Disclaimer: I do not own Bruce Wayne or any other DC characters.
WARNING: This chapter contains character death.
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Five Children Bruce Wayne Never Had
Kon
The facility was a well-kept secret. In the middle of rural Kansas, its drab industrial exterior gave no clue to the illegal cutting-edge research happening inside. Only a few scientists and one or two top executives actually knew that the facility was designed to study and reverse-engineer alien technology. Not even those few knew that it was one of Lex Luthor's "off-the-books" projects.
When an experiment went wrong and the building exploded, over 40,000 lives were extinguished by resultant shockwave. Entire families, gathered for the Christmas holidays, were destroyed. In the time it takes to flip a light switch, every living being within a twenty mile radius was killed instantly.
Almost every living being.
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The video was on all the news channels. The haunting image of a distraught Superman, all pretense of a secret identity cast aside, facing down a nervous Lex Luthor. The criminal genius was quite aware that with the death of his parents and beloved wife Lois, Superman was at a breaking point. Luthor, never one to let pass an opportunity to taunt his nemesis, openly mocked the man and his deceased loved ones. Brandishing a kryptonite crystal, he freely admitted his guilt and challenged "the boy scout" to do something about it.
But once Luthor found out about the hidden camera, linked to the Justice League's satellites and beaming his confession into every home in America, rage clouded his judgment.
In the end Superman, the nigh-invincible Man of Steel, got Lex Luthor's damning public confession of mass murder and a kryptonite bullet to the head.
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The world was in mourning for its fallen hero and the occupants of Wayne Manor were no exception. Sitting before a massive bank of computers deep inside the cave, Batman, cowl long-abandoned, clutched a red cape. It was one of Clark's spares, given to Bruce for safekeeping in the event that the Man of Steel should ever need to be in two places at once.
The world had lost a hero, but Bruce Wayne had lost a friend and a brother. He bowed his head, his grip on the cape tightening. He would make a display case for Clark, an honorary member of the Batclan, here in the cave—but it didn't seem like enough. Surely there was something that he could do that was worthy of such a great man's memory.
He heard footsteps and looked up to find Dick seating himself on the cold cave floor at his feet, leaning against his father's leg in search of warmth and comfort. The young man's eyes were red and he made no effort to hide that he'd been crying. He had adored Clark too, looked at him like a beloved uncle. Bruce gently rubbed his son's shoulder, feeling a bit of tension ease. His oldest Robin wanted to talk, so Bruce listened.
Suddenly, he knew how to honor Clark's memory.
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The boy trudged down the hallway of stately Wayne Manor, eyes never leaving the ornately-patterned red carpet. Bruce wanted to reach out, offer some sort of condolence, but he knew that what the boy really needed right now was time to grieve. They climbed the stairs and stopped at the fourth room on the right. Bruce opened the door and gestured for the boy to enter.
"This is your room. Tim is next door, Dick is across the hall, and Jason's room is next to Dick's. Alfred is two doors down and I'm in the room at the top of the stairs should you need anything."
Kon-El—all that remained of the once mighty House of El and the warm, loving Kent family—stared unseeingly at the room around him before dropping his backpack on the floor and collapsing heavily on the end of the bed. With his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, the boy's grief was evident in every inch of his body. It saddened Bruce to see the young man who could move mountains with his bare hands struggling with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
On impulse, he reached out to rest a hand on Kon's shoulder. "I know that it's hard now, but it does get easier."
It felt like a lie. After all, Bruce had dedicated his whole life to his parents' memory. But right now the young man needed comfort more than he needed honesty.
Bruce turned to leave, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob. "I know you don't feel like celebrating, but we usually spend Christmas Eve in the study if you'd like to join us." With that, he stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him.
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Bruce was surprised when later that night Kon appeared, standing awkwardly in the doorway of the study. He looked awful—swollen eyes, mussed hair, and wrinkled clothes—but no one cared about that. Tim beckoned Kon over to share the couch with him. Bruce sent a silent thank you to all three of his boys as he watched Dick smoothly bring Kon into the conversation, as Jason tried throwing out sarcastic comments in an effort to make Kon smile, and as Tim sat close by, merely offering comfort with his presence. His Robins truly were amazing. Soon they had the young Kryptonian talking. He was far from his normal vibrant and jovial self, but it was a start.
Bruce allowed himself to relax as he watched his sons, all four of them, attempt to con Alfred into letting them open Christmas presents early. Alfred—his loyal butler, friend, and father-figure. It was at that moment that Bruce realized he had been so focused on the family he'd lost, he'd hardly noticed that he'd gained a new one. Perhaps he hadn't been lying to Kon after all—maybe it did get easier with time.
A warmth that had nothing to do with the blazing fireplace spread throughout his soul, causing him to smile softly up at the picture of his mother and father. In that moment, sitting there surrounded by his family, Bruce knew that his parents were proud of him.
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Author's Note: For those unfamiliar with the character, Kon-El (Superboy) is a half-Kryptonian clone created using the combined DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor.
