The shadows in the Batcave seemed to breathe with tension as I locked eyes with the Dark Knight himself. The glowing blue monitors cast a sterile glow across his cowl, but I could tell he already knew what I was going to ask.
"Is that the real Mark Grayson," I asked flatly, "or is it a clone?"
The silence that followed was thick and suffocating. Batman didn't answer at first. Instead, he tilted his head slightly calculating. Then, his gravel-toned voice broke the quiet.
"Robin. Kid Flash. Come out." A rustle overhead. Two shadows dropped from the high gantry, landing with smooth precision on the cave floor behind us.
"Of course he knew," Wally muttered with a half-smile, brushing dust off his suit.
Robin gave a curt nod. "Yeah. We saw you two take off without a word. Figured you could use the backup."
I exhaled, tension I didn't know I was holding loosening just a bit. "Thanks. And… sorry. I didn't say anything because I know how complicated your relationship with Batman can be."
Robin turned to me, his face calm, confident. "You should trust me to do the right thing. No matter what even if that means going against him. He's the one who taught me that."
He glanced toward Batman. The man nodded slowly, acknowledging the statement.
"Yeah," Wally added, slapping a hand on my shoulder. "We're friends, man. Thick and thin. Whatever you're dealing with, we've got your back." I chuckled. "Thanks, Wally. Thanks, Tim."
But the warmth faded as I turned back to the world's greatest detective. Tim stepped forward. "So… what's Project Guardian, Batman?"
The question wasn't laced with judgment. Not yet. But the silence that followed told us it was going to be one hell of a reveal.
Batman turned without a word and began typing on the Batcomputer. The main screen flared to life video footage, surveillance logs, classified files. A file labeled "PROJECT GUARDIAN" flashed in red at the top corner.
"What you're about to hear," he said in his steady monotone, "is confidential. Only senior League members are fully briefed."
The screen shifted. Footage of the Watchtower devastated by Omni-Man. Images of Titans Tower ripped apart from the inside, Invincible standing in the rubble. Then came the files government documentation, encrypted transmissions, facility blueprints.
"After the Viltrumite attacks," Batman began, "the League partnered with Cecil Stedman of the Global Defense Agency. Cadmus was brought in as a supplementary resource."
My gut clenched. I knew this wasn't going anywhere good.
Batman continued. "The three parties built a classified detention and research facility. One capable of holding… Viltrumite-level threats."
"Omni-Man?" I asked.
"Missing," Batman said. "Debbie Grayson has had no contact since the Watchtower incident. No known location."
Tim's jaw tightened. "Cadmus? Seriously? You're working with them?" His eyes flicked to Superboy, who stood silent. Processing.
Conner's voice was steel. "So they locked Mark up. Brainwashed him. Turned him into their weapon. And this today was a test run?"
"No," Batman said quickly. "They used the opportunity to extract what they believed was a black box from the Amazo unit. What they don't know is that the League already switched that component before the transfer."
He turned to Conner. "I don't trust Cadmus. Waller's running it now, and she's pushed it beyond ethical boundaries. That's why I keep a closer relationship with Cecil. He's efficient ruthless at times but he's a negotiator. Waller… isn't."
I stepped forward. "So you're working with him to keep eyes on both sides. Planning your moves accordingly."
Batman nodded. "Cecil feeds me information Waller would never share. I've also conducted my own reconnaissance. Remote taps. AI surveillance. I have failsafes in place. But I can't divulge specifics. Not even to you."
I raised a hand. "Fair enough. But what's the deal with Mark?" Batman's expression didn't change, but his tone did.
"Mark has been… mentally fractured. Reprogrammed. Whatever's left of his original personality is buried under layers of psychic suppression, chemical regulation, and trauma conditioning. He's not a volunteer. He's a controlled asset Guardian. A contingency."
Wally exploded. "That's what the hell, man? That's inhuman! You can't just wipe someone's mind and turn them into a puppet! The League is okay with that?!"
" We are not," Batman said, low and firm. "But the political environment is unstable. Any overt move against Cadmus or the GDA could put us at odds with the U.S. government. Possibly the entire U.N."
I exhaled, slow and bitter. "Thank you… for answering honestly." I turned away from the console.
"Wait, that's it?" Conner asked, brows raised. "You drag us down here, we get the whole conspiracy, and you just say 'thank you' and leave?"
Wally threw his hands up. "Dude! We just had our minds blown! You're telling me we're walking away from this?!"
I gave a dry smile. "Yup. I just needed answers. I've got way bigger fish to fry right now." Tim blinked. "What's bigger than this?"
I looked over my shoulder. "Let's see passing my college finals. Managing my mothers company. Trying to rescue my parents from the Phantom Zone. Preparing for another Viltrumite scouting party since I might be the only one they know about still standing."
Wally slapped his forehead. "College finals? Bro, seriously?!"
I held up a hand. "I'm dead serious. I'm juggling half a dozen apocalyptic scenarios already. And I'm not ready to start fighting an entire government. Not yet. Not until a proper team is formed."
Tim narrowed his eyes. "Wait 'proper team'?" I grinned. "Yup. Come by my place later. Bring the Titans. We'll talk. Right now, I need a shower, food, and twelve hours of sleep."
I started walking toward the exit shaft, sore in places I hadn't even known existed. Conner opened his mouth to speak but I was already in the air, blasting out of the Batcave.
Back in the cave, silence reigned for a moment. Tim crossed his arms. "Well. That was… classic Cain."
Wally looked at Batman. "So what now?" Batman stared at the dark screen. "Now? We watch, wait and make a plan."
As I soared away from the Batcave, I let the cold wind of Gotham's outskirts clear the remnants of that conversation from my mind. My body still ached, sore from Eve's concussion blast and the fight with Mark but it was more than just physical.
The weight of knowledge sat heavy on my shoulders. Mark was brainwashed. The League had secrets. Cadmus was still a monster in the shadows. And I was expected to just live with that.
Nope. Not without contingencies of my own.
By the time I made it to my house on the edge of the city lowkey, quiet, and intentionally away from the chaos I landed with a dull thud on the front steps, exhaustion catching up with me. My stomach growled like it had a vendetta. Food first. Then rest.
Inside, I tossed my boots aside and made for the fridge.
I opened it, squinting at the options. Eggs. Bacon. Diced onions. Stew meat. Some vegetables I barely remembered buying. Half a bottle of beef stock in the door.
I frowned. "I really need to go shopping before Sunday," I muttered aloud, knowing Diana would notice if I served her half-assed leftovers. She was the type to bring wine and critique the flavor profile like a goddess on a cooking show.
Shrugging, I seasoned the stew meat with some paprika, garlic, cracked pepper, and a little soy sauce then seared it in a hot pan before tossing it into the crockpot with beef stock, onions, diced carrots, and some celery. Simple. Filling. Comfort food.
While that started slow cooking, I hit the bathroom. Stripped off my clothes and paused in front of the mirror. My body was built like a tank, but the bruises painted across my brown skin were hard to ignore. Purple welts, mottled reds, fresh scrapes from grappling Gray Suit, and the unmistakable burn lines from Eve's blast.
"Better than last time I fought Mark," I said to myself with a smirk.
The hot water stung at first, but I let it run over me until I stopped thinking. Until I didn't care that I was sore or angry. Until the water turned lukewarm and reminded me I had a crockpot going.
After throwing on a pair of sweats and a fitted tee, I checked my phone.
Eve.
I stared at it buzzing, her name glowing on the screen. I answered, speaking softly. "I'll call you back. I need some personal time."
"Wait, Cain, I just " Click. I ended the call. Not out of anger. Just… exhaustion.
Then came the doorbell.
"God, I hate how many people know where I live." I muttered under my breath. Opening the door, I braced for another interruption maybe Conner or Wally again.
But instead… It was Dina. Black Canary. Standing beside her was a tall Black man in a suit. Stern, thoughtful eyes. A presence that was far too calm for his size.
Martian Manhunter. J'onn.
"Cain," Dina greeted with a soft smile. "Sorry to drop in unannounced. You left the Tower before the debrief, and… we thought this was a good time to talk."
J'onn held up a white box with red lettering. "We brought cake. It says 'Sorry' on it." I blinked.Of course you can.
Of course these two would show up like they were guests at a suburban apology dinner then I remembered what Diana asked me. I sighed and stepped aside. "Come in."
They entered, eyeing the decor and the faint smell of simmering stew in the air. "Your home looks nice," Dina said politely. "And whatever's cooking smells incredible."
"Thanks," I said flatly, already walking toward the kitchen.
"Would you like something to eat?" I offered. Dina shook her head. "No, thank you."
J'onn raised a hand. "I would love something, actually. Dina it's rude not to accept food from a host."
That earned a small smile from me. "At least someone was raised right."
I handed J'onn a bowl and offered Dina some tea. She nodded gratefully, accepting the porcelain cup I handed her as we sat at the dinner table.
Then came the words. "I wanted to apologize," Dina began, her voice quieter now. "For what I did back then. For using my Canary Cry on you when you were just a boy. We were scared and hurt and you deserved better."
J'onn followed. "And I apologize for breaching your mind. I caused you great pain. Pain I still regret. I failed you in that moment."
Their sincerity was obvious. But I wasn't here to play therapy circle. I leaned forward slightly.
"I appreciate the apology," I said calmly. "But I'm not going to sugarcoat this. I don't care for your apologies." The room went cold. Both of their expressions dimmed.
"But," I continued, "I'm doing this out of respect for Wonder Woman. If she hadn't asked me to hear you out, I'd have told you both to kick rocks and never come near my house again."
Their silence said everything.
"You were doing your jobs. Fine. But I was a kid," I said, voice dipping into a sharper tone. "Not a suspect. Not a threat. A kid. And none of you thought to have empathy. You just saw what I could become, not who I was."
Dina bowed her head. "You're right. After what happened with Omni-Man… and what Mark did… we acted out of fear. We waited too long to make this right."
J'onn looked up, calm and somber. "Is there anything we can do to repair this, Cain?"
I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Honestly? I don't know. I'm petty. I hold grudges. I know I don't forgive easily. But I do know you're good people. So here's what I'll say."
I locked eyes with both of them. "You owe me a favor. Each of you. No questions, no refusal. When I call it in you do it. Period."
Dina leaned back. "Cain, that's unreasonable. We can't just"
"I didn't say what the favor was yet," I said coolly. "I'm not abusing the deal. But if you can't agree to that, walk out now and don't come back."
J'onn placed his bowl down gently. "I accept. You have my word."
"John" Dina started. "We know Cain," J'onn said gently. "I trust him."
Dina hesitated. Looked at her tea. Then at a framed picture on the shelf me, younger, smiling with my parents. Her shoulders dropped then she looked back at me.
"Fine," she said at last. "I'll owe you. But please, don't make me regret it." I nodded and stood, walking to the front door and opening it.
"Until then… professional boundaries please. We can work together no problem, but don't come to my home announced again."
"I can respect that," Dina said as she stepped out. "Thanks again for the food," J'onn added, smiling faintly.
I nodded. "Glad you enjoyed it." the two leave out I closed the door and lock it.
Peace. Finally I said as I grab a bowl of food and sit down at the dinner table. As I'm about to take my first bite. Ding-dong.
I groaned, dragging my feet back toward the front. "I really hate that so many heroes know where I live. Who is it now, cause I swear it cannot be worse then those two?"
I opened the door and there she was.Karen. Power Girl. Not in costume. Just civilian clothes, hair tied back, eyes filled with something raw and intense.
I stared. Oh. F*ck.