Dinah reentered the watch tower, tired from her mid-afternoon nap, dragging herself to  the canteen, still half out of costume.

"Hi black canary!" Ms Martian hastened to her side. God, how was those kids always so energetic? "Are you here for league stuff again?"

"Not yet. I'm here to grab a free dinner before work." Dinah shrugged. "Aren't you guys gonna eat something?"

"We get dinner too?" The martian girl asked as if in awe, following her back to the mess hall. "I think I ate more today than all of last week!"

"You mean... three square meals?" Canary joked, grabbing a tray.

"We don't have much time to cook. I mean, we have snacks to take to school with us, and Batman gives us money to buy groceries, but most of that goes to feeding Wolf-- er-- our dog. Luckily, Robin is really nice so sometimes he brings us leftovers."

One meal a day. Two kids left unsupervised in a league base with their pet dog, eating one meal a day and working too much to cook. They were living on leftovers and risking scurvy. She'd say she was surprised, but from everything she'd heard, the other league neglected these kids pretty atrociously.

"Sheesh kid, I gotta get to work." Flash said, standing up. "Night shift."

"What do you do?"

"I'm, uh... forensic science."

"Really? That's so cool." The kid exclaimed. "Do you see a lot of bodies?"

"Uh, yeah. Sometimes." He replied. "I mostly do lab work, I'm not really a field person." Wally pat his younger self on the head, "I'll come visit tomorrow."

"Kay!" Wally kicked his legs back and forth, waving his older self off.  He started as a small body slid onto the bench beside him.

"Hey." Robin said.

"Tired of pestering batman?"

"He left for patrol." The boy shrugged. "I said I could come with, but he wouldn't let me."

"What a jerk." Wally laughed.  "Come on, I hear from M'gann that they're letting us have dinner too!"

This time, at dinner, Superboy ate. Not ravenously, but he ate, and that was something. His friends celebrated this, 

"You're sixteen, right?" Kara asked, sitting him across from them at one of the tables.

"Yes."

"So, were you were cloned sixteen years ago, or...?"

"Oh, no, I only gained consciousness 35 weeks ago, I was cloned this past year."

"So you're eight months old?"

"No! I'm sixteen." The boy insisted, a little defensively.

"...right. And you live with Red Tornado, right?"

"He's really busy, we only see him a couple times a week... it's mostly me and M'gann and the team."

"M'gann?" Kara asked.

"Hmm?" The martian kid perked up, a couple tables away. "Hello?"

"Her." Kara's cousin replied. "But if you don't see him that often, who takes care of you?"

"No one." The boy proclaimed. "We don't need anyone to look after us!"

"But I thought Canary..."

"She just trains us." Superboy explained. "We take care of ourselves."

"...right." Clark cleared his throat. "But who do you go to if you need help with homework or something?"

"I never need help with homework." The boy replied. "I know all the answers."

"That's... not exactly what I meant."

"He means who do you go to for guidance?"

"Black Canary trains us." He repeated flatly. "I want to go sit with my friends."

That night was quiet, after most of the league had gone home the team were more or less left up to their own devices. They ate, freshened up, and settled in their holding chambers, bored. Robin offered to read an e-book off his phone, and while some listened, others simply opted to go to bed early.

They awakened early the next morning, not that they could tell being in space, and went to see if they could hunt down anything to eat. Batman wasn't far outside their room.

"When does he sleep?" Artemis muttered. 

"Usually all afternoon." Dick replied slyly. "It's not like he has to work." He raised his voice, addressing the man. "Bats! Have you thought anymore about my suggestion?"

"I've talked it over with the appropriate forces." The bat replied. "We might be able to bring you over this morning."

"Yes!" 

"What are you talking about?" Kaldur asked.

"I asked if I could go home-- or, this version of my home-- just to check it out."

 The oldest teen seemed dubious, distrustful, he took the boy aside. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I do not feel... secure with you going off alone."

"It's fine, Kal! Batman is Batman no matter what universe." He lowered his voice. "And if anything happens, I'll radio and let you save me."

Kaldur seemed slightly relieved with this, though still concerned for his small friend.

Kaldur reached over, tightening Artemis' ponytail.

"Thanks." She said, mouth full with lukewarm breakfast.

He turned his attention to M'gann, who was chattering away, and politely reminded her to eat.

"I will! I will!" She turned back to Superboy. "Supergirl looks so cool! They seem really nice."

He nodded solemnly. "I just wish...Nevermind."

"What?"

"I said nevermind!" He snapped.

M'gann took the hint, turning her attention to Wally. "Your new Wally seems nice!"

"Uh, thanks I guess." He shrugged. "He said he'd stop by and visit later..."

"I just wish Superman was that nice to me!" Conner burst out suddenly. "It's not fair! I'm going to have to go home and he's going to hate me again!"

Kaldur reached out, his hand hovering over Conner's shoulder. "Superboy..."

"It isn't fair!"

The manor was familiar, but not identical, to his own. Sure, it was large and sprawling, but lacked most of the visual queues he associated with his home.

He stared up at it, reminded of the first time he'd gazed with awe upon his own manor.

"Does it look the same?" Bruce asked.

"Not really." He replied. "But I bet I know who will look the same!" He bounded up to the front door and leaned on the bell.

In less than a second it opened, a familiar "Master Bruce." greeting them.

"What'd I say? Alfred is a steadfast constant!" He turned back to the man. "Richard Grayson, good to meet you... again." It was so weird to feel a distinct distance from Alfred like this, normally Dick felt safe telling him anything, but now it was like they'd never met.

"Ah, yes, the ultraterrestial ward." Alfred acknowledged, "Please, come in... and--"

Before the man could say another word, Dick cut him off: "--And wipe my feet, I know."

Once Conner had calmed himself slightly, Kaldur delicately reminding him to use his breathing exercises, the teens found a room to sprawl around in. Well, most of them sprawled, Wally had too much energy and simply sped around the room, talking to himself.

Kaldur sympathized with Conner, ruing the fact that he actually wanted to go home. This world's Aquaman was... different, and barely present, he wanted to return to his own and secretly hoped to receive praise for taking such good care of everyone while they were away. He checked his radio again, just to be certain Robin hadn't called. He hadn't.

"Wow! What about this place!" Dick laughed, twirling on the marble floor. His laugh filled every inch of the cavernous mansion. "Wait until Bruce hears about this! I bet he'll be jealous of himself!" The boy's face fell slightly. "....I bet he misses me..." He perked up again. "Nothing we can do, though, Just wait it out." He pointed down a hallway. "Can I go exploring?"

"Be our guest." But the boy was already gone.

"He's certainly energetic." Alfred remarked.

"I can't... I just can't imagine what would possess anyone to make him into a hero." Bruce replied. "He's a kid."

"Well, we know a fair bit about what turns people into heroes..." Alfred coughed. "I will prepare a luncheon for you two."