Chapter Text
The Justice League wake up early. The day before, they and Superboy had planned to meet up in the Hall of Justice to discuss what they wanted to do next and who they wanted to go to for extra assistance, if anyone.
Superman isn't surprised when he's told he had zoned out when that talk was happening. He'd been much too occupied commiting the boy's facial features to his memory (the boy who isn't his son, or sidekick or family because Kal-El belongs to a different time, a different world).
(A lonelier world.)
They all sit down to eat breakfast in the Watchtower's kitchen. For a moment, only the scraping of utensils against ceramic can be heard. Diana is the first to break the silence.
"Kal, are you going to be alright with Superboy around?" Her voice is kind, like she's approaching a spooked animal instead of a grown man. At first, Superman wants to bristle at the tone, remind her that he is a person and not a feral stray with a bite risk (because alien isn't the same as animal, isn't inherently dangerous). And then, he recognises her tone as the same one she uses on civilians who are frightened and deflates.
"I will be. This is my first time meeting another kryptonian and... I plan to make the most of it," Superman spoons some cereal into his mouth. Green Lantern drops his buttered toast back onto his plate and looks at Kal with a sombre expression.
"I hate to ask this but are you sure that's a good idea, Supes? Like you said, it's unlikely you'll meet a counterpart of the boy in our world. Wouldn't bonding with him and then not being able to see him again hurt?"
"It will but I think it'll be worth the pain. I can't just avoid him and honestly? I don't want to. For as long as we'll be here, I may as well be on friendly terms with Kon," Superman gently smiles into his cereal. "I'm happy for this universe's version of me. Kon seems like a great kid."
"He does," Martian Manhunter nods. "Although something seems off to me."
"What do you mean? You think the kid is up to something?" Hawkgirl stabs at an egg with her fork.
"Not up to something but..." he hums. "You are all aware of my passive ability to sense emotions? Especially the strong ones?"
Nods from all around the table.
"When he saw Superman, I didn't sense any of the emotions you'd expect from seeing a family member again after a long time. His feelings were surprisingly harsh," Martain Mahunter stares down at his pancakes. He thinks of how brittle the boy's emotional state had felt, fragile as the finest of cobwebs. "I suspect that maybe there is currently a tension between Superboy and his Superman. It would explain his immediate assumption that you had come back because you didn't trust him."
"Oh..." Superman blinks."That's...not great, admittedly, but I think it'll be fine. I'm sure whatever argument he and my counterpart got into was minor. It can't possibly affect us getting home."
"Wait!" Flash calls out. "Maybe that's what Superboy meant about his name. If he and his Superman had a fallout, maybe he feels like Superman wouldn't want him using the name 'El' anymore." Diana looks up from her bacon and then starts to speak.
"You mean he feels as though he doesn't deserve to be seen as part of the House of El?" Diana's face bunches up slightly at the nose. "Maybe you're right, Kal. Talk to the boy. While you may not be responsible for his apparent upset, you may be able to help ease his worries until his Kal is back."
Kal nods, more intent than ever to form a bond with the young Kon.
Cutlery scrapes against bowls and plates as the Justice League finish their breakfast. The clock strikes ten.
All of them get out of their chairs and head to the zeta tubes. With the familiar warmth of teleportation on their skin, they find themselves in the Hall of Justice.
"He should be here soon," Flash gives Superman a supportive pat on the arm. "Good luck with your whole thing."
"He's already here," Martian Manhunter says lowly.
"What?" Hawkgirl's wings rustle against her back as she looks around. Batman makes a hushing motion as he creeps towards one of the couches and pulls the cushions off.
There lies Superboy in an oversized T-shirt and joggers with its drawstring knotted in the front. Superman absentmindedly notes that the shirt is a faded pink that clashes horribly with his lime green joggers.
"Did he fall asleep waiting for us?" Diana asks. Batman shakes his head.
"What he's wearing is clearly sleepwear."
"Why would he be wearing his night clothes in the Hall of Justice?"
Kon whines in his sleep and rolls over onto his stomach. Flash stares and says:
"Okay, I have slept on a couch before, and it was most definitely not comfortable. For him to be this asleep, he'd have to be exhausted or used to sleeping on the couch. With how those cushions were arranged, my bet is that Superboy here has been sleeping on the couch for a while," Flash taps his foot.
"Maybe it has something to do with his and his Kal's argument?" Hawkgirl speculates aloud. Kal looks horrified.
"There is no way I'd let him sleep in the Hall of Justice instead of at home!"
"Kal, keep in mind that this is an alternate universe. You wouldn't, but your counterpart might," Hawkgirl sends Kal a pitying look. Flash jumps up.
"Hold on, maybe alternate Superman doesn't know? He is off-world, after all."
The Justice League goes silent. None of them voice what Flash's suggestion would mean. That somehow Kon thought he wasn't welcome, wasn't wanted after one argument. Either it was one nasty argument or...
Kal breathes out slowly. I have my work cut out for me, he thinks.
Kon stirs and flips himself over sluggishly. He yawns, smacks his lips and opens his eyes. He blinks up at the Justice League and,in a much too casual tone,says,"Good morning."
Green Lantern can not believe this kid. Greeting them as though they hadn't caught him sleeping underneath the couch cushions like a modern-day stowaway.
"Good morning to you as well, Kon," Kal tries to sound cheerful. "May I ask why you were sleeping on the couch?" Kon blinks at Kal slowly, an action more befitting of a large drowsy cat than a teenager.
"I always sleep here?" Kal's smile doesn't falter but his eyes take up a look of pure confusion.
"Excuse you?"
Kon gets up and grabs the cushions from Batman. He rearranges them onto the couch; put back so meticulously, it looks like nobody had slept there at all. "I sleep here. Where does your Superboy sleep?" He asks almost accusingly.
"There is no Superboy in our world," Martian Manhunter answers. Kon eyes light up in... Understanding?
"Oh, I get it now," Kon turns to face the Justice League. "Anyways, we need to discuss who could help you guys, if you want the help that is."
Kon strides in the direction of the meeting room, still in his tacky sleepwear. The Justice League follow behind with one question in all of their minds.
What on earth was that about?
_________________________________________________________
"So, first up there is the Teen Titans. Me being one of them. There's quite a few of us; me, Robin, Aqualad, Miss Martian, so on and so forth," Kon lists the member of the Teen Titians with a practised ease. Martian Manhunter perks up.
"Miss Martian?"
Kon's face scrunches up, bewildered. "Yeah, your niece?" Martian Manhunter tilts his head.
"My family are all dead, Superboy. At least, in my world, they are."
Kon's eyes go wide and he snaps his fingers. "Oh! Not your biological niece, I mean your adoptive niece. She landed on earth around three years ago, I think?"
Martain Manhunter looks shaken. Kal leans over and pats his hand. They share a look of mutual grief. Martain Manhunter looks back to Kon.
"Is it possible for me to meet her before we go back?" Kon shakes his head.
"Sorry, she and some others are on a group mission with Shazam. They won't be back for a long while."
"I see."
Kon squirms, evidently uncomfortable with the conversation. "There's also the Titans."
"You have already mentioned them," Diana says.
"No, I mentioned the Teen Titans. The Titans aren't teenagers, at least not anymore. They were the original Teen Titans, they just changed the name after they grew up."
"Who do the the 'Titans' include?" Hawkgirl asks.
"Nightwing, Raven, Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy."
Batman hums in approval. "I recognise those names, Robin has told me about them, they're his teammates."
"Wait, I thought that Superboy said Robin was part of the Teen Titans?" Flash asks.
"He is," Kon declares unhelpfully.
"Robin would no longer be a teen at this time," Batman looks at Kon. "He'd be an adult."
Kon looks confused for a moment before facepalming and saying,"Oh, you mean the first Robin. I've been talking about the third." He chuckles.
"What do you mean, 'the third Robin'?" Batman clenches and unclenches his gauntlets repeatedly.
"Well, adults usually don't want to go around dressed as traffic-directing elves so the former Robins took on their own hero identities. 'Robin' for them was like training wheels, I guess. I don't really understand the whole ritual of it but it makes them happy so whatever. Nightwing is the first Robin. A lot of his teammates still call him 'Rob'," Kon babbles.
"And who were the Robins after... Nightwing?"
"Your kids, obviously?" Kon says flippantly and then stares as Batman lets out an exhale that sounds concerningly like a broken kettle.
Kal looks between Martian Manhunter still reeling from the shock of another martian and Batman's twitching lips and thinks, this is going to be a long day.