Young Justice; Wayne Manor is Crowded: Five Times Family Was More Than Waynes
Characters: Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), Donna Troy, Bruce Wayne (Batman), Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), Richard "Dick" Grayson (Robin), Cassandra Cain (Orphan), Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, Dinah Lance (Black Canary), Clark Kent (Superman), J'onn J'onzz (Martian Manhunter), Shayera Thal (Hawkwoman), Oliver Queen (Green Arrow)
Ships: technically Oliver Queen/Dinah Lance (not heavily featured, just there)
Description:
A series of connected shots of Wayne Manor, if Bruce had all his kids before Young Justice started, and is far too overprotective for his own good. IE Bats has a problem with leaving kids in bad positions behind. Also Bruce doesn't understand teenagers.
Chapter Description:
The Batfamily doesn't end at the bats and it knows no bounds in regards to blood, and sometimes even creed. This is five times that people with no blood or in-law relation to the Batfam involve themselves. Mainly just me having fun putting other characters next to The Batfam. Is a Five Times short series.
Disclaimer:
I do not own Young Justice, Justice, League, or anything to do with DC. I am but a humble fan trying something I haven't done before please spare me their wrath and lawsuits, I wouldn't have much to give them anyway.
Martian Manhunter, Batman, and Cass
Watchtower, Earth's Orbit
September 7th, 2007; 21:00 EST
Batman adjourned the meeting but his eyes fell on Martian Manhunter. The alien felt the message in the air, directed at him but not broadcast, despite there being no other telepaths present, 'Can you stay, I have a favour to ask'. Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow when Batman didn't head for the door, her gaze flicked to J'onn, but she stepped out of the room. Batman walked over and took the seat beside J'onn. There was tension in his form, his jaw clenched and unclenched, and J'onn could almost see how Batman's eyes roved over the room and pointedly didn't look in his direction.
"You are from Mars. On Mars you have such a large family that you cannot know all of them. Here on Earth it is not the same. We have much smaller families than Martians, but we cherish what we have." J'onn nodded, and blocked the thought that suggested telling Batman that he rambled. "I am correct in assuming Martians primarily communicate through telepathy, yes?"
"Yes. We Martians communicate through telepathy without words, usually in images, smell, taste, and sounds. Adjusting to your use of words was… difficult but I was able to discern a way to understand why and adjusted accordingly." J'onn raised an eyebrow at Batman, it was motion he'd seen most other Humans perform and possibly conveyed confusion or question.
"Would you be able to assist someone else in such a transition, someone Human?" There was a weight to Batman's voice, a tick of emotion J'onn recognised. This was not a scientific request, this was not another probe of his abilities, not a hint at distrust towards him that he had felt from The Dark Knight before. This was real, and it was important.
"I can attempt to try, it was difficult for me, but I believe I could aid in assisting another into it. I cannot make any guarantees however. The mental capacity and psyche is different between Martians and Humans, as well as different from individual to individual. It will be a task I cannot confirm its possibility until I have met the individual. I assume that you want me to…" J'onn let his words trail, he'd learned that if Batman wanted to give details he would.
Batman glanced around the room before a screen appeared on his gauntlet and he shut off the cameras and J'onn heard the doors lock. His hand reached up and slid off his cowl. It revealed dark black hair, it appeared more usually done up but was tousled and matted from being trapped within the cowl. He had deep brown eyes that were locked with J'onn's. J'onn noted how he had a strong jaw, but his expression was not what he had come to find consistent with Batman. His expression was soft, his eyes not hard but like pools of something Humans called chocolate, there were dark bags beneath his eyes that J'onn knew was a suggestion of lack of sleep.
"A girl I found, I've… I've taken her in, adopted her. I don't know if… her upbringing was abusive, dangerous. She didn't learn how to speak, how to read, how to write… she doesn't understand what the rest of us are saying. One of my sons, his friend, is trying to help her, but the communication barrier is hard. I… I hoped that you might be able to bridge the gap possibly. I came to you because I am well aware you can keep a secret, and also due to your lack of exposure to Earth culture means you are less likely to know my Civilian ID which provides a greater level of protection for myself and my children. If you are willing to help I would take it." The man before J'onn was not The Batman, his shoulders were slumped and the emotions that filled his eyes were real. J'onn saw the man beneath the suit, under the kevlar, and he was nothing more than a father concerned about his daughter. J'onn nodded.
"I will do what I can, Batman." Batman slipped the cowl back over his head. His expression went flat, and once more he was The Bat.
"Come with me to the Zeta Tubes, I'll take you to The Batcave and from there we can see her, I assume you understand that once we leave The Watchtower whatever you see and do is not to be told to another living soul?" Batman did not need his famous glare. J'onn was more than aware of the intent hidden within The Dark Knight's statement.
"Not another living soul."
The Batcave beneath Wayne Manor, Gotham
September 7th, 2007; 21:07 EST
The Zeta tube finished its whirl and J'onn stood in the middle of a darkened cave, he caught the sound of rushing water. The air was damp and cooled his skin. J'onn turned his gaze onto Batman who had removed his cowl and headed down towards what might be a changing room.
"Please shift your clothes into something more civilian, your appearance as well. I am going to change into something civilian as well before we head up into the house. Robin, Batgirl, and Orphan are handling patrol tonight so it'll just be you, myself, Cass, and my other children." Batman reappeared in a white t-shirt, grey sweatpants, and an unzipped sweatshirt. J'onn imagined something similar, but in different colours, and his clothes responded. His skin shifted towards a pale Human's than darker and his red eyes became brown as he took on his alter ego John Jones. Batman led them both to a pair of stairs and an elevator.
Everything J'onn passed suggested state-of-the-art, and looked like it belonged in The Watchtower or their old cave. The elevator passed quickly through what had to be layers of bedrock and foundation. The doors parted to reveal a stately office with a large oak desk covered with a laptop, second screen, a keyboard, and more papers than J'onn had seen in Batman's possession, which was saying something given Batman often arrived with stacks of papers for meetings and cases. In a chair on the other side of the desk was a girl. She was of Asian descent, his mind supplied that Humans had more than two races, with raven black hair and thin dark brown eyes that almost matched Batman's. J'onn didn't need more information, he could feel the shift in the girl, she seemed to see him, her eyes pierced through his skin and read his very soul. Batman crossed around the desk, scooted the chair right next to the girl's, and sat in the empty chair next to her. His arm slipped around her shoulders and bowed his head in close to her. She let him. Perhaps the greatest discovery to J'onn was that the girl was no more than nine Earth years old, young even by Human standards.
"We can begin, how would you like me to proceed?" J'onn glanced from Batman to the girl, Cass hi mind reminded him.
"However you think best, though I request whatever you do, I go with you." He squeezed Cass close to him. "I don't want her to feel alone, not again." J'onn nodded and held out a hand, palm up towards each of them. Batman took it, then Cass, hers haltingly and ready to break at any second, unlike the white knuckled grip she held onto Batman with.
Wayne Manor, Gotham
September 7th, 2007; 2:08 EST
Dick groaned and flopped into the chair in front of The Batcomputer. His fingers danced over the keys, God patrol sucked without C or B. He yawned and pulled up the file on Cluemaster, he updated the known whereabouts section, but his known location was still blank. He and Babs had scoured the city for any sign of the C list villain, they wanted him behind bars and fast, if only because it was their job, more so because it would make Steph safer. Catwoman had appeared less than a half an hour into their patrol and insisted to run with them. He was beginning to believe that Catwoman actually liked him and the girls. He typed up a quick report on the muggers they'd taken out and the suspicious movements of Sportsmaster in Gotham before another yawn interrupted him. He signed off the Batcomputer and locked it before he headed for the changing rooms. In almost no time flat he was in his pajamas, Superman just to annoy B, every single one of the kids had a pair. He took the stairs and elevator up.
The doors parted to reveal B's study, but it wasn't empty. Sat in B's chair was a dark skinned man in casual sweats that were blue and red, his eyes were shining with an emerald light, reflected in the other two occupants. B and C, each with their eyes in the same state suddenly shifted. The light faded and C jumped from her chair, over the desk, her arms smashed around Dick and took him to the ground. He could feel a dampness that pressed into his shoulder and Cass' hands were balled into the back of his sweatshirt, she held him as tightly as he had once held Zitka. A creak of a chair bounced to him.
"I believe I should take my leave, as we discussed Batman if need be I'm happy to help when necessary. What I've done will serve as building blocks, you'll need to work at it and find a way to communicate that I can help her to understand if you want." The darker skinned man stated before he step poured close to the elevator, and ignored Dick and Cass.
"Thank you." Bruce sounded close to tears, his brown eyes latched onto Dick and Cass.
"C you alright?" Dick only received Cass' head nodding into his shoulder and she clutched him tighter. The man, most likely Martian Manhunter Dick surmised, didn't glance down.
"She wants to say thank you. I've helped to translate some of the memories she and Batman share about the time you've all spent together. This is how she wants to say thank you." Martian Manhunter disappeared into The Batcave elevator and Dick watched him with a slack jaw. He snapped his mouth shut as water pricked at the sides of his eyes. He hugged her back.
The process was repeated with every single member of the house, even Alfred. What surprised Bruce was when Cass practically tackled Barbara and Jim Gordon the first time they came over afterwards. Cass really wanted to say thank you to them all, and now she could understand them a lot better.
A/N:
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, reviews are welcome! Also this is not a solution to Cass having to learn to speak, etc. This is just a slight speed up of her being able to embrace her family more easily.
