Detention League

Chapter 4: Retaliation

/Bruce POV/ 

Alfred opened the car door as Bruce walked up, still in his thoughts about Clark Kent. An average person should not have been able to hear the footsteps behind him, and he was far enough that his breathing could not have been heard, but close enough not to be caught out of the corner of one's eye. Had he done something wrong?

"Something on your mind, Master Bruce?" Alfred stood in a polished suit, next to an even more polished car. Bruce looked up, meeting his butler's eyes. 

"No Alfred. Interesting day, that's all." Alfred didn't seem convinced, but didn't press further. However, Bruce could tell this was going to come up later that night. 

---

There wasn't much on any of the kids in detention with him. J'onn J'onzz came up with no records whatsoever, only his school files. It was almost like, before junior year, he didn't exist. 

Arthur Curry was in several local news stories, regarded highly as the best swimmer the high school has ever seen. His father is a fisherman, out on the sea for most of the time. He could find no information on Arthur's mother.

Diana Prince, as she was regarded in the school paper, was a legend. There wasn't one game she had lost. Unlike Arthur, Diana's mother was known, one of the country's most powerful women, and her father was not. 

Hal Jordan's father died in a plane crash several years prior, at Edwards Air Force Base. Bruce blinked. That explained why Hal wore a worn in pilot's jacket that was slightly large on him. It was his father's. Hal's mother, Jessica, was raising three boys, Hal, Jack and Jim. Bruce skimmed the article describing Martin's death. Hal had witnessed his father's crash. Bruce exhaled, wearing the jacket was a direct line to his father...

Barry Allen was working as intern in the forensics lab at the local police department. As Bruce read further, he noted that Barry's mother was murdered, seemingly by his father. But, the details of Nora's death didn't make sense. Barry must have known this as well, even though it happened when he was very young, this made him determined to become a part of the police force. Bruce jotted down some notes, hacking -easily- into the Blackgate prison database to see that Barry had gone to visit his father at least once or twice every month. And Henry Allen's prison record showed model behavior. He hadn't so much as tried to bribe a guard in his years at Blackgate. He certainly didn't belong there. 

Out of all of the other students, Clark Kent's history seemed the most ordinary. Clark was raised by Martha and Jonathan Kent in Smallsville until Jonathan died in a tornado. Clark then moved here. He had average grades, and, even though he was physically built for sports, he never tried. Instead, Clark wrote for the school paper. Strange, Bruce thought. If his physical fitness wasn't for sports, what was it for? Its not like he worked on a farm all day. School took up most of that time.

"Burning the candle at both ends I see?" Bruce looked up, he hadn't even noticed Alfred step into his father's study. 

"Yes Alfred. I'm just doing some research for school." 

Alfred blinked slowly, walking up and setting a tea set on an empty area of the desk. "Essay on Clark Kent?" Bruce didn't respond, he just took a biscuit from the tray. "Well, sir, you should probably rest soon. You have a full day of school tomorrow, as well as detention for that, incident." 

"Goodnight Alfred." Alfred nodded, beginning to walk out of the room. 

"If I may Master Bruce, instead of researching these kids, you might do better just making friends. What harm could it do?"

Bruce just smiled, his chest constricting slightly at that thought. (A/N: I'd like to point out that Bruce is an introvert. As an introvert myself, I know how difficult it can be to interact and make friends.)