There was a saying. A diamond in the rough. That could definitely apply to him. When they first found him, he was raw power with the potential to be great.
Dinah had helped cut away the jagged areas, made him a better fighter. He controlled every aspect of a fight now, in terms of strength and skill. Student had yet to surpass teacher, but she'd slow down eventually. Maybe when she was in her fifties…
Batman had trained discipline and reasoning into him. That saying about learning being painful? Completely true. Mentally and physically. One day, when he no longer cared about being smacked with a Kryptonite-laced gauntlet, he was going to get Batman a plaque that said just that:
'Learning Is Painful'
He'd have little, green-tipped batarangs added to the border. Just for that extra, personal touch.
They both taught him respect, for others and for himself. They'd helped him become confident. Not cocky or conceited, but aware of exactly what he could do and able to do it.
Over the years, those two had clashed some about…differing teaching practices. Robin used to joke about 'Mom and Dad tearing the family apart'. How only 'Uncle Red Tornado' was giving them the 'emotional support' they needed. Eventually, the 'parents' had worked through everything, but not before making for some good laughs for the team.
The team…they'd smoothed him out to something else entirely. They helped make him human. Without them, he didn't think he'd ever see himself as more than a weapon. Scratch that: as not a weapon. Never more than Superman's clone. His replacement. His unwanted, genetic bastard.
His acceptance didn't matter to him. He had confidence in who he was, that his existence mattered, even without him. Especially without him.
These people accepted him. These people knew him. These people were family.
Dinah had said she almost pitied Superman. He had no idea what he'd missed out on.