Apparently I suck at updating this more than once a month. Gah.
Chapter 12 – Revelation
Wolf was good company when he wasn't at school or home with his family. Conner would pet him for a while – Wolf pretended not to like at first, but he really did – and then feed him, walk through the little forest behind the mountain, letting him sniff all he wanted and mark the territory with his smell and such. It was nice, but he wishes he could take him home and live with him there.
He had told Claire about his new pet the day he brought him, and she was happy for him, but since the fiasco with the Tornados, she seemed off. Clark noticed it too. She smiled like usual, she helped home, she helped him get used to the little odd things about school. But something in her smiles was forced. Something in her demeanor was always haunting the back of his mind and he couldn't shake it.
Worst of all, he couldn't talk to anyone about what was troubling him, because his friends didn't know about her and he couldn't tell them. He had found a new sympathy for Robin not being able to tell his secret identity.
And then it clicked. Robin! He knew her! He could talk about his worries with him! And maybe even understand what was happening. From what he had gathered, they have been known each other for a while and were friends, too.
So that was how, three days after the whole thing, Conner found himself expecting Robin in the Cave, having coming there much sooner than usual from school. He sent a message to Robin's special phone – a hero one, untraceable, that he used to text and call the Team sometimes – telling him he wanted to talk to him.
"Kinda stuck on homework, bro. But I think I can manage a little rest. Let me check if I can go out. – R."
He waited for a response for another ten minutes, and then got:
"Can do it, but maybe it's better if we talk somewhere else? Meet me here in Gotham. Dora's Gums & Ice Parlor downtown. There's a zeta on an alley very close. I'll be there in five minutes. – R."
He sent the coordinates to the zeta next, and Conner pet Wolf and went to the tubes, appearing in a very busy street in what was clearly Gotham. He got out of the alley and looked around, seeing the place Robin told him very close. He walked there, putting his glasses on his face – Claire had thrown a fit when he got out with her without them. He was trying to remember to use it when not around the Team or his family.
He got into the diner, which was basically filled with sweets and, like the name suggested, an ice cream fridge. It had small tables scattered around, and he went to the most distant one, but one he could see the front of the diner, and sat. He could order something when Robin showed up.
It was like he had summoned him. Robin walked into the store in civilian clothes and his usual sunglasses, and went straight to him, which made Conner think that he was looking before he got in.
He sat in front of him with a smile.
"I was dying to ditch that assignment. Thanks for the excuse." He smirked.
Conner smiled a little, and then Robin frowned.
"What's wrong? What did you want to talk about?"
He looked around, and then…
"Don't you want to order something first?" he asked.
Robin looked to the balcony and waved his hand. A waiter came to their table. His friend asked for a tuna sandwich and a coke. Conner looked through the menu and asked for a cheeseburger with fries and a coke. The waiter got out, and then Robin resumed their chat.
"So, want to tell me now?"
Conner sighed.
"It's about Claire, actually. And I figured you would be the only one who I could talk to about her."
"Is she okay?"
"I don't know." He was honest. "Did you notice that she was at the cave after Tornado?"
"Yeah… I was still dizzy but Bats said she was there before we woke up. Apparently very worried about us. You specially."
"Well… After dad told her to go, and she did, she is a little off. She smiles and talks and makes jokes as usual, but…"
"It seems forced?" Robin supplied, sighing.
"Yes. She's not okay, I think. But when I ask, she says some excuse and never answers truthfully."
Robin sighed again, his hand going through his hair in frustration. The waiter came back with their orders, and Conner used that time to distract himself. When the guy left, he whispered to his friend.
"I know dad sees it too. And I can see it's kind of killing him to see her like that. But he doesn't say anything and… I'm worried. With her, mostly."
His friend sighed again.
"Claire is wonderful." He started. "When Bats took me in, I was wrecked by a very close tragedy. She was the only other child Bats knew and trusted around me, so he asked Clark to let her spend some time with me. She was… kind. She never undermined my pain, or my feelings. Never tried to tell me it 'would be okay', like most people. She tried to help me anyway she could, by playing with me or just staying there, watching TV or… Just watching me remember and cry myself to sleep."
Conner didn't know about Robin's past. He had no idea who Batman and Robin were, despite the fact they were apparently pretty close to his dad and sister. But with their lives, he supposed they didn't had the time to be properly introduced yet. But all that didn't stopped him from hearing – almost feeling – the pain and angst in his friend's words.
"But as we grew up friends, and I eventually found out about Bats and Clark and Claire… Well, I noticed something. B confirmed it when I asked him about it."
"What?"
"She wants to be more. She wants to make more than being a civilian, if you know what I mean."
"I… do." He sighed. "And dad doesn't want her to."
"He wants to protect her. He doesn't want his enemies to target her. She developed a lot of powers already, but she's… half-human." Robin whispered. "B says Clark is afraid of that. Afraid that human part of her may be one more weakness. Afraid his enemies figure that out. He doesn't want to lose her."
"He's training her too, now. With me." He told him. "After he found out that she was training by herself it was like he felt guilty. When he takes me to train, he takes her too. She loves it."
Robin smiled. "Yeah, I can imagine. I just think Clark needs to see she's not a child anymore. She can take care of herself. And with his help, his enemies won't stand a chance. B said that to him, but apparently, he's still afraid. It's hard."
"I wish I could help her."
"She just wants to be out there. Like us, I think. But Clark's not really into the idea. And she wants to respect that, respect him, but maybe she's running out of patience. Specially after you came and became a hero too, I think. Maybe she feels it's unfair."
It was like a cold bucket of iced water in his head. How he hadn't thought of that?
"Oh my god… maybe that's the problem. She sees me all around, and she still can't go. It's really bothering her."
"Yeah, probably." Robin chewed the last of his sandwich, and Conner remembered that he still had his, with his fries to eat. He resumed eating. "You should talk to her. And maybe to Clark, too. Who knows, maybe you can change his mind about that?"
Conner thought about it while they finished eating. He could, but something told him it was going to take a whole lot more than talking to persuade Superman to let his daughter become another superhero.
~.~
She got home later than usual. Conner was back from the Cave (he returned there after Robin had to go home and finish his homework) almost by five afternoon, but Claire wasn't home yet. He thought it was odd, but waited nonetheless. By six fifteen, she crossed the threshold of the main door. He went to greet her.
"Hey… You okay?"
She looked at him with an odd smile, like the ones she was giving them lately, hoping they wouldn't notice that looked odd.
"Yeah, I'm fine. How's your day?"
"Fine… But, are you sure you're okay?"
She frowned at him, maybe realizing that he meant the question seriously.
"Yeah…"
Conner sighed.
"Claire, I know you're not. You don't need to lie to me."
She looked at him, right in his eyes, and maybe satisfied with what she saw, she sighed and sat on the couch, dropping her school bag on the floor.
"I'm really not."
He sat beside her, taking her defeated posture and downcast eyes with care.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, really. I guess it's part of the problem."
He realized he wasn't going to get an honest and straight answer out of her, and their dad was probably going to come home very soon, and he wanted to talk to her, before talking to him. He took a deep breath before asking.
"Is it because of that day when dad asked you to get out of the cave? Before anyone saw you?"
She gulped, nodding instead of giving a talked answer. Conner sighed.
"I figured. You haven't been yourself since then. And I think dad noticed too, sis."
"I know he did. The thing is that he'll never do anything about it. He'll just wait for me to get through it, like usual. It's been the same thing ever since I was about ten."
"Ten? That's when it started?"
"Yes…" she smiled at him, a little more like herself at thinking about the past, maybe. "Robin had just started it out. I figured if he could, why couldn't I?"
"Good question."
"Dad never answered, though. Never let me try it. He did let me train with Bats before, but only for a while, and well… He doesn't really want me out there."
Conner frowned.
"Do you know why?"
"He said it's because he wants to protect me. From his enemies. He doesn't want me to get hurt. I get that, but… doesn't make much sense, at the same time. I'm almost invulnerable, like him. He says he's not ashamed of me, because I was born when he was really young and all, but I think in some subconscious level, he is. What other reason he wouldn't let me? Especially now that you're here?"
Conner sighed.
"You don't think it's fair. That he lets me out, but you don't."
She sighed and looked at him, so he would know she was being honest.
"He told me, right after I learned that you were joining the Team, that his enemies knew about you. They made you. He couldn't do anything about that, and he thought it wasn't fair to keep you from your new friends. But me? His enemies didn't know about me. No one does. That's what he told me, and it made sense, it's just…"
"You wish someone knew."
"Yeah."
"What about Batman and Robin?"
"They're our friends, doesn't count much. Also, Bats talked to dad about it once, didn't work out. He may be your boss in the Team, but he and dad are co-leaders in the League. They don't boss each other around. They're pretty good friends, but dad only does something Batman tells him when they're on a mission and it's on the plan or something like that. Otherwise, no. He makes his own decisions."
"I guess he's just afraid. That he can't save you in case you get hurt, maybe?"
"May be. But it's not a good enough reason for me. It used to be, but now… It's not anymore."
Conner didn't know what to say. He was glad Claire had decided to talk to him, but to see the problem was what he and Robin had discussed made things a whole lot harder. He didn't know what to do with that new information.
"I'm… sorry." He said.
"It's not your fault, Kon." She smiled at him. "I'm just kinda miserable, but I'm not mad at you or anything. And I'll be fine. Eventually."
He smiled back, and she inclined her head to give him a kiss in his cheek.
"Okay, help me make dinner. Dad sent me a text saying he would be home by seven and it's almost seven. Also, I want to know more about M'gann."
Conner felt his cheeks warmer at that.
"What about her?"
Claire laughed. "Well, tell me everything."
She locked arms with him, dragging him to the kitchen and made him talk about his girlfriend, his friends, the team, and Wolf. She looked more like herself after they talked, and Conner was glad, even though he could see a little hurt in her eyes every time he mentioned his team.
When Clark got home, they had dinner while Claire talked almost excitedly about a new routine she had on the gymnastics team. Clark looked relieved that she was a little more normal, but still with that worried frown on his face. Conner decided to talk to him later, after a little thinking. They went to sleep a little easier that night.
~.~
The next day, the Injustice League took all of Conner and Clark's day. Claire decided not to wait for them to finish their heroes' duties, and took a train to Smallville. She couldn't fly yet, and jumping as high as she could to Kansas would attract way too much attention. She took the train, called Grandma and they were waiting for her for lunch.
The news was on when she got on the farm, after Grandpa went to pick her up. She hugged grandma, and they sat on the kitchen table while watching the gigantic plants tearing up major cities all over the world.
Somehow, it looked like another planet being attacked. Claire hadn't seen anything while on the train. She felt some tremors when they passed cities that were being attacked – and when they left Metropolis, things were wild – but nothing more. Grandpa and grandma knew the feeling. It was like a movie.
Like she knew Claire was needing comfort food, grandma put a large piece of apple pie in front of her after lunch, which made Claire smile genuinely for the first time after her talk with Conner last night.
"Thanks, grandma."
"After your call earlier, hon, I figured you would need it." She winked. "Will you stay the weekend or just today?"
"Dunno…" she said truthfully. "I brought clothes for the weekend, but I'm not sure. I didn't told dad I'm here, either."
"Claire…" Martha gave her a disapproving look. "You know he worries."
She sighed.
"That's the problem, grandma. I'm getting tired of that…"
Jonathan and Martha Kent looked at each other in the small kitchen with a look of confusion, and then a little understanding, before looking at their granddaughter, who looked like she was ready to cry at any minute. Martha left the dishes in the sink, sat beside Claire and held one of her hands.
"Tell us what's happening, dear."
So Claire told them.
So, Claire is a little sad, but that's about to end. Also, Clark just wants his baby to be safe, really. He worries. A lot. He's a professional worrier. :P
I intend to explore more about Robin's friendship with Claire (and now Conner), just like Bruce and Clark's friendship too. Will you like that? Tell me on your comments, please.
Don't forget to review. Thanks for reading.
