Notes: Wherein Damian's plan is beginning to take place.

Dextra2 and Bethlovesall: Now you see the first part of the plan :)

Lady Cryptid: Sorry, but I didn't write a lot of M'gann in this fic.

Reina Grayson: Was that a good ouch or a bad ouch? Lol.

Mirror's Mirage: It was a thought that stemmed from Alan Black's series. Superboy and Damian have a lot of similarities and it's an understandable reaction what Superman did. But Batman's seen how that worked out so he can't do something similar. But he's also paranoid because there's a lot riding on Batman and his contingency plans.


"So why are you wearing Batman's colors?" Superboy was asking. Damian had already given his reason for his choice of alias and now the clone had apparently moved on to uniform design.

"For stealth," he answered promptly. Black and gray hide better in the shadows of Gotham at night - an all black bodysuit still shows as a dark-on-dark figure, especially when in the shape of a person. The black cape disguises that shape into something blocky instead. The gray though... "is to honour my father as you wear the shield to honour yours."

Superboy immediately crossed his arms with an angry snort. "He's not my father."

"Your..." his face scrunched in thought as he tried to recall what Grayson said once, "...your building block then."

This time it was the clone's turn to ponder before he nodded. "Building block. Yeah, that one's good." The smile faded from his face before it could form. "But I don't wear this to honour Superman."

Damian raised an eyebrow, urging him to continue but the clone merely shifted and glanced away, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to confess. It doesn't matter anyhow; the reason was easy enough for the younger boy to deduct.

"You wear it for the day you will replace him."

The clone nodded.

The assassin in him was satisfied. The clone was proving as malleable as he had expected. "He is weak."

"He's stronger than me." Superboy grumbled.

"I do not mean strength." Damian snorted, pitching his voice to carry through to the lounge room's recording camera. "His morals, his upbringing - these only serve to make him hesitate. He will hold back and pause before a death blow. And his enemy will strike when he is off-guard."

The clone began to nod in agreement before his eyes sharpened with interest. "His upbringing? You know who he is? Beneath the cape?"

"I am the son of Batman."

"Yeah, whatever," Superboy grumbled and started to stand. "At least your building block took you in."

"T-t." Damian crossed his arms and leaned back on the couch. "At least the Kryptonian has made his feelings on the matter plain. My father may have taken me into his house, but he does not acknowledge me nor does he trust me." He gave a nod to the clone, "In this, you have the better advantage."

Superboy paused in mid-crouch before falling back to sit on the couch. "He doesn't trust you?"

"I have not been outside of the house on my own, whether in uniform or out. And I am not allowed on patrol without Robin."

The look on the clone's was a conflict of surprise, and suspicion. He opened his mouth to speak, to possibly ask why Batman does not give Black Tern any leeway, why the Bat does not trust his own son, why-

But a distant whoosh cut their conversation short.

Recognized Superman 01

The clone is immediately wary, even more so when the Kryptonian flies in to float in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Superboy asks.

"I..." The Kryptonian is quickly at a loss for words, a typical reaction when he is faced with someone demanding explanations for one of his half-baked ideas. Truly, the alien had not made a habit of planning ahead, right down to the minutest detail. It is yet another failing of the powerful alien.

And yet he is here, in the Justice League's former base of operations, standing right in front of his clone and clearly being nervous for it. And Damian's inner smirk is growing wider.

"...I was going to invite Super- Conner. Conner!" The alien gave a sheepish smile. "I was going to invite Conner to a spar. Tomorrow. We uh, we need to find out how he fights someone physically stronger than him."

Superboy crosses his arms. "Black Canary already taught me."

"I...I can teach you more. I'm not the strongest being out there in the universe." The Kryptonian's face had a shy smile, one hand held out for the clone to take. "So, you up to it?"

The clone hesitates, glancing at the original's hand then to his smiling face and back again. Finally, he unfolds one arm and shakes the original's hand.

Superman lets out a relieved sigh. "That's...good, then. I'll...see you tomorrow."

And he flies out as though he'd hit his limit of clone-interaction. And Damian let him go; the alien had done as Damian had planned and now his arrangement is about to bear fruit.

Superboy turned to him with his blue eyes wide in amazement. "You...you were right. Superman's talking to me now. And he's even promised to spar!"

Damian nods sagely and keeps any hint of a knowing smirk to himself. He will not give anyone else any suggestion that he has scheme in play, especially not the Bat who could be watching the camera that was pointed right where they are. "Of course I'm right. I have been trained not just to plan, but to plan well. Just remember, you keep your end of the bargain and I will not steal my father's kryptonite."

"I can keep a promise."