Issue #26
Finding Your Way
If the area surrounding what was once the home of the Fortress of Solitude wasn't already considered to be a wasteland before the events of the past half hour then it certainly could be now. The battle with the Anti-Monitor had razed the ground for miles around. The metallic, otherworldly remains of Superman's former base of operations had all either melted into slag or disintegrated altogether. Only a small vestige of land and dirt remained as the water running off the Antarctic glaciers moved to replace what had been destroyed. Like the effects of so many wars of the past, the passage of time would make it appear as if nothing had occurred here at all.
Thankfully, the heroes who had participated in the battle were in far better shape than the battleground they had fought on. Though the exertion that Lady Quark had endured to protect the Earth from Kara and Lloyd's attacks had threatened to place her in a coma, J'onn's telepathy manage to prevent any significant damage and she now appeared to be recovering nicely. Kal-L was also well on the way to a full recovery, his Kryptonian constitution allowing for a remarkably speedy recovery from his many burns and wounds. Despite the fact that everyone was exhausted both physically and psychically there was a highly infectious wave of accomplishment running throughout the heroes that seemed to keep each of them on their feet.
Far and away the most tired and exhilarated among them were Kara, Lloyd, and Stephanie. The three youngest of the present heroes clustered together a mere few moments after the battle had concluded. It was quite obvious that each of them appeared to draw a significant degree of comfort from one another's presence.
"I can't imagine what the environmentalist whackos are going to be thinking about this one," Stephanie joked.
Lloyd waved his hand derisively and blurted out an impatient pfft! "Don't worry about it, Steph. They'll prolly spout some mess 'bout global warming an' the ice caps and some news report will come out sayin' we should be livin' in Styrofoam from now on just to keep safe."
"Living in Styrofoam, huh?" Stephanie asked. "I think your exhaustion is finally getting to you, buddy."
"Okay," Kara interrupted. "Can either of you tell me what Styrofoam is and why you guys are talking about living in it?"
"It's like paper and foam put together," Stephanie offered.
"Good for puttin' coffee into," Lloyd added.
Kara remained quiet as she tried to figure out whether her friends actually had an ounce of sense in them while simultaneously pondering the possibility of living in such a bizarre sounding substance. Perhaps it would be better to ask Batman about it. Or perhaps she should ask Lloyd and Stephanie against once they became a little more lucid.
Wisely deciding to leave the children to their own amusements, Kal-L turned his attentions to the Martian Manhunter. "J'onn. Can you sense any trace of Superboy Prime in the area? Is there any chance that he could have survived?"
"And Metropolis!" Nightwing exclaimed. "Shouldn't we be getting down there?"
"The telepathic signatures I am receiving from Metropolis indicate that Superman's forces have managed to turn back the Society's attack." J'onn's voice was calm and detached, as was his way. "However, I can sense no trace of Superboy Prime. Kal-L, please bear in mind that my telepathic capabilities do have their limits. . ."
Kal-L interrupted J'onn's gesture of sympathy. "There's no need for that, friend. I hoped that there could have been a way to save him. We did what we had to do." Kal-L's admission was somber and melancholy, a perfectly fair reaction considering the trauma he had endured. "I just wish that the monster had chosen me. Superboy didn't deserve that."
"Kal-L, there isn't anything you can do for him." Batman said evenly. "All you can do is remember the good he could have done and try to do his share. Give his sacrifice meaning."
Kal-L turned to see the stoic, determined look on the face of the Batman as he offered his words of motivation. For the briefest moment the old man could see a glimpse of the man who was once his best friend, a man who had stood by his side time and time again. No, this Batman wasn't the man that he had known but he was damn close. Dick Grayson stood beside him, the young man every bit as loyal and stalwart as his Earth-2 counterpart. Looking upon the both of them, the former Dynamic Duo of Gotham City, Kal-L began to wonder why he couldn't see all of this before.
Batman went on. "We may have done a lot of good here today but there's still a great deal more to be done. If we each have the intent to carry the weight of the world upon our shoulders we must remember to properly assess both our successes and our failures. If we fail to take into account the consequences of our own actions then we are no better than those who endanger others in order to achieve their selfish and petty needs."
"Like Lloyd said," Nightwing pointed out. With a grin he added, "Although you said it with a lot more coherency and less profanity, dad."
"Thank you, son." Batman replied flatly.
The crowd seemed to be on the brink of laughing openly at this bizarre display of father-son camaraderie before a familiar, indignant voice broke in to spoil the moment.
"Yes, Batman. You have a great many actions that you must account for," Black Adam all but hissed. "The construction of your spy satellite and the telepathic violations performed by your precious Justice League was responsible for the uniting of the world's supervillains. Your clandestine actions placed the safety of my people in jeopardy and I will make certain that you will answer to your crimes for the good of my nation!"
"Said the pointy-eared pot to the kettle," Nightshade fired back in quite the boisterous manner. "Did all those punches to the head make you forget you were actually in the Society?"
"You have no right to place judgment over my actions, you shadowy wench!" Teth Adam said with his usual candor of self-righteousness. "I did what I had to do to protect my people and I wouldn't have had to do so if you so-called 'heroes' had not endangered them in the first place!"
"Adam, if you will allow me to interrupt." Billy Batson's youthful voice had instantly caused the ramblings of Teth Adam to cease. Though the young man needed the support of Breech to keep him from falling over with exhaustion the look on Batson's face was the picture of serenity. "Not that I wish to question the wisdom of Zehuti but perhaps you should question the prudence of erupting into a fit of anger while in the presence of a number of individuals who appear to be quite unafraid of taking significant measures to silence you."
The ridges on Black Adam's prominent forehead became more and more distinct as he cast his eyes among the people he had just fought alongside. Indeed, it was quite obvious that none of them appeared to be particularly pleased with his presence or with his choice of words. After assaulting all those present with a final, exasperated sneer, the Lord of Kahndaq wordlessly took to the sky.
Nightwing watched the streak of black-and-yellow go as it made it's way north-northeast. "Huh. I wonder if we're invited to Kahndaq for Christmas?"
"I'm a shadowy wench," Nightshade pointed out.
Billy Batson too watched Teth Adam depart from the battlefield but he soon turned his attention back to the ragtag assemblage of heroes before him. "You each have earned my sincerest thanks," Billy Batson said as he pulled away from Breach so he could stand on his own two feet. "Although there is no way to know for certain whether a creature like the Anti-Monitor can truly be destroyed I assure you that I will keep a stern lookout."
"Just don't be afraid to ask for a helping hand, C.M." said Nightwing. "And don't forget to take a bit of time off. I think we've all earned it."
"Ah, yes," Billy Batson said hesitantly as if the young man turned overseer of all things magical had never even considered that such a thing were possible. "Also, I am pleased to report that your friend Mr. Kuttler is resting quite comfortably in Gotham Memorial Hospital." Mister Wayne, he has asked me to tell you that he wishes to ask about the proper ways and means of filing for hazard pay at the first available opportunity."
"I'm sure he does," Batman said somewhat sourly.
"Mr. Kuttler?" Stephanie broke in. "Oh! You mean C.C.!"
"'S a bloody shame," Lloyd said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "All the work he put in an' he doesn't even get to come up 'ere and celebrate with us. Bloody hell! I haven't even had the opportunity to thank the bloke face to face, much less meet 'im!"
"Me either," said Stephanie.
The two tired teenagers turned to one another with identical, mischievous grins. After exchanging nods Stephanie thumped her hand onto Lloyd's shoulder and the two of them teleported away. They were gone for approximately 15 seconds, which was just enough time for the others to properly consider just what the hell the two of them were up to. They received their answer as the two of them reappeared with an incensed, hospital gown-clad Noah Kuttler in tow.
"Get your hands off of me, you intolerable, little miscreants! Can't I just enjoy a single moment of painful solitude without having to deal with all of you!" Noah continued to squawk in annoyance as he shook a bag of yellow liquid in front of Stephanie's face. "I was just beginning to enjoy the effects of my morphine drip!"
"Well, the gang's all here." Nightwing pointed out.
Batman could only shake his head sadly and remain awash in his own embarrassment.
"Excuse me, Mister Kal-L?"
It took a moment for Kal-L to recognize that Kara was speaking to him. The farcical display put on by the three unlikely partners had gone a long way towards distracting him.
Try as he might, the elderly Kryptonian couldn't help but be astonished at the graciousness of the young woman as she nervously ducked her head and brushed back an errant wisp of blonde hair back behind her ear. Judging the young lady only through her timid nature and subdued mannerisms, she was perhaps the last person anyone would have suspected of dealing the punch that brought down the greatest threat that the world had ever known.
"Kara, it's perfectly all right if you call me Clark. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Uh, yeah. Do you think maybe we could go somewhere and talk? I mean, I don't want to sound too pushy but it's just that I've got a few questions I'd like to ask you. I know you're probably pretty tired and all. . ."
Kal-L cut off Kara's nervous ramblings with a smile. "It's all right, Kara. I'll be happy to speak with you."
It hadn't taken long at all for the two Kryptonians to find a spot where they could have an undisturbed conversation. They perched themselves upon a small glacier several miles north of the battlefield that had seemingly avoided the effects of the intense battle. While Kal-L felt more than comfortable with leaning up against the massive mound of rock and ice, Kara didn't appear to find the right place to plant her feet or what to do with her arms. He kept himself quiet just long enough for Kara to work up her nerve and just briefly enough so that Kara wouldn't lose her nerve.
"Now then," Kal-L began. "What would you like to ask me?"
"Well," Kara scuffed the heel of her right boot against the ground and watched the shards of ice slide into the base of the glacier. "When we were fighting you said that I wasn't the person I once was. . ."
Now it was Kal-L's turn to look ill at ease. He momentarily tore his eyes away from Kara and left the young woman momentarily taken aback. However, the personal importance the young woman had for the topic at hand was enough to override her apprehension. "I just took it to mean that maybe you knew who I was before my Krypton exploded," she went on. "Is there anything at all that you can tell me about my past?"
Kal-L began to try to interrupt but Kara was not about to be stopped. "Please, Kal-L. If there's anything, anything at all you can tell me. . . I'm so tired of not knowing who I am or what I was like. I've got all of these thoughts jumbled up in my head and I just don't know what to make of them and I. . . I don't really think I was a good person."
The look in Kal-L's eyes held a near-equal amount of regret and guilt. "Kara, I'm truly sorry but it's quite clear to me that I was mistaken. You aren't the Supergirl that I remembered. I can't tell you anything about your past. It had never occurred to me to search for you while I was in the pocket dimension because I didn't think there would be any other survivors from Krypton's destruction."
It didn't take telescopic vision to realize that Kara was significantly crestfallen. The realization that yet another possibility to learn about her past had been all for nothing was an exceedingly bitter pill to swallow. "Oh," she all but mumbled. "Well, um, I'm sorry I bothered you."
Kara moved to fly back to the others but Kal-L intercepted her. He knew he couldn't possibly leave the situation at that. "But there is something I can tell you. You are Kara Zo'rel and you are Kal-El's cousin. There's nothing that anyone can say or do that can take you away from being who you are."
"But that's the thing," Kara fired back. "I don't know who I am! I don't know what I was sent here for and judging from all these flashes of memories in my head I don't think I was sent here for the same reasons as my cousin."
"I understand why such a thing would upset you, Kara." Kal-L replied. "It's tough when you don't have a place to call home or have something constant in your life that you can hold on to. I may have been the Last Son of Krypton but I always had somebody to turn to. Ma, Pa, Lana, Lois. I can't really say I know exactly what you're going through but if I may, I'd like to tell you a story that might give you a few of the answers you're looking for."
Kara nodded warmly. Pleased that the young lady was willing to momentarily cast aside her own grief in favor of listening to his words of advice, Kal-L was quick to launch into his story.
"When I was 16, I found out the real reason why my mother and father had specifically sent me to Earth. They wanted me to subjugate the planet and force the people that I had grown up alongside to adopt the ways and customs of Krypton, a planet I had never really known. A small part of me had been tempted to do just that, to throw away everything that I had been given by my home, my family and my loved ones in order to learn more about my past. Now I can't tell you why you were sent here or who you were in the past but let me just say that you have been given a wonderful opportunity to make yourself into somebody you can be proud of. If you need something to hold onto, my advice is to hold onto that. As long as you're willing to keep sharing your fears and worries and listen to the fears and worries of others then there's no doubt in my mind that you'll find your place."
Kara's sorrow gave way to a reluctant smile. She turned around to look back at Lloyd and Stephanie. As she watched the two of them continue to antagonize and tease the increasingly petulant Noah Kuttler her face split into a wide grin.
Kal-L followed the movement of Kara's eyes and chuckled. "Well, it seems like you've already decided where you're going to hang your hat."
Kara turned to look at Kal-L with wide eyes. It was quite obvious that she hadn't anticipated that reaction.
"Don't look so shocked, young lady," Kal-L said with a bit of mischievous admonishment. "You're not the only Kryptonian who knows that there's a lot more to Mister Wayne than a scary scowl and black underoos." The old man allowed Kara a moment to chuckle at his unique description of the Dark Knight before continuing on. "Bruce is a good man, Kara, and good men always need good people beside them to know they're not fighting their battles alone. Besides, after watching all of you fighting together I think it would be a shame to break up this little team all of you have put together."
Kara smiled warmly, proud that she had not only made such an important decision on her own but also because Kal-L had approved of that decision. Still, she still had something else on her mind.
"So if I'm not the Kara Zo'rel you were thinking about then who was? Was it the Supergirl from your reality?"
Kal-L sighed. It was a gesture displaying both his fatigue and his recollection of bittersweet memories. "Well, Kara, if you have the time, I would like to tell you the story of a young woman named Linda Danvers."
The Martian Manhunter looked intently over the desolation of the battlefield, his well-tuned mind forcibly eluding the feelings of relief and exhilaration running wild through the thoughts of the people that surrounded him. Though J'onn was proud of their accomplishments, the Martian telepath was far too much of a rational being to avoid the fact that the victory had come at a high price that they would have to pay for a long time to come. There were questions that needed to be answered and responsibilities that had to be upheld.
"J'onn."
Batman was both the first and the last person J'onn had wanted to speak to right now. Though he had not been an active participant in the final battle, the rigors and wounds from the skirmishes before had clearly taken their toll on Bruce's all-too-human constitution. J'onn fought back the aching desire to look into his friend's mind and see what lay under the veneer of exhausted, gloomy repose.
"What's on your mind, J'onn?" Batman asked calmly.
The last surviving Green Martian arranged his thoughts in silence. He wanted to make certain that he gave himself ample time to properly frame what he was going to say.
"A great many things, Bruce."
Batman was not so foolish as to continue on with his unnecessary pretense and chose to cut to the heart of the matter. "I'm not saying that my actions were right, J'onn. In fact, I have little doubt that I will be spending many a sleepless night wondering whether or not I had made the right decision. However, I still believe that I did what I needed to be done for the good of all life on this planet."
J'onn nodded. It was not the least bit difficult to understand the logic and see the sincerity behind his old friend's defense. However, that was not what J'onn had troubles with. "A great many of your planet's would-be conquerors and madmen have employed a similar form of logic when justifying their crimes. Can you honestly claim that the safety of others was your only motivation? Perhaps you became so overcome with your constant desire to control your environment that you resorted to murder in order to obtain that control?"
Batman's eyes narrowed dangerously. He yanked the heavy cowl off his head to reveal the handsome, patrician features of Bruce Wayne. "J'onn, if you have any doubt of my intentions then feel free to look into my mind. I didn't make this decision on a mere whim. You know me better than that."
For the briefest moment, J'onn seriously considered the idea. "You know I won't do that, Bruce. I can understand your decision. I can even identify with it. What truly concerns me is that it is not your decision did not solely impact you. You included these. . . children into your crusade. You've made them murderers and targets of the ire of your enemies. How many times must your planet's young be forced to pay the toll for an old man's war?"
Batman's response was cold, curt, and blindingly sincere. "First of all, J'onn, these children are the only reason why we're all still alive and you owe them a debt of gratitude. Second, I did not include them into this war. They chose to fight for something they believe in and if there was any possible way that I could have convinced them to walk away I guarantee to you that I would have used it."
It had been a long time since J'onn had heard such emotion, such passion in his friend's voice and he couldn't help but smile. "So you're saying that they were bringing you along with them rather than the other way around?" The Martian punctuated his inquiry with a raised eyebrow. "That's hardly the kind of reaction I would anticipate from you."
Bruce chuckled darkly as he brushed his calloused right hand over his forehead. "They're driving me insane, J'onn."
J'onn's own laughter was far more pronounced. "I must admit that they have a great deal of potential."
Bruce shook his head firmly. "This isn't just potential, J'onn. You saw the three of them fight against the Anti-Monitor and I've seen them winning battles that I honestly thought were impossible to win. They're. . . special, J'onn."
The Martian Manhunter withheld his astonishment at listening to Bruce's glowing compliments. "So just what do you plan to do now?"
Bruce Wayne shifted his gaze over to Kara, Lloyd, and Stephanie. It appeared that Kara's presence had prompted her two troublesome friends to refrain from pestering Noah and it now appeared as if the four of them were engaged in a peaceful conversation. Nightwing had joined them as well, his first student seemingly quite eager to join in the proceedings.
"Contrary to what you might believe, I am not so blinded in my own crusade to realize that I won't be able to continue doing it forever. I've done it for so long already that I feel that I've lost a big part of why I began fighting it in the first place. This was a war that could have been prevented if we had just remembered to work with one another. These children have a gift that we had forgotten, J'onn, a gift that can be nurtured by someone who can teach it to them. So I'm going to train this new generation; I'm going to teach them what they need to know so they can have a shot at making this world a better place. And maybe if I keep working alongside them they can teach me the things that I forgot a long time ago."
"A truly noble ambition, my friend," J'onn said appreciatively. "But how will this affect the rest of us? What of the Justice League? I recognize that you have legitimate issues with many of my colleagues but I was hoping that you would still choose to fight alongside us."
Bruce suddenly found that he had to turn away from J'onn to say what he needed to say. "The Justice League is a noble ambition, J'onn. Imperfect, yes, but something I feel to be quite necessary. Good people need a beacon; a source of comfort and strength that they can draw from to feel secure in this turbulent world. I believe the Justice League can be that but I don't think that I could ever be a part of such an ambition."
Bruce turned back to meet J'onn's stare. "There are so many horrible things that are slipping through the cracks that something like the League can't reach. My team is going to search those cracks, dig out what's there and push them into the light."
"That didn't appear to be a spur of the moment answer," J'onn replied sagely. "Bruce, I can understand your apathy towards being part of a beacon, to borrow your own words, but I sincerely hope that you would be willing to come back, at least some day. That being said, I won't deny that I am somewhat frightened by your intentions. Such aspirations have the tendency to corrupt even the sternest of moral fibers."
"I'm aware of the risk, J'onn. And I thank you for your concern about my well-being. I wouldn't expect anything less from the man that will restore the integrity of the Justice League."
"You're placing a great deal of pressure on the both of us, old friend."
"Perhaps, J'onn." Bruce replied as he extended his gauntlet-covered hand. "It's a good thing that we don't have to handle these things alone though, do we?"
J'onn nodded earnestly as he accepted Batman's gesture of friendship.
"Yes," J'onn responded, "I suppose it is."
It had now been a half-hour since the downfall of the Anti-Monitor and everyone knew they were needed elsewhere. Lady Quark and Breach had already said their goodbyes, the former returning to her outpost in space while the latter traveled to Metropolis with J'onn to aid in the city's recovery. Nightshade had departed soon after to reunite with her fellow members of the Shadowpact. Before she left she had handed Nightwing her phone number, a gesture that resulted in a great deal of discomfiture from Mister Grayson and a great deal of laughter from the others.
"Well, it appears that I should take my leave as well," said Billy Batson. "I have inherited a great many responsibilities from my former mentor and it would be injudicious of me to put off learning more about them."
"Thanks for saving our arses, mate. Not just this time with the Anti-Monitor either."
There was a definite twinkle of mischief in Billy's eyes as he turned towards Lloyd. "Well, I did tell you that I wished to meet all of you personally."
"Just remember to take that vacation I was telling you about," Nightwing added.
The overseer of Earth's Ninth Age of Magic smiled gratefully. "I believe I just might." The young man then turned towards Kal-L. "If you wouldn't mind, sir, perhaps I could borrow a moment of your time. I understand that it may not be the most opportune time for you but I assure you that it is a matter of great importance."
"That's quite all right, young man. I'll be happy to join you." Kal-L replied before turning to Batman's contingent. "As for the rest of you, it was a privilege to work with all of you and I'm hoping that we'll be able to do it again sometime."
"Be careful with what you wish for there." Stephanie answered. "After all, superhero team-ups are usually reserved only when the world is threatening to go to hell in a hand basket!"
"Then maybe I'll just stop by Wayne Manor and say hello," Kal-L said shrewdly. After receiving a mischievous smile from Stephanie in return the old man turned towards Batman. For a moment the two looked at one another in silence.
"Bruce."
"Clark."
"You aren't the Bruce Wayne that I knew."
"Do you still think that's still a bad thing?"
Kal-L seemed to give that question a serious degree of thought as he moved to stand side by side with Billy. "I'll still need some time to think about that."
Billy Batson and Kal-L were now gone.
Six people now remained.
Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown, Lloyd Thomas, Kara Zo'rel, Richard Grayson, and Noah Kuttler.
"Don't you just hate it when people make cryptic comments just before they walk out of the room?" asked Stephanie. "I don't know. I always thought that was kind of presumptuous."
"Says the 16-year-old constantly goin' 'round makin' speeches plucked right out of an after-school special."
"As if the little spiel you spouted while we were fighting the Anti-Monitor was any better!" Stephanie snarled. "I swear to God, you sounded like Graham Chapman in the Life of Brian! Were you even aware of the words that were coming out of your mouth?"
"I think you'd both be better off if you took some quiet time to think about what you're saying before you go and say it," Nightwing added, a recommendation that caused Lloyd and Stephanie to flip him off in accordance with the customs of their own nations of birth.
"Well, I personally think that we would all be better off if we just took a week long nap after everything we've been through." Kara's suggestion earned her a chorus of approvals.
"First things first, though," Lloyd said. "'Fore we take a kip it appears that the lot of us have a decision to make."
"Well, I know nobody can stay with me in my room!" Stephanie exclaimed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I had everything fixed up just the way I like it before everything blew up!"
"I'm pretty partial to havin' me own room as well," Lloyd added as Kara nodded in agreement. "Still, I can't see that bein' too much of a problem. Workin' with Bruce Wayne should be able to get us into some pretty sweet temporary digs."
"Ooh! Bruce! I read in People that you own a huge villa in Tuscany!" Kara squeaked. "Can we go to Tuscany?"
Batman was positively flummoxed. "What are all of you going on about?"
"I for one would prefer habitations that have a much greater degree of personal security," Noah said stiffly. "Once the surviving members of the Society discover my role in their downfall I imagine that they will wish to seek me a great deal of harm."
"Quite right that. So you're gonna stay aboard, Kuttler?" Lloyd asked.
"It appears that I have little logical choice in the matter, Mister Thomas." Noah answered. "Everyone else would either choose to kill me or place me in jail."
"Don't worry, C.C.! We'll protect ya!" Stephanie said in a cheerful enough manner for Noah to noticeably bristle at the unflattering nickname.
Batman made a significant effort to clear his throat in such a manner that he garnered the attention of the others. "I reiterate. Just what the hell are you talking about?"
"Well, we're a team now, aren't we?" Lloyd pointed out. "We're gonna have to find suitable accommodations until we can get Wayne Manor back up and running. Good strategy an' all that."
"And why wasn't I made aware of these plans?" Batman asked.
"Come on, B! It was your idea!" answered Stephanie. "After all. . ." Stephanie's voice took on a much deeper, throaty tone. "I'm going to train this new generation; I'm going to teach them what they need to know so they can have a shot at making this world a better place. And maybe if I keep working alongside them, they can teach me the things that I forgot a long time ago."
Batman narrowed his eyes at his partner's unflattering impersonation before turning his angry glare towards Kara. The young woman hedged away from the intense scrutiny.
"I'm sorry." Kara said meekly. "I sort of overheard what you said to J'onn and then Lloyd heard me thinking about it and then he must have told Stephanie."
Batman's disposition soured in the face of this intricate display of eavesdropping. "Well, then it's not even a matter of wanting to keep secrets anymore. Now I can't even do it if I wanted to." The statement was grim in sound, but jovial in nature. "So, I suppose this means that you still want to work with me."
"Don't remember turnin' in my resignation notice, boss." Lloyd said simply.
"I'd restate that nice little speech I made after I kicked the Black Mask's ass but I'm too tired to remember it right now." Stephanie said.
"All desires to maintain personal safety aside, I believe that this would be a very beneficial operation to be a part of," Noah added. "Besides, it's been made quite clear to me that I owe a debt to the world around me."
Seeing that Kara had yet to supply an answer to Batman's question, Stephanie floated over to stand by Kara's side and placed an arm around her friend's small shoulders. "Come on, Kare Bear! Join our merry band of miscreants!"
Kara momentarily postponed her reply to give Stephanie what she hoped was a withering stare. "Just so long as you stop calling me Kare Bear." Stephanie's response to Kara's demand was a joyful hug that soon gave way to laughter.
"Well, looks like we got five hats in the ring." Lloyd said. "What say you, Grayson?"
Nightwing suddenly discovered that all eyes were upon him. Under most circumstances he would have enjoyed the attention but now he found it quite disconcerting. Maybe that was because he had a feeling that he was about to let his captive audience down and that was a circumstance that no true performer could ever truly feel comfortable with. "I don't know guys." The audible complaints from Kara, Lloyd, and Stephanie were already coming his way. "Come on! I've still got the Outsiders thing going on and I'm still doing some side work with the Titans."
"Come on, Dickie! Last time I heard neither one of those teams wanted anything to do with you!" Stephanie yelled in what was not at all a persuasive manner. "They knew you were an asshole just like the rest of us! Come on, man! We assholes need to stick together!"
Nightwing really had to work to keep a straight face. "That's amazing, sprout. You somehow managed to not only put a hideously nasty image in my head but you also succeeded in creating the least motivational message in all of recorded history."
"You can't blame me for your mental imagery!" Stephanie shot back. "It's not my fault you've got a warped, sad, sick little mind!"
Dick decided to jump from the conversational train of insults before it could even leave the station. "Besides, I'm just a regular guy. There isn't anything I can do that somebody else here can't already do better. You don't need me."
"No, Nightwing. We don't need you here," Batman said rather bluntly. "That being said, do you want to join us?"
Now, it wasn't the offer itself that had surprised Dick to the point of momentary loss of speech nor was it the rather gruff manner that Bruce had presented it. After all, this wasn't the first time that his father had asked him to come back to Gotham. This time though, there was something different. Dick could feel the intent and the sincerity of his father's words in his bones and within a part of his heart he had mostly kept shut ever since he had moved away from Wayne Manor. Despite all the new recruits and the scars of the past, his father still wanted to be with him even when he didn't need him to be. That realization broke through the pessimism that had cropped up around him since the day he refused to wear the Robin costume anymore. There was no doubt that there were still questions that had to be answered and difficult conversations that had to be undertaken but this time it was Bruce that had been the one to bring the idea to the table rather than him. For Richard Grayson, that simple offer meant a great deal more to him than anything else has for a good, long time.
However, being a self-determined and slightly egotistical 26-year-old man, he wasn't about to admit it.
"Well, just bear in mind I've still got Bludhaven to watch over," Nightwing pointed out. "And I want my old room back."
Bruce gave his son a legitimate, unencumbered smile. "I think that can be arranged."
Richard smiled in return. The father and son stood in the ice, neither one of them entirely certain what they were supposed to do next until Dick was enveloped by a green, red, and yellow blur.
"Woo-hoo!" Stephanie crowed as she lifted Dick into the air. "Nightthing is coming back to Gotham!"
Nightwing seemed momentarily torn between trying to push himself free from the jubilant teenager or bursting into hysterical laughter due to the sheer lunacy of it all. In the end, he wisely chose to take the middle line and smiled as he ruffled Stephanie's hair roughly until she put him down. "Well, I guess all that's left to decide now is where we're going to be staying and what we're going to call ourselves." Dick said as Stephanie wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
Dick's statement caused Batman to give off an annoyed grumble. After all, it was a known fact that the Dark Knight was never fond of such trivialities as catchy names and titles.
"I'm all for Lloyd and the Lloydettes," Lloyd started off the round of discussion. His comment was immediately answered when Kara threw a snowball at him for making such a ridiculous notion.
"We'll be operating out of Gotham City, I presume," Noah said. "Perhaps we should call ourselves the Gotham Knights?"
"Naw, too showy." Lloyd answered while using his fingers to sweep away the snow and ice from his eyes and eyebrows.
"The Avengers!"
"I believe that's already taken, Miss Brown." Noah said impassively.
Batman grumbled once again as the conversation fractured into a half-hearted but spirited argument that produced suggestions for team names that ranged from somewhat offensive to profoundly asinine. He had become fully intent upon blocking it out altogether until he heard a voice that had not yet engaged in the debate.
"Well, um, I've got an idea. How about the Misfits?"
Now the spotlight was shined upon Kara, much to her chagrin.
"The Misfits, Kara?" asked Batman.
And the fact that Batman was paying attention to her did not help matters at all for the reserved young woman. Still, she had an idea and she thought it was a good one so she struggled to go on with it. "Well, I just remembered one day back at the Kent farm when I was really bored and Ma Kent let me watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And I just started thinking about that Island of Misfit Toys and all those poor, broken toys that went off to live on their own because nobody wanted them. I don't know. . . I mean, I don't want to offend anybody but I just sort of thought I identified with that."
Her suggestion was initially met with absolute silence, quite astonishing considering her chatty company. The longer the silence carried on the more Kara felt ashamed for speaking up in the first place.
"I think we can all identify with that," Lloyd replied, quite confident that he spoke for everyone.
Batman moved towards Kara and gave her a pat on the shoulder that would have seemed like quite the paternal gesture if anyone else were doing it. "Unless there are any disagreements?" Batman waited for anyone else to voice any dissenting opinion on the matter. There were none. "Very well. Misfits, let's head home."
Cue for the dramatic beat.
"All right, then!" Stephanie exclaimed. "Just where is home now that we blew Wayne Manor up?"
Lloyd groaned along with many of the other Misfits.
"Must you always ruin the moment, Tweety?"