YAY! Second to last chapter! Be ready for exposition!
29 - Be a Candle, Or the Night
Lex Luthor looked around the vandalized apartment, gritting his teeth at the mess and what it implied. Superboy was gone. The clone... the son he worked so hard to get back from League hands, ended up walking right out the door with those super powered teenaged friends of his. And all because of the little bird boy's pep talk. Lionel was practically his, and one child's shouting match was all it took to reverse everything he'd done?
"Insufferable brat. I should have killed him too." Wincing, he replaced the cooling pack to his face. Both Batman and Superman paid him a visit while the kids worked their wonders on Metallo and the boy of steel. Batman mostly watched as Superman threw him around the room, though he did get a few punches in and gave him a mighty fine lecture. He was also certain the man downloaded all his files while he waited for his comrade to finish. Stupid flying rodent.
"Lex," Mercy came up to him with a sheet of paper, still sporting a few bruises from an earlier tussle. "This was left for you."
"Thank you Mercy." Waving her off, the CEO found a chair and started to read the note. It was addressed to him, and signed by his son. At least he had the manners to leave something behind.
Lex Luthor,
I really don't know what to say to you right now to tell the truth. My head's a bit of a jumble. All I know is that I can't stay here anymore. I guess I want to say I'm sorry.
I'm sorry I can't be the son you want. I can't live in isolation. I need to be with my friends and the family that I've made. I need to make my own way. It's just who I am.
I'm sorry about your condition. I really am. I hope you can find the right woman and find what you're looking for soon. I think Mercy likes you so why not her?
I guess I want to also say thank you, for taking care of me and telling me what was going to happen one day. Not everything here was bad, so I'm really sorry for leaving like this. It was what made leaving so hard. But I need to make my life worth living. Rob said the League has more information on how my body should work so if anyone can find a way to help me out, they can. So I've got to go.
Sorry we couldn't finish the puzzle together. The picture just reminded me of home too much. So I have to go now. Take care of yourself.
Lionel Alexander Luthor AKA Superboy AKA Kon-El
Lex read and reread the note several times before folding it up and putting it in his pocket. Giving a small, sad sigh, he looked over to the puzzle and saw where one piece fit perfectly. Reaching over, he took that piece and snapped it in half.
His son was gone, lost to some so-called heroes and a farm. They were going to get him killed. Fine. Let the kid learn the truth for himself. Superboy may be the enemy of the Light, but Lex Luthor would send no more harm that boy's way. If he stumbled and fell, that was not his problem, but he would not purposely hurt the boy.
Despite everything, he was still the lad's father, and he would do everything he could to make him see that clearly one say. One day Superboy would stand at his side, and the world would be theirs. But just right then, they were estranged, just like before.
Carefully he put the broken pieces into their spot, stood up, and walked away. Tomorrow was another day.
Conner sat in silence, ignoring the noises outside his room best he could. Though he chose his friends, the team, and the League over Lex Luthor's millions and attention, he was not quite ready to rejoin them quite yet. He still had to get his brain around everything that happened. About half his rescue party wanted to throw a victory/welcome back celebration as soon as they got back to Mount Justice, but the other half respected his privacy and kept them at bay. He suspected for those like the dynamic duo it was because of experience, but both Kaldur and M'gann could read him much better than the others. They knew he needed time to sort things out before he could be as happy as they were.
About half an hour after his return, he heard a light knock on his door. Sighing, the clone got up and unlocked it, letting the men in. Batman said earlier he would be debriefed around then after all, and Superman demanded to be there as well. His other genetic donor and decided brother was becoming rather protective because of all of this. Looking up at them, he could only hope they'd be patient and understanding. "Hey."
"Ready to talk?" Batman posing it as a question made it a bit humorous, but at that point, Conner couldn't bring himself to smile. Part of him just felt... dead. Like he left part of himself in that apartment.
He shrugged. "I can try."
"Let's go to the conference room," Superman insisted, taking one peak into Conner's small room. He chose it for himself last year, but no one really understood why. It was his small, personal place to think. Now it didn't feel quite right. He learned to sleep on a bed at long last. That'd make living with the Kents a little easier in the future.
The teen nodded, leaving his sanctuary. Batman took the lead while Superman stayed at his side, both happy and worried. Connor tried to smile for him, but the muscles on his face just wouldn't work. Why did he feel like he was on a tightrope and ready to cry at a moment's notice?
It didn't take long for them to get into the room they first told him about the deal last month, and even less time to secure the room. Batman led him to a chair, and for once sat down himself, staying on the same level as him. Superman stayed standing at his side, ready to support him. The youngest there took a deep breath as he sat in that chair, trying to relax his posture. The Bat watched him in silence for a good long minute before the lad decided to break it. "So... where do you want me to start?"
"Aqualad and Robin already gave their reports," the mortal told him right off. "Including those medical reports brought with you. Luthor said you're dying."
Blinking then swallowing, he nodded. "Yeah. He did."
"That your aging internally and externally are out of alignment, therefore shortening your life expectancy."
He nodded again, looking down as the news hit him again, just as hard as before. "He did."
Silence again filled the room. Conner could feel Kal-El's eyes on him, searching him with worry, but didn't do anything about it. He was used to being inspected like this now. But there was a spark of hope in him now. "Robin said though that Lex Luthor lies. He probably made it up."
"It's possible," Batman stated, "but the best manipulations hold an element of truth. Luthor is very good at taking a little truth and warping it to suit his needs." This grabbed the boy's complete attention, holding it firmly as the man continued to explain. "We have copies of Cadmus' cloning records and reports now, along with what Luthor's doctors gave you. In order to be certain if he is telling the truth or not, you're going to have to undergo more tests. For security sake, they will be on the Watchtower."
A pit reappeared in the clone's stomach. He honestly didn't like tests. "I see..."
"We'll have to stretch it out so you can continue your life as you wish," the man elaborated, lighting him up a bit, "and so the tests are conclusive, but we will get to the bottom of this Corner. That you have my word."
"If anything really is wrong," Superman promised, smiling at him, "we will be able to help. Between Martian medicine and the records I have, we can definitely find a way to fix this. Luthor may be smart, but he doesn't have the resources we do. And never will. You're in good hands here."
Hearing this from these two made the teen relax a little, drawing out a very small smile. He still didn't feel like this was over, and he doubted he ever would. Just what was wrong with him?! Batman must have seen his continued uneasiness and started talking again. "Robin also informed me of your initial refusal to leave and compassion for Metallo."
The uneasiness in Conner's stomach doubled at the implications, jolting him back around to look at the man. This could not be good. "I... I just..."
The knight held up a hand to silence him. "You don't have to explain. You were trapped there for a month with the impression of your death looming if you dared to leave. From the descriptions of the place, you had everything a normal teenager would want or need. When a person is confronted with their mortality as you were, they will latch on to almost anything that will give them hope. Luthor provided both the fear and the salvation you would need, effectively making an emotional and mental bond that was hard to break away from. And will continue to be difficult to deal with. What you are going through right now is quite normal."
"Really?" His heart started to settle at his words. What he was feeling, how he responded, was normal? Well, maybe not completely normal, but for his situation, who knew?
"Quite. Prolonged captives have the most difficulty returning to normal lives, especially if they stopped seeing themselves as prisoners." Reaching over to an end table nearby, he took a spiral bound notebook and pen and passed them over to him. "Canary will be working closely with you soon and set up counseling sessions to help you move through your feelings at your own pace, but I would also like you to write down everything about your time there in here. Everything that happened, everything that was said, and anything you felt.
"When a full and detailed account is completed, I want this returned to me. At which point," he looked him in the eye as he gave his order, "you can return to active duty with the team."
"What?!" "Batman! You can't be serious!" Both Kryptonians jerked forward at his ultimatum, not liking the idea of him being benched.
"Until we know he is able to think clearly and have worked through this, it is not wise for Connor to go into the field. It's bad for the team and it's bad for him." Batman looked at Superman square in the eye as he made his position clear. "I still don't let Robin take on Two-Face if I can help it, and that was two years ago. He was completely benched for three months after that fiasco, and since then he hasn't been able to make any clear judgments around the man. Two-Face held him captive twice since, and those triggered relapses."
"Robin's still a kid!"
"Connor's only a year old."
That stopped everyone, realizing the truth. Despite his apparent maturity, the clone was even more a child than any of his teammates. Batman was trying to help him. He didn't want any permanent scarring from this event, and he didn't want anyone to get hurt in the process. He looked at the teen once again, making sure he got the message. "You're not banned from the mountain or your friends, just from missions. And until next year at the earliest, you need to stay away from anything related to Lex Luthor, got it?"
When his answer was silence, he tried another tactic. "This isn't a punishment Conner. It's medical leave. After today I'm going into lockdown again for overtaxing my body. Robin and a few other associates enforce this whether I like it or not. This journal will count as your report and there isn't a deadline for it unlike the others'. It'll organize your thoughts, which I believe you need right now. When you're ready, we want you to come back.
"Are we in agreement?"
Batman was done explaining himself, and both of them knew it. It was time to either go with it or go against him. Honestly, Conner didn't know which way to go for a minute, but with the clarification, he felt like he had more direction then than during his entire imprisonment. He took the notebook, nodding. "So... I can go anywhere I want?"
"I recommend not going to Metropolis, Gotham, or Bludhaven for a while," Batman stated evenly, "but yes."
"Recommend?" Superman raised an eyebrow at his comrade. "You're not ordering him to stay out of your city?"
"He did rather well as an impromptu partner," the man rebutted. Finally he stood up, straightening his cape. "Keep it up and you might get a free pass Superboy."
"That's encouraging." A smile started to grow on his face. He really was trusted by the one who trusted nobody. Funny.
The detective grunted before shifting. "I never got to thank you for saving Robin's life earlier."
"You don't have to." Conner pushed himself out of his seat, knowing the 'debriefing' was over. The guilt at an earlier thought dissipated as he said the clear truth. "I'd do anything to keep my friends safe."
The adults nodded, both smiling graciously in their own ways. A thought struck the lad before they could leave the room. "Hey, Robin said something before that got me curious."
"Which was?"
"That he didn't have any blood relatives." He looked over Batman again, trying to find any traits the two of them shared. They had plenty of similar quirks but...
"He doesn't." The Bat opened the door and started heading out, needing to be chased by the aliens. "The last one died in the hospital almost five years ago."
"So that means Robin's adopted." This went against everything he was thinking all this time. Nearly everyone believed Robin was his literal son because of how close they were. To think their strong link came from anything but blood. His old logic was making him feel like a complete idiot.
"Some of the best families are." The Bat inclined his head to the two of them before smirking. "There's an elderly couple waiting for their boys to return home in Kansas. Don't keep them waiting."
The almost mocking look on his face as he left the farm boys brought out small laughs and smiles from them. Yeah, Ma and Pa were waiting for their sons, whom they wouldn't trade for anything. And you know what? They wouldn't want it any other way.
A/N: Seriously I spent 30 minutes making some ending notes that were awesome and the site decided to log me out and delete it all. Not happy. B[ I'll try to remember what I wrote.
I think the question of whether Lex loves Conner as his son is now answered: he does. Someone informed me that on askgreg he said he did, and I remember reading that in the comics that he always thought of Superboy as his son. Lex has never gone out of his way to hurt the clone and has often worked from the background to save him. Still, it's a bit disheartening for the guy; his son never loves him back (unless he turns evil which isn't in this timeline).
As for Conner, he's confused but at least with the League he can get a second and third opinion about things, and honestly he can go back to Lex willingly with the team/League helpless to do anything. Lex didn't give him that option. Is his condition real? That's for tomorrow's epilogue. After that, this story is done. If i have inspired ideas through this, or you want to read an alternate version of this, please write it yourself. This guy is done and I've got a lot of other stories I really need to work on. I can edit them if you want, but I'm not writing another from this concept anytime soon (or likely ever).
Anywho, check out the last chapter tomorrow! ^^V
