AN: I hope you enjoy this chapter, you wouldn't believe how long I spent looking up obscure circus slang for it. Get ready for some serious Dick & M'gann teamwork, and Wally trying his best to save the day.
Dick Grayson
Brussels, Belgium
Wednesday, November 14th, 2012
"I'm sorry kids, but you're wasting your time. I'm not adding another act this far along the tour," Mr. Haly says without looking up as soon as we walk into his office, "Thanks for coming, make sure to catch tomorrow's show, and feel free to try again for the next tour."
"At least hear us out," I say, pulling off my sunglasses, "Dawn" closes the door behind us so nobody in the hallway can hear us. Mr. Haly's head snaps up and he stares at me. He doesn't say anything for about a second and a half, then he slumps in his chair and sighs.
"Dick, you know I'm always happy to see you, but you picked a bad time to come visit."
"That's why we're here," I say, "I know about the robberies and I know you had nothing to do with them. We'll make sure whoever's behind it gets caught."
"Dick, I appreciate that, but this isn't your job to fix it. I can't ask you to."
"You're not asking me to. I'm not going to let anything happen to you or the circus."
"How exactly are you planning to fix this?"
"We'll find the person behind this. I know this show better than anyone, and Dawn has a lot of hidden talents. We'll fix this. You have to trust us. Trust me."
"You can always trust a Grayson," Mr. Haly sighs again, conflict written all over his face, "Dick, are you sure you can clear this up?"
"You know I am."
"Damn straight I do. Alright, I'm assuming you'll need costumes, and we'll get you your own sleeper. The videos you sent us, were those your real act?"
"Yeah. Dawn will stick to basics and I'll make sure it's a good show."
"You're going by the Dangers? Dan and Dawn? At least I'm assuming that's why you're blond now."
"Yeah. Jack, I'm sorry, but nobody else can know it's me."
"I figured. Most of our regulars stayed back in the states but there's still a lot of faces that'll remember you. Stick with the newer acts. I'm warning you though, they're not going to be happy we let you join up so late."
"We can deal with that."
"Here's the plan. I've got all the tour and route info from Mr. Haly. We're staying in Bruges until tomorrow night, then we'll hit Geneva in two days. So far, the thief has struck facilities in Madrid and Paris so we have reasonable certainty of the target they'll hit on this stop. Chances are good that they'll move tomorrow instead of tonight, since they'll make a cleaner getaway if we're leaving the country."
"And you're sure this isn't a trap?"
"Not even remotely. We have to be careful."
"So, we stake out the facility in Bruges. What then?"
"If someone breaks in, we catch them. If not, we regroup here and figure out who our thief is."
"And what if there's no thief at all?"
"Then this is a trap and we get out as fast as we can."
"Dick, if we need to… are you going to be able to walk away?"
"I'm not stupid, M'gann. I know what a big risk this is and I'm not putting you in danger. I just need you to trust me."
"You know I do. I just… I'm worried, Dick."
I sit on my bunk and put my heads in my hands.
"Yeah. Me too."
After a long moment of silence, I stand up.
"We should go practice. Try to get a few sets in before the show tomorrow."
"Right."
"You must be the new flyers."
"Yup. I'm Dan Danger, that's Dawn. Danger."
"Hi," Dawn waves.
"Nice to meet you. The name's Samuel."
"Firebreather?" I ask, pretending not to know that he joined up with the circus about a year after… I left.
"Good eye, kid. You picked up good time to join up. We just had a big jump from Madrid, lucky the bug didn't hit as hard as it could've."
"What bug?"
"Kinkers getting sick left and right. It's a twenty-four-hour bug, keep your hygiene up if you don't want to be sick for your first show."
'What's a kinker?' M'gann whispers.
'A performer.'
"So, what'd you say to the big man?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he signed you on mid-tour and gave you your own sleeper. You must have said something good to convince him."
I shrug.
"Come on! A couple first of Mays? You must've."
"Maybe we're just that good," Dawn grins slyly.
Samuel looks surprised for a second, then lets out a boisterous laugh.
"If that's the case, I look forward to seeing what you can do," he gestures to the rigging set up in the middle of the tent, as a dark-haired woman lets herself drop off the tightrope into the waiting net below, "Looks like Megara just finished. The stage is yours."
About two hours later, I finish leading Dawn through some cool-down stretches. A group of roustabouts walks over once as we're about to leave the tent.
"You two must be the new act," the man on the left holds out his hand, "I'm Mike. This is Shayna and Ray."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Dawn, this is my brother Dan," M'gann shakes Mike's hand. I shake Shayna's hand. Ray waves.
"We saw the end of your practice. That is a wonderful routine!" Shayna smiles, "You are aware that Mr. Haly has very high standards for his trapeze acts, no? You both have a lot of talent."
"Thank you!" Dawn smiles. I can't fight the blush on my face so instead I ask, "Have you been with the circus long?"
Mike shrugs.
"Coming up on a year and a half. Most of my family's back in Detroit so I'll probably jump ship after the next domestic tour. Can't say enough good stuff about this place, though."
"He is just missing his American fast food," Shayna teases, her voice light, "Who else would prefer French fries to all of France?"
"Well, Shay, he's got a point," Ray grins.
"He has not!" Shayna retorts, "Ray, you have barely been with us a month and already you throw around such awful accusations?"
"You're new too?" Dawn asks Ray cheerfully. Ray shrugs.
"I was in between jobs and I thought, why not? I've never worked at circus before. Probably won't stick around that much longer but it's been a lot of fun," he slings an arm over Shayna's shoulder and messes up her hair, "Lots to see, great people, and you can't beat the food."
Shayna laughs before shoving him off of her.
"We must finish packing up the sets," she says, "Please let us know if there is anything you need."
"Good to meet you," Ray smiles, holding his hand out for me to shake.
As they walk away, Dawn smiles.
"They seem nice."
"Yeah," I throw her one of the towels I brought, "Come on. I don't know about you, but I need a shower."
Thursday, November 15th, 2012
"Anyone seen the rum col?" Shayna calls as she walks through the ring. She looks exhausted and pale, plus all the other little signs that she caught whatever bug is going around. Honestly, I'm not feeling that good either. Halfway through dinner, I started feeling sick, and now I'm sure that I caught the bug too. Crappy timing to be sick before my 'first' show.
"Try the backyard," I answer without thinking, stretched out on the ground in a full split. She thanks me, turns around to head backstage, and then pauses. I look around and see she's not the only one staring at me. Then it hits me that I just answered a question with a really obscure bit of slang with even more slang that I'm not supposed to know. Oops.
"I thought you were a First of May," Megara the tightrope walker finally breaks the silence. My face blushes bright red. I just completely blew my cover as a novice performer and I have maybe ten seconds to think of a way to save the mission.
"I… um… not exactly."
The group of clowns by the front of the ring are all staring now. I'm not sure if the hostility is from the string of robberies following the circus or the irritation at having new performers join late and steal the opening spot, but neither of those things are helping. Next to me, Dawn tries not to look nervous.
"Where were you working before?" one of them asks. I see Omar standing at the back of the group with his arms crossed, frowning at me with deep focus. Shit. I've been trying so hard to stay out of the way and keep away from the seasoned performers. They can't know it's me or the thief will know we're onto them.
How do I get out of this?
"…circdesay."
"What?"
I blush even harder and say it like I'm embarrassed.
"Cirque du Soleil."
And just like that, the interrogative mood breaks. Everyone has a little bit of a laugh and looks away thinking, "No wonder he didn't want to say anything." Thank the universe that everyone hates the Cirque. That would have been embarrassing to blow my cover before we even started the first show.
"Ten minutes!" Mr. Haly shouts, striding into the tent. He's holding his red coat in one hand and his top hat and cane in the other, "Get moving!"
At his words, everyone scrambles to change from pre-show warmups to the frantic last-second scramble before the audience enters.
"Dangers!" he points at Dawn and I with the cane, "You're the top slot. Check the rigging and get up there."
I stare at the rope ladder leading up to the trapeze platform. I've climbed them thousands of times, not counting the practices M'gann and I did in the last few days. But this… the last time I climbed up to a platform during a show was the day my parents died.
'Dick, are you okay?'
'Yes.'
I grab the nearest rung and start pulling myself up. It's safe. I checked the riggings five times since dinner, not counting the last check Dawn and I did twenty minutes ago. Everything looks perfect. And even if something goes wrong, there's a net. Mr. Haly almost flipped out when I said we didn't need one, and I'm REALLY not going to argue with him there.
"Welcome! To the Haly, International Traveling Circus! Where the world of this center ring is your oyster! And these are our latest pearls! The Daring Dangers!"
Dawn nods at me from the platform on the other side.
Showtime.
I grab the bar, take a breath, and swing off the platform. On the other side, Dawn does the same. I kick my legs up, building momentum while Dawn ducks her legs up and curls her knees around the bar, hanging upside down. At the height of my swing, I tuck my knees up and let go of the bar, flipping once as I sail through the air. I straighten out and raise my arms in time for Dawn's hands to catch my wrists and the audience goes wild. She lets go of my left hand and I wave at the crowd as we swing back and forth in a one-handed grip. I grab her right arm with my left hand and we switch the grip so instead of facing forwards, I'm swinging backwards. We swing back and forth one more time to build momentum, then she swings me up and I follow the motion, using the momentum to pull my legs up and hook my ankles around the trapeze bar and the wires. At the same time, Dawn kicks her legs up and flips forward, letting go of the bar in one smooth motion so I'm holding both of us up by my feet.
That's a move that would be literally impossible if Dawn weighed anything. Flying might be cheating, but I'm not complaining. The cheers become deafening as we reach the peak of our swing, and Dawn launches herself into the air, flipping twice and landing on the platform.
Our set is ten minutes, but it feels like only seconds. The routine goes almost perfectly. By the end, I can feel myself wearing out, but a quick word to Dawn and her telekinesis makes up for the few near-misses I have.
'Grand finale.' I tell Dawn.
'Are you good?'
'Yeah, I got it.'
Dawn climbs on top of her bar, swinging herself back and forth. I'm on the other platform, holding the second bar until I can match her rhythm. I push the bar out, letting it swing freely in time with Dawn, and she jumps into the air. Legs straight in perfect gymnast form, she executes a beautiful full (360 rotation with a full twist) and catches the bar on her way down. She hooks her legs over the bar and swings towards me upside down, hands outstretched. As she swings towards me, I jump, grabbing onto her for the last maneuver. We swing once, then I kick my legs back and launch myself into the air. One flip, two, three, and I catch the swinging bar with perfect timing. The momentum is enough to carry me over to the far platform, and I land without so much as a stumble. On the other side, Dawn is beaming and we both raise our hands into the air.
I don't know how I make it down the ladder, but once my feet are back on the ground, I feel horrible. Sweat pours down my face and my whole body is shaking like I just went a hundred rounds with the entire Rogue gallery. Dawn looks at me in concern.
"And there you have it! The DARING DANGERS! Put your hands together folks, you'll never see another act like this one!"
We raise our hands into the air, Dawn putting an arm around me to help me stay on my feet.
'I didn't know if you were going to make it through.' Dawn says.
'Yeah, me neither. Can you help me backstage?'
'You think you even need to ask?'
Samuel rushes past us on our way into the backyard in full costume and makeup.
"Has anyone seen my other torch?!" he asks frantically. Ray looks up from organizing props to hold up the missing torch.
"Here. You dropped it outside the train."
"You're a lifesaver!" he exclaims, snatching it gratefully.
"Break a leg!" Ray thumps him on the back as Samuel heads out for his set. Dawn helps me over to one of the chairs by the makeup tables, and my legs give out as soon as I'm sitting.
'You look terrible.'
'Thanks.' I answer dryly.
'Are you going to be able to go tonight?'
'I have to be.'
Dawn frowns, but doesn't say anything.
The good thing about being the first act is that once we're done, we can sit back and take a breath for the rest of the show. We're tucked out of the way, enough that the other flyers don't notice us when they accost Mr. Haly as he comes back from announcing Samuel.
"Haly, what's the big deal?! Giving the top slot to those Danger kids! That's our slot!" Eduardo demands, throwing his hands out.
"Was your slot until you missed that performance in Paris," Mr. Haly growls.
"Carlo was sick! He's better now!"
'You hear that?' Dawn asks. 'Carlo missed the show in Paris.'
"Besides, how can you pick them over us?! You're just giving them special treatment because they toured with the Cirque!"
"How about you both knock it off and be glad I kept your act on the program! And next time, actually watch someone perform before you call them a hack. The day you two fly like that, top spot's yours, guaranteed."
Mr. Haly pushes past them, only to run into a man in a black suit. Even before he says anything, I know he's Interpol. It's the shoes that give him away.
"Oh, for crying out loud, you again? We're in the middle of a show!"
"Then we'll talk after. But we will talk," Mr. Interpol crosses his arms over his chest in a show of intimidation that just makes Mr. Haly fume, "Another city last night, another tech firm robbed. Another stop on your tour. If I prove you're responsible, I will shut you down."
Mr. Haly glares, a shadow darkening his face, "I've got three minutes to gather props and get back to the center ring."
He walks away without another word. I glare at the agent. He's not going to touch the circus. I won't let him. I let the glare slide off my face when suit-and-sunglasses walks up to us, flashing his badge.
"Faraday, Interpol. New act?"
"This was our first show."
"Better hope it's not your last. Word of advice, watch your backs. Something's funny with this show."
"We'll keep an eye out," I say, grinding my teeth together.
'You're sure this is the place?'
I swallow, adjusting the braces on my wrists. Instead of Robin's uniform, I'm wearing a modified version of the stealth suit. The last thing I want is for Batman to find out M'gann and I went on an unauthorized mission by seeing Robin on the Belgian news cycles.
'According to the intel Slade gave me, this is the most likely target. I've been looking over the briefing and so far, everything he's said makes sense. The only thing is that there's pieces that are left out. He didn't say what was stolen in Geneva, or why the targets are being chosen.'
'You think it's deliberate?'
'He knows more than he's telling me. I don't know if it's a trap or something else but I have to see it through.'
Sweat is beading on my forehead and I wipe it off with the back of my hand.
'How are you feeling?'
'Honestly? Like shit. But I'll make it.'
The breeze sweeps across the rooftop and I shiver.
'You know, it's probably a good thing it's just you and me.' Miss Martian says.
'Yeah?'
'Imagine if Superboy were here. Or Artemis. They'd be complaining about how we're wasting our time here or trying to figure out why we're not at any of the more obvious targets.'
I grin.
'You have a point.' I scan the area, looking for any signs of movement but it just looks like a warehouse at night. 'It would be nice to have x-ray vision right now though.'
Miss Martian frowns, turning sharply to the left.
'I'm sensing someone else in the area. Northeast quadrant!'
I turn to look and sure enough, there's someone running towards the fence. The thief pushes themselves off a lamp post and flips over the ten-foot-tall barbed wire fence, and they stick the landing smoothly. There aren't that many acrobats in the show.
'Found them! Move in.'
We follow him into the warehouse, staying out of sight. He pulls out a crowbar and pries open one of the crates, removing a high-tech motherboard.
'Caught him red-handed.' I think. 'Miss M, I've got the left, you take the right.'
'Got it.'
'We need to know who it is and stop him from getting away with the tech.'
I jump down onto a lower catwalk to get a better angle. At least, I try to. My body feels like shit from whatever bug I caught, and the performance took a lot out of me. I make the it to the next catwalk, but it's not exactly a quiet landing.
The thief whips around, staring straight up at my position.
'Shit.'
"Might as well come out," the thief says, "I know you're there."
He's wearing all black, including a ski-mask that covers his whole face. So much for getting an ID.
'What do we do?' Miss Martian asks.
'Show ourselves.'
We drop down from the scaffolding, landing together in front of him. The thief shakes his head like he's disappointed, tucking the stolen tech under his arm.
"Well, well. If it isn't the new act. I knew something didn't smell right about you two."
"Takes one to know one," I shoot back.
"Ouch. Is this the part where you try to stop me?"
"How did you know?" Miss M puts her hands on her hips.
"Call it a hunch. Sorry kids, I'm not in the mood to play games tonight."
He opens his mouth and flames shoot out. M'gann cries out as the fire rushes towards us and I pull her out of the way. I throw a birdarang that the thief ducks, but it gets him to stop breathing fire.
"Come on!" I drag M'gann out of the way, behind a stack of crates. My eyes widen when I read the label on the crates. Live ammo.
"Alright… come out, come out wherever you are," the thief calls, pacing back and forth, "I know you're here somewhere."
'There's a lot of live ammo in here. We can't risk him lighting the place on fire, we have to draw him outside.'
'How?'
'Working on it.'
I peek around the crate. The thief stopped pacing, and he's looking at the crates pointedly. He's seen the label. He takes a breath and I have a half-second to stop him from blowing us to smithereens.
'He's about to blow! Get the ammo out of the way!'
Miss M's eyes glow green, and the crates lift into the air and out of the way of the flames. Just in time.
"Nice trick," the thief growls, "You're just full of 'em, aren't you?"
I launch myself at him, aiming a punch at his face. The thief's arm snaps up blocking the blow with speed that even Slade would be impressed by. His leg slams into my knee, knocking me down while his arm hooks under my armpit and around the back of my neck in a hold I can't get out of without snapping my spine.
"And as for you… care to shed some light on how a circus performer got his hands on an experimental acceleration serum?"
"What?"
"Let him go!" Miss Martian shouts.
"I'd say this was fun, but I really don't have time for this. Got a busy day tomorrow."
With that, he lets go of the hold, but there's barely a split second to move before he throws me at the wall like I don't weigh anything.
'Robin!' Miss M shouts. I feel a tug as she catches me about three centimeters away from the wall. When I drop to the ground, the warehouse is empty.
He got away.
Dammit.
Meanwhile…
Wally West
Mount Justice
Friday, November 16th, 2012
Wally checked the monitor logs again, reassuring himself that Batman still wasn't in the Watchtower or the Cave. Wonder Woman was on monitor duty, and the Flash was on the active duty list. According to Tornado, Miss Martian had taken Rob out for a flying lesson in the bioship, so they'd be gone for a while. Conner had roped Zatanna into helping him cook dinner, and Kaldur had just left for a joint patrol with Red Arrow. This was his best shot.
"Flash, come in."
"What's up, Kid?"
"Remember that cold case I've been looking in on?"
"The one you told Roy we made a bet on?" his uncle sounded vaguely amused.
"Yeah, that one. I think I accidentally found something else. You're going to want to see it."
There was a rush of wind through the com, then the sound of the zeta beam activating. A second later, there was another rush of wind and then the Flash was standing next to him.
"What is it?"
"Look," Wally pulled up the League's satellite footage, which was zoomed in on a street in the old city of Lisbon, Portugal, "Roy gave me a lead and I thought it would help if I could see the area and instead, I found this."
"Is that…" Flash frowned, looking at the black and orange figure on top of one of the buildings. He jerked back, whipping around to look at Wally for confirmation, "Kid, when was this footage taken?"
"It's live."
"Shit! Flash to the Justice League! All available members respond. Deathstroke the Terminator spotted in Lisbon. I repeat, all available members respond! Sending coordinates now."
He flicked off his comm and turned to Wally.
"Turn your comm to the League frequency. I need you to stay here and keep tracking him. He's incredibly dangerous and very slippery. Don't lose him."
"I won't," Wally promised, heart pounding in his chest. With a nod, the Flash disappeared.
Wally held his breath, watching the dots on the GPS that represented the League members as they converged on Deathstroke's location. On the satellite feed, Deathstroke was still hunched over on top of a building, looking through a sniper scope at the building across the street. The comm in his ear was buzzing with activity, with Superman coordinating positions at supersonic speeds.
This was it.
It had to be.
Dick was counting on him.
"Stop right there."
"Superman. It's been a while. I'm flattered, the whole League is here. Well, not quite. What's the matter, I don't rate high enough for Batman to make an appearance?" Deathstroke sounded amused, and not even slightly worried that he was surrounded by the Justice League.
"Make this easy for yourself and turn yourself in," Superman announced.
"I think we both know I won't be doing that. Truthfully, I'm a bit disappointed. Where's Zatara? He put up a good fight the last time we met."
Wally scowled at the screen, wishing that he was halfway across the world so he could slap the stupid smirk off the asshole's mask. The League didn't know that Deathstroke was spying on them or that he knew exactly what Zatara's fate was. He was being an asshole just because he could.
"I'd say I'm sorry to disappoint you," Wonder Woman said, pulling her lasso off her waist to heft it threateningly, "But you've been a threat for too long and your luck has finally run out."
"Has it?" Deathstroke looked up to where the Green Lantern was flying overhead, "Sending Stewart out with the heavy hitters? You're making it too easy for me. What's the matter, was Jordan too busy?"
Over the comm, Wally heard stunned gasps.
"How did you-?"
"Feeling compromised?" Deathstroke taunted.
"However you got your intel, it doesn't matter. You're going down, Deathstroke," Superman stepped forwards.
"You don't want to know my source? And here I thought curiosity was a reporter's prerogative."
Wally choked at the obvious dig at Superman's secret identity, but before anyone could react, Deathstroke was moving. He swung his sword out, swiping through the air where the Flash had been standing an instant before. The Flash dodged the series of attacks with ease until Deathstroke drove him to the left with a hand jab, and when the Flash put his foot down, the tile under his foot gave way.
Wally's heart jumped, pounding ten-thousand beats a minute as he watched his uncle fall.
The Flash let out a startled exclamation as his foot dropped through the hole in the roof, leaving him open for the hilt of Deathstroke's sword to whack him in the forehead. Wonder Woman's lasso caught his sword, holding the blow back and giving the Superman time to pull the Flash out of the trap. The Green Lantern's ring lit up, causing a glowing green ball and chain to appear around his other hand.
Deathstroke pulled against the lasso, and Wonder Woman dug her feet in to hold him.
"Hold him!" Superman shouted, setting the Flash down on the roof. Deathstroke let go of the sword suddenly, and Wonder Woman couldn't adjust for the sudden change in force. She went flying back, and as she did, Deathstroke pulled the rifle off his back and fired six shots in rapid succession. The glowing chain around his wrist faded as Green Lantern raised a shield to protect himself, and Martian Manhunter went intangible.
"Not bad," Deathstroke mused. He backed up to the edge of the roof, stowing the rifle away, "You know, it's a shame. You heroes never seem to remember the most important thing."
"And what's that?!"
"Always keep your exits covered."
Deathstroke held up a detonator and pressed the button. As soon as he did, a string of explosions rocked the base of the cathedral and spewed debris and flames into the air. A cloud of smoke erupted over four of the surrounding buildings and on screen, Wally could see the bricks and stone walls crumbling. Screams erupted over the comm line and from the aerial view, Wally could see just how many explosives the mercenary had set off.
"No!"
"Lantern, Manhunter, with me!"
Superman sped towards the rubble, holding the building up while screaming tourists fled. Green Lantern's ring lit up and a wall of green light appeared to support the crumbling cathedral. The smoke was so thick now Wally couldn't make out anything in the square around the destroyed block, but over the comms he heard screams and rushed orders in frantic Portuguese. Deathstroke tried to disappear in the chaos, but Wally saw a flash of black on a rooftop.
"Wonder Woman, Flash! Don't let him get away!" Green Lantern shouted.
"We've got him!" Flash yelled, speeding after the mercenary while Wonder Woman jumped into the air and flew overheard.
"He's moving west!" Wally told them, fighting to keep himself from shouting over the com. There was enough chaos as it was.
"Keep us posted!" Flash responded.
"This is Superman, broadcasting to all League channels. We need backup with civilian evacuations! This is an emergency, all Leaguers respond! Coordinates sent!"
Wally looked down to see a ping on his phone with the coordinates he'd spent the last half hour staring at. The zeta-beam was right behind him, and they needed backup. Should he go, or should he stay?
"Do you need my help?" Wally asked.
"No! Stay there! Kid, we need your eyes!"
Wally's heart pounded. Stay there? Out of the way? Like a good sidekick? He frowned, grabbing his phone and pushing away from the computer before he could think about it.
Wait, what was he thinking?! This wasn't about him, and it wasn't about the Flash not trusting him. This was about doing whatever it took to save Dick, and that meant doing things the League's way. He sat back down and pushed his phone to the side.
"Got it," he scanned the satellite feed, and as he did, he saw a flash of orange and black on a terra cotta rooftop, "There! Yellow building, brown roof! Across from the one with blue and white tiles!"
"I see him!" Wonder Woman shouted. Wally's head jerked up in time to see her dive down onto a rooftop with her sword drawn. Deathstroke swung around to meet the strike and the shockwave made the roof tiles shake so badly Wally could see it on the screen.
"You left innocents in danger just to chase me?" Deathstroke mocked, "Princess, I'm flattered."
"Have you no remorse for your actions?!" Wonder Woman demanded, "For all the lives you've taken?!"
"Regrets get in the way of business," Deathstroke answered, parrying her blow and redirecting the motion into a downward strike.
"You're a monster, Wilson."
"And you're too attached. Caring is a weakness. Loving people makes you vulnerable."
"What you call weakness, I call strength," Wonder Woman jumped over his leg-sweep, slamming her sword down. Deathstroke matched the strike a swung at her head, "I have no weaknesses for you to exploit."
"Incoming! Wonder Woman, keep him busy!" Flash announced over the com.
Wonder Woman's sword clashed with Deathstroke's in midair. She ducked under a kick and moved in for an elbow strike. Deathstroke swung his blade around and met the hit head-on. When he tried to push her down, she grabbed the hilt and pushed back, locking the two of them in a stalemate.
"Everyone has a weakness, Princess," Deathstroke snarled at her, fighting to overcome her raw strength. Wonder Woman's arms barely trembled, even as she dug her heels into the roof to keep herself from sliding.
"Even you?" she grinned. Even from the satellite feed, Wally could see the mercenary realize something was wrong. He could almost see Deathstroke's eye widen as he pulled back slightly and started to turn his head to look behind him. Out of nowhere, a red blur slammed into Deathstroke, fist meeting head with a deafening crack. Deathstroke crumpled to the ground like a condemned building meeting its first and last wrecking ball. Wonder Woman caught the sword before it could impale the either of them.
Flash screeched to a halt, chest heaving.
"I guess that's a yes," Wonder Woman smiled, relief clear in her voice, "Nice hit, Flash."
"Ow," the Flash shook his hand to wave off the muscle cramp, "He's got a hard head. Is he out?"
Wonder Woman nudged his shoulder with her boot. There was no response. Deathstroke stayed on the ground, motionless and unresponsive.
"He's out," she unraveled her lasso and wrapped it around his wrists and torso, "Just in case."
"Oh, thank the fucking universe," he put a hand to his ear, "This is the Flash. We got Deathstroke. Wonder Woman is securing him now."
At the words, Wally's chest sagged in relief and he let out the breath he was holding. It worked. They won.
It was over.
Deathstroke would be taken into custody, and there was no way he'd escape justice. He'd just blown up three blocks of a foreign city in broad daylight. He'd go to jail for a long time, high-security lockup at the least. Maybe even Belle Rev depending on the sentence.
Robin was safe. Dick was safe.
"Nice work. The authorities are on their way, but we'll work something out to take him back to the Watchtower. We need whatever information he has about the leak," Superman said.
"Right."
"We're gonna be a while with the evacuation. We've gotten everyone clear of the rubble, but we still have a lot more fires to put out. Literally."
"Do you need help there?"
"We're okay. Stay with Deathstroke. I'll send Green Lantern to escort you all to the Watchtower as soon as we can spare him."
"Just give me five minutes," Green Lantern said.
"Take your time," Wonder Woman assured him.
Wally couldn't say how he knew something was wrong. He looked back at the screen and frowned; he could have sworn Deathstroke had fallen on his stomach, not his side. It was only because he was looking that he said anything. The arm motion was small and blurry, but even though it was fast, it still felt like an eternity. And it felt like a perfect dream shattering into a nightmare.
"He's awake!" Wally shouted into the com, but it was too late. He didn't how bad a half-second video delay could be until a concussive grenade exploded right into his comm link. Wally winced at the deafening screech, jerking back as Wonder Woman and the Flash screamed.
A second later, he saw his uncle fly backwards off the roof while Wonder Woman stumbled. Deathstroke used the moment to rip the lasso off his arms and throw himself off the side of the roof.
"NO!" Wally shouted, trying to see where the mercenary had gone, but there was nothing.
"FUCK!" Wonder Woman recovered first, flying after him. The Flash was right behind her, a blur of red on the screen.
"Kid! Any sign of him?"
Wally scanned the screen desperately, looking for some flash of orange or black or weird movement but there was nothing. He looked faster, zooming in and out and trying to cover all the streets, but he couldn't see anything.
"No, no, no, no, no! Fuck he's… he's gone."
This was bad. This was very, very, very bad.
Dick Grayson
Haly's Circus
Friday, November 16th, 2012
12:30 pm local time
"Flag's up!" Megara shouts, peeking her head in through from the backyard.
"You kids hungry?" Samuel asks.
"We'll meet you in a few," I answer, "I have to talk to Dawn about tonight's show."
Performers trickle out of the big tent, heading for lunch, but M'gann still hasn't made any effort to move from the stretches I showed her.
"Hello? Mars to Dawn?"
She shakes her head like she's clearing her thoughts and smiles sadly at me.
"What are you thinking about?"
"It's nothing."
"No, seriously. You look like there's something you want to say."
"No, I…" I give her my most incredulous look and she sighs, "I know you're worried about everything that's going on, but you seem so happy here."
"I am happy," I pause, staring out at the stands. The international tour arranges the rings differently than the domestic one, but it still looks the same as it did the last time I was on the tour. I had just turned seven and my birthday present was that I got to fly with everyone in rehearsal the morning of the show.
My chest aches at the memory. I look up at the trapeze and all I can think about is how my family should still be up there. How much I miss watching my mom throw herself into the air and feeling my heart pound with excitement every time my dad caught her. How excited I was when I would peek out through the backyard to watch my family performing overhead and count the days until I could be up there with them all. How cool it was when Uncle Rick decided he would be the catcher for a few shows and I got to see my dad fly.
M'gann is staring at me and my stomach twists into a knot. Would even a Martian be able to pull someone out of a coma like that?
"It feels like I'm home," I exhale slowly, balling my hands into tight fists, "And every time I land a trick, I keep expecting to turn around and have my parents watching. Before we were old enough to use the trapeze, my cousin and I used to hide behind the bleachers and practice our cartwheels. We thought we were being so sneaky, but Aunt Karla would always ask us why our hands were dirty."
I miss her so much. I miss her and Johnny and Uncle Rick and my parents and the circus and suddenly the tent is suffocating me.
'I'm so sorry, Dick.'
'I'm fine, I just….' I shake my head. 'I can't let anything happen to this place. I'm scared that we're already too late, and if I'm wrong about Geneva…'
'You're right. He's not going to make a move until we get to Geneva.' M'gann assures me. 'Whatever he's planning, it's taken him at least a month to steal everything. He's not going to abandon his plans now. We get through the show, we get on the train, and whatever happens, we'll be ready.'
"Right."
7pm
'Everyone's here,' I see Shayna talking to Megara the high-line walker, finishing the headcount of the troupe as Dawn and I walk into the dining car. 'Apparently including our thief.'
'Told you that you were right. He must've left something on the train,' Dawn says as we grab plates and sit at an empty table near the wall. 'I was worried he would have made a move by now. Especially since Dawn and Dan have been exposed.'
I take a breath.
'He knows we're onto him, but with Faraday breathing down everyone's back, he wasn't going to risk making a move in Bruges. He's gotten too far to have Interpol bust him now.'
'Do you think Faraday will follow the circus to Geneva?'
'Yeah. He's obsessed with catching the thief, and he's followed Haly through seven countries at this point. I just wish we knew what the end goal was. Then we could actually use Faraday's help.'
'We just have to hope the thief keeps his cover through the train ride and we'll have another chance.'
"Mind if we join you?" Carlo asks. Dawn and I jump, and Eduardo gives us a small smile.
"Uh, sure," Dawn says.
I yawn, reaching for my coffee.
"First performance catching up to you?" Eduardo smiles.
"He's just a coffee addict," Dawn grins. I roll my eyes at her.
"We were both wiped after the show, plus I think I caught whatever weird bug's going around yesterday," I say.
"It's nasty. I had it a few days ago," Carlo agrees.
"Look, we… uh… wanted to apologize to you guys. Stuff has been pretty tense around here lately, but that's no excuse for being assholes."
"We watched your act and it blew our minds. Your triple has enough momentum to hit the fourth flip. You know the last time someone on this show could turn a quad?" Carlo asks. I flinch.
Eduardo cuts in, grinning madly at Dawn, "And that jump you did? Carlo would have to sprout wings to get that much air."
Carlo nods.
"We get why Haly let you on. So, from one family act to another, we want to officially welcome you to the troupe."
"Thank you, guys. That's so sweet," Dawn smiles.
"Of course, growing up in Panama is a lot different now," Carlo says.
"When we go back, it's like a completely different country. But then the little panadería is still there between the skyscraper and the new mall."
"Does it still feel like home?"
"Oh, of course. When you open the door and mamá is making a pot of sancocho the same way her mother and her mother's mother made it, it's always home."
The door opens. Ray walks in, pushing a dolly with a trunk on it. Dawn and I look at each other.
"How long has Ray been here?" I ask, frowning.
"About a month, I think."
"And the robberies?"
Carlo and Eduardo frown.
"Ray wouldn't do something like that."
"Do you think?"
"Good to see you're all making nice," Ray grins at Carlo as he passes us, "Thought you two had picked yourselves some new mortal enemies."
"We've talked it out," Carlo says.
"What's in the box?" Eduardo asks, trying not to sound suspicious. Ray shrugs.
"Audio equipment Mike asked me to move. It weighs a frickin' ton."
"Do you need help?" Dawn offers. Ray smiles.
"As a matter of fact… mind if I take your telekinesis?" Ray bares his teeth in a menacing grin, grabbing Dawn's shoulder. She stiffens, face getting pale. The look of Ray's face changes to feral delight, "Well isn't that a surprise?"
"Let go of her!" I shout, grabbing her arm and wrenching her out of Ray's grip. Carlo and Eduardo shoot to their feet, eyes blazing.
Ray's eyes glow green and an invisible force sends us all flying to the back of the dining car. Tables, chairs, people, everything. People shout in panic and in pain. I hit the ground, trying to cover Dawn and my head at the same time so we don't get pelted by flying furniture.
When the dust settles, I uncurl from around Dawn.
"Are you okay?" I ask. She nods.
"Dan, he took my powers! How did he do that?!"
"He's the Parasite. One of Superman's enemies," I answer, "I can't let him get away."
"I'm coming with you," Dawn uses me to pull herself to her feet. I think about telling her no way in hell am I letting her risk her life without powers, but she's M'gann. She's stubborn and it's not just her powers that make her dangerous. Plus, if she hasn't changed forms, she's still got some power left.
"Let's go."
We run out of the dining car, but the next hallway is empty. The door at the far end snaps shut but there's no sign of him through the window.
"He's gone topside! I'll stall him, you catch him on the other side."
"Right."
I throw the car door open and launch myself up, grabbing the roof to pull myself up. M'gann runs into the next car.
"Parasite!" I shout, stopping him before he flies off the train with whatever's in that trunk. All the stolen tech, I bet.
"You just don't know when to quit, do you?"
"What do you want with this stuff? Why are you framing the circus?"
"The circus? You really think I give a damn about this rat-infested hole? I've got plans, kid, ones that you're standing in the way of. So, in the spirit of fair play, I'll give you one chance to get out of my way."
"Pass."
"How much is Haly paying you for this? However, much it is, you could make a hell of a lot more on my side of it. We could use someone like you."
I hesitate. Robin never gets offers to switch sides (not counting Slade). Maybe I can play along.
"…who's we?"
"They call us Intergang. You and I, we can help each other."
I take a step back and Parasite's eyes glint victoriously. He thinks he hit something, "What makes you think I need help?"
"It's obvious you're running from something. Or maybe someone."
"How do you—"
"I took your powers, remember. All your acrobatics, all your combat skills, I know exactly what you're capable of. Someone spent a lot of time and effort training you to fight. And now you're running around with a disguised Martian, pretending to be brother-and-sister so you can scratch out a living in a circus? You need friends, kid. Protection. Intergang could use talent like you. And all you have to do is walk away from this."
He gestures back toward the train.
"Go back down there, tell 'Dawn' that everything's fine. Finish the tour. We'll contact you."
I look down, partly so he doesn't notice Dawn climbing onto the roof behind him.
"Well, kid? Do we have a deal?"
"Pass."
I flick my fingers, letting the explosive birdarangs fly. Parasite's eyes glow green and he catches them in midair, flinging them out to the sides telekinetically.
"Sorry to hear that," Parasite shakes his head, "But not as sorry as you're going to be when I tear Geneva apart."
He flies into the air, the trunk lifting off the roof and following him. I launch myself into the air, grabbing onto the side of the trunk and pulling myself on top. I jump off, throwing myself at Parasite, grabbing at the pouch on his belt. My hand closes around a something small and flat just as he says, "Sorry. No hitchhikers."
His fist slams into my chest, knocking me backwards. I fall, my back slamming against the roof of the train. I grunt in pain as the wind gets knocked out of me again, scrabbling to grab onto something as I careen over the side.
"No!" Dawn shouts, and then her hand closes around my wrist. She grunts, trying to hold both our weight but I can feel us both slipping.
"There!" someone else shouts, then more hands grab me and pull me back into the train through the window. My head aches from slamming into the roof, but when the dizziness fades, I'm lying on my back in the destroyed dining car, surrounded by the worried members of the troupe.
"Kid, are you okay?" Carlo demands.
"That was insane!" Samuel barks, but his hands are shaking, "You could have gotten killed!"
The door to the car flies open and Dawn bursts inside.
"Dan!"
"Good catch," I give her a hazy thumbs up, and she throws her arms around me. When she pulls back, everyone is still staring at us.
"What the hell just happened?" someone demands.
"Why did Ray… how did Ray attack us?"
"Ray was just a disguise for the supervillain known as Parasite. He has the power to drain people's skills and abilities. He's been using all of your abilities to commit the robberies across Europe. That's why the 24-hour bug has been going around."
"What does he want?"
"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, Dawn and I will stop him."
"This is what you do now?" a voice asks solemnly from the back of the car. I look up and my heart misses a beat. Omar the clown and Carlotta the animal trainer, the two longest-standing members of the troupe, are staring at me like they've just put together all the pieces of a puzzle.
"We're going to catch him, but he's not going to come back here. The circus is safe."
Carlotta smiles at me as she moves through the crowd of shaken performers, all warmth and deep-seated wrinkles.
"Such a brave boy," she says, kissing the top of my forehead, "Promise me you'll stay safe."
"I… I promise."
"And come back to visit us without all this silly getup. Your hair looks ridiculous."
I can't help the laugh as she tugs on my bleached-blond hair. I squeeze her hand tightly.
"You have my word."
"Dan, we need to go. Parasite has a big head start and he's got all of my powers."
"Right," I turn back to Carlotta and Omar, "Please, don't tell anyone I was here."
"You have our word."
"Who is—" Eduardo whispers, but Megara elbows him and cuts him off.
"Bioship?"
"Let's go," Dawn nods.
I hesitate, turning back to the assembled performers who just saved my life and also probably figured out my secret, "Good luck with the rest of the tour."
9:30 pm
"This would be a hell of a lot easier with my flash drive," Parasite grumbles. He's dropped the Ray disguise, and he's a hell of a lot uglier now. He plus the three-pronged key into the computer terminal and the whole display light up blue, "There. Now let's fire this baby up and see what's left of Geneva when we're done.
The collider lights up blue, one concentric circle at a time. My ears pop as the pressure in the room changes suddenly.
"We have to get him away from the computer so we can disengage it."
"I'll distract him, you get to the computer."
"No! You don't have your powers, it's too dangerous. I'll distract him, you get the key out of the machine. That's what's powering it."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. We don't have time, go now."
The machine starts whirring and deafening thunder cracks outside.
Miss Martian nods and disappears into the shadows. She's getting good at that; almost good enough to be a Bat.
"What do you have against Geneva anyway?" I ask, stepping out into the light with my hands on my hips.
"You just don't stop, do you?"
"Never been a fan of people trying to rip the fabric of space-time apart," I shoot back.
"You know, somehow I'm not surprised. We do have some time to kill before my machine warms up and tears the city apart, so tell you what. Let's have story time before I pulverize you."
His eyes light up green and then a crushing force lifts me into the air and slams me into the ground in front of him. Parasite cracks his knuckles, grinning in vicious delight.
"Your little friend was a beautiful surprise. Nothing quite like the taste of a Martian. What's her story? As far as I know, there's only one Martian on the planet and I hear he's got quite a temper. How'd he like to know there's another one hiding out here?"
I see M'gann creeping along the back wall and pretend to struggle against Parasite's grip.
"No!"
"Oh? So there is a story there. How did a Martian and a science experiment end up as a crime-fighting duo anyway?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I spit back.
"In any case, it's a shame she abandoned you to face me alone. Unless she's hiding around here somewhere. What's it going to take to flush her out?"
He closes his fist and I cry out as the pressure around me gets even tighter.
"She's not here," I grunt, but even though the telekinetic grip is still tight the pain is already fading, "Too dangerous—she doesn't have her powers."
"So you thought you could stop me alone. That's funny," Parasite laughs, "Though as far as you go… acrobatics, combat skills, and you're no Superman, but the strength and accelerated healing were a nice boost. I meant what I said before. You weren't with the League of Shadows, were you?"
"What are you talking about?! I don't have powers!"
"Oh, don't you?"
His eyes glow green again and then the force holding me down becomes a crushing weight.
"AGH!"
M'gann freezes, one hand on the glowing blue key that's powering the massive boson collider. I shake my head as much as I can manage, telling her to keep going. We have to shut down the machine or the whole city's toast.
"That grip is strong enough to shatter an adult human's ribcage, and look at you. Still in one piece. Not for long though."
"No!" I shout as Parasite closes the distance between us and puts a hand on my chest. When he pulls away, I feel dizzy and sick and empty, just like I did when I thought I caught the bug.
"Thanks for the snack, kid. This has been fun; I was worried this whole trip would be boring."
I slump forwards, feeling so drained I can barely sit up. Parasite laughs.
"Any second now, my machine will rip a hole in the fabric of space-time, and you'll be caught dead in the middle."
"I don't think so," Miss M announced.
"What the… hey!" Parasite's eyes light up as he whips around, but M'gann jumps over the control panel and out of the way, key in hand. The blue lights are fading fast and after a second, the whole machine goes dark, "You're gonna regret that!"
"And you'll regret this!" I launch myself at Parasite, aiming a punch at his head. His arm snaps up, blocking my fist and twisting my arm back. I try to pull out of the hold but he's faster and my whole body feels sluggish. A kick in the back with the force of a freight train sends me flying. I hit the ground hard but I force myself roll out of the way of Parasite's foot.
"Sloppy. I have all your fighting skills, remember?"
"That's not all you have," I grunt, throwing myself out of the way of another kick. Parasite is too concerned with crushing me into a powder that he doesn't notice the trail of gunpowder following me.
"I'm clear!" M'gann shouts, and without hesitating I throw an explosive into the trail of powder. The device explodes and the powder ignites, sending a ring of fire shooting up around Parasite.
"Missed me!" Parasite shouts, "You think I'm afraid of a little fire?!"
"I think you should be… that is, if you've taken on a Martian's powers. And weaknesses."
"What?! No! No!" he shouts, trying to escape the ring of flames, but the closer he gets the harder it is for him to stand, "This won't… no! No…"
Parasite slumps over, unconscious. I dash through the flames and slap a pair of power damping cuffs over his wrists. As soon as they're on, I let out a breath. The flames die out as the last of the powder burns away, leaving us alone with an unconscious villain and a depowered particle accelerator. M'gann and I look at each other, breathing heavily and flooded with the post-victory adrenaline.
We did it. It's over. We saved everyone. Everything's going to be okay.
My comm beeps suddenly and I play the message without thinking.
"Robin," Batman growls, "You better have a good explanation."
Oh shit.
11:20 pm local time
We're an hour into the flight back from Geneva when M'gann clears her throat hesitantly.
"What did Parasite mean that you're a science experiment?"
"I don't know."
"He said you had powers. Strength and accelerated healing."
I swallow, tightening my hands into fists.
"I… have no idea."
"Dick."
"Look, if he's right… it's not like I woke up one day and I could bench press a truck. It's just a lot of little things that I didn't even notice until I—"
"What?"
"Punched a tree down with my bare hands."
"What?!"
"That was my reaction. I think I found an injection site, but I don't know what it is or when it's from."
"Dick, what are you going to do?"
"M'gann, what the fuck can I do? I literally have no idea what's happening, all I know I punched down a tree and found and injection site on my arm. If he's injecting me with something, I have no idea and even if I knew what he was doing, I can't stop him."
"What?! You're just going to let him?!"
"I don't have a choice! What am I supposed to say? Threatening to kidnap me and hurt my family and expose my secret ID is okay, but injecting me with chemicals is where I draw the line?"
"This isn't okay! He's hurting you! He's making you lie to everyone and go behind Batman's back, and now he's injecting you with stuff against your will!"
"Then tell me what to do! He doesn't care about who he has to hurt! If I do what he wants, then I'm the only one he hurts."
"You have to tell the League! We'll only have a chance to stop him if everyone knows what they're dealing with. Isn't it worth trying?"
"Well, what about you? Why haven't you told the team your secret if it's that easy?"
M'gann freezes.
"I…"
"I know you're trying to help, but you of all people understand why I'm scared."
"Robin…"
"You think I'm not scared, M'gann?! Slade's injecting me with some kind of experimental chemical and there's literally nothing I can do about it! I don't even remember him doing it! I would give anything for a way to make him go away but there isn't one that doesn't include him ruining my life and hurting the people I care about!"
"He's already ruining your life."
"I can't risk him going after the people I care about."
"But if we go after him together, we can stop him. He's only one bad guy. He's not going to be able to stand against the entire team and the League."
"I…I'll think about it."
Bruce Wayne
The Batcave
Friday, November 16th, 2012
"What do you mean he got away?" Batman thundered over the viewscreen. Martian Manhunter winced, but Wonder Woman crossed her arms over her chest.
"He detonated a series of explosions in a heavily populated area to split us up. Then he caught the Flash and I off guard and we lost him in pursuit."
Batman scowled.
"Do we have any leads on his current whereabouts?"
"We've alerted the Portuguese government to be on high alert in case he tries to leave by plane, but Wilson always has a dozen backups," Wonder Woman answered.
"It was pure luck that Kid Flash managed to intercept him. If Deathstroke is truly capable of evading five high-powered members of the league, then he's a much bigger threat than we realized. His capture needs to be made a higher priority," Batman said.
"It's not just his physical skills that make him dangerous," Superman added.
Batman could feel a headache coming on.
"Do I want to know?"
"He's got inside information on the League. Whatever leak we have, he's part of it somehow."
"And by inside information, you mean…"
"Our identities are compromised. I don't know the extent of it, but mine and both Lanterns are definitely out."
It was only by decades of training in restraint and self-control that Batman managed to stop himself from letting loose with a string of expletives that would make even a five-thousand-year-old Amazonian warrior princess blush.
"Scrub the League systems of any personal or sensitive data. Hard copies only, absolutely nothing digitized. There can be no ties to anyone's personal identity. From now on, finding the leak is our first priority. Alert the other members that I'm shutting down access to the League mainframe and re-configuring all of the security systems. Anyone needing to access the mainframe can do so in person through the Watchtower's computer."
Robin was going to hate that, Batman realized as Superman left to make the announcement. He'd understand that it was just a temporary measure, though.
"Who's on duty tomorrow?"
"I am," Martian Manhunter replied, "I will review the footage Kid Flash managed to collect and attempt to discern how Deathstroke made his escape."
"I'm going to issue a statement tomorrow to the people of Lisbon. We managed to prevent any casualties, but the damage he caused was extensive. It's a heavily touristed area and the locals are worried this attack will severely deter visitors. We're going to pledge our aid with some of the reconstruction efforts and try to make people feel safe," Wonder Woman said.
"The League will also pledge funds to aid the locals and rebuild the homes that were damaged," Batman decided. The government would prioritize the landmarks that drew income, while ignoring the people who lived there and actually needed help. Unfortunately, the help the League could give was limited.
"It would have been much worse had the League not been there," Manhunter said, sensing Batman's train of thought. Batman frowned.
"We weren't expecting to face him. Deathstroke has kept a low profile for years. He had the element of surprise and he knew it. We'll be prepared the next time and we'll face and catch him on our terms," Wonder Woman crossed her arms over her chest, staring Batman down. Considering how much she hated losing a fight, it actually reassured him to hear that the Amazonian's confidence was unshaken. He nodded at her, just enough that she would see her declaration had had the desired effect.
"We'll discuss the situation further at the next League meeting. Batman out."
The screen went dark and Batman sighed. He'd always suspected Deathstroke's retreat from high-profile jobs was temporary, but that didn't mean he was thrilled at the prospect of dealing with the mercenary again. Wilson was smart, skilled, ruthless, and a complete bastard. On the bright side, it would feel good to punch him in the face again. Before any punching could take place, the League's security systems needed a complete overhaul. Doing it remotely would be a pain, but he didn't trust anyone else to handle it and spending that much time at the Watchtower would eat up all the time he set aside for the kids.
Speaking of, Dick needed to be informed about the access restrictions on the League's mainframe. Batman checked the time to confirm that the Team's training session had ended, then opened up a line on his com.
"Robin, come in."
No answer. That was inconvenient. Calling his cell phone sent him to voicemail. Almost on a whim, he pulled up the GPS tracker on Robin's utility belt. When the screen came up, Batman frowned.
That couldn't be right.
"Batman to Red Tornado."
"This is Tornado."
"Who's at the cave?"
"Currently, Superboy, Aqualad, Artemis and Zatanna are present."
"Where are the others?"
"Kid Flash was called away by the Flash approximately an hour ago. Records indicate Miss Martian and Robin departed on Wednesday for a flying lesson."
"Wednesday?"
"Correct."
"Where is the ship?"
"Current location is in the outskirts of Geneva, Switzerland."
Batman's scowl deepened into a full Batglare as he looked at the GPS tracker that confirmed Robin was really, truly in Geneva. Without asking or bothering to inform him where he was going.
That was unacceptable.
Dick Grayson
Wayne Manor
"How could you go to Europe on an unauthorized mission without asking me?!"
"You're such a control freak! You have to control everything I do!"
"That was reckless and an unacceptable risk!"
"Unacceptable risk?! It's Haly's! It's my family, Bruce! What was I supposed to do, let the whole circus take the fall for Parasite?! And if I hadn't, he would've opened a black hole in the middle of Geneva! So, you're welcome and sorry I'm an incapable, reckless idiot who wants to keep his family safe! And if you forgot, family means the people you care about and protect."
"Go to your room," Bruce growls.
"Sir, yes sir," I spit, putting my hand to my forehead in a mockery of a salute.
AN: Yay! That went so badly! Now the League knows that Deathstroke is active again, and he's got a bone to pick with the League. But he's a mature adult who'd never seek out any kind of revenge, right? I'm sure everything will be fine.
Plus, M'gann has now realized that even though Dick is miserable, scared, and knows what he's doing is wrong, he has no intention of trying to stop Slade. She's really starting to regret promising to keep his secret. That's not a fun spot for her to be in, especially since she's got her own secret to Content: (This really is not at all important for the story it's more that I thought it was funny and then accidentally wrote it.)
Billy Batson
Lisbon, Portugal
Friday, November 16th, 2012
If there was one thing Captain Marvel hated, it was sirens. Not the sound—but actually yeah, that was annoying too. Okay, if there were two things that were the same thing that Captain Marvel hated, it was the sound sirens made and what it meant for sirens to be going off. It meant something bad happened.
Captain Marvel loved being a superhero because he got to help people, but he also hated when he couldn't do anything to help. Doing evacuations like this were good and bad. It was good because he got to make sure people got out of danger, but it was bad because people's homes had been destroyed and a lot of people got hurt. Nobody had died, thanks to the rest of the League, but by the time Captain Marvel had shown up to help with the evacuation, the damage was insane.
It looked like Deathstroke had tried to blow the whole city up. It made Billy so angry. How could someone be that evil?! He didn't care about the fact that he could have killed thousands, or that now all these innocent people had nowhere to live and eight-hundred-year-old church had been destroyed. He just wanted… Billy wasn't actually sure what he wanted. Maybe he just liked being evil, like Klarion or Black Adam.
Captain Marvel shook his head, reminding himself not to think about that. Right now, there wasn't anything he could do to catch Deathstroke. His job was to help people get out of the damage zone. There was a steady stream of people who'd been helped out of the destroyed builds that were making their way down the road to safety. Captain Marvel was watching over the steep street that led back to the newer part of the city, making sure that the debris didn't shift or block the road.
He stared over the line of people making their way down the street. There was a mother shushing a crying baby, a group of men in matching soccer jerseys, a family of tourists that looked shell-shocked, two women with hands held in a death grip, and an old man tottering down the road on his cane who looked like he wasn't going to make it all the way down the hill.
"Let me help you, sir!" Captain Marvel flew over. The man looked up slowly and blinked at him through the old person stupor. Billy tried not to stare at his glass eye and instead offered his arm out.
"Oh, thank you young man," the old guy said in a wheezy voice, putting one hand on Captain Marvel's arm and pushing himself forward slowly with the cane in his other hand.
"Just trying to help," Captain Marvel answered patiently. This was the part that bad guys like Deathstroke would never understand. It was people like this poor old man who got hurt when they did evil things.