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Tim was tired and frustrated.
He honestly didn’t know if he should feel angry (Steph would probably tell him he should).
Selina said this would be good for him. (In truth, Selina didn’t know everything that happened with Batman.)
When she heard about Young Justice, and he told her about how the Bats wanted to send him there this Summer, she was really happy he’d be spending time with other kids his age, other than Steph.
Steph wasn’t that happy, though; she said most of their Summer plans (which were just binge-watching TV shows or her mooching off his credit card) were ruined.
But it felt like they were trying to get rid of him, and he hated it.
What if something bad happens while he’s gone? What if he can’t do anything about it?
What if Jason happens all over again?
His thoughts rambled on until a wight appeared next to him on the bench.
“Hey,” Dick said.
When he found out, he was furious.
Tim’s pretty sure Dick was only that angry after Jason died.
“I’m, um,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m still sorry about—everything.”
Tim swung his legs back and forth, boots lightly scuffing the floor.
“It’s fine,” his voice was small. He didn’t blame Dick; it was his fault his dad went off the rails.
“It’s really not. He shouldn’t have done any of that to you,” he gritted his teeth in anger. “We shouldn’t have let him.”
“Alfred was trying, and you weren’t there, so it’s fine,” he rushed out.
Dick grabbed his shoulder and looked him in the eyes.
“No, it isn’t fine,” he sounded devastated.
“I should have been there; I knew he was doing horribly, but I didn’t know the extent because I wasn’t there to tell. I shouldn’t have let him abuse you like that; neither Alfred nor I should have let it happen, and he shouldn’t have done it. We—we failed you, Tim. And I’m so sorry.”
His eyes watered.
“I really should have said something sooner, it’s ok.”
Because if it wasn’t fine, then Tim didn’t know what he’d do.
Dick sighed. He dropped the topic.
“Are you sure your parents are fine with sending you to ‘Summer Camp’?” He asked after a moment.
Tim nodded.
“Yeah. My Mom said she’s happy I’m spending more time with kids my age.”
That made Dick smile, small and wary.
“Instead of hanging out with my aunts and all her cats were her words.”
Dick stood and looked at him.
“How many cats do you have?”
Tim shrugged.
“Thirty plus? They come and go; only a few stay full-time. I think I’m fluent in cat by now, I keep getting told I sound like I purr sometimes.”
Steph called him a cat with feathers.
Dick’s jaw dropped. “Is your Mom Catwoman or something?”
Tim hid his small smile by walking ahead of him.
“You could say that.”
They continued down a hall.
It took them about thirty minutes to get to the main room, because Tim kept getting distracted by different pieces of technology.
The Meeting Room, as Dick had dubbed it, was quite plain with it’s silver-gray walls.
It had a wide table in the middle, and a few holographs were open, a few pieces of paper were scattered.
The people, he recognised instantly. He had read their files, so it wasn’t that hard.
Kaldur'ahm, Aqualad, acting as the leader or part-time leader. More like a supervisor.
Suzanne King-Jones, Arrowette, an Olympic-level archer, disciplined and practical, smart and a natural leader.
Cassandra Sandsmark, Wonder Girl, protégée of Wonder Woman, demigoddess, stubborn and impulsive, but strong and confident.
Greta Hayes, Secret, murdered by her adoptive brother Billy, became somewhat of a ghost, captured by the DEO, and then saved by Wonder Girl, Impulse, and Superboy. She’s amazing at gathering information and quiet.
… This team had a lot of blondes; Harley would have a field day with them.
He looked to the right and saw the rest.
Anita Fite, Empress, Vodou-based magic and amazing fighter, doesn’t trust authority (Selina would like her) and is morally grey (Batman doesn’t like her, which makes Tim like her all the more).
Jaime Reyes, Blue Beetle, fused with biotechnology from an alien race known as the Reach, from El Paso, Texas, mostly regular teen, good and kind.
Bartholomew ‘Bart’ Henry Allen the second, Impulse, from the future to prevent catastrophe, inherited the Speed Force, chaotic, loud, impulsive, but tries to do good.
Then Conner Kent (Kon-El), Superboy, the genetically modified clone of Superman and Lex Luthor (so not quite a clone), confident, cocky, has a temper, natural leader, sometimes acts childish, but is a good hero and leader.
It took Tim a few minutes that Dick was trying to introduce him to everyone.
“—And this is Robin!”
Aqualad held a hand out to shake.
“It is nice to meet you, Robin.”
Tim nodded; he didn’t really like shaking people’s hands, so after a few minutes, he awkwardly lowered his hand.
Impulse was in front of him in seconds.
“Hi! I’m Bart, but you knew that. Is-it-true-that-you-wear-your-suit-under-your-normal-clothes? I-heard-Nightwing-did-that-once!”
He blinked a few times.
Bart reminded him of that cheetah he spoke to once, or Harley.
“No, but Batman did once.”
Bart looked very satisfied with that answer; he held a shimmer in his eyes that reminded him of Selina when she saw a jewel, or Jason when he got a new book.
Another form stepped forward.
Bulky, studded leather jacket, fingerless gloves, sunglasses, altered Superman suit, messy curls.
It was Superboy.
He had a sideways grin and a hand on his hip.
“So—”
Tim pointed directly at his face.
“You’re the clone!” He shouted like a gleeful child.
Ever since he’d found out he was going to be on a team with another lab-kid, he was a bit ecstatic. He was finally gonna meet someone like him.
The room didn’t seem to agree with his happiness.
Jaws dropped, some people looked furious, and Superboy’s grin dropped. Tim couldn’t place his face.
He just turned and walked away.
… What did he do wrong?
Tim sat in his new room at his new desk.
Dick had pulled him out of the room after ‘that’ and reprimanded him, then tried to explain why that was mean to say.
So far, everything seemed to be going according to his luck.
He flopped onto his bed.
“You were always so much better with people, Jay. I wish you were here.
For the next few months, he’d be staying here, in Mount Justice, with a bunch of people, and he had already messed up.
Hooray.