Fair warning: This takes place as if "Cornered" never happened.


Home

"Just know you're not alone. I'm going to make this place your home."

Conner wasn't really a fan of pop music, but Phillip Phillips was his only exception. (And Justin Bieber for his first year of life, but everyone on the Team, even Robin, swore to never speak of that dark period.) His favorite song by the former American Idol star was "Home", by far. Conner didn't know what it was, but the song just got him. Understood what his life was all about. The Cave was, for all intents and purposes, his first home. Nearly every significant part of his life happened in the halls of Cave. Meeting M'gann. Being taken in by Black Canary. Becoming Conner Kent. Being taken to Metropolis and Smallville by Superman. He couldn't imagine a world without the Cave.

And now it was gone. The home he and M'gann shared—and eventually shared with Garfield, Sphere, and Wolf—had been decimated by Aqualad and his team. Conner heard from Jaime on the way back to Happy Harbor how Aqualad tricked him into surrendering by planting a bomb like Malina Island's in the Cave. Then, at the last minute, destroyed the Cave. Their home. His home.

To say that Conner was devastated was an understatement. He wanted to scream, break something, cry, anything to get the rage out. Losing his home was worse than learning what M'gann had done to him, worse than Superman rejecting him for the first time. Aqualad was his friend, his brother. How could he betray them? Betray him?

As he sat in the Hall of Justice after hours with Garfield and M'gann (two days later, and she was still shell shocked by whatever she'd done to Aqualad), Conner remembered Phillip's lyrics. He took a deep breath and whistled loud enough for Wolf and Sphere to come to him before making his way to the siblings. Garfield's usually cheery smile was replaced with a dejected feeling, similar to his sister.

"Kid, let's go for a walk," Conner nudged the teenager softly.

"What about M'gann?" Garfield asked.

Conner took another look at her depressed face and decided that whatever was going on her head, he'd have to talk to her in private about.

"Just for a few minutes, then we'll be right back. Promise."

Garfield shrugged and followed Conner, Sphere, and Wolf out of the room. The four stopped at the statues of the founding members of the Justice League. Even after all these years, the sight of all eight of them forever remembered in time made Conner's eyes widen in awe. He could hear Garfield's soft breath of surprise at being so close to them.

"I want to be one of them," Garfield said. "Don't care how long it takes; I want to be part of the League."

"Why?" Conner turned to face him. "You're already a hero."

"If I join the League, everyone will know I'm a real hero. I'll get recognized, and my own reality series, and people will see me stop homes from being—" Garfield covered his mouth, eyes wide. Conner had forgotten that unlike him, Garfield was awake when the explosion happened. He watched his home go up in flames, his second childhood gone in an instant by a man he practically considered to be a father. Where Conner only knew the Cave as his home, Garfield had lost two homes, all in the course of a few years. He had no idea what the boy was feeling.

"Garfield," his voice was surprisingly soft. "No matter what happens, you'll always be a hero. Even if you're still with the Team or joining the League years from now, that's never going to change. And we'll all be back at the Cave waiting for your reality series to come on TV."

"But the Cave—" Garfield started.

"It's a physical place. The memories, the times we shared there, are kept alive here," Conner pointed to his head and heart, "and here. And I don't plan on letting go of those memories any time soon."

The two heroes walked to the door of the Hall, gazing at the beautiful moon. Conner placed a hand on Garfield's shoulder and squeezed encouragingly.

"Until then," Conner smiled at the moon, "this is our new home."


I like to imagine Conner as being a dad to some of the freshmen of the Team. He seems like the type, given how fatherly Superman is toward most people. Next time: Anniversary.