Title: The Daring Dangers
Summary: When the Justice League suspects Haley's Circus of stealing weaponry, they send Red Arrow to try and catch the culprits. Stolen guns seem like the least of his worries, however, when he meets the Daring Dangers, kids with powers found only from League founders. They're hiding something, and Roy Harper won't stop till he knows what it is. **Set during Performance
Disclaimer: I don't own YJ or any of its characters.
"Mami! Tati! No!"
The voice was somehow louder than all of the screams in the audience combined, as he climbed down the tall trapeze platform and threw himself at his parents, tears welling in his eyes.
Dick Grayson had tragically watched his parents fall to their deaths, and now his blood-soaked clothes weren't even registering. As he desperately called out his parent's name, in hoping of their breath to come back to them if he said it enough times, he hopelessly tried to break free of the arms that grasped him and tugged him quite forcefully out of the striped tent.
A second later he was being wrapped in a blanket, gentle hands resting on his shoulders as the man shooed the police officers away, the big man getting on eye level with him, and revealing to be Pop Haley, the circus ringmaster.
"It's going to be alright, Dickie Bird." Haley cooed, stroking his hair quietly while Dick balled, but drew himself in closer, desperate for the touch. "I spoke with the child protective services, and they said you can stay with the circus if you want to." He smiled sadly, whispering soothing words.
"I-I want to." He told him quietly, not caring he was being stared at by police officers. "This is where my family is, it is where my home is."
Haley's smile brightened, drawing him into a big hug. "I'm glad you'll be staying with us, although we'll need to discuss some things when you're ready." Dick nodded, hand in Haley's as they walked towards Dick's trailer, but not without his eyes locking with a tall, dark, hansom man, who was ignoring questions as cameras flashed at him and walked into what he believed was a limo.
Making a mental note to ask Haley who that was later, he turned his attention back to the dirt as he reached the steps. Although many questions buzzed in his mind, he knew it would take a while to move on, and honoring his parent's dream with the circus was just how he'd do it.
To the public, Dick Grayson, the child with a tragic past, died. And Daan Danger, a kid with amazing abilities and a talent worth sharing, was born.
Two years later..
Wally sighed, kicking a pebble out of the way as he walked down the poorly taken care of, overgrown sidewalk on the way to his house.
His life was a mess.
He looked around, making sure nobody was watching, before smiling slightly and making his hand vibrate, only to have it stop and his expression turned downward. Barry Allen, his uncle, was the Flash. That was a fact he'd known for a little over a year now, and had only been double confirmed when he found a notebook in his office that had the experiment that made him the Flash, as well as an old suit.
About two months ago he'd tried the experiment, and ended up in a coma for three weeks. At first, he had showed no signs of the experiment working, but after a few days he was taking a jog to get his mind off a few things when he suddenly found himself sweating in Florida. He had thought about telling his uncle right away, but decided to break the news to him in another way. He asked his uncle if he ever thought "The Flash" would get a sidekick, who he thought would have said yes, and then he planned on showing him.
Well, it didn't turn out that way at all.
He didn't know why he was so hesitant to do it in the first place, but he was. Trying to find the right moment was hard, and his grades were slowly slipping because of all the homework he had to do while in that three week coma, and his parents weren't happy. And so, he found himself casually asking the question, and Barry had asked why, he'd frozen. Just frozen. He played it off as being curious, but had been furious with himself afterwards. What kind of superhero just freezes up like that, he wasn't brave enough to ask a question? He felt like a freak.
Hey, maybe someday he could run away and join the circus.
Actually, that didn't sound like such a bad idea.
Wally glanced at his elbow, where a bruise had formed from lunch. He'd taken a lot more than the average student (three plates was more, right?) to satisfy his new metabolism, which, of course, resolved in him getting pushed around and hitting his elbow on the table. But it was healed now, because apparently speedsters have super-healing as well as super-speed. At least that explained how Uncle Barry showed up for their weekly hang out without a bruise or a scratch from when the Flash fought Captain Cold yesterday.
He didn't know if he could do it anymore, pretending to his parents he was just growing, or pretending to his uncle he didn't notice how he caught a coffee with inhuman speed. It was getting to be to much, and hiding this was becoming more difficult with each passing day. Not to mention his parents were constantly fighting with each other, and Wally was sure they were on the brink of getting divorced.
"Coming through!"
Wally heard the voice just in time, quickly jumping out of the way just as a kid with raven hair ran right where he was merely seconds ago. A scowl formed on his face, taking a step forward and yelling, "watch it!"
It took him a few seconds to realize that he was now staring at the kid's face, brilliant blue eyes blinking at him in surprise as he took a wide step back and looked confused. "But, you were just over.." He trailed off, looking rapidly between where Wally was now and where he was seconds before.
Wally sheepishly scratched behind his head, averting his eyes. "Uh, yeah." He mumbled, "I should really get going now."
The boy's eyes widened, obviously not hearing his last statement as he blocked Wally's path with an exited grin. "You're just like the Flash!" He proclaimed, poking him in the arm. "Dude, that is so cool! I thought only the Flash had super-speed."
"He does," Wally said slowly, before realizing it was stupid to deny it and muttered, "at least publically."
The boy's blue eyes widened even further, "that's so awesome! Hey, maybe we can talk more about this later? I'm running late." He said, looking at the clock that hung in Marshal's Antique Clocks.
"For what?" Wally asked curiously. It must have been pretty important. If Wally had found a kid randomly on the street with a superpower, even super-speed like himself, then he'd stay all day and talk with him. Maybe even miss out going to Uncle Barry's house.
They boy grinned, "Haley's Traveling Circus, of course! There's a show in just a few hours, and I have to go."
"That's quite a long time to wait in line."
The raven-haired boy grinned cheekily, laughing softly before answering. "Not if you're apart of the show. I've got to go practice my act, why don't you stop by? Or, better yet, you can watch me practice!"
"Really?" Wally asked, excited. "That would be awesome! Here, get on my back and steer me there, I'll get you there in a flash." A small groan was heard at his pun, in which he grumbled a "I thought it was funny," and spun around.
With an eager nod, the boy hopped onto Wally's back and smiled. "It's set up in the lot a few blocks down from Maggie's Ice Cream. You got it?"
"You bet, I go there all the time. Let's go!"
In a blur, they were standing in front of a metal gate that was blocking the entrance to a gigantic circus tent. "There's the entrance- hey!" The boy, using Wally as a spring board, jumped over the fence with a perfect flip. A second later Wally was by his side, laughing as the body guard looked around for the source of the wind.
"Say, what's your name?" Wally asked, watching as the mysterious boy with the raven hair did a perfect cartwheel.
"My name is Richard," The boy said with a grin. "But that's much to formal, so everyone calls me Dick."
"Nice to meet you, Dick. I'm Wally." He said with a genuine smile, watching as a woman with red and orange feather costume blew on a stick, making her look like she breathed fire. "So what do you do? As an act, I mean."
Dick gave him a mysterious look, motioning him to follow into the big tent, where he drew open the curtain and pointed to a trapeze. "I'm the trapeze act." He said with a smile, already back handspringing to the ladder.
"Aren't you a little young?" Wally asked, fright concealing him as he watch Dick climb all the way to the top.
"I've been doing this since I was born, Wally!" Dick yelled to him, dusting his hands in a chalk bucket that was sitting next to the top of the latter. "My first steps were taken on a trapeze!" With a smile, he took one of the swings and jumped, and Wally found himself biting his nails, ready to jump and catch him when he fell.
Only, it never came.
The red head watched in amazement as he did a double flip, grabbing hold of the second swing and when it reached its top height, he let go and switched around so he was facing the other direction. "Amazing, isn't he?" Said a voice from behind, making Wally jump and spin around. He stared directly at an older man wearing a top hat and holding a stick, who he could only presume was the Ring Master.
For a moment, Wally vaguely wondered how such a heavy man had snuck up on him like that, but thought better than to actually ask the question and instead answered, "definitely, sir." Before drawing his attention back to Dick just in time to see a triple flip.
"No need for such formality, you can call me Haley." He said warmly, not taking his eyes of Dick's gracefulness. "Not everyone gets a back stage pass, you know. A friend of Dick's?"
"I guess," Wally answered, reluctantly turning his head to face the pink faced man. "He almost ran into me while running here. We stared taking, one thing led to the next, and he asked me if I wanted to watch him." He grinned as Dick's eyes locked with his, doing an amazing side turn just to show off. Sticking out his tongue, he watched for a few more seconds before turning to Haley. "Is there a way to join?"
"The circus? Certainly." Haley said, but his smile wavered. "But, I don't think your parents would let you."
'He's right, they wouldn't' Wally thought, but this was what he wanted to do. This could be the chance of a lifetime! "I don't have any parents, sir. Just a deadbeat uncle who's more interested in beer than me." He sighed, kicking the ground. A part of him felt guilt for using "uncle", as it would most likely be linking back to Uncle Barry, who was the best uncle anyone could ask for. "I've wanted out, and I think this could be my chance. It seems you guys have a close family here, and all I've ever wanted was a proper family."
Haley, seeming touched, nodded. "Well, what can you do?" He asked, and Wally grinned.
"You see that bowling pin over there?" He asked, pointing to it. "Watch it closely."
A gush of wind later, Wally was holding it in his right hand, a dumbfounded Haley staring right at him. He was back in front of him in less than a second, holding out the bowling pin. "I've got super speed like the Flash, it happened after an accident with chemicals at my school." He shrugged, checking his slightly steaming solaces. "Do you think that would work?"
Haley raised an eyebrow, eyes trailing up as Dick finished his routine. "Not alone, but I may know a certain act we could incorporate it in."
A slow grin spread across Wally's face.
To the public, Wally West, the kid that was thought of as a freak, died. And Dane Danger, a kid with amazing abilities and a big heart, was born.
One year later..
Artemis scowled, aiming for the striped target sitting about fifteen feet in front of her. Letting go, she hit a direct bulls eye. Again. For the twentieth time.
She really needed a new hobby.
With a sigh, she set her practice bow down and walked out of her target practice room, which was created in courtesy of her dad. Who was otherwise known as Sportsmaster, one of Green Arrow's main villains who had been sent to jail a record of one hundred and twenty two times for murders, assassinations, an occasional raid, and interfering with the Justice League's plans. He was also known for being dad of the year, never pressuring her into being a villain or anything.
Note the sarcasm in that last thought.
Walking outside and hoping to get a walk in before her dad and sister returned home for their every-once-and-a-while family outings. Her sister was in Africa taking after her father in assassinations, and was either celebrating killing some mafia man or breaking out of jail with her father. She started her afternoon jog as she went through the bustling town of Star City, where she was temporarily staying with her father until they moved. Most likely to another "safe house" to keep off the League's radar.
As Artemis passed a window display, she noticed a poster tilted on a pole. With curiosity, she grabbed it and read the text out loud to herself. "Come to Haley's International Traveling Circus, a circus of amazing acts that are picked up from all over the world." She cocked an eyebrow, reading the next line. "Watch as the acts tumble through the sky, play with fire, and balance on elephants in this one of a kind circus." There was a picture below, showing who she presumed was Haley, and two boys doing an act that involved a trapeze and what looked like some kind of pink and white light show. She read Daan and Dane Danger, performing as The Daring Dangers. Cocking an eyebrow, she flipped the poster over and read the show times, glancing up and the clock. "Huh, six o' clock. Only an hour from now, I may be able to watch the show and get back before my dad and sister do." With a small smile, she "accidentally" bumped into someone and grabbed a fistful of dollar bills, matching the seven dollar entrance fee.
Whistling a merry tune, she walked down the street and headed towards Haley's circus, hoping to get good seats.
One hour later..
Kaldur anxiously looked behind him, making sure nobody was following him before slipping into a crowd of people who were lined up for what surface-dwellers called a circus, using a puddle to distract the guards long enough to slip inside unnoticed.
Running from his father was proving to be a pain in the gills.
Speaking of gills, he casually brushed his hands over his neck, making sure they were down before using a bit of money he'd found on the ground to buy kettle corn and went inside the huge circus tent, sort of wondering what a "circus" was. A girl with blond hair and wearing sunglasses not much younger than him was sitting only a few people across from where he as looking, and the seat next to her was open. Taking a deep breath in hopes of making this look casual, he slipped past some people and cleared his throat as he looked at her, earning her attention. "Is this seat taken?" He asked, and she shrugged and patted the seat.
She stuffed some pink cotton candy in her mouth, looking bored. He took that as a good sign and sat down, looking over the crowd, still in wonder about how this was going to work. "So, Kaldur, right?"
He jumped as she spoke, and he never introduced himself to her. She didn't look familiar, did she? She had dark sunglasses and a sneaky smile on her face, and he was terrified. Had his father started recruiting people his age? "Er, yes. How did you know-?"
"I'm a physic," she answered confidently, taking off her jacket. After a moment of silence and a wide-eyed Kaldur, she started laughing and pulled off her sunglasses with one smooth movement. "No, I'm kidding. Name's Artemis. My dad is Sportsmaster, we met at the meet and greet a few years ago, remember?"
He let out a sigh of relief, looking around to check nobody was listening. He did remember Artemis, they'd talked for a while when a whole bunch of villains met up for this thing his father had only called 'The Light'. He knew next to nothing about it, besides it being a group of some of the worst criminals and that his father anxiously wanted him to join it and become an evil villain like him. "I did not expect to find you in Star City, Artemis."
"I didn't expect you to be here, either. Living underwater and all." She shrugged, "why are you here, anyway? And you're acting like something's going to pop out and fight you at you any second."
He sighed, collapsing in on himself and taking a deep breath to relax. Was it really that obvious? "I have been on the run from my father for a little over two months now, and I fear staying in one place too long." He frowned, looking at the entrance. "I do not wish to be evil anymore, I want a new life. To start over somewhere. But that is rather hard when everyone in Atlantis knows who you are, and my father has been sending his army after me."
Artemis' frown matched his, flicking a piece of popcorn off her shirt. "Yeah, I've been thinking about ditching the old destiny too." She admitted, but hushed up with the crowd when trumpets blared.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Called out a voice, what they just noticed to be a dark center suddenly filled up with bright lights as a podium rose, turning around slowly as a big man smiled. "Thank you for coming to Haley's Traveling Circus! We ask that you please not use flash photography, as it can distract out performers and animals." Small chatter made way as people turned off their flash, only to be silenced again when the ringmaster spoke. "Thank you! And now, we start with our opening act, Cinnamon's Biker Crew!"
What sounded like a lame act actually turned out pretty good. Three woman started doing amazing things on bikes, hand standing while steering, as well as juggling and stacking each other and their bikes. Over all, Artemis and Kaldur were very impressed, whooping and clapping with the rest of the crowd. As the acts passed by, from unicycling, to fire-breathing (Kaldur was slightly weary of that one), to clowns that made the children laugh and some cower behind their moms in fear, and to the old-fashion lion tamers, all of them were beyond what Kaldur had ever seen. It passed much to quickly for his liking, and before he knew it the whole thing was over, and only one act remained.
The lights dramatically lowered, and he heard Artemis remark "huh?". Murmurs rand throughout the quiet crowd as the ringmaster's voice filled their ears, "welcome to our last act, featuring The Daring Dangers, where Daan and Dane Danger will perform the closing act."
A gasp fell over the crowd as two boys were lowered, one going to the floor, the other on top of a trapeze. Without warning, music started and they took off, starting with the youngest leaping off the platform. Artemis' heart stopped a beat as he flew threw the air and grabbed one of the bars, a second later, the other boy took off in his part of the act, first appearing to be running quite quickly in a circle, then turning into a dancing lights show as gusts of wind hit the audience, a small tornado that defied the earth's physics started and lights danced below Daan Danger, while only glimpses of Dane Danger were seen at all in the colored tornado, lit by streams of lights.
Whispers of "how are they doing that?" and "I've heard the trapeze guy can fly" and "I've heard the tornado one has super-speed" passed threw the crowd, but most of the audience members was to awe-struck to reply or comment at all as Daan did a gravity defying triple flip, and Dane's tornado turned into a arch of lights and air as the final part commenced, Daan diving straight into the air and towards the ground did a quadruple flip before Dane made a twister and caught him, falling lightly towards the ground as the remaining air slowed down their fall, ending with Daan standing perfectly on Dane's shoulders, and the crowd erupted into applause and cheers as the boys waved and walked out of the ring.
The lights turned back on completely and Haley thanked them as the crowd started to depart. Kaldur's mouth was dropped open, as was Artemis'. Without a moment to spare, he grabbed Artemis and pulled her out of the tent quickly, a "hey!" was heard, but not acknowledged. "Where are we going?" Artemis asked, when she tugged free.
"Do you not want to meet The Daring Dangers?" Kaldur asked, "because I am very curious about the red head, Dane I think, and how he did something only the Flash can do."
Artemis, however, looked unsure. "I guess?" She answered, and her eyes trailed to where some of the other box cars are, and her eyes lit up as she saw the Danger's. "Come on, let's sneak around."
With a grin, Kaldur pointed to the tent, which held some bushes around the edge. Casually walking over, he nodded for her to follow and ducked into the bushes, crawled a little, then peaked out to see Daan laughing as he shut the door to box car #4. Grabbing her hand and walking cautiously, he snuck into the box car and urged Artemis to hurry.
Sneaking inside, they quietly shut the door and looked around, looking for where Daan and Dane was. "Seriously?" Said a voice from above, and Artemis jumped. "See, Wally? I knew someone was looking creepily at us!"
Dane, or Wally, sighed and walked out of what looked like a bathroom, but he sped out to fast to know for sure, where he had supposedly been listening. "Aright, Dick, you were right." He rolled his eyes and strolled over to the pair. "Can we help you?"
Daan, or Dick, jumped down from where he was positioned between two thin beams and landed steadily next to him, crossing his arms. "Breaking an entering is against the law." He told them cheekily. "But, I'm guessing Artemis and Kaldur already know that, right?"
Kaldur's eyes widened, looking between the two. Wally, looking just as surprised, glanced at Dick. "You know them?"
"No," Dick admitted, "but their faces were all over the League's radar at one point. What do we owe the pleasure to be in the presence of the daughter of Sportsmaster and the son of Black Mantis?"
Their faces paled.
Wally, however, groaned. "You hacked into the League without me? Dude! We agreed to share this knowledge!" He also looked up uncertainly at the sheepish pair. "And that would have been really helpful in situations where the people you have knowledge on the people that may have been sent to kill us!"
"We assure you we are not here to kill you," Kaldur told them, putting his hands up in a 'I surrender' type of way. "We just wanted to ask how you did your performance."
Dick raised an eyebrow, "well, mine's simple. I'm an acrobat." He shrugged, gesturing to Wally, "but my lips are sealed for Wally's. He can tell you himself."
They turned their attention to Wally, who was picking dirt out of his nails. Looking up at them, he sighed. "Well, since y'all have lived in a world with heroes and villains, I might as well. Super speed." As if to prove his point, he moved his hand so quickly that it started to vibrate, acting like a chain saw.
Kaldur, looking impressed and satisfied, glanced around the box car. "You two live in here with each other?"
"Promise it's not as weird as it seems," Wally said quickly. "It's like a roommate situation, and we like it this way. Together, we've gotten to see the seven wonders of the world without leaving home, and not to mention countless other cities all around the world." He grinned as he pointed to a poster board filled with photos, each documenting a different place. There was one where they were standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, and another in front of the Taj Mahal, and another making silly faces at each other at the gate of the White House.
After a few more seconds of staring at the photos, Dick straightened. "What brings you two to Star City? Sometimes tells me you didn't walk out of the ocean or take a bus all the way here just to see our show."
"Admittedly, no." Artemis said with a frown, tugging at a loose string on her sleeve. "We've been thinking about ditching the family legacy, or at least I have. Kaldur already has, he's been on the run for a month or two." She shrugged, looking around the place. "This could be just what I need, you know, to start over?"
Dick nodded his head, lost in in thought for a moment. "I got it! Artemis, can you use a bow?"
She smiled, "that's my main weapon. Why?"
"Great!" Dick said in a hurry, not answering her question. "Kaldur, can you use any type of throwing instrument?"
Kaldur nodded, "I'm a bit rusty, but I'm a decent knife thrower, it's a similar motion to using water swords."
"Great!" He said again, motioning for them to follow. "I'll go inform Haley we have two new people joining our act tomorrow."
"Wait, what?" Wally and Artemis said at the same time, hurrying after Dick.
Then, he suddenly stopped. "Right, we need backstories. He's not going to let villains join us. No offence." He looked them up and down, before brightening. "Artemis, your parents were killed when they didn't pay a mobster enough money, leaving you on the streets to look after yourself." He turned to Kaldur, "hmm, lets see, creative. Oh! Mom died in childbirth, dad died while fighting the war against Black Mantis. You left the ocean to see if you could live your life here, when you met Artemis in an alleyway, and you two have been close ever since."
Kaldur nodded slowly, it sounded very convincing. "I have it."
"Me too," said Artemis with a smile, and was suddenly grabbed by the hand and yanked towards the large tent where the performance had been taking place, Wally and Kaldur jogging to catch up.
"Haley!" Yelled Wally, grinning and pushing Kaldur in front of him. "I think we have new recruits to join our act." Artemis was also shoved, and looked straight up at the tall man, he looked a lot taller in person than from the risers.
"Oh, really?" Haley said pleasantly, "who are you two?"
"We're Artemis and Kaldur." She answered, a smile forming on her face. "I know this seems really sudden, but we've been looking for a chance to start over, and this could be it."
Haley's pink cheeks grew pinker, and he looked like a very jolly old man. "You sound exactly like someone who joined this circus a year ago." He looked directly at Wally, who burned up as everyone else drew their attention to him. "But, as I ask all the young acts, are your parents all right with this? We'd rather not get sued again, nasty that was."
Kaldur, determined to be convincing, sighed. "We do not have any parents, Mr. Haley." He told them, eyes trailing down. "If you have not already noticed, I am an Atlantian. Both of my parents were killed in a raid by Black Mantis, so I came to the surface world to see if I could build a life for myself here. This is where I met Artemis."
Artemis gave him a heart-warming smile, waving slightly. "Yeah, I met Kaldur in an alleyway in Gotham. Parents were murdered when a mob boss didn't get his money in time, leaving me by myself. But they owned an archery shop, selling a variety of bows and arrows, so I'm quite a good archer." She shrugged nonchalantly, motioning to Kaldur. "He's pretty good with knife throwing, claims it's similar to a sport they held in Atlantis, so we would be of use."
Dick squeezed between them, wrapping one arm around both of their shoulders. Their back stories weren't quite what he had said, but if anything they sounded more convincing than his ideas. "I've already got it planned out in my head, how we could incorporate their talents into Wally and I's act." He grinned wider, "it'll be asterous!"
Haley raised an eyebrow at his choice of words, but didn't comment. Was it common for him to do that? "Well, I don't see why not. But you two will need stage names, and I'm trusting you, Dick, to come up with something by tomorrow."
While Dick nodded eagerly and looked like he was focusing, Artemis started thinking too. "Stage name, huh? Well, the four letters and that fact that it's starting with a D is a given, and I really like Diane, so I'll just take of the E and make it Dian. Perfect. Sounds the same and follows our theme." She smirked at how smart she sounded, then turned to Kaldur while Mr. Haley smiled patiently. "You, Kaldur?"
"I like the name Dean," he told them uncertainly. "But will this permanently change my name? I wish to keep the name my mother picked."
Wally laughed slightly, and was leaning on him in the blink of an eye. "No, it doesn't change your real name. A stage name is just something we use when performing, so the people in the audience don't know your real name." He shrugged, "it helps us keep the more.. creepy part of the audience away. Haley started requiring it after.." His eyes became dull, "after an incident." Kaldur nodded his head slowly, placing a calming hand on his shoulder, which seemed to make him feel a bit better. "Anyway, you guys ready to join The Daring Dangers?"
"I am ready." He answered with newfound confidence, looking to Dick and Wally for instructions.
"Alright, now that that's settled, time for box car arrangements." Haley said, smiling at Wally and Dick, "now, I'm trusting you two with this, since I'm supposed to be monitoring Peanut's feeding right now. We have a strict rule here against boys and girls sleeping in the same car unless they're married or over eighteen and dating, so Kaldur will sleep with Dick and Wally, and Artemis will sleep with Rachel. I expect you two to make sure they settle in."
With anxious nods, Haley dismissed them and Wally and Dick were running, followed by Artemis and Kaldur. As Kaldur left the tent, the whole world seemed to slow as his gaze drifted from the smoggy sky to the horizon, where the ocean sat.
'You want me, dad? Come and find me.'
With another satisfied glance, Kaldur walked inside the box car.
To the public, Kaldur, son of Black Manta, died. And Dean Danger, a kid with amazing abilities and the wanting to spread joy, was born.
To the public, Artemis, daughter of Sports Master, died. And Dian Danger, a kid with amazing abilities and a fierce personality, was born.
One year later..
M'gann shivered, pulling her hood tighter around herself as she flew above the crowd in camouflage, looking behind her to make sure the black-haired boy was still following her, getting her response as she saw a buff teenager eagerly tugged at his shirt and looked at the sky, noticing her hand moving back and forth and sent a wave back.
Perfect.
She motioned him to a nearby alleyway, which he caught, and nodded as he shifted throughout the crowd and went into the darkened place, where he saw a girl with light green skin and red hair pull her hood down. "Anyone suspicious?"
He shook his head, but just in case closed his eyes and concentrated. "No, everyone's heart rates are normal. Well, normal for a busy town, anyway. Can you sense anything?"
Her eyes grew green for a second before they turned back to her normal brownish-red, shaking her head. "Everyone's thoughts are either to get somewhere or angry at something. Of course, we can't rule out that they'll have the G-gnomes hidden under some kind of hoodie or coat. We need to keep moving." She looked around the boy in a superman sweatshirt and ripped jeans, a small frown settled on her face. "I hate this Connor. I really do."
He too shifted his head to look in the direction she was, seeing three small kids, two boys and a girl, laughing as they raced back and forth what appeared to be tag. He'd learned about this while he was still at Camdus, it was called playing. Otherwise known as living a normal life. He turned back to M'gann, who pulled her hood down and was unfazed as her light green skin turned to Caucasian, reddish-brown hair turned more brown, and bangs covered her freckled face. Her normal white and red outfit shifted to a cute top and shorts, flats turned into tennis shoes. All in all, she looked like a normal teenage girl out with her friend. "Me too, M'gann." Connor said finally, finding it difficult to turn away from her sparkling eyes. "But we can't, otherwise they may find us."
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the mention of them, pulling her arms tighter around herself as her gaze dropped to the cement floor as uncomfortable silence came over her and Connor. Them was what they called the scientists at Camdus, the place only in people's nightmares. M'gann and Connor both tried to fight back the memories of that god-awful place, but like every time it was mentioned, it came flooding back in waves.
Connor remembered when he'd first been allowed to step out of the pod, a G-Gnome practically glued to his shoulder as he walked with wherever a scientist told him to go, did whatever they wanted him to. He had no free will, no thoughts that were his own. If M'gann hadn't arrived, Project Kr, Superboy, may have gone through with what he was meant for. Kill Superman.
M'gann remembered her first day there, strapped to a table with no memory of who she was (slight lie. She remembered her name was M'gann) or why she was there. A man dressed in white lab coat looked her over, poking and prodding at her green skin, which made her self-consciously turn Caucasian. She was shocked, stuck with things, and eventually declared "Project Martian". About a week later was when she'd earned her own G-Gnome, stronger than Connor's, but weaker than some of the other ones. They thought she was a green martian, weaker than a man who also came from mars, so they didn't need to use the big ones yet. They were wrong.
She was able to overpower the G-Gnome as she was naturally more powerful than most adult green martians, as well as the one attached to Connor, a boy who she'd met when he was ordered to give her food and water. Although he had been ordered to stop her, M'gann couldn't leave him in the nightmarish place, her kind ways overcame her, and she never regretted it. When they'd escaped, a fire erupting behind them, the two of them fled the city and had been on the run for a year now, running into a scientist every now and then, making them have to keep moving. They just came back from London, England, and were back in the states in a city called Metropolis.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts, smiling as Connor's hand slipped in hers. Striding out of the alleyway and merging into the crowd of people, they walked past window displays and fancy signs that hung over their heads, M'gann sometimes stopping to look at a piece of jewelry or maybe to see if anyone was following them, Connor doing the same.
They reached the edge of Main Street, a bright poster sticking to the cross walk pole. Connor tilted his head, careful not to rip the paper, and handed it to M'gann, a genuine smile on his face. "Look, a circus is in town. They're performing later tonight." The Martian's eyes lit up with excitement, taking the paper and speedily reading it. "Want to go?"
She squealed, jumping up and down, failing to notice the odd stares she was receiving. "Oh, I've never been to the circus! This'll be fun!" Her smile was wide, her eyes happy and didn't look full of pain, her step energetic once more. In other words, Connor was looking at a sight he rarely got to see anymore, and she looked absolutely gorgeous. "It starts in half an hour, around five. It's on the empty lot near Platt Street, we can get there in time if we take the bus."
M'gann smiled brightly and grabbed Connor's hand, to busy to notice him blushing, and started pulling him towards the bus station a few blocks down. Connor, normally, wouldn't have budged if an enemy or friend started to pull him somewhere. But he let himself be freely guided from behind by M'gann, the girl who's cheerful and bubbly personality was unfit in their current situation, but somehow, it was just what he needed.
Thirty minutes later..
Connor and M'gann waited patiently on the wooden seats, looking at the center below. A small smiled formed on Connor's face as he put an arm around M'gann and watched as she snuggled into his shoulder.
A few second later, trumpets blasted and a man walked into view. If Connor had to describe the man in one word, it would be striped, and he looked just like the tent they were under. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Haley's International Traveling Circus!" He paused, Connor cocking an eyebrow in confusion as he frowned. "Well, that's a mouthful. Really should shorten the name," he mumbled, sounding like he was talking to himself. The audience laughed, while M'gann and Connor just shifted awkwardly. Had that been a joke? Earth humor was confusing. "Anyway, our first act of the night will be our faithful Clowns!"
There was an applause that followed, M'gann and Connor joining in at the tail end. A very small car drove into the center (it was smaller than him, Connor decided as he straightened slightly to try and see how small the car actually was) and before Connor and M'gann could even blink, a tiny man with brilliant green hair stepped out of the car.
'Well, at least that makes sense.' Connor thought, a little less confused. As if the car knew what he was thinking and was determined to set him wrong, another man clambered out of the car, then another, then another, then another..
All in all, seven clowns had climbed out of the car and the audience started laughing. M'gann and Connor's eyes were wide, looking at each other as M'gann's voice rang in his head. 'Magic?'
'Appears so.' He thought back, turning his attention back to the men with face paint. M'gann laughed as they juggled and squirted each other with water that came out of a flower, but Connor found himself averting his eyes. Was he.. afraid of these guys? He could crush them like a twig! Yet, somehow, Connor found himself unable to look at one square in the face. He wasn't scared, of course not, he was practically Superman!
Whatever it was he was feeling (definitely not fear, he decided) Connor was glad it was over when they all went back into their freakishly tiny car and drove off. He felt M'gann grabbing his shoulder for support as she doubled over laughing and saying a blurred mess of things through the loud giggles. "Earth," and "funny," were about the only thing that was clear, the rest he just guessed or was lost altogether.
The acts, each more amazing than the one before it, started turning into a blur of color and talents. Connor couldn't remember the order of which they came or how many there were, all he could remember was how on edge he felt when a woman jumped onto a trampoline, or how impressed he felt when a man who didn't have super-strength lifted two hundred pounds, or when a man faced a lion with nothing more than a chair and a piece of red cloth, and he could especially tell you about the last act, still fresh in his mind as he walked dazedly into the darkened sky.
It was four people, his Earth age and younger (he was technically a year old, but M'gann had told him that if he was asked he was fifteen) as they came to the middle, where one of them started climbing up a tall tower where swing things were laying. Once the youngest reached the top (The Daring Dangers. That's what they were called, right? He wasn't sure) the act started. The boy jumped, a startled gasp came from the audience as he grabbed the bar and began to jump and spin and practically fly from one spot to the next, and it was then the other three started as well.
A red-headed boy, or what Connor believed to be red hair under all the multicolored lights, started running in a wide circle directly under where the trapeze boy was flying through the air. The other two, one dark-skinned and holding knifes while the other, a blonde girl, steadily holding a bow, shot at exactly the same time and their arrow and dagger spun perfectly in the wind. It was then, while he was watching them continue to throw daggers and shoot bows into the tornado, did Connor realize the boy who had previously been on the trapeze was now carrying targets and setting them in spots around their light show.
He started doing floor gymnastics, which was impressive in it's own way, until the boy did a running jump directly into the tornado filled with daggers and arrows, the two others doing the same. Suddenly, arrows and daggers started flying out of the tornado, where you could occasionally see one of the kids still flying in it. The targets that had been set up moments ago now had arrows and daggers stuck perfectly in the center, or at least he though so as he couldn't see it to well from that angle.
The boy, who Connor now realized had been running the entire time, stopped the tornado by slowing down and the youngest boy stacked steadily on his shoulder. He started running in a small circle, and all that was seen was fierce winds and a raven-haired boy sitting perfectly on top of the twister, the other two soon joining him by diving in and settling at the top.
The boy, he guessed, was running must have gone faster, since the twister rose higher and higher until they were well above the audience looking calm and waving to the fascinated children sitting in the front row. All of a sudden, the twister stopped, and the three fell from their great height without as much as a startled gasp of a scream. The red-headed boy stood sturdy as they all landed on top of him and flipped off. They bowed and took their exits, silence followed for several moments until an ear-deafening applause broke out.
Connor's ears were pretty sensitive, as they could hear the smallest peep from a mouse five blocks away, so the ringing in his ears didn't stop even as he strode out into the dark sky. "Connor?" Came a whisper from beside him, and he felt his heart stopped. M'gann only used that tone of voice if- "I think we've been spotted."
He casually turned around, eyes darting through the thinning crowd until he found what he hopped hadn't been there. A man with a giant black hoodie and a small, but noticeable bump, on his left shoulder with his eyes darting hungrily around the two. While he may not admit to being afraid of clowns, he was free to admit he was afraid of the man lurking only a few feet from the tent entrance. A Scientist. They had found them.
A shiver ran ruthlessly down his spine, trying to act casual as he grabbed M'gann hand and gave it a little squeeze. Once they were alone is when the scientist would strike, so as long as they stuck to the crowd, they should be fine. Right?
M'gann could feel Connor's uncertainness as he pulled her fingers towards the box cars where the performers were, hoping to stay in this crowd a little longer. They were signing autographs, the last act getting a very big swarm from adults and kids. Connor felt one of the boys from the act, the one that did all the acrobatic stuff, looking at him and only glanced away when Connor looked back.
M'gann was clutching Connor's sleeve in a desperate attempt to look calm and not draw attention to herself, while she probably would have had better luck with hopping on one foot and wailing the words to any song that popped into her head. He was getting unwanted looks, and as he took deep breath, he put a soothing hand down her back. "Yeah, I know. Just like Uncle George, huh?"
Catching his drift after a minute of silence, she nodded miserably and muttered just loud enough for the concerned people to hear, "Uncle George loved the circus, he used to take me whenever he could over the summer, before.."
She let herself trail off and buried her head into his shoulder, at that point most of the crowd moved on while muttering "poor thing" and sending sympathetic looks to the pair. He heard a grumbled shout as the people cleared out completely, and only M'gann and Connor were left standing. Looking to his right and seeing a black-haired boy looking straight at him with a look of concern on his face. "Cute cover up, but what's really bothering you? You two look like you'd just seen a ghost!"
M'gann bit her bottom lip, but didn't deny anything as she glance over her shoulder for any sign of the Scientist, and the fact that she didn't see anyone made her want to scream and hide under a rock. "C-Conner, I don't-"
Connor growled as he felt himself being jumped onto from the back. He twisted and turned and jumped and anything else he could think of to stop the scientist from stabbing the needle into his neck, which would temporarily knock him out. In other words, he wouldn't be able to help M'gann, and that could not happen.
He jumped backwards, slamming the scientist into the ground with a sickening crack, yelling to M'gann "I got one of them! How many more are there?"
"Four!" She said, sounding like she was struggling. He ran blindly in the darkness, the only lights sitting dimly on box cars. He growled when he spotted M'gann, pulling them off of her with a grunt. He felt himself being jumped from behind again, only to feel the thing fall like dead weight. He looked back and saw a red head give him a grin before disappearing with a small whoosh and knocking the one on M'gann clean off in the blink of an eye, sending her a wink before whooshing off to hit another Scientist coming straight towards Connor.
Connor soon found himself being assisted by two more. The short boy who'd asked him that question a few minutes ago, and a blonde girl holding a bow with her arrows slung in a holding thing over her right shoulder. He heard wisp wisp wisp coming from beside him and she started shooting perfectly straight arrows at two other Scientists, who were knocked to the ground in seconds.
The raven-haired boy ran to the slumping bodies and pulled out one of the needles -Connor recognized it as the one that made him pass out- and stuck it into his neck. He did the same to all the other Scientists, eventually dragging the bodies with the rest of the kids who helped him into the center. "Sorry we could not help you sooner, we needed to grab our gear." Said the dark-skinned one, who was kneeling down and making sure they were all breathing.
M'gann and Connor's breathing slowed, matching the others as they began to form almost a huddle around the group of bodies wearing lab coats. "Uh, sorry, just a question, WHAT THE HECK WERE THOSE THINGS?" Yelled the red-headed performer, eyes darting between the two aliens before trailing to the bodies. "Oh my God, are those scientists? Why are were scientists attacking you? Why-"
"Shut it, Baywatch. We can't understand you." Snapped a girl Connor had only just seen standing there, recognizing her to be the one firing arrows as she was holding a bow and a slightly bent arrow in her right hand. Wally, who had been talking so fast his words had started jumbling into one big mess of vowels and syllables, quieted down. But not without bitterly replying,
"really, Artemis, still calling me 'Baywatch'? You're the worst at giving creative insults."
Artemis growled, hand tightening on her bow, but before the matter could get any worse the dark-skinned boy walked over to the two and said something in a low whisper unheard by anyone trying to listen (expect Connor, of course) that made the two back off, resulting only to sending each other dirty looks. He walked so that everyone could see him, a seriously and slightly concerned look on his face. "While I don't agree with everything that happened after, I do agree with Wally's question. Who are these guys?"
Wally's tongue could be seen sticking out at Artemis, who grumbled a reply about 'childish red-heads' and turned her direction towards the lump of bodies on he ground. M'gann bit her lower lip, avoiding everyone's gaze, while Connor's eyes lit up with anger and a heater "none of your business" met everyone's ears.
M'gann squeezed Connor's hand gently, sending him a nod. Their eyes locked for a few seconds, silent communication passed through the two before Connor sighed, and M'gann smiled slightly. "There's Scientists, trying to capture us and return us to Camdus for experimenting on."
A horrified gasp rose through the small group. "Camdus? The Justice League's has had their eyes on that corporation for weeks! Only, they were suspected for treason against the Justice League and America, not illegal experimentation of extraterrestrial beings!" He paused, "you are aliens, right?"
M'gann looked at her skin, blushing a deep red as she noticed she had slipped up and turned from causation to green once more. 'Yes?" She answered uncertainly, "we've been on the run for months, but no matter where we go, they always seem to find us." She looked sadly at the ground, feeling Connor's comforting hand on her shoulder.
"We need to move to the next city, we don't want to return to Camdus." Said Connor with a sigh, starting to turn around, before the now familiar voice of the blonde spoke up.
"Why don't you join the circus?" She asked, her tone serious. "Kaldur and I both joined to get away from our criminal family, and we're constantly moving. You won't ever have to worry about the Scientists again."
Wally grinned, "never thought I'd say this, but Artemis is right. Besides, if they ever find you, we'll just kick their butts all the way to the ocean." He smiled a goofy smile, while Dick raised an eyebrow at him. The two never got along, much less agreed with each other, was the world coming to an end?
"You.. you really want us here?" M'gann said, her voice unusually quiet. Several nods came from the group, and M'gann's face brightened. "Let's do it."
Connor couldn't agree more.
To the public, M'gann, the martian runaway, died. And Dawn Danger, a kid with amazing abilities and a cheerful and gentle spirit, was born.
To the public, Connor, the kid that was only known as an experiment, died. And Dave Danger, a kid with amazing abilities and a protective side, was born.
Oh my god, you guys don't even know how much work I put into this. I mean, 9,000+ words for a single chapter? That's going in my record book.
I hope you all enjoyed the prologue, the next official chapter is coming up soon. Thanks for reading, see you next time!