Well, when you put it like that; how can I not accept the mission? But I wasn't really planning on continuing to add on to the first two chapters, I may continue it if I get some ideas for embarrassing/personal questions (and some canon/semi-canon answers would be helpful too), feel free to PM if you got any ideas.
This chapter came out a more little fluffier/hurt and comfort than I thought it was going to be (still some comedy) but oh, well- who doesn't love some good old fashion daddybats fluff? Please, don't answer that, just kidding. Kind of.
Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice or anything in the DC Comics universe.
As always: please read, review and enjoy.
Chapter 3: Dark Knight and the 7 Mood Swings (Part I)
Grumpy (Conner):
This weekend Bruce Wayne had a business trip planned and Robin decided to spend the weekend at the Cave with the Team. When the business trip was postponed (due to the bad weather at his destination canceling the flight), Batman decided to check up on his little bird.
Batman arrived at Mount Justice via Zeta-Beam. The Bat searched the Cave looking for Robin; but it appeared no one was home until he reached the workout room, where he found Conner.
"Superboy, have you seen Robin anywhere?" Batman inquired.
"Everyone's at the beach." Conner responded, as he was hitting the punching bag.
"Why aren't you with them?" The Caped Crusader questioned The Boy of Steel.
"I needed some time to myself." The clone replied.
"Something troubling you, son?" Batman inquired.
"'Son'?" The adolescent scoffed at the term. "That's a big part of the problem. Superman won't accept me as his son. Heck, he's practically refusing to acknowledge my existence at all."
"Superman just isn't used to the idea of being responsible for the overall well-being of another person. The other mentors and I are all working on it. He'll come around, eventually." The Dark Knight tried to assure the neglected teen.
"And when will that be: Before or after he learns about my other dad?" The Kryptonian asked throwing harder punches.
"Beg pardon?" The older male inquired.
"Oh, you didn't know? Apparently the reason why I don't have heat-vision and can't fly is because I'm part human. The man responsible for cloning me mixed in his own DNA because the original Superman clone was too feral." The spiteful teen said as he hit the punching bag even harder.
"Do you know who it was?" The Bat questioned.
"There's the kicker." The young clone said with an ironic smirk on his face. "Not only am I a part of Superman, but apparently I'm also a part of his arch-nemesis: Lex Luthor." Conner said the man's name as if it were a curse word, and busted the punching bag with a blow on the last word.
"You seem conflicted." Batman observed, trying to remain neutral as Superboy jumped on the treadmill.
"'Conflicted'? I have two dads that are polar opposites! My 'evil' dad is the only one who's willing to talk to me and my 'good' dad wants nothing to do with me now; imagine if he knew the truth." The hybrid clone said as he started running on the treadmill.
"As I said: Superman will come around eventually. And what he doesn't know won't hurt him." The caped vigilante assured the hybrid.
"Why doesn't he care about me now?" Conner muttered in a low whisper, as he was catching his breath.
"Are you… crying?" The vigilante asked the clone, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"No. I'm just sweating… near my eyes." Superboy said turning the treadmill on the highest setting and running even faster, as he used his other arm to wipe the 'sweat' from his eyes.
"I understand the need to let your anger out through vigorous exercise. But if you exert yourself too much, you're only going to wind up getting injured. I think it's time you faced your problems head on. Perhaps you should talk to Black Canary." Batman suggested.
"Why, so she can tell me I have daddy issues?" Conner mocked the suggestion.
"Don't you?" The Bat stated with a raised eyebrow, as if he were challenging the Superboy to deny it.
"Doesn't everyone?" The hybrid countered.
"I didn't." The Caped Crusader contradicted; remembering how close he was with both his parents before their death.
"Why am I not surprised? The ever-so-perfect Batman doesn't have daddy issues." Conner said as the treadmill finally gave out and he jumped off to the side to catch his breath.
"I'm not perfect. I've made mistakes and have my own demons to battle, just like anyone else." The Dark Knight informed the exhausted teen.
"Except none of those demons are your father." Superboy commented bitterly under his breath as he headed for the elliptical machine.
"Supe… Conner." Bruce corrected himself, as he placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, surprising the lad and stopping him in his tracks. "You need to talk to someone about your issues. I'm calling Black Canary for an emergency counseling session. But for now, hit the showers; before I have to replace anymore gym equipment."
Lonely (M'gann):
The mentors had agreed to take turns switching protégés for patrols to familiarize themselves with other members of the Team. The first night out Batman and Robin switched with Martian Manhunter and Miss Martian. M'gann and Batman were patrolling Gotham on an unusually uneventful night. The Batman decided to start a conversation with M'gann, since she was one of the Team members he didn't know as well as the others.
"So, how are things at the Cave?" The Bat asked.
"Fine." The Martian responded automatically.
"And school?" The human inquired.
"Fine." M'gann replied.
"I've heard you're on the cheer-leading squad, how's that going?" The vigilante asked.
"Fine." Megan said with a sigh.
"You don't sound fine." The detective observed from her tone of voice. "It must be difficult juggling: missions, school, extracurriculars, and a boyfriend." He added, knowing the difficulties Dick has had with trying to be a normal teenager and a crime fighter.
"How did you know Conner and I are dating?" Miss M questioned.
"I am Batman. I know everything that goes on in the League and the Team's lives." The infamous detective reminded her.
"Hello, Megan." She said to herself as she slapped herself on the forehead. "So, are you mad? Robin said that you wouldn't approve of anyone on the Team dating each other."
"Normally, I don't; especially since Superboy often lets his emotions get the better of him to begin with. But I'm aware that he also needs someone to balance him out and keep him in check." He explained.
"Sometimes, I think he's the only one who understands me. Don't get me wrong, I know everyone else on the Team also struggles with balancing a normal life and missions; but sometimes I feel so alone because I'm not like any of them... even Conner. I know they're my friends and everything; but sometimes I feel like I have to earn their friendship by always being cheerful and baking treats, which I always wind up burning anyway." The Martian explained.
"I'm not a very good cook, either." Batman offered as common ground, there was a reason Alfred banned him from using any of the kitchen appliances. "And they're already your friends. You don't need to earn their friendship with food. You should also keep in mind that Superboy is Kryptonian."
"I know Conner is technically an 'alien', too; but he has an easier time fitting in without having to hide his true self." The alien stated.
"Is this about you being a white Martian?" The caped vigilante pointed out.
Miss Martian gasped in surprise.
"How did you know I was a white Martian?" She asked.
"Manhunter told me." The Bat responded.
"Uncle J'onn knows, too?" M'gann questioned feeling mortified that she wasn't as good at camouflaging her true self as she thought she was.
"He's your uncle, why wouldn't he know?" Batman commented.
"It's just that, on Mars: white Martians are second class citizens. Green Martians are thought of as our superiors and they often ostracize us because of our genetic mutation. When I was younger my parents hid me from everyone, even family and friends, until I was old enough to shape shift and pass as a 'normal Martian'. I was afraid that if Uncle J'onn knew he wouldn't want me as his protégé and that he would send me back to Mars." The Martian girl admitted.
"Do you really believe your uncle is that shallow and prejudice?" The man asked, almost with a scoff in his voice.
"I guess not." Miss M surrendered, remembering how kind and understanding her uncle is.
"He's your uncle and he doesn't care what color or shape you are." Batman declared.
"What about you?" The Martian asked.
"As long as you can get the job done, I couldn't care less about what you really look like." The human clarified.
"You're not going to tell the others, are you?" The alien questioned.
"That's not my place. I think you should be the one to tell them; whenever you're ready." The Bat said.
"Thank you, Batman." The Martian said as she hugged the Dark Knight, he quickly reciprocated the hug in an awkward manner and returned to his normal stoic position.
"If anyone asks, this conversation and that hug: never happened. I do have a reputation to uphold, after all." The Batman claimed.
"What conversation?" The Martian said with a wink; playing along.
"Did you say something?" Batman continued the banter, before they spotted some suspicious activity on the next block and headed down to the street to check it out.
Guilty (Zatanna):
All of the members of the Team were at school; except for Zatanna, who was still recovering from a stomach bug. Red Tornado needed to run a few errands and called the only League member who was available to watch over the ill magician. Zatanna was sleeping on the couch when Batman approached her.
"Zatanna, wake up." The Bat lightly nudged the sleeping girl.
"Hmmm?" Zatanna stirred opening one eye to see the Dark Knight.
"It's 12:30; time for your medicine." He informed her as he placed a glass of water on the coffee table and opened the bottle of pills.
"Can't I just sleep it off?" The young magician mumbled trying to go back to sleep.
"You've already been sick for over a week. We need you well again so you can get back to school and the Team." Batman reminded the adolescent girl.
"Sometimes it seems like those are the only things I have to live for anymore." Zatanna grumbled while she started to wake up and sat upright.
"You don't mean that. Now take this." The Caped Crusader insisted while handing her an antibiotic pill and glass of water.
"It's my fault my dad had to put on that helmet and give up his freedom. It's my fault he's gone. I was the one who made the choice to put on the helmet; he should have just let me deal with the consequences myself." Zatanna mumbled before she took her medicine and washed it down with a full glass of water.
"Your father made his choice, and he chose to give you a chance to lead a long happy life." The man reminded the girl before he took the glass back to the sink.
"And that's the worst part. Lately whenever I notice I'm genuinely happy, I start thinking about him, and his sacrifice, and I start to feel guilty that he'll never have the same freedom." The teen on the couch responded.
"You can't spend the rest of your life feeling guilty about living." The Bat tried to assure her as he washed out the cup. "If anything, you should feel guilty if you're not leading a full life with the second chance you've been given."
Zatanna began bursting into tears; thinking about how her dad would be disappointed in her for wasting the second chance he gave her. Batman smacked himself on the forehead when he realized his comment didn't come out as clearly as he had meant it to. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with the soup on the stove that Red Tornado had made for the ill teen before he left. Batman walked back to the couch and set the bowl on the coffee table, almost as if it were a peace offering to the weeping girl.
"That didn't come out how I thought it would. I meant to say that your father would want you to be happy. I gave him my word that I would make sure you were well taken care of, and I never break a vow. But, as you can tell, I'm not exactly the most empathetic person in the world." The man said with a sigh before he continued. "Believe it or not, I have also dealt with survivor's guilt; so I do understand some of the struggles you are facing." He assured the magician, who was starting to calm down.
"Is that why you have a fear of intimacy?" Zatanna asked.
"Where would you get an idea like that?" The Bat asked slightly confused.
"Well, it's not like it isn't obvious just from observing you; but I heard it from Robin. He said that you're not good at showing emotions because you're afraid of getting too close to other people and that's why you avoid long-term relationships and don't want anyone else to have one." The girl informed him.
"Really? And how did that come up?" The Dark Knight asked both curious and slightly annoyed; knowing that his adopted son only said that because he was irritated that his guardian disapproved of him dating.
The mentor was also aware of Robin's not-so-secret crush on the ill girl that sat before him.
"We were just talking and I was asking why you won't let him share his secret identity with any of us, even though he knows all of ours." The magician clarified.
"I assure you, it's for both of our safety." Batman said; "So anything else Robin has told you about me?"
"Well, now that you mention it; he said you weren't a very good cook." Zatanna said as she looked down at the bowl of soup he placed on the coffee table.
"Don't worry, Red Tornado made it." He said with a slight smirk.
They continued talking while Zatanna finished her soup. She fell back to sleep shortly after and Batman left after Red Tornado returned.
Sleepy (Dick):
Later that day, Dick came home after visiting the Cave for a while after school. Bruce was in the living room watching TV on the couch when Dick stormed in.
"What did you say to Zatanna?" Dick asked in an angry tone.
"Hello to you too, Dick." Bruce said in a sarcastic tone as he turned off the TV; attempting to remind the boy of his manners.
"I tried talking to Zatanna earlier and she kept breaking into tears until she finally just locked herself in her room and refused to talk to anyone." The boy claimed.
"And that is my fault because…?" The guardian inquired.
"Red Tornado said that you were taking care of her for a few hours today while he was out." Dick reminded his father figure "You didn't say anything embarrassing about me, did you?"
"You mean like how you told her I have a 'fear of intimacy'?" The man mocked "And no, I didn't."
"She told you about that?" The teen asked slightly embarrassed.
"Yes, she did. By the way, have you considered that she might be upset because she is still mourning the loss of her father to Doctor Fate?" The adoptive father tried to reason.
"Well, maybe if you let me tell her anything personal about me I could help her cope." Dick accused.
"Dick, we've already discussed this about a hundred times. We're going to wait at least a full year; until we can make sure everyone on the Team is trustworthy of such classified information." Bruce reminded his boy.
"What more do they have to do to prove their loyalty? Dodge a bullet for you?" Richard exaggerated as he sat in the chair near the man, pouting.
"Do not start this argument with me again, young man. You're on thin ice as it is; don't push it." Bruce glared at Dick, who was still pouting as he sunk into his chair. After a moment of silence, the older male decided to change the subject "Moving on, didn't you have a math test today? How do you think you did?"
"Awful, I couldn't comprehend half the questions on the test." The teen said in a flat tone.
"Have you tried studying?" The guardian questioned his ward in a satirical tone.
"Of course, I'm not an idiot. I stayed up all night studying." Dick said with an irritated tone while rubbing his eyes. "Obviously the teacher put questions on the test that we haven't gone over in class, yet."
"Or perhaps it was from staying up all night cramming for the test instead of sleeping." Bruce suggested "You're going through a growth spurt, Dick. You need more sleep to function properly. I think I should take you off night patrols for the rest of the school year."
"You can't do that. I won't let you." The defensive adolescent said angrily, standing up from his chair.
"We can discuss this later. For now, it might be best if you take a power nap before dinner." The father figure suggested.
"I don't need a nap. Maybe you need a nap!" The crabby adolescent countered in an accusing tone.
"I'm not the one who's cranky because he didn't sleep last night. Besides the last thing I need is an irritable crime fighting partner with psychosis. Now, go to your room and rest; I'll wake you up for dinner. And that's an order." The adoptive father/mentor ordered his ward/protégé.
"This isn't fair." The ward claimed, "And I'm not cranky!"
"This is your last warning, Richard John, or I will take you off night patrols indefinitely." The mentor threatened.
Richard reluctantly walked up to his room while grumbling under his breath.
"This is so unfair. He's not the boss of me. When I grow up, I'm going to change my hero name and go solo. That'll teach him. He won't tell me what to do…" Dick continued his mumbling until he entered his room, at which point he walked to his bed and collapsed on it, falling asleep instantly.
Meanwhile, downstairs Alfred entered the living room.
"Is everything alright, Master Bruce?" Alfred inquired.
"Everything is fine, Alfred. Just another one of Dick's many new personalities coming out from the shadows." Bruce joked.
"No one ever said raising teenagers would be easy, Master Bruce." The butler reminded the billionaire.
"With good reason." He agreed with a sigh, "But I still wouldn't trade him in for anything."
"Nor would I wish it any other way, sir." Alfred supported his statement.
"Alfred, be honest; was I ever that bad when I was his age?" The man asked his former guardian.
"To be perfectly honest, Master Bruce, some things are better off being left unsaid." The butler said as he excused himself.