Mr Kent seemed more than happy to leave when they got back to Lex's study. Making an excuse up he left within five minutes. Despite his father's insistence that he was needed on the farm Clark stayed a while longer to talk to Lex. Bruce left them to it, preferring instead to check Damian over for bruises.

"Stay still. Daddy only has so many hands," Damian squirmed as he applied a plaster to his stomach. A knife must have caught him when they were fighting.

"Are we leaving?" Bruce replied negatively. He would trust Lex for the time being. Not to mention the mansion was a good stronghold to defend from. "But what about mother?"

"She wont plan another attack for a couple of days," he reassured. But really, he knew this to be false.

Clark left shortly before dinner, meaning that Bruce was left to bare the brunt of Lex's curious gaze on his own. He let Lex wonder until after dinner where he convinced Damian to go to bed early. Which proved to be harder than he thought.

"You promised no secrets," he pouted defiantly not moving.

"I'm not keeping secrets," Bruce shot back "Everything I'm speaking to Lex you already know."

"Then why do I have to go upstairs?"

"Because you've had a tiring day, it's late and I thought you'd prefer to keep watch for more intruders in the room than sit and listen to me talk," He could see that last argument had won Damian over. He was just sitting there for pride now. Bruce knew just how to deal with this situation. "Tell you what, if you can say good night in English then you can stay down."

"Fine," Damian agreed. It took him five minutes to admit defeat. After exhausting every language he knew Damian stalked past him to bed.

"So you were curious about…" he let Lex take the interrogation from there.

He told him about travelling vaguely around the world. How he couldn't find meaning in his life until he met Talia. He left out his training and how it was the league that originally drew him in. Talia was mentioned in a relatively good light, mostly because he had loved her at the time. He told how she fell pregnant quickly and that they tried to make it work, for three years of Damian's life they had tried to co-exist. The reason he told Lex he finally left was because she had found him with a member of her guard, argued and left with Damian. Rather than the fact that they both had went off with other people and the little fight between them had left a sword wound that stretched across his upper back.

"She must have money," Lex summarized "Which slightly complicates things as you must know." Bruce nodded. "Still, you know my stance on your situation."

"And I thank you for it," Bruce made to rise "I'll bid you goodnight now. Damian's probably wrecked the room. He left to Lex chuckling.

Damian was standing sentry at the window as he came in. Sword in hand Bruce felt a burst of pride well up inside of him. He took the sword and turned the boy in the direction of the bed.

"Did your talk go well?" Bruce told him yes as he changed "Did he mention more about that teen from the farm?"

Curious he answered "No. I can ask tomorrow if you like? Why the sudden interest.?"

Damian burrowed himself in the covers, playfully keeping them away from Bruce "No reason. It's just that I saw him under our window before."

Bruce stilled then took flight to the window. He ordered Damian to go to sleep as he scoured the bushes underneath their window. Why was Clark lurking around? Perhaps he was visiting Lex and took the back entrance. Still Bruce searched just in case, there was something unusual about Clark that made him particularly uneasy. For the rest of the night he sat at their window, looking into the green below. As light cascaded in at dawn and barely noticed when Damian stirred. A nudge and call for breakfast broke his haze upon the garden.

Not being a stranger to sleep deprivation meant that one day was nothing to him. He came to the conclusion through breakfast that perhaps it was best to stick with Lex today. Sharing his thoughts with Damian the boy agreed, simply because he had been banned from his chicken chasing past time. They hung outside Lex's bedroom, playing eye spy, until he woke up. Stumbling on Bruce's outstretched legs he just rolled his eyes ad ignored them as they followed him to another breakfast. When it came time for him to go to his fencing lesson Lex began to suspect that their presence wasn't just temporary.

"How long are you planning on following me?"

Pursing his lips in thought Bruce answered "All day. We thought it might be a good bonding experience." Bruce just smirked at the horror struck look on Lex's face.

Damian tutted at Lex's foils and made his way to the punching bags at the back. The fencing instructor came in five minutes into Lex's warm up. To stop Damian putting Lex off after a while he worked out Bruce took him to the edge of the room and led him in meditation.

An hour later and they followed Lex as he tried to sneak out the room. Thinking he could get rid of them by announcing he was going into town resulted in him driving them in his car to the Talon. Warning them to be on their best behaviour he led them into the renovated cinema.

"What's this one?" Damian pointed to the next one on the list. Bruce explained what was in a cappuccino and then did the same to the next one on the list. Lex was ignoring them in favour of trying to talk to Lana. She was too busy watching Damian with hearts in her eyes to really notice his attempts.

"Has he decided yet?" Lana asked in a way that told him she didn't expect Damian to have.

Shaking his head he explained all the hot chocolate on offer. "But if it isn't melted chocolate then why is it called 'hot chocolate'?"

"Because in Europe it is melted chocolate. Americans have just used the name for their version of it. Do you want to try one or shall we just have a milkshake and one of those muffins." Damian said yes to the milkshake and Bruce placed his order with Lex who had promised to buy them one if they were good.

Taking Damian to one of the tables with their drinks Bruce tried to teach him a little English to pass the time. He started with teaching him the phrase 'is this pretty lady your girlfriend?' and sent him up to the counter to try to out on Lex and Lana while he got their muffins. Judging from the scowl Lex sent his way Damian said it correctly.

Praising him when he came back he moved on from teasing Lex to simpler things. Their lesson was abruptly cut short when Lex offered them more muffins if they left now, he didn't see why until a blonde walked in and Bruce figured it was one of Lex's ex's. Damian was covered in chocolate as they got out and from a warning look Lex gave him Bruce carried Damian in, telling him not to touch anything.

He continued their teaching over diner. Employing a technique that had worked in the past by ignoring Damian until he spoke it in English. He was rather successful since Damian was extremely observant. As soon as the name for something was said he stored it in his head and tried it out.

Come nine O clock the English lessons were abandoned as sleepy Arabic came out of Damian's mouth. He ended up falling asleep during Aladdin.

"Lana wants to know if you need a babysitter," Lex remarked.

Smirking Bruce noted the jealous look on his face "You can tell her I don't. Dami's not the friendly type."

Lex arched an eyebrow "He's been nice to me."

"That's because I told him to be. Believe me if I hadn't you would be tied up and confessing your sins right now," Bruce promised.

"Lovely," Bruce left Lex watching the rest of the movie.

It was two in the morning when he was awoken by a sound outside. Immediately up, he climbed down to the garden and stuck to the shadows. A blur assaulted his vision to the left. Eyes wide he followed the direction it had travelled. Peering from the edge of the wall he saw Clark.

The teen was standing tall with a gun crushed beyond repair in one hand. The other held the owner, unconscious and laying in Clark's arm like a doll. The teen hadn't even broken a sweat from the weight of the man. In fright Bruce went back to the room and took Damian down to the training room.

The boy slept as Bruce armed himself and tried to process what he had just seen. No one without some kind of training could have taken out a marksman of Talia's approval. The strength he possessed wasn't normal for someone with his background. Was Lex right? Or were the people of this town hiding something? Clark could be an agent of Talia's, he knew she and Ra's had people stationed over the world just waiting for orders. They could live in one place for years before their services were required. Was Clark one? But then why had he took out that marksman? Perhaps he was a bounty hunter. Bruce had encountered many of them also. Clark could have taken that man out because he wanted the bounty on his and Damian's head. Waiting for the right opportunity to bring them in. After all, the longer they stayed there the more assassins and high profile killers would show up. All of whom had a bounty of their own, more money for him.

Lex found them at his morning workout. Bruce drilling Damian with everything they had learnt.

"Wow," Lex complimented as he pinned Damian. "Don't suppose you could teach me some of those moves."

Shaking his head Bruce told Damian to change so they could get breakfast. He put their equipment away, cooling down and calming his mind. The mystery of Clark was plaguing him. Unluckily for Clark Bruce liked mysteries.

"I'm going to take Damian to the Kent's today," he told Lex "I've taught Damian how to say sorry. Thought maybe it would help relations between us."

Lex scoffed "Unlikely but good luck. I think my father's coming over anyway, so maybe it's a good thing you'll be out," Lex mused.

"I'll be gone for hours," Bruce promised not wanting to be in the presence of Lionel.

The Kent farm turned out to be a yellow house next to a big red barn. A chicken crossed their path and Bruce hastily picked Damian up in case another chasing incident occurred.

Knocking, a middle aged woman answered "Can I help you?" she asked with a smile, her eyes melting when they saw Damian.

"Is your husband in?" Mrs Kent shouted for him and led the pair of them inside. Mr Kent came over with his scowl falling in place as soon as he saw them.

"What do you two want?"

"Jonathan!" Mrs Kent reprimanded.

He grunted but was nicer the next time he addressed them "What can I do for you?"

"Damian has something to say to you," he put the boy down and told him to repeat what he had taught him.

"I'm sorry for chasing your chickens," he sounded perfectly. Turning to Bruce to make sure he had said it right he gave him a clap on the back to show he had.

"Are you now?" Mr Kent started just as Mrs Kent turned on her husband.

"Don't tell me you've been telling this boy off just because he was the chasing chickens. Clark used to do that and worse when he was that age," Mr Kent looked down guiltily.

"Martha he was trespassing and spooking the animals," Mr Kent defended.

She wasn't taking it "Trespassing? The poor boy probably didn't know. Did you sweetheart?" she addressed to Damian. He looked to Bruce for guidance.

"Damian doesn't speak English," Bruce excused.

Martha turned on her husband again, fire in her eyes. "Well-I mean- Martha!"

"Jonathan!"

Mr Kent looked at a loss eventually he turned to Bruce "I'm sorry for having a go at your son. I overreacted and it was wrong of me," he droned.

"It's fine," Bruce tried but Mrs Kent was having none of it.

"I'm so sorry about my husband. How about you both stay for dinner, oh could you…" Bruce asked Damian if he wanted to stay just for show. The boy was happy to, he had learnt of Bruce's investigation plan earlier and was on board with infiltration. "Wonderful, now Clark, my son, will be back shortly. How about you show them the horses?" she demanded of her husband.

He sighed but complied and led them out to the stables where two horses were stationed. Damian asked for a horse as soon as he saw them. Mr Kent let Damian pet them, his look of contempt not completely leaving.

Clark was back within an hour and Mrs Kent called them in for dinner. Clark was surprised to see them but welcomed them warmer than Mr Kent had. The talk started off with Clark relaying his day from college. Bruce found out that he was taking his studies in Smallville rather than further afield like his girlfriend.

"So what do you do Bruce? Lex tells me you were at school together," Clark prompted.

"Yes, briefly I went to his school. Unfortunately he was transferred to a different school when his mother died. It was a shame but we still remained friends, especially since we went to the same college," He guessed Lex had already told Clark this from the unsurprised look on his face. "As for what I do… I'm in a bit of a custodial situation at the moment. It's left us moving around too much for me to make a current occupation."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with those two guys you offed?" Mr Kent guessed. Mrs Kent quickly shushed him.

"Sort of," Bruce answered anyway "I'm sorry you had to see that. Those men were…"

"It's none of our business," Mrs Kent waved off. "So, how old is, Damian wasn't it?"

Bruce relayed the question and Damian held up seven fingers. Mrs Kent awed and Bruce told her he could understand English, it was the speaking it that had him stumped. The rest of the dinner had her trying to teach him little phrases.

"So where exactly are you two from?" Mr Kent asked.

"Not here," Bruce answered vaguely, smiling to show he meant no offence.

Mr Kent hummed but moved the conversation onto other things, he mostly talked to his son about his day leaving Mrs Kent to ask after Bruce and Damian. After dinner Bruce was treated to one of the best home made pies he had ever had and was asked if he would like to stay a while longer.

"I'd hate to impose- no Damian!" He chided pulling his son away from the cellar door. "Sorry, he's at that age."

"Oh it's fine. Clark was always getting into things when he was that age as well. I tell you I can't recall how many times I found that boy where he shouldn't be. Hands in the cookie jar, girls locker room you name it. He just had an uncanny ability to get into trouble," She offered more pie to Damian and let him scamper off to the living room with Clark and Mr Kent. "It's real nice of Lex to let you stay with him."

"Yes, I know. I can't tell you how lucky I am to have found him a couple of days ago," Bruce agreed.

"Jonathan will tell you to be careful with Lex but that boy's just as nice as any around here," She raised her voice so her husband could hear.

"I know. If you ask me it's his dad you want to watch. Lex has always lived in his shadow, if you ask me it's that which will turn him bad if he does go that way," Bruce recalled all the times Lex would complain to Bruce about his father. It wasn't easy living with Lionel's expectations.

"I take it you're not a Lionel fan either then?" She already knew the answer and was just waiting for Bruce to confirm it.

Scoffing he complied "It's part of the reason I actually came here tonight. I was hoping to get your husband and Clark to keep quiet about our presence in Smallville. Lana's alright since Lex hasn't told her much but with what happened… If Lionel hears something like that he'll start to suspect something," he beseeched Mrs Kent to keep quiet.

"And you don't want him knowing about you. Don't worry," She patted his arm "I'll talk to the boys. Make sure they keep quiet."

"Thank you," They joined the rest of the Kents in the living room. Damian was squished in the armchair but raised and sat on his knee as soon as Bruce sat down. "Lex tells me that you're Lana's boyfriend," He prompted.

Clark turned red but nodded dutifully. His parents made proud expressions his way "Yeah, we've been going out for a while now."

"She goes to Metropolis right?" Clark nodded again "The commute must be difficult," Damian had taken to stealing some of the pie he had brought in.

"She makes it work," Clark promised "The Talon's too important for her to give up on."

"So's her work out from the looks of it," Bruce frowned at the confused look on Clark's face. Surely he knew that Lana was going to Lex for self defence lessons "She's coming around the manor tomorrow I think. It's probably just because Lex has a better gym than her college," He reassured.

Clark nodded again but didn't look convinced. The talk turned onto other subjects, every now and then Mr Kent would throw questions his way that Bruce could see were intrusive. Jonathan didn't trust them, which was wise of him.

"How many languages does he know?" Clark asked. Bruce had just told Damian off for trying to sneak another piece.

"Lots," Bruce sighed "We travelled around and had to learn them. The only reason I know English is because I grew up in America. Damian was small when we left his first home so his mother and I hadn't had time to teach him properly."

"He just picks them up then?" Clark looked intrigued at the prospect.

"It takes a while. Usually I learn all I can from books or listening to people then I try and teach him as well as I can," Damian chimed in with his agreement in Mandarin.

"Doesn't he get confused?" Bruce shook his head. "So how would you go about learning it to begin with. Could you just read something, like pronunciation and say it?"

"I guess," He wondered where Clark was going with this.

The boy rose up from his seat and disappeared upstairs. Reappearing with a book in hand and a pen he scribbled something and presented it to Bruce "How would you go about saying that?"

The words were written in English but the spelling was slightly hard to read. Bruce related it to all the languages he knew and tried different ones out before he gave his verdict. Damian repeated after him pulling the book over and flipping through it.

"What does it mean?" He tried to prise it from Damian's little hands "It's not yours," Damian scowled and held on.

"It doesn't matter," Clark muttered trying what Bruce had said out. "I don't suppose you could teach me more?"

"Sure," Clark gently reached for the book from Damian. Bruce remembered those same hands holding up the marksman last night and took the book out of Damian's hands before Clark got too near. Passing it over he watched as Clark scribbled more words out.

Ten minutes of this later Clark proposed that "You should teach me."

"I don't even know what language we're speaking," Bruce remarked.

"You don't need to," Clark waved off "I just need to know the pronunciations and you are a very good teacher," He complimented. "Please?"

"I don't know," Bruce mused. On the one hand it would provide the perfect opportunity for Bruce to investigate him. On the other, Clark was someone that had proved he was dangerous. How could he blindly agree to something that he didn't know the risks of. Who knew what other talents he hid and who else was in on the conspiracy.

"Please, you could come over on an evening. I'm sure Pa would be more than happy to keep Damian occupied," He shared a look with his dad who was looking sullen at the idea. "And I could help you teach Damian English if you don't like that idea. We could split it half English and half Kryp-" He cut himself off. "Just think about it."

Saying he would Bruce left shortly afterwards. Despite his insistence that Damian had received enough sweets Mrs Kent gave them two pieces of pie to go back with. Pleading all the way home he had to keep it out of Damian's reach as he contemplated Clark's offer.

He knew his answer was going to be yes as he reached their room. Clark was too intriguing to pass up. Not to mention that this language could be a piece of the puzzle. He had cut himself off from speaking its name, that meant it had some sentimental or secretive value. The more he learnt the more he could uncover Clark's secrets. Discover if he was a threat to them.

"Have a nice time?" Lex drawled.

"Very," He held up the two bits of pie "Mrs Kent sends her love. You can have mine if you like," Lex shook his head.

"Father's still here. I'd watch where you step," Lex warned.

"Where is he now?" They were at Lex's study, where Lionel apparently kept his visits in. If he wasn't there then the manor became a minefield.

"I think he's investigating your room. I moved anything incriminating to the vault in my study," He pointed behind him "Still…"

"Someone's let slip then," He concluded from Lex's speech.

"Most likely Clark," Lex noted "He won't have meant to but he's friends with a pesky blonde that wants to be a reporter. Her and my father share an unusual arrangement," Judging from the scowl on Lex's face that couldn't be good.

"So be careful who you speak to," Bruce gathered. The blonde who hung around with Clark was going on his watch list. "Anyone else I should add?"

"Lana, the girl's rooming with Chloe. One word of a handsome stranger and pieces may start falling into place," Footsteps and the sound of Lionel came down the hall.

Lex made a shooing motion and retreated into his study. Bruce grabbed Damian and hid in one of the opposing rooms. They waited for the sound of the study door closing before venturing out and back to their room. Lex had been right when he said Lionel had been looking for them.

The bed was upturned and the other one, that had still been there, was gone. Lex had done a good job of hiding them but it still hadn't stopped Lionel from checking everywhere. The cupboards were flung open and window thrown wide. No doubt the security footage had been checked on his round as well. Lex had reassured him the first night he stayed that he was looping all camera's with Bruce or Damian in them. Making a prayer that Lionel didn't check Lex's vault he locked their door and set Damian down for bed.

His mistake, when he returned from his shower, had been leaving the seven year old alone in the room. The two slices of pie Mrs Kent had given him were gone and Damian was looking rather sick on their bed.

"How many times do I have to tell you little bat, you'll make yourself sick if you eat too much," He chided softly as Damian moaned in distress.

"I just wanted one more slice," He pouted holding his stomach gently.

Pulling his briefs on he cuddled Damian into a more comfortable position and rubbed his stomach for him. Remembering when his parents used to do the same when he was unwell. "At least you'll know next time," Bruce sighed.

Damian lay moaning for a while, it was mostly dramatics at this stage. When he was really unwell he'd grow quiet and curl up somewhere Bruce couldn't find until he stepped in the sick. It had been dark for a while when Damian told him "The book Clark wrote in, there wasn't any English in it. Instead there was a bunch of symbols, I couldn't figure it out."

"Maybe it was too advanced," He made a note to start Damian's other lessons up again soon.

The boy shook his head "It wasn't maths or any kind of symbol I'd ever seen before. The structure looked like a language as well. Written in a sentence structure rather than a formula. Do you think that's what he wants you to teach him?"

"It's as good a guess as any," He would have to try and sneak a look when Clark was otherwise occupied.

As the light grew too bright in their room Bruce reached over to turn it off. The shadows closed in comfortably around them as moonlight illuminated a someone outside of their window. A grotesque face looked in at them, trying to open the window from the outside. He looked like he was almost in when Bruce was casting Damian off him. Only as soon as he had done that the man was gone. It was like something had pulled him off their ledge. Dragging the window open he followed the descent of the man. Damian was crouching at the ledge as he climbed so Bruce told him to keep watch for anyone else.

Bruce searched the bushes and even the place he had seen Clark the night before. The man was gone. Bruce ran a hand through his hair thinking that perhaps he had been hallucinating when he spotted the track marks on the ledge. Someone had climbed up, that much he could tell.

The marks were fresh and dragged from where the man had been clutching. The indents showed that he had indeed been pulled off. By great force as well. Bruce had a sickening feeling that Clark was perhaps behind this again and quickly rejoined Damian in the room.

"Did you find him?"

"No," Bruce hoped Lionel had left the manor, they needed their weapons back "I think I'm going to go teach Clark tomorrow. Do you want to come with me?" He asked stalking down the corridors.

"Will Mrs Kent have pie again?" Laughing Bruce replied with a maybe. Already thinking up ways in which he could check the Kent farm while he was there.