Disclaimer: not mine

Hope you guys are enjoying this. I'm curious, why do crossovers get more comments than non-crossovers?

I also went back and reposted the previous chapters, had to give Dick a new name since he wouldn't have known about Nightwing since apparently, he got the name from Clark and Kryptonian stories. So, his outfit also looks different. I added a little to some scenes.

Chapter 3

Kon stated at his uncle in shock, unsure he'd heard right. He looked at Kal to find he looked just as surprised. "I…what?" Surely, he'd heard that wrong? Then again…he'd thought how much like Kryptonians they looked so it kind of made sense.

"This is your genetic code," Zor brought up a complicated image and then sections were highlighted. "This is the alien code that Jor used to ensure you would be stable." He brought up four more images. "This is their code. Obviously, there are difference between them that come from gender, appearance, general diversity found within a population." Sections in each were highlighted and even Kon could see it…the same as the highlighted sections in his own. "You see the problem this could cause?"

"They could use it to try and strip Kon of his rights as a son of our House," Kal murmured, looking sick.

Kon paled. "What?"

"If they are non-sapient and sentient then that could be used against you," Kara told him gently.

Kon felt for a chair and Kal grabbed his arm, easing him down into one. "I…I don't think they are, not fully at least," he admitted softly. "When I saw them on the ship," he waved at E3, "I saw something, like a flicker of awareness."

"That's interesting. We're still waiting for some results but so far, the brain scans show very little activity beyond automatic responses." As if waiting for that moment, a machine beeped. They both went over to it, talking quietly.

"It'll be okay, we'll work this out," Kal told him gently. "No matter what, you are one of us."

Kon managed a shaky smile and then they both stared in shock as Zor began swearing loudly. He glanced at Kal with wide eyes, seeing he was just as shocked. Zor moved to E3, gently tipping his head up, staring into his eyes, carefully tipping his head to his side.

"Zor?"

"We're going to have to contact Oa," he growled. "We found an artificial virus in their bodies, it's infiltrated everything. That is why they have so little brain activity; the virus has completely suppressed it. It's how they can understand the orders given since their native language would be different."

"Can you make an antidote or something?" Kal asked.

"It's literally bonded into their genetic code now, see?" different sections lit up to those that had to show the similarities with his own. "Unravelling it…without access to someone unaltered it would be impossible, even with access it would have very limited chances of success. Kon simply doesn't have enough, I don't know if Jor did that purposely or due to our genetics overriding theirs."

"We need to report these traders, what they're doing is very illegal," Kara had her arms crossed, looking angry. When her eyes went to the four, she just looked sad.

Kon stood up and went to E3. "You're still in there, aren't you?" he asked softly.

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Voices…. noises…cold…blue…blue…B…

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Kon saw it again, the flicker as he stared into dull blue eyes. "There!" He called. "It happened again."

"Both times with you, interesting. It could be that you either sound or look similar to someone he knows and that it enough to cause a reaction."

"Even with the virus supressing his brain?" Kal asked.

"His results are different to the others," Zor admitted. He brought up just 2 codes this time, one of them had to be E3's the last one to come up the first time, and another. Zor indicated one of the other males. "Their codes are very similar and use the same letters. I believe that means they were taken at the same time from either the one or close locations. They have indications of exposure to chemicals and other substances that the other two lack. E3 has exposure to much higher levels though and a greater variety over the majority of their lifespan. As you can see here, it has caused some changes on a genetic level as his body adapted over time. The virus introduced appear designed to be able to integrate with a variety of species but something about the slight genetic change in E3 appears to have impacted its effectiveness. I'd like to do a more detailed brain scan on him." He looked to Kon since E3 was still his property by law.

Kon nodded and directed him to the appropriate machine. He watched as holographic images appeared, Zor studying them, shifting various controls.

"Kon, would you be willing to be scanned as well?" Kara asked, and Kon lay down under another machine, closing his eyes against the lights. He lay still, knowing it was best to not move from all the testing he'd undergone when Kal first woke him. "All done," she announced, and he got up.

A second image was now beside the first, and the difference between the two was very obvious, even to someone with no medical knowledge.

"As you can see, our two species have similar brain types, that would have been necessary for the cloning process to be successful. The Kryptonian brain is more advance however, hence why it appears brighter. Then compare two of their brains and you can see, E3's shows slightly more activity than the others."

"So can he think?"

"I wouldn't say anything that advanced. It is hard to tell, but at most I would suggest a very vague sense of what is happening around him, though likely lacking an understanding of the sensory data he is receiving. And it appears his immune system is still attempting to fight the virus. Even with the 'care' data provided, I am loath to give any drugs to boost those attempts since we know nothing of how he might react to our medicine. We need to know their species before we can attempt any sort of antivirus."

"We need to keep this quiet for now," Kal decided, and they all looked at him. "I will work to contact the Lantern corps, Lois can see if she can backtrack the ship and see where else they stopped to make sales, perhaps even the world they found them on. We need more information before anyone else learns of this, not just for Kon's sake but everyone's. We were the hosts after all."

Right, the Council might decide to censor the whole House for hosting slave traders selling a sapient species. This was all his fault, for showing interest in E3 but…if he hadn't then who knew what would have happened, innocent people would spend their lives in slavery. And what of their home planet? Had it been conquered for slavery purposes? Had the group been kidnapped? Sold into slavery by their own people?

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Jason knew it was probably not exactly right, but he slipped through the window, closing it behind him. It was almost a year since the kids had been taken with no leads, no word from the Lanterns or any other alien contacts. It was unlikely there ever would be now, though apparently depending on travel methods, not all aliens used the same engine tech, time could act a little funny and it might not have been as long for the kids and kidnappers.

Jason looked around the room, taking in the lack of dust because Bruce was ensuring the townhouse was kept clean. It looked like the typical teenagers room; he knew Dick had already been there months ago and had seen the photo on B's desk of the two of them. There were photos all over the room, Gotham scenery, some very staged family shots…very few of Tim with kids his own age. Didn't he have many friends? There was nothing to suggest the kid was anything but a normal teenager, but Dick had mentioned Tim following them for years and taking pictures, so where were they?

He looked at the room like he would when working a case, searching for anywhere Tim could hide things from his Dad. After all that had come to light in the trial, there was no way Tim would risk his Dad finding out about his night life or even how close he was to B. He checked a few of the more normal hiding places, floorboards and the like but nothing and then…clever kid. He was tall enough to reach, from the file on Tim he'd checked on the Batcomputer the kid would need a chair, popping the panel out of the side of the bookcase. Inside was the jackpot. He pulled the contents out and sat on the bed, staring in shock at photo after photo. Dick hadn't been exaggerating…and he'd come back to Gotham to…he felt a little sick at the thought of the plans he'd had for Tim.

Therapy with Dinah had helped a lot with his anger issues and all of the misinformation he'd been fed. He and B were actually talking about stuff, about how it'd all gone wrong back then, about how Bruce had actually nearly killed the Joker and then had resuscitated him when Dick had actually done it. Dick had done it because he thought the clown had caused Tim's death as well, losing both of them to the monster had been too much for Dick. Learning all of that had helped.

With Robin gone, Nighthawk was splitting his time between the two cities and Jason…Jason was going out in basic gear and with no name, not yet. He wasn't sure about using Red Hood now that everything was so different to what he'd been led to believe. But B couldn't patrol the whole city alone, not with how many Rogues there were. He kept his guns but was trying to use non-lethal ammo for the most part. Sometimes though, shooting a guy in the knee really made a point.

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Kon lay on his bed, back on the estate station for a while. E3 and the others couldn't wear the devices that allowed them to survive on the surface all of the time and Kon wanted some time alone. He rolled to his side and stared at the other boy, looking peaceful and normal in sleep. To think, his other genetic donor came from the same planet…he might finally get to learn something more of his origins if they could find that world.

Were they right, did E3 react around him because he was similar to someone he knew? Family maybe?

"E3," he whispered, and the other's eyes opened. "Come here," he told him, watching him stand and walk over to Kon's bed.

He drew him down onto the bed, lying on his side with E3 held to his chest. Kon closed his eyes, the sensation of holding someone in bed was weird but…he didn't want to be totally alone. And contact was something necessary, that had been part of the information given to him in his tube, children would fail to thrive without touch. Even adults needed a certain amount of physical contact to remain healthy. Odd were that his species had the same needs. E3's body was relaxed, but with a slight amount of tension as he awaited further orders. He ran his fingers through lengthening black hair, hoping it felt nice to him if he was aware of it.

"Sleep now E3," he murmured in his ear, feeling his body go lax in Kon's arms.

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Soft…safe?...warm…

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Lois studied the records she had managed to track down, not an easy task with how much the military had been locking down access to anything off-world. She did not like or agree with the isolationist policies the Council had been pushing since before she'd been born. Sadly, the House of El had lost much of their influence before Jor's death. Their society was becoming more and more rigid and such policies enabled that. It was not good for their future but they didn't seem to see that.

She was able to track the trading ship back several planets and yes, they'd made sales there, but she lost it before finding any possibility of where the children had come from. She looked up at where E37 sat on a chair silently, staring into space, unaware of anything. They were children, Zor's results proved they were still growing, their bodies slowly maturing. Lois felt so sad for them, easily able to imagine Kon and Jon in their places.

She was determined to get justice for them and any others like them.

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Hal was surprised to hear from Krypton but then he went over the message again. It had been a year now since the report from Earth had been sent of a mass abduction of children, a report that had angered many among the Corps, even those not entirely fond of his species. Taking children of any species tended to upset most Green Lanterns. Was it possible that there was finally a lead?

He almost contacted Earth but refrained, it wouldn't be kind to give false hope. Batman, Nighthawk, and the returned from the dead one-time Robin would be devastated if the lead didn't go anywhere. That had been a massive shock, Jason Todd back from the dead. He'd only met him once as Robin but he'd seemed a nice enough kid back then.

He'd never met the missing Robin, Tim Drake, but his information gathering trip to Earth had given him a lot of information on the boy. He'd been the one to save Batman from his own grief and anger over Jason's death. He'd even been the one smart enough to ditch the tiny shorts for actual pants, that said a lot about the teen. He did wonder what Batman had been thinking to let first Dick and then Jason run around in so little clothing. Gotham wasn't exactly tropical, even in summer. He was said to be a brilliant detective and a smart fighter, preferring to hit from a distance if possible. So, Hal hoped the report was right and he was about to find the boy safe and well.

Krypton might have isolated itself, but they wouldn't hurt a group of innocent children. They opposed the slavery of intelligent beings after all, surely, they would look after the kids.

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Bruce leant back in the driver's seat of the Batmobile, feeling exhausted and twice his age. He could hear the rumble of the engine of Jason's bike pulling into the Cave as well. It was good to have Jason back, even different to the boy he had once been, though he was still a teenager even if he'd deny it. Jay was quieter on patrol than he had been as Robin, but he was working to control his temper, therapy was helping him.

Dinah had tried to talk to him, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't talk about Jason's death, Tim's turbulent first months as Robin…his abduction and the likelihood he was gone forever. He couldn't let himself confront that, think about it. He had failed Tim in so many ways and he may never have the chance to make up for it.

Jason walked towards the changing area but then stopped, staring at him, domino in hand. Knowing he wasn't going to move, Bruce forced himself to get out of the Batmobile and head towards the showers, Jason walking ahead of him. They stripped off and showered before dressing to head upstairs. Reports could wait, he just couldn't do it. Not when he kept seeing the ghost of a dark-haired teen sprawled before the computer, asleep.

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Kal was relieved to hear a member of the Green Lanterns was coming in answer to his query. Slipping them in without bringing too much attention was not easy but it was doable, especially since they would not be going planet side. Kon arrived to greet their visitor, E3 at his side, he went everywhere with Kon and Kal was worried how Kon would handle an eventual separation. Surely the Corps would take custody of the children as part of the investigation and to hopefully eventually return them home.

And then a green glow filled the docking bay, a figure landing, the glow fading to reveal a figure who looked very much like a Kryptonian…or the children. Was it possible? The man nodded to them and then his eyes locked on E3.

"Robin?" he called, but E3 didn't react.

"Not sure he can hear you Lantern," Kal offered, did the Lantern actually know the bot?

"Hal Jordan," the Lantern introduced himself. "And that is Robin, Tim Drake, he was kidnapped over a year ago by our planets' reckoning. Over ten thousand children were taken from their schools within a handful of hours."

Kal's eyes widened, that many? "Only twenty were on the ship that came here. I purchased four, I believe ten others were sold locally. We have managed to track some of the planets the ship had previously visited."

"Excuse me?" Kon called, and they both looked at him. "Which name should I use when addressing him? Is one the name of his House?"

"Sorry kid. His callsign is Robin. His civilian identity is Timothy Drake, he uses the shortened version of Tim. Drake is the name of his family. We don't have Houses like Krypton does. So just call him Tim since he's not in a mask." Hal approached them, and Kal shadowed him, keeping watch. He waved his hand in front of blank blue eyes.

There was no reaction from E…Tim. Hal's Ring lit up, scanning the boy, and the man grimaced, saying some words that weren't translated but didn't really need to be. "An artificial virus?" he shook his head.

"We have data from my Uncle. He's been examining them and trying to find a way to treat them but we don't have enough information to be sure what we can do without risking harming them," Kal explained as they headed for the small lab on the station.

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He was happy to now know what to call him, Tim. It was short enough to be a Kryptonian name. It seemed they had complicated naming traditions too. They made it to the lab and Kon had Tim lay in the scanner so that Hal could see the live scan data of his brain.

"I'm no medic," the Lantern admitted, "but even I know the human brain is not meant to look like that."

"Human, is that your species?" Kon asked, fascinated, wanting to know more.

Hal nodded. "Humans come from the planet Earth, Sector 2814. We're the only known sapient species on the planet and the most populous. We have a population of over seven billion now."

Kon stared in shock, over…seven billion?! How had they not heard of such a place? So, ten thousand children was a lot, but not a massive part of their population. Had it been hoped they wouldn't be missed?

"This kind of work is beyond the scientific capability of most on Earth," Hal murmured. "From what I've heard, Tim's one of the few who might be able to crack it but his focus is computers, not biology."

"So, you don't actually know him?" Kon asked, watching Hal run his Ring over Tim again.

"Not personally, I've met both his predecessors to the Robin name. Tim took over about four years ago, Earth time. I know his mentor very well though, we're both part of Earth's defence team, the Justice League. Though I'm pretty busy with Lantern duties most of the time so they only call me for the really big things. They called the Corps when the kids vanished, so I went to get the information, which included information on every kid taken. They took children aged 14-18 years old from several different countries on the planet."

"How old is Tim?"

"He was sixteen when taken, so he's seventeen now. One year and he'll be a legal adult in America, his home country. We're from the same country but different areas."

Kon was happy the Lantern was willing to answer his questions. He was happy to know who Tim was now but…did that mean Hal was going to take him away?

TBC…