I'm sorta doing my own thing with the whole DC Universe, pulling in aspects of all the different mediums the stories have been told in: comics, cartoons, and movies, and changing things only slightly for my own purposes. So for this story, Dick is about 9 and only in physical and mental training with Bruce to help with his hyperactivity. Bruce rescued him when he was 8, almost a year before, not 10 like in the actual stories. Also, the Justice League has already been created. :)
Also, a big THANK YOU! To Windrider! She's my muse and puts up with my new obsession well! Alexa's features are even based on her! ^_^ She also keeps me nicely grounded in FMA with Roy/Ed still, thankfully. So no worries about me leaving that fandom any time soon. ^_^
I've put this in the general DC Superheroes category because I had no idea where better to stick it. If anyone has a better suggestion, I will love you forever and give you cookies! ^_^
As always, enjoy! Any constructive criticism is welcome!
Chapter 1
Meteor showers were not an unheard of thing on Earth. They happened on regular schedules the same as many other phenomena in nature like Old Faithful and Halley's Comet. The one problem with this particular meteor shower was that, scheduled as it was, it contained meteors that were far too large headed straight for Earth. Of course, this was bad news for the Earth.
Fortunately for the Humans who inhabited this particular version of Earth, the Justice League was ready for the meteor shower. As soon as it was determined that this shower would bring chunks of rock large enough to pose a danger, the Justice League along with every astronomer on Earth began calculating their likely trajectory. Nearly all the estimations showed the rocks to be on a direct path for Earth.
The Justice League devised a plan and sent out several of its members to break up the killer rocks into much smaller pieces. Some would still survive the fall to Earth, but none would endanger her overall population. When they hit, the Justice League would stand by to help in the unlikely event there was any significant damage to be dealt with.
Of course, this is where the trouble began.
Superman hovered over his peaceful city watching the sky as what seemed to be a thousand points of lights streaked across the dark canvas. A light breeze circled around, echoing the soft sounds of an engine quieted to almost a whisper of sound. Neither it nor the hiss of a cockpit popping open moved him from his where he floated gazing at the beauty of the heavens.
He did pay attention to the almost even footsteps as they made their way over to him. The swish of a cape not his own heralded their stop. Keeping his worry for the other man firmly at bay, he finally glanced over at the dark visage of the Batman.
"Lead was correct then? You found him?"
"The information was good," Batman growled.
To anyone who didn't know him, this was his normal voice, but Superman did know him. Batman was frustrated and irritated. Superman looked over at him, expecting him to continue. He did after a moment.
"He'd already left to return to Gotham."
"What happened to your foot then?"
"He'd left a trap behind for me."
"He must have thought you wouldn't be as prepared in a strange city," Superman said, amusement coloring his voice. "More fool him. I don't think you're ever not prepared."
Batman grunted his opinion of that, and they settled into a comfortable silence as they watched the shooting lights over their heads.
A few minutes passed before Superman felt it safe to look back at his companion. He shifted his sight into x-ray and looked the other man over. There were no obvious breaks, just a sprained ankle. He might never admit it, but even the Batman landed wrong on occasion.
"Feel better?"
Superman's eyes shot up to Batman's, immediately switching back into normal vision. He stared at the white eye lenses, refusing to feel guilty about worrying for his comrade. If more people worried for those around them, then he firmly believed the world would be a better place.
"Nothing's broken, but you should take it easy on that ankle. You don't want to make it any worse."
"I'll be fine," Batman said, turning to the side. "I just came to tell you that Clark Kent should check into Intergang's connections with Gotham. It seems the new governor of Gotham isn't as clean as he first appears to be."
"You know, you could stop by to just, I don't know, say hi some time," Superman told him, trying not to sound like he was scolding his taciturn friend. That would only drive him away when Superman would actually like to see him more. It got to be lonely, being a superhero with a secret identity none of your friends knew about. Besides, he found Batman to be fascinating with all his incongruities. There was really nothing simple about the man.
Batman gave him a long look that Superman read to be disdain for the idea before he was slowly turning away. His cape flared behind him in a sudden breeze, giving Superman a good look at the profile of his body before Batman snapped the edges back around him.
Superman sighed and shook his head. He hadn't expected any other reaction, but there was always that little persistent bit of hope that the Batman would one day show he cared. Because Superman knew he did. Batman would simply be horrified to let anyone see it.
"Thank you for the—"
The communicator in his ear crackled into life just then, J'onn's voice immediately following it.
"Superman, there's evidence of a huge power surge in the old warehouse district of Metropolis. Reports are coming in of explosions and fires in the area."
Switching into business mode immediately, Superman asked the obvious question first, "The meteors?"
"Possibly," J'onn told him. "Will you be able to check into it?"
"On our way," Batman's growl answered, startling Superman into dipping down a good two feet or so before he caught himself. He'd thought Batman would have left while he was distracted. Wouldn't be the first time after all.
"Mind giving me a lift? It'll be easier than taking the Batplane," Batman continued, ignoring Superman's sudden dip. He sighed as Superman gave another slight dip again in renewed surprise.
Recovering and trying to control his blush, Superman nodded and moved in close to allow Batman to grab hold of him. As always, he was surprised by the feel of the other man against him. The armored suit prevented any warmth from escaping and felt strange and stiff beneath Superman's fingers. He wasn't sure why, but he always expected the Batman to feel like anyone else he carried: warm and pliable. But then again, nothing about the dark, brooding man in his arms was warm or pliable. At least not with the cowl masking his face.
Was Bruce Wayne more personable with those he loved and trusted? With Alfred, his almost foster father? With Dick, his recently taken in foster son? Or was he always as cold and stiff as his suit implied? For what was probably the hundredth time, Superman wished he could find out.
As soon as Superman had his colleague secure against him, he took off soaring for the trouble as fast as he dared with a passenger. Now he knew there was a problem, he found it quickly and brought them to a landing in the middle of the affected area. Fire burned all around them, attempting to bake them where they stood. A few stray, and now demolished, vehicles littered the area and a burning sign told Superman the buildings were scheduled to be demolished.
As deserted as the area appeared to be, power surge had still occurred, which pointed to either a faulty generator accident or illicit activities ignited by the meteorite's hit. Superman knew where his bets lay.
Another explosion ripped through the air, followed by the high pitched screams of a child. In a flash, both men were off, aiming straight for those heart-stopping cries. It grew louder the further they ran until they came to a crushed trailer.
Superman flew ahead, his x-ray vision already searching for the little body. It was wedged in amongst the wreckage, surrounded by hot twisted metal. Quickly, but carefully, Superman grabbed the ruins of the trailer and threw them to the side, finally unveiling a tiny blonde girl. As he threw the last piece away, Batman rushed past him and gathered the girl to him, checking her over for injuries.
"Is she alright?" Superman asked the question even as he let his x-ray vision sweep over her.
"She's fine. Unless you see something," Batman answered, his voice uncharacteristically soft in deference to the little girl in his arms. He gathered her close, soothing her and murmuring that he would find the Daddy she was calling for over and over again.
"Nothing broken that I can see," Superman told him, unable to help a small smile at seeing the other man's caring nature in play. It was a rare treat that Superman couldn't help enjoying. "I'll go look for her parents and anyone else that might be here while you watch her."
He waited just long enough for Batman to give a reluctant nod, and then he was soaring again, searching quickly but thoroughly through the rubble with both his normal and x-ray vision. Not far from where he'd found the first child, he noted the skeleton of a second child buried beneath the rubble of the collapsed side of the main warehouse.
Shooting down, he had a small red-haired girl, and the large rusted generator next to her, unburied within seconds. She appeared to be uninjured, despite several rips and tears in her clothes as well as being covered in dust and soot. Unfortunately, she was also unconscious and searing hot to the touch. A gentle shake proved useless in waking her, so he turned his attention to the generator.
It was throwing off heat as well, and was obviously on its last legs. In his opinion, it was quite possible it was about to set off another series of explosions as well.
Gathering the girl to him, Superman took off back to Batman. He was about halfway there when the generator exploded, once again setting off a series of smaller explosions and rocking them in flight. There wasn't much left, though, to destroy, so aside from the noise and a scream from the child Batman was watching that he didn't need super-hearing to hear, very little damage was done.
He found it unnerving to note, however, that despite a low moan, the girl in his arms didn't wake. She did shift in his arms, nuzzling into his chest with a tiny whine before going still once more. For a moment, Superman paused to listen for her heartbeat, and only when he heard it beating strong did he let himself breathe again.
After a quick look back for any imminent danger, he landed next to Batman and shifted the girl in his arms over to one arm. Batman looked over at him, sheer relief somehow clear despite the mask he wore. It probably had something to do with the toddler clinging to him and only just beginning to calm down from sobbing.
"Here," Superman told him, holding out his free arm for the girl. "I'll take them both to the hospital and come back for you as soon as I've dropped them off."
Batman nodded and began the task of disentangling himself from the girl.
"Daddy?" She sniffled and stared up at him with tear-filled blue-grey eyes. Then she looked over at Superman and the toddler he held. "Sister ok?"
"She'll be fine," Batman reassured her with a glance at Superman to be sure. He dodged a small grasping hand and gently pulled the other away from his armor.
Superman frowned, but didn't correct him. There was nothing wrong with her that he could tell. She was simply absurdly hot and not waking up. Hopefully, both were symptoms of something easily fixed.
Batman frowned as well at the silence, knowing it for what it was, and finally held out the toddler. Superman wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in to cradle her to his chest as well.
Her eyes went wide as Batman's hands left her waist. She twisted, reaching desperately for Batman with a scream that sent Superman flinching in pain.
"DADDY!"
Light exploded out from her with the scream. The ground rumbled as a blast of energy rolled off her at its tail end. She wailed and another energy blast boomed out of her, knocking them both back. The ground rocked beneath them. The building ruins that still stood around them groaned in anticipation of crumbling.
"Superman!"
The yell was nearly drowned out, but Superman heard it and looked up with wide eyes at an equally startled Batman. For a few heart-stopping seconds, they stared at each other, only capable of trying to keep their balance as the world threatened to buck them off her surface. The toddler continued her panicked cries and their resonating booms without even seeming to stop for breath.
Almost falling on his face in the attempt, and with the earth continuing to shake wildly around them, Batman leapt forward, arms reaching out. Just as awkwardly, Superman moved to thrust her back at him. The girl gave one last high-pitched earth-shattering scream before turning to cling and sob into the Kevlar covering Batman's throat.
Shock stole Superman's breath and he stared at the girl for a moment before lifting his eyes to stare with stunned amazement into the lenses of Batman's mask. He was so stunned, in fact, that he nearly missed the feel of the girl in his arms waking with a little moan and cry of her own.
"Superman," Batman croaked in unnecessary warning. His lips were thinning and turning down in the deepest frown Superman had ever seen on him without Plastic Man or the Flash around to annoy him.
Suddenly, a pair of hot little hands began scrabbling at Superman's front. Superman quickly looked down to see a pair of huge green eyes filling with tears as they locked onto his own. Stunned again, he jiggled her a bit to let her find better purchase. She sniffled in response and, as soon as her foot managed to find purchase on his thigh, pushed her way up to cling to his neck as well.
"Daddy…" A tiny voice whined against his neck. "Scary, Daddy. Scary!"
Superman blinked down at her for a moment. Had he heard her right? Had she really just called him Daddy? And the other girl… She'd called Batman Daddy as well! He could see how a child might mistake him for her father at first glance or before she was really awake, but who could mistake Batman with his pointed-eared mask for their father?
"Good girl, Daddy," the other girl sobbed into Batman's throat, yet further stunning the superheroes. "Good girl! Stay with Daddy! Stay!"
"Watchtower," Superman heard Batman say after a few moments of the insanity. His voice was far too even and soft in Superman's opinion, even if he did understand why. Scaring the girls more than they already were would be a bad idea. A very bad idea if the one's terrified reaction was any indication. "We seem to have encountered a problem."
"What kind of problem, Batman? Do you need back up? I can have the Flash there in twenty minutes," J'onn answered over the communicator almost immediately.
"No," Batman told him as he hugged the girl closer to him, his dark scowl the only indicator of his irritation. "We will require your services in the Watchtower's infirmary. Teleport Superman, myself, and the two small girls with us."
There was a pause as J'onn obviously processed this information. Superman jiggled the little girl in his arms again, patting her back and hoping a teleportation wouldn't scare either one of them into knocking the Watchtower out of the sky. He might survive that, but neither Batman nor J'onn would.
"Tracking your location," J'onn replied, seconds before the buzzing that always accompanied teleportation washed over Superman's senses.
J'onn and Batman scanned the girls and ran every test they could think of on them while Superman stayed nearby, helping to keep them calm. They had already had one scare in getting the blonde girl to let go of her "Daddy" when they had first arrived. It had taken nearly an hour of J'onn doing most of the work, Batman and Superman reassuring them that they weren't being left behind again, and placing them together on the bed to avoid the energized tantrums that could knock the station out of its orbit.
They still hadn't been able to find out their names, however. They knew that the blonde was fully human and the red-haired girl was mostly human, a fact that had surprised everyone. And they knew that the girls were approximately thirty months old, give or take a few months. But they still hadn't been able to get them to tell them their names.
Both girls were far too frightened as they clung first to their adopted fathers and then to each other. Whenever J'onn asked them a question, they would shrink back, finding refuge in Superman's and each other's arms. When either Superman or Batman asked, they might get a head shake or a nod, but more often than not, they were rewarded with a plea to be held again.
By the set of Batman's jaw, Superman knew the other was at the end of his patience. The blonde was reaching for him again, giving a small whine as her eyes filled with large tears, but Batman was leaning back out of her reach and fiddling with one of his instruments.
"Batman…" Superman said, the warning clear in his voice.
Batman stilled and glared over at him.
"She's just a scared baby. Not a criminal or one of your pet lunatics," Superman reminded him. "Would it hurt you to comfort her a little? Especially when she's capable of knocking us out of orbit if you don't?"
"You sure the station would survive her crying?" Batman's voice was gruff and implacable. Despite that, though, he looked down at the girl.
"What's your name? Tell me and I will hold you again," Batman bargained with her, his voice only slightly softer. He was more frustrated than Superman had thought.
The girl seemed to consider this a moment and cocked her head to the side as she regarded the dark-cowled man towering over her. The other girl did the same for a moment, but then turned her attention to Superman. A question lingered in her luminous green eyes: would he hold her then too?
"Yes," he caved. "What's your name? And then I'll hold you again."
The girls stared at them for a bit longer before turning to look at each other. They shared a sudden wide grin and turned back to chirp up at their chosen guardians at the same time.
"Zorah!"
"Kitty!"
As soon as the names were out, the girls held out their arms to be picked up. Their faces were alight with enough happy expectation to outshine the sun lamps installed on the Watchtower for Superman-related emergencies. Superman was sure it would take a very cold-hearted man to refuse those looks.
Zorah snuggled immediately and happily into Superman as he lifted her and placed her on his hip. She gave a giggle when his hand brushed her side before securing her better against him. She twisted around, her little fist holding fast to his front, to watch as Batman continued to stare down the other girl.
"You don't get held if you don't tell me your real name," Batman said, his voice stern and implacable. It was a voice he must have learned since taking in Dick.
"Daddy…" the girl said with a pout, her bottom lip quivering dangerously as she once again held out her arms.
"Your name," Batman said. "Your real name."
"Bruce," Superman attempted to intervene, but a patented bat-glare stopped him from continuing.
"Name…" Batman repeated.
The pout grew and large tears dripped down her face.
"Daddy…" she sniffled. "Daddy!"
She reached for Batman, leaning so far forward she nearly fell off the side of the bed. She righted herself just in time and sat back, beginning to cry sad, lonesome tears.
"Your real name and then I will hold you," Batman said again.
Superman wondered if the man was made of ice. He seemed totally unnerved as he stood staring at the crying little girl on the bed before him. Did he think she was a criminal to be interrogated or something?
"A-A-Alexa," the girl finally hiccupped through her tears.
She reached for Batman again, and this time he leaned in to grab her before she could fall off. His hands, impossibly large on her little waist, held tightly to her as he brought her up to his chest, stopping her from scrambling too quickly up to hide her face in his throat once again. Then those large, yet somehow gentle, hands were moving under her little bottom to hold her up and over her little back, rubbing it in circles to soothe her.
Blinking, unable to look away from the touching scene, Superman absently reached up to rub Zorah's back as well. She snuggled into him, practically purring even as he continued to stare.
"Wow, Bruce. I never knew you could…"
Batman shrugged, shifting in a way Superman knew meant he was embarrassed. The thought of it almost made him grin. Almost.
"I've done my share of charitable work. It looks good for the press too."
The way he held Alexa told Superman otherwise. It was too gentle, too practiced, and too caring. No, Batman might not often have a chance to hold children, but it would seem to be another rare joy he allowed himself on occasion.
"Kal-El. Batman," J'onn interrupted them suddenly.
They looked over at where the Martian stood beside the machines analyzing the physical information they'd gathered on the girls. He was in his natural form, as he usually was on the Watchtower, and it was always hard to read his emotions like that. Martians did not show emotion in the same manner as people from Earth. Still, he was adopting his new world's manners and now he practically exuded unease and disbelief.
"Perhaps you should see this?"
Both men hurried over to him, carrying the girls still in their arms with them. Now snuggled safe in her chosen father's arms, Zorah seemed to be falling asleep. Alexa turned to stare at the computer banks with wide distrustful eyes, as though they could separate her from Batman's arms again.
Leaning over the computer screen with Batman, Superman read the information displayed. And then he read it again. And a third time.
"J'onn…" he heard himself say.
"Yes," J'onn said, sounding much more sure of himself now.
"They're… adapting to our DNA?"
Batman sounded incredulous as he spoke. He shifted a bit, trying to stare down at the girl in his arms. Alexa gave a sniffle and clung more tightly to him, effectively thwarting him. So Batman turned his stare on the now sleeping Zorah.
"How?" Superman shook his head and glanced down at the red hair beneath his chin. "It's not possible for her to be part Kryptonian, is it?"
"No," Batman growled softly. "And I don't have any children of my own. I've always made sure of that."
"It would seem that they have decided otherwise," J'onn said, his tone dry. "The design of the machines to make the analysis quick might be experimental, but I believe it to be accurate. Your genes have been adopted by the little girl you currently hold."
"That's not possible," Batman growled, drawing a sniffle from Alexa in his arms.
Zorah stirred as well at the hostility in the air, snuggling further into Superman's arms and whining a low protest. Shushing her quickly, Superman narrowed his eyes at J'onn, though he wasn't exactly sure just who or what he was irritated with.
"It would seem it is possible, given that it has happened," J'onn said.
"Could it have been the meteorite that did this to them?" Superman rubbed Zorah's back soothingly. He didn't want her to finish waking up and start crying again like Alexa had. "If it was, perhaps it will… wear off now that they are no longer in contact with it."
"It is possible," J'onn acknowledged. "I sent out teams to contain the fires that were left, and to find any pieces left from the meteorite. They haven't reported any findings or radiation yet."
"And there was no radiation on us, either," Batman growled. He shifted the child in his arms, patting her back soothingly to silence her crying.
"Then we just have to wait until they find something," Superman sighed, happy that Zorah had fallen back to sleep.
"That will mean keeping them with us," Batman grumbled, though it was in a much milder voice now that Alexa had finally calmed down. She looked to be falling asleep as well finally, though Superman was sure her grip on Batman's neck could rival one of his. "You remember what happened the last time."
"There must be some way to separate us in the meantime. You have Alfred to watch her and help out, but I don't have anyone to watch Zorah while I work."
"If they'll accept a babysitter," Batman pointed out darkly.
They both turned to look at J'onn, who seemed far too amused by their predicament. He was almost smiling even as he watched them.
"You will have to keep them with you. Until you have managed to find a way around their attachment to you, we'll keep you on the reserve list. Only when your presence is absolutely necessary will you be called for to help."
People who knew them both had commented before on just how alike Bruce Wayne and Superman looked, but Superman was certain that now he looked like him more than ever with the scowl he was currently wearing. There had to be another way! He couldn't have been taken out of the crime-fighting scene by a two year old! Could he?
A profound wave of shame washed over Superman after that thought. These girls couldn't help what had happened to them. Who knew why they were in those deserted warehouses, but no toddler could get there by themselves. And Superman hadn't seen any hint of anyone else around. So either their parents were destroyed utterly by the meteorite when it hit or they had simply been abandoned there. If there was a victim in all of this, it was these orphaned girls.
Sighing in defeat, Superman nodded, but Batman gave another exasperated growl next to him.
"And what about our regular patrols and lives? Bruce Wayne can take in a child and he can bring her to work since he owns the company, but what about when I'm Batman? I can't leave my city unprotected for long. And then there's Clark Kent. A reporter can't drag a toddler everywhere he goes, especially when he sometimes turns into Superman to rescue kittens and stop runaway trains!"
Surprise filtered through Superman, and he whipped his head around to stare at Batman. He'd been thinking of him too? He must have been. The argument was too well-reasoned, and far too true, for it to have been otherwise. That knowledge made his chest feel exceptionally light for some reason.
"Could you perhaps investigate to see if there are any mental links you can break?" He directed the question at J'onn, but didn't stop staring at Batman until after he'd asked it.
J'onn shook his head in denial as he spoke, "I already looked into that possibility and have been monitoring for any such activity. Whatever your link is, it is not any more a psychic bond than that which any child holds with its parent, true or otherwise."
Sighing again, Superman nodded. He looked over at Batman's scowling, stubborn visage.
"We'll figure something out, Bruce," he told the man, hoping to reassure him.
If it did, it wasn't apparent. Batman gave a grunt in reply and shifted Alexa's limp body more securely against himself. His hands were gentle on her, careful not to wake her again.
"At least Alfred will be happy," he grumped as he headed for the door. "Keep me updated. I'll be doing my own research as well."
As if we had expected any different, Superman thought as he watch him go. He looked over at J'onn and shrugged.
"Keep me informed as well, please?"
"Of course," J'onn said with a nod. "I know this will not be easy for either of you to simply sit on the sidelines for."
"No, it won't be." Superman fought down the urge to scowl again and took a deep breath. "These girls are the real victims, however. I'll start trying to see if I can find out who their parents were."
"I'll clean up here then. You should get home with the newest addition to your family."
Superman nodded and gave a wooden smile to show his gratitude before swiftly following Batman out of the room. The halls of the station were thankfully empty with everyone on stand-by for the meteors on Earth's surface, so the walk to the teleporters was quick. He found Batman there, readying the system.
"I've set it to take us down where we were earlier tonight. I can fly myself home from there," Batman said without looking up. He seemed to be having a slight bit of trouble with handling the controls with only one hand. He finished just as Superman made it over to him, however, and then motioned to the pad. "Ready?"
With a nod, Superman moved onto the pad, and they teleported back down to the surface with their new children held tightly in their arms.