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Clark Kent (AKA, Superman) picked up his phone and dialed Diana (AKA, Wonder Woman), gently cradling his son, Jonathan, the toddler asleep from his long day.
"Superman, is everything alright?" Diana asked after three rings. "Uh... I have a problem." Clark said as quietly as he could so he wouldn't wake up Jon while speaking loud enough Diana could hear him. Not the easiest task when the child in his arms had superhearing.
"What's wrong?" Diana sounded like she was shushing someone on her side of the line. "So, yesterday, I busted into one of LexCorps labs because it was on fire... and I found a clone of me... and now it's gone." Clark shuffled and put the phone between his ear and his shoulder, freeing up his hand to try and pry Jon's hands away from his shirt without ruining the delicate fabric.
On Diana's end, there was someone screaming about a 'laslk?' and security breaches. "Is everything alright?" Clark asked, managing to free his shirt just as Lois came in. Clark handed her their child and nodded his gratitude. Lois smiled back, rocking their child in her arms. Clark left the room and went into the hallway.
"Yes. There was a security breach yesterday when a child accidentally set off a zeta tube, but J'onn and Batman are handling it, and have secured the zeta's." Diana reassured. "Hal's just being unreasonable about it, something about the 'laslk' cursing Ollie. He's had some bad luck today." She sighed as Hal Jordan's (AKA, one of the Green Lanterns) voice just barely filtered through. "Spooky is being more cryptic than usual! He's probably compromised!!" Diana pulled the phone away and started yelling back at Hal.
Clark rolled his eyes, but chuckled slightly. A few seconds later, Diana returned. "Sorry about that. Now, how can I assist you with your clone?" She asked. "I just need to find it. I can't seem to locate it, and I don't think it's in Metropolis anymore." Clark sighed. "And after that?" Diana's raised eyebrow could be heard. "I... I'm not sure. I just need to find it and contain it before it decides world domination is a great idea."
"Of course. I'll contact the other league members. They'll be on alert until we can find it." Diana sounded like she was nodding. Clark sighed with relief. "Thanks, Di. I'll see what I can do from my end." He ended the call and looked up with a sigh. He really wished he knew where his new clone was.
Just a hop across the bay away, in Metropolis's sister city, Batman was cursing Clark's inability to keep his DNA to himself.
Project Kr, as the scientists called him, and Clone by... his father(?)... original yet unwitting DNA donner(?)... Superman. Yes, Superman. Well, he was confused and angry. No one seemed to like him and Superman was just as grumpy and mean as the rest. Wasn't it enough that the scientists liked to poke at him and screamed at him when he accidentally set fire to their lab (he didn't want to go back into the box, okay!), but Superman was mean to him too! He was angry and grabbed Kr really hard when he dragged Kr away. Harder than any of the scientists had, and he didn't like it.
So, when Superman's back was turned, he fled. He didn't want to be around mean people, even if Superman claimed he was nice.
Now, he had no idea where he was (the scientists didn't exactly put detailed maps into his brain), but he knew he didn't like it. Here, everyone was mean and it was also dark.
Kr held back a sniffle as he huddled closer to the chimney he found on a rooftop. It provided a little shelter from the drizzling rain, kept at least one side of his body slightly warm, and provided him a little relief from the kids who pelted some trash at him around an hour ago, yelling stuff about 'superman fanboys'. It didn't make much sense to him.
Well, now he was experiencing cold for the first time. It sunk into his bones and he shivered at the feeling. Not that it did him much good. His stomach rumbled, and now he was experiencing hunger for the first time too. Kr whimpered and curled up into his ball even tighter.
"Excuse me, but what are you doing up here?" A very soft voice asked from behind Kr. Kr whirled around (wasn't he supposed to have superhearing? Why didn't that work?) and saw a boy (well, it looked like a boy) standing there. He was thin and small, with black hair, wearing a black cape that circled him and only left his muted green boots revealed, and had a black mask with white lenses over his eyes. But the thing that didn't make him seem... human, was the little trail of blood coming from his mouth that stood out against his too-pale skin and the fact that he was bent slightly awkwardly in a way that a human shouldn't be able to.
"W-who are you?" Kr started edging away from the boy. "My name's Robin. Don't be scared." The boy - Robin - smiled very gently at him, teeth just a hair too sharp to be human. Kr didn't like it. "Did you come up here to escape something?" Robin asked. Kr nodded, hesitant, but Robin didn't seem to want to hurt him. He seemed thin and frail, someone Kr could easily take on... even if he didn't look quite human.
"Who were you escaping from?" Robin took a step forward. Kr glared at the foot. "I-I'm not sure..." He muttered, scooting back into the hard metal of some appliance that was placed on the roof. Robin nodded, as if he understood, taking a step back. "Do you have a place to go? The rain could get you sick."
Kr shook his head. "I..." Then the realization hit him like a brick wall. He was alone. There was no lab to go back to, no Superman to fly him to safety, no home to go back to, it was just him and Robin on top of a dinghy roof in some unknown, filthy, gross, and smelly city. A tear fell down his cheek as the fear hit him even harder. His breath started coming out in desperate gasps, eyes wide and only seeing his knees as he curled up into a tight fetal position.
Suddenly, there were feet just outside his field of vision. "Hey, hey. It'll be okay. I can help." Robin's soft voice was in his ear and Kr's hands snapped out and grabbed Robin. He brought the smaller boy into his lap, curling into him and letting his tears fall down into the messy black hair. Cuddling him like a stuffed toy.
He didn't even have one of those.
Robin's gloved hand carded through Kr's own hair, making a cooing sound, almost like a dove, his pre-programmed knowledge told him. Slowly, Kr's breathing slowed and his bawls turned to hiccups. Huh, Robin was warm.
He felt exhausted and cuddled Robin a little closer, soaking in the limited warmth he was emitting.
Robin cooed at him again, a small smile on his face. "Feel better?" He asked. Kr nodded, nosing Robin's head again. He smelled nice. "What's your name?" Robin asked after a few more moments of silence. Kr seized up. He didn't even have a name.
"I... I don't have one." He muttered, more tears falling down his face in another waterfall. Robin frowned but continued to run his fingers through Kr's hair. "Hey, it's alright. I'm sure we can find you a name that you like." Robin murmured softly. Kr just nodded into Robin's hair. "I'm going to assume you also don't have anywhere to go?" Robin whispered. Kr shook his head.
Robin pursed his lips. "Well, there's a few shelters that might take you... but I think Batman would like to meet you first." He squirmed in Kr's lap, as if to get up, but Kr held firm. He wasn't going to let go of the nice Robin in his lap. "Batman?" Kr asked as Robin stopped squirming, seemingly resigned to being held. "He's my mentor and Gotham is his territory." Robin explained.
"He can help. I promise." He pulled out a little box from a belt and pressed a button. Kr tensed. "I promise. He doesn't seem like he's nice, but that's just because he's really grumpy." Robin smiled at him, putting the box away. Kr pursed his lips. "Everyone keeps saying that they're nice, but they don't act like it." He grumbled, looking up from Robin's hair. Robin sighed. "I get that. Sometimes I feel like everyone's mean, but it turns out that they just had a bad day or someone made them upset. It's not your fault when someone gets unreasonably mad at you." He let his hand fall from Kr's hair, letting it rest against his shoulder.
Kr bit his lip and looked away. He... supposed that was true, but he hadn't been in the world long enough to confirm it or not.
"Robin." Came a harsh voice, making Kr curl up and into a defensive position, still clutching Robin to his chest. "Woah!" Robin yelped, hands scrabbling to get a grip somewhere on Kr's body. Kr ignored him in light of staring at the massive black thing that was now hovering in the shadows of the roof, white eyes locked onto the two teenagers.
"Hey, B." Robin waved from his slightly uncomfortable position in Kr's arms. "Uh, we need some help." He turned and smiled at Kr. "He can help, I promise." He whispered. Kr narrowed his eyes at the thing that was standing in the shadows, not trusting something he couldn't really see. "Please. I promise that he's nice." Robin whispered against his ear.
Kr looked between Robin and Batman, then stood up, clutching Robin to his chest in an awkward bridal carry. Batman didn't move toward them, or at all really. Kr slowly walked toward it, making sure Robin didn't try to squirm away, or move at all.
Finally, Kr stood at Batman's feet, looking up into its white eyes. "Hi." He croaked. Batman grunted. "That's how he says hi." Robin giggled. Kr blinked and nudged Robin's head with his nose, not sure what to make of that. Robin batted at his skull with a hand in response, then turned to look up at Batman.
"B, this is... well he doesn't have a name, or a home to go back to. He's not from Gotham and he needs help." Robin gently patted Kr's head. Batman hummed, leaning down to their height. "I think I recognize him." He grunted, voice harsh on Kr's ears.
"You do? From where?" Robin tilted his head. Batman just hummed again, Robin chirped in response. Kr felt as though he was listening in on a conversation he wasn't privy to.
"I think it would be best if we went back to the cave." Batman huffed, standing up and jumping off the edge of the building. "Come on." Robin slipped out of Kr's hold and jumped after the black mass. Kr gasped and leaped after the little Robin who was now on the ground, unharmed. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stopped zooming down and instead floated down. Robin gasped, looking up with a bit of wonder and Kr preened under that gaze.
Batman hummed when Kr landed soundlessly on the filthy ground. "You're a meta?" Robin asked, tilting his head, narrowing his eyes in a way that made Kr feel like he was a puzzle, but in a way, he didn't really mind. Not like the scientists who wanted to poke him, and not like Superman who wanted to crack his skull open, but like he was a puzzle, like he was someone and not something.
"Nope! I'm Kryptonian!" He declared a little proudly, jutting a thumb at his own chest, and hoping that Robin didn't notice his elevated heartbeat. Could humans hear others' heartbeats?
"Huh. I thought there were only three Kryptonians, not four." Robin looked up at Batman, who grunted in response. Kr winced, and tried not to show it. "Come along." Batman grumbled, walking down the sidewalk with Robin and Kr on his heels.
From seemingly nowhere, a black car pulled off the street and stopped next to them. Batman jumped in when the top slid back. Kr gawked as Robin easily jumped into the passenger seat, graceful in no way that Kr had seen from humans prior to this moment. "It's warmer in here than it is out there." Robin smiled, waving Kr in. Kr gulped a bit nervously, but floated into the backseat, pulling Robin by his arm into the back with him. He felt better with him in his lap.
Batman grunted in what sounded like disapproval but Robin chirped at him.
True to Robin's word, when the roof of the car slid shut above him, Kr was hit with a wave of warmth, warming him down to his bones. He sighed and relaxed a little. That was one of his worries crossed off of his list of things to worry about.
Robin began chittering at Batman, who responded in kind with soft clicks. Kr leaned in to try and decipher the language they were using, but was left out of the conversation. After a few minutes, Kr grumbled in defeat and leaned against the comfortable backseat, looking out the window and the surroundings that were flashing past.
He frowned when Robin and Batman stopped talking. Did they come to a conclusion? Were they going to hand him back over to Superman? Or the scientists? Or Mr. Luthor? He didn't really like the idea of any of those options, but they were the only ones he could think of.
"Hey." Robin tapped Kr's nose with one muted green hand. "Me and B came up with a plan. We're going to the Batcave, where we're gonna be fed. After that, we'll see what we can do about the whole Lex-Superman clone thing, 'kay?" He smiled easily. "H-huh?" Kr blinked at the Robin in his lap. "You're not gonna send me back?"
Robin shook his head. "Nuh-uh. Superman and Luthor are... mad and aren't thinking clearly and it wouldn't be fair to you to send you back to that mess until all the adults are thinking clearly." He wrinkled up his nose, which was adorable. "So, you'll stay in the Batcave until we can figure something else out."
"Oh." Kr relaxed a little, snuggling up to Robin's smaller body. Robin hummed a little.
"I'm calling Superman. Let him know Robin found you." Batman grunted. "What!? B-but he's mean!" Kr squealed, holding onto Robin like a lifeline. Robin grunted. Batman seemed to pause. "Alright. I won't call him right now, then." He muttered, continuing on his way to this 'Batcave'.
The car pulled to a stop and the roof slid off so Batman could jump out and Kr floated out with Robin cradled against him. Kr looked around with curiosity. They were in a massive cave system, in one of the large caverns from what he could tell, a few smaller tunnels leading to other places. There were multiple layers built into the cavern.
At the top were what seemed to be all of the technological things, such as computers and what seemed to be a lab of some sort. The next had what looked to be what the scientists programmed into his brain as a 'gym'. The next had clear space for what seemed to be odd weapons and another lab. One more down seemed to be a museum full of all sorts of trophies, a few even sticking up through to the layer above. Then, on the layer they were on were all of the mechanical things (for the car, probably), and what seemed to be all the medical supplies. Between the layers were stairs and poles and what looked like jungle gyms to get from one layer to the next.
It was massive and full of places and things to explore.
"You like it?" Robin giggled, smiling up at Kr. Kr smiled back. "It's... alright." He pulled himself to the ground when above them, a colony of bats squeaked overhead, flying in from their nighttime feeding. "Yeah. It's a Bat Cave." Robin chuckled. "Come on, we've gotta get you settled in for the night." He smiled and easily slipped out of Kr's arms for a second time that night. Kr frowned, but followed Robin as he led him up three flights of stairs, onto the layer with all of the gym supplies.
Mats littered the floors as well as pull-up bars and a few snack bars against the walls. Robin led him past one of these snack bars, into one of the many tunnels that led out from the, as far as Kr could tell, main cavern. It was dark and damp, but that didn't stop Robin from leading Kr into another smaller cavern that, when he turned the soft purple light on, showed off a small... nest?
The cavern was lined with futons, pillows both normal size and full body-hugging size, blankets, and had various electronics littered around it and on a single wooden coffee table that stood in the middle of the nest. Kr almost felt as if he was being led into some sort of den, one that was well protected if the few weapons that were also on the walls were anything to go by.
"This is our roost. Only a select few are allowed in here." Robin explained, kicking a few blankets around so they formed a small pile. "And I'm allowed in?" Kr kept himself in the air, not sure if it was alright to land in the fluffy piles on the ground. Robin hummed the affirmative, flopping onto the pile he made and squirming around until he was firmly burritoed in the blankets. "Now, come down here." Robin patted the space next to him and Kr obliged, sitting cross-legged on the ground.
It was warm and Kr promptly flopped down into the fluffiness and buried himself next to Robin, sighing softly. This was much better, and he was no longer wet, he was warm, felt mostly safe, although hunger still gnawed at his insides. Slowly, his eyes began to flutter shut, drowsiness and exhaustion starting to catch up to him.
"Hey! Who let the wet dog in?" Came a sharp voice. Kr was awake and grabbing Robin so fast that Robin yelped, struggling against his blanket bonds. In the entrance was a... girl (?) who had a black cape lined with dark purple flung back over her shoulders as her own white eyes glared at Kr, blonde hair spilling down her back. Her posture was threatening and dangerous. Kr growled at her, hugging Robin closer to his chest.
The girl snarled right back, her hands pulling away from her hips as she got into a fighting stance, claws on her hands unsheathing.
"Guys!" Robin snapped, halfway done struggling out of his blanket prison, looking like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon. "Batgirl, this is... well he doesn't really have a name yet, but we're working on it. Um... This is Batgirl." Robin said a little lamely, looking between the two. Batgirl blinked at Kr, who blinked right back. Her claws resheathed themselves and Kr loosened his hold on Robin so he could flop back into the nest.
"Oh. So no-name is invited to the roost then? And I don't get a warning. How rude, bird-brain." Batgirl huffed, falling into the pillows. Robin snorted, chirping at her. Batgirl smirked at him, making a playful growling sound. Kr whined, not liking how he was left out of the conversation yet again. Batgirl chirruped at him, crawling over as Robin started to make a purring sound.
Kr gripped Robin when Batgirl nudged Robin's forehead with her own. "She's a friend. Promise." Robin smiled relaxing into the pillows and blankets with Batgirl. Kr made an odd wrangled whimpering whine and hovered close to Robin. "Oh, and Nightwing's coming in with food." Batgirl yawned, stretching out like a cat. Robin hummed. Kr tensed. "He's our big brother." Robin crooned softly, weaving a hand over to Kr's, squeezing his wrist.
Kr watched Robin and Batgirl slowly fall asleep, the purple light making them seem pale and sickly, yet powerful and strong at the same time. Their breathing evened out and Kr felt something else besides hunger gnaw at his insides. Like he was the only one in the room, similar to what he felt when it was just him and Robin on the rooftop.
He didn't like the feeling.
Clark was in the Watch Tower, in full Superman attire, standing next to Diana and the elder Flash, Barry Allen. He's frowning at the communications line, where on the other side is Batman staring back at them.
"So, let me get this straight. You found the clone, but you won't share its location and you're keeping it?" Clark bit out, trying to hold in his anger. "Yes." Batman nodded his head a little. "It's dangerous!" Clark snapped, feeling exasperated. "He's a child." Batman didn't even look like he was raising an eyebrow. Clark growled.
Diana put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Batman, I know you would not withhold information or a reason on why you would act in such a way if you were asked, so please explain why you wish to keep the clone with you." She asked, curiosity burning at her.
"I agree. If the clone's as dangerous as Supes says, I think we should all be worried about any repercussions from keeping him off the Watch Tower." Barry paused. "Unless you're keeping it - him, in a secure location anyways, then why should we be worried?" He asked Clark and Diana. Clark glared at him, and Barry retreated a little while Diana looked thoughtful.
"Are you keeping it in a secure location?" She asked. Batman nodded his head with an affirmative grunt.
"So, what? You think you can handle a half-Kryptonian?" Clark snapped. "I can handle a pure-breed Kryptonian." Batman's deadpan voice made it hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but seeing as it was Batman, you could assume the ladder.
That didn't mean that Clark was any happier with Batman at that moment. "So, what are your reasons for keeping the clone to yourself?" He bit out. Barry whimpered and fled the room. Clark winced when Diana squeezed her hand on his shoulder in a small reprimand.
"Lex Luthor has gone public with his wants to get his hands on him. 'Retaining his biological son from his kidnapping father' as he has put it. Not only is Luthor upset, but you are not thinking clearly either. He has already claimed that you were 'mean' to him. I will not place a child, clone or otherwise, in a situation between two angry and upset adults that would rather see them harmed than admit their own flaws and not calm down. You can let Luthor know that Batman has him, and will be keeping him until the two of you can act like rational, calm, and reasonable adults rather than the squabbling, bitter, unreasonable, running in circles because you can't get your heads out from where the sun don't shine, middle schooler level of rationale idiots that you are both acting like. Now, do you have any further questions, or can I continue with my nightly duties?" Batman had obviously cocked an eyebrow, daring either of them to say something against him.
Clark shut his mouth with a clack. Diana shook her head. "Good. Batman out." With that, the screen turned black with a soft click.
The two were silent.
Barry came back in holding a sandwich. "So, how'd it go?"
Batman leaned back in his chair, a small smile dancing on his lips. That had felt oddly satisfying.
From behind him, J'onn J'onzz (AKA, Martian Manhunter) approached him, brushing his hand against the armrest. "You seem happy." He said. Batman grunted, schooling his face. Then after a second, let out a purring sound. J'onn blinked at him. "The human vocal range never seems to cease to amaze me." He chuckled. Batman let his lips twitch up for a brief moment.
"What will you do with the clone?" J'onn asked as Batman leaned forward to type on his keyboard. "I will keep my word. I will not let Luthor or Clark even touch him until the two have cooled down enough to think about the child they may have not fully realized they brought into the world." He grunted, pulling up a few files about the project Luthor had.
From where she was clinging to J'onn's cape, Black Bat dropped to the ground and clambered onto Batman's lap. Batman stroked her head and moved her cape so it surrounded her like a blanket.
"Looks like he was labeled as Project Kr, the atomic symbol for Kryptonite. A project that focused on the study of Kryptonian cloning and he was created to replace Superman should Superman turn evil or fail. And, of course, Luthor didn't lie about how he was the clone of both Superman and himself, although there seem to be no pre-programmed subconscious orders placed into his brain. Just a middle school level of knowledge." Batman leaned back, continuing to stroke his daughter's head in a way that reminded J'onn of a human petting a cat or from a romantic movie during a cuddling scene.
"And after that?" J'onn asked. Batman hummed. "Make sure Nightwing gets some food into him tonight. Figure out what he wants to be called. Find him someplace less risky to stay if we're in this for the long haul." He muttered. J'onn nodded once in understanding. Behind them, J'onn could hear a few late-night bats returning to the cave ceiling.
"Are you staying the night again?" Batman asked. "Perhaps. If I am not imposing." J'onn sounded as though he was musing. "You're not." Batman sounded clipped, but J'onn could read his friend well. Batman was once again having a bit of trouble expressing his emotions outwardly and J'onn felt a spark of pride at how Batman tried to express something around him.
They were quiet for a little while longer.
"I may stay the night. I would like to meet the son of Superman and Lex Luthor if I have time before monitor duty." J'onn allowed a small twitch up of his lips. Batman grunted and stood up with Black Bat curled in his arms, walking away.
Clark landed easily on the balcony of Lex's penthouse. He frowned at the bald man who was already standing on it.
"Superman." Lex greeted. "Lex." Clark frowned.
They were quiet for a little while longer.
"Did you find the clone?" Lex asked. Clark sighed. "He's being kept by Batman at the moment." He grumbled. Lex hummed. "Are you that distrustful of me?" They could both hear the underlying sarcasm and mockery.
"Batman doesn't want it near either of us at the moment." Clark huffed. Lex raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Oh?" He asked and Clark could hear the curiosity in his voice. "He was adamant that he kept it." Clark glared at Lex as if it was his fault, and, he reasoned, in a way it was.
Lex just chuckled. Clark could see the gears turning in his head. "Whatever you're thinking, Lex, I wouldn't. Going up against Batman doesn't end well for anyone." He warned. "Do we have experience in that field?" Lex sounded smug. Clark sneered at him. Lex chuckled again.
"So, how do we get our little clone baby back?" He leaned back against the high railing of the balcony. Clark snorted. "Get our heads out from where the sun don't shine, to quote Bats." He grunted. Lex actually laughed at that.
"Our little Batsy friend seems to have this handled better than either of us." He smiled almost wistfully, although Clark knew it was just for show.
"He's not your friend." Clark snapped. "Don't assume that he's yours." Lex replied evenly. "He is my friend. He's just... grumpy." Clark huffed, folding his arms across his chest. Lex hummed in a non-commenting way, although it still managed to dig its way under Clark's supposedly invulnerable skin and he growled lowly at Lex.
"So, your little bat has decided that he'll only give back the clone once we've talked things out like adults." Lex ignored Clark's growl. Clark glared but nodded. "What shall we do with the clone? I would like to raise it. Him, I mean. Maybe he'll inherit LexCorp." Lex mussed. "Oh no, you don't. If we're going down that way and treating it like you didn't make it to try and use to kill me, then you shouldn't be the one who gets it... er, him." Clark faltered when Lex gave him an even look and a sly smirk.
"As far as the law would be concerned, you're a horrible option for a parent. No steady income as far as anyone's concerned, as you're always running around saving people for free. That could also lead to you being seen as a neglectful father as well as financially unstable. You're unreliable." Lex smiled in a sickeningly sweet way. Clark met it with his own smirk after a few seconds of thought.
"You're right, but Kryptonians are a near-extinct species, and to deny the last of my remaining race their heritage could be disastrous in the long run. How long until you stick him in an inhibitor collar because you can't handle his powers, Lex? That could be considered abuse. How much can he handle until he comes running to me to learn about being Kryptonian? By denying me him, you would be trying to kill off a culture and possibly a species. How much would your stocks be worth when people found out what you did?" He said calmly and clearly.
Lex snorted. "No one but an oppressed culture actually cares about stopping the 'killing off' another culture." He waved a dismissive hand. "Maybe, but then the people who want to uphold their reputation and have the power to do so will twist it so you become the bad guy and use it to make it look like they're trying to be the good guys, even if they're just doing it for their own gain. Besides, a lot of people do care, they just don't have the means to help save a culture or don't know where to start. We both know this." Clark huffed.
Lex hummed, crossing his own arms. "Unfortunately, you're right. We'll have to come up with a solution. In the meantime, I'd like to get some sleep." With that, Lex walked into his penthouse and closed the window. Clark sneered at his back before taking off to the sky.
Rao, Lex was so annoying sometimes!
Kr shifted a little uncomfortably, not able to drift off. Not like he was able to earlier. A new person had entered the roost. A man who whispered that his name was Nightwing and had brought a few snack items such as energy bars, water, fruit, vegetables, and a few bags of chips. Kr hadn't touched them while Nightwing relaxed into the pillow pile he made for himself.
Then, like some sort of demon from the shadows, something scuttered into the small cavern (it didn't even have eyes!!!), seemed to study Kr for a few seconds that felt like minutes, crawled over to then onto Nightwing, and seemed to fall asleep, head under Nightwing's chin.
Now Kr really couldn't sleep. Not with... whatever that was in the cavern.
Deciding to probably do something stupid, Kr floated up and out into the main cavern, hoping to find something to do or someplace else to fall asleep. He didn't immediately see anything and it was too dark in the cavern to really see much and it made any and all exploring difficult.
"Can't sleep?" Came a soft, monotone voice. Kr jumped and whirled around to see a green man??? standing there. His deep red eyes didn't allude to any emotions, almost like a bug. Kr shivered. This place was officially horrifying if things like the thing in front of him were normal.
"Do not be frightened. I am not human. I come from the planet Mars. My name is J'onn J'onzz." J'onn said in a way that made Kr calm down a little. Just enough for him to nod his head. "You seem tired. Perhaps you should return to the roost." Kr nodded, turning and flying back to the roost, finding himself in a new bout of exhaustion, and collapsed next to Robin as soon as he touched down.
Outside, J'onn smiled a little. That mental trick always worked on his children. Then J'onn felt a wave of sadness overwhelm him and he looked at the ground. From behind him, Batman appeared and brushed a hand against the Martian's cape. J'onn gave Batman a small smile, and the two stood in silence.