Chapter 1: Teens and Tantrums
AN: Here it is! The third thing of this Robin thing I've written. I recommend reading them in the order they've been written. But you are free to read whatever you want first. This one shows views from Robin, Batman and the rest of the Batfamily as Season one happens and maybe a little further on.
Gotham
Year 2010
July 4th/5th
Jason is 10
Cass is 9
Tim is 7
Robin is 13
Batgirl is 14
Batman is 30
Debris still smoked around them and the dust made it hard to breath. Not to mention the bruised ribs he probably had. But Robin wouldn't sit down and cry. Not when he and his friends had just defied the League's and Batman's orders and freed a very potentially dangerous Superman clone.
Since Batman had told him last month on patrol what would happen today Robin had been more excited and hyperactive than usual. The first step to being a leaguer, he had been told. Something to prove to the public that they were the next generation of heroes, who the league trusted to fight alongside them. And though Robin hadn't been as betrayed as Kaldur and Wally by the revelation of the watchtower (which Robin himself had helped create.) But like his friends Roy's words had struck him. When Batman had left them without letting them help the league, Robin couldn't help but fell betrayed.
Now as his friends stood up around him Robin remembered the small moment this afternoon Batman had let Bruce's pride shine through and smiled down at him. But the broken promise of respect was still there. Robin could beat more than half the league but because he was a kid he wasn't allowed to help him. Not anymore. He looked at Batman and unleashed one of his most powerful weapons. The pleading and disappointed face. "Batman, we're ready to use what you taught us or why teach us at all?"
He smirked when he saw Batman's angry scowl because a contemplative frown. Then Superboy's words made it worse, or possibly better. The unknown teenager scared the league especially with the prospect he could make the teens leave with him like Roy just had. "Why let them tell us what to do? It's simple. Get on board or get out of the way."
There was a heavy moment of silence. Robin looked at Batman pleading again. The white masked lenses widened. Batman huffed. "Give me three days."
Grins grew on the face of all the boys. Except Superboy only allowed a smirk. Wally turned noticing. "Hey, Supey! Ever had a sleep over?"
The leaguers had mostly left and soon Flash, Wally and Superboy followed Kaldur and Aquaman to the zeta tubes. Batman looked at Robin, still standing in the midst of the crater at Cadmus. "We're going home. Then Alfred is going to check you over and you're going to bed. No talking to any of your siblings if they're awake. And no phone priveleges to talk to Barbara."
Robin pouted. "Fine, how far are the zetas? I think I bruised my ribs."
Batman sighed and called over John Stewart who was cleaning up the rest of the debris with a few other Leaguers who were still there. When they were home Alfred didn't ask any questions and Bruce's warning glance sent Tim and Jason's peering glances back behind their doors. Dick was bandaged and put to bed by Alfred as Bruce stayed in the cave.
"May I ask what happened?" Alfred laid some food in front of Bruce who now was sitting going through the files from Cadmus in just his sweatpants.
"Speedy quit and let the other two teens know about the watchtower in the process. Then we were summoned for a mission leaving the kids behind. They decided to prove themselves by investigating a lab called Cadmus and there they found a clone of Superman."
"A clone?" Alfred repeated sitting down.
"A teenage one. At least biologically. These are the files Dick managed to get but in their escape they destroyed the facility the lead scientist turned into something monster-like and the boys almost died."
Alfred's eyes widened. "Master Dick was fine except for some bruises and injured ribs. He'll be fine soon enough. The others I'm sure were even better off. What did the rest of the League think of all this?"
"Upset. Several lives were endangered. Property was destroyed and all because they went against our orders. And of course we were worried for the kids. Almost the whole League came when they heard Robin was missing along with Aqualad and Kid Flash. I had to keep Barry from calling Iris several times. Clark though…. He left the kid with us. He's staying with Kid Flash for now."
Alfred was shocked. He raised an eyebrow. "He didn't say anything to the boy? Didn't Master Clark want children? He's made that known a few times especially since the boys and Cassandra started to live here."
Bruce sighed. Clark wanted kids, but with Lois who Bruce knew he was thinking of marrying soon. But that would also be nearly impossible with his kryptonian biology. Conner being his only chance might have scared Clark as much as any other reason that Bruce was listing to Alfred. "We're not sure if Superboy is a danger yet. He was made to be a weapon. There might be protocols in his brain even he's not aware of. Clark's scared that somebody got to his DNA that easily."
"So what will happen to him?" Alfred asked. "I could…"
"I think I have enough kids Alfred," Bruce said sternly. They were starting to run out of permanent rooms in the manner already. "Superboy will stay where he is for now. The boys told us they'll keep going on missions. They think they're ready. They can't join the League but I told them I'd have an answer for them in three days. Maybe then we'll have figured out Superboy's situation."
"And I expect until then Master Dick is under punishment?"
"No patrol, no going out. I'll give him back his phone in a day or two. Mostly he'll be receiving the silent treatment. I think that'll be the worst thing for him."
"Yet you won't be able to keep the other children from demanding the whole story of last night. He'll be the center of attention then."
"Only then," Bruce pointed out. "No patrol for Robin or going out. And I'm sure you grounded him from the trapeze for the next few days as well."
Alfred nodded and Bruce got up wishing him goodnight before checking on Tim, Jason, and Cass to make sure they were asleep and climbed into bed himself with his thoughts on his oldest son and the fear that he might run like Roy prompting the others to all follow.
"You found a what?" Jason demanded as the kids sat together around a plate of Alfred's cookies the next afternoon a little after Dick had woken up. Bruce had refused to answer any of their questions and Tim had been unable to access any files. No one was answering Jason when he reached out and Barbara was on a trip with her father at the moment unable to even help them hack in. This was their first chance to hear about any of it.
"A clone of Superman," Tim repeated in awe. "That's… What kind of science does that take? Human cloning hasn't been proven possible yet."
"Now it has," Dick told them leaving no room for argument. "So we broke him out, or he helped us break out before they tried to clone us. Then we got out of Cadmus."
"Good thing there were no clones," Jason groaned. "Could you imagine more Dickheads in the batcave?"
"I wouldn't like too," Alfred said pulling more cookies out of the oven. "I have enough trouble cleaning up after one and all his siblings."
Dick ignored that as Cass pointed to his ribs questioningly. Dick usually understood her best though the others were getting there fast, especially now that she knew some sign language. He winced. "Yeah, so we got out. Thanks to Supey or to my mad hacking skills."
Tim laughed and Barbara who was on a video call from Jason's tablet snorted. Dick sent her a playful glance as he ruffled Tim's hair tickling him a bit. She ignored it as Dick continued.
"Then Dr. Desmond, the scientist in charge drank a formula which turned him into a giant beast. We're calling him Blockbuster that's the name of the formula according to the files," he rambled. "Together we collapsed the building on him with Superboy's strength, Aqualad's water bearers, my explosives and Wally's most annoying distractions."
"Dead?" Cass signed with eyes wide. She hated death after seeing and being forced to kill until six months ago. All of her life.
"No," Dick soothed. "The League came then and took him away."
"And that's when Golden Boy got grounded," Jason declared standing up with a grin. "Great story."
Dick pulled him back down. "Not what happened. The League told us we wouldn't be doing anything like that again so we told them to get on board or get out of our way."
Jason fell back cackling with laughter. Barbara was looking at him amused and exasperated all at once. Cassandra looked somewhere in between following Babs and Tim's bright eyes which were looking at Dick in awe. He bit his lip. "What does that mean"
"The League lets us do actual missions." Dick's eyes were shining with defiant hope. "Dad can be as mad as he wants as long as he keeps to the deal and thinks about it fairly. Maybe with some missions Uncle Clark will actually look and talk to Superboy!"
"Uncle Clark's not talking to Superboy? He's his kid!" Jason's face grew dark as he fumed. He looked at Dick snarling. 'You have to talk to your kid."
Dick nodded looking at Bruce's office hoping for a talk or something from Bruce as Tim piped up. "So we won't talk to Uncle Clark! Right Cass?"
Cass nodded smirking. She like all the kids loved Clark and the other leaguers having adopted them as her family as well. But Tim was right. She signed to Dick. "Uncle Clark. Mean."
Jason's grin grew wide and evil. "I'll tell Alfred and Dad. Uncle Clark is black listed. No one is going to talk to him for anything but League business."
"He won't be allowed here either," Dick nodded sternly turning quickly to Bruce's study and sighing. His eyes furrowed as he frowned. "He won't be happy. No one likes being ignored."
"Golden boy's not Dad's favorite anymore, is he? Guess he got punished for once instead of me. And grounded too. How does that feel Dickie?"
Alfred looked down at him with a frown. "Apologize Master Jason or you shall be punished too. Master Bruce has no favorites among you children and no one shall even think of saying so. Miss Cassandra, it's time for lessons. Master Tim why don't you help her set up and choose a book?"
Both of them nodded getting up. From the tablet Bab's voice wished her good luck reminding her to go slow before telling them she had to go because her dad was coming back. She told Dick she'd hear what happened when she got back. Jason grabbed his tablet closing it as Tim dragged Cass out by the hand to the library. Dick knew she would be putting on headphones and listening to a book while reading it. The exercise was one they were using to teach her language suggested by Barbara's research. It seemed to be helping along with the flash cards.
Alfred watched them go nodding pleased before turning to the older two boys. "Master Jason, you will come with me to the kitchen. We'll discuss the last book you read while you help me."
Jason perked up following Alfred out of the dining room. His and Alfred's book club was something special for only him. Nothing Dick had ever done before him or Tim had succeeded at first. Dicked watched him leaved and sighed as he was left alone.