A ROBIN EARNS ITS WINGS

for MerrickM

by Tracy

"You have got to be kidding me." The blond girl shook her head furiously. "I mean, really, I just got out of the superhero business. Hello, it's what got me killed? And now I have to go help this guy feel better about his life?"

"Angels in Training rarely get a chance to pick out their assignments, Stephanie. You want a shot at earning your wings? This is it."

"Out of all the heroes in the universe, I get him? We weren't the best of friends or anything when I was alive! He's like gonna have a total freak attack when he sees me."

"He'll live."

"Are you sure I can't get out of this?"

"Compared to my first assignment, it'll be easy."

"Thanks for the support, Jason." Stephanie Brown's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You'd think that a former Robin would be just a tad bit more supportive of another former Robin, right?"

Jason Todd shook his head. "Please. Try getting Clarence to be your advisor. He's a bitch to work with. I'm doing you a favor, trust me." Jason fiddled around and picked up a large remote. "So just how much do you know about Superboy?"

"Not as much as you're going to want me to, I'm guessing."

"So some of that training with Bruce did rub off, huh?" Jason laughed. "Let's start at the beginning, okay?"

Stephanie shrugged. "Sounds like a very good place to start…but, like I get a say in this?"

"Not really." Jason pointed the remote up at the sky, which blinked and scene of a massive and well organized laboratory.

"Whoa." Stephanie breathed. "How did you do that?"

"Hey, the Big Guy has an even better budget than the bat!"

"Well, who woulda thunk? Where are we?"

"This is Cadmus Labs. Genetic manipulation masterminds worthy of Jurassic Park. This is where Superboy, was, in a word, born."

"He isn't from Krypton?"

Jason gave her a look. "Don't you know anything? Nope, he's not. Supergirl is. But Superboy is totally Earthborn…or rather created."

"Created?"

"Yeah. Superman is a worldwide obsession, right? The dude's like ultra powerful. Just think what you could do if you could control someone with that much power. You'd be unstoppable…you could control the world."

"So that's what Superboy is? An attempt to grow your own Superman?"

"Basically. See that tube over there?" Jason pointed to the corner of the sky, and pushed on the remote, causing it to zoom in. "That's Superboy. And that guy next to him is Paul Westfield, big Cadmus CEO. "

"He's naked."

"Well, do you think that they grow people with clothes on? People aren't born that way, thank you."

"I know that." She elbowed Jason in the side. "I gave birth, thank you very much. I know a helluva lot more about that than you ever will."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'm sure."

"So he breaks free?"

"Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Hello. Teenage girl here. Teenage girl that was obsessed with Superheroes? I know the whole thing about when Superboy first surfaced and all that…you know, when Superman was dead. There were four different Supermen, and each of them claimed they were the real deal, except none of them was?"

"Well." Jason smiled. "So maybe this review won't take all day after all, huh?"

"So what's next?" Stephanie grinned. "I can get my wings and still have time to look in on my Mom before I get off the clock, huh? Cool."

"Whatever." Jason pressed another button on the remote and sky changed, now showing a scene of three teenage boys, slapping each other fives and wearing enormous grins.

"It's Tim!" Stephanie squealed. "Isn't he cute?"

"Uh…."

"I used to date him, you know?" She paused for a second. "Is he doing okay?"

Jason paused for a second. "About as well as anyone could, I guess."

"He misses me?"

"He does miss you, yes. He's had a very hard year, though, Stephanie."

"Huh?"

"He lost other friends in the Gang War…"

"You mean the ho he was gonna go out with instead of me."

Jason cleared his throat. "Well, um…yeah, yes. Though I wouldn't call her a ho. And Stephanie….Tim's dad died."

"What?" Stephanie's voice grew somber. "How?"

"It's a bit much to get into at the moment…but it's sufficient to say that a new villain has arisen in our little universe, and she struck heroes in some place no other villain would dare to hit…their families."

"How many? Who else?"

"Only one other…Sue Dibny."

"Elongated Man's wife?"

"The same. But everyone in a costume, hell anyone who knows someone that wears a costume is gonna feel the fall out from this one."

"Ouch."

"Yeah." Jason shifted his weight uncomfortably, from foot to foot. "So moving on, this would be the genesis of Young Justice."

"I know about Young Justice, idiot. Hello…"

"Even Einstein needed reminders of some stuff. This might be key in helping Superboy, okay? Robin and Impulse, Tim and Bart, are his best friends in the world. He'd do anything for them. Remember that."

"Like I'd forget."

"You are blonde. I'm going to give you the Reader's Digest version here, okay, not the whole George Bailey treatment. Because, really, if we went through everything, we'd be here all night."

"Good movie."

"Yup. It was great to watch on the big screen in the Bat Cave, especially when Alfred would make popcorn?"

"With melted butter." Stephanie sighed dreamily.

Jason pushed the remote again. The sky now showed a scene with Superboy holding a pair of glasses in his hands, looking at them as if he held a poisonous snake.

"Now we get a scene with some audio."

"I can barely stand the excitement."

Jason aimed the remote again, and the plainly clothed Superboy began to move, but no sound played.

"Wonderful audio."

He fiddled with the buttons, turning the volume all the way up

"I REALLY DON'T THINK ANYONE WILL BUY THIS!" Superboy's voice boomed.

Stephanie grabbed the remote out of Jason's hand. "Give me that. Don't you know anything about electronics?" She turned down the volume and rewound the scene.

"Hey. Give it back, Stephanie. You aren't authorized to have that yet. You don't even have your wings."

"And you're just gonna lord it over me, aren't you?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Just checking."

"Okay." Jason pushed play.

"Are you sure about this?" Superboy groaned. "These clothes are bad enough. I thought flannel hadn't been in since the 1990's!"

"Flannel suited me just fine when I was your age." A man standing next to Superboy replied. The man wearing a blue polo shirt and pleated black pants.

"Dude, is that Clark Kent?"

"You know Clark Kent?" Jason was dumbfounded.

Stephanie shrugged. "I loved The Janus Contract, okay? But what in the heck is Clark Kent doing with Superboy…unless….oh!" Her face turned red. "Clark Kent is Superman? Whoa."

"And that would be why it's called a secret identity."

"Almost everyone has one….do you know Batman's?"

"Maybe…"

Stephanie batted her eyes. "Please?"

"I'll tell you what, if you help Superboy and earn your wings, then I'll tell you Batman's secret identity."

"And if I don't?"

"You'll just have to suffer." Jason pushed play again.

I wear this to high school, I'm gonna be eaten alive, okay? I've never even been to high school! You're making me move to this freaky little backwoods town, and I don't want to!"

"Smallville's not that bad Conner."

"My name is Superboy. Or Kon-El. Kon if you must." Superboy groaned.

"Your secret identity is Conner Kent. Mild mannered transfer student from Metropolis. Cousin of Clark Kent, nephew of Jonathan and Martha Kent. You've got to get used to that."

"How to succeed at Smallville High without even trying." Conner growled. "You know I really don't think anyone will buy this."

Clark pointed to his own glasses. "Do you want to know how long these glasses fooled Lois?"

"So he's being forced to be a small town hick? That's beautiful."

"Conner's a walking identity crisis, okay? You would be to, if it happened to you…in fact, I can pull up a few scenes of your life if you want me to."

"No thank you." Stephanie said hastily. "So what's next?"

The screen flashed again. Now Superboy was standing next to Wonder Girl, loosely holding her hands.

"Ah, the romance portion of tonight's program." Stephanie smiled. "Do we have lovey dovey stereo?"

"There's sound, if that's what you mean."

"So that was some pretty amazing ass you kicked there." Superboy smiled at the blond beauty beside him.

"You aren't too bad yourself, Tiger."

He blushed. "Cass…"

"It's true."

"So…I was thinking."

"A dangerous pastime, Kon."

He nodded. "I know. But you know, we've been kind of, you know, involved…"

"Yeah?"

"And I thought maybe we should take the plunge."

"I don't think my mother would want me getting married while I'm still in High School, I'm flattered, but I just don't think the timings right."

Superboy had a blank look on his face.

Wonder Girl laughed. "I'm joking Conner. I know what you meant, and yes, I'd like to go out with you. On a real date. Just name the time and the place."

A gigantic grin broke out on Superboy's face. He picked up Wonder Girl and spun her around, before leaning down and placing a light kiss on her lips.

"Are you crying?"

"Shut up Jason." Stephanie sniffled. "So is like Wonder Girl his one true love?"

"At least of his high school years." Jason shrugged. "I can't tell you the future per se. It's always in motion. You can just kind of forecast it like the weather. The farther away you look, it gets kind of foggy. But moving on…" He pushed the remote again.

A picture of Superboy, now in a traditional Superman costume, complete with cape, now shone in the sky. He was surrounded by a field of people and creatures, all unique and beautiful. All were wearing a sort of Superhero costume, and shared a similar insignia on their belt.

"What's that?" Stephanie breathed.

"The Legion of Super Heroes. The 31st century's version of the JLA meets the Teen Titans."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"You just said that you couldn't tell me the future, but the 31st century is like most definitely future tense. How can you show me this?'

"That's because Superboy traveled into the future, so for a while, it became his present. This has to happen, because if it doesn't, it would change Superboy's past."

"Uh…whatever you say, Jason."

"That's the right attitude, Steph. Now we're at what happened today."

"Roll em, remote boy."

"Roll em, lead angel, thank you very much."

"Whatever."

Superboy was standing in an elevator, alongside Martha and Jonathan Kent.

"Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin laid an egg.." he sang softly.

"You know, Tim absolutely hates that song."

"Yeah, me too. It's kind of degrading to the whole Bat Family."

"Yeah. Come to think of it, I don't like it much either. I was a Robin, you know."

"So you've told me." Jason pushed play.

The elevator door opened, and Superboy and the Kents stepped out. They walked to a nearby door and knocked. The door opened.

"Come in, come in" Lois Lane Kent said with a smile. "How was your trip?"

"Not too bad." Martha said with a smile. "I brought pumpkin pie and apple, Clark always likes apple."

"Whoop-de-doo for Clark." Superboy muttered. "Where should I drop this stuff at?"

"Right over on the couch." Lois motioned. "I'll have Clark play Santa."

"Joy."

"Oooo, he's a sullen teenager! Quick, he really needs help!"

"Keep watching, okay?"

"Whatever you say, boss."

Clark had handed out most of the presents under the tree. He picked up one of the remaining presents.

"To Clark, from Conner." He read. "Looks promising."

"Huh?" Superboy looked at the present in Clark's hands. "I don't think that's the gift I got you."

The damage had already been done, Clark had opened the package, found a single piece of paper, and read it.

"Is this a joke?" Clark held the paper. "That you're a clone of me? And Lex Luthor? You've pulled some amazingly stupid stunts, Conner but this takes the cake!"

"I didn't do this!" Conner said, shaking from fear and anger. "I didn't wrap that for you, I got you freaking bunny slippers, because I knew you'd hate them but Lois and Ma would make you pretend that you liked them! As far as I know it's true, and it's been hell for me."

"As far as you know?"

"Tim…Robin….did a test. And there was this whole thing with an alternate me in a different future…"

"You trust Robin, you trusted a boy with something like this?"

"You trust Batman."

"You and I aren't the same."

"At least 50% of us is!"

"I can't believe you didn't come to me with this? Do you have any idea.."

"Look, I know that I'm usually persona non grata to you. You think I don't notice how you treat me? Everyone else in the Titans is treated like a sidekick, you treat me like someone you'd rather not think about, when you do think of me at all. And if I've gained the least bit of favor in your eyes, I don't want to loose it." Conner yelled. "You're the closest damn thing I have to a father!"

"Apparently not." Clark growled.

"I don't know why I even stick around here." Conner growled. "Don't try to find me." He flew straight through the living room window and into the Metropolis night sky.

"You're on, Steph."

**

Superboy sat in an abandoned field not to far away from the Kent farm house. Damn it, when in the hell did Smallville begin to look like home?

He fiddled with the green piece of rock in his hand. It was making him queasy right now, and pretty soon he'd start to hurl. If he didn't just go ahead and slash his wrists already that is.

Tears streamed down his face. He hated to cry.

He brought it closer to his body and felt his nausea grow. Just a little closer, and…

"Don't do that, Kon!" A voice shouted as the body of an attractive blond girl suddenly appeared.

"Grife!" Conner shouted, reverting to a 31st century curse. "What in the hell?" His face grew white when he recognized the girl's face. "Stephanie Brown? You're…you're supposed to be dead!"

"Don't remind me. So, how are you?"

"Just peachy." Superboy said with a sniffle. "My world's ending, that's all."

"Yeah, I know, I saw it all."

"You saw it all?"

"I am your guardian angel."

"Excuse me if that fact doesn't just fill me with joy."

"Your loss." She was silent for a moment. "You know what I miss? Gum. Popping and chewing, and even folding the gum wrappers."

"Huh. So why are you here?"

"Isn't that obvious?" She sat down next to Superboy on the ground. "You were trying to kill yourself. And that would be, like, really, really, really bad."

"So what, you're going to show me what a wonderful life I've had, and how my never being here would have made the world a shittacular place?"

"Nah. Been done. You know, the movie and all. But listen to me, okay, Supes? You still feel like killing yourself when I'm done, you can, okay?"

Superboy shrugged. "What do I have to loose? I'm making a bargain with a dead person. If I don't die, maybe I'll end up hopped up on drugs in Belle Reeve or Arkham."

"Arkham. Nasty place, believe you me. So. Your parentage sucks."

"Ugh..yeah, I don't know what's worse…my diabolical father or my asshole father."

"My father was both." Stephanie said in a small voice.

"Really?"

"Yeah, but he was bad at it. The Cluemaster. The like, lamest villain to ever hit the streets of Gotham. He thought he was all that, but I could figure out his clues when I was five years old! At least your diabolical father is like cool. He's been president. You're like the First Son or something. And the money? Not to shabby if you could get your hands on that."

"Yeah, he is a pretty kick ass villain, isn't he?"

"Not just everyone gets to be Superman's arch nemesis, right?"

"Yup."

"And maybe you could like bring peace between them. You're like their child."

"I doubt that I'm gonna be the peacemaker."

"You never know, Kent."

"How did you know my last name?"

"Guardian Angel. I know everything, hello?"

"Right. Thus says the crazy person."

"And sucicide? So selfish. Do you even know what that would do to the people you'd leave behind?"

"Like Superman would care."

"He's not the only person in the world, and since Supergirl got here, not the only Kryptonian! You'd hurt other people, dummy!"

"Like who."

"Wonder Girl. Cassie. She's got a major thing for you boy, and it just might be love. Are you willing to break her heart and throw it all away? You're much more of an idiot than I thought."

"Who else?"

"The Kents? Ma and Pa? From the stack of presents you got, it looks like they care about you an awful lot. Or the Titans. They're your friends, I know it. You wanna put them through hell? You want to end up a statue in the hall of memories right next to Donna Troy?"

"Not really."

"And I can't even imagine you'd want to do that to Tim! He's your supposed best friend, and you want to cause him even more pain? He's lost his home, the two girls he was flip flopping about going out with, and his father! His father! Your death could very likely throw him over the edge, and if you hurt him, I swear I will haunt your ass and kick it up and around every side of death, bub."

"I hadn't thought about that."

"Well, duh. Now tell me something I don't know."

"I couldn't stand you when you were alive."

"I knew that, Kent. I wasn't too fond of you either."

"You tried to be Robin."

"I was Robin." She sighed. "Look, as my closing argument, I gotta tell you. Being dead sucks. Yeah, this angel gig isn't too bad, but do you have any idea about the training? I miss my mom more than I can ever say. I'm sorry about how I ended it with Tim, and I wish more than anything , that I could turn back time and erase my stupid decision that caused that whole freaking gang war. But I can't. And dude, life isn't bliss…it's living. You've gotta live. Because I can so not guard someone else who is dead. One of us has to be living. And think of the future. With the Legion. You've gotta live, dude. You're worth it."

Superboy sat silently for a second.

"Do you think he'll ever forgive me? Ever wanna be around me again?"

"It's not your fault. You can't control how you were created. So you're not what he expected. He'll deal. I know with my mom…no matter how much we fought, how much we disagreed, it came down to one thing."

"What was that?"

"She loved me."

"Do you think?"

"I think."

He nodded, and dropped his chunk of Kryptonite. Conner started to take to the sky, but turned around at the last moment, and swept Stephanie into an impulsive hug.

"Thanks Steph."

"Hey, that's what a guardian angel is for."

Conner took to the sky and sped towards Metropolis.

***

Clark was waiting for him on the roof.

"You're here."

"I figured you be back."

"I'm sorry, you know, about the window."

"I know the building's owner. It'll be okay, Conner."

Superboy smiled weakly. "And I'm sorry about…"

"No, I'm sorry. I was way out of line…I was shocked. It is a pretty big shock you know."

"Yeah. I didn't eat for days. Thought it all had to be some kind of horrible joke."

"Since you left I've been chastised by Ma, Lois, and Batman."

"Batman?"

"Somehow he knew."

"Did Robin tell him?"

"I doubt it. He wouldn't try to break a trust, but the guy just seems to know everything."

They both chuckled, and then there was silence.

"Do you want me to stop being Superboy?"

Silence again.

"No. For goodness sakes, no, Conner!"

"Really?"

"Who your parents are don't change who you are. You are an amazing boy, a boy that I'm pretty proud to know. I'm proud when you wear the S."

"I never knew."

"Conner, for a long time now, you've been like a son to me. And though it threw me for a loop, I'm amazed that I have a son of my own. That you're my son. And I haven't been right to you, I know that. It's going to take time, Conner but things will change. For the better."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. We'll figure it out." Clark put a hand around Superboy's shoulder. "It won't be easy, but we'll figure it out as father and son."

"Cool." Superboy pasued for a second. "Is there still pie left?"

"Do you know Ma?"

Clark Kent and Conner Kent, father and son, left the roof of the apartment and went home to finish celebrating Christmas with their family.

As Superboy was eating Ma's prize winning apple pie, he could hear the gentle sound of a bell ringing.

**

"So Jason, what do you think?" Stephanie said as she spun around, flapping her filmy white, newly earned wings.

"Gorgeous. Though, you know, not as good as mine."

"Whatever." Stephanie bounced. "Now pay up."

"Pay up?"

"Tell me who Batman is!" She whined. "You promised!"

"I did?"

"Jaaaasssooon…"

He took a deep sigh. "Okay. Batman is….Bruce Wayne."

Stephanie laughed. "Oh, come on. You could at least come up with someone that would make sense."

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