Setting: Wayne Manor dining hall — long oak table, warm lighting, Alfred’s quiet grace anchoring the chaos. Everyone’s in attendance again: Bruce, Alfred, Dick, Barbara, Jason, Tim, Stephanie, Cassandra, Damian, and Kael.
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Opening Beat
The clink of silverware and quiet conversation hum through the hall. Kael sits in his now-usual seat — near the end, halfway between guest and family. His plate’s untouched for the first few minutes, because the conversation is… predictably chaotic.
Stephanie: “So… who wants to explain why Damian was limping on Wednesday?”
Damian: (deadpan) “Combat training.”
Tim: “Translation: you picked a fight you couldn’t win.”
Damian: “I didn’t lose.”
Dick: “You didn’t win either.”
Jason: (grinning) “Kid went up against the Krypton-Bat combo pack. Brave, stupid, or both — we may never know.”
Kael smirks slightly, still cutting his food in even, deliberate motions.
Barbara: “Cass, you were in that spar too, right? How bad was it?”
Cassandra pauses mid-bite, looking at Kael, then at Bruce. Her tone is soft but confident: Cassandra: “He learns fast. Thinks faster. Doesn’t hit harder than he means to.”
There’s a small ripple of reaction around the table. That’s as close to praise as Cassandra ever gives anyone.
Dick: (grinning) “High praise from Cass. She said the same thing about Bruce once. When she was nine.”
Kael: (quietly) “That’s… comforting. I think.”
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Tension & Reflection
Damian: “He’s still predictable.” Cassandra: “Only when he wants to be.”
The table quiets a little at that. Cassandra doesn’t often correct Damian — and certainly not in defense of someone else.
Jason: (leaning back) “So, Cass approves, huh? Guess that makes you officially halfway Bat.”
Kael: (without looking up) “I’m fine staying at one-third.”
Stephanie: “Wait, what’s the third?” Kael: “Functional trauma and sarcasm.”
Even Bruce nearly cracks a smile. Alfred actually does.
⸻
Bruce’s Interjection
Bruce sets down his fork, looking at Kael directly for the first time that night. Bruce: “I reviewed the footage.”
Kael doesn’t flinch. He expected this. Kael: “And?”
Bruce: “You held back.”
Kael: “You’d prefer I didn’t?”
A flicker of tension cuts through the table. Alfred gives Bruce a look — the “be human” look.
Bruce: “No. I prefer control. You showed that.”
There’s a beat. Coming from Bruce Wayne, that’s as close as “good job” gets.
⸻
The Family Weighs In
Tim: “Honestly, I think we could learn from his control systems. His power modulation—” Jason: “Tim, don’t start trying to tech support the Kryptonian.” Tim: “It’s called analysis.” Jason: “It’s called nerding out.”
Barbara: “I’ll admit, though — there’s something different about how you fight. It’s… deliberate. You don’t move like Clark or Bruce.”
Kael: “That’s kind of the point.”
Dick: (grinning) “So what do you move like?” Kael: “Someone still figuring it out.”
That lands heavier than expected. A moment of quiet passes — not awkward, but thoughtful.
⸻
The Closing Moment
Damian: (muttering) “Still not convinced.” Cassandra: “You will be.”
Alfred steps forward to clear plates, offering his trademark quiet smile. Alfred: “Progress, Master Damian, often begins with disbelief. And occasionally, dinner.”
Kael: (low, almost to himself) “Guess that makes me an acquired taste.”
Bruce looks at him, studying the hint of humor, the guarded humility underneath.
Bruce: “You’re adapting.” Kael: “Trying to.” Bruce: “Good. The rest comes with time.”
Kael nods once, unsure whether that’s comfort or warning — maybe both.
Dick: (raising his glass of water) “To the family’s newest training hazard.” Jason: “You mean to the guy who made Damian shut up for five minutes? I’ll drink to that.” Stephanie: “Hear, hear!”