I was feeling generous. Here's the next chapter. Review.

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7

It's easy to find Batman. I beat Superman to it in fact. And he's flying at the speed of sound. Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

I stick to the shadows though. If I'm right, he won't know who I am. Better to play it safe.

He's standing at the edge of Wayne Tower, black cape billowing around him, doing his I AM THE NIGHT—FEAR ME pose.

I'm standing only a few meters away but he hasn't taken any notice yet. And I'm pretty sure he's not just ignoring me. I'm pretty confident that he's still the Bats I know and I can read him well enough to know that he's still completely unaware of my presence. At least, I hope. Otherwise, this gets a whole lot more complicated.

There's a whoosh and a flap of a cape and Superman drifts down from the sky, arms casually crossed until he's about even with Batman standing on the building. I see two others following behind him. Huh, looks like the gang's all here. Wonder Woman and Green Lantern decided to come to Gotham too.

"We meet at last." Superman's eyes seem to glow in the night, enhancing his dramatic phrasing. "You weren't as hard to find as we thought you were."

Batman doesn't move. "I'm not exactly hiding."

Superman looks around sheepishly at the building they're standing at the top of, and the dramatic mood is broken. "Yeah..."

"I am Diana, Princess of Themyscira and we come seeking out the one called the Batman. Are you him?" Wonder Woman is gorgeous but she must be freezing in that outfit she has on.

Batman says nothing.

"Uh, well, it's kind of obvious it's him," Green Lantern mutters under his breath. He's the Hal Jordan I remember. "So here's the deal: we want you to join the Heroic Alliance."

Batman crosses his arms and still refuses to speak.

"Of course, we'll need you to take the ST test," Superman says, gesturing offhandedly. "So we know what types of powers you have."

Batman tilts his head in the Man of Steel's direction. "Two things. One: ST already stands for Super Test so saying 'ST test' is just redundant. Two: If you morons think I'm going to follow you anywhere, you're out of your minds. So you can get the—"

I freeze. Did I just laugh out loud? Uh oh...

Batman and the others all turn ninety degrees to look at my position in the shadows.

"Who's there?" Green Lantern calls out, raising his ring.

I hesitantly cough and step into the moonlight. "Hey, what's up?"

The adults stare at me. I feel their eyes on my messy hair, my rumbled clothes, my dirty appearance. I'm fully aware I look like homeless kid with a Star City obsession. I don't have a mask on which makes me uncomfortable; this is the first time most have them have seen my face uncovered. But identities don't really matter since I'm how old—five?—right now. And on the other side of the world with my family.

My throat suddenly constricts. My family...they're all still alive...my mom...my dad...

"He's just a kid!" Superman says in surprise.

His voice snaps me out of my gloomy thoughts. "Astute analysis. Anything else?" I snap at him which is probably uncalled for but suddenly I'm not in the mood.

Batman studies me and I can tell he's shocked I snuck up on him.

I start thinking to myself: hey self, how much of what you know you can tell them so they won't lock you up in Arkham? Well self, I reply, pretty much none of it. So I launch into a total spur of the moment role that is one of my best performances yet.

"Oh my god, you're Superman!" I say, a total fanboy. "And Wonder Woman and Green Lantern! And Batman, you are real!" I sound like a kid meeting Santa Claus for the first time, but whatever. I can totally play off my age to make them trust me. "You guys are like my idols!" I change my accent ever so slightly so I sound like I'm from Central City instead of Gotham. Elongated vowels with a sort of bounce to them.

"How the heck did you get up here?" Green Lantern says.

"I took the elevator," I say, excitedly pointing at the one right next to me. I actually didn't, but I'm not going to show them my grappling gun.

Superman sniffs the air. "Is that smell...is that you?"

I open my mouth and then close it. Oh right. I stink. Literally. I totally forgot. My nose must have adjusted. "Yeah, I sort of fell in a dumpster." Sort of. I guess.

Superman nods. "Oh. Well, that explains why I didn't smell you. I thought it was just Gotham grime."

Duly noted. Superman hasn't worked on his senses that much yet. He's just as inexperienced as Batman. I'm willing to guess the others are too. I think back to what I overheard in the TV at the diner. Green Arrow—I mean Mayor Oliver Queen—was endorsing the Heroic Alliance like it was a new deal just getting started out. I'm willing to bet Superman was the instigator of that little Alliance. Sounds like something he would name it.

Another thought crosses my mind. Green Arrow doesn't exist. There's as ST thingy that I've never heard of before but apparently has to do with identifying super power. Conclusion: being a superhero in wherever world I am equals having super powers. Which means they think Batman has some type of powers. That's too funny.

I'm grinning like the Joker and I'm pretty sure I'm sketching them out but whatever, I've got a show to do. "It is really an honor to meet you." I step forward and see Batman tense. I quickly put up my hands. "I really mean no harm. Honestly." At least that part's honest. "All I want is...to be trained by you..." Not really sure where that came from but I'll roll with it.

"Okay, kid, that's cute and all, but we're kind of in the middle of something." Green Lantern gestures at Batman. "And you're too young. Come back when you've got a little hair on that chest.

I give my little kid pout. "But I'm good! Really! I am! I can kick some serious butt."

Superman lands on the roof next to Batman. Batman turns his head to look at Superman like, What'chu doing on my roof, dude?

"Look son, do your parents know you're here?"

My eyes flicker to Batman. "Yeah."

Wonder Woman snorts. "This child thinks he is a warrior. It is so much like a man to think he is automatically ready for combat. If the boy thinks he is ready, perhaps he should test out his strength on me!" She grips her lasso in her inhumanly strong hands.

Superman puts up a hand. "Uh, Wonder Woman, I don't think—uh, where are you going?"

Batman had turned and was starting to walk away. "Leaving." He keeps going toward the edge of the building. A green wall appears in front of him and he stops, looking irritatedly back at Green Lantern.

Green Lantern lands. "Wait, we aren't finished with you. It's dangerous to have an uncatalogued super running around."

"I don't answer to you," he replies in his nails-on-a-chalkboard voice. I'm waiting for the, "I only answer to justice!" punchline, but I guess that's something only Superman would say. In any case, Green Lantern refuses to put down his wall.

Superman comes towards me. "Kid, look, I need you to go home. This is dangerous work, not suited for small children."

Ugh, it's like introducing myself to them all over again. "Nah, I can handle it. I've got my own abilities." I give him a winning smiling that only a Wayne can do. "I've got extreme social skills."

"What the heck does that mean?" Green Lantern says in distaste. Wonder Woman gives him a look for instigating the conversation further. But it's all in my favor.

I raise an eyebrow. "It's basically like mind reading expect not as messy. I learn things about people just by talking to them and learning their gestures. And I never forget." I keep the eager to please lightness in my voice but bring a slightly serious undertone in. They have to take me seriously while at the same time know I'm not a threat. Unless they threaten me. Then we have to go to Plan B.

"And how does that help you with combat?" Wonder Woman asks, finally giving in.

"It helped me discover the identities of everyone here," I say casually.

Silence greets this.

"He's bluffing," Green Lantern says.

"Am I?" I turn to look at him. "Hal Jordan?" Then Superman. "Clark Kent." I smirk at the Princess. "Diana Prince. And..."

I feel something sharp at my throat. A bat-a-rang.

"Don't you dare," a voice growls in my ear.

I cackle and sort of sound insane. They look at me like I am, anyways. "You going to kill me? That goes against your code, doesn't it B?"

I feel the cool metal on my throat. And suddenly it's gone. "Who are you?" He backs up so he can face me along side Superman and the others. They're all glaring/staring.

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you," I say, shrugging. "But where I'm from, I'm called Robin, Boy Wonder."

I am well aware this chapter was pretty short. Maybe I'll be generous again...all depends on the influx of REVIEWS I may get... *youwishyouwerethiscool