Rolling up to Wayne Manor, the building stood tall among the trees surrounding it, providing it with a feeling of loneliness as the sky darkened. It was three in the afternoon, and there hadn't been a cloud in the sky before this.

"Well, first impressions?" Bruce asked me, and I closed my hanging jaw. I knew Brucie Wayne, internet himbo and one of the only people who seemed to care about Gotham had money, but this place was huge.

It was classy, beautiful, the nicest home I'd ever seen. But it was a billionaire asking me, I couldn't admit that to him.

The trees were quiet, but they were gentle giants at peace with their home. All I wanted to be was home, but I knew living with Harley and Ivy wouldn't work. At least they hadn't stirred up too much trouble.

"Meh, it's alright. You take good care of your plants. They all seem to like living here."

The kid in the car looked up from his phone, way too serious to be as young as he was.

"Do we have to keep this one, Father? He's more annoying than Grayson."

Oh good, I was being bullied by a child. This was worse than being in school. At least there I could hit whoever was talking shit. I couldn't hit a kid. Well, not unless I was right about Bruce being Batman.

"So, does the kid gotta name?" I looked at the kid, then to his book, my body turning into a gas just enough I could keep my appearance.

"Whatchu reading little falla? Thomas the Tank Engine? Clifford the Big Red Dog?"

He looked offended, his features twisting into anger as he threw his book, the paperback going through my head and hitting the front windshield.

Bruce spoke, the attention moving to him, and I could hear the anger in his voice.

"Damian. Izuku. Enough."

He looked at Damian, who stared back.

"You know better."

He pointed at me, and I grinned back at him. Without the suit, I wasn't afraid of him.

"You are a guest in this house, and I want to help you. I heard you up on that stand. Do you want to be a hero? Then you'd better start acting like one because I don't take bullies into the field."

As he spoke, I felt a tingle go up my spine. Holy shit, he was wearing a suit and sending chills into my soul. Jesus, he was scary.

Nodding twice and swallowing back my nerves, I finally answered.

"I, uh, yes, sir. I'll behave."

A laugh came from the child, and Bruce turned his head, silencing his son.

The atmosphere felt weird, and I wanted to break the ice a little.

"Okay, well, uh... are you Batman? Because no one's really confirmed that yet, and I'm not gonna lie, it makes sense. Who else can afford it and adopts a new kid before a new Robin shows up?"

Tim held his nose between his pointer finger and thumb, muttering something in a language i didn't know.

"What? It's a question."

Bruce looked to the front of the car and nodded to Alfred, who pulled into a garage as filled with old and expensive cars.

"Alfred, show Izuku to his room and give him a tour of the grounds. I have business to take care of."

Bruce got out, his son following behind.

I got out too, offering my hand to Tim, helping him out. He wasn't dainty. He didn't need my help, but i liked helping him.

"I'm sorry. I tried to be nice, but that kid just got under my skin."

He put a hand on my shoulder, and I felt the worry and anger melt away.

"He gets under all of our skin. Don't let anything he says get under your skin. But you have to be nicer, just a little." He told me, taking my hand instead of my shoulder.

Alfred cleared his throat, and I saw the same ratty bag the state had given me in his hands, looking disgusted as he pulled it out of the trunk. Wasn't that evidence? Could they not afford a new one?

"Come along, young masters, we have plenty to see."

I let go of Tim's hand, jogging over and taking the bag.

"Oh man, they kept it? It looks like they didn't even wash it or my clothes."

I put my nose to it, sniffing once and gagging. Oh God, they'd kept my unwashed clothes in there for months.

Tim laughed, moving away from me and my bag.

"We will be passing by the laundry room along the way. You will be able to wash your clothes there." Alfred told me, and I followed after, my bag at arms length until we got the washers and dryers, several of them lined up.

"What's the point of that many for like six, seven people at max?" I asked, checking one of them before looking at my dirty clothes and bag, separating everything as I put one piece at a time in and throwing in a couple of detergent pods.

"Well, I hope that works, I don't wanna lose that "One Six Seven" t-shirt."

I caught Tim rolling his eyes, taking my hand and leading me along, Alfred telling me about the history of the Manor. I think so, at least. I was getting kind of bored, and when I got bored, my mind tended to wander around.

"Master Midoriya, are you paying attention?" Alfred asked, snapping my attention away from a large picture, a portrait I think it's called, of a happy family of three, a young Bruce smiling like I'd never seen before. No TV interview or magazine picture ever captured the happiness on his face.

Alfred turned his attention to where i was looking, and his voice seemed steady. I wonder if he knew Martha and Thomas personally or if he'd just raised their child without them.

"The Wayne Family portrait. A memento to some of the cities finest."

There wasn't much to say, turning away and putting my hands behind my head. At least Bruce had a picture to remember and videos to archive their voices.

The rest of the tour was quiet, not really hearing what was being said until I was standing there with a blank look on my face, both Alfred and Tim looking at me.

I shook the fog from my head, trying to think about what could possibly be going on.

"What? Did I space on something?"

Tim pointed at the empty room, and I noticed that the bed was the same from the warehouse. It was probably just the same brand and style, but it was a nice touch.

"Oh, wow. This is... nice. I mean it. I-"

I paused and caught myself, pushing it down. As much as I wanted to enjoy this, I couldn't get past the feeling that this wouldn't last. No home ever did.

I turned, smiling and hoping they didn't see through it. "Hey, do you mind if I have a little while to myself, just so I can get used to this. I mean, the whole living here thing?"

Tim gently touched my hair, feeling it, and I wanted the moment to keep going, even if I knew I couldn't. I had to close my heart to them, even Tim, before they could break it.

"Sure. I'll come get you for dinner, okay?"

I felt his lips on my cheek, the both of them turning away, letting me step inside and close the door, putting my forehead to it and letting the tension in my shoulders go.

There was a part of me that was hurt and angry, I knew It wouldn't ever go away. Twelve years, and it never went away. But I should have been happy. I lived with my boyfriend and Batman. I wondered why I wasn't before plopping down on my bed and laying back.

There was no way in hell I could sleep, but it didn't really matter, the day coming to rest and the half moon rising to let the night take its place.

"Izuku? Dinners ready. Alfred made something he thought you'd enjoy." Tim's voice called from the other side of the door, and after a minute or two, I heard him shuffle away. The light was off. He probably thought I was asleep. I just needed to put myself together before going out there.

There was a bathroom connected to my bedroom, and I washed up in there, retracing the same path Alfred had shown me earlier to get to the dining room, a man younger than Bruce sitting at the table with Tim and Damian.

"Hey, there you are. We thought you'd hit the hay early. I'm Dick. Nice to meet you." He greeted, standing an offering a hand, but I was busy taking in his build smile. I'd seen it whenever a certain hero visited Gotham.

"You're Nightwing, aren't you?" My voice sounded weird, but I cleared it, hoping I seemed nonchalant as I shook his hand.

"Izuku Midoriya. It's good to meet you. I guess.

"Uh, how much does he know?" Dick whispered, too loudly to be stealthy.

Bruce looked his former ward in the eyes and smiled. He almost seemed proud.

"Nothing he didn't figure out on his own. He deduced Tim was Red Robin based solely on his smile and voice. From there, it wasn't much of a stretch to figure out who Damian and I were."

There was food, and I ignored them, the smell familiar as Alfred lifted the lid off of trays of some fried meat and rice, and my stomach rumbled.

"What is it?" I asked, taking a seat and letting the smell wash over me. Man, whatever it was, I was going to feast. Anything was better than jail food. Well, except the hexagon pizza.

"Katsudon. It's a dish originating in late nineteenth century Japan after the introduction of deep-fried meat cutlets from foreign countries. It is a traditional dish consisting of rice topped with tonkatsu, egg, and onion that uses a variety of seasonings." Alfred explained, giving more back story than I usually wanted for my meals, but who cared when it smelled so appetizing?

The food was amazing, better than anything I'd ever had. But what was good food without good conversation?

"Hey, so a few questions. If he's Nightwing, and Tim is the last Robin before Damian, then who was the second Robin? There was a pretty big gap between him and Tim."

Man, the tension in the room could have been cut with a knife, and it didn't take Brainiac to know that I'd said something wrong.

Bruce looked hurt, like I'd stuck my finger in an open wound, his expression changing so quickly that I wasn't sure he'd ever really been hurt, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Jason Todd was my second Robin. He was a good Robin and a good son."

Was? Like, past tense? Was he dead? Did he quit and leave Bruce and the whole crime fighting thing behind? As much as I wanted to ask, I didn't want to dig up the past and hurt anyone.

"Oh. What's the deal with the Batmobile? I get that you need a car for road battles, but wouldn't a motorcycle be faster?"

The tension quickly fell, the six of us eating and talking about the ins and outs of being Batman and his sidekicks, quickly solidifying my desire to go out and fight crime.

By the end of our meal, I was grinning, actually happy and comfortable with the people around me.

"When can I help? I mean, I get me living here might be suspicious, but you didn't take me in just for me to live here and not fight."

Quiet again, and Tim looked at Bruce, speaking with their expressions and eyes before Bruce sighed and looked at me.

"Izuku, it's going to be some time before you can go out in the field. You've been enrolled in an accredited hero program. You still need to take the basic intelligence and physical entrance exam, but there's a spot being held for you since a student was recently expelled. Otherwise, it would be impossible to get you in partway through the school year."

It was August. What school was in session here? Even the private academy had a summer vacation.

"Where?" I asked, trying to keep myself neutral. But how could I? I'd just got here, and they were already sending me away?

"Izuku, to protect our identities and allow you to grow your power in a safe environment, you've been enrolled to U.A. High School." Bruce told me, and it felt like the world was crashing.

I was leaving, going halfway across the world, and I just needed to know one more thing.

"When?"

"Tomorrow. The sooner you're there, the sooner you can graduate and come back."

"Okay." I managed to get out, feeling hurt, but I didn't let that show. I could be angry tomorrow when I was on an internal flight.

"Is it on or off campus living? And can I get an allowance? Being stuck in a foreign country without any cash would suck. Oh, and I want a WayneStation 5 and a TV to play it on. Those are my demands to make this an easy process."

Bruce looked like he wanted to say something, to argue with me about it all, but he just clenched his jaw and nodded. A win for me, even if it was a small one.

"It's on campus housing. Your meals are part of your tuition, and you'll be provided with a uniform. That said, if I meet your demands, I expect you to come home on holidays and graduate. You have amazing potential, Izuku. Do not waste it." Bruce was stern, fair with his expectations, and I almost didn't feel angry. Almost. But It was diminished, a small piece of what it was.

A nod was all I could give him, confident I could do it. Screw it. If I was going, I might as well make the best of it. Maybe I could learn more about my parents and my heritage. Who was I when I wasn't a no-good punk or a metahuman?

"Okay. If I'm going to Japan, then I have some stuff to do, loose threads to snip, people to talk to. Keep an eye on me all you want, but I'm going out."

Alfred was the one who tried to stop me, looking me in the eyes that held more wisdom than anyone I'd ever met. But I was still going regardless.

"I'm afraid I'd be negligent in my duties to not stop you, and since I can not physically do so, I will do the next best thing and drive you."

Dick stood and started to clear the table.

"I'll take care of cleanup. Bruce, why don't you go with Izuku? It'll be good for you both. Besides, Damian and I haven't had any time to get to know each other. After we clean up, I'll suit up and we can patrol."

Bruce looked like he wanted to argue, but he seemed to respect Dick and his opinion. Besides, maybe he didn't want to interrupt how peaceful this was.

"Sounds like a plan. Alfred, would you start the Dadmobile? We'll be out shortly."

Alfred walked off to prepare whatever the Dadmobile was, and Bruce got serious, all humor gone.

"Where are we going? Who are we seeing?"

Damn, somehow they'd made plans with me right in front of me, and I hadn't really realized.

"I want to tell Harley goodbye, maybe talk to Ivy about the whole "green" thing, and get a milkshake from Big Belly Burger."

He thought about what I said before finally making a decision.

"Let's go then. You need sleep before it gets too late, and I should be out there already."

There was no time to waste, getting in a hybrid cube care that was almost too small for Bruce and I to sit comfortably in. But that didn't matter. There was soft classical music playing from the speakers, and the streets were quiet for once. It seemed like every criminal was taking a vacation.

Here, pull up next to this building and let me knock. Just in case she's set up plant traps or poison pits." I told Alfred, getting out and checking the area before putting my hand on a vine and asking it to let us up.

A moment passed, and the vines covering the entrance moved.

One flight of stairs later we were there, Bruce getting his arms and legs wrapped in thick vines, keeping him in place while Harley hugged me, talking so fast I couldn't understand her.

"Mom, listen, mom, let go for a second, jeez." I told her, but I hugged back until she let go.

"And let him down, please Ivy. He's my new legal guardian and rich to boot. I can't let you kill him. I mean, not that I can stop you, but I have to ask."

Ivy looked amused, letting Bruce free and walking to a plant to lay on.

"Hey Bruce, haven't seen you since graduation. How's life treating you?" Harley asked, and It made my brain hurt. How did they know each other?

"Good to see you, Harley. Keeping well?"

"Oh, you know, I broke things off with Joker, just kinda doing my own thing now, trying to be better." She told him, and I noticed the dye in her hair was faded, and she wasn't wearing her makeup. She looked so normal without all of it.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" I asked, and they both laughed.

"I have multiple master degrees in various subjects. One of which was psychology. I knew Harley and John Crane before their lives of crime, spending late nights studying. I think my "study-buddy" t-shirt is in the attic."

"Okay, sure. Uh, moving past that nugget of information for now, I came here to tell you that I'm going to U.A., and I'm leaving tomorrow. I'll be back for breaks and holidays, but for the most part, I'll be in Japan until I graduate. I couldn't just leave without telling you, but this might be the last time we see each other for a long time."

Of the expectations I had for her, I never thought she'd smile at me, a weird look on her face.

"Oh, I'm so proud of you. You deserve this. You know that, don't you? You deserve good things, Izuku, and I'm glad you're getting them."

She pulled me in again, and I hugged back, feeling a third hand to the back of my head.

"You've gotten closer, haven't you? You've heard the green more clearly." I heard Ivy, but just her voice in the back of my mind, like she was far away and not right next to me.

"Yes." I thought, and I felt her joy. "I want to know everything about the green and protect plants and people. I want to be a hero for every living thing."

There was a moment of silence, her hand pulling away as Harley let go again.

Ivy held out a pitch black fruit.

"Eat this."

"I'm already immune to your toxins and poison. What do I need this for?"

Ivy rolled her eyes, like I was a toddler, and made me take the fruit.

"When you ate it last time, your DNA changed. You share a part of yourself with me. That said, in low doses, you can continue to change yourself and grow your powers until you can control plant life on a scale like I do. It's your choice, thought. Think of it as a... going away gift."

She explained paitently, even if she didn't look paitent with me, and I looked at the fruit.

"Just a bite, like last time?"

Ivy nodded, and I wondered if I should, if I could, when Bruce spoke up.

"If you do this, there's no going back. No taking your meta genes out and making you normal again. It's permanent, but like she said, it's your choice. I'll support your decision here regardless."

Harley held up two thumbs, supportive as always, and I felt confident in what I did next, biting into the fruit and feeling my mouth go dry. One bite felt impossible to get through, chewing and chewing and chewing until it was down my throat, and I could take another bite. Then another, and another, until there wasn't any part of the fruit left.

"You only needed one bite." Ivy reminded me quietly, but I was busy trying to moisten my mouth, finally getting my saliva glands to work.

"One bite would change me a little, slowly, right? Well, I want to be like you and protect the green, so if I had to choke down that whole thing, it's worth it." I replied, Bruce checking the time on his watch.

"We should be going. Big day tomorrow, and I'm sure you want to enjoy your milkshake tonight, right?"

I took a look at Harley and Ivy, and I didn't want to leave yet. They were like me, seen as scum, treated like shit, but they liked me. I liked me more when I was here.

"Can they come with? I mean, it's not the first time Harley or Ivy kidnapped you, right? We can just say that's what happened if anyone says anything."

Harley shook her head, putting a hand to my cheek.

"We're here, and we always will be. When you get back, we'll be here. So go, and be the hero you were born to be, son."

Ivy didn't look too thrilled that I wanted to be a hero, but I didn't mind. She was helping me regardless.

"Okay, mom." I managed to get out, emotions I wanted to hide in my voice, one last hug between Harley and I before I turned to Ivy and offered a handshake. She didn't seem like a hugger. Or like she liked men.

Ivy took the handshake and pulled me into an awkward hug, but I didn't mind. She was family too.

"Thank you. For everything you've done for me. I owe you so much." I mumbled, a dry laugh leaving her.

"I did it for Harley." She replied, letting go and letting Harley hold her hand.

"Liar." The blonde told her, Ivy half smiling as she waved us away with her free hand.

"See ya. Be good." I waved, and i heard Harley call back as vines began to pull Bruce and I out of the apartment.

"Be better."