly, bam, she’s there. And you can’t think straight.”

Kaldur smiled knowingly. “Vanessa?”

Robin exhaled sharply. “Yeah.”

He looked away. “I don’t know how it happened. One minute I’m worried she’s going to blow her cover or get herself killed phasing through solid walls—then the next, I’m looking at her like… like I don’t want her to disappear at all.”

Kaldur was quiet for a beat before placing a gentle hand on Robin’s shoulder.

“When we fight, we are taught to guard our hearts. But you’re not in a fight right now. You are… falling. And it is okay to let it feel terrifying.”

Robin blinked, startled by how much that helped. “...Thanks, Kaldur.”

“Of course. But—” Kaldur gave him a pointed look. “Perhaps consider using words with her, instead of riddles.”

*Luthor Manor — Vanessa’s Room*

“Absolutely not.”

Lex’s voice was cool and clipped as he stood in the doorway of Vanessa’s room. She sat cross-legged on her bed, arms folded and face tight with irritation.

“Why not?” she demanded.

“You want to go to a public event. With loud music. With teenage boys. Wearing that dress.”

“It’s a formal, not a covert op!”

“You’re my daughter.”

“I’m also a person, Lex!”

He paused. Then: “You may attend—on three conditions.”

She perked up. “I’m listening.”

“One: Mercy will drive and remain nearby. Two: You wear your splint the entire night.”

Vanessa groaned. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore—”

“Three,” he said, stepping closer, voice softer but stern, “if this boy hurts you, or uses you, or makes you cry—I will find him.”

Vanessa blinked. “Are you—did you just threaten someone you haven’t even met?”

“I find it saves time,” Lex said flatly.

Vanessa cracked a smile despite herself. “...Fine. Deal.”

Lex turned to go. But at the door, he added, “I love you Vanessa.”

She stared, stunned, then whispered, “Thanks, Dad.”

*That Night — A Familiar Ping*

Vanessa was curled under her blanket fort when her phone buzzed.

[Mystery Boy 🦇]

3rd floor balcony. 10 minutes. bring that sparkle lip gloss you like.

She raised an eyebrow. Smooth.

Slipping into her hoodie, she tiptoed past Mercy’s monitoring drones and phased up through the floor.

*Luthor Manor — Rooftop*

Robin was already waiting, arms folded, pacing like a soldier caught in a musical.

Vanessa emerged quietly from the shadows. “You really gotta stop inviting me to rooftops. It’s starting to become our thing.”

“I like our thing,” he said quickly—too quickly. “I mean—I mean that it’s a good rooftop. Spacious.”

She tilted her head, amused. “You okay?”

“I just…” He exhaled. “Wanted to ask you something.”

Vanessa took a half-step closer, moonlight glinting in her eyes. “You’re stalling.”

He hesitated. Then pulled something from his utility belt: a tiny, crudely folded origami bat. On one wing, in messy but endearing handwriting:
‘Winter Formal?’

Vanessa stared at it, heart skipping. “Wait—were you…?”

Robin rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Unless you were already going with someone.”

Vanessa laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I was going to ask you, actually.”

He blinked. “Wait—really?”

She nodded, stepping close enough for her splint to brush against his arm. “Guess I thought I would beat you to it.”

Robin smiled then, the rare kind that softened his whole face. “In that case, yes. I’d be honored.”

They stood there, two shadows under stars, sharing something quiet and warm and impossibly real.

No masks. No Luthor. No League.

Just a boy and a girl. Maybe falling.

Chapter Text

*Luthor Manor – Early Evening*

Mercy brushed Vanessa’s hair with slow, practiced strokes, her expression soft and focused. Her hands were cool but gentle, and for once, not made of metal. She’d gone fully human for this moment, as if to remind Vanessa she wasn’t just Lex’s guard dog — she was hers too.

“You’re quiet,” Mercy said.

Vanessa blinked at her reflection. Her hair curled in soft waves over her shoulders, shimmering from the serum Mercy had insisted on using. Her formal dress was hanging behind her on the wardrobe — sleek, midnight blue, open back, and stitched with tiny silver stars that caught the light just right.

“I’m nervous,” Vanessa admitted. “I’ve never really… been on a date before. Especially not one where my dad might put my date in a rocket and launch him into orbit.”

Mercy cracked a rare smile. “Your father is… tense. But only because he cares. In his own… threatening way.”

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “Lex Luthor. Corporate overlord. Public menace. Doting dad. Who knew.”

“You look beautiful,” Mercy said. “If he doesn’t say so, I will remind him to reevaluate his optical sensors.”

Vanessa laughed, but her heart fluttered. Because Robin was coming.

And tonight… he’d see her not just as the girl who phased through walls and messed with his head — but as her.

---

*Wayne Manor – Alfred’s Study*

“Stand still, Master Grayson.”

Robin — or rather, Dick — winced as Alfred tugged his collar one more time.

“I am still.”

“Forgive me, but your slouch suggests otherwise.”

Dick let out a breath, staring at himself in the mirror. Navy-blue tux. White shirt. Silver tie to match what Vanessa said she’d be wearing. Hair slightly tousled. Nervous energy at maximum overload.

“You’ve fought supervillains with more composure,” Alfred said.

“I’ve punched supervillains,” Dick muttered. “I’ve never gone to a school dance with one.”

Alfred tilted his head. “Is she a supervillain?”

Dick looked up. “No. She’s just… she’s Vanessa.”

“Well,” Alfred said, stepping back, “then I believe you’ll be just fine.”

---

*Luthor Manor – Main Entrance*

The grand staircase gleamed under chandelier light as Vanessa made her way down in heels, her dress catching every glimmer, every gaze. She clutched a small silver clutch in one hand, the other brushing the banister.

Lex stood at the base, looking like he belonged in a villain’s lair — black suit, no tie, stiff posture, and a glare sharper than Vanessa’s eyeliner.

When the doorbell chimed, he didn’t move.

Vanessa opened it.

And there he was.

Robin. In a tailored tux, hair slightly messy, eyes wide as he saw her.

“Whoa,” he breathed.

“You clean up nice too, Mystery Boy,” she said, cheeks warm.

They stood there, frozen in that teenage hush where words didn’t do much, but everything was felt.

Then came the throat clear.

Lex.

Robin turned toward him, suddenly remembering he wasn’t just on a date — he was on a Luthor date.

“Sir,” he said, voice steady, posture straight.

Lex didn’t offer a hand. Just a look. One that said: I know 47 ways to kill you with a paperclip. Don't tempt me to demonstrate.

Robin met the look with a nod. Respectful. Alert. Silent.

Vanessa sighed. “We’ll be home by midnight. No phasing. No rooftop parkour. No national headlines.”

“Mercy is downstairs,” Lex said without looking at her. “She’ll be within three blocks.”

Robin offered his arm. “Shall we?”

Vanessa looped hers through his. “Let’s.”

---

*Metropolis High – Winter Formal*

The gym didn’t even look like a gym anymore. Soft lights draped from the ceiling. A snowflake motif shimmered across the walls. There was a chocolate fountain. A literal chocolate fountain.

As they stepped inside, heads turned.

Vanessa Luthor — social queen and general enigma — had just walked in with a tuxedoed, mysterious boy no one recognized.

Mary and Gracie’s jaws dropped. Theresa actually squealed.

“Girl, is that him?!” Harmony whispered as they passed.

Vanessa didn’t answer. She just smirked and whispered back, “I told you he had good hair.”

Robin leaned close. “Should I be worried?”

“Only if you step on my toes when we slow dance.”

---

*Later That Night – On the Dance Floor*

The music slowed. Robin held Vanessa close, one arm around her waist, her head just under his chin. Her splint brushed against his shoulder, but neither of them cared.

The world fell away for a minute. No missions. No Lex. No powers or politics.

Just them.

“Can I ask you something?” she murmured.

Robin nodded.

“You promised you’d tell me your name one day.”

His arms tensed a little. “I did.”

She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes. “Can today be one day?”

He hesitated.

Then he leaned in, breath warm against her ear.

“My name is Richard.”

She smiled, her hand tightening in his.

“I like it,” she whispered. “Richard.”

He laughed softly. “Only you.”

Just then, the lights dimmed further for the last slow song. They danced in a quiet sway, steps in sync, hearts a little less guarded now.

---

*Later – Luthor Manor, Her Bedroom*

Vanessa sat on her bed in her hoodie, dress tossed over a chair. Her phone buzzed.

[Richard 🦇]

tonight was perfect.
you were perfect.

She smiled, typing back.

[V 💫]

so were you.
goodnight, Mystery Boy. 💙

She locked her phone and fell back against her pillows, heart full.

Chapter Text

*Luthor Manor - Vanessa's Bedroom*

Three Days After the Formal
Text Messages: Unread

Vanessa lay upside-down on her bed, legs draped over her headboard, phone resting on her chest like it weighed a thousand pounds.

Still nothing.

She stared at the last message she'd sent Richard.

Did you get home safe?
Sent. Delivered. Never read.

Then another.

You okay?
Then...
Was the dance that bad?
And most recently:
If you didn't like me, you could've just said so.

No reply. Three. Whole. Days.

Mercy poked her head into the room. "You're brooding."

Vanessa groaned, flopping to her side. "I'm agonizing."

"He's probably busy. You know the Team runs late missions."

"He's probably ghosting me."

Mercy arched a brow. "That would be ironic, coming from a girl who literally walks through walls."

Vanessa threw a pillow at her. "Not helping!"

---

*Mount Justice - That Afternoon*

The cave's Zeta-tube buzzed as Vanessa phased through its locked entrance - ignoring security warnings and the voice that tried to stop her.

She marched in, determined. Furious. Slightly humiliated.

She spotted Robin walking down the hall toward the common room, alive and well and - laughing at something Wally just said.

The audacity.

"You!" Vanessa barked.

Robin turned, surprised. "Vanessa?"

"Oh, now you remember my name?" she snapped.

Wally's brows went way up and he immediately backed away like he sensed incoming drama.

"I texted you so many times! You left me on read - well, okay, you didn't even read them, which is worse! You could've at least said you weren't interested or that the dance sucked or that-"

"Wait, what?"

"Don't act confused!"

"I'm not confused, I'm-okay, I am confused."

"I texted you four times!"

Robin blinked. "I haven't had my phone in three days."

Vanessa folded her arms. "Oh really? Is that your excuse?"

"Yeah, it is," he said, grinning. "You know that Homefront mission? Two killer robot girls attacked the cave?"

"I heard," she muttered. "It was on the news. They said Artemis and M'gann saved the day."

"And me and Superboy were trapped in the generator room? The EMP fried everything. My comm, my tracker, my phone-toast."

He pulled the scorched device from his utility belt. It looked like it had been in a war. Technically, it had.

Vanessa stared. "Oh."

"I wasn't ignoring you, Ness."

Her cheeks flared red. "I came here to yell at you."

"You did yell at me."

She groaned and covered her face. "I'm such an idiot."

He gently pulled her hands down and smiled. "You're not. You just like me enough to freak out a little."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're enjoying this."

"I am," he admitted, laughing. "You stormed into a covert mountain base to demand answers. That's bold."

"I was worried," she said softly.

His smile softened. "I know. I'm sorry. If I'd had a phone, I'd have called."

Vanessa looked at him, really looked - messy hair, a bruise on his jaw, and that stupid perfect smirk that made her stomach flip.

"You better answer next time," she mumbled, poking his chest.

"I promise." He leaned closer. "Besides, you yelling at me was kinda hot."

Vanessa flushed redder than her cheer uniform. "Shut up."

Wally called from down the hall, "She yell at you yet?!"

"She did!" Robin shouted back.

Vanessa groaned again and phased through the floor, vanishing in embarrassment.

Robin stood there, grinning to himself.

"She likes me," he muttered, rubbing his neck. "A lot."

---

*Later That Night - Vanessa's Room*

Her phone buzzed. Finally.

[Richard 🦇]

phone officially replaced
also: i like you too
yelling and all 💛

Vanessa stared at the screen, smiled, and texted back.

[V 💫]

you owe me another dance
& dinner
and maybe a non-yelled "hi"

[Richard 🦇]

deal.
but only if you don't phase through the restaurant walls this time.

[V 💫]

no promises ;)

Chapter Text

*Midday Sunlight – LexCorp Rooftop*

The rooftop garden was technically private, but with Mercy’s blessing (and a cheeky override from Vanessa’s security keycard), it had been turned into their own secret spot.

A blanket was spread beneath a low-hanging vine wall, open containers of sandwiches, fruit skewers, and sparkling soda nestled between pillows and flowerpots. Vanessa leaned back on her elbows, sunglasses pushed up into her curls, letting the warm sun soak into her skin.

“You sure no one's watching?” Robin—no, Richard—asked, tugging off his gloves and mask with a cautious glance upward.

Vanessa popped a grape into her mouth. “Please. Mercy knows you’re here. And Lex has a very strict no-drone zone above the building.”

Richard smirked, then settled beside her, arms crossed behind his head. “Can’t believe I’m on a picnic… on a skyscraper… with Lex Luthor’s daughter.”

“I’m adopted,” she reminded, cheeky. “Also, technically this is my rooftop. I sneak up here more than anyone.”

“You always sneak,” he murmured. “It’s your thing.”

She smiled, laying her head gently on his shoulder. “I missed you.”

“I missed you more.”

They stayed there for a moment, city noise below them, sky stretching above. Everything felt… simple. Soft.

Then Richard’s voice cut through the quiet. “So… hypothetical. If you got offered a spot on the Team—officially—would you take it?”

She tilted her head. “Hypothetically?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I don’t know. I mean… it’s not just me. There’s Lex. And Mercy. And… the whole villain-adjacent thing.”

Richard didn’t push. He just nodded, letting the silence hold space for uncertainty.

---

*Mount Justice – Training Bay*

Vanessa adjusted the temporary splint on her wrist as she faced Black Canary across the mat.

“I’ve seen intangibility before,” Dinah Lance said, circling. “But never with this much instinct. You phase without even thinking. It’s impressive.”

“Or impulsive,” Vanessa muttered.

Robin stood off to the side, arms folded and grinning. “You’ll learn. She likes to break people down. But only to build them stronger.”

Dinah gestured him forward. “You’re her sparring partner today.”

“Wait—what?!” Vanessa blurted.

“Afraid of losing to your boyfriend?” Robin teased, stepping onto the mat.

Vanessa narrowed her eyes. “You’re going through a wall.”

“Oh, good,” Black Canary said, chuckling. “She’s ready.”

The match began fast—Robin using stealth and agility, Vanessa using phasing to dodge and fake out. Twice he managed to grab her before she phased through his grip. Once, she accidentally dropped through the mat entirely.

“You alright?” he called down.

“I’M GOOD!” came her voice, echoing from the maintenance floor below.

When she climbed back up, Dinah offered a hand, then smirked. “Let’s teach you how not to fall through your own battlefield.”

Training turned into laughter, which turned into practice again. By the end of the session, Vanessa’s arms were shaking—but she was smiling.

---

*Later – Batcave Office, Mount Justice*

The shadows were heavy in Batman’s corner of the cave.

Vanessa stood still, splint tight against her wrist, lips pressed together. She couldn’t read him at all.

“You’ve shown… resourcefulness,” he said finally. “Initiative. Control over unstable abilities.”

“Thanks?” she offered, half-nervous.

“You’ve also broken protocol, lied to your father, and entered this facility unapproved on at least five separate occasions.”

“...Six,” she whispered.

Batman’s mouth twitched. “The Team is not a punishment. It’s a responsibility. If I offer you a place, I expect loyalty. You’ll answer to me. You’ll work with others. And you’ll put their lives before your own.”

Vanessa swallowed.

“I believe,” he continued, “that you’re capable of that.”

It took her a second to realize he wasn’t threatening her. He was offering.

Her voice was quiet. “I’d… like that.”

“Then welcome to the Team, Phantom.”

Her chest ached a little at the name—her name now. A codename. A second chance.

---

*Evening – Girls’ Quarters, Mount Justice*

Artemis passed her a bottle of water and sat beside her on the edge of the bunk.

“So. You’re in.”

Vanessa gave a dazed little nod. “I’m in.”

Artemis leaned back on her palms. “It doesn’t go away, you know. The feeling like you’re not really one of them.”

Vanessa’s eyes flickered to her.

“I’m not a pure hero either,” Artemis said. “My dad’s Sportsmaster. My sister’s Cheshire. That side of me? It never disappears. But it doesn’t define me either.”

Vanessa blinked. “You think Lex is evil?”

“I think he’s complicated,” Artemis said. “I think he loves you. And that makes this choice even harder. But it’s your choice. Just make sure it’s one you can live with.”

Vanessa took a deep breath. The stars glimmered through the window.

“Thanks, Artemis.”

“Anytime, Phantom.”

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice – 0800 Hours*

Vanessa stood before the giant holographic table, fingers twitching nervously at her sides. This was it. Her first official mission as Phantom. The room smelled faintly of ozone and metal polish, and the hush of strategy hung in the air.

Kaldur stood at the head of the table. “North and South Relasia have reported intercepted weapon shipments from a previously neutral source. All intelligence points to a black-market operation operating out of an abandoned Gotham warehouse.”

Artemis raised an eyebrow. “Gotham. Of course.”

“The warehouse is a known front—at least three shell companies funnel through it,” Robin added, flicking his wrist to display schematics. “Security is tight. Too tight for a ghost site. Motion sensors, heat signatures, laser grids. Whoever’s behind this is well-funded and well-prepared.”

Vanessa glanced around the room. Wally, Conner, M’gann, Artemis, Kaldur, and… Robin. Her heart did a little flutter when his gaze landed on her and lingered.

Kaldur turned toward her. “Phantom. Your abilities make you ideal for initial infiltration. You’ll phase through the western perimeter and disable the sensor relays.”

“I got it,” she said with a nod, nerves coiled in her stomach like wire.

“Oh—almost forgot,” M’gann said cheerily, floating over with a sleek case. “Your suit’s ready.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened. The case opened with a hiss, revealing a charcoal-black suit with midnight purple trim and a subtle shimmer to the material. Lightweight, durable, and sleek. The Phantom suit.

“Try not to phase through it,” Robin teased.

“No promises.”

---

*Mission Start – Gotham Warehouse District – 0200 Hours*

The warehouse loomed ahead like a sleeping beast, all shadows and hard steel. The Team spread out across rooftops and alleyways, scanning with goggles and drones.

Vanessa phased through a back wall and landed silently inside the warehouse. Just as planned, the sensor relays sparked, shorted, and went dark.

“Phantom to Team,” she whispered into her comm. “Relay’s down. You’re clear.”

“Copy that,” Kaldur’s voice crackled.

She slinked deeper into the warehouse, her form rippling between solid and intangible as she passed through crates and walls. Something was off. This place was too clean. Too quiet. No dust. No rats. No sign of long-term use.

“Robin,” she said low. “I think this place is a front for a front.”

“Agreed. Split and sweep. Call if you see anything.”

“Roger.”

She moved forward, then froze.

A flash of motion—something darted out of the shadows. She pivoted, about to phase, when—

CRACK!

Something slammed into her from behind. Pain exploded in her ribs. She hit the ground hard, breath stolen from her lungs. A net—electrified—wrapped around her limbs.

“ROBIN—” she choked, but the comm fizzled with static. She reached for the belt on her hip, but a boot pressed down on her hand.

“Well, well,” a voice drawled. “The boss was right. The ghost girl shows up, you grab her.”

Through blurring eyes, Vanessa saw Sportsmaster’s twisted grin.

Not again.

---

*Unknown Location – 0430 Hours*

Her head throbbed.

She sat in a chair, wrists bound to the arms by a strange polymer she couldn’t phase through. Her splint still ached—bruised and strained in the scuffle.

The room was sleek. Sterile. Monitors lined the walls. This wasn’t a villain’s lair—it was a lab. Familiar. Uncomfortably so.

The door slid open.

And Lex Luthor walked in.

“Dad?” she whispered.

Lex exhaled slowly. “Vanessa. I’m relieved you’re safe.”

She stared at him. “You’re the boss? This whole time—you’ve been the one arming both sides of a war?!”

“I prefer to call it equalizing the playing field,” he replied calmly. “And don’t act surprised. You knew, deep down, what I do. What I’ve always done.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. “No. I knew you were complicated. I knew you worked gray, but—this is innocent lives, Lex. This is war profiteering.”

“You’re upset now, but eventually, you’ll understand,” he said, stepping closer. “Everything I do—everything—is to protect this world. To protect you. And those heroes you idolize? They’ll never accept you. They’ll use you. Or worse, turn on you.”

“I’d rather be used by people trying to save the world than protected by the one trying to sell it to the highest bidder,” she snapped.

There was a pause.

Lex’s jaw clenched. “You’re young. You’re emotional.”

“I’m done listening to you.”

She braced herself. Phased.

It hurt—like burning through molasses—but she forced her molecules through the chair and collapsed onto the floor in front of him.

Alarms blared.

She ran. Through walls. Through glass. Every step away from him cut deeper than the last.

Behind her, Lex didn’t call out. He just stood there, watching her go.

---

*Mount Justice – Infirmary – 0600 Hours*

The Team had found her half-conscious in a Gotham alley, curled behind a dumpster, covered in bruises and heartbreak. She hadn’t spoken the entire ride back.

Now, M’gann was scanning her vitals, while Kaldur and Artemis hovered near the door.

Robin stood just inside the curtain, barely breathing.

“Vanessa?” he asked gently.

She looked at him. Her voice was barely a whisper.

“It was him. Lex. It’s always been him.”

Robin moved forward slowly, kneeling by her bedside.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I’m so sorry.”

“I feel like I can’t breathe,” she said, voice trembling. “He raised me. I loved him. And now I look at him and see a monster.”

Robin reached out, his fingers curling around hers—careful of her wrist, careful of her everything.

“You still have us,” he said softly. “You still have me.”

She leaned forward, forehead resting against his.

And for a moment, she didn’t feel like a ghost.

She felt real.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice – Medical Wing – Friday Evening*

Vanessa sat in the medbay’s padded reclining chair, her arm outstretched as M’gann gently loosened the medical-grade splint from her wrist. The plastic casing peeled away with a hiss, leaving behind faint bruising and a few healing scrapes.

“Try moving it,” M’gann said softly.

Vanessa flexed her fingers, slowly rotated her wrist. It ached, but it was steady.

“You’re good,” M’gann smiled. “Still tender, but no more breaks.”

“Awesome,” Vanessa murmured, though her voice lacked the usual bubbly spark.

Robin—Richard, she now reminded herself daily—stood off to the side, arms crossed over his chest but eyes fixed entirely on her. He had been quiet most of the day, not hovering but never more than a room away. She could feel his presence like a safety net, quietly there to catch her if she faltered.

M’gann gave her a kind, knowing look and patted her knee. “All healed up. Don’t punch any walls for a few days.”

Vanessa laughed a little. A soft, breathy sound. “No promises.”

As M’gann left the room, the door hissed closed behind her, and silence settled in.

Vanessa didn’t speak for a moment. Just… existed. For the first time in days, she wasn’t running, hiding, or bleeding.

Robin walked over and crouched beside her chair.

“How’s your heart?” he asked, not quite joking.

Vanessa exhaled. “Somewhere between shattered and duct-taped.”

He smiled faintly. “That’s a very you answer.”

“I guess I just thought… once I got back, everything would make sense again. But it doesn’t.” Her eyes drifted to the window, where the ocean outside glimmered against moonlight. “I’m still so angry. But part of me wants to go home. I miss my bed. My pod. Mercy.”

Robin leaned his arm against the edge of her chair. “You can go home. You should—at least to rest. But you don’t have to stay there. Not if it doesn’t feel right.”

She didn’t answer, but her fingers inched toward his. Their pinkies brushed.

---

*Luthor Manor – Saturday Morning*

The grand marble hallway echoed with Vanessa’s soft footsteps. She stepped out of the zeta tube tucked into the manor’s private wing, her duffel bag slung over one shoulder.

Everything looked the same.

Which made it all feel so much worse.

She passed through the foyer silently, phasing through the side wall to avoid the house staff. Familiar corridors blurred past her. Her room was untouched. Her pod gleamed softly beneath its containment field, waiting for her.

She stood there for a while—just watching it.

Home. Safety. A cage.

She grabbed the framed photo of her parents, wrapped it in a sweatshirt, and shoved it in her bag. Then a few other things—her favourite hoodie, her cheer uniform, a locket Mercy gave her years ago. Finally, she sat on her bed and stared at the floor.

She didn’t cry.

She was too tired to.

A soft knock echoed at her door.

Lex.

“Vanessa.”

Silence.

“I know you’re angry. I know you have every right to be.”

She didn’t move.

“I made choices I thought were best—for the world and for you. But maybe… maybe I lost sight of which mattered more.”

She stood up, zipped her bag, and walked to the wall beside the door.

“I love you,” Lex said. “No matter what you think of me, that is still true.”

Vanessa phased through the wall without a word.

And left.

---

*Mount Justice – Saturday Evening*

The guest wing was smaller than the dorms the Team used, but Batman had arranged a quiet room for Vanessa. She dropped her bag on the bed and stared at the blank wall.

Mercy had sent a message: Your pod is always here, sweetheart. But so am I. Stay where you need to stay.

Vanessa let out a shaky breath and sat down. She scrolled through her phone. Messages from her school friends. One from Artemis:

[Artemis ➶]

How’s your wrist? Still ghost-girl approved?

A flicker of a smile returned to her lips. Then—

[Richard 🦇]

I know tomorrow’s Monday. Do you want me to take you to school?

She typed back:

That’d be nice.
Also, bring coffee or I may ghost through the ceiling.

---

*Monday Morning – Luthor Manor Driveway*

The black sedan purred to a stop across the street from Metropolis High. Robin—dressed in a clean Gotham Academy hoodie, black jeans, and sunglasses—climbed out and walked around to open her door like some kind of secret agent-boyfriend hybrid.

Vanessa, still a little bleary-eyed, stepped out. Her hair was braided, her backpack slung across one shoulder, and her sunglasses sat perched lazily on her nose.

“You ready?” he asked.

“No. But also, yes.”

She looked at the school—loud, normal, and blessedly boring.

He took her hand gently and squeezed. “You’ve got this.”

They paused by the car door. For a moment, Vanessa thought he’d just say goodbye. But instead, he leaned forward, cupped her cheek, and pressed a kiss just barely against the corner of her mouth.

Warm. Quick. Real.

She stared, stunned.

He winked. “Go get ’em, Phantom.”

As she turned, cheeks flushed and heart flipping, she caught a glimpse of her friends by the front steps.

Wide eyes. Open mouths.

Cassidy practically squealed. “VANESSA LUTHOR! Was that your mystery boy?!”

Vanessa just grinned.

“...Maybe.”

---

*Mount Justice – That Evening*

Back in her new room, Vanessa unpacked slowly. She hung up her uniform, her cheer hoodie, tucked her locket next to the bed.

She wasn’t ready to forgive Lex. She wasn’t ready to forget what he’d done.

But for now… she was ready to move forward.

Her phone buzzed.

[Richard 🦇]

Wanna meet on the roof again?
Promise no dad-talk this time. Just stars.

Vanessa smiled.

Yeah. I’ll be there.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice – Common Room – Midmorning*

Vanessa wandered down the hallway, still in her tank top and joggers, her hair pulled back into a lazy bun. Her backpack hung off one shoulder—mostly empty save for a notebook and the locket Mercy had given her. After a week of half-settling into Mount Justice, she’d memorized most of the halls near the dorms, but the rest of the cave still felt like a labyrinth.

She turned a corner and paused.

The common room opened into a wide, glass-walled expanse that overlooked the sea. Sleek couches, glowing tech panels, and a quiet hum of machines gave the space a quiet serenity. And there, standing at the center with a data pad in hand, was Kaldur’ahm.

Aqualad.

He turned just as she stepped into the room.

“Oh. Hi,” she said, slightly awkward.

Kaldur offered a small smile, calm as ever. “Vanessa.”

She shifted her weight. “Sorry—I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”

“You’re not,” he replied easily. “Just going over a training rotation. How are you finding things here?”

Vanessa hesitated, then gave a small shrug. “Still getting used to it. It’s… quiet. Which is weird, since this place is basically a superhero HQ.”

Kaldur nodded. “Peace is important between storms. This space was built to be a sanctuary as much as a command post.”

She smiled faintly at that. “Yeah. I guess I never really had a ‘peaceful’ option before.”

There was a pause—one of those gentle, open silences that didn’t feel forced.

Then Kaldur tilted his head slightly. “Would you like a proper tour? It’s easy to get turned around if no one walks you through it.”

Vanessa blinked. “You’d… do that?”

“Of course,” he said simply. “You’re one of us now.”

---

*Mount Justice – Guided Tour – 30 Minutes Later*

He moved at a steady, unhurried pace, pointing out features as they went.

“That leads to the bioship hangar,” he explained, gesturing down a corridor of glowing panels. “And this is the training hall—you’ll spend plenty of time here if you continue working with Black Canary.”

Vanessa peeked in, seeing practice dummies and weapon racks. “You all seriously train like… every day?”

“Nearly,” he said with a small chuckle. “Combat is only half of what we do, though. Strategy. Empathy. Knowing your teammates. All just as vital.”

They reached a small break room—coffee machine, fridge, and a long dining table with mismatched chairs.

“Do not eat anything with Wally’s name on it,” Kaldur said calmly. “He guards his snacks with the ferocity of a lion.”

Vanessa grinned. “Duly noted.”

They continued walking. She kept sneaking glances at him—not out of intimidation, but out of… curiosity.

He was so calm.

“So,” she finally asked, “you’re, like… the team leader, right?”

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t that freak you out?”

He looked at her with a thoughtful expression. “Leadership is a burden, yes. But not a solitary one. The strength of the team makes it bearable.”

She paused. “Is that why you wanted to give me a tour?”

He gave a slight nod. “You’re part of this now. Not just a guest.”

Vanessa looked down, a bit overwhelmed. “I don’t know what I am right now. Daughter of a supervillain. Girl with freak powers. Head cheerleader. Meta lab rat…”

“You are also,” he said gently, “a survivor. A fighter. A teammate.”

Vanessa looked up and met his eyes.

No judgment. No fear. Just… quiet conviction.

“You ever get scared you’ll disappoint everyone?” she asked quietly.

Kaldur looked toward the window, where ocean waves lapped against the glass.

“Yes,” he admitted. “Often. But I have learned this: You cannot lead—or live—through fear alone. You must believe that who you are is enough. And if it’s not today… it will be tomorrow.”

Vanessa swallowed thickly. “That sounds like something a therapist would say.”

He smiled. “It was.”

---

*Mount Justice – Evening*

Back in her room, Vanessa curled up with her locket, replaying Kaldur’s words.

“You must believe that who you are is enough…”

There was a knock at her door. She opened it to find a small envelope sitting on the floor.

Inside was a folded note:

9:45 – East Wing Balcony
Dress warm.
—R 🦇

She grinned, heart fluttering.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice – East Wing Balcony – 9:45 PM*

Vanessa pulled her cardigan tighter around her as she stepped into the cool night air. The ocean glittered under the stars, reflecting the moonlight in soft silver ribbons. The balcony was quiet, windswept and lit only by the subtle glow of the underwater cave’s ambient lights beneath the glassy horizon.

She spotted him immediately—leaning casually on the railing, backlit by moonlight. Robin. No mask tonight. No suit. Just Richard. Dressed down in a black hoodie, sleeves pushed up, hands in his pockets.

He turned before she even spoke.

“Hey,” he said softly, eyes warm.

“Hey.” She crossed the balcony slowly, her heart tapping against her ribs. “Thanks for the note.”

“You looked like you needed a breath earlier. I thought… maybe we could share one.”

Vanessa chuckled softly. “You’re smoother than I expected.”

He smirked. “I save it for the right moments.”

They stood there for a second in the soft quiet, the wind nudging her hair around her shoulders. He turned back toward the view and she joined him, resting her arms on the railing beside his.

“This place,” she murmured, “feels like it belongs to people who always knew they were special. I don’t think I ever really believed I was.”

Richard turned slightly, one brow raised.

“You are special.”

She glanced at him, vulnerable. “You don’t have to say that.”

He held her gaze. “I don’t say anything I don’t mean.”

Vanessa looked back at the water. “Kaldur gave me this speech about peace and belonging, and it was… good. But it didn’t stop me from wondering if I’m just pretending. What if I mess up again? What if I’m not enough?”

Richard stepped closer—just a fraction. “Then you’ll still be here. Still fighting. Still part of this team. Because you already are enough, Vanessa.”

She met his eyes again, and this time she didn’t look away.

“Even with my mess of a life? Even with Lex?”

He gave a small laugh—gentle, not mocking. “You think I don’t have a complicated legacy?”

“Point taken,” she admitted.

“I see you,” he said simply. “I see the girl who phased into danger for people she barely knew. Who tries to protect others, even when she’s hurting. Who jokes with Wally like she’s known him for years, who trains until her legs give out, who…” he faltered slightly, voice softening, “…who has this ridiculous ability to light up a room.”

She blinked.

“You see all that?”

“Yeah,” he said, stepping even closer now, their shoulders almost brushing. “And it makes me want to kiss you.”

Silence. Vanessa felt her breath catch.

Then she smiled. “Then do it.”

And he did.

His hand cupped the side of her face, thumb brushing her cheek as he leaned in. Their lips met in a kiss that was both gentle and magnetic—like a spark finally finding the right fuse. Her heart was thudding, every nerve alight. She leaned into it, hands lightly grasping the edge of his hoodie, pulling him closer.

It lasted longer than either of them expected. When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless, dazed.

“Wow,” she whispered.

He cleared his throat, suddenly sheepish. “Sooo… this might sound dumb after that but—uh… would you maybe wanna be my girlfriend?”

Vanessa burst out laughing—light, sweet, completely unfiltered joy.

“Oh my god, you dork,” she said, grinning ear to ear. “Yes. Yes, Richard.”

And she kissed him again—quick, playful, sealing the promise.

---

*Later That Night – Vanessa’s Room, Mount Justice*

Her phone buzzed relentlessly as she lay sprawled across her bed, giggling into her pillow. The group chat—METRO QUEENS—was practically on fire.

[Mary 💐]

VANESSA YOU TEXTED US IN ALL CAPS I KNOW THAT MEANS SOMETHING

[Cassidy 🎀]

SPILL. RIGHT. NOW.

[Grace 👠]

WHO IS HE??

[Theresa 🌷]

IS IT MYSTERY BOY????

[Harmony 🎧]

Ohhh my god did you kiss him? DID YOU

Vanessa typed back quickly:

[V 💫]

okay okay okay YES
we kissed on a balcony under the STARS
and he asked me to be his girlfriend
his name is richard 🥹💙

The typing bubbles exploded.

[Mary 💐]

RICHARD??? THAT’S SUCH A CUTE NAME
i’m calling him RICHIE now sorry

[Grace 👠]

richie and nessa sitting in a tree

[Cassidy 🎀]

i’m not crying YOU’RE crying

[Harmony 🎧]

when do we meet him?

[Theresa 🌷]

HOW DOES HE KISS

[V 💫]

GOOD. REALLY GOOD. help me i can’t stop smiling

She was still blushing when the door to her room creaked open and M’gann poked her head in.

“Hey,” M’gann said with a knowing grin. “Heard about the kiss.”

Artemis appeared behind her, arms folded. “Took him long enough.”

Vanessa hid her face with a pillow. “Oh my goddd you guys.”

“Don’t worry,” M’gann said, floating in to sit beside her. “You’re glowing.”

Artemis smirked and flopped on the other side. “So? How was it? Details.”

“Ugh, it was perfect,” Vanessa said, dreamy. “He said all this stuff about seeing me—like, really seeing me. And then he just… kissed me. And then asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend.”

M’gann clapped her hands. “He’s such a romantic when he lets himself be.”

“Classic Boy Wonder,” Artemis muttered with a smirk. “Dorky but effective.”

Vanessa laughed, cheeks still hot. “I didn’t think this kind of stuff happened in real life.”

“Well,” M’gann said, “sometimes it does. Especially when you’re brave enough to be real.”

The three girls sat there in the dim light, soft laughter and quiet smiles between them. For the first time in weeks, maybe longer, Vanessa felt… grounded. Safe. Herself.

And tomorrow? She’d get to wake up and still call him her boyfriend.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice – Briefing Room – 0800 Hours*

The cave buzzed with early-morning activity. Vanessa leaned against the far wall, hair still damp from her shower, sipping her third orange juice from the communal fridge. Robin was at the front with Kaldur, arms crossed, mask in place—but she knew that stance. He was tense, alert.

Batman’s voice filtered in from the holoscreen, monotone as always.

“Zatara will be sending a substitute in his place. Someone you should all become familiar with.”

The zeta tube lit up.

ZETA TUBE ACTIVE – IDENTIFICATION: ZATANNA ZATARA.

The girl that emerged had style. Tall boots, knee-length black coat, long dark hair cascading in carefully curled layers, and confidence that made the room shift. She gave a slow wave and a wink as she strode into the room.

“Hey,” she said with a flirty lilt. “I’m Zatanna.”

Vanessa saw Robin blink behind his mask. Just a tiny hesitation.

“Oh,” Zatanna continued, eyes locking onto him, “you must be Robin. Cute mask. Bet there’s a cute face behind it too.”

Robin coughed. “Uh—hi.”

Vanessa’s spine stiffened.

Kaldur stepped in quickly, introducing the mission—something about Red Tornado and Dr. Ivo—but Vanessa’s mind buzzed. Zatanna had just walked in here, flashing a smile that could make any boy weak in the knees, and gone straight for her boyfriend like it was nothing.

And Robin hadn’t exactly recoiled.

Vanessa’s jaw clenched.

As the team gathered by the entrance to the bioship, Robin turned to her.

“You coming?”

Vanessa crossed her arms. “No. Think I’ll sit this one out.”

His brow furrowed slightly beneath the mask. “You okay?”

“I’m great. Go play wizard games.”

He opened his mouth, hesitating. But the mission was time-sensitive, and Kaldur was calling.

“Talk later?” he asked.

“Sure,” she replied, biting off the word.

And just like that, the bioship took off. With her boyfriend, and Zatanna, together on a mission.

---

*Mount Justice – Later That Night*

Vanessa had spent the day training harder than usual, venting her frustration on the obstacle course, ignoring the ache still lingering in her wrist. She took her time showering, hoping the steam would calm her down.

It didn’t.

When she finally wandered into the common room, it was quiet. Wally was raiding the kitchen. M’gann was floating off somewhere with Superboy. She didn’t expect them to be back from the mission yet.

But they were.

Because the second she stepped inside, she heard it:

“Oh, so you keep souvenirs too?” Zatanna’s voice, teasing. “What about this—do you wear this mask for fun, or is it just to impress girls?”

Robin chuckled, unmasking lazily, holding it by the strap. “It’s mostly practical. The girl I do care about already knows what I look like.”

Vanessa’s breath hitched.

Zatanna blinked, surprised. “Oh? You’re dating someone?”

Robin glanced toward the doorway. His eyes found Vanessa instantly.

“Yeah,” he said with a smirk. “Vanessa. She’s kinda amazing.”

Zatanna’s cheeks flushed. “Oh! I—didn’t know. Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

Robin waved it off. “No harm done. Just… taken.”

Vanessa smiled, heat warming her chest as Zatanna quickly excused herself with a flustered wave.

Robin crossed the room casually, hands in his pockets.

“You stayed home,” he said, voice soft.

“I wasn’t really in the mood for spellcasting girls who flirt with my boyfriend,” she replied with a raised brow.

He grinned. “She didn’t know. But I told her.”

Vanessa tilted her head. “Told her what?”

“That I’m yours.”

He sat down next to her on the big couch, pulling a blanket over both of them without asking. She leaned into him instinctively, his arm settling around her shoulders.

“What are we watching?” he asked.

“I dunno. Something dumb and romantic.”

He smirked. “Perfect.”

The movie started. Something about summer camp and mistaken identities. Neither of them paid close attention. At some point, she turned her head and kissed his cheek, just because. A few scenes later, he kissed her lips—quick, lingering—and she kissed him again.

Eventually, she stopped pretending to care about the movie. Her head rested against his shoulder, and their fingers laced together under the blanket.

No one interrupted. No one needed to.

For once, everything felt right.

Chapter Text

*Friday Morning – Metropolis High*

Vanessa stepped out of the front door, adjusting the strap of her bag and smoothing the sleeves of her oversized purple letterman jacket—technically school merch, but it had been a gift from her cheer squad for making captain. She was about to take the stairs when she saw it:

A long black car pulled up to the curb, sleek and polished like a mirror. The windows were tinted, but the license plate gave it away.

W4YN3.

The back door clicked open, and Alfred Pennyworth—immaculate as ever in his crisp chauffeur’s uniform—stepped out.

“Good morning, Miss Luthor,” he said with a gentle smile, opening the rear door with a bow.

Vanessa blinked, wide-eyed and stunned. “Wait—you weren’t kidding.”

“Nope,” Richard said from the back seat with a grin. “Come on, V. You’re late.”

Heart fluttering like crazy, she slid into the leather interior beside him. Her fingers immediately found his, lacing together like instinct. He leaned forward and kissed her temple before reaching into the cooler at his feet and pulling out two breakfast smoothies and a little bakery box.

“From Alfred. He says you’re underfed and emotionally neglected.”

Vanessa giggled. “He’s not wrong.”

They chatted about the weekend as Alfred drove. Football game Friday night. Vanessa’s cheer squad had been prepping a halftime routine for three weeks. He’d already said he was coming, but she still checked—just in case.

“You’ll actually come?” she asked, watching him sideways.

“I’ll be front row,” he said, like it was the easiest promise in the world.

---

*Metropolis High – Front Entrance*

Heads turned.

The limo had already drawn attention, but when Alfred opened the door for Vanessa and Richard stepped out behind her—still in his civvies but with that unmistakable Gotham vibe—everything froze.

The cheerleaders were gathered near the main steps. Mary practically dropped her caramel macchiato. Gracie gasped.

“Holy—Vanessa, is that him?” Theresa whispered from behind the lockers.

“Oh my God,” Harmony whispered, “he’s actually hotter in daylight—”

Before Vanessa could say a word, Richard turned to her, cupped her cheek gently, and kissed her. Not quick. Not light. Sweet, slow, full of care and confidence.

Right in front of the entire school.

Someone audibly squealed.

When he pulled back, he grinned. “I’ll see you after practice.”

Vanessa was speechless.

He stepped back into the limo, door closing behind him, and Alfred gave her a knowing nod as they pulled off.

Mary tackled her at the lockers thirty seconds later.

“YOU HAVE BEEN HIDING THIS BOYFRIEND FROM US.”

---

*Friday Night – Metropolis High Stadium*

The air was crisp and electric under the stadium lights. The stands were full, students packed together in coats and face paint, chanting team cheers. Vanessa stood with her squad near the 50-yard line, bouncing on her toes in excitement.

From the sidelines, she spotted him—black hoodie, jeans, baseball cap tilted low, but unmistakably Richard. He gave her a subtle two-finger wave when their eyes met.

When the cheerleaders took the field, the crowd roared. Vanessa led the routine flawlessly, high kicks and flips, her wrist finally free of the splint and healed to perfection. When she nailed the final round-off back handspring into a twist, she landed light as a feather—blowing a kiss in Richard’s direction.

He caught it with a smirk.

---

*Later That Night – Mount Justice*

Vanessa arrived expecting a debrief. The zeta tube flared as she arrived:
ZETA TUBE ACTIVE – IDENTIFICATION: VANESSA LUTHOR.

But the cave was quiet. Too quiet.

Then she noticed the note. A card on the coffee table. Just her name on the front.

Inside:

“Put on something you like. Nothing fancy. Come to the Watchtower access lift in 20.” – R.”

Vanessa blinked. “…What?”

---

*Watchtower – Observation Deck*

The lift opened with a soft hiss. Vanessa stepped out cautiously, now dressed in black jeans, boots, and a soft plum sweater. She paused.

Her breath caught.

The room had been transformed. Candles glowed softly in glass jars, floating above the floor in little anti-gravity fields. A low picnic spread was arranged on a blanket near the wide panoramic windows, which framed Earth in all its luminous, spinning glory.

Robin stood in the middle of it—no mask tonight, just Richard, in a soft grey t-shirt and a nervous smile.

“You’re insane,” she whispered.

“I had help,” he replied, gesturing to M’gann’s floating candles. “But the idea was mine.”

She walked toward him slowly, smile growing. “So this was the mission, huh?”

He nodded. “Operation: Date Night.”

Vanessa dropped onto the blanket beside him. “You really didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to,” he said, handing her a thermos. “It’s that Chamomille tea you like.”

The evening passed in the warmth of laughter, music drifting softly through M’gann’s mental projection from another room, and the steady quiet of space around them. They talked about everything—school, cheer, patrols, Lex, the Team.

And then, softly, Richard said:

“I used to think being a hero meant pushing people away. That it wasn’t fair to let them close. But then I met you, and now…” He paused, hand reaching for hers.

“…I want you close. Always.”

Vanessa blinked. “You’re gonna make me cry.”

“Then cry.” He smiled, kissing her knuckles.

They lay back on the blanket, hands entwined, Earth rotating slowly above them.

Chapter Text

*Monday Morning – Metropolis High*

The cheer squad had barely stopped fawning over Vanessa all day.

She couldn’t even get her books from her locker without someone stopping to ask, “How was the date?” or “What’s he like when it’s just the two of you?” or, most often, “How did you even find someone like him?”

Vanessa didn’t have a real answer. She just smiled, shrugged, and offered vague responses like, “He’s sweet,” or “I guess we just clicked.” But inside, she kept reliving every moment of the Watchtower picnic. The way he’d looked at her. The way Earth had spun behind them as if even the planet approved of them being together.

Her heart still fluttered just thinking about it.

She finally reached her locker, thankful for the few moments of quiet. Most of the girls had gone ahead to the cafeteria. She crouched down, reaching for the thin book wedged awkwardly behind her geometry binder—

And her hand passed straight through it.

The bracelet on her wrist—Luthor-tech, sleek and disguised in pink enamel—glitched. For just a second, it shimmered, flickered, like static on a screen. Her fingertips phased, translucent and ghost-like. The book fell to the floor with a quiet thud.

Vanessa froze.

Her breath caught in her throat. She looked down at her hand, watching as the distortion faded and her fingers solidified again. The bracelet settled with a soft hum.

“…No. Not now,” she whispered, shaking her hand out.

She grabbed the book, tucked it under her arm, and slammed the locker shut. The echo rang louder than it should’ve, and heads turned briefly down the hallway.

Keep calm, Ness. You’ve got this.

She beelined to the bathroom.

---

*Girls' Bathroom – Minutes Later*

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as Vanessa braced her hands on the sink, staring at her reflection. Her heart pounded in her ears.

It had been weeks since she’d accidentally phased in public. Not since cheer practice—the round-off that ended in a fractured wrist and a new school legend. Richard had been so gentle with her that day, so concerned. She didn’t want to scare him again. Or herself.

“I’m fine,” she said to the mirror, forcing the words out.

But her reflection didn’t look convinced.

---

*Outside School – End of the Day*

Vanessa walked down the front steps with her usual stride, expecting to see Alfred and the Wayne car—or maybe even Richard himself waiting in his hoodie and baseball cap, pretending to be normal for her.

Instead, she saw him.

Lex Luthor.

Leaning against the sleek, dark limousine like he owned the sun.

Because he did. Metaphorically, anyway.

He wore his tailored charcoal suit and dark glasses despite the overcast sky, and when he saw her, he pushed off the car with a small, unreadable smile.

“Vanessa.”

Her entire posture shifted. “Dad?”

He gestured toward the limo. “Let’s talk.”

---

*Inside the Limo*

The door clicked shut behind her as the vehicle began to glide away from the school. The silence in the car was thick, palpable. Vanessa folded her arms, gaze locked on the window.

Lex finally spoke. “You didn’t come home this weekend.”

“You noticed?” she shot back, biting.

“I notice when my daughter disappears off the grid for 48 hours without a single message.”

“You track me?” she snapped, turning to him. “Seriously?”

“I protect you,” Lex said smoothly, removing his glasses. His eyes were unreadable. “You may not like it, but it’s what I’ve always done.”

Vanessa scoffed. “You call building a containment pod in my bedroom protection? You call controlling where I go, what I do, who I see—protection?”

Lex’s jaw twitched slightly. “I call it necessary.”

They stared at each other for a long beat, words hanging unsaid between them. Then, in a surprising shift, Lex’s voice softened.

“…Is it him?”

She blinked. “What?”

“This boy. The one with the masks and mystery. Is he why you don’t come home anymore?”

Vanessa looked away. “He makes me feel like… me. Not some failed experiment or project-gone-wrong.”

“You are not a failed experiment,” Lex snapped, sharper than he meant.

Her eyes burned. “Then stop treating me like one.”

Silence. Again.

Finally, Lex sighed. A long, tired sound.

“Would you like to go to the movies?” he asked suddenly, as if changing the subject might reset the mood. “There’s a showing tonight at the Metropolis Grand. You used to like those animated studio features.”

Vanessa blinked. “…You want to take me to the movies?”

“Think of it as…” he hesitated, “...a peace offering. We fight. We always will. But I’d like to spend time with you. Just us. Normal.”

She studied him.

And for the first time in what felt like forever, she saw something real flicker behind his carefully constructed mask. Not the titan of industry. Not the villain the League whispered about. Just Lex. Her father.

“…Fine,” she said quietly. “But I get to pick the movie.”

He almost smiled. “Deal.”

---

*That Evening – Metropolis Grand Theatre*

Vanessa picked an old 2D animated re-release—The Iron Giant. She liked the metaphor.

They sat side-by-side in the darkened theatre, surrounded by families and couples. Lex barely touched the popcorn. Vanessa cried quietly during the final scene. He handed her a tissue without a word.

After the movie, they walked to the limo in relative peace. No arguments. No mentions of Robin. Just a fragile moment of father and daughter trying to remember what it was like before everything changed.

---

*Later – Luthor Manor*

Vanessa stood in the foyer, hand on the stair rail.

Lex watched her from behind. “Are you staying tonight?”

She hesitated.

“No,” she said softly. “I have somewhere else I want to be.”

Lex didn’t argue. He only nodded.

Before she left, she turned and said, “Thanks. For trying.”

That earned her a real smile.

And as she stepped outside into the cool night air, Vanessa felt… conflicted. Lex was still Lex. Still calculating, still dangerous. But maybe—just maybe—there was still room for something almost normal between them.

Chapter Text

*Saturday Afternoon – Wayne Townhouse, Gotham*

The first thing Vanessa noticed when she stepped into Richard’s place was how real it felt.

It wasn’t Wayne Manor—no butlers trailing behind her or cold marble halls echoing Lex’s voice. This was something else. Something quieter, warmer.

The Gotham townhouse was technically Alfred’s second residence and the designated space where Richard “played normal.” It smelled like cinnamon and dusted books, and Vanessa had to stop herself from grinning when she noticed the kitchen already set up with mixing bowls and ingredients lined like soldiers on parade.

“You weren’t kidding about baking,” she said, dropping her bag by the door.

Richard leaned on the counter with a mischievous glint in his eyes, already wearing a black apron with “Flippin’ Awesome” scrawled across the front in bold red letters. His mask was off, and his messy black hair flopped over one eye. “You said you wanted domestic. I deliver.”

Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “And matching pajamas?”

He pointed behind her. A neatly folded set of PJs—hers in lavender and his in dark grey, both patterned with little crescent moons—waited patiently on the arm of the couch.

“You remembered my favorite color?” she asked softly, touched.

Richard blushed slightly. “Of course I did.”

---

*An Hour Later – Kitchen*

“Okay, okay—whisk, not yeet!” Vanessa laughed as Richard accidentally launched a cloud of flour into the air with a careless flick of his wrist.

“I swear that bowl moved on its own,” he defended, mock offended. “You saw it, right? That was sabotage.”

Vanessa grabbed a handful of flour and smeared it across his cheek. “So dramatic, Richie.”

He froze.

“You said it,” he teased, backing away playfully. “You actually called me Richie. Mary’s influence is spreading.”

“I regret everything,” Vanessa said, smiling. “But also... not really.”

They collapsed into a fit of laughter, shoulders brushing, hands occasionally touching as they rolled out cookie dough, snuck chocolate chips, and debated the merits of underbaking vs. crisp edges.

“I vote gooey centers,” Richard said decisively.

“Soft batch wins every time,” Vanessa agreed, brushing her hair back with a floury hand.

He looked at her for a long moment, the soft kitchen light glowing in her eyes. “You look happy.”

She stilled, the compliment catching her off guard.

“I am,” she said, and meant it.

---

*Later – Couch*

“Don’t scream,” Richard warned, pressing play.

Vanessa raised an unimpressed brow. “I watched Alien when I was ten. I don’t scream.”

“Liar,” he whispered, grinning.

Fifteen minutes in, a grotesque face leapt out of the shadows on screen—and Vanessa yelped, yanking the blanket up to her chin.

“I don’t scream,” Richard mimicked in a higher pitch.

She shoved him. “Shut up.”

“You’re adorable when you’re scared.”

“I’m adorable all the time.”

He nodded solemnly. “Also true.”

They stayed wrapped under the blanket for two movies straight, giggling at the bad acting and jumping at cheap jump scares. Somewhere between the second and third film, Vanessa laid her head against Richard’s chest and closed her eyes for a second too long.

He didn’t move. Just stroked her hair gently, fingers weaving through curls.

Outside, the clouds gathered.

---

*11:47 PM – The Rain Began*

The first raindrop hit the window with a soft plink.

Then another. And another. A steady rhythm.

Vanessa stirred. “Is it raining?”

Richard got up and peeked outside. “Yep. Gotham’s usual charm.”

She followed him to the balcony doors, pressing a hand to the cool glass. “Can we go out?”

He blinked. “In the rain?”

She turned to face him, eyes bright with mischief. “Live a little, Boy Wonder.”

“Okay,” he relented. “But we’re getting soaked.”

They slipped into slippers and jackets over their pajamas and stepped onto the private rooftop, rain falling like silver threads under the city lights.

---

*Midnight – Rooftop*

The rain was warm. Not heavy. Just gentle enough to dance in.

So they did.

Vanessa twirled barefoot across the roof tiles, arms outstretched. Her moon-patterned pajamas clung slightly, and her curls darkened in the rain, sticking to her cheeks. Richard watched her, stunned by how effortlessly she lit up the night.

“Dance with me!” she called.

“I don’t dance,” he said, though he was already stepping closer.

“You bake. You wear matching pajamas. You dance.”

He relented and took her hand, pulling her into a gentle spin.

The world melted away. The city below vanished. All that existed was the rain, the rhythm of their shared heartbeat, and the way her laughter filled the sky like music.

Then—his hands on her waist, hers on his shoulders—their dancing slowed.

She looked up, breathless. “Why do you look at me like that?”

“Like what?” he murmured.

“Like I’m magic.”

“Because you are,” he whispered.

And then he kissed her.

Slow. Tender. Rain-soaked.

It wasn’t their first kiss, but somehow, it still felt like one.

---

*Later – Inside*

Back inside, they dried off with fluffy towels, still laughing, still drenched. Vanessa changed into one of Richard’s oversized hoodies. He slipped into sweatpants and tossed her a hairdryer.

They ended the night curled up in bed, hands tangled under the covers, heartbeats synchronized.

“I could stay here forever,” Vanessa murmured.

Richard kissed her knuckles. “I wouldn’t complain.”

Outside, the rain kept falling. But inside, everything was still.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice - Tuesday Afternoon*

Vanessa was the last to leave the training room that day.

Black Canary had wrapped up the session early, sensing something was off with her. Vanessa had tried to hide it. Really, she had. She kept her stance steady, her punches crisp. But something was… wrong.

Her bracelet had glitched again.

At first, it was just little things. A flicker of blue static when she phased through a foam block. A split-second delay in re-materializing her hand when grabbing the dumbbell.

But now? Her fingers wouldn’t stop glitching.

They jittered in and out of visibility like a strobe, her wrist flickering half-translucent and back again, the bracelet vibrating against her skin in warning pulses.

She sat on the locker room bench, cradling her hand and trying not to panic.

The containment bracelet Lex had made for her — the thing that kept her powers in check — was failing. And for all her tension and confusion and complicated feelings, she knew there was only one person in the world who could fix it.

She had to go back to Luthor Manor.

---

*Luthor Manor - Her Pod*

Lex didn’t say a word when she arrived.

Mercy opened the door, her expression tight with concern, and escorted her straight to the underground lab where the containment pod hummed faintly. The familiar sterile chill made her shiver.

Lex was already waiting, sleeves rolled up, tablet in hand.

He took one look at her flickering form, and his brow furrowed. “Why didn’t you call me sooner?”

Vanessa swallowed hard. “I thought I could handle it. I didn't want to need you.”

His jaw tensed but he said nothing. Instead, he gestured to the pod. “Inside. Let’s stabilize the neural interface before you phase into a wall.”

Vanessa climbed in, the glass cocoon sealing her in with a hiss of air. Her body relaxed immediately as the pod synced with her bracelet, a wash of calm restoring her form to normal — for now.

She closed her eyes… and the tears came without warning.

Everything had been so good lately. The rooftop date with Richard. The normalcy of school. The soft little kisses. The cheer practices. The jokes with Artemis and M’gann. She thought maybe… maybe she had carved out a new life.

But then this. The reminder she was still broken. Still half in one world and half in another.

Lex tapped away silently at his console, eyes focused — until the sound of her sob cracked the air.

He looked up.

“…Vanessa?”

Her shoulders trembled. “I—I’m just tired of being a glitch. I don’t want to break things just by existing.”

Lex stepped forward, hesitated for a long second… and then pressed the emergency release on the pod.

The glass slid open. She didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

So he did something she hadn’t expected: he pulled her gently into his arms.

Vanessa froze.

Lex Luthor didn’t do hugs. He did solutions. Cold ones. Precise ones. He wasn’t supposed to feel like this — safe, warm, human.

But today… he was just her dad.

“I know I’ve done things wrong,” Lex said quietly, his voice deep and steady. “And I know I’ve made choices that put you in this position. But if there’s one thing I’d undo, it’s letting you feel like this.”

She clung to him tighter, burying her face in his chest. “I don’t know where I belong.”

“You belong wherever you choose,” he said, smoothing a hand over her hair. “Bracelet or no bracelet. You’re not a glitch. You’re my daughter.”

And for a few minutes, Vanessa let herself be that. Just a daughter. A scared, powerful, brilliant girl in the arms of her flawed but protective father.

---

*Gotham - Wednesday*

Meanwhile, in a very different part of town, Richard Grayson stood awkwardly inside Zatanna Zatara’s living room.

He’d called in a favor — not for the Team. Not for Batman. But for himself.

“You’re buying your girlfriend a birthday present and want magical help?” Zatanna asked, smirking.

Richard flushed. “Okay, when you say it like that—”

“No, no,” she interrupted, grinning. “I love it. Adorable. Go on.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I wanted to get her something... meaningful. Her powers — they’re linked to her bracelet, but it’s glitching. Lex is fixing it, but I thought maybe you could help me make her something — magical, but subtle. Something to make her feel anchored.”

Zatanna tilted her head, interest piqued. “An emotional focus.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re smarter than you look, Grayson.”

“Don’t tell Artemis,” he whispered.

She laughed and led him to her father’s spell library. They pored through enchantments, sigils, energy threads — until finally, she pulled out a slender silver chain with a moonstone at its center.

“This,” she said, “is an Anchor Charm. Once imbued, it strengthens a person’s connection to their physical form. It won’t interfere with her bracelet, but if her phasing ever starts to spiral, this will ground her.”

Richard stared at it like it was priceless.

“It’s perfect.”

Zatanna leaned on the counter. “She must be special.”

“She’s… everything.”

---

*Mount Justice - Vanessa's Room - Thursday Night*

Vanessa sat cross-legged on her bed, her repaired bracelet quietly glowing blue. Her fingers didn’t glitch. Her body was stable.

But something still felt fragile.

A knock at her door.

“Come in.”

Richard stepped in wearing jeans and a hoodie, hands behind his back.

“Hi,” she said, already smiling.

He moved closer, kissed her forehead, then sat beside her. “I got you something.”

Her eyes widened. “My birthday isn’t for another week.”

“I couldn’t wait,” he said, revealing a small black box and placing it in her palm.

She opened it.

Inside: a delicate silver chain with a single moonstone — glowing faintly with magic.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered. “Did you…?”

“Zatanna helped. It’s called an Anchor Charm. Just a little something to help when things get glitchy. And to remind you you’re not alone.”

Vanessa’s chest swelled with emotion.

He clipped it around her neck, fingers lingering on her collarbone.

“You always know exactly what I need,” she said.

Richard brushed his nose against hers. “Because I pay attention.”

She kissed him. Slow. Warm. The kind of kiss that anchored him.

They lay back on her bed, curled together under a blanket, watching the moonlight cast silver across the ceiling.

After a long silence, Vanessa murmured, “I saw Lex yesterday. I broke down in the pod.”

Richard looked at her gently. “Are you okay?”

“I think so,” she said. “He… held me. It was weird. But kind of nice.”

“I’m glad he was there when you needed him,” he said, honestly.

Vanessa snuggled closer. “And thank you. For always being mine.”

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice*

The training room in Mount Justice buzzed with energy as the team ran through combat drills under Black Canary’s watchful eye. Vanessa, dressed in her now-custom black and electric-blue combat suit with a thin chrome bracelet glowing softly on her wrist, was practicing phasing combat maneuvers with Artemis.

She twisted midair, her body flickering as she phased through a punch and countered with a low sweep. “Nice,” Artemis said, brushing herself off. “You’re getting faster.”

But something was off.

Vanessa’s bracelet—her stabilizer—gave a weak sputter of light.

Then again.

She looked down, her heart skipping. Her fingers flickered in and out of sight. No no no… not again…

Suddenly, a violent surge shot through her system. Her body glitched into full intangibility—then snapped back. The impact of that whiplash threw her against the far wall. She hit it with a yelp and slid down.

“Vanessa!” Wally bolted from across the room in a red and yellow blur. “Canary! She’s glitching!”

“I’m— I’m okay—” Vanessa groaned, trying to push herself up. Her hand phased straight through the floor.

“No, you’re not.” Black Canary’s voice was calm but urgent. “Everyone back. Wally, get her out of here. Now.”

Wally didn’t hesitate. “Hang on, Casper.”

Vanessa didn’t even argue this time. Her body flickered violently—half-transparent, then fully solid, then gone again. But Wally scooped her into his arms before she could collapse again, holding her bridal-style as he took off in a whoosh of wind and lightning.

“Calling Robin,” he said into his comm. “Now. She needs you.”

Robin was in the middle of reviewing recon files when his communicator lit up. “Vanessa’s glitching bad,” Wally’s voice came through, unusually serious. “She’s burning up, man. Canary told me to evac her. I’m taking her to her room— meet us there.”

Robin was already moving. He dropped everything, heart pounding. “On my way.”

Vanessa lay on her bed in the room she now called her own in Mount Justice, her breathing shallow, body shifting in and out of tangibility in agonizing pulses. Wally stood at the edge of the bed, guilt etched into every freckle on his face. “I didn’t know what else to do, Rich…”

Robin entered fast. “You did the right thing.”

He was at her side in seconds. Vanessa’s fingers twitched against the bedsheets. “It’s… getting worse…”

“I know,” Robin whispered, pulling off his gloves. He pressed his hand gently to her cheek. “Just breathe. I’ve got you.”

Her bracelet sputtered again.

“She needs Lex,” Wally said softly. “That tech is way above our pay grade.”

Robin closed his eyes in silent agony. He hated needing Lex. But this was Vanessa.

“She won’t go willingly,” he said. “But I can take her.”

Lex opened the door to his lab in Metropolis, surprised to see Robin cradling Vanessa in his arms. Her face was pale, her bracelet now emitting frantic flickers of electric blue.

“She needs help,” Robin said without hesitation. “She needs you.”

Lex didn’t speak. His hands moved instantly, guiding Robin inside. “Bring her to the pod.”

The pod recognized Vanessa immediately, sliding open with a soft hiss and glowing white from the inside. Robin gently laid her down, brushing her hair back. “You’re safe,” he murmured, voice barely audible. “Just rest.”

Lex worked in silence. Mercy stood nearby, her eyes wide with maternal concern. Her hand lightly touched Vanessa’s foot.

As the pod closed, stabilizing the power surges, Vanessa blinked up at them. Her voice cracked. “I didn’t want to come back.”

Lex’s voice was low. “You are my daughter, Vanessa. Nothing changes that.”

The pod sealed, beginning its soft hum of calibration.

Robin turned away, jaw tight. But Lex noticed.

“Thank you… for bringing her back,” Lex said, and Robin stiffened.

“I didn’t do it for you.”

Lex smiled faintly. “No. I didn’t expect you did.”

---

*Later that night*

Vanessa sat cross-legged in her pod in soft pajama pants and an oversized Gotham U hoodie. She was warm, safe, and for once, not glitching.

She blinked as a text buzzed across her phone.

[Richard 🦇]

Still standing. Barely. Got some news for you.

[Richard 🦇] 

Alfred says baking therapy works. Also birthday planning.

Vanessa smiled weakly and typed back:

[V 💫]

I feel like my electrons are behaving for once.

[V 💫]

Baking therapy sounds amazing.

Her thumb hovered.

[V 💫]

Miss you.

[Richard 🦇]

I’ll be there in the morning.

---

*Meanwhile*

Robin was back in the Batcave. Alfred placed a tray of cookies beside him as he scrolled through blueprints of the Watchtower.

“Planning a surprise party, Master Richard?”

Robin grinned. “Maybe.”

Alfred poured tea. “A rooftop one, perhaps? With fairy lights?”

“Exactly that.”

“Then you’ll need the pink frosting.”

---

*The Next Morning*

Vanessa’s pod door slid open. She stepped out, barefoot, into the soft morning light in her room.

Mercy was waiting with a towel and hot tea.

“You scared us,” Mercy said quietly.

“I scared myself.”

Mercy touched her cheek. “Your father loves you, Vanessa. He just… doesn’t always know how to show it.”

Vanessa looked down. “He’s still doing things I don’t understand. Things I don’t want to understand.”

“But you still love him,” Mercy said, “and that’s what makes you stronger than he knows.”

Back at Mount Justice, Vanessa walked through the zeta tube, her bracelet fully stabilized. Robin was waiting in the hallway.

She ran to him.

He caught her.

Their kiss was soft. Familiar. Warm.

“You’re okay,” he murmured against her forehead.

“I am now.”

---

*Later that day*

Robin snuck into the team’s kitchen. Wally was icing a cake terribly.

“What… is that?” Robin asked.

“Red velvet. Probably. Maybe. There’s like—a 20% chance this is edible.”

“Alfred’s got backups.”

They both laughed.

“You really love her, don’t you?” Wally asked casually.

Robin looked at the swirl of frosting on his finger.

“Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I do.”

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice*

Vanessa woke up to the smell of cinnamon and the sun warming her blanket at Mount Justice. A neatly folded outfit lay at the foot of her bed with a small post-it note stuck to the collar:

Wear this. Meet me at the Zeta tube. Happy Birthday, V.
— 🦇

She smiled sleepily and pressed the note to her chest. Today, she was sixteen.

Sliding out of bed, she slipped into the outfit — a cropped maroon hoodie, high-waisted jeans, and clean white trainers. Her stabilized bracelet clicked into place around her wrist. Her hair was soft and brushed back into a cute, half-up ponytail with matching maroon clips.

She felt normal.

She felt happy.

She felt like herself again.

And when she stepped into the hallway, she found Robin leaning against the wall in civilian clothes — dark jeans, a fitted black tee, and a smirk that practically melted her on the spot.

“Happy Birthday, Vanessa,” he said, holding out a small bouquet of wildflowers.

“You remembered,” she whispered, biting her lip.

“I could never forget.” He offered her his arm, which she gladly took. “Now let’s get you to school, birthday girl.”

---

*Metropolis High*

Vanessa didn’t think too much of it when Alfred dropped them off this morning instead of Lex — Richard simply winked and said Alfred gave better pep talks. And when he opened her door in front of the school, grinning from ear to ear, her heart flipped.

But it wasn’t until she stepped into the school building that she noticed something was… off.

Whispers followed her down the hallway. Smiles. Suppressed giggles.

She furrowed her brow, heading toward her locker like usual—until she rounded the corner.

BOOM.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANESSAAAA!”

Mary, Cassidy, Theresa, Harmony, Lydia, and Grace stood with beaming faces, holding a tray with a huge sprinkle-covered cupcake in the center — with a flickering number 1 and 6 candle jammed into the frosting. Behind them, half the cheer squad stood in a semi-circle, humming the first few notes of Happy Birthday with giddy energy.

Vanessa blinked.

Her hands flew to her mouth as Mary stepped forward in her purple glitter eye shadow, singing at full volume, “Haaaappy birthdaaay to youuuu—!!”

The rest joined in, loud and shameless.

She laughed, face flushed pink. “You guys didn’t—!”

“Oh, we DID!” Theresa said, practically bouncing. “You’ve been like, MIA for days! We HAD to give you a proper sweet sixteen moment!”

“We even got sprinkles that match your hair clip,” Cassidy added proudly.

“And the frosting is purple,” Grace said. “Because duh.”

Vanessa blinked back unexpected tears as they finished the song and urged her to blow out the candles. She took a breath.

Wish.

I wish I get to keep this. The normal stuff. The smiles. The friends. The boy. Just for a while longer.

She blew out the candles.

Confetti cannons went off. She shrieked, and everyone burst out laughing.

“Girl,” Harmony giggled, “you looked like you saw an alien.”

“Technically,” Vanessa said with a grin, “I have.”

---

They passed around the cupcake in plastic forks, and everyone gushed over her outfit, her perfect eyeliner, and the “mystery boy” who had kissed her in front of the limo last week.

“I still can’t believe we didn’t get a name out of you,” Lydia teased.

“He’s got one of those faces,” Grace said dreamily. “You know, like… I’m smart and dangerous but would totally cry during Pixar movies?”

Vanessa giggled. “You guys are unhinged.”

Mary leaned close, whispering in her ear, “So… do I finally get to call him ‘Richie’ to his face?”

Vanessa flushed redder than the frosting. “Absolutely not.”

Cassidy squealed. “YOU SAID NOT YES.”

“Oh my god.”

“You’re practically married now,” Theresa teased. “You know that, right?”

As they walked toward class, Mary slung an arm around her. “We love you, Ness. Seriously. You’re kinda our glue.”

“I love you guys too,” she whispered.

And for a fleeting second, nothing else existed — not the powers, not the expectations, not the lies. Just cupcakes, laughter, and the golden flicker of sixteen.

---

*That Night — Mount Justice*

“I don’t understand how you kept this from me,” Vanessa said, eyes wide as Robin led her — blindfolded — through the darkened corridors of the mountain.

“I’m Batman’s protégé,” he replied casually. “Secrets are my bread and butter.”

“Are you proud of that?”

“Absolutely.”

She felt the ground level out and the air shift slightly — the scent of fairy lights warming against the metal roof.

“Okay,” Robin said softly. “You can look now.”

She pulled off the blindfold.

The rooftop of Mount Justice had been transformed.

Soft strands of golden lights crisscrossed above her. There were folded blankets, pillows, a projector set up against one wall, and a picnic spread of all her favorite things: mini tacos, popcorn, strawberry soda, and cupcakes from her favorite bakery.

She turned to him, eyes glossy. “You did all this?”

“I had help,” he admitted. “Alfred, Wally, even Artemis picked the playlist.”

“What’s the theme?”

“Vanessa Luthor: Sweet Sixteen and Superpowered.”

She laughed and launched herself into his arms, nearly toppling them both. “You’re the best boyfriend ever.”

“I know.”

They spent the next hour watching “Howl’s Moving Castle” wrapped in a fuzzy blanket. Robin lay on his back, her head tucked into his shoulder.

“Tell me your wish,” he whispered as the credits rolled.

Vanessa looked up at him, moonlight touching her lashes. “I don’t need one. I already got it.”

He kissed her then, slow and sure.

---

*A Little While Later*

Vanessa sat cross-legged in bed at Mount Justice, still in her hoodie, cupcake frosting smeared on her nose. Her phone buzzed.

[Mary 💐]

Sooo did Richie do something extra adorable yet? 

[Cassidy 🎀]

Tell us everythingggg!!

[Grace 👠]

Are you still wearing matching PJs???

[Theresa 🌷]

Please tell me he slow danced with you. I NEED this.

Vanessa laughed.

[V 💫]

He surprised me with a rooftop picnic.
Projector. Lights. Cupcakes.
It was… kind of perfect.
And yeah. We kissed.

[Mary 💐]

OH MY GOD YOU’RE LIVING MY DREAM

[Grace 👠]

YOU’RE A ROM-COM

[Harmony 🎧] 

WE LOVE MYSTERY BOY

[V 💫] 

His name’s Richard.

[Mary 💐]

RICHIE FOR THE WIN.

[V 💫]

I kinda love him, you guys.

[Cassidy 🎀]

You should. You’re glowing.

In her pod later that night, Vanessa curled up under a weighted blanket, eyes soft and fluttery with sleep.

A new message blinked on her screen.

[Richard 🦇]

Happy Birthday again, Ness. Sweet dreams.

She replied with a photo of the cupcake, now half-eaten.

[V 💫]

Sweet 16. Sweeter you.

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice – Wednesday Morning*

The training room at Mount Justice smelled faintly of sweat and ozone — the byproducts of intense combat drills and superpowered sparring. Vanessa wiped a sheen of perspiration from her forehead and stepped back into stance.

Across from her stood Kaldur’ahm, calm and focused, twin water-bearers swirling around his arms.

“You’ve improved,” he noted with a faint smile. “Your reflexes are sharper.”

Vanessa grinned. “Credit Canary. And... maybe the fact that I’m trying to prove something.”

“To whom?”

Before she could answer, Kaldur moved in with a sweeping low kick. Vanessa phased through it and reappeared behind him, ducking under a strike, rolling forward, then using the momentum to twist — and flip him clean over her shoulder.

The impact thudded through the mat.

Kaldur blinked up at her, stunned — but impressed. “Point taken.”

From the shadows by the entrance, Robin smirked.

“Okay, remind me to never underestimate my girlfriend again.”

Vanessa turned, breathless, cheeks flushed with heat and exertion. “How long were you standing there?”

“Long enough to know you just judo-flipped the team’s leader like it was nothing.”

Kaldur sat up, chuckling. “She’s become a formidable opponent.”

Robin gave a playful bow. “Only the best for me.”

---

*Briefing Room – Later That Day*

Batman stood beside a large display screen, fingers steepled as the team gathered around. The map of Bialya blinked red with heat signatures.

“There’s been chatter about illegal weapons smuggling flowing from Bialya into neighbouring nations,” Batman began. “Intel suggests the operation is being coordinated by Queen Bee herself.”

The room tensed.

“I’ll need a team to infiltrate a warehouse compound just outside Qurac. Stealth mission. In, confirm target, out.”

He turned his gaze to the group.

“Kaldur, Artemis, Miss Martian, Superboy, and Phantom”

Vanessa blinked. “Me?”

“You’ve proven yourself capable of quiet infiltration,” Batman said. “And phasing gives us an edge. You’ll work with M’gann on comms once inside.”

Robin leaned against the far wall, arms crossed — but his eyes were locked on her.

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

---

*A Little Later – Mount Justice Hallway*

Vanessa rounded the corner on her way to gear up when she froze.

Robin was waiting.

Leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, dark boots planted and gaze sharp under the shadows of his domino mask. He looked... annoyed.

Before she could speak, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her flush against the wall. Her breath caught.

“You be careful,” he said, voice low.

Vanessa blinked. “Is that an order?”

“No.” He leaned in, brushing her cheek with his nose. “It’s a warning. I like watching you flip grown men around like they’re sacks of rice. I like it when you roll your eyes and call me out. And I especially like when you wear my hoodie to training like it’s yours now.”

“Richie—”

“I just don’t want to see you blinking out of reality because someone caught you off guard.”

Her breath hitched. His fingers tangled in hers.

Then he smirked. “Also, if you do get captured, try not to flirt with the guards. I get jealous.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“I’m yours.”

And then he kissed her — fast and a little too much tongue, just to make her squeak in surprise — and vanished down the hallway, cape fluttering.

---

*Mission: Bialya – 02:17 AM*

The Bialyan desert was bone-dry and windless. The Team, clad in black stealth suits, crept through the edge of a ruined wall overlooking the compound.

Vanessa crouched beside Artemis, fingers buzzing faintly with static. The bracelet hummed in warning — but stayed solid.

Miss Martian’s voice echoed in their minds. “Go now. You’re clear.”

Vanessa slipped through the compound wall like smoke, phasing in with barely a ripple of sound. She landed behind a stack of crates and tapped her comm. “I’m in.”

“Head for the back wing,” Artemis replied.

Vanessa nodded and moved silently — until the floor beneath her buzzed. She froze.

Too late.

Gas hissed from the walls, and before she could phase, five guards stepped out, weapons drawn, eyes glowing faintly yellow under Queen Bee’s influence.

“Found her,” one hissed.

Vanessa raised her hands slowly.

Then smirked. “Took you long enough.”

---

*Queen Bee’s Throne Room – 03:07 AM*

Vanessa was dropped roughly to her knees before Queen Bee, who stood draped in silks and smug cruelty.

“Well, well,” Queen Bee purred. “Lex Luthor’s darling girl. I must admit, you’re more trouble than you look.”

Vanessa narrowed her eyes. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard that.”

Queen Bee circled her, watching like a cat might watch a mouse. “Tell me, sweet child, does Daddy know where his precious experiment is tonight?”

“Go ahead and call him,” Vanessa said, voice sharp. “But fair warning—when he finds out you touched me, he’ll bury this entire operation in concrete and salt.”

Queen Bee’s smile didn’t fade. “We’ll see how brave you are after a little mind-probing.”

Vanessa’s stomach dropped.

M’gann… you there?

Silence.

Queen Bee’s mental field blocked her.

She was really alone.

But it didn’t matter. This was part of the plan. Batman suspected Queen Bee was moving her shipments through bio-modified soldiers, and they needed a close look. Vanessa volunteered to be the "decoy" to draw her out.

Still… being strapped to a chair while Queen Bee leaned in with glowing eyes?

Not great.

---

*Meanwhile – Metropolis*

Lex Luthor’s expression was like stone when Mercy burst into his study.

“She’s been taken,” Mercy said simply.

Lex stood slowly. “By whom.”

“Queen Bee.”

For a moment, the room went dead silent. Then—

“Get me the satellite uplink. And activate Protocol Phantom. If she is not returned unharmed—” He grabbed a glass of wine and threw it against the wall, shattering it. “—I will scorch Bialya from orbit.”

---

*Bialya Compound – 03:42 AM*

The lights flickered. Then shut off entirely.

Queen Bee hissed. “What is this?”

From the vents above, a tiny shadow dropped into the darkness.

Vanessa blinked.

“Robin?”

“You didn’t think I’d let you have all the fun, did you?”

He cut her restraints with a whisper-thin blade and yanked her to her feet. “Come on. Canary’s gonna kill me if I don’t bring you back in one piece.”

She grinned. “Told you I didn’t flirt with the guards.”

“Oh, good. Because I’ve already taken out three.”

They ran together, slipping through the corridors, taking down what guards they could. Artemis and Kaldur crashed through a side entrance just as M’gann telekinetically disabled the mind-blockers.

“We’re clear,” Kaldur said. “Vanessa, grab the sample.”

She dove behind the storage unit and grabbed the glowing core — a pulsating amber cube filled with modified DNA samples.

“Got it!”

Robin touched her elbow. “Let’s go home.”

---

*Mount Justice – Dawn*

Vanessa stood on the balcony just outside her room, dressed in a hoodie and pyjama shorts, sipping tea as the sun slowly crept over the horizon.

Her body ached. Her mind buzzed. But she was safe.

Robin slipped beside her, arms around her waist. “You did good.”

“I got captured.”

“On purpose.”

“I still hated it.”

He kissed her temple. “That’s fair.”

Her phone buzzed on the balcony rail.

[Incoming Call: LEX LUTHOR]

She hesitated.

Then, he answered. “Hi.”

“You volunteered to be bait for Queen Bee,” Lex growled. “Are you insane?”

“It was part of the mission.”

“You could’ve died. Your bracelet could have failed. She could have overridden your mind—”

“But she didn’t.”

Lex was silent.

Vanessa’s voice softened. “I had help. I was never really alone.”

There was a long pause.

“If you ever do something like this again without telling me, I will cut off everything, Vanessa. The tech, the pod, the supplies—”

“You won’t,” she said. “Because you care too much.”

Another pause. Then, quietly: “...I’m glad you’re safe.”

The line clicked dead.

She sighed.

Robin gently squeezed her hand. “How mad is he?”

“Probably melted a satellite.”

“Classic.”

She laughed and leaned her head back on his shoulder.

Chapter Text

*Metropolis High – Monday Morning*

The school hallway was loud, chaotic, filled with lockers slamming and sneakers squeaking — but Vanessa couldn’t hear any of it.

What she could hear were the whispers.

Low. Hissing. Just behind her left ear.

She’s not real. She’s a lie. She’s a freak. He doesn’t love her. No one does.

She turned sharply. No one was there.

She clutched her binder to her chest, walking faster. Her bracelet buzzed faintly — not a full-blown phase, just static. Off-kilter. Wrong.

What if he’s lying? What if Lex is using you? What if Richard only wants the powers? What if Queen Bee’s still in your head? What if—

She slammed her locker shut.

“Hey, Ness! You okay?”

Mary’s voice barely registered.

Vanessa mumbled, “Headache. I’m gonna skip lunch.”

She didn’t hear the rest. She didn’t see anything except the blur of tile floors, the way her breath started to feel like glass, and the way the whispers wouldn’t stop.

---

*Luthor Manor – 3:42 PM*

She stormed through the front doors, nearly knocking over Mercy.

“Vanessa—”

“Where is he?!”

“Lex is in the study but—”

She phased through the door, slamming it behind her.

Lex looked up from his datapad, arching a brow. “Vanessa—”

“I can’t take it anymore!”

He stood slowly, unfazed. “What’s going on?”

“I heard them again. At school. Whispering. Behind me, around me—there was no one there, Lex!”

Her voice cracked, and she collapsed forward, hands fisting in her hair.

“I’m losing it,” she whispered. “I think I’m actually losing it.”

Lex’s expression tightened. In two strides, he was at her side.

She didn’t resist as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close, her sobs muffled in his tailored blazer.

“I can’t even tell what’s real anymore,” she gasped. “What if Queen Bee did something? What if she left something behind?”

“She didn’t,” Lex said firmly.

“How do you know?!”

“Because you’re my daughter,” he said quietly. “And I’ve run every scan, every mental probe. You’re clean.”

“But the whispers—”

“Trauma echoes,” he said. “Sometimes the mind processes it in fragments. You’re not crazy.”

She clung to him like a child, and for the first time in a while, Lex just held her. Not as a billionaire. Not as a manipulator. But as a father.

“I don’t want to feel like this anymore,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“I don’t want to be a villain, or a hero, or an experiment. I just want—”

“—to be normal.”

She nodded, tears soaking his collar.

Lex exhaled slowly, hand cradling the back of her head. “Then let me help you.”

She looked up at him, cheeks stained red. “You’re not going to lock me in the pod, are you?”

He almost smiled. “Only if you start phasing through the walls again.”

She laughed weakly.

Then he pulled back, composed again.

“No more missions,” he said softly. “Not unless I approve them. Deal?”

Vanessa hesitated… then nodded. “Deal.”

---

*Two Days Later — Wayne Manor*

It was late afternoon when Alfred opened the car door outside the sprawling estate nestled in Gotham’s countryside.

Wayne Manor looked like something out of a gothic fairytale — dark brick and ivy, long windows glinting in the golden light, and a driveway so long it might as well be a runway.

“Whoa,” Vanessa whispered.

Robin — Richard now — smiled at her from the passenger seat. “Welcome to the Batcave’s attic.”

She punched his arm. “You’re such a dork.”

They stepped out, her suitcase rolling behind her.

“Master Bruce is working late,” Alfred said with a polite nod. “You have the house until dinner.”

Vanessa took a deep breath. She hadn’t realized how heavy the last few days had felt — the mission, the whispers, Lex’s breakdown hallway hug — until the air shifted and her body started to relax.

Richard took her hand. “C’mon. I wanna show you my world.”

---

*Wayne Manor — Richard’s Room*

The house was filled with history. Books older than either of them, paintings with stern eyes, and a quiet that pressed down like velvet.

But Richard’s room? Total surprise.

There were posters of sci-fi movies, a shelf packed with old comics, a wall of tech gadgets — some obviously handmade — and a Star Wars LEGO Millennium Falcon half-finished on the dresser.

Vanessa blinked. “I was expecting something more… broody.”

“Bruce already cornered the market on that.”

She laughed. “You’re a geek.”

“I’m a hot geek.”

“Debatable.”

He smirked, stepped forward — and in one smooth motion, pinned her to the bed, arms on either side of her, face hovering inches above hers.

“You were saying?”

Her heart thudded. “I stand corrected.”

He kissed her slowly — deeper, more certain. Her hands gripped the front of his shirt, and for a while, the world went quiet. Just breath and touch, fingers slipping under the hem of her top, her knees curling around his hips.

“I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

Her breath hitched. “I love you too.”

His hand traced the edge of her bra—

KNOCK KNOCK.

“Richard,” came Bruce Wayne’s voice, deep and unimpressed from the other side of the door. “Keep the door open.”

They froze.

Vanessa’s face flushed cherry-red.

Richard groaned, rolling off her. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“Door,” Bruce said again.

With a sigh, Richard stood and pulled the door open three inches. Vanessa sat cross-legged on the bed, cheeks flaming.

Bruce's gaze was calm but knowing. “Dinner in one hour.”

Then he vanished.

“Do you think he has x-ray vision?” she whispered.

“No, but I think he definitely used the house cameras.”

She laughed, falling back on the bed. “Well. That was... mood murder.”

He flopped beside her. “He means well.”

“He’s just trying to protect you,” she said softly, fingers brushing his.

“I don’t need protection. I need you.”

---

*Later That Night — Wayne Manor Guest Room*

Vanessa sat in the guest bed after dinner, wrapped in one of Alfred’s plush robes, hair damp from a hot shower. The whispers had quieted.

The walls weren’t talking anymore.

She stared at her reflection in the vanity mirror — no glowing eyes. No flickering skin. Just her.

Just Vanessa.

A knock came at the door, and Richard peeked in.

“Hey,” he said. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Better now.”

He stepped inside and tossed her a small wrapped box. “A peace offering.”

She unwrapped it carefully — and gasped.

It was a necklace. Simple. Silver. With a pendant shaped like a tiny moon.

“I love it,” she whispered.

“I saw it and thought of you.”

She put it on, fingers brushing the cool metal. Then she kissed him. Once. Soft and sure.

“I really do love you,” she said. “Even when you act like a smug little bat.”

He smiled. “And I love you, even when you phase through doors without knocking.”

She giggled.

They fell asleep that night with the door open, their hands twined under the pillow, breathing slow and steady — two kids trying to find peace in a world that asked too much of them.

And for now... they had each other.

Chapter Text

*Wayne Manor – Gotham – Sunrise*

The morning sun filtered through thick curtains in soft golden beams, dancing across the comforter. Vanessa stirred slowly, blinking blearily against the warmth on her face. Something heavy and familiar was curled around her — a leg tangled with hers, an arm slung over her waist, breath soft at the back of her neck.

She smiled sleepily, shifting just enough to glance over her shoulder.

Richard. Fast asleep, mouth parted slightly, his hair mussed into messy tufts.

Her heart squeezed.

She didn’t know what was better: the way his face looked so peaceful in sleep or the way he held her, like letting go wasn’t even an option.

Carefully, she turned in his arms to face him. As she moved, his brow furrowed faintly in resistance — and then relaxed again as he instinctively pulled her closer, tucking her head beneath his chin.

“I’m gonna start charging you rent,” she mumbled into his chest.

He groaned. “Five more minutes.”

“You said that half an hour ago.”

“Time’s not real. It’s a Batman construct.”

She giggled, tracing idle circles along his ribs through his shirt. “You’re such a menace.”

“But I’m your menace.”

She poked his side. “Pancakes?”

His eyes cracked open finally, and he grinned. “Pancakes.”

---

*Wayne Manor Kitchen — 9:03 AM*

Turns out, neither of them were very good at pancakes.

The first one burnt. The second was raw. The third somehow got stuck to the ceiling.

But by the fourth attempt, they were on a roll — and by that point, the kitchen was an utter disaster.

There was flour on Vanessa’s cheek and tangled in Richard’s hair. Someone had flicked batter onto the fridge. The counter looked like it had been hit by a small tornado.

“I think we’re breaking several OSHA laws,” Vanessa giggled.

“You think Alfred will kill us?”

“Alfred likes me. You’re the one in trouble.”

They collapsed into each other, laughing, sticky and chaotic, and happy. Vanessa took a swipe of whipped cream and booped it on his nose.

“You’re gonna regret that,” he warned, eyes glinting mischievously.

“Uh huh.”

He grabbed a handful of flour and threatened her with it.

She screamed and ducked behind the island, and he chased her, cornering her between the sink and the spice rack.

“Truce?” she giggled.

“I don’t know... do you surrender your whipped cream privileges?”

“Never.”

Just as he lunged, arms poised for a tickle attack—

A sharp ahem echoed from the kitchen door.

They froze.

Bruce Wayne stood there, staring at them. Or rather… through them.

He didn’t say a word. Just calmly walked to the cupboard, retrieved a bowl, poured himself some cereal, and exited into the formal dining room.

Then, as he left, he called over his shoulder:

“You two better tidy up.”

They stared at each other.

And then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

---

*Midday – Richard’s Bedroom*

The day was quiet after that. They’d cleaned the kitchen, been mock-scolded by Alfred (who still gave them fresh muffins anyway), and spent the late morning curled up in Richard’s room, alternating between playing Smash Bros and watching reruns of old Friends episodes.

Vanessa wore one of his oversized Gotham Academy hoodies and a pair of leggings. She was curled under his arm, head resting on his chest as they sank deeper into the mound of pillows and blankets.

But something was off.

The room was warm. The show played lazily in the background. But Vanessa’s eyes weren’t on the screen.

She was staring at the corner of the room.

Richard looked down. “Babe?”

“Hm?”

“You good?”

She blinked. “Yeah. Just zoned out.”

He didn’t press.

But then she flinched.

It was subtle — a twitch of the shoulder. A jerk of her neck. Like she’d heard something that wasn’t there.

He muted the show.

“Vanessa.”

She looked at him slowly, eyes wide. “It’s back.”

His stomach turned cold.

“The whispers?”

She nodded. “It’s faint, like… wind. But it’s inside. It’s like they’re hiding behind my brain.”

He shifted so he could cup her face gently. “Tell me what they’re saying.”

“I can’t… I can’t make it out. But it feels wrong. Like something’s still crawling around in there.”

He kissed her forehead. “Okay. Come here.”

He held her tighter, rocking her gently. She clutched at him like he was the only thing keeping her tethered.

Eventually, her breathing slowed.

And she fell asleep in his arms.

---

*Wayne Manor – Study – Later That Evening*

Richard paced.

Bruce sat behind the grand desk, steepled fingers resting against his lips.

“She said it’s back,” Richard told him. “The whispers. She keeps hearing them even when no one’s there.”

“I thought Queen Bee’s mental influence had cleared,” Bruce said.

“So did Lex. He ran everything. Scans, mental shields, med-tech. Nothing came up.”

Bruce’s eyes narrowed. “If it’s still there, it’s not surface-level. We’ll need help.”

“Zatara?” Richard asked.

Bruce was already dialling.

---

*Luthor Manor – That Night*

Lex looked down at his screen, face unreadable as Zatara’s report finished playing.

“A psychic parasite,” he muttered.

Mercy stood at his side, arms crossed.

“She’s clean,” he insisted. “We scanned every inch of her brain. We used tech that even the League hasn’t seen.”

“This wasn’t tech-based,” Zatara replied calmly through the video call. “It’s magical in nature. A fragment left behind by Queen Bee’s mental invasion. It burrowed into the deeper layers of her consciousness.”

Lex’s jaw twitched.

“I can remove it,” Zatara said. “But the process will be delicate. And she’ll need full rest after.”

Lex stared at the screen.

“I’ll provide the sanctum, the recovery pod, magical dampeners, whatever you need.”

Zatara nodded once. “There is one condition.”

Lex stiffened. “What?”

“She can’t return to the field. Not until she’s fully healed. I suggest… she stop going on missions entirely.”

Lex folded his arms. “That was already part of the deal.”

“I mean permanently.”

Lex’s eyes narrowed. “You’re trying to depower her.”

“No,” Zatara replied. “I’m trying to keep her alive. She’s a child.”

Lex’s voice lowered. “She’s not just a child. She’s my daughter.”

Zatara was silent.

“Then tell her,” he said simply. “Let her make the choice.”

---

*Wayne Manor – Richard’s Room*

Vanessa was still curled under the blanket when Richard returned, now in a clean hoodie and joggers, hair still damp from a quick shower.

She looked up, half-asleep. “Mmm. You smell nice.”

He kissed her temple. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“Promise?”

“I do.”

She shifted upright slowly, stretching. “What’d you and Bruce talk about?”

He hesitated.

“Queen Bee… left something behind. A psychic parasite.”

Her blood froze.

“Oh god. I knew it. I—”

“Hey,” he said, grabbing her hands. “It’s okay. Zatara can help. He’s going to get it out.”

She swallowed. “What’s the catch?”

“You’ll be off the team. At least… for now.”

Her eyes welled up. “That’s not fair.”

“I know. But you’re more important than any mission.”

She bit her lip. “What if I lose control again?”

“You won’t. I’ll be right here.”

Her fingers dug into his. “You promise not to leave?”

“Vanessa,” he said, soft but serious. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere.”

Chapter Text

*Star City – Park Bench*

The clouds over Star City were the lazy kind—light grey, with a muted sun peeking through like it hadn’t yet decided whether to shine or sleep. It was cool enough for sweaters, but it was warm enough for ice cream.

Vanessa sat on the old green park bench, legs swung over Lex’s, her cone dripping slightly onto the wax paper napkin wrapped around the bottom. She stared out at the pond where little kids chased ducks and an old man fed breadcrumbs to a fat squirrel.

Lex sat beside her in silence, his own cone perfectly pristine, of course. Vanilla with a sharp drizzle of something dark—coffee, maybe. Classic.

She broke the silence with a sigh. “I don’t remember it all. Just flashes.”

Lex tilted his head. “That’s how most beginnings are.”

She licked her cone, then frowned. “You said we came here when I was five.”

“We did.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “You told me you were my new dad... over a cone of strawberry ice cream?”

He smiled—actually smiled. Not the smug politician smirk, not the smirk of a man with a secret weapon—but a real, human smile.

“Do you remember what you said to me?” he asked.

She shook her head.

Lex’s voice dipped with amusement. “‘Your head looks like a bowling ball.’”

Vanessa choked on a laugh. “No, I didn’t!”

“Oh, but you did,” Lex said, laughing softly. “Then you tried to disappear into the park with the other kids like you were some kind of mini-ghost.”

Vanessa grinned, eyes warm. “You found me, though.”

He nodded. “And I bought you a double scoop. No cone. Just a cup. You had it all over your nose.”

She laughed again, the sound light and real and aching with memory.

“I don’t think I ever thanked you for that day,” she said, softer now. “For not leaving me alone.”

Lex stared ahead. “I never thought I’d raise a child. Let alone someone with... your kind of power. I was afraid I’d mess it up.”

“You kinda did.”

He chuckled.

“But you also gave me a home. A pod to sleep in. A reason to not be afraid of phasing through the walls.”

Lex's jaw tightened briefly. “You’ve never been afraid of walls.”

She looked at him, eyes glassy. “I’m scared now.”

He turned toward her, his tone level but earnest. “You’re the strongest person I know, Vanessa. I’ve seen you break down molecules with a blink. But what makes you dangerous isn’t your powers. It’s your heart. Your will. That’s the thing Queen Bee never counted on.”

She bit her lip, blinking back tears.

“You’re my daughter,” he said. “I may not have made you—but I built the world around you.”

Vanessa leaned into his shoulder, ice cream melting between her fingers.

“I love you, Dad.”

Lex rested his hand gently atop hers. “And I love you, Vanessa.”

They sat there for a few minutes, watching a little girl try to chase a butterfly and fall flat on her face, then giggle.

It was the kind of peace you could almost pretend was permanent.

---

*Later That Day — Outside Zatara’s House*

The car ride was quiet.

Richard was already waiting outside when they pulled up to the ivy-covered estate on the outskirts of town. Vanessa stepped out first, carrying her jacket, her eyes scanning the old house like it might come alive and speak to her.

Lex paused before exiting the car.

Richard came around to meet them, but Lex caught his shoulder before he could reach Vanessa.

They stood together on the stone driveway, distant from her for a moment.

Lex's voice was low. “You care about her.”

Richard didn’t hesitate. “More than I’ve ever cared about anyone.”

“You love her?”

Richard met his eyes. “Yes.”

Lex studied him for a long beat, then looked toward the house. “You know I created everything she relies on. The pod. The bracelet. Her regulation field.”

“I know.”

“I gave her a home.”

“And I’m trying to give her a life.”

That surprised Lex. Just for a moment.

He nodded once. “Keep her safe. Because if you don’t... I will.”

Richard didn’t blink. “Understood.”

Lex extended a hand.

Richard took it.

---

*The Ritual Room*

Zatara’s sanctum was aglow with shimmering symbols, etched into the floor with chalk and candlelight. Vanessa stood at the centre, barefoot. In a simple white shift, Zatanna had loaned her. Her bracelet was off, resting beside Lex’s gloves and Richard’s utility belt on a long velvet bench.

Zatara spoke gently. “Are you ready?”

Vanessa swallowed hard.

She turned once to Lex—who gave her a small nod—and then to Richard, who mouthed, You got this.

She nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Zatara’s hands moved in precise arcs, and the room responded—sigils glowing, the air thickening.

Vanessa closed her eyes—

—and everything fell away.

---

*Inside Her Mind*

She opened her eyes in a place that wasn’t real.

The floor was black glass. Above her was a sky with no stars. Floating shards of memory hovered like broken windows—her old room, her pod, the moment Sportsmaster grabbed her, her first kiss with Richard. They flickered like flames.

And standing at the centre of it all was a woman with golden eyes and a cruel smile.

Queen Bee.

But not quite. More like... a ghost of her.

“You really think you’re free?” The illusion cooed.

Vanessa’s fists clenched. “You don’t belong here.”

“I was invited, dear,” Queen Bee said, stepping closer. “You let me in. When you were weak. When you wanted control.”

“I never wanted you.”

“Didn’t you?” The woman’s voice was honeyed venom. “When your wrist fractured and no one saw you? When you felt invisible in a crowd of gods and weapons and heroes? I offered you a voice.”

“No,” Vanessa said, stronger now. “You tricked me. You whispered poison.”

Queen Bee’s smile widened. “And you drank it willingly.”

Vanessa looked around. Her memories… they were all shaking.

“Let me show you what you could become,” the voice purred.

One of the windows flashed.

Vanessa stood at the top of a ruined world, crown on her brow, armies of the mindless behind her.

“No,” she whispered.

Another flash—her hand reaching through Lex’s chest, his expression frozen in betrayal.

“No!”

And another—Richard’s face blank, lost, as she phased through him without looking back.

“STOP!”

The images shattered.

Vanessa stood shaking in the middle of the dark glass floor.

And then… silence.

She looked down.

A small version of herself stood there—maybe five years old—holding a stuffed teddy bear in one hand, eyes wide.

“I just want to go home,” the little girl said.

Vanessa dropped to her knees, arms shaking. She pulled the child into a hug.

“I am home,” she whispered. “And I’m taking it back.”

---

*Reality — Zatara’s Sanctum*

Vanessa gasped as she bolted upright in the ritual circle.

Her eyes glowed gold for a second—then dimmed.

The chalk symbols blinked out.

She was drenched in sweat. Shivering.

But whole.

Richard was at her side in seconds, wrapping his arms around her.

Lex stood back, lips pressed tightly together—but his eyes relieved.

“She’s free,” Zatara confirmed. “It’s gone.”

---

*That Night – Outside The House*

Vanessa stood barefoot in the grass behind the manor, staring up at the stars.

Richard joined her quietly.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “I feel… lighter. Like someone opened a window in my skull.”

“You were amazing.”

She turned to him, voice soft. “She tried to convince me to stay. That I was safer in control.”

“And?”

“I told her I already had control. And I didn’t need her to find my voice.”

Richard took her hand, threading their fingers together. “You found your own.”

“I want to go home.”

“You are home.”

She leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you more,” he said, grinning.

“Impossible.”

Chapter Text

*Metropolis High – Monday Morning*

Vanessa slid her books into her locker one by one, careful not to phase them through the shelf like she almost did last week. She’d had to hold her hand steady for several seconds just to make sure it wasn’t flickering.

“VANESSA!” Mary’s voice cut through the hallway chaos like a klaxon. “Where the hell have you been?!”

Cassidy, Harmony, Gracie, Theresa, and Lydia all descended in unison like a well-trained gossip unit surrounding Vanessa before she even turned around.

“You vanished again,” Cassidy said, hands on hips.

“No texts,” Theresa added.

“No updates!” Gracie cried. “Do you have any idea what that does to a group chat?!”

Vanessa laughed, holding up her hands. “Okay, okay. I deserve that.”

Harmony crossed her arms. “Spill.”

“I had… surgery,” she said carefully. Not a lie, exactly. Psychic parasite extraction was basically brain surgery with fireworks and candles.

A wave of immediate concern washed over their faces.

“Oh my god,” Lydia breathed. “What kind?”

Vanessa waved them off. “It wasn’t life-threatening. I’m okay now. Just needed a few days.”

There was a pause, a collective breath.

Then Cassidy narrowed her eyes. “So what was the deal with the weekend? We saw no posts. Zero activity. And Mary said she thought she saw you getting out of a Gotham plated limo.”

All six pairs of eyes zeroed in like heat-seeking missiles.

Vanessa rolled her eyes. “I stayed at Richard’s.”

The squeals were deafening.

“You stayed at his house?!” Harmony screamed.

“In Gotham?!” Mary clutched her chest.

Vanessa shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “It wasn’t a huge deal.”

“Oh my god, did you meet Batman?” Gracie gasped.

“No! And don’t even joke like that,” Vanessa laughed, trying very hard not to burst from the irony.

“So… details,” Mary grinned. “What’s his room like? What’s he like when he’s not all broody and mysterious?”

Vanessa leaned in, lowering her voice. “He’s a complete geek. Like, shelves of comics. Retro movie posters. Matching socks.”

They all melted.

“Ohhh no,” Cassidy groaned dramatically. “Now he’s perfect.”

Vanessa smiled, heart warm. But somewhere under that warmth… something hummed.

Something new.

---

*Afternoon – Metropolis High Girls’ Bathroom*

She barely noticed it at first. A light buzz under her skin.

Then her reflection in the mirror shifted — glitched — like a screen with poor reception.

Her breath caught.

The image flickered once more before stabilizing.

She looked down at her hands, and for just a second… she saw them both glowing and transparent.

“Okay,” she whispered. “That’s new.”

She inhaled deeply. Held it. Let it go.

The buzzing faded.

She didn’t know what it meant yet — but something inside her had changed.

---

*That Night – Luthor Manor, Vanessa’s Bedroom*

The window creaked open slowly, like a storybook moment.

Vanessa turned from her vanity just in time to see Richard tumble gracefully into the room, landing in a crouch like the trained acrobat he was.

“Richard,” she whispered with a grin. “You know there’s a front door.”

“There’s also a six-foot-tall, armed robot lady who gives me the death stare when I use it.”

“You mean Mercy?”

“Yeah. She scanned me last time. I’m like ninety percent sure she has a file labelled ‘Boyfriend Threat Level.’”

Vanessa giggled as she stepped into his arms. He kissed her slowly—carefully—hands warm on her waist.

The kiss deepened.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and they tumbled back onto her bed, the world tilting and softening.

His hand skimmed under the hem of her shirt.

Her skin buzzed.

Their lips moved in tandem, syncopated and tender and a little desperate. Like they needed to kiss each other just to breathe.

She broke away first, panting. “We’re not going to get very far if you keep kissing me like that.”

His reply was a crooked smile. “That’s the idea.”

But just as their mouths met again—

The door slid open.

“Miss Vanessa—” Mercy began—

Vanessa squeaked and yanked the blanket over their heads.

Richard went still, lips against her collarbone.

Mercy stared blankly. “You have training in the morning. Please remember your commitments.”

Vanessa’s voice was muffled. “Thanks, Mercy.”

Mercy lingered for a beat longer than necessary… then exited, the door shutting softly.

There was a pause.

Then Richard groaned into the pillow. “We are never going to get any peace.”

Vanessa snorted. “You knew what you signed up for.”

He looked at her, mischief in his eyes. “Get dressed.”

“Excuse me?”

He tugged her up. “We’re going somewhere.”

---

*Luthor Manor Rooftop – Midnight*

The roof was set with a blanket, a portable speaker playing soft jazz, and two paper bags filled with snacks. Vanessa blinked at the setup, impressed.

“You planned this?”

“Guilty.”

They lay back together, her head on his chest, as the night sky spread wide above them. Stars glittered like broken glass scattered across velvet.

Then—streaks of light.

A meteor shower.

Vanessa gasped. “Oh my god…”

“Surprise,” Richard whispered.

She reached for his hand and held it tightly. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“I’m not even the best thing that happened this week.”

“You bought me gummy bears. You win.”

They laughed softly, tangled in each other under the light show above.

And for a few precious moments… nothing else existed.

---

*Luthor Manor Kitchen – 1:42 AM*

Vanessa padded barefoot into the kitchen, hair messy, hoodie oversized.

Lex stood at the counter, drinking tea. Not whiskey. Not espresso. Tea.

He looked up. “Meteor shower?”

She nodded. “He surprised me.”

Lex gave her a rare, unreadable look. “He cares about you.”

“He’s… everything.”

There was a pause.

Lex set his mug down. “I saw your reflection flicker today. Not just your powers. Your presence.”

Vanessa stiffened.

“You’re evolving.”

She hesitated. “Is that bad?”

“It’s... expected. Psychic contact like that leaves ripples. Queen Bee tried to rewrite your mind. Sometimes, when we fight to take control back… we unlock new things.”

Vanessa leaned against the island. “I felt it earlier. It’s like… my body wants to disappear and burn at the same time.”

Lex nodded slowly. “If you need to leave, to figure it out… I won’t stop you.”

She looked up sharply. “You won’t?”

“I’ve tried to keep you safe for ten years. But I can’t stop you from becoming who you’re meant to be.”

Her eyes welled slightly. “Thank you.”

“Just… don’t shut me out.”

“I won’t.”

He reached into his coat and handed her something—a small bracelet, metal with soft lines and a subtle green shimmer.

“A new regulator. Tracks surges. Adjusts instinctively.”

Vanessa blinked. “You made this today?”

“I started it the moment you fell asleep on the plane back from Zatara’s.”

She smiled, sliding it on. “Thanks, Dad.”

Lex reached out and touched her cheek lightly. “Sleep well, Vanessa.”

Chapter Text

*Mount Justice Training Room – Morning*

“Again.”

Black Canary’s voice rang sharp across the floor as Vanessa rolled back from the mat, sweat already dampening her collarbone. She huffed, blinking hair out of her eyes. “You do not play easy, do you?”

Black Canary gave her a faint smile. “You’ve got skills, Luthor. Now I’m testing instincts.”

Vanessa cracked her knuckles. “You sure this isn’t just payback for flipping Kaldur?”

From across the mat, Kaldur chuckled quietly. “You caught me off-guard.”

“You’re still rubbing your shoulder.”

“Coincidence.”

Richard leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying and failing to hide the look of open adoration on his face.

“Focus, Robin,” Black Canary called, not even turning around.

Vanessa smirked. “Busted.”

Richard winked. “Worth it.”

---

The next round began with a faint click. Vanessa and Artemis squared off, circling. They’d sparred before, but Vanessa was faster now. Too fast. She dodged left, spun under a kick, came up with her hand glowing faintly — and phased straight through Artemis’ counter-strike.

Only… this time… she didn’t stop.

The glow didn’t fade.

Her body vibrated with something more than adrenaline. She could feel Artemis’ surprise, Kaldur’s calm resolve, Black Canary’s flicker of concern — all of it flooding her senses like sound waves through her skull.

Then Artemis moved — and Vanessa moved first, not by logic but by empathy.

She saw it coming.

Countered it before it happened.

And slammed Artemis onto her back, breathing hard.

There was silence.

“I didn’t mean to—” Vanessa started, pulling away.

Artemis groaned, holding up a thumbs-up from the floor. “No broken ribs. Just pride.”

Black Canary stepped closer, brow furrowed. “Your aura—when you moved—shifted.”

Vanessa looked down at her hands.

They were glowing again, but differently now — faint wisps of light wrapping her fingers like ribbons.

“I felt… them,” she whispered. “All of you.”

Richard stepped forward. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. I felt emotions. But not like… thoughts. More like currents. Like music under my skin.”

M’gann, hovering near the control desk, spoke gently. “That’s empathic energy. Some species evolve it with their telepathy. But you’re not a telepath.”

“No,” Vanessa said. “I think… I’m becoming something else.”

---

*Mount Justice – The Garden Room*

M’gann led Vanessa into one of the more peaceful zones in the cave — a large, leafy chamber full of greenery, glowing orbs, and floating platforms. The air smelled of rain and sap.

“Try to center yourself,” M’gann said, kneeling in the moss. “We’ll do this slow.”

Vanessa sat across from her, closing her eyes.

M’gann reached out psychically, touching her aura just lightly — like knocking gently at a door.

Vanessa flinched. “It’s loud,” she said. “So loud…”

M’gann nodded. “That’s the energy echoing back. Your emotions aren’t just felt now — they ripple. You’re beginning to project and receive.”

“I don’t want to read people’s minds,” Vanessa whispered.

“You’re not. This is different. It’s not thoughts. It’s feelings. Instincts. Pressure. Fear. Hope. It’s like… emotional resonance.”

Vanessa opened her eyes. “What does that mean?”

M’gann hesitated. “It means you’re no longer just phasing through matter… you’re starting to phase through people’s emotional frequencies.”

Vanessa’s stomach twisted.

“Am I dangerous?”

M’gann smiled gently. “You’re powerful. That’s not the same.”

---

*Mount Justice Balcony – Sunset*

Richard found her sitting alone, curled up on a stone ledge, staring out at the ocean.

He dropped a hoodie over her shoulders and slid in behind her, arms wrapping around her waist.

“You scared me today,” he said softly.

“I scared myself.”

He rested his chin on her shoulder. “You could’ve stopped.”

“I didn’t want to.”

That admission lingered in the air, vulnerable and raw.

“I’m not the same anymore,” she whispered.

“No one ever stays the same. That’s part of being human.”

She turned to look at him. “What if I’m not?”

He kissed her forehead, her temple, then her cheek.

“You are so human, Vanessa. You love. You cry. You blush when I kiss you.”

She did, in fact, blush.

He smiled against her skin. “You’re evolving. That doesn’t mean you’re losing yourself. It means you’re growing.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“You won’t.”

She looked into his eyes. “How can you be so sure?”

He leaned in, his voice low and real and steady. “Because I know you. And I trust you. And if you ever do start to lose control… I’ll be right there to bring you back.”

She kissed him then — soft and slow and achingly grateful.

And for a moment, the light in her hands faded to nothing.

---

*Luthor Labs – Same Time*

Lex paced.

Mercy stood nearby, silent.

On the monitor was Vanessa’s latest neural scan — bright, erratic.

“Run the phase-drift projections again,” he said tightly.

Mercy nodded, fingers tapping over the control screen.

Lex stared at the flickering lights.

He didn’t fear Vanessa.

He feared losing her.

Again.

“I want a regulator prototype that can stabilize emotional resonance.”

“You believe her abilities are mutating?”

“I believe she’s becoming something this world isn’t ready for.”

Mercy looked at him, calm. “And what will you do if you can’t contain it?”

Lex stared at his own reflection in the glass — and didn’t answer.

---

*Luthor Manor – That Evening*

It started raining just after nine.

Soft at first, then heavier.

Vanessa sat on the floor of her bedroom, books scattered, notes half-written. She couldn’t concentrate. Her head buzzed faintly, not painfully — just… constantly.

Richard was on his way.

He’d texted her an hour ago: be there soon. bring snacks.

She smiled faintly at the screen.

Then the window creaked open.

“Again?” she grinned, looking over.

He shrugged, water dripping from his jacket. “Front door’s boring.”

She walked over and helped him out of the wet coat, their hands brushing, sending a spark between them.

The next moment happened too fast to think about.

He kissed her.

Not tentative. Not shy.

He kissed her like he’d missed her with every cell in his body.

She melted into him, arms winding around his shoulders. Their bodies pressed flush, heat rising.

They moved toward the bed without planning to, lips never parting.

He laid her down gently, her hoodie pulled halfway off, his shirt rucked up. Their breaths tangled.

Her hands cupped his face, fingers threading through his hair.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He kissed her jaw, her collarbone, her pulse point. “I love you more.”

Their legs intertwined.

Hands explored.

Clothes shifted.

And then—

“Miss Vanessa—”

Mercy stood in the doorway again.

Richard groaned into her neck.

Mercy blinked. “Perhaps consider… a lock.”

Vanessa’s face went crimson. “MERCY!”

“I’ll return in ten minutes,” she said, disappearing without another word.

Richard flopped beside her with a sigh. “We’re never going to get any peace, are we?”

Vanessa giggled. “Not in this house.”

---

*Rooftop – Later*

They lay curled up under a blanket again, watching the stars appear one by one. The rain had stopped, leaving the world fresh and quiet.

“I think I can feel the sky,” Vanessa murmured.

Richard tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“It’s like… the energy out there isn’t just stars and space. It’s alive.”

He kissed her temple. “Then maybe you’re meant to touch the stars.”

She turned to face him. “As long as you’re beside me.”

“Always.”

---

*Luthor Manor Kitchen – Midnight*

Vanessa padded down for a drink. Lex was already there, holding a glass of water, staring at the rain through the glass wall.

“You always stay up this late?” she asked.

“I don’t sleep much.”

She poured herself some water. “Did you know… when I phased through Artemis today, I felt her?”

Lex glanced at her.

“I mean really felt her. Her adrenaline. Her frustration. Her focus. I could feel it.”

“You’re evolving.”

“I don’t know what I’m becoming.”

Lex looked at her — and for once, didn’t speak like a scientist or a CEO.

“You’re still you,” he said. “And whatever you become… I’ll still be proud of you.”

Vanessa’s throat tightened.

“I love you, Dad.”

He reached out and pulled her into a rare hug.

“I love you too.”

Chapter Text

*Haly’s Circus – Romania – Day One*

The dusty smell of sawdust and popcorn filled Vanessa’s lungs as she stepped into the main tent. The colors were vivid — blues and reds and golds stretched across canvas, glittering in the sunlight bleeding through the slits above.

“Wow,” she breathed.

“This place is basically home,” Richard said beside her. He looked around like he was walking into a memory. “Used to sneak under the bleachers when I was a kid. Before everything… fell apart.”

Vanessa glanced at him, brows raised. “This is your circus?”

“Well,” he shrugged. “My parents were the Flying Graysons.”

“Oh my god. Wait. THE Flying Graysons?”

He nodded, sheepishly. “That was me. The tiny one who did flips and got too much cotton candy after each show.”

Vanessa blinked. “You really are an acrobat.”

“Would it impress you if I said I still know all the moves?”

She smirked. “I’ll need proof.”

---

They were undercover now — the Team, scattered across various circus roles. Robin, Vanessa, Conner, M’gann, and Artemis.

Vanessa had been roped into the trapeze act with Richard. Because of course she had.

“Relax your shoulders,” he whispered behind her as they climbed the ladder.

She shivered — from the height or his voice, she couldn’t tell.

They flew together that night — literally. Twisting and catching, soaring and laughing, hearts hammering in sync. When she landed, legs wrapped around the bar, upside down, she caught his eye across the ring.

He winked.

She blushed so hard she nearly fell.

---

*Circus Tent – The Heist*

The plan was simple: wait for the bad guys to make their move. They were stealing from Haly’s to funnel weapons through Europe.

It went sideways fast.

A large, masked man lunged from the shadows and grabbed Vanessa mid-sprint, yanking her through the air.

“I’ve been told you’re the prize,” he hissed, fingers digging into her arm. “Your energy signature is unique.”

Her eyes widened — he was draining her. She could feel her skin starting to dim.

“No—”

She screamed, and her body flickered into pure phasing mode.

Then she slammed her palms into his chest — and phased through him.

Only this time, she pulled something with her.

He dropped to the ground, spasming. His eyes went white, and he screamed in turn.

Everyone stopped.

Vanessa stood over him, glowing, crackling with power she didn’t understand.

“Don’t ever touch me again.”

---

*Backstage – Later That Night*

The battle had ended. The smugglers were arrested. The crowd never noticed a thing.

Vanessa sat on a stack of crates, rubbing her temples.

“You okay?”

Conner’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“Yeah,” she muttered. “No. I don’t know.”

He sat beside her, shoulder brushing hers. “That guy tried to take something from you.”

“Yeah. He said my energy signature was… unique.” Her voice cracked. “I think I scared everyone. Even me.”

Conner was silent for a moment. Then he pulled up his sleeve and revealed a small sticker the shape of the superman emblem.

“Lex made these.”

Vanessa stared at it. “What is it?”

“A shield. To supress my human genes.”

She swallowed. “Lex?”

He nodded.

“I didn’t know.”

“He didn’t want you to.”

Her jaw clenched. “He made you?”

“Not exactly. I was cloned. Half Superman, half Lex Luthor. Surprise.”

Vanessa stared at him.

Conner looked up at the night sky. “We were both lab rats, Vanessa. But you’ve got something I never had growing up.”

She blinked. “What?”

“A name. A laugh. People who love you. You’re not a weapon. No matter what your powers say.”

She leaned against him gently.

And for once, they were both just kids.

---

*Luthor Manor – The Next Day*

Vanessa stormed into the house, boots stomping over marble.

“Lex!” she called.

He turned from the lounge, setting his tablet down.

“You created Conner?” Her voice was shaking. “You engineered him and never told me?”

Lex folded his hands calmly. “It wasn’t your burden to carry.”

“You gave him shields! They nearly killed him!”

“They were necessary. Superboy was unstable—”

“He’s not a weapon!” she snapped. “He’s a person! Just like me!”

Lex’s mouth tensed. “You’re nothing like him.”

That silenced her.

He softened. “You’re my daughter. I chose you. I raised you. Everything I do is to protect you.”

She stared at him.

“You don’t have to be afraid of what I’m becoming,” she whispered.

“I’m not afraid,” Lex said. “I’m preparing for it.”

---

*That Night – Luthor Manor – Front Door*

For the first time in history, Richard used the actual door.

Mercy opened it, blinking in surprise. “How formal.”

Richard smirked. “She told me to stop coming in through windows.”

Vanessa appeared at the top of the stairs in short shorts and one of his oversized hoodies.

He nearly dropped his bag.

“Hi,” she said, eyes gleaming.

“Hi,” he said, breathless.

She ran down the stairs and into his arms.

Mercy sighed and walked away.

Vanessa locked the door.

---

*Bedroom – After Midnight*

She pulled him into the room with both hands fisted in his shirt.

He kissed her like the world was ending.

There was no Mercy. No Lex. No sudden phone calls. Just her. Him. The bed. Their skin.

Clothes hit the floor piece by piece.

His fingers were reverent and hungry, trailing down her spine. Her breath hitched as he kissed her throat, her thighs bracketing his waist.

Their bodies moved together like trapeze artists — timing, rhythm, trust.

She pulled him closer.

He buried his face in her neck and whispered, “You’re my everything.”

She gasped, holding him tighter. “And you're mine...”

And for once they didn’t have to stop - neither went all the way - but they didn't have to stop.

---

*After – Curled Up*

Later, wrapped in sheets and limbs, Vanessa traced lazy circles on his chest.

“You know,” she murmured, “you looked so hot in that circus outfit.”

He chuckled, half-asleep. “Did I?”

“Especially on the trapeze.”

“I was born for it.”

She looked up at him. “You were amazing tonight.”

“So were you.”

She kissed his collarbone. “I love you, Richard.”

“I love you too.”

They fell asleep tangled, hearts synced, breathing even.

Outside, the stars watched silently.

Chapter Text

*Night – Mount Justice – Vanessa’s Room*

It started with a whisper.

Vanessa sat upright in bed, breathing heavy. The walls of her room flickered for a second — or maybe it was her.

A high-pitched hum in her head. Her bracelet — glowing erratically — pulsed against her wrist like a second heartbeat.

“Roy…” a voice rasped.

Her hand clutched the covers, heart racing.

“Clone… mole… trust—can’t trust—”

The words scrambled like radio static. She clutched her head, feeling pressure behind her eyes, like something wanted out.

Then — silence.

No hum. No pulse.

Just her ragged breathing and the low thump of her own heart.

---

*Morning – Kitchen – Mount Justice*

She poked at a bowl of cereal while Richard made pancakes behind her, shirtless in his plaid pajama bottoms.

“You okay?” he asked, flipping a pancake.

She blinked. “Yeah. Just—” She hesitated. “I had another one.”

His face immediately darkened. “Another echo?”

She nodded. “Something about Roy. And a mole.”

Richard frowned, crossing to her. “We’ll tell Kaldur.”

“Not yet,” she whispered. “I don’t want to stir the pot unless I’m sure.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Just promise me you’ll tell me if it happens again.”

“I always do.”

He smiled and held out a perfect pancake.

She grinned and bit into it.

---

*Midday – Zatanna’s Arrival*

She’d arrived at Mount Justice in a swirl of navy blue and sparkles, hair flowing behind her and eyes bright with mischief.

Zatanna Zatara.

Vanessa tried not to feel immediately annoyed.

The last time they’d met, Zatanna had been this close to flirting Richard’s mask right off. Now she was here to train Vanessa?

Please.

“Hey,” Zatanna said, offering a bright smile. “Heard you’re the girl with the phasing powers and the boyfriend with the cape.”

Vanessa gave a tight smile. “That’s me.”

Zatanna chuckled. “Relax. I’m not here to steal your man. Honestly, the way he looks at you? You’ve already won.”

Vanessa blinked.

The words slipped past her walls quicker than she expected.

“Thanks,” she muttered.

They walked side by side toward the gym.

“Besides,” Zatanna added slyly, “you two are kind of disgustingly cute. Like Disney Channel couple levels of cute.”

Vanessa laughed despite herself. “We try.”

---

*Training Room – Phase Control Session*

Zatanna raised both hands. “Alright. Your power isn’t just intangibility — it’s phase resonance. That’s big stuff. Think more quantum manipulation, less simple ghosting.”

Vanessa’s bracelet lit up with the mention of the word resonance.

Zatanna circled her. “The future echoes — those are emotional imprints mixed with cosmic interference. Time’s warning you.”

Vanessa tensed. “But I don’t understand the warning.”

“You will.”

Zatanna conjured a duplicate of herself in blue light.

“Try phasing through it — but leave part of yourself behind. Split control.”

Vanessa focused. Her molecules shimmered, her hand becoming vapor, then solid, then vapor again.

She phased through the illusion… but the tips of her fingers sparked out, like glitching pixels.

“Good!” Zatanna clapped. “Again.”

They repeated the drill, again and again. At one point, Vanessa fell, breathless and panting on the mat.

Zatanna knelt beside her. “You’re doing better than most full-time mystics.”

Vanessa blinked. “I’m not magic.”

“No,” Zatanna said, smiling, “you’re something else. Something rare. That’s why they want you.”

Vanessa shivered.

---

*Later That Day – Vanessa’s New Pod*

Lex hadn’t skimped.

The new resonance pod in her room at Mount Justice was a stunning glass capsule with plush blankets, a massive soft bed, and fairy lights twinkling along the curved ceiling.

It looked like a cross between a dream journal and a spaceship.

She stepped inside, the door whooshing shut gently behind her.

A hologram flickered to life — Lex’s voice.

“I’ve designed this to adapt to your biofeedback. It will stabilize your quantum field and support your new form of expression. Sleep well, princess.”

Vanessa sat on the bed, a lump rising in her throat.

The fairy lights shifted from pink to gold.

For the first time in days, she slept.

---

*Meanwhile… From the Shadows*

Roy Harper — Red Arrow now — adjusted his visor and watched the monitors in the shadows of the Mount Justice surveillance wing.

Artemis. Conner. Vanessa.

The three who didn’t feel right.

They were powerful. Dangerous. Close to Lex Luthor.

He marked their files with red tabs.

One wrong move… and he'd be there.

---

*Evening – Richard’s Room*

She laid sprawled on his bed while he played with her hair.

“You’re being quiet,” he said.

Vanessa turned toward him, eyes cloudy. “I just… feel like something’s coming.”

Richard’s fingers curled gently at the nape of her neck. “You think it’s bad?”

“I think it’s true.” She sat up. “These echoes… I don’t know what to do with them. How to warn anyone without sounding insane.”

“You’re not insane,” he said firmly. “You’re you. And that’s already more than enough.”

She looked down, silent for a moment. Then she climbed into his lap, straddling him.

“I love when you say stuff like that,” she whispered.

“I love you,” he said.

They kissed slowly, deeply — not rushed or hungry, just real.

---

*Kitchen – Mount Justice – Late Night*

Vanessa wandered into the kitchen barefoot.

To her surprise, Zatanna was there, sipping a juice box.

“Can’t sleep?” Zatanna asked.

Vanessa shook her head. “Whispers again.”

Zatanna sat beside her at the counter. “They’re getting stronger, huh?”

Vanessa nodded. “They say Roy’s a clone. That there’s a mole. But I can’t see who.”

“Maybe you’re not meant to stop it yet,” Zatanna said softly. “Maybe you’re meant to survive it.”

Vanessa looked down at her hands. “I hate not knowing.”

Zatanna offered a soft smile. “Same.”

They sat in silence.

“I thought you were going to be a problem,” Vanessa admitted.

Zatanna smirked. “I am a problem. Just not for you.”

They both laughed quietly.

---

*LexCorp – Surveillance Room*

Lex stared at the grainy black-and-white feed of Mount Justice.

Vanessa, asleep in her pod.

Zatanna, training her.

Red Arrow, watching her.

He narrowed his eyes.

“Step carefully, Roy.”

Mercy stood beside him. “Do we intervene?”

“No,” he said. “Not unless they try to break her.”

He clenched his fists behind his back.

“I built her. I raised her. If the world wants a weapon… I’ll show them what a queen looks like.”

Chapter Text

*Dream Land*

A strange ringing sound cut through Vanessa's dream-sharp, high, layered. She stirred in her pod, eyes fluttering open to a soft purple glow bouncing off the sleek new interior walls. This wasn't the same containment pod she'd grown up in.

It was new. Custom-built. For her.

Fairy lights twinkled across the edges of the glass ceiling, where stars were faintly visible in the early morning light. There was a new bed, softer, firmer-real pillows this time. A small corner had been set up with some of her favorite books, a framed photo of her and Dick at the spring formal, and a small plant Miss Martian had insisted she name. "Emotional grounding," she'd called it.

But the ringing persisted.

She sat up, the pod doors sliding open with a hiss. The moment her bare feet touched the cool floor of Mount Justice, the vision hit.

She was standing in a desert. Alone.

And then-echoes. Thousands of them.

Each one of her. Older, younger, distorted versions whispering all at once. Flickers of time: a lab, a fire, Lex's twisted grin, Richard's smile, the shattered containment glass, Sportsmaster's glare.

But above it all, one image dominated her mind.

A face. Familiar, but wrong. Roy.

His voice rang out-but the words twisted, garbled in her skull like scrambled audio. She clutched her head, trying to make sense of it.

"Va... n-nessa... League... clone... dange-... mole..."

The vision vanished like mist in sunlight.

She gasped, breath ragged as her back hit the floor of the corridor.

"Another one?" came a soft voice.

Vanessa blinked up to see Zatanna crouched beside her, concern etched in her pretty features. A faint smudge of eyeliner sat under her lashes, like she hadn't slept either.

Vanessa groaned. "How many cryptic warnings from myself does it take before the universe just texts me directly?"

Zatanna laughed softly, helping her sit up. "Was it about Roy again?"

Vanessa didn't answer right away. Her heart pounded too hard, and a bitter chill lingered in her chest.

"Hey," Zatanna offered gently. "You know... I get it. Roy's been off. Everyone sees it."

Vanessa tensed. "You didn't seem too concerned when you were flirting with my boyfriend the day we met."

Zatanna blinked, surprised. A flash of guilt crept into her eyes, and for a moment, neither spoke.

Then, to Vanessa's shock, Zatanna gave a soft laugh. "You know, you're right. That was kind of a jerk move. For what it's worth-" She smiled. "You two are so cute together. Like, nauseatingly cute. You don't have anything to worry about."

Vanessa relaxed. Slightly.

"Thanks," she murmured.

Zatanna grinned. "Let's go get coffee before Robin wakes up and tries to beat me to it."

---

*Later That Day - Hall Of Justice*

---

The team had gathered in the Hall of Justice. The massive screen played live footage-news anchors buzzing with excitement.

"Today, Roy Harper-also known as Red Arrow-has officially joined the Justice League after his recent contributions to national and interplanetary missions. The League votes were unanimous."

The crowd on-screen applauded as Roy stepped up, shaking hands with Superman.

Vanessa didn't move.

She sat between Dick and Artemis on the couch, hands clenched in her lap. Everyone else clapped. Miss Martian beamed. Kaldur looked proud. Even Conner gave a small approving nod.

Only Vanessa noticed the sharp tension in Richard's posture.

His hand found hers under the blanket, fingers warm and grounding.

"Breathe," he whispered near her ear.

Vanessa didn't speak, but she leaned slightly into him. A moment later, he smirked teasingly and let his fingers trail a line up her thigh, just enough to draw a half-laugh from her as her face burned.

"Richard!" She whisper-yelled

"What?" he grinned. "You were tense."

"You're so lucky I love you."

---

That night, Vanessa received a message. It came through the Tower's internal comms-a whisper of text in Dick's custom encryption style.

Rooftop. Now. Don't scream.

She grabbed her hoodie and went, curiosity tugging at her chest.

The rooftop was quiet, lit only by the stars overhead and a faint Gotham haze in the distance. She took a few steps-

Then was slammed to the floor.

"Hey-!" she started, struggling, before she saw the glint of the Robin mask above her.

She stopped, breath catching in her throat. His lips hovered just above hers.

"You're slow," he whispered.

"You're psychotic," she muttered, reaching up and pulling off his mask. He looked back down at her-not Robin, not the Team's tactician. Richard.

And then she kissed him.

It started slow, hesitant, but deepened quickly as their hands found familiar places. He rolled off her, and they collapsed together on the cool rooftop surface.

Robin lay sprawled across her stomach, arms loosely around her waist, his breath warm against her shirt.

They looked up at the stars.

And Vanessa... began to glow.

It was faint at first. Barely visible. But the energy in her veins resonated with the celestial light above them, sparkling softly beneath her skin. Richard tilted his head.

"You're glowing."

She blinked. "You make me happy."

He smiled and kissed the glow at her ribs. "You're dangerous when you're honest."

---

*The Middle Of Nowhere - A Week Later*

---

A week later, everything changed again.

Vanessa spotted Conner slipping into Lex's lab late one evening. She followed.

What she saw would burn into her memory.

Lex placed something into Conner's hand. "A boost. Just like before."

Then he said the code words.

Conner's eyes went glassy. His entire posture sagged.

"Shan't... fall..."

Vanessa stepped out of the shadows. "What did you just do?!"

Lex didn't flinch. "Insurance."

She marched up, shoving him. "He trusted you!"

"He's mine, Vanessa."

The words sliced into her.

"He's not. You don't own him. You don't own me!"

Lex tilted his head. "And yet... here you are. In my pod. Wearing my name."

"Not by choice."

"Of course it was. You chose the life I gave you."

Her hands trembled with energy.

But then-Conner stirred. He blinked. Shook off the haze.

"Vanessa?" he asked.

She launched into his arms. "Don't ever take anything from him again."

"I won't," he promised, voice raw. "Not after that."

---

*Metropolis High*

---

On their 6-month anniversary, Vanessa walked into Metropolis High positively buzzing.

Her squad-Mary, Cassidy, Theresa, Harmony, Lydia, and Gracie-immediately surrounded her at the lockers.

"SPILL," Mary demanded.

"What's the plan? What's he doing? Where are you going?" Gracie added.

"I'm so excited I could cry!" Harmony squealed.

Vanessa giggled. "He said dinner, then something special. But I don't know the rest. He's being mysterious."

Cassidy gave a mock growl. "He better not mess this up."

After school, the girls went to Vanessa's house to help her get ready. They helped pick the perfect dress-soft champagne gold, elegant but flirty. Theresa braided tiny gems into her hair while Lydia did her makeup.

Then the doorbell rang.

The girls peeked through the curtain to scope him out-and froze.

"...Is that a bouquet of lilies?" Cassidy whispered.

Her favorite flower.

Richard stood there in a black suit, hair slightly tousled, bouquet in hand, smile soft.

"I take it back," Mary muttered. "He's the one."

---

Dinner was candlelit, rich, perfect.

Then came the theatre in Gotham Heights-her favorite play.

Afterward, Richard guided her to Alfred's townhouse, quiet and waiting. Inside, rose petals scattered across the floor, a record player hummed softly, and the whole place felt like theirs.

She stood there, heart thudding.

When he touched her cheek, she caught his hand.

"There's something I should tell you."

He nodded, already sensing it.

"I'm... a virgin."

He smiled gently. "So am I."

She breathed out.

"Then we'll figure it out together."

---

*Mount Justice - The Next Day*

---

The morning after felt like magic.

Until it didn't.

At Mount Justice, the Team was lounging in the main room. Vanessa wandered into the kitchen-

And found Roy.

He turned sharply.

She tried to be polite. "Hey."

He didn't answer.

Instead, he pinned her against the counter, voice low.

"I'm watching you. All of you. But you especially."

His lips brushed her ear. "Play your part right... or I'll make sure the League knows who the real mole is."

She shoved him off. "Back off, Harper."

But he just smirked-and walked out.

Vanessa stood there, blood boiling, fingers crackling with unstable light.

She was no one's pawn.

And this time, she'd fight back.

Chapter Text

*Metropolis High — End of the Day*

The bell rang, and the usual stampede of teenagers spilled into the front courtyard. Vanessa adjusted the strap of her bag, humming softly as she headed toward the gates.

Then she froze.

A crowd had gathered by the curb—students pressing against the fence, phones out, whispering and pointing. A black limo gleamed beneath the afternoon sun, Gotham plates catching the light.

“Is that—?” someone gasped.

“Oh my god,” another girl squealed. “It’s that kid Bruce Wayne adopted!”

Vanessa blinked.

There he was.

Richard. Leaning casually against the sleek car, hands in his pockets, hair catching the light like spun gold and sin. His smile, small but certain, was directed only at her.

Of course it was.

For a second, she just stared. Then she laughed—soft, disbelieving—and started pushing through the crowd.

“Excuse me—sorry—move!” she said, elbowing past a few gawkers.

When she finally reached him, she didn’t hesitate.

She grabbed his tie and kissed him.

It wasn’t shy. It wasn’t tentative. It was pure Vanessa—bright, reckless, and absolutely in love.

The crowd went feral. Cheers, whistles, phone flashes.

Dick grinned against her lips. “Nice to see you too.”

She smirked. “You really like entrances, huh?”

“Only when they end like this.” He opened the limo door with a mock bow. “Your carriage awaits, Miss Luthor.”

“Ugh, you’re ridiculous.”

“Admit it. You love it.”

“…Yeah. I kinda do.”

—-

*Luthor Manor*

The ride was quiet, save for Alfred’s occasional hum from the driver’s seat. Gotham’s most unflappable butler offered them both tea, because of course he did, and Vanessa thought—not for the first time—that she might actually like him more than Bruce.

When they pulled up to the gates of Luthor Manor, Alfred gave Dick a look that said behave yourself without needing to say it.

“I’ll pick you up at nine sharp, Master Richard,” he said with his usual grace.

“Appreciated,” Dick replied, stepping out and offering his hand to Vanessa like a gentleman from another century.

She laughed. “You know I have legs, right?”

He smirked. “Yeah, but they look better when I’m helping you use them.”

“Grayson!” she scolded, blushing.

“Too far?”

“Always.”

They slipped upstairs to her room, hand in hand.

Her room was softly lit, fairy lights along the headboard and the faint scent of vanilla in the air. Dick closed the door behind them, and for a moment the rest of the world just… stopped.

He kissed her once—slowly, tenderly—and she melted into him. His hands brushed her waist, her fingers tangled in his hair.

But before it could go any further—

Knock, knock.

“Miss Luthor?”

They sprang apart.

Mercy stepped inside, perfectly composed as always, though her gaze flicked over the scene with a knowing calm. “Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. Master Richard, you’re welcome to stay—if you don’t mind dining with Mr. Luthor.”

Dick’s entire body tensed. “That’s… generous, but I should probably—”

“I understand.” Mercy nodded politely. “Shall I bring you both refreshments?”

“No, thank you,” Vanessa said quickly, cheeks pink.

Mercy smiled faintly. “As you wish.” She closed the door behind her.

Dick exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I swear she has X-ray vision.”

Vanessa laughed. “Please, she’s Mercy Graves. She’s seen worse.”

She ducked into the bathroom, calling, “Don’t touch anything while I’m gone!”

—-

Lex didn’t listen.

He entered without knocking, the door shutting with a soft click.

“Father,” Dick said dryly, not looking up from his seat on the edge of the bed. “Didn’t expect you’d be the one interrupting this time.”

Lex’s expression was carved from stone. “Richard John Grayson.”

Dick froze. That name hadn’t been spoken out loud in years.

Lex folded his arms, eyes sharp. “Tell me—what are your intentions with my daughter?”

“My—?” Dick scoffed. “You make it sound like I filed a marriage license.”

“I’m asking you plainly,” Lex said, voice low but cutting. “You’re a boy with secrets, raised by a vigilante, and you’ve drawn my daughter into a life she doesn’t understand.”

Dick stood up. “With respect, sir, she’s stronger than you give her credit for.”

Lex stepped closer. “I don’t question her strength. I question yours. Because if you ever hurt her—”

“I won’t.”

Lex’s gaze didn’t soften. “Good. Because I’ve seen what love can do to men who think they’re invincible.”

Dick’s jaw clenched. “You mean you?”

That landed.

Lex straightened, mask reforming instantly. “Watch your tone, Richard.”

And then—just as Vanessa reentered, Lex turned toward her, expression perfectly calm again.

He bent down and kissed her forehead. “Dinner in ten, pumpkin.”

She smiled. “Okay, Dad.”

The door closed behind him.

When she turned back, Dick was sitting stiffly on her bed, expression dark.

“Hey,” she said softly. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” he muttered.

“Dick.”

He looked up, eyes sharp. “Maybe you should ask your father what he thinks of me.”

Her smile faltered. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He stood. “Forget it.”

“No—tell me.”

“Just drop it, Vanessa!”

The words hit like a slap.

She flinched. “Fine. Go, then.”

He hesitated—but only for a heartbeat—before walking out, the door slamming behind him.

—-

*Dinner*

Vanessa pushed food around her plate, appetite gone.

Lex glanced up from his tablet. “Is something wrong, sweetheart?”

She set down her fork. “What did you say to him?”

Lex blinked innocently. “To whom?”

“Dick. He left right after you talked to him.”

“I merely asked him to treat you with respect.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not all you said.”

He smiled thinly. “Then perhaps you know him better than I do.”

She stood, chair scraping back. “You always twist everything.”

“Vanessa—”

“I’m not hungry anymore.”

And before he could answer, she was gone.

—-

*Later That Night*

Her room was dark, movie light flickering across her face. The world felt too heavy, her chest too tight.

She didn’t remember falling asleep.

But she remembered the dream.

The desert again. The echoes again.

This time clearer—voices overlapping, a single word pulsing through them all:

Mole.

She gasped awake—except she wasn’t in her bed.

She was floating.

Mercy’s voice cut through the dark. “Miss Luthor!”

Vanessa blinked, heart pounding as she realized—she was hovering above the landing, surrounded by a blinding glow that spilled down the staircase like starlight.

Her hair floated around her head, eyes glowing white-hot.

Mercy reached up carefully. “Vanessa—listen to me. You’re safe. You’re home.”

Vanessa tried to breathe—but the energy crackled, wild and uncontrollable, until finally—

Everything went dark.