Give A Butler an Inch and He Will Take A Mile.

-(Going back a short time)-

Hearing the clone go over the list of mistakes from the mission I was slightly impressed that he covered so many. In fact, the only major one he missed he will learn when Boss Biggis goes free. Though I wasn't worried about Boss Biggis for now, knowing he had some explaining and appeasing to do with Scarface over his trespass into Scarface's territory.

Pride filled him when he was informed about Robins performance in the mission. Though it was dampened somewhat with Robin's lack of dedication to The Mission here in Gotham lately. Gaining some experience in Jump City with the Teen Titans was ok but it's starting to take too much of Robins time.

The Young Justice League is perfect for him to gain experience in world and even off world matters, but I should enforce on him that its only importance is in how it impacts Gotham as a city of this world. It may be time for him to finish school and be placed under Lucius Fox to learn business management skills.

Knowing that the clone most likely already knows who he and Robin are he didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but he wasn't comfortable telling him so soon. So, a simple warning would do. He was not, however, ready for the clones' reply, almost tripping at the implied knowledge of his Agamemno Contingency. This contingency plan was, without a doubt, a breach of trust and he was prepared to face backlash from the League members because of it. But it was a necessity none the less, his only consolation was that all the methods he came up with to stop any rogue member of the League were non-lethal.

I stopped a couple buildings away, well within my hearing range and continued to listen in on their conversation out of their sight. Am I limiting Robin by forcing him down my path? No, not Robin but Dick. When did I create such a division of identity between Dick and Robin? I do it for myself to keep a line between the blind foppish Matt Wayne and the Master Detective Devilbat. I feel uncomfortable though, with the thought that either Robin or Dick Grayson be seen in anything but a positive lite. Has he grown past my teachings, now ready to do as I did and achieve his own goals? Have I ever asked what those would be?

After hearing Robin leave, I continued to the Devilmobile and drove to the cave to think more about the night's revelations. Once in the cave I stop on the ramp and get out. Walking to the computer I see Alfred waiting for me.

"Master Matt, I brought the Aloe for the burn young Logan applied to you this evening." Alfred said to me.

"You heard?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Yes, all of it came through on the transmitter you have placed on the Robin outfit. All 6 of them." Alfred said with some acid.

"Alfred your venture into and the use of, the slang used by teenagers these days to connect with Dick are grounds for termination. Your British accent makes them all the more impactful." Matt.

"I perish at the thought of you sending me on such a long vacation master Matt, however I am afraid you would starve within 2 weeks and it would take the 'Master Detective' longer than that to find the vehicle key's to more than the Devilmobile in order to visit a restaurant. The placement of your birth certificate and social security card still eludes you as well I assume." Alfred.

"You are awful snarky today Alfred, any particular point you would like to make?" Matt.

"No sir, but I have taken the liberty of contacting Master Kent for a meeting between the two of you outside the garish costumes. Perhaps you could have a conversation about what has been bugging you as of late sir, as well as the revelations you have come to regarding Master Dick. After all trouble is split upon sharing as joy is multiplied the same way." Alfred.

"Seeing as you are so chatty today how about we discuss Robin then." Matt

"I wouldn't presume sir, but as you have asked. I believe training him was a truly wonderful way of helping him overcome his trauma after losing his parents. He certainly didn't have a traditional childhood, but the crime of Gotham took that from him not you. However, I assume you question his place now. Will you keep him as Robin, the sidekick of the Devilbat or allow him to grow beyond you and possibly your mission." Alfred.

"My questions for you sir are, would you be comfortable with Master Dick going out on his own to survive without you? Do you wish to kick him out to do so, or perhaps instead suggest he become more independent, while keeping your role as support an option?"

Changing the subject, "Do I act infallible Alfred?" I ask.

"No sir you know you can foul up, so you make multiple plans. But if I may Master Matt none of those plans are executed by anyone but yourself." Alfred said.

"Butlers, give them an inch and they take a mile." Matt said.

"I am British sir; I deal in kilometers. Your dinner is at your worktable ready to be ignored as usual sir." Alfred said as he left his master to brood.

The next day or maybe later that same one, Matt didn't pay much attention to such things, it was always dark to him. Matt went through a zeta tube to Metropolis to have a meal with the one person he trusted almost as much as he feared. Superman's cells made so much noise that he could pick him out easily even without the sonic beat that played around him just under the hearing range of people without his extraordinary hearing.

Moving to the booth of the diner where Clark sat, he nodded in greeting. However, before Clark could greet Matt, the waitress appears to take their order. Matt "I would like the spaghetti and meatballs I smell cooking in the kitchen please." Clark "I'll take an order of Beef Bourguignon and please don't forget to bring ketchup. Thank you." The waitress nodded and left; Matt activated a device that would stop them from being overheard.

Clark, "Alfred didn't say much about what you wanted to discuss Matt, am I hoping too much for you to finally admit you want to be with Selina Natchios? Lois has been filling me with all sorts of advice for you when you eventually work up the nerve."

Matt, "If my love life is interrupting your marital bliss, I suggest you work on your technique Clark. This is more along the line of that green rock you gave me just in case. It got me to thinking that it may become necessary for something of the sort to be prepared for all the most powerful of the League. I initially had no plans of informing anyone of such a failsafe, but it was implied that I was in error, so I wanted to discuss this with you."

Clark frowned and his hand clenched so fast there was an auditable pop as the air in his fist was compressed. "You did what? No wait, who knew about it enough to warn you of its consequences that you would actually listen to them?"

Matt, "The Clone! And he didn't learn it from me or my files."

Clark, "So you were right, he has some knowledge of the future and possibly our past?"

Matt, "What do you think would be the outcome of the League learning about my contingency plan from any source other than me? Or if it was somehow used against them and later learning it was my plan?"

Clark, "At the very least it would be a wedge between the members and likely, you would be removed from the core group. It would be seen as a major breach of trust and friendship."

Matt, "It would have little impact on me for such consequences, but the League would lose its efficacy, placing the worlds protection at risk."

Clark, "Your arrogance still stuns me at times Matt. You are not as willing to be segregated as you let on. Especially if it also affected Dick. Wait, don't tell me you have him doing the same to his teams?"

Matt, "He doesn't know, but yes, I am having him place his missions and any information about his teams in the computer for me to look over later."

Sighing sadly Clark said, "It would destroy him if he knew you were using him that way. Though it would place him on your path of never trusting anyone farther than you can see them. So, win win on your part eh Matt." Clark didn't hide the disappointment in his voice.

Matt shut of the device to stop people from over hearing as the waitress brought them their order, turning it back on after she left.

Taking a few minutes to eat and gather his thought Clark didn't continue right away.

After the meal was about half gone Clark said, "I will call a meeting of the core group. You will have to explain your failsafe to the team, I will explain my part in its beginnings, but the rest will be up to you."

Matt "You also see the need for such a plan, don't you?"

Clark, "God help me I do. But if it had been used on me first and then I found out the idea came from you I don't know that I could look at you the same ever again."

They continued to talk about everyday things for the rest of their dinner. When the waitress asked them about desert Clark ordered a slice of apple pie and Matt went for the devil's food cake. When that arrived Matt again turn on his device.

"I believe we need to keep a close eye on the clone. The look I see from him sometimes is like the look I saw from the Justice Lordsmen, their Wonderwoman looking at ours, their whole team looking at SilverFlash even when their Batman looked at me. Not to mention whatever the deal was with the ring guy you said was green."

"More than anything is the fact I don't want to know what future knowledge he holds. If I knew then I would tamper with it and then he wouldn't know the resulting actions. As it is now, I have some semblance of comfort knowing that he seems willing to step in if he recognizes the need like he has nudged people here and there. Not directing them, just nudging them a bit. As if to not make a major impact but push things in a positive route."

Clark looks at him with a raised eyebrow, "You have seen such a nudge?"

Matt sighs and Clark is surprised to see him lost in his thoughts for few moments, "He brought to lite a building issue between me and Dick that could have torn us apart. I have never thought further than the role of Robin and My Mission in Gotham for him. At times I see I was forcing it on him instead of letting him grow naturally. When he was growing up under my training and using the role of Robin to help release his pressure from the loss of his parents it was fine. But he is growing past that now. He isn't 18 yet and he has had more scholastic achievements than I ever have. He has taken all the martial arts I have taught him and a few others he has picked up on missions and made his own agility-based arts that will rival mine with more experience and fine tuning."

Clark, "Is it possible that the Lordsman's 'Batman' as they called him, was Dick? That could have been behind his surprise at seeing you. It sounds natural to take half you name as his own."

Matt, "After meeting more resistance than they expected the Justice Lordsman escaped too quickly to build a proper understanding of them. Maybe if they ever come back, we can learn more."

Deciding he wanted to get back to Gotham Matt said, "It's my turn to pay and yours to leave a tip. Tell Lois I said hello and ask her to be nicer to Wayne Tech. Let me know when the meeting will be." Leaving his thanks unsaid, Matt left after paying the bill.