Chapter Text
Cadmus has made another clone, great, really, that’s all they needed right now. The poor kids looked around five to seven years old, twins, the girl was very protective over her twin brother when they had arrived to break the Cadmus Operation.
Both kids didn’t utter a word, wary of everyone, especially of Superman.
Batman seemed to have frozen in place when he saw the male clone, then he left the room telling them to meet him at the Watchtower, which wasn’t weird at all.
So now they were around the table in the meeting room, Kon was there along with Jon, while the youngest looked excited, the older one looked uncomfortable and wary, because he knew just like everyone whose those kids were clones of and last time it happened he had to me forced to take in Conner.
“There is a possibility that it could be Superboy Prime's sample…” Said J'onn trying to calm down the other.
“That's worse” Clark said with a mix of anxiety and anger.
“The DNA tests are done” Said Batman with a frown, he didn't look happy at all.
“So what is the verdict spookie?” Hal asked anxiously.
For a moment, the bat doesn’t reply, but when he does he sounds disgusted.
“. it’s yours, Red Hood’s and…. Prime’s”
They all held their breaths at that, three parents? One of the parents was a psychopath version of Superman and the other is a crime lord????
Barry looked at the man of steel with a nervous glance.”Uh….congrats?”
“You gotta be kidding me” Whispered Nightwing as he stared at Batman, his voice had a weird tone, as if he didn't know how to feel about this.
“Why the hell would they get the DNA sample from the crime lord from Gotham?” Asked Cyborg.
Bruce flinched at that but didn’t respond, okay this is really weird. Hal had a feeling spookie knew more than he was letting on.
“I’m not taking them in” Superman said firmly, getting back into the subject of the guard of the kids. “I already took responsibility for Kon" He says , trying to suppress his anger.
Diana hates how the man says that when Conner was literally in the room listening, she sent a quick glance over to the young adult, he was looking down with sunglasses covering his teary eyes.
She thought Clark had finally accepted Kon as his son, but it seems she was wrong…
“Then we need to bring in Prime and Hood” She said, forming a plan in her mind.
Green Arrow arched a brow at that. “Why? What makes you think a criminal and Prime will take the kids in?”
“We don’t, that's why we need to tell them to ask their opinions on the matter”
“I don’t think leaving a child in their hands would be beneficial” Batman says with a frown.
“They still have the right to know they have a child” The Amazon crosses her arms, her tone firm.
“Fine” The bat gritted. “I will…contact Red Hood to get here, I'll give him temporary access”
Clark looked awfully tired as he said. “And I’ll get Prime”
Dick looked around lost, his brother -- could he even call the man that? When he has done some much wrong?-- was a father, how would he react? He doesn’t know, not anymore, the person wearing his brother’s skin was a stranger to them at this point.
No matter, they will find someone fit to be the kid’s guardians when Hood rejects them.
Jason fucking hates Prime, he really does, because what do you mean this younger alternate reality version of Superman is smitten with him? The guy is insane, he just kind of appeared into their universe, he heard news about the guy being around and couldn’t care less about that.
But then one day Prime just kind of appeared inside his apartment like he owned the place saying he was excited to finally meet the Red Hood guy that the fandom was shipping him with…whatever the hell that means.
That asshole hasn’t left ever since, for whatever reason nobody knew about him being in Gotham, whatever Clark does that nobody recognizes him as Superman must be happening to Prime as well. So his oh so called ‘family’ hasn’t come to his rescue of having to feed a Super in his home cuz the man wouldn’t leave the fuck alone.
He hates that Prime is the reason he came back to life, it pissed him off to no end. Because the bastard brought him back? Fuck off! He never asked to be brought back! Fuck! His suicidal thoughts are showing aren’t they?
In any case, Jason was absolutely baffled when Prime said he was a fan and loved him. How the hell can this guy throw the L word so easily? At first he didn’t think much of it, the guy was insane, a psychopathic version of Superman.
But…and he hates to admit it, he kind started to warm up to the idea, because the man not only actually seem smitten with him for whatever reason, but he didn’t try to change him, didn’t try to make him act like the Robin who died, he actually encouraged him to be more himself.
And it made his accusation of Proime being insane even more precise, who the fuck would fall in love with him for who he is? Someone who not even their adoptive family wanted around, whose father has killed not once, but three times. Whose siblings couldn’t bring to look at him any longer and saw him as a lost cause.
Yet here he is, spread out on his busted couch, flipping through some random book he’s not even reading, while Prime tears through the apartment like he’s got something to prove, cleaning supplies, super speed, and way too much enthusiasm, like they’re playing house instead of… whatever the hell this is.
“Alright” Prime announces, suddenly right in front of him, hands on his hips like he’s waiting for applause. “Inspection time Is this better, love of my life?”
Jason doesn’t look up right away, dragging it out on purpose. “…Depends, did you finally figure out what a trash bag is or—”
“Jason”
He glances up, slow, eyes scanning the room like he’s some kind of critic, then he squints, leaning forward just a bit. “…hmm, I dunno, think I still see dust”
Prime freezes. “You do not”
Jason points lazily toward the table. “Right there, tragic, really”
Prime whips around, staring at the spot like it personally offended him. “There is nothing there! You’re making that up! You’re literally making that up!”
Jason shrugs, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “Guess you’re slacking”
“Oh my—” Prime throws his hands up. “You are impossible! Who complains about a super-powered cleaning service?”
“How would you even know if it’s clean?” Jason shoots back. “You don’t exactly… see things like a normal person.”
Prime slowly turns back to him, blinking. Once. Twice. Then he points vaguely off to the side like there’s an invisible camera crew. “Are you hearing this? I do everything around here and this is the thanks I get?”
Jason snorts, shaking his head. “You’re such a weirdo.”
“Your weirdo” The other says purringly, then looks unsure. “Right?” Prime asks with puppy eyes.
Jason pretends he didn’t hear that.
His phone buzzes in his pocket.
The sound cuts through everything.
He frowns, pulling it out, already annoyed, until he sees the name. And just like that, the air gets knocked out of him.
…Bruce.
Jason goes still, thumb hovering over the screen like it might bite him. His chest tightens, breath going shallow without him meaning it to.
“Jay?”
Prime’s voice shifts instantly, quieter, sharper. He’s right there again, too close, watching him like he’s trying to read every little crack in him.
Jason doesn’t answer. Can’t. His hand’s shaking now, and that just pisses him off more.
What the hell does Bruce want? It’s been a year since they last spoke, a year since the man kicked him out of the manor and disowned him for the second time.
A year.
A whole year of nothing and now this?
“Hey, babe” Prime says, softer this time, like he’s approaching something fragile instead of someone who usually bites back. “Hey… it’s okay.”
Jason almost laughs at that. Yeah. Sure. Totally.
Except his vision’s blurring, and he didn’t sign up for that. He blinks hard, trying to shove it down, but it’s already too late, his grip tightens on the phone like that’ll fix it.
Prime doesn’t ask. Doesn’t wait.
He just moves, one second there, the next he’s pulling Jason in, arms wrapping around him like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
And Jason?
Jason breaks.
It’s quiet at first, just a hitch in his breathing, then it all spills over anyway. Shoulders tense, jaw clenched, like he’s fighting it even while it’s happening.
Pathetic.
That’s the first word that hits him.
Crying, like this, in front of him, some unstable, reality-hopping Kryptonian who decided, for whatever insane reason, that Jason Todd was worth sticking around for.
Jason grips the front of Prime’s shirt anyway.
Doesn’t push him away.
Which might be worse
“You know you’re enough, right? Like, actually enough, not just ‘I’m saying it to make you shut up.’ I mean it.” Prime muttered, fingers idly threading through Jason’s hair like he had nowhere else to put all that energy.
Jason huffed, leaning back just enough to break the contact, calm now, but suspicious. “You hit your head or something?” He chuckled hoarsely.
Prime blinked at him, wow he is hot when he laughs…wait focus! He frowned. “Why do you always assume something’s wrong when I say something nice?”
“Because you don’t do ‘normal,’” Jason shot back. “You do… whatever the hell this is”
Prime rolled his eyes but didn’t pull away, hovering close anyway. “I’m serious, Todd you’re–” he hesitated, like the words were heavier than he expected, “–you’re good, like, stupid good”
Jason snorted. “Yeah, real shining example over here”
“No, listen” Prime grabbed his jacket, not rough, but firm enough to keep him from brushing it off. “You’re soft, not in a weak way, don’t make that face, but with your people? You are, you take care of them, you’d burn the whole world down if it meant they’d be okay”
Jason’s expression flickered, something quieter underneath the usual bite. “That doesn’t make me good.”
“It does to me” Prime’s voice dropped, intense in that way that always made it hard to look away. “You do the ugly stuff so they don’t have to, you carry it, that counts.”
Jason glanced away, jaw tight. “You’re giving me way too much credit”
“And you don’t take enough” Prime leaned in closer again, bumping their foreheads together like it was nothing. “You think you’re just some screw-up with a body count, you’re not, you’re–” he exhaled sharply, frustrated. “–you’re someone who cares, even when it screws you over”
There was a beat. Quiet. Jason didn’t pull away this time.
Then Prime suddenly brightened, like a switch flipped. “And if you ever start thinking you’re a bad person again—”
Jason groaned. “Oh, here we go—”
“—just think of me!” Prime grinned, wide and a little too sharp. “I’m a murderer for fun!”
Jason stared at him. “…You’re not helping your argument”
“I am!” Prime insisted, offended. “It’s about perspective”
“Yeah? Perspective says you’re insane”
“Maybe” Prime shrugged, completely unbothered, then softer, almost serious again “But I still know what good looks like, and it’s not me”
Jason exhaled through his nose, something almost like a laugh slipping out. “You’re unbelievable”
“And you’re staying” Prime shot back immediately. “So what does that say about you?”
Jason smirked, finally meeting his eyes again. “That I’ve got terrible taste”
Prime grinned like he’d just won anyway.
“That and I literally can’t fight you off my house”
“Oh c’mon!” Prime groaned then froze, he looked at the wall tilting his head. “Uh…Superman wants us at the Watchtower”
“What” Jason did a double take “Why? And why me as well?”
“No idea he just said he was surprised we are in the same place and asked for us both to be there as quick as possible”
“Totally not suspicious” Jason said, arching a brow then stares at his phone. “So that is what the bastard wanted to talk to me” He said disappointedly, he doesn’t even know why he feels like that when all the man ever did was push him away and make excuses to hate him.
“Fuck Batman, if you don’t wanna go, babe, then you don’t have to go” Prime said firmly.
Jason feels a warm feeling in his chest, it was kinda sweet when Prime acted so overprotective of him…wait what? No, fuck no!
He shakes his head. “Nah, I’ll go, see whatever the fuck they want with us”
“Us” I like the sound of that” Prime said with a smirk only for him to be pushed away by Jason who rolled his eyes playfully.
“Let’s just go dumbass”
“Sir, yes sir!”
Diana was the one to receive them at the Watchtower, the others kept their distance, wary of the criminal, Nightwing looked like he wanted to approach but didn’t, and Batman? He looked like he was trying to hold his serious façade with all his might.
When Wonder Woman explained things to them, Jason felt numb, clones? With his DNA? He chose to ignore that they have Clark’s and Prime’s DNA as well for now for the sake of his sanity. How the hell did they even get his DNA sample?
Shit, what did Cadmus wanted his DNA for? He was sure nobody knew he couldn't die permanently aside from Bruce.
“Are they hurt?” Jason asks with obvious concern.
That seems to surprise the others around them, minus Diana who seemed glad that he asked.
“We are still searching Cadmus’s for what they went through, but as for right now they look healthy and unhurt”
“Okay, good…can we” he trailed off unsure. “Can we see them?”
She smiled, nodding, she led them to the room the twins were staying in, Jason did not notice how the other looked as they left as if he had grown a second head. But Prime did, and he did not like that they were doubting that his Jason would ever not feel concerned over a child’s safety and health. He smiled,all teeth, and flipped them off before following.
The people around Jason started to talk something about trying to find the kid’s some sort of guardian, Jason stared at the one way glass, the twins were holding each other close, they were staring back at him, obviously being able to see him through the glass.
And Jason saw those two pair of blue greenish eyes and felt his heart break, he saw how much they expected him and Prime to reject them, how they had accepted that they won’t ever be loved, he can’t…he can’t be their parent, he wasn’t good enough for that, but…he can’t leave them either, he would do his very best to not fail them like everyone in his life did, he would make sure they would feel loved, he would tell them, every single day, that they are not a mistake until it sinks in, they would fight one day but Jason will listen, he will apologise if he says the wrongs words, he will….he will give them the world.
“We understand if you do not wish to take them in–” Diana started.
“--yeah sure we will take them!” Prime Says cheerfully from Jason’s side as if he knew how difficult it was for him to speak right now as he went through so many emotions at once.
“Wait, what? You will?” The flash asked, clearly stunned by the quick decision.
“We?” Batman looked between them in obvious shock as he made assumptions.
Nightwing was not much behind making his own assumptions of these two.
When the kids’ eyes widen with hope behind the glass, Jason is certain of his decision.
“Yeah, we will”