Alright...finals are over! Time to really start kicking butt in Christmas...God I dislike church choir. Any way...here we go. I had to rewrite this at one point because it was getting a little nutty and I didn't want Batman turning into more of an ass.

A pissed off Bat and a pissed off Bird, Conner thought a bit ruefully during training. It had been almost two weeks since Artemis had first shared her whole 'Dick Grayson almost got kidnapped' story to Conner – and Conner only for some strange reason – and it had taken two days for Robin to show up again; with Batman in overprotective tow.

"It didn't take long for that gear to kick into action I see," Flash was muttering darkly across the room to Green Arrow who had been present for the first day of Batman's overprotective glares.

Conner heard him clearly though and he had entreated M'Gann to relay everything he heard to the others as secretly as possible. It surprised him that he hadn't thought of having her do that before but then again, it would have been distracting for the others to not be able to concentrate on what he heard rather than what was around them.

"No, it didn't," Green Arrow murmured. "You should have seen the news bulletins."

"Could someone explain what exactly I should be worried over?" Canary hissed softly. She too had been present for most of the rather explosive sparing sessions between the two Gotham fighters. She'd had to dodge straying Bat-a-Rangs and Bird-a-Rangs.

"You haven't been watching the news?" Flash asked softly a bit horrified.

"I haven't had time," Canary growled back. Jon placed hands on their shoulders his face calm.

"The plain truth is that someone was almost kidnapped before the Gotham Academy," Jon whispered. "It is probably best to not speak of it to either one of them."

"Mind telling me whom?" Canary muttered.

"Bats have ears," Jon muttered softly. Canary rolled her eyes. He seemed to cave. "Bruce Wayne's ward."

"Grayson?" she gasped. "Really?"

"Yes," Jon whispered back. "Really, don't bring it up."

'Too late,' Artemis intoned softly in their minds.

'No kidding,' Wally murmured. 'Was that what had you so freaked out?'

'Bats has ears,' Artemis returned slyly, her eyes glinting.

Wally barely hid the smile on his face as Kaldur tried to not groan. Kaldur was busy trying to stay out of the kid's problems mainly because his own opinion of it was that when Batman was ticked off, it was time to lie low. Even though Robin was his friend, Batman scared him a bit more than his king did. Besides, the adults were staying to the sidelines of the Dynamic Duo's arguments and glares.

"RECOGNIZED, SUPERMAN, 01," the computer sang loudly as the teleporter whirred loudly as he stepped into the main hall of the cave. Kaldur could sense Conner shrinking down into the wall as far as his large body could go as Superman's blue eyes scanned the room.

They landed on Conner for an indescribable moment and Kaldur shivered as the elder Super ripped his eyes away to gaze at Batman and Robin more caringly than usual. Robin was busy glaring at Batman and Batman was doing much of the same. It was one of those things that Robin was far more powerful than usual since he seemed to be in the right on something.

"Batman," Superman rumbled. "May I speak to you?"

Batman whirled to face Superman, Robin pursing his lips in a dangerous line before he spun to look at the opposite wall, arms crossed over his small chest. He looked childish which was almost laughable considering it was Robin. Batman gazed at Superman for a moment before nodding and stepping down to meet him.

Superman's eyes flitted up to look at Robin a bit worriedly. It wasn't everyday he saw Robin this mad with Batman. He'd seen them frustrated with each other sure but never quite this pissed off with each other. Oh there had been moments when they were close to strangling each other yes but this was close to trying to get their hands on the guns they abhorred.

"Yes, what is it this time?" Batman asked. He didn't miss the look Superman was sending towards Robin. It was softer than the ones he knew had been gracing his face lately. However, he sort of resented the fact that Clark wouldn't give Conner those types of expressions. Bruce hadn't wanted to be a father either.

"Privately?" Clark asked gently. Batman glared at him before he felt a soft breeze make his cape flutter followed by a soft yelp from Robin.

"Conner! Put me down will you?" Robin was yelling from across the room, legs and arms flailing about as he tried to escape the bigger boy's cradling grip. The Sphere was whirring as it rolled out of the room, the giant wolf following after it with its teeth clamped gently on Wally's glove and pulling him along gently.

"All in favor of letting the adults talk where I can't overhear?" Conner muttered as he exited the room, ignoring Robin's movements.

His blue eyes however, shot at Clark with a dark flash that made the man shiver. Something told him he'd had similar looks in his eyes when – if – he was doing something against the law or when he was fighting his own friends because he was possessed into doing so.

"Aye, aye," Artemis chimed happily as she pulled M'Gann after her, thin fingers brushing Kaldur's lower arm as if she was about to catch him as she did M'Gann but thought better of it a little too late. It was strange to see how easily she was fitting into the group now. Batman wasn't even sure he could get over the feeling that he probably should not have talked Green Arrow into dragging her in.

Even without Roy around, this team seemed whole. Robin could be safe in this team if it were a bit more together on things than it was. It wasn't Bruce's fault he didn't like the whole idea of Dick being hurt or disappearing. He didn't want to bury anymore people in his life. Never again.

"Batman," Clark's deep voice chimed, dragging him back to reality. "I heard the news," he added. Teeth gritted soundlessly.

"And you wish to say what about it?" he ground out.

"That you might want to at least let him out of the house," Clark said. Was it possible he was being fatherly? Wrong fucking kid Clark, Bruce thought dangerously. He didn't care that Jon was probably listening to his thoughts – when wasn't he? – he really couldn't give a damn.

"Nice to see you as well," Clark muttered softly as Barry winced and Canary shifted her feet uncomfortably. Jon was a rock as usual. Nothing seemed to faze him. Thank god his niece seemed more susceptible to human feelings than him. Then again, maybe those really were as dangerous as people thought them to be if she was anything to go by.

A shudder wracked his body but only if you were looking for it would you find it.

Superman could hear his bones rattling but he couldn't tell weather it was because Batman was thinking about what could have happened to Robin that day at school or something far more terrifying. Of course, the next question was, is there anything more terrifying to him than losing someone he cared about?

He didn't dare mention it as he decided to listen to Robin growl at Conner with less heart than he'd probably been giving Bruce.

"There's no way in hell I'm letting him out of my sight," Batman growled. "If you think for one second that I'm going to let him out of my sight after that, you're as stupid as you are strong."

His voice was deadly calm. Only Clark could hear it wavering gently. It didn't warble, it wavered gently. There was no such thing as a warbling voice when it came to Bruce. Soft, difficult to hear even with super hearing wavering. There were hard to notice shudders and shivers but rarely any all out trembling. He'd heard Bruce shut down before yes but Batman always took his place, never a rationally scared/scarred/sort of unstable man.

Never the little kid who lost his family again. Never the vulnerable boy again. Never vulnerable again. He wasn't going to allow himself to be that again and yet he seemed to have the least satisfied death wish in the world.

"You're usually so eloquent," Clark mumbled softly, more to himself than anyone else but he didn't really bother to keep his voice soft for it. Canary, Barry, Ollie, and Jon all heard him as much as Bruce did.

"Don't tempt me."

"Why would I do that? I've felt your punches Batman. I would like to avoid that again." In some ways it was a joke; he didn't want to break Bruce's hand again without doing anything…again. As little as they liked each other – really, they tolerated each other – Bruce was his friend and he worried about his sanity, his livelihood, and those Bruce cared about.

If Bruce lost those he cared about, his livelihood would become more dangerous to him and others. If that happened, and sooner or later it would, Bruce would stop one day and remember and whatever sanity he had left – and the quantity was always questionable – would disappear completely which meant his morals would probably disappear as well.

If that happened, nothing would matter to him ever again.

Clark never wanted to see it happen.

"The team will keep him safe," Clark murmured noting to himself that he was putting a bit of stock in his clone as he said it. He wasn't sure why he was doing it but he too noticed how close the kids all were. Even Roy was close to at least some of them and that managed to act as a unifier of sorts for them all.

"I'll be the judge of that," Batman stated.

Superman didn't bother calling him Bruce in his head then. When Batman took over, this man's voice got deeper and more graveled. It was always low. It was always calm. It was always dangerous. It was like the sea in some ways and Clark found himself remembering King Orin's words about how the sea hid things from others well and without trying. It was mysterious and still fairly well known – at least the part you could see through. Once you got past the ten percent of light line. Then, you were in pure darkness.

Bruce was the ten percent of the iceberg-like ocean. Batman was the rest of him save for the one bit that wouldn't – couldn't – be explored.

"I'm putting stock in Conner for once and you're shooting it down without a second thought," Clark sighed. "Really Batman, I can't make heads or tails of what you want me to be doing."

Batman snarled like an animal at him, taking a threatening step forward. Clark stood still. He was invulnerable after all. Batman was the one who'd come out injured, not him. Jon however, stepped between them both.

"Stop," he stated monotonously. There was no mistaking it; Jon was the father of the grownups. His voice was calm and firm and unquestionable. Even Batman put a bit of give into that voice. Bruce could be calm, Batman could be a deadly calm, but Jon was a conscious that both personalities needed.

"Jon has a point," Ollie murmured softly. "Even if we are quiet, Conner can still hear us and we all know the kids are like extended family to him. If he doesn't talk to us, he'll probably talk to at least one kid."

"Lovely," Batman muttered a bit more darkly than usual for the darker personality.

Ollie had a point; Conner had bonded with the other teens – another reason he feared Artemis' past, whatever it was. However, there was the next question of what Conner would do if one of those friends was actually killed. They'd seen the damage he'd nearly done to Ivy when she'd tried to kill Robin – not that he'd really paid all that much attention to it when he was worrying over Robin's injuries from attacking Conner.

"How about this," Clark suggested, "I'll put a bit of stock in Conner and the rest of this team when it comes to Robin's safety but I have to point out that it I'm doing that, you do too."

He poked Batman's chest with a finger and gave him a pointed look. There was to be no misunderstandings; Bruce would have to come out of the ninety percentile of his personality and get the hell over his worries.

Clark realized it was his son he was worried over but even then, Robin could take care of himself pretty well for a kid his age.

"Really Clark, you're going to give your own son some stock?" Batman asked a tad petulantly which earned him a glare from Superman.

"How many times-?" Clark began when the other adults started to point to their ears and flick the soft cartilage with worried looks. Well, Batman was smirking at him but despite what Batman routinely told him, he wasn't a complete idiot.

"Something tells me we don't want to know what he was about to say," Clark heard Robin hiss from down the hall. His voice was low like Batman's but it had a strangely softer edge to it. Clark suddenly found himself hoping that soft edge wouldn't leave the boy as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"Yeah," Wally murmured with a hint of bitterness as the sound of clenching fists reached Clark's ears as well. He knew that sound well enough to know that only Conner was able to make that sound with his large hands. It was similar to the way his own hands sounded when he clenched them into tight balls when he was frustrated.

"Of course, it should sort of be expected," Conner muttered softly, his fists tightening more. "He made it apparent he hated me on day one."

"That does not mean he is in the right," Kaldur chided gently. "Personally, it is a little distressing how correct Robin is in his comparison of Batman and Superman's parenting skills."

Clark winced and Batman smirked wider. It was oddly painful to realize how the kids all seemed to side with Conner despite barely knowing him – not that there was much to even know. Hell, Conner wasn't even sure what powers he would develop; the super speed had been a moment of sheer dumb luck as far as Clark was concerned. A 'heat of the moment' kind of thing; his adrenaline had surged and he'd run to someone's rescue wishing to get there quickly. Like Superman.

"Can't help but see it can you?" Bruce had once asked when the team had finished one of its best missions to date. They'd won against the League of Evil or whatever and had stopped the renegade Red Tornado from destroying any and all humans he could find.

"See what?" he asked a bit wary of what was going to be said. He really hated that knowing tone batman always used.

"How well they work together," was the calm reply.

"'They?'" Clark asked confused. "Who are you talking about?"

"The kids," he said sounding surprised at Clark for not jumping to the correct conclusion. However, his attention remained on his work. "They work well together."

Clark couldn't even say no. Bruce was right that the kids all worked well together despite their differences in ability and thought processes. They made the League look almost incompetent.

"I guess," he's muttered softly as he stared at the artwork in Bruce's office.

Right, this was one of their clandestine meetings since he'd come to see Bruce and not really Batman. Bruce's hands flew over the keyboard as he ran an analysis on something in his various companies. His blue eyes were narrowed at the screen as if something wasn't adding up but he wasn't about to voice it. Clark felt for him; there were times an article wouldn't work with him no matter how hard he tried.

Clark's own blue eyes fell on an article from four years prior and he felt them mist up with remembrance. It was the iconic picture of Batman holding up young Dick Grayson by the collar of his acrobatic uniform, bats flying about in the darkness, the full moon almost obliterating the sky behind the leafless trees around them. On its left was the article of Bruce's parents' deaths. On its right was the article of Bruce adopting Dick, both of them smiling what looked to be genuine smiles.

He wanted to say something about it when Bruce cut him off.

"They make us look like amateurs," he said. "Conner especially. He's gotten that temper under nice control considering he's fairly edgy. He's protective, I'll give him that. Also, he's dealing with your treatment quite well considering how hard it is to be ignored by his father."

"Are you trying to hurt my feelings again Bruce?"

Bruce's eyes lifted from the computer and bore into Clark's. There was a gentle fire there but there was something dangerous in there as well. Clark wasn't really sure what it had been made from but he had a feeling it went back to his parents' deaths. It seemed as if he still harbored the grudge but then again he was the king at holding a grudge. That dangerous fire was what made him flinch.

"No. I've given up trying to talk sense into you. You won't listen anyway."

There wasn't much else Clark could think of when he now thought of the kids. He always returned to that conversation. Bruce had been right about the kids; Conner. He knew what he was doing when it came to wanting to protect his friends, he did it as fast as possible and as well as he could.

"You can stop smirking now," Clark sighed to Batman who smiled – not smirked, smiled – back at him.

"Good," Bruce's softer timbres rumbled at him. "Now, if you're going to put stock in him, I guess I will put stock in my kid as well; it's the least I can do apparently."

It was tempting to tell him to not be snide but Clark kept his mouth shut as he listened to Conner whisper the news into Robin's ear earning a hug and a soft whoop of joy.

"You really are the better father," Clark chuckled as he turned on his heal to stride to the teleporter. "I have to get back to Metropolis. Good luck with getting Robin back to Gotham in time for school tomorrow," he added with a chuckle. The machine whirred gladly before he stepped through it quietly.

"So…no more dodging your weapons?" Canary asked gently.

"Maybe," Batman muttered. "I'll be in Gotham if you need me. Don't call unless it's an emergency." He was striding toward the teleporter, clawed gloves shooting over the keys when Barry piped up.

"So…Robin can sleepover with the kids tonight?"

"Sure. It'll be his responsibility to get to school on time tomorrow."

He didn't need to super hearing to know Robin was scoffing at him.

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