Crimson

conversations with substance... mostly

The members of the Justice League that had visited Paris returned to the watchtower in almost complete silence. Damien sat down in the corner of the room, trying not to be noticed. Kara was pacing nervously.

Bruce eyed the two carefully.

"They're children! You can't tell me that we're leaving them to fight this battle alone!" Clark yelled.

"We don't have a choice. They were right, we don't have any idea how their magic works we don't know how their enemy works and we must not get controlled. The best we can do is be on standby." Bruce explained, watching his son who was avoiding all possible eye contact which was unlike him.

Clark narrowed his eyes, "it can't be all we can do!"

"Your face looks like a fork has been taken to it. You can't help them." Kara looked away.

Clark stared at her. "You know something."

She stiffened, "what? What could I possibly know that you don't?"

"You tell me. If you know anything that can help us help those kids... And that girl. You have to tell us." Clark demanded. "I failed my daughter I'm not letting lack of knowledge stop me from saving them too! She looked so much like her Kara please!"

"I don't know anything! Yes you did fail your daughter. For years you failed her but she's happy now and you won't get in the way of that!" Kara argued.

Clark straightened up and he grabbed Kara's cape. "She's happy now? You know where she is?!" He lifted her up.

"N-no! I've heard her heartbeat! We know she's safe and if she wasn't happy she would be back by now!" She was lowered to the floor again. Kara hesitated before speaking again. She hated lying to him but knew she had to... "You can't project her onto Crimson. You can't help everyone!"

Clark frowned "I'm going home." With that, Superman turned around and flew home.

The group disbanded once Bruce had said they'd regroup the next day.

Bruce and Damien returned to the cave in silence. "Are you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Damien took off his mask and looked up at him.

"Why you weren't going to tell me that Marinette is Crimson?" Bruce sat down at the meeting table.

"What!? But how did you-!?"

"You dissapear into your room for hours at a time the link from your phone signal is to Paris. The only person you would ever willingly talk to for that long, is her. You told us about the situation, steered Clark away from Crimson and she was glaring at you." Bruce crossed his arms. "And you used our system to falsify an identity for 'Marinette Dupain-cheng' our dessert pastry caterers company name. Need I go on?" He tilted his head.

Damien went silent for a moment they just stared at each other.

"You've known the whole time."

"I am the world's greatest detective for a reason Damien. It isn't just a nickname."

Damien frowned at him. "you haven't said anything?"

Bruce sighed softly and placed his hand on Damien's head. He'd seen the way they acted together before she left. Damien wasn't one to get close to someone, let alone care enough to make a false identity for them. But he did for Marinette. But not only that but, he as well, could see how Clark's behaviour was affecting her. While Clark was his friend, Marinette was family, she spent more time in the manor than he did. He didn't want to see her life wasted. She would not get as far as everyone other than the Kent's could see she was capable of.