Chapter 28: Disguise, Disgust and the Damning of the Daring Dangers

AN: Bold Italics from the actual show

Bruges

Year 2010

December 22nd

Jason is 11

Cass is 9

Tim is 8

Stephanie is 7

Robin is 13

Batgirl is 14

Batman is 30

The entire moment had been terrifyingly familiar. It was something he'd experienced over and over again in his dreams since the night he'd last performed in this same circus. He wondered if this is what his mother had saw what she had fallen, or what she was thinking? How could he have let this happen?

There were no cut lines. Just a perfect performance. He knew he could do it easily. If there was one thing Robin could do, it was put on a show. That's why he'd decided he needed to be the one to lead this unsanctioned mission. He'd told Bruce that they were having a sleepover for a few days in the cave.

There he'd summoned some of the others. He'd had to train them a little. Artemis and Roy didn't shoot for showmanship, Conner threw too high, and M'gann didn't know how to copy his act perfectly. Which is probably why she failed to catch him. That was the danger of working with amateurs, he thought at her wide eyes, what would his parents think?

"Don't blow our cover!" he shouted over the mind link.

"But saving your life's okay?" Conner sassed back.

As he'd twisted he saw his chance. He would not go the same way as the other Graysons. They would continue to fly. He gave Conner a nod and the boy threw a barrel up which Dick rode till he could grab M'gann's hands. Again, she timed it wrong. Then a second later his hands were grasped in hers.

"What did I just say?" Dick scolded.

"The crowd couldn't see me using telekenises from below. Besides, I've been using it all night. I'm not exactly the acrobat you are."

He thought what Batman would say at something like that. There was no telling what people could observe. They'd learnt that lesson with Tim. He'd been careful tonight to wear different colors, style his hair differently, plus he put on a mask. It made him feel safer, like he was Robin instead of a Flying Grayson. Not that Robin was a safe thing itself.

"Yeah, neither am I right now. I think I've caught that 24 hour bug that's been going around the circus. But the show must go on."

Haley's was his family as much as the League. He had to help them somehow. That's why he'd done this. And helping meant being part of show, doing his part while he investigated.

It was similar to how it had been when he'd lived there. Some of the old faces were gone. There were some new ones, but some were familiar as well. Then there was the chores, the show and schedule. He wasn't a kid anymore, so it was a bit different. After all, when he was sick before he wouldn't have been able to perform.

His mother had made him stay in bed. People would take turns watching him between their acts, telling him stories and giving him treats. He wanted so much to go over and hug some of those people right now, Haley, Jill, Nadia, Marco and all the others.

"Didn't think we'd make it through." Megan had confided to him but then her eyes turned worried as she looked at his face.

"Neither did I. Help me backstage." He felt ill, not just because of the fall, or the place, but he was weak. He wanted Alfred's soup or movie nights with his siblings but he had to help his other family.

He passed "The Dragon," with one of the Roustabouts, Ray. He knew Mihram well. He'd learnt some of that stage makeup from him, as well as how to safely do fire breathing. Inside, another newer act, a pair of brothers were arguing with Haley for giving the "Dangers" the top spot in the performance.

He scowled at being called a sham. These people were circus. They should know that family isn't just blood. Who cares if they looked alike? Haley sent the two acrobats away as another man approached him.

The man stood in a threatening position over Haley. Suddenly Dick was back in Gotham, watching Zucco threaten Haley as he tried to get payment for protection. With the voices reminding him it wasn't real, Dick was able to refocus after a few deep breaths.

The man, obviously an authority was investigating just like they were. Likely an Interpol agent. Haley brushed him off, making Dick wince, as he was once again reminded about what happened with Zucco.

The man then turned to them and asked about their act. He seemed to think they were unlikely suspects and told them to be careful anyway. "Haley's going down for this."

Dick clenched his fist and stormed back to their train car. "Team, get ready. We're going to head out right after show clean up."

"We have to stay for clean up?" asked Artemis. "Seriously?"

"They'll notice if we're gone. The thief won't be missing then either, trust me. It's too noticeable."

"Not really. Everyone's been sick. Remember?" Conner told him.

"Doesn't mean they're not all helping," Robin turned back and got his stuff out. "Just be ready."

The team turned out to be just as ready to intercept the thief as they had been for the performance. First, they weren't convinced they needed to be there at all if Interpol was investigating. Robin had to repeat his lie about Batman assigning them this job as they went in. It went wrong soon after that.

The team hadn't been on guard. Neither had he. It seemed the thief was acrobatic, then suddenly there was fire breathing. Connor had gone out of control. He looked like the first time they'd met him for a moment, ready to crush them all. It was only after some scolding and M'gann's vulnerability that got him to stop.

Then there was Roy, who was disjointed and didn't trust any of them. Roy had been growing more and more distant lately, but Robin hadn't been on a mission with him for a while. He had always been rash, but not almost as much as Superboy. Robin did have to thank him for warning them about the explosives.

That night in their parked train car, and the following day hadn't been much better for him either. He might have felt a little better, but the tension had only increased. Especially after the team saw Haley being interrogated by the Interpol agent again, and then lying as he vowed that all the performers had been in bed.

"Well, we sure weren't."

"And if he's lying about us—"

"So, two thieves, right? The fire breather and one of the acrobats. Just in identical clothes!" Artemis reasoned.

Dick shook his head. He couldn't believe that of Mihram. "Here's the Madrid security footage. And now, Paris."

Everyone watched as he pulled up the footage and displayed it from the hidden glove he'd brought out. There was a distinct shape and form to each of the scenes, all different. It just didn't make sense.

"So, the strong man and the clown too. If the entire circus is involved Haley himself may be the master mind."

Robin fumed as he met Roy's eyes. Roy knew his backstory. He knew what this place meant to him. He should know better. "You don't know that."

Dick stormed through the snow beside the train as the hands unloaded the trucks. He watched each of the cars, all familiar from the tours of Eurasia he'd taken for the first six years of his life. There were posters of all the acts, Mihram's 'Dragon', Waldo the Clown, Sam's 'Mister Muscles', Wilhelm's animals, the Vestris and of course, the Flying Graysons.

Suddenly, the leotard felt wrong. It hadn't been sewn by his mother, but himself. It wasn't the right red, blue and yellow, or even the green ones they used at times. It didn't have wings or a G for their last name. It wasn't his. Just another mask.

He reached toward the poster when his Comm buzzed. Inwardly, he cursed, knowing he'd be in trouble if he was found out. "Uh, yeah."

"Dude, where are you?" Wally's voice came over.

Dick almost sighed in relief. It would be easier to hide this from Wally than anyone else. "Condfidential mission, from Batman."

"Wow! You know what I'm doing?" Wally's voice answered with thick sarcasm. ""Making a baloney sandwich, kinda like you just did. BS, I'm at the mountain. I talked to Tornado. You guys are not on a mission. Not on an official one, anyway. Now what's going on?"

Dick sighed this time. Maybe it wasn't as easy as he'd thought it would be. Maybe he was too close to this to plan it properly. "A friend, Jack Haley."

"The Circus guy? From your old Flying Graysons days?" Wally asked carefully. Dick could hear him chewing as he talked though. Somehow he felt the need to laugh as he stood in the snow, looking at the posters.

"Yeah. He's implicated in this global crime spree. Someone in the show's dirty, but I need to prove old Uncle Jack's clean or he might lose the circus!" Dick's voice cracked, but he couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed. If felt nice to get this off his chest. To say why this whole thing had been driven insane.

"Then why not bring me along? I know your back story, I know what the circus means to you. What's the plan? I could run over right now to help. I know you must have M'gann and Supey there."

"Artemis too. Roy elbowed his way in too. He wants to watch for the mole."

"Not because of you? Dude, he should know better. The Circus. It's where you grew up, it's where you lost your—"

"Don't."

"Okay, so Roy is acting like he doesn't care. I guess that's a lot like him these days, but what about me? Or Barbara? Or any of your siblings?"

"Barbara is still getting her new foster sister settled in. And it's a few days before Christmas. This was my family, not my sibling's. And I can't get them mixed up in this. I can't mix the past and now like that. What if something happened?"

"Then me. Why can't I come join you right now? You know I would."

"I left you behind because you know my backstory. I didn't want my best pal questioning my objectivity."

"Dude, that's what a best pal's for."

Dick sighed. "You're right. If something like this happens again, I'll bring you along. I guess I thought it wouldn't matter with Roy being here, and it's Europe, not Gotham, and it's been years."

"It doesn't work like that."

"Yeah. I know. Thanks. It's helped."

"Just keep in touch, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Dick turned and stared at the posters for another moment and wiped away the tears. He could excuse the redness as the sickness and the cold. He put his Robin mask back in place with the Dan Danger one and went back in to his team.

He'd managed another show and packing up for Geneva. M'gann had been hit with the sickness as they rode along in the train. Still, her complaints about getting a human sickness made him think. Not only about the fact Wally or Jason wasn't there to get his joke, but about the case. It was entirely possible and likely, but there was something suspicious about this illness happening while all of these heists were going on.

Of course, all it took was a little detective work to figure out that Ray must have had something to do with it. Haley confirmed he'd. only worked for him during this tour, and therefore the crime sprees. And the team started to search, especially once they heard he was also in bed sick.

"I guess he wasn't that sick."

Ray was not in his room or his bed.

"Does this circus have an elephant I don't know about?" Roy asked. He looked at Dick for a moment that back to the crate fast.

"Not on foreign tours," Dick tried not to let the sadness about that fact leak into his voice. He could use a cuddle with Zitka right about now.

"Empty. No, wait. Ash."

"The warehouse fire in Bruges!"

"Uh, guys? I found Ray."

The Ray that Artemis had found turned out to be a mask. And then, of course they had to find out he'd had M'gann's shape shifting powers and had taken down Pop Haley. Of course Superboy had taken it to the next level faster than they needed, again. He was disguised as Waldo, but Dick quickly realized who he was.

The fight commenced on top of the train. Both archers were taken out fast, M'gann was almost useless, and Superboy was almost helpless against the telepathic powers the villain had taken. He used it to take off with the case.

Robin narrowed his eyes and saw a glimmer in the man's pocket. That was the key to proving Haley innocent. He jumped, landing on the case, then onto Parasite, who smacked him back with Kryptonian power back onto the train. He rolled off the train, almost falling to his death again if not for M'gann grabbing him fast.

As they sat back in their train car, now in uniform, Robin had barely recovered. He still had to support M'gann, and Roy was still suspicious of everyone. Then of course, Connor had charged and given Parasite the powers he needed to get away. Powers Connor only had the potential for but hadn't been able to use before. But Robin wasn't the first sidekick for nothing.

"It wasn't a complete debacle. I picked Parasite's pocket and I got this flash drive. Looks like Parasite's working for Intergang."

And of course, he was working for them to generate a black hole. They had to get to Geneva, and faster than the Circus train could take them. He looked toward the team. "We need to hurry."

"You and I need to hurry," Roy said stubbornly. "Without powers the others would us back."

Artemis scowled and unfolded a new crossbow. "Hey you're not the only one with a back up."

"My powers are back."

"How?"

And of course, M'gann didn't want to be left behind. But now he had a kryptonian acting with pure anger, a suspicious archer who wouldn't work with the team, and a powerless martian who was likely a liability. Thank goodness for Artemis, who he knew could work well under pressure and in a team. The Reds had shown them both that.

"How are we even going to fight him? He has a lot more power than all of us."

"By being smart," Robin said. That plan went down the drain quickly with Connor. Somehow he'd completely recharged, according to Parasite even faster than Superman. Robin didn't have the time to dwell on that. He needed to shut off the generator.

Luckily, the others waited. Robin looked at them. "Any ideas? Weaknesses?"

"If one of you can trap him we can light up that gas. He has my powers—" M'gann started.

"So he has your weaknesses," Robin grinned. "Now, I'm whelmed."

Now satisfied the circus was safe, Dick knew it was time for them to return. It wasn't fair to keep the team or himself away for Christmas. He headed to Haley's train car and got ready to let him know they'd be heading off.

He kicked his foot awkwardly as he stood in front of the man who'd helped raise him. "So, the show will go on."

Haley gave him the same kind smile he'd always known. "And I have a feeling I have you Dangers to thank."

Dick, or Dan, tried to look surprised. Oh well, it wasn't a big deal for them to be seen here. There were fake IDs and the League could have easily taken an interest in this sceneario. As long as the rest of his ID was safe he was fine. "Don't know what you mean."

Haley shook his head. "Of course not, but I'm guessing you'll be leaving now."

"Time to move on," he said. He wondered how exactly old people like Alfred and Haley could read his face and know everything when he was able to fool most of the League easily.

"Well, Dick, I'll miss you."

He cursed inwardly as he tried to look innocent, it was much harder to hide this time. "It's Dan! Dan Danger!"

Haley reached and grabbed his shoulder's looking into his eyes. Dick regretted not wearing contacts again. It was his eyes, they were distinctive, and Haley was smart. He knew Dick well enough to put it together. He leaned down to meet his level.

"Son, you've grown, but some things never change. Like the sight of a Grayson on the trapeze. You can't fake that. Can't hide it." Bruce was going to kill him. He should have known better. Especially after Tim. But Dick beamed anyway. Haley grinned down at him. "So do this old ring master one last favor? I'm sure you have to be heading back to Gotham, we've got to stop soon for Christmas too. But we've got one last show."

"Yeah. Of course. But how did you know?"

"Like I said, Grayson on a trapeze or doing flips. I had to keep tabs on you. I owed it to John, Rick, Karla, Mary and even little Johnnie. I've seen you enough to know that Bruce has taken good care of you, but I still worried. And you haven't hid yourself too well here. I'm sure the others figured out it was you as well, though maybe not Robin. Even if we do all remember your mother calling you that name."

Dick blushed. "Yeah. I'll leave a note. Tell them I said hi, and a happy holdiays?"

"Good. Now sit down and tell your Uncle Haley more about this group of friends here. Robin's friends I'm guessing?"

"Yeah. My team." Dick grinned and sat down with his Pop. He had a lot of stories to catch him up on.