This one leads into half the major drama going on here. The other half... well, that's tomorrow. There's some language here, probably the bulk of it, but it's in character. Ah well. Enjoy!


12 - Penny In The Air

Conner was anything but happy. He'd be angry and breaking everything in sight if it weren't for the bracelets on his wrists and the continual red lights above him. He had no strength there, just enough to be a normal human his size. The doctors told him so after a few tests.

Doctors. Tests. Scientists. It was Cadmus all over again.

They put wires on his skin to monitor his vitals while he did random exercises. They drew blood and gave him a full physical. They made him pee in a cup once or twice. He was strapped to different boards and forced to hold still while their scanners worked their magic. And the entire time Metallo was there to keep him in check while Luthor came in and out, checking on him.

He really hated it. All of it. Each day when he was finally allowed to go back to the living part of his confinement, he glared out of one of the rare windows pointing outside. Narrow long ones made of tinted reinforced Plexiglas, the kind that made the sun red there too. He couldn't open them and he couldn't break them. There were wires all through it too, meaning electricity. He couldn't get out that way either. But glaring through them and seeing the outside world was one huge difference between this and Cadmus. Here he could see outside.

Part of him imagined what he would do if he made it out there, still weakened from the red sun's rays and wearing those bracelets. Training taught him how to survive, so he would just have to run into the trees on the far side of the parking lot and make towards one of the highways. If he found a gas station he could find a way to cut off the bracelets, then he could phone the League. Seemed like a good plan, if he could just get outside.

But he was stuck inside, with no way to contact the outside world. Sure he had a phone and computer there, but they only connected to internal lines. One night he tried jury-rigging the line to make it call out or send an SOS, but in the end he threw the thing at the wall, shattering it. The computer suffered the same fate. He was not good with technology. Even the so called internet connections to the game systems were useless for sending out messages. Unless he could get out of that apartment or get someone on the inside to talk to the League, he was pretty much screwed.

He couldn't get out of his apartment or the designated adjoining lab. He wouldn't risk one of their lives by trying to use one of the scientists. Conner was screwed.

A vain hope of Superman flying overhead and hearing him shout was about all the hope he had left of getting himself out of there. Though the clone knew Batman could find him in time, they were really banking on him finding a way to signal his location to them. Batman wasn't having much luck finding teenaged boys lately.

"You really shouldn't look out there so much," Metallo's voice started, drawing him out of his revere. "You'll only miss it more."

Conner glared at the machine, really wishing he had laser vision at the moment. He hated this guy, and not just because of the kryptonite and him being his sitter. Corben had a nasty sense of humor and liked razzing on him for being powerless. He just wished he'd malfunction and die already.

"At least I can feel it," the alien jibed back. They had this conversation before. It'd been nearly a week since Robin's kidnapping. Four days in this hell hole and he was ready to snap. Or rather snap someone in two.

Upset with his own thoughts, the clone moved on to the study where a variety of books were waiting for him. Metallo didn't stay with him all the time and this was one room he wasn't followed to a lot. He occasionally found Luthor there though, and he wanted answers from the man. He was sick of everything going on around him, of all the looks and whispers, of the tests and examinations, of not being able to contact anyone! He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

Going in the room, he glowered. Luthor wasn't there. He wanted answers! When was he going to get them?!


Clark hastily dressed in his uniform just before flying to Mount Justice. A full week. He heard nothing from Bruce or Conner, at all. And according to his sources in LexCorp, Luthor was on cloud nine. That could only mean one thing, and Superman was no idiot. "Dammit... They better not have..."

The team members hanging out in the cave were nearly blown over as he searched the mountain. He could hear their protests and surprise, even Wally zooming after him, but he didn't care. He was looking for any evidence that he was wrong. Any at all!

Unfortunately he only found an empty bedroom, a lonely Wolf and Sphere, and eventually the note still on the kitchen fridge. Seeing it and taking it off it startled M'gann twice over, especially after he read it and started to growl in rage. "DAMMIT!"

"Superman!" the Martian girl started. "What's wr-"

He didn't stay to hear her question nor to answer. The man of steel just zoomed out of there, using the Zeta Tube to get to Gotham faster. So what if Batman knew he was coming. He knew what would happen when they met with Luthor. As soon as he was in the broken down booth, he took to the skies and flew straight to Wayne Manor. Screw Alfred's no cape rule! He was going to get answers now!

A quick x-ray of the building confirmed his suspicions. Dick was coming down stairs towards the study, the exact place Bruce was coming out of at that moment. The boy looked mostly healthy and unharmed, but troubled by something. His ally was just as stoic and sleep deprived as ever, looking at a tablet and carrying an empty stoneware cup towards the kitchen. Fine by him. The side entrance from there was easier to come in and out of anyway.

Zooming through the kitchen and stopping him just before entryway, Superman grabbed the CEO by his shirt and shoved him against a wall. "HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO CONNER!"

Wincing, Bruce tried to gain his breath to defend himself but the alien would not stop. "WE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GET DICK BACK AND YOU JUST TRADED THEM! JUST LIKE LUTHOR WANTED! YOU GAVE HIM BACK TO HIM!"

"Superman, listen for a minute."

But the man wouldn't listen. He was too angry, betrayed. "WE SWORE WE WOULDN'T TRADE! YOU SWORE CONNER WOULD NEVER BE SENT BACK TO LUTHOR! YOU SWORE IT!"

"Dammit all, listen for one minute!"

"WHY SHOULD I?! SO YOU CAN SELL ME TO HIM TOO?! YOU SOLD CONNER! YOU SOLD HIM OUT! I OUGHTA-"

"It wasn't my idea!" Bruce insisted, trying to bring the man's voice down before he was heard.

"LIAR! YOU'RE A LIAR BRUCE! YOU SOLD CONNER TO LUTHOR TO GET DICK BACK INSTEAD OF FINDING ANOTHER WAY!"

"It wasn't-"

"Is that true?"

A small stunned voice not too far away grabbed their attention, making both men look at the source with trepidation. Dick gaped at them in horror. No, not them, just Bruce. He trembled a little as he confirmed his question. "The 'thing' you traded for me was Conner?"

"Dick..." A drop of dread came into the man's voice as he looked at his son. He knew this was coming, they both did.

"Lex Luthor kidnapped me in order to get Superboy back?" Disbelief controlled his features. "And you made it happen?"

"That's not-"

"That's exactly what he did!" Superman stated with a growl, snarling at the man as he let go of his shirt so he could throw an accusing finger. "He played right into Luthor's hands! Gave up being a detective to be Luthor's lapdog! He just handed Conner over to that madman!"

"That's not what-"

"We promised him," Dick stated, shaking slightly. "We promised him he'd be free. We promised he wouldn't ever go back to him. And you just..."

Bruce took a step towards him, a plea in his eyes. "Dick, let me ex-"

"GO TO HELL!" Glaring pure rage and hatred, the teen snapped about and ran back upstairs towards his room. "YOU SHOULDA JUST LET ME DIE!"

"DICK!" The detective darted after him, only to get his shoulder grabbed by the alien.

"We're not do-!" Not missing a beat, the dark knight spun around and clocked him in the jaw, a kryptonite ring in his finger making contact so he couldn't break his hand in the process. Hero sent spinning to the floor, Bruce sprinted upstairs, calling his son's name. Superman looked up once, stunned and regaining some sense, before noticing the butler in the adjacent hallway, raising a disapproving eyebrow at him with his arms crossed. "Alfred..."

"Frankly I feel you've each earned this." He inclined his head upstairs, glaring slightly. "Now go follow and listen for a change. Master Bruce's week has not been as cut and dry as you think."

Starting to realize he may have gone too far (the kryptonite ring wasn't used for any old reason and having it on hand meant Bruce expected a confrontation), the man of steel leapt to his feet and followed after the duo he practically tore in two. Once he saw Bruce again standing in front of his son's bedroom door, he knew the man was desperate. He needed to explain what happened to Dick, to try and get him to not hate him. Kal knew the man could stand being hated by everyone in the world, except Dick and Alfred. So long as they didn't abandon him, the rest of the world could fry. No wonder he took out his temper on him with the ring.

"Dick, let me explain!"

"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!" came the boy's shout beyond the wood.

"It wasn't my idea!" Desperately the man shouted through his son's door, trying to tell him what happened. "When Luthor told us the terms of the trade, he stressed that if it wasn't done within two days, he wouldn't be protecting you anymore! He would have sold you off to the highest bidder or worse! When we told Conner about it, Superman and I agreed we would rescue you somehow, without selling him. I even sent the rest of the team on surveillance to see if Luthor could lead us to you.

"Conner thought about it the entire first day and set up the exchange himself!" This struck the Kryptonian as he came closer. What? "I didn't agree to it at first, but he begged me to help him save you. I spent the next day teaching him escape tactics, how to send a signal using different lines of communications, and how to hack through door programs. Planted a tracer into the fabric of his clothes and covered him in a lead film to help protect him from kryptonite.

"We hoped to spoil Luthor's plans during the trade, but he thought of everything. Metallo was there and Conner had to wear synthetic kryptonite bracelets before I could get near you. Nanobombs were inside your body and I only had ten minutes max to get more sedative into you before they exploded. Conner insisted it was just the two of us there and he could handle it. After you were safe in the car, I went back for him. Luthor moved him before I could get back and left his clothes outside of town. I've been looking ever since."

A heavy pause filled the air, making his audience regret jumping to conclusions so fast. Then again, this man didn't even consult him. Superman was Superboy's mentor. He should have been asked at the very least. Didn't he know how worried he... Another look at the mortal's face put him in check; Bruce was exhausted, constantly looking for the teen he failed to return home. This whole fiasco hit him the hardest.

"Dick," he started again, "you have to believe me. I did not want to put him in any danger, but all of this was his idea. Conner set it up, and came to me only to make plans for escape and possibly changing the outcome. I didn't want to trade him in order to get you back; I wanted to find you and shove that up Luthor's rear. But time was running out, and I know several criminals who'd kill to get their hands on you. We couldn't risk you being in his hands for too long.

"I know you're mad at me, and you have every right to me. I... I failed you. You and Conner." Silence came again, consuming the man. Slowly he pushed away from the door, turning to leave. "He told me to say he was sorry. If you need me, you know how to find me."

Quietly Bruce walked away, accepting the silence and hate from his son as punishment for his part in all of this. He stopped next to Superman, glaring sharply at him. "Happy?"

"Bruce," the alien started, "I didn't mean to-"

"Conner gave himself up, just like another martyr crazed alien I know." A growl grew in his throat as he passed the man to finally refill his coffee and get back to work. "Must be genetic."


A/N: Liked the fight? Now that the secret's out, there's little more they can do. Dick's mad, Clark's caught between mad and guilty, and Bruce is running himself ragged trying to find him. And Conner's a labrat at the moment. Why will be explained later. Tempers are flying everywhere and it'll only get worst. Bruce is suffering a major guilt trip, but after explaining himself, there's little more he can do for Dick and Clark. So things are gonna continue to spiral downwards for a bit. So much fun!

Title came from something I heard on Doctor Who. TTFN!