A Basket Full of Bats

Bat Baby

(To apologize for goofing on the posting here's two chapters in one day)

As the energy field from the Zeta transport faded, Wonder Woman turned to Superman rather astonished. "Batman has a baby?"

"Bat Baby?" spoke Flash with a grin.

"What are you looking at me for?" asked Superman.

"You're a reporter aren't you supposed to keep on top of news?" demanded Wonder Woman.

"Really Diana you expect me to read the society gossip columns and keep track of what's baloney and what's fact. I don't have that kind of time or energy," Superman retorted.

Martian Manhunter pulled up some of the gossip columns on the computer. "Here it is. Billionaire Bruce Wayne's playboy ways have left him with a bastard child with a huge ticket price..."

"Isn't that the sweetest way to announce a new bundle of joy," scoffed Green Lantern.

"Shush," corrected Wonder Woman.

"...born at a gestational age of 25 weeks, weighting just over a pound, Richard John Wayne was born to mother anonymous. It goes on to talk about heart surgery and hospital bills estimated at a quarter of a million dollars plus an extravagant home based neonatal intense care unit built in his home to escape the pressures of created by journalists and etcetera... comforts of home, teleconferencing with Wayne Enterprises... I think that explains why Batman has been sidelined," finished J'onn.

"I knew he had foster kids but I didn't think he had any of them involved in his night work," protested Flash on the topic of Dark Knight rather than the new baby.

"Dark Knight's not exactly a kid," pointed out Wonder Woman. "He doesn't look that much younger than Bruce."

Superman letting a little of the farm boy show gave an embarrassed little smile. "Ma'd be disappointed in me if I didn't stop by to be sure he didn't need help what with the new baby and all. What do say? Should we get him back on his feet."

"He is not going to thank you," protested Green Lantern. "I am not up for this."

"I'm up for it!" agreed Flash with a grin. "Grumpy old bat can grouch all he wants." Flash zipped off and came back with a backup generator another zip and a pile of extension cords was there, another zip and some emergency floodlights had been added to the pile, another zip an electricians tool kit.

Martian Manhunter stood an with a soft smile floated over. "I may be able to offer some healing. A new baby is a precious treasure."

Superman, Martian Manhunter and Flash looked at Wonder Woman. "If the power went out in the cave and the mansion but not the rest of Gotham there is a chance the power failure will be used to identify Batman and he will be targeted. I'll come for a little while. If the infant was that ill there is a chance ... "

"Diana..." spoke Superman with empathy.

Duke even though I didn't know about you way, way back when I was writing this, you need some love:

Barry'd come to check on Terry in the infirmary he asked of Batman who was back up to see Terry too, "What ever happened to Duke Thomas? I didn't see him at the house. I thought you were fostering him. Didn't he turn out to be a meta? You didn't kick him out because of your no meta's in Gotham thing did you?"

"NOOO!" replied Bruce indignant. "He aged out of the system and is running a group home with four kids in it. Daxton Chill, Andre Cipriani, Riko Sheridan, and Troy Walker. He's a real success story. He really has his act together. He's in his second year of college. He and Damian still talk all the time."
"Is he doing the vigilant thing like Terry?" asked Barry sounding disapproving and suspicious.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that any child I have fostered has ever had anything to do with vigilantes," answered Bruce quietly at which point Terry started to snicker.

Barry raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"He's The Signal," offered Terry ignoring Batman's glare.  "He's part of that team lead by Black Lightning. The two of them really connected because with Duke working with kids and in the system and BL's experience as an educator,... well, you know."

Batman was likely to ignite Terry with his Bat-glare if the young man kept talking and offering up information like he was.

Terry was a little loopy on pain killers. He just grinned.

"Has he been by to see the baby?" Asked Barry trying to defuse things.

Batman frowned. "The flu has been going through the group home. Tim's been sending him a weekly photo diary."