I See Dead Heroes

by The_Dawn_Knight

Summary:

Billy Batson ends up an unwilling participant in a demon summoning by some local thugs, only... they don't summon a demon. But instead what emerges are two heroes that died 12 years ago. To make matters worse no one else can see or hear them except for Billy. Now he has to do what he can to get Superman and Batman home to tell their families what's going on.

But the families they left aren't the families they find...

It seems Lois has been lost in light of Supe's passing and though Batman died that fateful night, how is it that Bruce Wayne is very much alive?

Chapter 1: The Summoning

Even Batman was ready to call it a day.

Well, a year… several actually…

One moment he and Superman were fighting Doomsday and the next they were here. Taking out demons left and right with hardly a chance to rest.

At first, they assumed Doomsday had ripped some sort of hole in the plane of reality. So they began to fight the demons that came at them in droves. After a couple of hours, they were aware that this was no longer Earth. After a couple of days, Batman concluded that this was likely hell. After a few weeks, every second of which was spent fighting for their souls, he surmised there was likely no end to this onslaught. Hell after all likely had an endless supply of demons. Both Batman and Superman found their physical forms did not tire as it did on earth, but mentally, the fight was weighing them down.

Batman kept reminding him that a day in Hell was but a minute on Earth… that the time passing was not as long as it felt to them.

Knowing that did not help the time pass...

He kept bringing up Lois whenever Superman seemed unable to continue and that seemed to instill in him a renewed sense of strength. That his parents needed him to return home. Hell, the world needed him. To keep it safe.

Superman did the same, reminding Bruce he would see his boys again. That Dick, Jason and Tim were waiting for him to come home. That Alfred would have a drink waiting when he showed up. And Selena would drop by the second she heard he was back. That they all needed him. That they had to get back. Whatever the cost…

They did their best, to keep the other fighting and in the present moment, but before they knew it, these weeks had become months. And months turned into years.

How many? They weren’t sure… There was no way to tell…

At some point, it became almost mechanical, their fighting.

Just another hundred, and then you can get back to Lois… to your parents… they need you…

Just another fifty, and you’ll be home to greet Alfred and the boys again… Selena will be there as well… This will all be worth it... Just twenty more...

Everything in the world that they wanted back would be theirs after defeating one more demon…

After an unknown amount of time, a portal opened…

A demon was being pulled upwards into it.

This might be the only chance they have to escape…

It didn’t matter where it went to.

It didn’t matter if it was a trap.

Anywhere was better than here.

Superman and Batman locked eyes, and they both lunged for it, Superman using his heat vision to kock the creatures out of the portal’s pull and then they were both caught in it. Falling up... And…

---

They were floating above a pentagram, with the pentagram itself on fire. Candles were placed at each of the spokes on the symbol. They weren’t uniform as they varied in color and size. It was clearly nighttime. The cars on the highway above were zooming by.

There were four people before them three men and a young boy. The men were holding the child firmly, one holding a bloody knife, and suddenly they all looked frightened at the sight of the symbol in flames, and they screamed and cursed running away in fright.

The boy, however, stayed. That might have been because he looked too weak to get up. He had clearly been beaten up. His wrists were bound with rope and his right hand was covered in blood as it had been split open.

At the very least. They appeared to be home. Home meaning on earth of course. Who knows where on earth they were though? All you could tell from the quick glance around was that they were under an overpass in a shady alley. Which alley… Batman wasn’t sure. It didn’t look familiar to him. But that was not important now.

It was incredible how quickly hero mode seemed to kick in when you were looking down at a wounded child. Even after all they had been through, they both knew it was hero time.

“I got them,” Superman said taking off in the direction of the men that had been surrounding the boy.

Batman noticed the fire did not burn him as he stepped down and out of the pentagram.

“Don’t worry, I got you,” he said and he knelt in front of the boy and reached out to take his wrist but his hand went straight through him.

“Batman,” Superman called. He had flown some ten feet away but had stopped. Holding his hand out. “There appears to be a forcefield of some kind…”

Batman looked back down at the boy.

“Are you really Batman?” he asked weakly.

“Yes,” he answered.

“But that’s not possible… you’re dead…”

His eyes closed and he fell to the side. He reached out a hand to catch that child before he hit the pavement, but the boy fell straight through his arms onto the ground.

Superman flew back over kneeling by the boy as well. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Batman answered reaching out his hand he attempted to grasp the boy’s shoulder but went straight through him. “I don’t know… But we have to get this boy some help. Can you touch him?”

Superman reached out attempting to lift the child, but he too went through him. Almost as if he were a ghost. Maybe… they were…

“If we can’t carry him, we need to find someone who can,” Batman said getting to his feet he attempted to leave the alley but after going only a few feet away he ran into a barrier that did not let him pass. It was invisible whatever it was…

Superman looked at the symbol. “How did we get here?”

“This pentagram must have transported us somehow…”

“We were in hell though, right?” Superman questioned. “It was trying to pull a demon up into it.”

“That’s because they were likely summoning a demon, we just intercepted the call…”

“Then why hurt a kid?”

“Summonings often need an all-out sacrifice or a link to the physical world. For this one, it looks like they used blood, this kid’s blood.”

“Is he going to die?” Superman asked worriedly.

“The wound is bleeding more than I hoped,” Batman admitted. “We need to get him some help…”

He took out his communicator holding down the call button. “Alfred! Alfred can you hear me?”

No answer…

“Alfred!”

He sighed exasperatedly trying his best to think of what they could try next.

“That symbol must have some sort of force field around it,” Superman pointed out. “It seems we can’t go too far from it.”

“It’s that or it’s the kid we can’t go too far from…”

“What do you mean?”

“His blood opened the portal, so it could mean our link to the physical plane is through him… Just a theory. We won’t know for sure until he moves from this spot.”

“If he dies?” Superman questioned.

“We might very well be sent back…” he frowned accessing the computer on his wrist, but it didn’t seem able to connect to anything that required the internet.

“How do you know all this?”

“I make it my business to know,” he stated simply kneeling before the child again he took out a small device that when he hit the button on it a light appeared. He ran the light down the boy’s body scanning him. Then the screen on his wrist began to display his ailments.

Multiple Contusions.
Laceration right hand.
Two Broken ribs.

“At least something still works,” he scoffed somewhat annoyed as his tech didn’t usually fail him.

“What do we do?”

“…” Batman frowned staring down… “He could hear me before he passed out, we can try to wake him up with our voice… Kid, hey!”

His closed eyes twitched slightly. Some response was better than no response.

“Hey! Wake up! C’mon kid! Open your eyes!”

Chapter 2: Tawny

Batman and Superman were sitting beside him talking to him but he barely registered what they were saying. He groaned pushing himself up into a sitting position, carefully, as everything hurt. His chest hurt his hand hurt and his wrists were still tied together. He looked up at them.

“Hi,” he said clearly still a little confused.

“Son, do you remember what happened?” Superman asked. It had taken them a half hour to wake him since all they could do was attempt to talk to him.

“Uh… oh yeah. I think so…” he said frowning. He looked down at the partially dried blood in his palm and, with difficulty since his hands were still bound, unzipped his jacked at tried to use his shirt to clean it.

Bruce saw the shirt was visibly dirty, and not what he would have used to clean a wound with, but they didn’t really have another option right now. At least, miraculously, the bleeding appeared to have stopped, but it was still a clearly fresh wound so every move made the scab that was trying to form would crack and fresh blood would seep out.

“You need to go to the hospital,” Batman urged.

“That’s okay, I’m fine,” he answered, but he clearly wasn’t…

“Look at you,” he said. “You need to be seen by a doctor?”

He kept patting his wound with his shirt until it was as clean as he could make it, “I can’t…”

“Why not?”

“I don’t have any money,” he explained.

Bruce let out an audible exclamation of frustration. This wasn’t any reason to not go. And he would of course pay for the kid’s care, but in this state… he couldn’t do anything. “You can still go to the hospital, there are systems in place for people who lack money.”

“You should at least call your parents,” Superman suggested.

“I don’t have any parents either,” he pointed out.

Superman looked hurt by that realization and Billy immediately felt guilty. “It’s okay. I haven’t had parents for a long time.”

“Do you have a safe place to go?” Bruce asked.

Billy nodded.

“We should go there,” he suggested. He didn’t like them being under a random highway just out in the open like this.

Billy was trying to re-zip up his coat but couldn’t manage it with the ropes.

“Can you untie me?” Billy asked. Superman frowned at that. Did this kid really think they were just sitting there not untying him on purpose?

“I wish I could,” Bruce responded reaching out he showed Billy how he didn’t seem able to touch him.

“Well… that’s not good.” Billy frowned. “I think I must have hit my head really hard if I’m seeing dead people…”

“We’re not dead,” Superman answered immediately. “Right?”

He looked at Batman who was frowning. “We could be…”

“You are,” Billy explained. “You died a long time ago… and I’m clearly losing my mind…”

He clamored weakly to his feet swaying slightly once he stood up. Superman stepped forward as though he intended to catch him but remembered in the next moment that he wouldn’t be able to.

Billy looked around and then spotted what he was looking for. A knife… The same knife the men had used to slice open his hand. “There we go,” he said walking over he picked it up and began sawing away awkwardly at the rope.

This was a bit annoying for Bruce who not only had better quality knives that could cut through ropes much faster but there were better techniques for getting out of bindings than the way Billy was going about it. But… Billy wasn’t his Robin… So he bit back his critique. Besides he couldn’t actually show him the proper way to do it in the state he was in any way.

It took Billy several minutes but he finally got his hands free.

His wrists looked awful… How long had he been tied up before they were summoned?

Billy went over to a dumpster and found some old newspaper that he carefully wrapped the knife in to ensure no one would accidentally cut themselves. He turned back to Batman and Superman. “Umm… I’m too old for imaginary friends so um… you can poof away now.”

He turned to leave the alley. Superman began to follow him But Bruce held out an arm to stop him. It seemed he could still touch Superman. He wanted to test the barrier.

Billy walked further away and when the expected distance was between them Superman and Batman disappeared and appeared just before him.

Billy jumped.

“Looks like we can’t go too far from him,” Bruce pointed out to Clark.

“This isn’t good, I HAVE to check on Lois,” Superman explained sounding urgent, almost panicked.

Billy frowned. “My imagination sure is talkative…”

“We’re not part of your imagination, "Batman I don’t know how exactly, but we got summoned here and it looks like we’re attached to you for some reason. Listen, where are we?”

“Fawcett City,” Billy answered frowning.

“Really?” Batman glanced around at the boarded-up shops and the decent amount of trash about. He had always heard Fawcett City was a decent place. This was looking more like the slums of Gotham.

“I’m not lying,” Billy answered thinking that Batman didn’t believe him.

“I didn’t say you were,” Batman answered removing any harshness his tone might have had when he last spoke. “What is your name?”

“Billy,” he answered.

“Alright, Billy… we were fighting a creature named Doomsday and somehow, we ended up in Hell. Then… we saw a portal open and we took a chance and jumped through it. That’s when we ended up here with you. I don’t know what’s going on exactly, but we need your help.”

A woman walking down the street didn’t look up from her phone and she walked right through Batman and Superman. Without flinching or giving any notice that they were there.

Billy turned to her. “Excuse me…”

“Yes?” she paused looking up. Immediately her nose wrinkled as she stared down at the state he was in. He was clearly dirty and had blood on his shirt and looked like he had been living on the streets for some time and she looked very sorry she had stopped to listen to him. It was okay, Billy got that a lot…

“Can you see them?” he asked.

“Who?”

“Them, Batman and Superman,” he said pointing over at them.

She looked in the direction he pointed but didn’t meet their gaze.

“Real funny kid…” she scoffed turning back to her phone screen as she continued walking.

“That settles it,” Billy said frowning. “See, you're both not here… You’re ghosts… I don’t know why the portal summoned you to haunt me. But maybe you two should try to go home. Haunt wherever you lived before…”

“It looks like since your blood summoned us, we can’t go too far from you,” Batman explained folding his arms disapprovingly.

“Oh… um… well…” he looked around nervously noticing someone across the street staring in his direction and talking with the other person he was with.

“You mentioned having a safe place to go,” Bruce explained. “Let’s go there.”

“Well, yeah… but I don’t have anything to offer for rent yet…”

“Rent?”

“Chass is in charge of the building I stay in, but we have to bring him something everyday to stay there… He likes cigarettes, but I don’t think I’m going to get lucky enough to find another unopened pack just lying around…” he explained. He started walking to stop the stares he was getting from the few people on the street. “If you don’t have anything to give him when you show up you have to pay in other ways and I’m not doing that again…”

“What other—” Superman began to question but Bruce held out his hand to silence him.

“Oh Tawny will let me stay with him,” Billy said. “He doesn’t usually ask for much… c’mon.”

He went down a couple of allies passing by a group of extremely shady men, and though they looked his way when he passed they didn’t seem interested in bothering him.

Bruce frowned. His instincts were telling him to get this kid out of this place and to a hospital. If he wasn’t a ghost he would have physically picked him up and made him go… What a mess…

Eventually, they came around a corner where a heavy set dark-skinned man who was bald on top of his head but had dreadlocks on the side. He had on multiple layers of clothes that were old and grimy. He was sitting on a milk crate before a metal bin he had used to make a fire. There he sat warming his hands.

“Hi Tawny,” Billy said running over to him smiling.

“Hey Captain!” the man said cheerily holding his hand up to give him a high five. Billy did so without thinking and immediately gasped when he hit Tawny’s hands. “Looks like someone got a pretty bad cut there… what happened?”

Wincing Billy blew on his hand.

“Oh wasn’t very fast today,” he admitted. “It’s alright… Do you mind if I share your house tonight?”

“Couldn’t find anything to pay ol’ Chass huh?”

“Not today…”

“Well Captain, mi casa es tu casa!” he said cheerfully.

“Thanks!”

“But you have something for ol’ Tawny right?”

“Oh, yeah,” he said reaching into his pocket he pulled out fifty cents. “Here you go.”

He smiled wide, “And that’s why you’re the Captain! Thanks!”

Billy glanced over at Superman and Batman who both looked concerned about the situation. His “casa” was a series of boxes he had tapped together, and a dirty mattress with springs popping out of it was under it. This was no place for anyone let alone an injured kid. Clearly what Billy considered a safe place and what they considered a safe place was not the same...

“Hey, Tawny, can you see them?” he asked pointed at Superman and Batman.

Tawny tilted his head so he looked over top the pair of broken glasses on his face. He frowned staring in the direction Billy pointed, but Bruce noticed he stared directly at them. Like right into their eyes, directly at them.

“Hhhhmmm… nope… can’t say I see anything,” he said. “What am I supposed to be seeing?”

“I’ve been seeing Batman and Superman ever since I collapsed earlier,” Billy pointed out. “They seem really real though, so… I think I’m just being haunted by them.”

“Oh well… best way to test that is to go to sleep again,” Tawny explained. “If they’re gone when you wake up, you’ll know it was all in your head. But if they’re here, then yea… you might be being haunted…”

‘We’re not haunting him,” Superman sighed knowing this man couldn’t hear them.

But Batman… wasn’t so sure…

“You think?”

“I know, you go to sleep now it’s getting late anyway.”

Billy glanced back at them frowning.

“Go to bed,” Batman said. “We can’t do anything until morning anyway.”

“Okay then,” Billy said cheerfully. “Goodnight Batman, Night Superman, Night Tawny.”

He knelt down crawling into the box and onto the dirty mattress to go to sleep. Superman turned to Batman frowning, “I don’t like this… any of it… He should go to a hospital!”

“I got a pizza slice in my cooler,” Tawny said. “You’re welcome to have it in the morning.”

“Okay, thanks, Tawny.”

With that Tawny put his hands in his pockets walking towards the main street, he had to walk right between Superman and Batman to go that direction, but he stopped just between them pausing. “I’m sorry you both got roped into this,” he said in a soft voice they could barely hear. “But I’ll leave watching over him to you two for now. Take care of him, until he’s ready…”

He put a hand on each of their shoulders and could physically touch them before he continued walking on.

“Wait!” Batman snapped rushing forward only to be met with the barrier. Tawny didn’t turn around, he kept walking until he was gone from sight.

Notes:

I came up with this idea when I got to the point in my Christmas Peril story where Billy was hearing his Gods voices. Been thinking on how I would start this idea. I'm glad people like it.

Thank you all for reading!

Chapter 3: The Paper with more Questions than Answers

Until he’s ready? Ready for what? And who the hell was that guy?

With nothing else to do Clark and Bruce sat outside the badly constructed dwelling to wait for Billy to wake up.

Clark was going on and on about Lois, wondering if she was okay, and Bruce assured him that she was. Lois was a smart woman and could take care of herself despite how much Clark worried about her.

Billy got up several hours later, when the sun was rising. He groaned from his injuries as he pulled himself up off the mattress. He looked at the two of them frowning.

“Guess, you are ghosts…” he admitted getting to his feet painfully he stretched.

“Are you feeling okay?” Clark asked concerned.

“I’m fine,” he answered. He took the slice of pizza from the bottom of the dirty cooler and began to eat it.

“Don’t eat that,” Superman said out of instinct. “I’ll buy you breakfast, just—”

“I doubt restaurants take ghost money,” Billy pointed out continuing to eat.

Clark sighed, turning to Bruce in an almost pleading way. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll need to go to Gotham, or Metropolis… Both are rather far from Fawcett City. Getting there with no money will be even more difficult. So we’ll have to call someone we know and see if they’ll come pick Billy up,” Bruce explained.

“It’s been years since you both died,” Billy pointed out. “Would your family have the same number?”

“The number to my home hasn’t changed since I was a child,” Bruce pointed out. “Do you have the money to make a phone call?”

“Phones are expensive,” Billy pointed out.

“You can use a pay phone.”

“We have those,” Billy frowned. “But I haven’t seen a working one since I was little. People typically use those booths to keep warm on windy nights…”

“Maybe we can find someone to lend you theirs.”

“I guess…”

“Why are we not having him go to the Police?” Superman asked.

Both Billy and Batman looked at him like he was crazy.

“They would put the kid in a home and we wouldn’t be able to get him where we need him to go,” Bruce explained.

“If they don’t throw me in the looney bin for talking to myself…” Billy said lowering his voice as some people walked down the alley cursing and laughing as they passed.

“Besides, if I called your families, that would mean I’d have to learn your secret identities…”

“Our identities are still secret?” Superman looked surprised.

“Well, I don’t know it… That was probably the last thing the Justice League made sure of before they got renamed.”

“Renamed?”

“Yeah I only heard they used to be called that a few weeks ago,” Billy, having finished the cold pizza looked into the cooler to see if there was anything else. But there was not. “I like it better than the Lex League anyway.”

“The what?” Superman had heard him. Though he didn’t believe it.

“The Lex League,” Billy repeated. “They’re not very exciting now. I heard all the old heroes either died or left.”

“Lex Luthor is in charge of the Justice League?” Superman turned to Batman exchanging glances that told Billy neither of them believed this was a good idea.

“We need to find a newspaper,” Bruce said. He needed to get ahold of any information that could tell him about the state of the world now. They both looked so worried, and Billy thought he should ease their minds a bit.

“I can’t believe this…” Superman sighed.

“I heard he does a good job,” Billy said hoping their expressions would change. “Between the drones and your son, they keep the crime down.”

“Which son?” Batman looked even more concerned. None of his sons would work for Lex. Not in a million years…

“Uh…” Billy paused looking a little confused as he didn’t realize Batman had son. Though he supposed it made since that his past sidekicks were his kids, or if they weren’t, he at least thought of them as his own. Which he thought was nice. “I was talking to—”

He awkwardly gestured to Superman.

“I don’t have a son.”

“Oh,” his confused expression only deepened. “Sorry… they call him Superboy so I just… assumed.”

“Can this Superboy, can he do what I do?”

“I think so… He flies, and he lifts heavy things despite being scrawnier than me, and that’s saying something,” Billy said trying be joke with them but neither seemed to be in any sort of mood.

“Either he found another kryptonian, or… Lois and I had a child…”

“Mazel tov,” Bruce responded somewhat coldly. “Let’s hurry up and find a newspaper before anything else…”

Bruce immediately began walking away so Billy followed him.

“What does Superboy look like?”

“Like… you. Just smaller.”

He supposed that was a ridiculous question to ask someone who had likely only seen him in newspapers. Superman’s mind wouldn’t stop racing. He wanted to find Lois, figure out who Superboy was, and if he was really theirs or not… If he was… then why was he helping Lex?

It didn’t take long for them to find a discarded paper. If Lex had indeed taken over the Justice League then their should be something about it in the paper. Even a recent one. Some article good or bad had talked about the Justice League every issue since it’s founding. So he saw no reason why that should be any different.

He wasn’t disappointed.

Billy used his non-injured hand to go through the pages one by one so the other two could read it. Billy didn’t know what information would or would not be important to them but they both skimmed over it quickly before they told him to turn the page.

Crime Rates Plummet! For those who can Afford It!

Mayors claim Lex League Prices too High!

Gotham Crime hasn’t been this low in Years!

Superman who could read faster than any of them was stating the facts out loud.

“He’s privatizing security, charging cities a monthly fee to keep the streets safe… this is ridiculous,” he frowned.

“You think that’s ridiculous,” Billy flipped to where the ads were. There were always Lex security ads in these papers so he assumed this issue would be the same. “Look here…”

He pointed to an ad featuring a sleek but designer looking watch on a woman’s wrist. Under the picture it read:

LEX SECURITY WATCHES

GOLD MEMBERS:
$5,000 a month for 10 Calls

SILVER MEMBERS:
$1,000 a month for 3 Calls

BRONZE MEMBERS:
$500 a month for 1 Call

Each had a caption summarizing the service. Basically, GOLD members were guaranteed priorities and came before silver or bronze calls. You got 10 calls a month and it guaranteed the life and safety of the wearer, regardless of what predicament you’re in. Silver members were only able to use the service three times a month and assistance would arrive promptly. You got three calls. The Bronze members were only guaranteed one call a month.

The watches could pinpoint your precise location. It had a small blurb about not being able to put a prices on the safety of your family.

In fine print at the end of the ad it read: Please call to ask about our Premium Membership.

Which basically implied that the reader likely couldn’t afford it.

“I can’t believe any of this…”

“I guess Superboy himself only answers the Gold and Premium calls,” Billy pointed out before turning the page.

WORLD’S YOUNGEST BILLIONAIRE TO START PRIVATE SCHOOL

Bruce wouldn’t have normally cared about the headline, but the name Wayne caught his attention so he read it.

Damian Wayne, who currently serves as the youngest CEO of Wayne
Enterprises since his parents taking their retirements early, tackles his
next project, Private School. Having been home-schooled up
until now it’s expected to be a major change for the young
entrepreneur. But if any of you young ladies are expecting him to walk
through the doors of your school, you’ll have to let go of that dream.

That is unless you attend the Gotham City Academy. With a six year waitlist and a
$500,000 a year tuition cost, no one but the most elite of our society will be
getting in there. But of course Damian was accepted, his name is on the building after all.
Which you can view in the plaque at the entrance,
celebrating the Wayne family contribution to the school.

When asked for a comment about his feelings on going from being home school to
attending his family's prestigious Academy, he declined to answer stating simply
that he was busy. Seeing as he is now running the entirety of the Wayne estate, it’s no wonder.

“Damian,” Superman repeated. “Who is Damian?”

He hoped for that brief moment he hadn’t actually forgotten the name of one of Bruce’s sons, and he was relieved to see Batman shake his head slowly. “I don’t know.”

“We’re calling Alfred,” Batman said getting to his feet. They had taken a seat on the curb to read and now he was scanning around the nearby shops to find one that was open. Surely a restaurant would let a young boy use their phone…

He spotted one place that wasn’t borded up and directed Billy to go in there and ask to use their phone.

“I’ll try…” he answered frowning. “Most of the waitress there don’t like me. Only Katie likes me…”

But wasting no time Billy walked in. An older waitress looked up when the bell chimmed upon his entrance. She scoffed.

“How many times do I have to tell you to get out…”

“Sorry, Mrs. Leiman. But can I…”

“No you cannot! Get on out! You come in here nearly everyday and order the only free thing on the menu. I’m not—”

“Now you stop that!” Came a second voice from the back and a much happier looking waitress came out from the back. “He’s not hurtin’ anyone.”

“I’m not waiting on him,” Mrs. Leiman snapped.

“That’s fine, I will wait on him,” the other said moving past her to Billy. “What can I get you sweetheart?”

“Hi Miss Katie,” Billy said smiling. “I was wondering if I could please use your phone…”

“Well of course you can,” she said walking him over to one of the seats at the bar, she pullout a phone and sat it on the counter. “My cell phone got disconnected last week, but the restaurant line works fine.”

“Thank you,” he picked up the receiver and paused. He glanced back towards Batman waiting for the number.

Bruce recited the number he knew by heart. “Ask for Alfred.”

Billy dialed and waited for only a moment. Then…

“Wayne Residence,” recited a woman’s voice.

“Uh… hi. Is Alfred there?”

“Alfred?”

“Uh…”

Batman recited his last name.

“Um, Alfred Pennyworth.”

“I am sorry, there is no one here by that name.”

*click* beeeeeeeep

The dial tone met his ears. Bruce and Superman were close enough they could both hear. That made no sense. Alfred was almost always the one to answer the phone.

“Try this number,” Superman imputed before reciting Lois’ number to him. “Ask for Lois Lane.”

He dialed.

“Hello?” answered a woman.

“Hi, is… is this um… Lois Lane?”

“Who?”

“Lois Lane?”

“Lois L… You mean like that criminal?”

Superman look terrified, he looked to Batman.

“Um… no she’s not…”

“Ugh, kid I don’t have time for prank calls.”

*click* beeeeeeep

Billy put the receiver back looking nervous. He had no phone skills at all and seemed very nervous about making phone calls.

“That was joke right? What did she mean criminal? Lois isn’t—”

“Of course she’s not,” Bruce assured him. “We will figure this out. Who else can we call?”

“My parents… possibly,” Superman frowned. Worried that they might not answer as well.

Billy picked up the receiver again and dialed the number he said, Superman told him to ask for a Johnathan Kent.

After a few rings a male voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Hi… is this Johnathan Kent?”

“It is.”

Billy turned to Superman slightly panicked, as he evidently hadn’t expected someone to answer.

“Tell him you’re speaking with his son. And he needs you to—”

“He’s not going to believe that he’ll just hang up on him,” Batman pointed out. “Tell him you were told to call this number by a friend if you ever needed help and you need him to come here to talk to you.”

“Why would he travel that distance just from hearing that. He needs to know I’m alive… well… alive as I can be,” Superman frowned.

“Your father is a good man he’ll come I’m sure.”

“Hello?” John asked sounding concerned.

“Sorry, its… My name is Billy and…” he frowned, but thought that the truth would be the best solution. “This is going to sound weird. But I’m talking to your son.”

“That’s… not possible.”

Superman could hear the hurt in his voice and it made him want to grab the phone from Billy, but he knew he would never be able to.

“It’s true though…” Billy said trying to assure him. “He—”

“My son is dead, and I’ll thank you to never call here again.”

“No wait please, your son’s Superman right?”

“…” One hesitant pause and… “Not anymore.”

Billy turned to Superman, “What’s something only your Dad would know about you?”

“When I was fifteen I accidentally set the neighbors barn on fire and we helped him rebuild it for two months. He kept reminding me to work slower because if I finished my work too fast the neighbor would know I wasn’t human.”

“He… he says he set the neighbors barn on fire when he was fifteen and you and he helped him rebuild it. He said, he kept working to fast and you had to keep telling him to slow down so people wouldn’t know he wasn’t human.” Billy was saying this as quietly as possible while still being heard on the other end.

“… That… how do you know that?”

“I’m talking to him… I can see him too. But no one else can…”

“There is no way… No way. I don’t know how you know that, but don’t ever call here again.”

*click* beeeeeeeep

Billy closed his eyes in disappointment before hanging up the receiver. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Superman said. “I wouldn’t believe this is happening either if it wasn’t happening to me…”

“All done?” Miss Katie had returned smiling brightly.

“Uh… I guess so…”

She took the phone, placing it back behind the counter. “Want your complimentary glass of water?”

“Yes please.”

“Anything for my favorite customer,” she said cheerfully before hurrying off.

Billy folded his arms resting his head while he waited. He was moving slowly. He still technically had a couple of broken ribs, but it didn’t appear to bother him too much if he didn’t move too fast. Batman and Superman stepped back a bit to talk out of earshot of him.

“What now?” Superman was looking uncharacteristically nervous. In one day he found out he might have kid, and also that the love of his life may be a criminal, well more likely than not if that was the case she was likely framed.

“We’ll find another phone… I can still try to call one of the boys, maybe Barbara, or Selena.”

Katie grabbed a plate of fries and a burger off the serving counter beside them. Walking straight through them to do so.

“You are not giving them to him,” Mrs. Leiman scolded.

“Of course I am, look at him, he’s clearly hungry.”

“You better not pay for that with my half of the tips!” she snapped furiously.

“I never do,” Katie answered back sound a bit exasperated with her co-worker.

She walked the plate over to Billy along with a full glass of water. “We got one of the orders wrong. I can’t give it to anyone else, so you might as well eat it.”

“Really?” Billy said excitedly, but it quickly died down. “I don’t have any money…”

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “It’s throw out food anyway.”

“I’ll fee bad…” he said pushing the plate towards her. “You let me eat a wrong order last week, and your friend wasn’t very happy about it…”

“Tell you what, someday, when you’re a millionaire, you can come back here and buy me a house and we’ll call it even.”

Billy smiled, “Okay.”

“It’s a deal then,” she smiled and she headed off to serve another customer. When she was helping them pay. Bruce noticed her type in the order she gave to Billy and then pay for it with the money she had in her apron. She went over to sort silverware near where Billy was eating.

“Miss. Katie,” he said uncertainly.

“Yes sweetie?”

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

“I sure do.”

“You do!”

“Yup,” she smiled. “In fact, did you know that this restaurant is haunted.”

“Is it?”

“Hand to God,” she said making a show of placing her hand on her heart and the other in the air. “Late at night tables and chair will move on their own. I came in here just last week and every napkin was on the floor. No one could explain it.”

“How would you help a ghost pass on?”

“Like go to heaven?”

“I guess…” he frowned.

“Well, I imagine you just have to pray for them. Really hard.”

“Why do you think ghosts stay in the first place?”

“A lot of times its because they have unfinished business, or maybe they were very scared at the time of their death and thus they don’t know they’re dead.”

“Oh… I don’t know if that’s the issue.”

“Are you seeing ghosts?”

“Yeah…”

“Well you can try to tell them to go away. If they’re bad ghosts they have to leave you alone if you ask.”

“No,” Billy answered in between bites. “They’re good ghosts. Probably the best ghosts there ever were.”

“More that one?” she smiled. Clearly believing all this to just be the ramblings of a child. “Do you know their names.”

“Yeah, Superman and Batman.”

She stifled a laugh that she quickly tried to turn into a cough. “You’re seeing the ghosts of Superman and Batman?”

He nodded, “I want to help them pass on. Or go home… whatever ghosts are supposed to do in order to be at peace.”

“I see… well. You could try a few things. You could take them to the battle ground where they were  killed. Maybe seeing it again will help them understand they’re dead.”

If you could see Batman’s eyes through his mask, he would have rolled them at that. “Ridiculous.”

At this point he was just letting Billy finish eating before they continued on.

“Or, you could take them to their bodies.”

“You mean their graves?”

“I wouldn’t really call it a grave; their bodies are on display at the Lex League Museum.”

“What why?”

“They’re heroes… People want to see them up close, and they’ll be able to for the next thousand some years…”

“Doesn’t…” Billy frowned glancing back at Superman and Batman who both seemed surprised by this news. “Isn’t that disrespectful?”

“I suppose. But they’re not the first famous people to have their bodies laid-out for the public to see, and Lex was very insistent upon their passing…” she threw him another smile. “Take your little ghost friends there. I promise once they see their bodies they’ll remember their dead and be able to go on to whatever is next.”

Billy looked down at his plate which was empty now. “Thanks Miss. Katie.”

“You’re welcome dear, come back and visit anytime,” she said taking his plate and hurrying it off to the dish room.

Billy climbed carefully down from the barstool holding his chest as he did so. He walked out of the restaurant with Superman and Batman behind him.

“Should we try that? Should we go see your bodies?” he asked timidly, as though he thought the suggestion might make them angry for some reason.

“It gets us to Metropolis…” Bruce admitted.

“How do we get Billy there?” Superman asked.

How indeed? The quickest way would be by plane? A couple hours and they would be there. But no… without money that wasn’t feasible. They could have him hitchhike… but that would not be safe for Billy, especially not in the state he was in. Walking? Out of the question, that would take days.

---

Billy stood at the travel depot in Fawcett City staring up at map on the wall. The subway was typically used to travel within’ the city and the nearest neighboring cities, but they had trains that would take you to other cities.

Batman pointed out one that would take him close to Metropolis. While flying would be faster, they were far more likely to raise the money for a train ticket, than a plane.

He went up to the counter and asked how much the ticket would be. The ride would have three transfers and according to the man behind the desk it would be $400.

“You’re joking,” Billy said audibly though he didn’t actually intend for it to get a response.

“Afraid not,” the man said. “Prices are going up everyday…”

Billy frowned, “Thanks anyway.”

He walked a ways away pretending to look at the food in a vending machine, but it was also so he could talk to his ghostly companions without being overheard.

“A train ticket for that distance shouldn’t be more than two hundred,” Batman pointed out.

“What does it matter?” Bill frowned kicking at a small leaf on the floor. “Four hundred, two hundred, it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t have two dimes to my name. I wish you guys could just go without me…”

“Yeah so do I,” Batman answered without thinking and Superman threw him a slightly angry look before turning back to Billy.

“Listen, figuring this issue out is important and right now you’re the only one who can help us. But regardless… us getting back to our bodies is not as important as us getting you somewhere safe and around trusted people who will help you.”

“Wait…” Billy paused. “That’s it…”

“What’s it?”

“I don’t need to go to Metropolis with you… I just need to figure out how to get you unattached from me, so you can go wherever you need to. Ghosts can probably travel much faster than a kid with no money anyway. I bet we could find an answer at the library. You don’t need money to go there.”

“Billy,” Superman frowned concerned that he hadn’t really heard him.

“C’mon!” he hurried off as he began telling them about all the cool things you could do at the library.

---

Jon was slumped in the limo seat rolling the window up and down boredly.

“Stop that,” Lex snapped without looking up from his tablet.

Jon did, sitting up straighter in his seat he turned to him. “Can… can I see Mom this weekend?”

“She’s only allowed visitors once every month and visitation was last week.”

“Yeah… but you didn’t let me see her then…”

He sighed, clearly annoyed whit his talking, “And whose fault was that?”

Jon opened his mouth to say something, but he closed it before slumping back down. “Mine…”

“Get your grades up and maybe I’ll let you see her next month.”

“I can’t study and be on call 24/7!” Jon retorted softly, but not soft enough for Lex to not hear him unfortunately.

“Your father was able to hold a full time job, work for the Justice League and maintain a relationship with your mother, all while keeping people around the world safe. You’re just making excuses. It’s easier for you anyway because you only have to worry about our Gold and Premium members. Which currently only amounts to 300 people on this entire planet. That’s chump change compared to what Superman was able to do.”

“But… I can’t do everything dad could do…”

“No enough, I’m done listening to your complaints…” he snapped. “It’s your father’s death anniversary next week, So be at the Lex League Museum at six o’clock exactly.”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes you have to. The world has to know there is still a Superman around to protect them… for a price. And what better time to advertise that than on the anniversary of the day the world lost their peace of mind.”

Jon heard the all too familiar sharp chime from his earpiece a name and location was read off to him.

“Well hurry up!” Lex snapped. “Time is money and I don’t want anymore requests for refunds.”

Jon got to his feet opening up the sun roof on the limo. He climbed out alarming the driver of neighboring car before he took off into the air.

---

“Mother,” Damian sighed exasperatedly into the phone. “You spent $60,0000 this week alone…”

“I don’t recall ever telling you that you were allowed to question my spending habits,” she answered.

“You told me to be in charge of keeping up Father’s fortune… how am I supposed to do that when—”

A mans voice came on the line interrupting his words, “Your Mother and I were having a second honeymoon… It was our anniversary after all.”

“You already had a second honeymoon, and a third… I genuinely don’t care what number you’re up to now. You don’t need to—”

“You are not going to upset your mother today. Just figure it out. That’s your job isn’t it. Keep us rich?”

“…”

“Apologize to your Mother.”

“I’m sorry Mother…” he said reluctantly, and you could hear it in his tone.

“I don’t want another call unless it’s something serious,” she said.

“Mother, with all due respect, it—”

“Just handle it,” the man said again, his voice was much harsher than before.

“I am, I just—"

“Hush…”

Damian’s mouth closed immediately.

“We’ll be back in time for the party at Lex League Museum, you can speak again then.”

With that she hung up.

Damian sighed leaning back in his chair. How was he supposed to keep a boat afloat when his Mother was actively shooting holes in the floor?

He got to his feet, leaving the home office that had once belonged to his Father. Now it was his. The entire manor was his. His parents were hardly ever there, and he was glad for that. But that didn’t mean he was alone. His Mother had haired servants to clean and care for the estate. But their main job was keeping an eye on him. They reported everything he did to his mother, so even though she wasn’t there it was like she was still looming over his shoulder.

Now he was going to have to explain to his professors why he couldn’t answer their questions. They couldn’t get too upset though… his name was on the building after all.

---

Billy had pulled every book he found on summoning and demons, but he found nothing that would help. The librarian walked over telling him it was time to leave.

“Okay,” Billy got up, and put the books on the return table for the librarians to return to the shelves later. “Have a good night ma’am.”

He walked out frowning. “Sorry… Maybe we can go back tomorrow… I’m sure we’ll find an answer then.”

“It’s fine Billy,” Superman assured him. “Where are you going to sleep tonight?”

“Uh…” he looked around. “I’ll find somewhere…”

He looked tired, and Batman was pretty sure it was more than just fatigue. He needed a doctor. He needed to be some place warm. It might not have been winter, but the night was clearly cold judging by everyone around who were bundled up. Billy had a coat, but it didn’t look very warm, and he had no gloves. If he got sick they would all be screwed.

“We have to do something different tomorrow,” Superman whispered. “I’ll have him call Jimmy Olsen… maybe…”

“We’ll try the boys tomorrow too. That restaurant should let him use the phone again.”

“He hasn’t eaten anything since this morning…” Superman pointed out worriedly.

“I know…” Batman answered. He wasn’t as worried about that as he was about how much Billy was wrapping his arm around his chest. One moment he did very well at acting like it didn’t hurt him, and the next it was very clear it did. He hoped he didn’t have any internal bleeding happening. Plus his hand, while no longer bleeding, definitely needed to be bandaged and cleaned properly.

They would need a new plan.

Chapter 4: Safety

 Billy woke up coughing and instantly winced from the pain in his chest.

“Are you okay?” Superman asked concerned.

“Yeah…” he got to his feet nearly falling over in his attempt as he walked out of the alley he had fallen asleep in.

“We’re not putting this off anymore, you’re going to the hospital, look at you…” Batman

“I already told you, I can’t afford it…” he pointed out again wondering if Batman had had a lot of money when he was alive, only rich people had the luxury of talking like that.

He looked up at the library doors, having found a place to sleep behind the dumpster next to the library he had been right there to see the hours on the door. “I guess they’re not open yet… we’ll look up more stuff later.”

With his hands in his pockets, Bill started walking back toward the center of town.

“Where are you going?” Superman asked.

“Find some food,” he answered. “It’s morning so people will sometimes throw out parts of their doughnuts that they don’t want to finish.”

Superman sighed turning to Batman, clearly not knowing how to help, and Batman couldn’t make him go to the hospital, despite how much he wanted him to.

“Billy,” Superman turned back to him when Batman didn’t offer any solutions. “Can we go see your friend Miss. Katie and make another phone call. I may know someone who might answer today.”

“I don’t know if she works today… and I don’t want to run into Mrs. Leiman again… she’s kinda mean.”

“I understand. But we have to do something. If you don’t want to go to the hospital, you can’t… you can’t just walk around living on the street like this. You need help and so do we.”

“I’m going to look up more stuff at the library when it opens,” Billy explained. “I’ll get you both unattached from at some point. Or I’ll find a way to get you to heaven. But for now I’m hungry…”

He turned back walking down the road checking garbage containers as he went.

---

*knock* *knock* *knock*

Damian looked up from his breakfast turning to look at the window behind his chair instead of the door, as that was where the sound had come from.

Jon was there floating outside his window smiling at him.

Sighing he got up opening the window to let him in.

“Guess what!” Jon said landing on the carpet.

Damian didn’t respond but gave him a motion to show he was listening before returning to his breakfast and Jon chuckled at that, “Did he tell you to be quiet again?”

Damian nodded.

“Good, then you can’t make fun of me.”

Without looking up from his food he flipped Jon off which only made him laugh again. “Looks like I’m going to go to your school too.”

Damian took out a sticky note and wrote something on it before sliding it over.

You’re not old enough

“I’m only a year younger than you, besides… the school contacted Mr. Luthor. Apparently, a lot of the parents thought it would be a good idea to have me there to protect the school since so many influential people have their kids attending there, and Mr. Luthor said it would bring him a lot of money since he could charge the student’s parents… but you’re failing to see the best part! That means we’ll see each other every day.”

Damian added another sentence below the first one.

Isn’t Gotham kinda far for you?

“Are you forgetting how fast I am?” Jon questioned. “Besides, your school has some of the richest families on the planet sending their kids there, so he can make a lot more money than sending me to a school in Metropolis…”

Bet you $10 that you’re still going to show up late most days.

“No I won’t!” he answered frowning. “Besides, I haven’t been doing great with being homeschooled so I thought this would also be good cause you could do my homework for me.”

I’m not doing that

“Why not?” he asked as he folded his arms on the edge of Damina’s desk frowning at him.

Knowledge is important Jon

“For normal people maybe, but I’m Superboy. No one expects me to be smart, they just expect me to save people.”

Damian let out an audible sigh before adding more to the growing list that was their conversation.

Sometimes it requires intelligence to save someone

“Well… that’s what I have you for.”

Damian shook his head before adding.

I’ll tutor you, but I’m not doing the work for you.

“You’re no fun,” Jon stood back up heading over to the window. “I can’t stay too long or Mr. Luthor will get suspicious, I just wanted to let you know. Is your family coming to the Anniversary?”

Damian nodded.

“Okay, see you then!”

With that, he took off out the window, and Damian crinkled up the piece of paper before tossing it into the garbage can beside his desk.

---

When the library opened Billy went back inside to search for anything that might help them. He even left two books open for Superman and Batman to look through, and he would turn the pages for them when they asked since they couldn’t touch the book.

Apparently, the librarian was getting creeped out by the homeless kid who was whispering to himself and turning pages in books he wasn’t even reading because after about an hour or so, she asked him to leave.

Billy didn’t want to cause trouble or do anything that might make her call the cops so he left without an argument apologizing to her as he walked out.

“Did we learn anything useful?” he asked as they walked down the library steps to the sidewalk.

“No,” Batman answered.

“Maybe we should—” Superman began but was interrupted by a woman walking through him.

“Billy there you are!”

“Oh, hi Miss Katie.”

It was the woman from the restaurant.

“Billy did you prank call someone on our phone yesterday?”

“No,” he answered. “I wouldn’t make prank calls. I promise.”

“A man came into our restaurant a little while ago saying a boy had called him using our number… are you sure.”

“Uh… I called some people… but…”

“Who is it?” Batman asked.

“Who is it?” Billy repeated knowing she couldn’t hear Batman.

“He said his name was Johnathan Kent.”

“Pa!” Superman smiled looking happily at Batman clearly glad they were going to get some help now after all.

“Oh…” Billy frowned. “I know him… sort of…”

“Well Great! He came to see you,” she said. “Let’s go back to the restaurant, okay?”

“Uh…” he looked up at Superman.

“It’s okay, he’s my Dad,” Superman explained.

He turned back to Katie and nodded letting her walk him back to the restaurant. She engaged in small talk, but Batman noticed that Billy looked more nervous than usual. Which made sense. Just because he was Superman’s father, that didn’t mean that Billy knew him for atom.

When they got to the restaurant, Mr. Kent was seated at the bar drinking a coffee. He seemed to be keeping his head down and though his head barely turned Batman noticed his eyes looking around cautiously through the window. When Miss Katie opened the door. His head turned quickly, as though nervous.

Bruce frowned at this. Had he not known better, he would have assumed this man was planning to rob the place. Or that he was perhaps getting ready to make a drug deal. Knowing he was Superman’s father, he didn’t believe the assumption, but that didn’t explain why he was behaving this way.

Superman didn’t seem to notice anything at all strange with his behavior and even ran up to hug him forgetting their situation for a brief moment until his arms went right through him. He turned back looking uncharacteristically saddened.

“Is this the kid?” Mr. Kent asked frowning as he walked over.

“Yes,” she answered. “Billy you should apologize to—”

“That’s not necessary… I want to talk to him. Alone.”

“Go ahead and get a booth, I’ll bring you both menus?”

“That’s fine…”

Mr. Kent took a seat in a booth as instructed and Billy followed cautiously.

“How did you know that about my son?” he snapped sounding rather cold.

Clark had never heard his father sound like this, least of all when speaking to a kid.

“Uh, well… I can see him. And hear him… but no one else can…”

“You’re saying he’s a ghost?”

“I think so…”

“I don’t believe you, you read that story somewhere… how did you find it out!”

“I didn’t,” Billy answered looking a bit scared when Mr. Kent raised his voice a bit at the end. He looked angry.

“Pa,” Superman said softly. He was confused. This wasn’t his father… not the father he knew anyway. His Dad was always laughing, and smiling, and… what happened to him?

“I don’t have the time for this kid, this isn’t a game… where did you find that story?”

“I didn’t find it anywhere, he told me it. Ask something else… he’s right here.”

“Right here,” John scoffed looking around as though expecting he would suddenly appear.

“Fine… what type of car did I have when he was a boy?”

“It wasn’t a car, it was a truck. Ford F-Series Pickup,” Superman answered, and Billy repeated.

He looked annoyed that he answered so easily.

“In the barn, I kept something hidden on the ground behind the wood saw. My son found it when he was 9.”

Superman smiled. “It was a pint of liquor. Ma didn’t like men who would drink, so you quit when you started dating her. But that bottle was something your Dad gave you so you kept it as a memory of him. It had never been opened until I found it and tried it out of curiosity. You didn’t even scold me, just asked if I liked it, and of course I said no… I called it spicy, and that made you laugh.”

Billy did his best to repeat that back and the whole time he listened John looked like he was almost about to cry. He took a deep breath when Katie brought menus over and made a show of saying he must not be feeling well to hide how emotional he was getting.

When Katie walked away, John was slowly shaking his head no, not so much as a response to anything Billy had said but Bruce supposed it was more in disbelief of the situation.

“This isn’t possible… it’s not… it’s…” he paused. Billy had turned the menu over because there was a maze on the back for kids to draw on and he had started following the maze with his finger, he did this to pass the time every time he was here so he already knew the route, but in the motion it took him to do that John has seen the palm of his hand. “What happened to you?”

“I cut it,” Billy answered without looking up.

“Let me see it,” he said holding out his hand. His voice had gotten much softer, more like the voice Clark remembered him having.

Billy brought his hand under the table to hide it. “It’s fine.”

“…” John sighed. “Why did you contact me?”

“I need to get Superman and Batman back to their bodies. If I can, they might realize they’re dead and pass on. Or at least, that’s what I’m hoping happens. I woke up one day and they were both following me.”

“Batman as well?”

“Yeah…”

“Well… I don’t know much about Batman or who he is… but… my son is… They put his body in a museum along side Batman’s… I tried to fight them on that. But who the hell am I right? I’m just his father…”

Katie came back to take their order which they gave to her quickly in order to get back to the topic at hand.

“I’m sorry they did that,” Billy said. “They shouldn’t have. That was mean of them…”

“Well… they said they wanted the legacy preserved as a hope to future generations. Originally, they planned to keep his identity secret, but then one day Luthor just announced it to the world same time he told the world about Jon. The press showed up at our house, we kept getting calls and… my wife and I were forced to move eventually.”

“What about Lois?” Clark asked.

“Superman’s asking about Lois,” Billy reiterated.

“They took her, she started looking into Luthor trying to figure out what to do about getting his body out of there… they locked her up. Claiming she was giving secrets she discovered while being a reporter and was selling it to overseas politicians. That’s a lie though… I don’t have any evidence of this, but I think she either learned something she wasn’t supposed to or Luthor found out she was pregnant and wanted to experiment on the closest thing to Superman there was now, her kid.”

Billy looked up at Superman seeing the hurt and almost anger on his face.

“Now he uses him to profit from and monopolize safety. My son saved people because it was the right thing to do, and now my grandson only saves people when they can afford it…” he scoffed at the idea. “I don’t blame lil’ Jon… I don’t think he understands why that’s wrong. Having been raised by Luthor it’s not surprising…”

“Where is Lois?” Superman asked sounding disheartened.

“Do you know where Lois is?”

“Just that she was locked up. Most prisoners get phone calls and visits, but I’ve never heard anything from her. If they allowed her that I know my wife and I would be the first people she would contact and we’ve never received anything from her. Lois didn’t have a good family life, and we loved her like a daughter. I know she would reach out if she could… assuming she’s still alive that is…”

Superman began pacing, “We have to find her!”

“Calm down, we can’t do anything about that right now,” Batman explained calmly.

Katie came and took their orders while Batman and Superman we’re arguing. Billy kept glancing back at them as Superman got more and more upset about this news.

“What if it were your sons, or Selena, or Alfred in trouble. Wouldn’t you want to go to them? To help? To save them?”

“Of course,” Batman answered. “For all I know they could be. But we can’t do anything while we’re tied to the kid. We will figure this out but you losing your head doesn’t help anyone.”

“What’s going on with them?” Johnathan asked. All he could see was how Billy kept glancing back at nothing.

“They’re arguing…” he whispered before turning the right way around in his seat. “He’s very upset about Lois…”

“I imagine he would be.”

“So you believe me now?” Billy questioned.

“… I don’t want to… Life has been hard enough dealing with his passing and everything that happened with my daughter-in-law and grandson. This feels like false hope, and I don’t want to cling to it,” he explained sorrowfully.

“I’m sorry… for everything you’ve lost,” Billy said softly.

“…yeah…”

Katie came back with a plate of food for each of them. Billy had purposely ordered the least expensive thing on the menu as he didn’t want to take advantage of Mr. Kent’s kindness.

It took awhile for Batman to assure Superman that they were going to figure this out, and it was right about the time that they finished eating.

“Do you have somewhere to go?” Johnathan asked him as he paid for the meal.

“No… but it’s okay,” he added not wanting to make Johnathan feel obligated to him.  “Thanks for the meal and thanks for talking with us.”

“I’m taking you to a hospital,” he said firmly after accepting his change from Katie and leaving her a tip.

“I can’t go,” Billy said equally as firmly. “I’m fine. I—”

“Look at your hand, I’m surprised it hasn’t gotten infected. Now c’mon, we’re going—”

“NO!” Billy answered loudly. Loudly enough a few people turned to look their direction. “I’m sorry, I can’t… I… Thanks for your help.”

He turned walking out of the restaurant despite Batman and Superman’s protests.

Once out on the sidewalk Johnathan followed him walking over to his truck he opened the door. “Get in.”

“I’m not going to—”

“You don’t want to go to a hospital, fine. But you’re going to my house. Besides my wife will want to meet you.”

“…”

“Please go with him Billy,” Superman urged. “He’s the best shot we have right now.”

Billy looked up at Batman, who nodded in agreement.

He turned to Johnathan frowning. “Promise we’re not going to a hospital?”

“I promise…”

“…okay then.” He climbed into the Truck putting his seatbelt on and Johnathan went around to the driver’s side.

“Finally,” Superman sighed. “He’ll be somewhere safe and we can come up with a plan of action. We’ll find Lois, we’ll save her and my… my son. I can’t believe I have son, and she named him after my Dad.”

Chapter 5: Visiting the Coffins

It was a long drive to Mr. Kent’s apartment. At one point Billy fell asleep and only woke when the truck lurched into it’s parking spot.

“We’re here,” John said talking off his seatbelt.

Billy followed him nervously up to his apartment. Clark kept commenting on how he couldn’t believe they had been forced to leave the farm.

On the entrance, it said “Smith” on the door.

Before Billy could ask about it, Jonn explained. “We changed our name to rent here. To avoid the press.”

He unlocked the door, “Martha, I got him.”

He head a noise in the other room and a happy-looking older woman came rushing out.

“Ma,” Superman said softly sounding relieved.

“Oh look at you,” she said staring at Billy. “You need some food.”

“What do you take me for?” John said. “I fed him before we got here.”

“Well, he needs some more look how skinny he is,” she said smiling. Then she seemed to notice the state of his clothes and how dirty he was.

“First, I bet you’d like to take a shower huh?” she motioned for him to follow her. “I’ll get you a towel and I think I have some of Clark’s clothes from when he was your age, they’ll probably fit. And—”

“Martha don’t you want to ask him about our son?” John asked.

“That can wait dear, look at him… he needs care,” she said softly. “Go ahead follow me.”

She started walking to a room off to the side. Billy looked up at Superman as if asking if it was okay and he nodded. So Billy followed her.

“I can’t believe this,” John said frowning as he took off his jacket. The whole situation seemed to have exhausted him.

He went into the kitchen and Clark followed him.

“Pa I wish you could hear me…” he said.

“Did you notice?” Bruce asked.

“Notice what?

“We’re over ten feet from Billy.”

“How?”

“If I had to take a guess, when in a building we just have to be in the same building as him. Doors have supernatural qualities in a lot of magical tales. So… perhaps the boundaries extend when he goes through an entrance.”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Superman admitted. “We need to find Lois… and my son.”

“None of that is happening tonight,” Bruce pointed out.

And looking upset, Superman didn’t comment because it was true. They couldn’t do anything tonight.

A few minutes later Martha came back. “I’m washing his clothes now, what was he playing in? They were covered in dirt.”

“He wasn’t playing in anything, he’s homeless, and probably hasn’t had a chance to wash them for some time.”

“Oh dear,” Martha frowned. “You don’t think Clark will mind if I give him some of his old clothes do you?”

“Why would he? He’s dead…”

“Oh stop that, you told me the kid spoke to him. He’s alive I know it.”

“Martha, the kid thinks he can speak to Clark and Batman for that matter. We have  zero proof he actually can.”

“How did he tell you about the barn then…”

“He probably read it somewhere.”

“Where? Where would that have possibly been written?”

“I don’t know Martha,” he sighed.

“Well you asked him other things didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And did he answer them correctly?”

“Yes…”

“Then it’s true, our son’s alive!”

“We can’t know that… Let’s just take this one day at a time. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Nonsense, my hopes are in the skies!” she said smiling. “I’m going to find him some clean clothes and then I’m going to make some cookies.”

He sighed watching her walk away with that bright smile on her face.

“He better be alive,” Clark commented to himself. “I can’t watch her heart break again.”

Superman looked so hurt by that and Batman started looking around the home for any clues as to what happened these last few years.

He went to the photos they had hung up. There were pictures of Clark at nearly every stage of life. One when he was baby, a few when he was a boy, a couple as a teenager. One of him at a congratulations party that appeared to be when he got his job at the Daily Planet. There was a wedding picture of him and Lois. And…

“Clark come here.”

Superman flew over to the photo Bruce was pointing to. It was of his parents and Lois, in the hospital. She was holding a baby that looked just like Clark. Blue eyes, and a tuft of black hair.

“So it really is true. She was pregnant when we left… I’ve missed so much, and she had to go through being pregnant all alone…”

“I’m sorry,” Bruce said trying to be consoling, but it wasn’t really his thing…

“…” he sighed. “It’s fine… as long as we fix all this. It’ll be fine.”

Martha set herself to baking after getting Billy clean clothes, which she left outside the door for him. When he got out he thanked her for letting him borrow the clothes.

“I’m washing your clothes right now,” she said. “But you can keep that outfit as well.”

“Is that okay,” Billy asked turning to Clark.

“It’s fine,” he answered.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Your son,” Billy said.

“Wait, I thought you could just hear his voice, you looked up at someone.”

“Yeah he’s right here,” he said pointing up at Clark.

Martha looked in the direction he pointed, but it was clear she couldn’t see him, though her eyes searched hoping for any sign. “I don’t see him.”

“Yeah, no one can…”

Martha turned back to the cookies looking like she was about to cry, but she composed herself.

Over milk and cookies Billy told them everything he knew. How he had been caught by those guys who tried to summon a demon and how instead Superman and Batman appeared. When he mentioned his hand being cut Martha had taken a moment to inspect the injury, apply some medicine and wrap it. Then he continued the story until he got all the way up to today.

“That’s quite a story,” Martha said.

“If Batman’s there too, what’s his secret identity?”

“John!” Martha said clearly feeling that question was going too far.

“What? I’m curious, and he’s dead anyway. What will it hurt?”

“Bruce Wayne,” Batman said. “Go ahead and tell them.”

“He said it’s, Bruce Wayne.”

John laughed at that. No seriously who?”

“That’s what he said,” Billy shrugged before taking a drink of his milk.

“No he can’t be, Bruce Wayne is alive.”

“What do you mean?” Bruce asked.

“Is he?” Billy asked.

“Yeah, his son has taken over the business. He’s in the news all the time partying with his wife.”

Bruce looked confused, “Wife?”

“Who did he marry?” Billy inquired.

“I don’t know… Tally… something like that.”

“Taliah?

“Is it Taliah?”

“Probably, I didn’t pay that much attention honestly.”

“I never married Taliah,” Bruce admitted.

“He says he never married her.”

“Well they’re married now,” John said getting to his feet to put his cup in the sink.

“So what is the plan now?” Martha asked.

“Plan?” Billy asked.

“Yes… how are we going to bring them back to life?”

“Miss. Katie said it might help if we take them to see their bodies… at the museum.”

“No.”

“Oh hun…” Martha implored upon her husband’s immediate refusal.

“No, I’m not paying and arm and a leg just to view our son’s body.”

“It’s only $2,000 a person. I’ve been saving up… we can use it for tickets.”

“We need that money for other things Martha.”

“What’s more important than getting our son back?” she asked rushing over to a jar on their bookshelf which she poured onto the table. She had been stuffing money in there for seemingly some time. A number of crumpled bills fell out on the table and she started smoothing them out.

“You have to pay to go in there.”

“Yes… the museum holds a lot of items form when the Justice League was still in tact, and well… Lex wants to make money off that.”

“I have $2,000,” she said smiling.

“It’s $2,000 a person,” John explained. “If what Billy said was right, they can only follow him, and being underage, he can’t go in there alone.”

“So we just need another $2,000…” she said. “We could pawn some things, our wedding rings, my wedding dress, or—”

“Martha,” John interrupted. “We have no reason to believe this will fix anything. We can’t spend that much money on a maybe…”

“Ma don’t do that,” Clark said sighing. “Billy tell them not to do that.”

“Uh—” Billy’s attempt to interject was silenced with Martha’s almost desperate plea to her husband.

“I don’t care. I don’t care if it’s even a 1% chance. It’s for Clark!”

“I’m not saying he’s not worth it hun… but we’re already barely getting by as it is.”

“So what! We’ll make do. We always have,” she looked as though she were on the verge of tears and John sighed.

“Okay… okay,” he turned to Billy. “We’re going to get some stuff together and see what we can sell to make up the rest. You go ahead and go to sleep, it’s getting late.”

“Okay, um… where do I—”

Martha drying her eyes on her sleeve took a deep breath. “I’ll show you to the guest room.”

Martha and John spent the rest of the night seeing where money could be pulled from. John didn’t let her include her dress in the sum, but they included their wedding rings, a nice pocket watch Clark’s grandfather had owned, a few of his old hunting guns, a few pieces of Martha’s jewelry. Adding it up though, it didn’t seem to be enough, but they decided to look into it more in the morning.

Clark looked miserable by the time everyone had gone to bed. He couldn’t believe they were going so far as to sell their worldly possessions on the chance that it could work.

“Once we’re alive again, I’ll make sure they get everything back. I promise,” Bruce assured him before they waited out the night.

---

In the morning Clark took the things to get pawned, and Billy apologized repeatedly to Martha. But assured him it was fine.

“Things are just things, they can always be replaced.”

It took a few days to come up with the money needed and thus the day of the Anniversary arrived.

They didn’t have the money for three tickets so it was decided that John would go with Billy.

She put them both in nice “Sunday best” type clothes. And took great care in combing Billy’s hair. She said goodbye to them at the door and urged John to get a picture if he happened to see their grandson when they got there.

Then before Billy knew it they were in John’s truck and headed there.

The museum was huge building with glass walls and winding stair cases. John hand the expensive tickets to the lady at the entrance before they went in. Everyone was dressed like it was some kind of met gala. Mabe it was… but this meant that Billy and John stuck out horribly.

They made their way through the crowd and past the artworks until they finally saw it.

Superman and Batman’s bodies. In glass coffins. Led lights lighting up the bases. They waited their turn in line to see it. The woman before them put her hand on Superman’s coffin whispering to him. Billy couldn’t hear her because he was too far from it, but Clark and Bruce had already walked up close to examine.

“Thanks for saving us Superman,” she whispered before walking on.

Now Billy and John approached and John looked… almost sick. Angry.

Superman looked like he was sleeping in his coffin. Hands folded on his chest. Same with batman.

“What now?” Billy whispered not wanting anyone to see him talking to nothing.

Batman took out his scanner scanning his won body. “…”

“Anything?” Superman asked.

Batman didn’t answer he walked over to Superman’s coffin and scanned him. He showed superman the results on the screen.

“No way…” he sighed.

“Billy, don’t read the results aloud,” Batman warned.

Billy looked at the screen Batman held out to him. It had readings, such as heartbeat, injuries, and potential infections. The most important part was a heartbeat. Both bodies had one, though it was severely low. That meant, they were alive.

“Don’t say anything to John,” Batman urged again. “If he knows Clark’s alive, he might act rash and get you both kicked out.”

“What now?” Billy asked.

“Maybe we, try to lay down in our bodies?” Superman suggested and immediately tried it. It didn’t work.

“I was kind of hoping it would be that easy,” Superman admitted.

“Can you hurry!” shouted a voice behind them.

“Sorry,” John said placing a hand on Billy’s arm to gently urge him to move along.

“Well, did they try something?” John asked.

“Yeah, it didn’t work,” Billy admitted.

“I knew this was a waste of time…”

There was suddenly a round of applause and they looked for the source to find Lex Luthor had gone up on stage and began to give a heartfelt speech on Superman and Batman’s final day. In the background scenes from their battle was on display.

“Look Damian Wayne’s here!” said a woman beside them.

Billy looked in the direction she indicated to her friend. There was kid dressed in a suit speaking with a group of men.

“Billy try to talk to him,” Batman urged.

“But I… I don’t know him…”

“He’s supposed to be my son, I need some information before I can confirm or deny that.”

“Yeah but…”

Damian turned looking in his direction and Billy quickly looked away. He was sure he hadn’t heard him or anything like that, but he also didn’t want to get caught staring. Damian ended up walking their direction, but he walked right by them to speak to someone else of influence.

“I hate to admit it,” Batman said, “but he looks just like me at that age…”

He took some time follow Damian around the floor, he as mingling. Taking time to greet each guest by name. But he noticed something else about Damian too. He changed his personality and tone for each person he spoke with. Women he tended to make his voice sound more childish his stance and behavior matched it. He laughed more with them. With men he changed his voice to sound more mature and spoke to topics of each individual person’s interest.

There was one man who approached him that Bruce recognized immediately.

“Mr. Daggett it’s been forever,” Damian said. His voice immediately lowered giving the impression he was much younger than he was.

“Damian,” Roland said smiling walking up beside him, he started running his fingers through Damain’s hair before he turned to the people he had with him. “This is Damian Wayne, Bruce’s boy.”

“I heard you’ve taken over running your father’s companies, and at such a young age,” one of them said looking impressed.

“Father said he wishes to focus on my Mother and spending time with her. But I still run the major decisions by him, so I’m not completely in charge,” he admitted, Dagget’s hand moved from his hair down to Damian’s neck running his hand almost affectionately along the collar of his suit. Bruce had never liked Dagget, and now he liked him even less. Damian put on a very good show of this not bothering him, and it was likely that no one but Batman noticed the very subtle movements from him that made it evident he did not want to be near this man.

“I’m actually in discussions with Damian to take many of the Wayne companies off his hands.”

“Well, that’s still a few years out I think, if you’ll excuse me,” he turned to leave and Daggett pulled him back by grasping the back of his neck.

“Stay Damian, come enjoy a drink with us.”

“No thank you, I’m underage.”

“I’m not gonna tell if you don’t,” Dagget joked taking a glass of wine from one of the waiters walking by. “Here… drink up.”

“That’s okay thank—”

“Drink up, it’s a party afterall,” said a familiar voice.

Bruce spun around when he heard the voice.

It was him…

“Mr. Wayne,” Roland said cheerily as he walked up behind Damian, who had already downed the drink.

Billy watched the scene from afar, as he had been wondering where Batman had disappeared to. He had to pop out of sight when Damian looked his way.

Billy turned back to the stage as Lex seemed to be wrapping up his speech.

“We would like to invite our largest contributor to say a few words,” Lex said. “Mr. Bruce Wayne.”

“That’s my cue,” Bruce said smiling. He hurried off towards the stage and Damian seemed to take that opportunity to slip away despite Daggett turning to look for him.

“I think we can leave now,” Mr. Kent said to Billy.

“But you wanted to talk to Jon…” Billy said looking concerned.

“I don’t see him here,” Kent admitted. “I doubt Lex would let me if he were. Frankly I just want to go home.”

“Okay…”

Billy suddenly felt an arm get thrown over his shoulder and he gasped from the surprise. It was that Damian kid.

“It’s been forever how are you?” he asked smiling wide.

“How do you know Billy?” Mr. Kent asked.

“He’s a friend of mine,” Damian said cheerfully. He had such a bright smile on his face that even Billy had a hard time remembering that he was lying about that.

“I got to talk to him, we’ll be right back,” Damian said pulling him away rather roughly.

“Oh… okay,” Kent said watching them leave. “I’ll be at the Truck meet me there.”

Billy waved to show he had heard even as Damian dragged him through the crowd to an elevator, once inside, the doors closed and the smile disappeared from Damian’s face. Superman and Batman had of course followed.

Suddenly, he shoved Billy against the mirrored wall in the elevator. Pinning him there with one arm. Superman and Batman had of course followed.

“Why have you been eyeing me?”

“What?”

“What are you planning?”

“What?”

“Is that all you can say?”

“…” he frowned.

“You’re acting suspicious, and I don’t like people who act suspicious. Now talk…”

“Uh… my name is Billy. I’m here because… I wanted to see Batman and Superman’s graves.”

“And you saw them… that doesn’t explain why you’ve been looking at me all night.”

“Well, you’re Batman’s kid… right?’

“Why would you assume that?”

“Batman said you looked like him and you have his last name and—”

“So you think, Bruce Wayne is Batman,” Damian folded his arms unpinning him for the first time since their conversation started.

“Yes, he told me.”

“Who told you?”

“Uh… Batman…”

The elevator opened at that point and Damian grabbed his arm pulling him up the stairs. Billy looked back to make sure Superman and Batman were following him. He knew they couldn’t do anything, but he felt scared and just having them there was a comfort.

Damian opened the door at the top of the stairs and shoved Billy through it. The night sky was above them, no stars were visible since they were in the city, but the moon was large and bright before them, and… Jon was there. He stood at the edge of the building looking down.

Billy gasped at the sight, “Get down you might fall!”

The sight shocked him so much he completely forgot that that Jon was Superman’s son for a second and would likely be able to fly if he did fall.

“You’re worried about me?” Jon said rising a few inches off the ground before floating over to him. “Isn’t that sweet? Damian don’t you think that’s sweet?”

“Touched,” Damian said in the most uncaring and monotone voice Billy hadn’t heard him use yet.

“So what’s your name?”

“Uh, Billy…”

“Well that’s a stupid name…” Jon was circling him slowly.

He glanced back at Damian, “Did he tell you why he’s here?”

“Yeah, he knew our Dads apparently …”

“Really, I don’t even know my Dad…” Jon said. “How do you know him?”

“Uh… I ta… to… …im” Billy was speaking quietly out of nerves. Jon seemed to scare him.

“I can’t hear you?”

“I…  I talk to him…”

“You talk to him, even though he’s dead…”  Jon nodded. “Did you ever think to get your mind checked?”

He tapped on Billy’s head and Billy took a step back fearfully.

“Why are they acting like this?” Superman frowned. He knew a bully when he saw one, and his son was acting like one.

“Maybe you have a brain tumor. I got Xray vision, I could check for you. Save you the medical bill.”

“No thank you,” Billy said without looking up.

Damian was standing off to the side, he had taken out a cigarette and began smoking it, looking bored.

“Daaaaami!” Jon faked whining. “How many times I have to that that’s bad for you? Billy tell him smoking is bad for him.”

“What do you want from me?” Billy asked without looking up at either of them. He didn’t want to play Jon’s game.

They both paused.

“You said you knew that Bruce Wayne was Batman…” Damian said walking over to him. “But as you saw, my father was on stage giving his speech like he does every year, and Batman’s body is very clearly in it’s coffin… So explain to me why you think, Bruce Wayne is Batman.”

“Because he told me. I can talk to him. Him and Superman.”

Jon gasped happily, “You know what… I completely forgot. I can too. Yeah, Dad told me you can fly, wanna show me?”

“What?”

He grabbed Billy’s wrist in a surprisingly powerful clasp and began dragging him towards the edge of the building.

“No! I can’t fly. Let me go!”

“Sure you can, Dad told me…” he teased not ceasing in his dragging.

“Jon…” Damian said softly following them to the edge. “Are you sure you heard right? He might have said cry. Maybe he meant Billy can cry.”

Jon pushed him to the ground right at the edge of the building and his back hit the ledge rather hard.

“Well which is it?”

“Why are you both being like this?” Billy asked. He did feel like he was on the verge of tears but was trying desperately to not cry.

Damian took another drag on his cigarette before crouching in front of him to be the same height. “You represent a threat… You ticked our radar the moment you walked in, dressed as you were, and I kept catching you glancing at me. I don’t know how you found out that Batman’s secret identity… but you’re going to keep your fucking mouth shut about it. Are we understood?”

“I wasn’t going to tell anyone…”

“Good, 'cause if you do, I’m going to find you and I’m going to cut your tongue out of your mouth,” Damian threatened. “Now… where did you learn that?”

“I told you I talked to them…”

Damian sighed grabbing Billy’s arm he pulled back his sleeve. “Last chance… who told you?”

“Batman did…”

“Damain stop!” Superman shouted attempting to pull him away, but he only went through him. This was infuriating, they couldn’t do anything…

Damian took one more drag on his cigarette before he put the cigarette out on Billy’s arm. He screamed and tried to pull away, but Damian didn’t let him pull his arm back until the cigarette was completely out. When he finally got his arm back he pulled it close to him fearfully. Tears were building up in his eyes.

“Ah, see… it was cry,” Jon teased before sitting down next to him. “That looks like it hurt… Do you want a bandaid? I have a bandaid. It glows in the dark too.”

He said it so cheerfully that it upset him. How was Superman’s son like this… Superman was so kind and Jon wasn’t. Billy didn’t move, he didn’t want to talk to either of them anymore. He just wanted to leave.

“No?” Jon said frowning. “Okay…”

“I’ll ask again…” Damian said softly. “Who told you?”

“…”

“I don’t think he wants to talk anymore,” Jon teased.

“Then make him.”

“Hhmm ‘kay,” Jon got to his feet pulling Billy up by the front of his shirt and up onto the edge of the building’s ledge. He held him there letting him lean over the edge just a little.

“No put me down!” Billy clung to Jon’s arm for dear life afraid any second he will be dropped.

“Who told you?” Damian asked again.

“Please I already said… I can talk to Batman and Superman. I hear them, and see them!”

“Are they here right now?” Damian asked.

“Yes!”

Jon looked behind him scanning the rooftop looking right past his father and Bruce.

“Hhmm… I don’t see them… Dad are you here? Hello? You’ve missed a lot of Birthdays!” Jon teased laughing with a bitter undertone before he turned back to Billy.

“Try again…”

“Please… I… I’m not lying.”

“Wooow, he’s sticking to it,” Jon said turning to back Damian.

“Jon, please put him down,” Superman said knowing he couldn’t hear him but he also felt too helpless doing nothing.

As expected, Jon gave no sign that he heard.

“Your Dad said to me down!” Billy snapped, his toes were the only thing keeping him on the ledge. “Please… I...”

“Hhmm… I didn’t hear anything,” Jon said.

“Why are you acting like this? This isn’t how the sons of heroes are supposed to act! You’re not being a hero. You’re...” he couldn’t stand the mocking expression on Jon’s face. So he said the only thing he thought would hurt him. “Your Dad is ashamed of you…”

That seemed to strike something in Jon. His eyes widened in anger and…

He let go.

Even Damian seemed shocked he did that, his eyes widening in surprise.

Billy felt himself fall, he heard both Batman and Superman scream his name as he fell.

“JOHNATHAN!” Superman shouted angrily to no avail.

“Damian…” Jon said sounding sad for the first time. “Do you think, my Dad is ashamed of me?”

“You did just throw a kid off the roof,” Damian said truthfully.

Jon sighed still looking upset… “I’ll catch him…”

He stepped up on the ledge and let himself all after him.

Damian stood there, looking bored after them until Jon came flying up with Billy who he shoved to the ground the moment they got back on the roof. Billy panted, he was shaking and looked terrified. Jon put his hands in his pockets and walked over to the door.

He paused before he reached it. “You don’t know anything about my Dad...”

“I do. And I know your Grandpa too… He’s h… here. Superman’s Dad. He… he wanted to talk to you…”

“…” Jon paused at the door. “I’m not allowed to talk to him. Tell him to go home, and to never come back.”

With that he swung the door open and disappeared through it.

Damian walked over kneeling beside him. “Look… this is a dangerous game you’re playing. If you keep looking into this, you’re going to die, and it won’t be either of us who kills you. Just go home and forget anything you know about Batman and Superman.”

After that, he stood up and headed through the door himself.

“Just breathe son,” Superman said kneeling beside him. “Slow deep breaths, I know that was terrifying.”

“Why… why were they like that… I thought your son would be like you…”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t think they would do that to you,” Superman said solemnly.

“I don’t understand…” Billy frowned. He looked at Batman. “If you’re Bruce Wayne why was Bruce Wayne here…”

“I don’t know…”

Billy brought his hands up to his eyes wiping the tears that kept falling. They gave him all the time he needed to compose himself and it took some time…  Once Billy felt up to it, he got to his feet taking a deep breath. “Sorry…”

“It’s okay,” Superman assured him.

“I’m good now…” Billy said getting to his feet. “I’m sorry… I’ll go meet Mr. Kent. Unless you needed me to do something else here.”

“No I think we’re done,” Batman said.

“Okay…”

Billy walked through the door to head down—

“BOO!”

He jumped falling off his feet.

Damian had been on the other side of the door this whole time.

“Wha—”

“You’re one jumpy kid,” Damian said laughing. “I watched you through a crack in the door. You were talking to yourself. So you really do think you’re actually talking to them.”

“What do you care,” Billy snapped as he got to his feet.

“I was curious, but you’re actually crazy aren’t you?”

“Leave me alone,” Billy named pulling his sleeve down to cover the burn mark Damian had put there.

“You’re—”

Suddenly the elevator dinged Damian suddenly looked panicked. “In here!”

He shoved Billy into a nearby storage closet. “Don’t come out for anything!”

Billy was suddenly in pitch darkness all he could do was hear what took place next. Superman and Batman however were on the other side of the door as the elevator opened.

Bruce Wayne stepped out fixing his sleeve as he walked through.

“Someone told me they saw you come up here,” he said sternly. “Why were you on the roof.”

“I had a cigarette,” Damian answered.

“I never should have let you pick that habit up,” he joked. “Your mother will be upset with me if she learns you started.”

“I never would have if it weren’t for you,” Damian answered.

“Don’t blame me for your bad habits,” he said. “That’s all on you.”

“You force me to drink and smoke when you do, and that’s on me?” Damian snapped back.

“I’m sorry, last I checked I didn’t tie you down and make you to do anything...”

“You force me to do everything!” he snapped back angrily.

Bruce chuckled at that. “How about I force you stop breathing next?"

"..."

He took a step closer to him looking cold and angry.

"How about I force you to slit your own throat next? Hhmm?"

He walked closer still and Batman felt himself instictually prepare to punch him before remembering he couldn't.

They were now face to face, Damian a few steps higher.

The next thing he said was barely louder than a whisper, "Do you want to complain some more?”

“… no.”

“Good, then let’s go back down to the party,” he said heading back down he clicked the button on the elevator, and held the door open for Damian to get on. “You’re not done greeting all our guests after all.”

Damian walked in folding his arms after he got on.

“Where did Jon run off to?” Bruce asked.

“I don't know.”

The doors closed and the elevator went back down.

“You can come out Billy,” Superman said and Billy opened the door sheepishly.

“Who was that?”

“Me apparently,” Batman said.

“I’m so confused,” Billy sighed. “I don’t understand.”

He was so threatening. Why would he talk that way to Damian?

“We’ll figure it out…” Batman looked more angry than usual.

Billy waited to make sure Damian and the Bruce Wayne wannabe got off before he called the elevator back up for him. What were they going to do now?