Chapter seven

Alfred bustled into the kitchen to pick up the breakfast dishes, and paused without even looking over.

"Something bothering you, Master Dick?"

Dick almost laughed. He certainly grinned. Anyone who said Alfred didn't have superpowers was wrong, because he was totally psychic.

"I'm worried Superman is being an even bigger baby than his actual baby clone."

"I'm sure you could make him see things your way. You're a very persuasive person," Alfred said slyly, plucking Dick's empty orange juice glass from the table.

"Thanks, Alfred," Dick said, hopping down from the table and heading for the doorway.

"I take it you're going out?"

"Got business in Metropolis," Dick called over his shoulder. He grinned as he pulled on his sneakers and slid on a pair of shades. Not that he needed to be incognito or anything. He just felt like they added a little something to his look. Getting to Metropolis b y bus would have taken at least an hour, but Dick just got one of the company's private drivers to take him. Bruce didn't need to know about it. And if he did, Dick had an excuse. He was technically helping out Superman. Helping him shirk his responsibility as a parent, but still.

When he arrived at the daily planet, Dick took the elevator up and glowered at Jimmy near the front desk. They had an ongoing argument over who was better; Superman or Batman. Jimmy glared right back, holding up a picture of Superman saving a grandmother and her grandchildren from a burning building. Dick pointed to a newspaper he had brought, where the front page story was Batman uncovering a massive drug ring. Jimmy narrowed his eyes, and Dick walked past him.

The drug ring thing was totally more impressive. He ambled up to Clark's desk, glad that he had followed Bruce to the daily planet enough times when he gave in and let them have interviews. In fact, one of the first times he'd ever been there had been the story on Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy, adopting a young boy. Alfred had stuffed him into a suit for the first of what would turn out to be too many times to count. Dick shuddered. Clark was typing one handed at his desk, and absently plucking various items out of his clone's hands as he did, balancing the baby on his lap. A stapler, a letter opener, a stack of important looking papers that were spilling over the floor, okay, Dick understood why he had asked for help.

When he got closer to the desk Clark looked up and saw him, and practically jumped out of his chair.

"Oh, thank god," he exclaimed, holding up the Superbaby. Dick walked over reluctantly and took the heavy and squirming baby. He gave Clark a look over his sunglasses, which was spoiled by the baby immediately pulling them off and tossing them to the floor.

"Well, I guess I'll take him to the park or something," Dick said.

"You're seriously a lifesaver," Clark said emphatically. He leaned a little closer. "Everyone in the league was busy."

"I'll be back to drop him off in three hours, so get some work done," Dick said coldly. He propped the baby on his hip and took the bag that Clark held out to him, and then walked out of the building under the stares of everyone in the office.

Clark dropped back into his chair and sighed.

"Getting Bruce Wayne's spoiled kid to cover your butt?" a voice behind him drawled.

"Lois, I couldn't get anyone else on such short notice. And you know Bruce and I are old friends."

"Right of course. You know though, eventually you'll have to cut it with the whole cousin routine and tell me who his secret mom is,"

Clark said nothing, and Lois walked away. Maybe she was right, he thought. Maybe he needed to just… his thoughts trailed off as he stared out the window. In the streets below, a robbery was taking place, and the criminals were about to get away. He got up from his chair and headed for the elevators.

Moments later he was handing the bruised but generally fine criminals over to the Metropolis police.

"Gee, Superman, I don't know what the city would do without you," a young policman said. Superman smiled.

"Just doing my civic duty," he replied, flying off. The breeze caught his cape and ruffled his hair, and he breathed deeply as he soared, trying to forget all the issues of the day. He was needed as Superman. And he didn't have time to be a parent and a superhero at once. Besides, he wasn't a parent anyways. Superbaby was barely what you could call related to him, and he certainly wasn't his son. Just then, his JLA communicator went off. He answered it quickly, seeing that it was Batman only a moment too late.

"Don't think I don't know where Dick is right now."

"Do you have tracking devices on him or something?"

"If you can't take responsibility I will find someone else to, but first I want you to really consider what you're doing to that child."

Superman frowned. "He's not even my son. And I don't have time to be a parent and a superhero."

"That's funny. I manage to," was all Batman said before the line went dead. The breeze ruffled Superman's hair again, but somehow it wasn't as invigorating as before.

-SB-

The mothers in the Metropolis cental park were certainly more than a little surprsied. Dick had taken his sunglasses off to watch Superbaby, and was holding his small hands and helping him take a few wobbly steps.

"Isn't that Dick Grayson?"

"The adopted son of the Gotham billionaire? What is he doing in Metropolis?"

"No, what is he doing in the park?"

"No, whose baby is that?"

"He can't be Bruce's."

"Why not? We all know that the man gets around."

Dick glanced up at the mothers and frowned, then looked back down at his small charge, who was really not getting the whole walking thing yet. He managed to stand for a moment, and then plopped down onto his padded butt. Dick chuckled, but kept it carefully amused rich kid, and not his elated Robin laugh.

"It's hard being famous," Dick said quietly, half-joking. The Superbaby giggled and waved his hands a him. "You want up again? Oh man. This is worse than regular strength training," Dick complained, but he picked the kid up anyways and checked his watch.

"Almost time to take you back," Dick said, and hoped silently tha Superman would have finally gotten his head screwed on straight. And also that he wasn't going to be in huge trouble for defying Batman. In response, the Superbaby drooled on his shoulder. "Thanks buddy, I appreciate that," Dick said. The baby yawned sleepily and snuggled closer, so Dick retreated to one of the benches to sit down.

He watched the afternoon sun drifting through the painfully blue sky. Metropolis was so different than Gotham, in both weather and avergae number of people screaming at any given moment. He would say he found it relaxing, but it was actually deeply unnerving. He glanced at his watch again, and then got up from the bench. Whether he wanted to or not, It was time to face the man of steel. And he had better be ready to act like a man of steel and not a baby.