Rating: K+

Genre: Angst

Summary: Law of the place of the injury. John and Mary Grayson die in Metropolis and their son Richard is taken in by another billionaire. A few years later, he becomes friends with Batman's sidekick, Nightwing.

Author's Notes: This story is finished, and was originally posted on the YJ Anon Meme. I thought about uploading it as a single chapter, but I think there are places where I think dramatic breaks are justified. The title is a legal pun. It's a Latin phrase used in conflict of laws, that stands for the rule that courts should apply the law of the place where the injury (tort) was committed, which I think works well here. But also, it has the word Lex here. So, yeah.

Lex Loci Delicti

The Law of the Place of the Injury

It's not so terrible on the sidewalk. The snow's been shoveled or melted, except in the spots where it's been packed by pedestrians stepping over it. The curb, however is an entirely different story. By turns there are three feet of snow or three inches of slush. He can't help but think that whoever wrote I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas should be tarred and feathered and drawn and quartered. He's doing his best to avoid the slush, but the snow under his foot crumbles and he suddenly feels the ice-cold brown water fill his sneaker. "Fuck..." he growls under his breath, but for the first time that day, he's saying it not because the cold stings like biting needles, but rather because it doesn't hurt. That means frostbite is setting in. He really, really, really should have grabbed the waterproof hiking boots Lex bought him for their trip to Mount Everest last year. It was so stupid to leave them behind. But he'd had to move quickly and Lex might have gotten suspicious if Dick'd been wearing hard-core hiking boots when Mercy was just driving him to school.

Just a little bit Dick hates himself, because he knows he could be sitting warm in Lex's penthouse, sipping hot cocoa in front of the fireplace with Lex, waiting for midnight to be able to open his Christmas presents (a tradition started by his parents and continued by Lex). But no, he had to get away. Away from Lex.

The thing is, though, he's been missing for two days, and the city is plastered with his image. He swears, Lex has hired half the billboards in Metropolis with his picture. There's a reward too, $1,000,000 for finding Dick. The people who think Lex is an angel probably think Lex is wringing his hands with worry. The billboards and reward must look like the overreaction of a worried doting father. The people who know Lex a little better are certain to be convinced that Lex must want Dick back desperately for some insidious reason. It doesn't matter though, because most people will probably just see him with that enormous green dollar sign over his head. So he has to stay out of sight, and off the grid. The simple stuff isn't so hard. He's ditched the wrist computer ($23.8 million in R &D) by giving it to a hobo on the subway. He's living off of cash (he hopes $500 will be enough to get him where he needs to go, since he gave the cards to a little girl who tried to sell him things he wasn't interested in buying—she's probably already gotten arrested for trying to use them, which given her age is probably the best thing that's ever happened to her).

The first thing he did, right after ditching the computer was to buy a burner cell in Best Buy. That was two days ago and he hasn't used it since, because he knows it's only good for one call. But there are tricky things, like staying out of the cameras and explaining why he's wearing sunglasses when there's snow and grey skies. Staying away from the cameras is the hardest part, because he knows Lex has technology he's reverse engineered from Brainiac which could find him within three seconds (Dick's pretty sure Lex hasn't used it to find Superman yet because Lex hasn't even thought of the fact that Superman might be someone other than just Superman).

Suddenly he slips on the ice and falls. He feels that. He sees a flash of white. He screams. It's five minutes before he can even move. Finally, he tries to get up, but it hurts and he falters. He waits a few more minutes, then braces himself and tries again.

"Oh, what's a pretty boy like you doing in a place like this?" The way it's said makes a shiver of fear run down Dick's spine to his stomach.

"I think he's hurt," another, equally scary voice adds.

"Nah, you seen the glasses? Probably a bad trip."

"Need help getting up?"

"N…no," Dick answers, but suddenly two arms grab him from the armpits and yank him up (and that hurts too).

The glasses fall revealing his blue eyes and the purple mark around his left eye. The bruise isn't enough to disguise him.

"Dick Grayson?" one of the goons asks in merry shock. "Paydirt."

"P…please," Dick begs, "You can't hand me over to Lex, he did this to me," he says trying to point to the black eye.

The guy that has him pinned against the wall chuckles. "Honey, we were gonna do so muchworse to you…"

But then there's a gust of wind and the guy's ripped from him. Dick falls to the ground and cries out in pain. Instantly Nightwing is kneeling besides him. "Are you ok?" he asks.

"Yeah," Dick answers, not looking at Nightwing. Unfortunately his sunglasses have been thrown out of his reach.

"Dick?"

"Don't tell Lex?"

"Whatever you want. We've been worried about you?"

"Really? The League?"

"Well, Batman, Kid Flash and me."

"So basically everyone who counts. That's nice, but you needn't have worried, I'm fine."

"Yeah, right, those guys were going to…"

"I could have handled it."

"Here, let me help you up."

Before Dick can object, Nightwing has seen his face and the ugly black eye.

"Luthor did that to you," Nightwing states.

"Mercy was just following orders a little too enthusiastically," Dick answers.

"You're covered in bruises!"

"You looked under my clothes? Not cool man."

"You have a crackedrib."

"Shit, I thought it was just a bruise."

"I'm going to killhim. But first, I'm taking you to a hospital."

"No! You can't."

"Like hell I can't."

"No, listen, the minute I set foot in a hospital, Lex'll know where I am."

"I'll take you to a doctor in Gotham; she's trustworthy."

"No."

"Then Batman. He's had a cracked rib a thousand times."

"No, it's not Batman I need. It's Clark Kent."

"Who?"

So Nightwing doesn't know. Batman hasn't told him.

"The only man in Metropolis that Lex couldn't possibly buy."

"You're delusional," Nightwing says. "You've got hypothermia, bruises all over, and a cracked rib. I'm taking you to Batman whether you want to or not."

Dick reaches into his coat and pulls out the little lead locket, dull and heart shaped. "Can't make me."

Nightwing steps back. "I can't believe you kept that when you ran away from Luthor!"

"Yeah, well, Lex can't track me with it, and you never know when it'll be useful."

"You're such a dick!"

"Oh, yeah, like I've never heard that before." Dick pauses. "But anyway, I couldn't leave it behind. It's got a picture of my parents. I'd show them to you… my mom was really pretty, but you know…"

Nightwing groans. "You know, for such a smart guy, you're really dumb. Stay here."

And of course, Dick has no intention of staying, but Nightwing's gotten faster (and Dick's gotten slower) and he's back with a metal barrel before Dick can even begin to leave. He sets the barrel out, gets a lighter out of his utility belt and starts a fire.

"What? No heat vision?" Dick asks.

Nightwing doesn't answer, just offers him a hand. "If you won't let me take you to a hospital, let me at least get you warm."

He takes Nightwing's hand and walks over to the fire. "Mmm. Toasty. Now just some hot cocoa and this'd be a perfect Christmas Eve. Or, you know, not."

"It's going to be ok Dick."

Dick giggles. It's the laugh that Lex hates. He wonders what Lex would think if he heard it now. "It's going to be so much better than ok."

Finally, Dick is warmed up. Nightwing insists on getting him dry shoes and food. Dick doesn't really object, because he's hungry and his shoes are wet. The shoes aren't really comfortable. Not the right size. But beggars can't be choosers, and they are at least warm and waterproof.

When Dick is warm and fed and dry, Nightwing says "If you won't let me take you to Batman, let me take you to Clark Kent."

Dick shakes his head. "No. It's fine. Go on, get back to Gotham, tell Batman and Kid Flash I'm fine."

"But you're not fine."

"But I will be."

"Listen, I want to wait until its dark. Then I'll call Clark Kent. Please, this is something I've got to do by myself."

In the end, Nightwing leaves him in the alley. The first thing he does is check the shoes for trackers, but it doesn't really matter. Batman will know where he's going. When it's late enough, he picks up the burner phone he bought at Best Buy. He opens it up, loads in the sim card and battery. He turns it on and dials the number.

Please, don't let me get voice mail.

It rings.

Once.

Twice.

Thr—Kent picks up. "Hello?" he asks in that mousy voice he has as Clark Kent.

"Mr. Kent?" he asks, trying to sound weak and tired. It'd have been better if Nightwing hadn't fed him and warmed him up.

"Speaking."

"Um. This is Richard Grayson, you know—

"Dick? Luthor's been tearing Metropolis apart looking for you."

"Yeah, I sort of found out something Lex wants to know." To Kent, that can only mean one thing.

"Oh, God Dick, are you alright?"

"Yeah… about as alright as I could be given the circumstances. I'm bruised pretty badly, and it's cold."

"Why are you calling me?"

"I knew I could trust you not to go to Lex. And also, I've got a story for the Planet. Story of the decade. Century. Millennium, even. It's going to completely change the power dynamics of Metropolis."

"Where are you? I'll go find you."

"I'm at 9th and 23rd. There's a little diner here—

"Yeah, I know the one. I'm in the area. I'll meet you there in five minutes."

"Ok. Listen. Lex is going to be able to track this cell after this. I'm going to throw it away, ok?"

"Good thinking."

He closes the phone and dumps it in the ashes in the metal barrel. Kent, he knows will be on time, so he goes to the diner. On the way there, he flashes a smile at one of the parking enforcement cameras. Then he goes and orders a hot chocolate. The waitress looks at him with pity in her eyes and brings it to him with a huge heaping serving of whipped cream and one of those bright red cherries Lex won't let him eat because he says they're nothing but chemicals. He takes the cherry and pops it into his mouth.

It doesn't take Kent much longer to arrive.

"Do you want something to eat?" Dick asks him.

"No thank you, Dick. Is everything ok?"

That makes Dick angry. He pulls down his glasses. "Do I look like everything is ok?"Kent gasps and reaches out.

"Luthor?"

"Let's just say Mercy is a misnomer."

Kent looks at him and his frown gets deeper and deeper. Dick figure's he's seeing the bruises and the other thing.

"Hey, is there such a word as a nomer?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

Dick finishes his chocolate. "You sure you don't want anything, Mr. Kent? This is probably your last chance to eat on Lex Luthor's dime."

"No, thank you."

"Then, can we go to the Planet?"

"I think I should take you to the hospital."

"Nah. I'm fine. Besides, Nightwing couldn't get me to go, you think you can?"

"Nightwing?"

"Oh, you know, Batman's kid. No offense, but he's a lot scarier than you."

"Right."

Dick pulls out a hundred and leaves it on the table. He gets up and Kent follows. On the way out he looks up at the security camera. Kent takes him to the car and drives him to the Planet.

Even though it's Christmas Eve, the newsroom is packed. Lois Lane is screaming at Jimmy Olsen to get her the picture for her article, but as soon as Dick takes off the sunglasses, the whole floor goes quiet.

"Smallville, you found Luthor's kid and didn't tell me?"

"Actually, he called me, just now."

There's a question on Lois's lips. She never gets to ask it though, because it's only seconds after that that Mercy blasts through the doors and Lex runs in with two guards running after him.

Perry White bursts out of his office. "It's ten minutes to midnight, what the he—Great Ceasar's ghost! What's Luthor doing here and what happened to the doors?"

"I'm here for the boy!" Lex snarls.

"Olsen!" White shouts, "start filming this. Someone get IT to set up a live-feed on the site."

"Chief, are you sure that's such a good idea?"

"Luthor and property damage always sells almost as well as Superman and property damage. Lane, get your ass in a chair and start typing this up. Someone else start liveblogging this!"

Dick feels his lips curl into a smile. Although he hadn't counted on it, he'd expected that this would be White's reaction. The Planetis so old and stodgy, so predictable. But no one can see his smile, because, Kent—ever the hero—has bravely positioned himself in front of Dick, right between him and Lex.

"Richard!" Lex sighs, "Thank god you're ok!"

"You have a funny definition of OK," Kent answers, his voice full of self-righteous fury.

"What? What's wrong with him?" There's concern in Lex's voice—no one else can recognize it, because Lex is so seldom concerned. He almost always has the situation under control, almost always understands.

"Don't play innocent Luthor."

"If he's not OK, then why the hell isn't he in a hospital?"

"He was afraid to go to the hospital."

"Afraid?" Lex barks out. "What kind of imbecile are you? Every little boy on the face of this green earth is afraid of the hospital!"

Lex lunges forward, but Kent is too fast for him.

"Get out of my way, or I'll sue you and this damn yellow rag for every penny it's worth!"

"You'll get to the boy over my dead body."

Lex's eyes narrow. "That could be arranged."

Kent crosses his arms. "You'll find not everyone is as easy to bully as teenaged boys."

"What exactly are you accusing me of?"

Kent steps aside, just enough for Lex to be able to see the ugly bruise on Dick's face. "Mercy is a misnomer, eh?"

Lex has given up trying to understand. He tries to push past Kent, but Kent won't budge. "Get the hell out of my way, I'm taking my son to the hospital."

"Your son?" Kent laughs. "Yeah, right."

Dick realizes what Lex is about to do a second before he does it. "No—Dad, don't hit him!"

Lex stops just in time to avoid shattering his fist against Kent's jaw, and a new silence falls across the floor. Jimmy Olsen is still filming. Kent turns around, his blue eyes fix on Dick. "You called him dad."

"Because he is my dad."

"But he hit you…"

"Well, first off, plenty of people's dad's hit them. But second, you're not a very good reporter."

"What?" Kent takes a step back.

"I never said Lex hit me. I just said, 'Mercy is a misnomer.' I told you I found out something Lex wanted to know. I told you the story of the millennium—that I was going to totally change the power dynamics of Metropolis. And from all that, you inferred, as I knew you would, that Big Bad Lex Luthor wanted to hurt me.

"But you know, he wouldn't, because he's my dad."

"Luthor, the boy's delusional. You need to get him to a hospital."

Lex crosses his arms. "Just a second ago, you wanted to keep me away from my boy. Now I want to hear what he has to say."

"Lex, I lost my watch. What time is it?"

"11:56. Late. Are you sure you don't need to go to a hospital?"

"According to Nightwing, I've got a cracked rib. But five more minutes aren't going to kill me."

"Five more minutes," Lex warns.

Dick continues. "You couldn't imagine that Lex would want me. What was it? Couldn't you imagine that Lex would want me? Or that Lex would want me?

"You don't understand family at all, do you? You don't realize that there's more to fatherhood than depositing a genetic sample in a fertile womb. That's part of the reason you were so eager to think the worst of Lex. But it's funny, because you'd think, someone like you, someone like us, would understand."

"Luthor, the boy is delusional. Get him to a hospital."

"You're sounding like a broken record, Kent. Dick, what do you mean, someone like you?"

"An orphan."

"CK, I didn't know you were adopted," Olsen blurts out.

"I'm not," Kent answers, but he's gone pale.

"If Martha and Jonathan Kent wanted you, then why was it so unbelievable that Lex Luthor would want me? Was it because you couldn't stand the thought that at least in one respect, Lex Luthor might be a better man than you?" Dick feels his blood begin to rush. "Well here's a newsflash for you, Mister Kent, he's a better man than you in everyrespect. He doesn't pretend to be an angel. He wouldn't take on an urchin just for the good PR.

"After Superman took away my parents from me, you hoped and prayed that Lex Luthor took me in for some monstrous purpose."

"Superman didn't kill your parents," Lois Lane interjects.

He laughs, a horrible broken laugh, not the one that Lex has so often complained about. "And is that your professional opinion, Miss Lane? Excuse me if I laugh, Miss Lane, but I don't understand how people can wonder why the Planetis doing so poorly, when it's lucky enough to have you as its ace reporter."

"Cut the feed!" Perry White shouts. "I'm not broadcasting this crap all over the internet!"

"It won't let me!" the tech guy answers.

"Oh, yes it will," Olsen says as he pulls out the plug. Dick doesn't need to be looking at a computer monitor to know that the image flickers out, but is immediately replaced with the security footage."

"I may have taken the liberty of hacking your network a few days ago," Dick explains. "Now, where was I?" He locks his eyes with Kent's. Kent takes a step back. Dick steps forward. Kent stumbles back again. "Oh yeah. My parents. You know, I was eight when they died. We'd just narrowly escaped a tragic fate in Gotham, so my parents decided to take a holiday in Metropolis. Do you remember them, Mr. Kent? I know Batman does. But you know? I don't. Not anymore. I was eight when they died. Now I'm sixteen. My parents have been dead for more than half my life. I don't remember what it felt like when my father lifted me up on his shoulders. I don't remember what my mom's perfume smelled like. All I remember is how they died, crushed under rubble.

"And their faces."

Dick pulls his locket out from under his shirt. Kent looks like he's seriously considering running. But Dick knows he won't.

"My parents, unlike Lex, weren't rich. I mean, they were circus folk. They wouldn't have been able to afford to buy me an iPhone, even if they'd been around to see them sold in stores. And you know, it used to be that photography was expensive. You had to pay for the film. They didn't take many pictures. And we moved around so much with the circus… and then, when they died… all I have left is the photograph from the program, you know, from the night Tony Zucco tried to kill us and Batman saved them.

"That's how I remember what they looked like. From one faded black and white picture from a playbill.

"I think I'd like you to see it, Mr. Kent."

Dick opens the locket. Green light floods out. Kent, who had begun to look pale, suddenly turns green. Dick shoves the locket, with it's shard of kryptonite and his dead parents' faces in Kent's face. He knows Kent is trying to resist, but it's too much for him and he throws up his hand over his face to shield his eyes. He stumbles back. He falls.

"Get up," Lois Lane says… almost whispers.

"Yes Mr. Kent, get up," Dick mocks.

Kent tries, but his arms are turned to jelly and he falls. Kent moans.

Dick reaches down over Kent's face, takes off Kent's glasses, ruffle's Kent's hair, and then walks over to Lex.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," he says, handing them over.

Lex takes them dumbly. Lex walks over, crouches next to Kent. He stands up and pulls Kent up with him. The lead locket is still open, and Kent's now sweating profusely. His eyes are closed. They flutter open weakly. Lex reaches into his pocket and pulls out his own little lead box. He opens it, which elicits another moan from Kent. Lex touches the green rock to Kent's skin, and the fallen reporter screams.

"Get away from him," Olsen shouts, and pushes Lex away. Lex lets himself be pushed. He drops Kent, who falls to the floor with a thud.

Lex straightens out his lapels—such a characteristically Lex gesture, but the look of bewilderment on his face is completely out of place.

Tears are running down Lois Lane's face.

"And I thought buying you the circus was going to be a great gift…"

"You bought me Haley's for Christmas?"

"Yes!"

"Wow, awesome," he laughs, that giggle Lex hates. Then cringes. The adrenalin is gone and the pain is back.

"Ok, your five minutes are up. I'm taking you to the hospital, and then we're going to have a long serious talk about recklessly endangering yourself."

The next day, there's an article in the Planetentitled: "Luthor's Boy Wonder Reveals Clark Kent is Superman." Every channel is buzzing with the news. Mercy is guarding the door to keep out the reporters.

When Dick checks out of the hospital, Lex gives him the promised talk. Then, he hands Dick three wrapped binders.

The first, as he had expected, contains documents establishing his majority ownership of Haley's Circus.

A month after exposing Superman to the world, Richard Grayson is replaced by Richard Luthor and L-8.

The End

(For Now)

Author's Notes: This was originally intended to be part of a series of short fics, each displaying an AU where Dick was adopted by a different villain (Luthor, Deathstroke, Ra's, Catwoman, and last, but certainly not least, Joker). Each of the fics would have dealt with his friendship with a member of the Team. I got started on the Deathstroke one, and then immediately hit a wall. Though, it's been singing to me lately, so I might have more to share in the near future. Once I was done with the individual stories, I planned to do a cross-over, where the different Dick Graysons all met on Earth-16.

Other than that, there are a few edits to this chapter from the original, if anyone is interested. I retconned some of Nightwing's powers to be more in line with the show, and I corrected a continuity error (originally, Dick said he lied to Nightwing, but he hadn't...).

It's interesting, because this story predates Lex's appearance on the show, so, by contrast to the show, the characterization is all off. I considered trying to dial Lex down here. But honestly, and here my bias will show, I really don't like Lex's characterization on the show. I'll save you the rant.