Bruce was glad the past week was already behind them. There hadn't been anything going on lately. Finally, they could catch up on their studies. Speaking of studies, Bruce got an A+ on his Civil War essay, thanks to Clark's meticulous editing.

"I'm just gonna go make some ramen in the hall. I'll be right back," Clark said.

"Sure," Bruce nodded.

A few minutes later, Clark re-entered the room.

"That was quick," Bruce said.

"Bruce, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?" Bruce asked.

"Did you sign us up for the Saturdays Siegel's program?"

"No, why?"

"You gotta see this real quick."

It was a reminder posted on Bruce and Clark's door with tape. The notice read:

"Thank you for signing up for the Saturdays At Siegel's program! We appreciate your cooperation and enthusiasm in helping Siegel University welcome its potential future students. Your mentee's name is Richard Grayson. He will be arriving at Siegel University on Friday at 5:00PM. Please make sure his stay at the residence hall is comfortable and enjoyable. Please have an extra bed and beddings ready. On Saturday morning, you will accompany him to brunch and give him a tour of the campus, after which, he will join the rest of the activities planned for the mentees for the rest of the day. He will sleep in the residence hall that night and leave on Sunday afternoon after lunch. If you believe you have been selected as a mentor in error, please feel free to contact Kingsley Hall. You will find our number and extension listed below or in the school directory. You may also personally drop by to let ASB know that you have been selected in error. Thank you once again, and our sincerest apologies if this was a mistake!"

"That's weird," Bruce muttered. "I never signed up for the program. Did you?"

"No, no, I didn't," Clark said, taken aback. "This is all weird."

"Must be a mistake, then," Bruce said. "We'll go down to Kingsley Hall and tell them it was a mistake."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea."

"Let's go. We'll take the Batcave exit."

"What?! Why? Can't we just go there like any normal human being? Use the stairs or something, or the hill!"

"It'll be shorter. And we wouldn't have to get our clothes dusty sliding down that stupid hill. Let's go."

Bruce and Clark use the Batcave's exit, and sure enough, they reached Kingsley Hall in no time. They let themselves into the building and look for someone who could help them.

"Hi! May I help you?" a student at the front desk asked.

"Yeah," Clark said. "We're, uh, we're here about the Saturdays At Siegel's program?"

"Oh! Right. You guys wanna sign up?"

"No," Bruce said curtly.

"Are you here to inquire?"

"Yes, we're here to inquire," Bruce responded. "We're here to inquire why my roommate and I were selected as mentors when we didn't even sign up for it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the student said. "Must've been a mistake. I'll just remove your names from the roster then. And you are...?"

"Wayne and Kent."

"Alright. That's it. We're sorry for the inconvenience."

"No worries," Clark said with his usual amiable smile.

"Too bad he won't be joining this year's Saturdays At Siegel's," the receptionist said in a sad voice. "Without enough mentors, there's only a number of students we can accommodate."

"We'll take him in," Clark said gladly. "Sign us up." Bruce shook his head, face in his hand.

"That's very kind of you. Poor kid—he's an orphan too."

"An...orphan?" Bruce repeated. "Why didn't you tell us earlier? We'll sign up. What's his name?"

"His name's Richard Grayson. But it says here he goes by 'Dick.'"

"Thank you," Bruce said, a change coming over him. "We can't wait to meet him."

"Wonderful! He'll be here on Friday at five."

"Awesome," Clark said, nodding.

"Thank you, again," Bruce said, mock saluting.

"You're very welcome."

"You know, maybe it wasn't a mistake after all," Bruce said to Clark as they got out of Kingsley Hall. "I was really annoyed that we were selected. But now I'm okay with it. Maybe it was serendipity."

"What do you mean?" Clark asked.

"I mean, one orphan having another orphan for a mentor? What are the odds?" Bruce said. "What can I say? I have a soft spot for orphans. I am one myself, so... I know what they're going through."


"Mmm... This is good," Barry said as he bit into his burrito. "Lower Caf has some good burritos."

"And even better curly fries," Hal said, dipping a fry in his ranch dressing. "And the ranch is great too!"

"Man, I'm glad we get a break from the craziness of last week," Barry said. "I need to catch up on some Z's."
"And studying."
"Yes, and studying."

"And girls," Barry said, laughing. "Did you see the way Diana looked at Lois last week? Man! Is she jealous or what?"

"Oh, yeah," Hal nodded slowly, smiling. "It was flipping obvious. With Diana giving Lois those loo—"

"Oh, hey, Diana!" Barry said jumping out of his seat. "We were just taking about you."

"Favorably, of course," Hal said, swallowing his fry.

"Mm-hm..." Diana said, raising an eyebrow. "Don't make me lasso you."

"That's not necessary," Barry said. "We, uh, we were wondering if you were jealous of Lois."

"So what if I am?" Diana said, scoffing. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing. Nothing."

"Well, then."


"Remind me not to talk about her again," Barry said as they walked back to the dorms. "That was close. I thought she'd beat us up."

"Yeah, that was scary," Hal said. "Never again."

"Waitwhat'sthis?" Barry said, excited, pulling a note off their door. "Are these our mentees?"

It was, indeed, a note from the Associated Student Body regarding their mentees.

"Thank you for signing up for the Saturdays At Siegel's program! We appreciate your cooperation and enthusiasm in helping Siegel University welcome its potential future students. Your mentees' names are John Stewart and Wally West. They will be arriving at Siegel University on Friday at 5:00PM. Please make sure their stay at the residence hall is comfortable and enjoyable. Please have extra beds and beddings ready. On Saturday morning, you will accompany them to brunch and give them a tour of the campus, after which, they will join the rest of the activities planned for the mentees for the rest of the day. They will sleep in the residence hall that night and leave on Sunday afternoon after lunch. If you believe you have been selected as a mentor in error, please feel free to contact Kingsley Hall. You will find our number and extension listed below or in the school directory. You may also personally drop by to let ASB know that you have been selected in error. Thank you once again, and our sincerest apologies if this was a mistake!"

"Yes!" Barry said. "Our mentees are coming! I can't wait to meet them."

"I wonder what they're like," Hal said.

"I'm pretty sure they'd be rad," Barry said. "Wally sounds like a nice kid."

"Wait," Hal said. "Why are we doing this again? We're just freshmen. We don't know much about the school yet."

"We know enough," Barry reminded him. "Besides, the purpose of the Saturdays At Siegel's is so that they'll see the school, hopefully like it, and choose Siegel U. By the time they come in, they'll be freshmen and we'll be sophomores. We'll know better then. Plus, our job is to make them feel welcome. It's not our job to teach them about the system. That's what the planned activities and lectures are for."

"Cool," Hal said, nodding. "I see."

"And hopefully, when they finally come in as freshmen, they'll remember us and we can continue to be their mentors," Barry said. "That's what the program is designed to do."


Dunster Hall...

Arthur lay on his stomach, studying his notes for Biology. He was suddenly distracted by Oliver calling his attention.

"Huh? What?" Arthur asked.

"I said... Do you wanna go to Wal-Mart with me?" Oliver said. "I have to buy an airbed. I already have the extra beddings. I just need the extra bed."

"The mentee program, right?"

"Saturdays At Siegel's, yeah. I signed us up for it."

"Nice. Who's the kid?"

"His name's Roy Harper."

"I can't wait to meet him."

"Me either. Now let's go," Oliver said. "We can stop by Micky D's on our way back."

"Cool. Let me go call Mera," Arthur said. "We'll meet you in the parking lot."

"Alright. I should probably call Dinah."

"Not Felicity?"

"Shut up," Oliver said, throwing popcorn at Arthur.

"Whatever you say, Ollie," Arthur said, shrugging. "Whatever you say."

Oliver smiled, shaking his head.


In Felton Hall, Bruce was busy rummaging through his stuff for movies and video games.

"We have to plan, Clark," Bruce said. "I wonder what kind of movies Dick would like."

"Let's not worry about that now," Clark replied. "We can ask him when he gets here. Besides, he has a long day on Saturday. We don't want him to be too tired."

"Brunch is at 10:30," Bruce reminded Clark. "We can let him sleep in."

"That's true," Clark said, nodding. "I suppose we could do that."

"Should we do video games instead?"

"Why not video games and a movie if we're going to sleep in until 10?"

"You have a point. So... What can we play?"

"We could play Halo," Clark suggested. "Or Battlefront II."

"Then there's COD: Ghosts," Bruce added.

"Yeah, there's that."

"We're playing Star Wars Risk Friday night if you guys wanna come," Barry said, grinning, leaning against the open door.

"How did—" Bruce said, shocked. "Never mind."

"I think that's a great idea," Clark said. "Our mentees could meet each other."

"We're also planning on playing Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity, Apples To Apples, Uno, Jenga, and Munchkins," Barry said.

"Why don't we play all of them?" Clark said.

"I thought we weren't going to tire our mentee out," Bruce said, raising an eyebrow.

"As you said, we can sleep in until 10."

"Still, I don't think playing board games all night is a good idea. Maybe a board game and a movie or a videogame and a movie. Not board game after board game."

"You're probably right," Clark nodded. "Well, you guys are free to join us for a movie if you like."

"Sure. That's sounds great," Barry said, nodding. "We'll think about it."

"What about a Jack Ryan movie?" Bruce asked when Barry left.

"Yeah, that's good," Clark said, nodding. "Which one do we start with?"

"Probably The Hunt For Red October."

"Sounds good to me."

"That's settled then?"

"Yes, it is."

"Alright."


Tuesday,

The Legacy Room...

The Legacy Room was a special room in Siegel University's library that was secluded. It was separated from the rest of the building by two large oak double doors. It was carved in such a way that was reminiscent of palaces—or the Temple of Jerusalem. Big and grand. Inside was one long mahogany table that could seat eighteen people. It was part boardroom, part museum, part library. On days when there were no meetings, it was free for the students' use. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Both levels of the room were filled with stacks of books and framed pictures and articles showcasing the history of the school, from its founding to the present. The second floor of the Legacy Room was also filled with such memorabilia. You started your tour on the first floor and finished on the second.

Clark pushed the doors open and sat down at the far end of the eighteen-seat table and set his backpack down, taking out his Econ notes, three pencils (in case he broke one or two), an eraser, a calculator, and his Econ textbook. He had some catching up to do. He opened his laptop bag and turned his laptop on. Quizlet was a good place to go. So he went there; or rather, was about to go there. Something caught his eye.

BREAKING NEWS: Robbery In Progress J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles!

So much for catching up...

Clark found a supply closet to change in, taking his glasses off and putting on his blue-and-red Smallville sweater. He was out of there in a split second and on his way to the Getty. He soared through the air like an eagle on a hunt, flying four times faster than the speed of sound. He flew so fast that he left a sonic boom in his wake. He reached Los Angeles in seconds.

Just in time to bring some thugs to justice, he thought out.

"Drop your weapons and nobody gets hurt," Clark warned.

"Who's gonna make us?" the leader snapped.

"I will," Clark said coolly.

"Oh, yeah?" the thug barked, laughing. "You and what army?"

"This army," Clark said, sending the man flying across the gallery, splintering the floor and a few exhibits in the process.

"Kill him!" their leader ordered as he lay among the debris, momentarily incapacitated, unable to move. "Kill the son of a bitch!"

Shots rang out, but the rain of bullets only bounced off of Clark as though he were wearing armor. You could hear them ricochet with a ping. In fear, the robber's lackeys ran helter-skelter, leaving their leader to fend for himself.

"Damn minions!" he shouted. "Useless idiots! I should've done it myself!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Clark said with a smile.

Apparently, the lead robber had not learned his lesson. He trained his gun at Clark's chest, ready to fire. Suddenly, Clark went for the gun and crumpled it like a wad of paper, mechanism, bullets and all.

"I'll be right back."

And with that, he was off chasing the other thieves using his superhuman speed.


6PM

Stallion Grill...

"I saw the news this evening," Bruce whispered, leaning forward as he sat across from Clark at the table. "I take it you had a very interesting day?"

"Very...interesting," Clark said, nodding. "It was quite the chase."

"I heard you broke some things," Bruce said, laughing.

"Yeah," Clark said. "I don't know if I can pay for it."

"Don't worry, Kent," Bruce said with a smug smile. "I've got this covered."

"You're not seriously volunteering to pay for the damages, are you?"

"If I don't, then my name's not Bruce Wayne."
"If you say so," Clark said with a shrug. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"You owe me nothing."

"So... How did your day go?"
"I had a very interesting day as well."

"Really? Regale me with these...anecdotes."

"Don't mock me. I took out some books on geology from the library and spent most of my time in the cave studying the samples of the rock that knocked you out."

"And?" Clark said with interest.

"And nothing," Bruce answered. "This thing is strange, Clark."

"How strange?" Clark said, growing more and more intrigued.

"Get this. It's composed of 15.08% plutonium, 18.06% tantalum, 27.71% xenon, 24.02% promethium, 10.62% dialium, 3.94% mercury, and 0.57% unknown substance. I'm stumped, Clark. This thing has a component that's not from Earth. It...I don't know what it is. I've been racking my brain for an answer all day."

"Wow. That is strange," Clark said, nodding. Then something clicked. "You said the last element, the 0.57% part wasn't anything from Earth?"

"Yeah," Bruce said. "It's not from—wait! You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

"It could be from my home planet," Clark said.

"That makes sense, I guess," Bruce assented. "But what I don't get is...why did it make you weak?"

"I don't know. I have to find out."

"We have to find out, Clark."

"Right. But you've got some studying to do. Speaking of which, I have some of that to do as well. I'll meet you back in the dorm later. Let me know what you found. And study."

"I can't make any promises," Bruce said with a laugh.

"I have to go," Clark said, picking up his tray. "I have to go back to the library to do some more studying. I can't fail Econ."

"Gotcha," Bruce said. "I'll leave the door unlocked for you."

"Thanks. I have key."

"You sure?"

"Positive."


Legacy Room

10PM...

Clark read and reread his Micro Economics notes for the nth time that night. Should he stay and do some more studying before the library closes, or should he stop and get some rest? He was weighing his two options when one of the doors of the Legacy Room opened.

"Hi," Clark greeted, seeing Diana.

"Clark, hi," Diana returned. "I was hoping I'd find you here."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I need some help reviewing for Astronomy."

"I'd be glad to help you with it if you like."

"Thank you, Clark."

"No problem. Listen. About last week—"

"Clark, listen. I know I was jealous. I'm sorry. It was my fault. I know Lois is your friend."

"If anything, I'm the one who should apologize. I was so focused on Lois that I forgot about my best friend. How can I make it up to you?"

"You can start by helping me with the stuff I don't get in Astronomy."

"I can do that. So... Friends?"

"Friends," Diana said, shaking Clark's hand.

Clark was hoping Diana would say more than friends, but he didn't want to push his luck. They had just made up. A great friendship is a great start.

Clark and Diana studied until closing time, which was midnight. But before they ended their study session, Clark quizzed Diana on what she had learned so far. He scribbled a quiz of sorts in his notebook. It went like this...

1. The Ptolemaic Model of the solar system puts the sun in the center of the solar system.

A. True

B. False

2. Why do stars appear to twinkle?

A. Because of Earth's atmosphere

B. NASA's telescopes are defective

C. Because Dr. Dimmesdale needs better glasses

D. Aliens

3. Who came up with the theory that the sun was at the center of the solar system and not Earth?

A. Bill Nye the Science Guy

B. Sir Isaac Newton

C. Nicholas Copernicus

D. Tycho Brahe

E. All of the above

4. Name all eight planets of the solar system in order.

_, _, _, _, _, _,

_, _

5. Will you go with me to Fall Thing?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Maybe

Fall Thing was a yearly tradition that Siegel University held every Fall. It was like prom but for college. And it was costumed and themed. The theme of the year's Fall Thing would be announced in a couple of weeks. Although it was still quite far away (it took place in November and it was only August), Clark wanted to be ready. He wanted to prepare for both rejection and acceptance. The sooner he asked, the sooner he knew. If Diana said yes, then swell. If she turned him down, oh well. He might be down for a few days, but he'd eventually get over it. Besides, this was just a friends-hanging-out kind of thing. Or was it? It used to be a Sadie Hawkins type of dance, where the girls asked the guys. But that year, the powers that be decided it was time to punish the guys—make them feel the anxiety that the ladies felt when asking a guy out to the dance. They had to get creative. Clark was too shy to ask, so he disguised it as a review quiz. Diana found it cute and nearly laughed.

"I'll do a little rain check, Clark," Diana said. "I'm going to Skype with my mom in Greece, see if it's okay with her. Then I'll get back to you. Okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Clark said with a shrug. He didn't want to get his hopes up just yet.

"But if we do go," Diana added. "It will be just as friends."

"That's just what I was thinking," Clark said with a nod and a smile.

Just then, they were interrupted by a library employee.

"Guys, we're closing up for the night. Time to go," a library staff informed them.

"Sure," Clark said, nodding. "We were just finishing up. We'll just pack our stuff. It'll be just a sec. C'mon, Diana. I'll walk you back to your dorm."

"Thank you, Clark."

"Anytime, Diana."


Wednesday afternoon,

Algebra class...

Clark concentrated on working on the second exam of the semester for Intermediate Algebra. Thank God he remembered everything. He had studied for four classes last night—Micro Economics, Intermediate Algebra, World History I, and Astronomy (the last one with Diana). Halfway through the test, he heard laughter. Annoyed, he tried to ignore it.

"The hell is wrong with these people?" Bruce mumbled.

"Quiet!" the proctor shouted. "You at the back! Shut up or I will take your test papers from you, finished or not, and send you out of this classroom!"

They ignored her and kept on laughing.

"Alright! That's it! That's—"

But even the proctor couldn't finish her statement. She too began laughing like she had just heard the best joke of the century. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she fell to the floor, rolling, laughing, until her sides ached and she was almost out of breath. One by one, the students started laughing. Just then, Clark noticed smoke coming out of the vents in the ceiling.

"Laughing gas?" he thought aloud.

"Cover your nose, Kal!" Bruce warned when he saw it.

"Whoever did this must've wanted the test to be cancelled," Clark said.

"Agreed," Bruce said, nodding. "We have to find out who this person is."

"There's only one person who would want this test cancelled."

"But first, let's get these guys out of here."

Clark super-sped around the room, grabbing any student he could and slinging them over his shoulder and out to safety, where the warm afternoon sun restored their senses and they stopped laughing as though nothing had happened. They were even confused as to why they had been laughing in the first place. He was doing well until he returned for a few more students. A whiff of laughing gas reached his nose and he lost it, just like that.

"Why did the sloth cross the road?" Clark joked, overcome with fits of laughter. "Because it was on its way to the chicken's wake!"

Great, Bruce thought. Now I have to do both the saving and the investigating myself. This must be my lucky day.

"Yo mama so big that the picture they took three years ago hasn't finished printing yet!" Clark hooted in delight. Disgusted and annoyed, Bruce took out a small chunk of the green, glowing rock from his pocket—one of the specimens he had saved, and dangled it in front of Clark's face in a Ziploc bag. Instantly, Clark felt sick and weak, dropping to the floor.

"Your jokes suck," Bruce said, pulling a weak Clark out of the room. "Let's go."

There's only one reason why someone would want an exam cancelled, Bruce thought. Grades. No exam, nothing to worry about. Maybe they were trying to buy some time. More time to study.


"Wait!" James Gordon said as he stood over Bruce's shoulder in the Batcave, reviewing the security tape that the camera in the room recorded. "Go back, go back. Rewind that. Right there! Right at the moment the first student starts laughing."

Bruce did so, and he kicked himself mentally for missing it. How could he have missed it? It was plain as day. The perp's objective was not to have the exam cancelled or delayed but to cheat. While everyone, including the proctor, was busy laughing, he would copy his seatmate's answers. There would be no one to stop him or notice him (in the confusion of the moment, that was true). The camera did, though.

"How did he do it?" Gordon wondered. "How is he not laughing when everyone else is?"

"A mask with no nose holes," Clark interrupted, walking towards them, a mask in his hand. It was a clown mask, but it was, indeed, an odd one. There were no holes for the nose. "I went back there and did some digging. I'm writing an article about it for the Gazette."

"So that's why he wasn't laughing like the others," Bruce said gravely, nodding. "We should have noticed him. He wasn't laughing, he should have stood out."

"In the chaos of the moment, we didn't see him," Clark retorted. "Our priority was to get everybody out of there."

"And my next priority is to catch this guy and expose him for the cheat that he is."


Thursday night...

Clark stood on the shore of a breathtaking beach, taking in the beautiful sunset and the waves that frolicked at his feet. The sand between his toes. All the fiery colors of the setting sun. It was like some giant had taken cans of paint—pink, red, yellow, orange, purple—and splashed them on the canvas of the sky. He didn't know where he was, but he didn't care. It was beautiful.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice behind him. A familiar female voice.

"Kal," Diana said softly. "Make love to me."

And with that, Diana undid the toga she had been wearing, letting it fall to the sand. She stood before Clark in all her naked glory. She looked like a sculpture of Aphrodite come to life. Without hesitation, Clark kissed Diana hard on the mouth, wrapping her up in his strong arms. Then Diana lay down on the sand, pulling Clark with her.

And then he knew where he was. This must be Diana's home. And he was making sweet love to her here. It finally made so much sense. He was making love to her in a place that was very special to her. Her home.


Friday afternoon

Lunch...

"Hey, Clark?" Bruce asked, resting his chin on his clenched fist.

"Yeah?" Clark answered.

"You wouldn't happen to have pet ferret, would you?" Bruce asked with a smirk. "Or a rat?"

"Why would I have one?" Clark replied. "It's against dorm rules."

"So... that wasn't a ferret, a rat, a mouse, or a guinea pig moving under your sheets last night?"

Clark blushed. At some point in the night, Clark was lying on his back, mouth open as though in a rapturous moment of bliss. He was breathing hard. Something moved beneath the sheets. Sometimes his tongue jutted out like he was licking something.

"Yeah," Clark said, looking down, trying to suppress a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that. Did I wake you up?"

"No," Bruce said. "I came in late. And that's when I saw something moving under the sheets. Whatever it is. And that's when I heard you."

"Sorry," Clark said, chuckling, clearly embarrassed. "Won't happen again."

"Kal, you're a man," Bruce reminded him. "Things like this happen all the time. It's normal."

I had a dream involving Karen one night, Bruce thought, but refrained from saying it out loud in front of Clark. She was his best friend's cousin, for crying out loud! You don't tell your best friend you had a wet dream about his cousin. That would be awkward.

This was uncomfortable for Clark, too. This was the guy who had a crush on the girl he had a crush on. The guy who kicked him out of their dorm room because of it. The guy he had a fight with because of one girl.

"Relax, Clark," Bruce said, sensing Clark's discomfort. "I've moved on. Don't worry about it. If you're happy, then I'm happy. And if Diana's happy, I'm happy."

"So! Change of topic," Clark said. "Are you excited about our guest?"

"Clark, I am trembling with excitement," Bruce said. "To be able to mentor an orphan like you, even for just a day or two? It's...it's something."

"We have everything ready, right?"

"Yes, we do."

"Movie?"

"Check."

"Video games?"

"Check."

"Chess game?"

"Check."

"Popcorn and other snacks?"

"Check."

"Mattress?"

"Check."

"Bed sheet?"

"Check."

"Blanket?"

"Check."

"Pillow?"

"Check."

"Perfect," Clark said, nodding. "I can't wait to meet him."

"Me either," Bruce said, smiling.


Friday afternoon,

5PM

"Where is he?" Bruce wondered, looking around, excited to meet his mentee. They were standing outside Kingsley Hall where the newcomers and their hosts were told to meet.

"Could that be him?" Clark said, pointing to a raven-haired boy who looked like a young Severus Snape but with a shorter cut. Just then, he saw them and began to make his way toward the spot where Bruce and Clark were standing.

"Are you Bruce Wayne?" the young man asked. "And...Clark Kent?"

"That's us," Bruce said with a warm smile. "I'm Bruce, this is my roommate Clark."

"We'll be taking care of you for the next two days," Clark said. "Or at least until Sunday afternoon."

"My name's Dick," Dick said, shaking Bruce's hand, then Clark's. "Dick Grayson. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."