The European Tour

- - - December 20th - - -

"Welcome to the Haly International Travelling Circus!", the ringmaster boomed. "It is my great pleasure to finally meet the daughter of my old friend Giovanni Zatara. I hope you enjoyed our last show here in Paris? Please feel free to ask me any questions, young lady, and let me know personally if there is anything we can do this trip as comfortable as possible for you or your two companions!"

The grand man's voice was full and melodic, his eyes attentive, his handshake firm. Tanna found that she liked him instantly.

"Your crew's performance tonight was breathtaking, Mr Haly! Thank you so much for letting us accompany you for a few days. As you know, my father is training me to take over a more active role in his stage performances next year, and he thinks it would be very beneficial for me to experience some other types of show business first, to broaden my horizon… He said your European tour was legendary, and now that I've seen it, I must fully agree!"

She gestured towards Mary and Robin, standing on the grassy field behind her.

"Please meet my chaperone Mary Baker and her brother Dan, who are travelling with me."

Mary stepped forward with bright eyes. "Sir, that show tonight was absolutely marvellous!"

Robin was the last to shake the ringmaster's hand. "I've always been your fan", he claimed softly, his eyes unreadable behind his dark glasses.

Both the circus director and Tanna regarded the boy curiously.

Of course they were not really here to experience the circus life, although Tanna kind of liked that idea now. The real reason why Robin had organized this trip to Europe was to investigate a string of thefts of advanced weapon technologies. So far, each burglary had coincided with a stop of Haly's European tour, and the circus had ended up on an Interpol watchlist as potentially harbouring thieves - or terrorists.

Luckily, there were no traces of any involvement of the Light. Just a normal mission – her first as an official member of the team.

"Would you mind to tell me a bit more about your circus and its current crew, Mr Haly?", Tanna inquired politely. "I heard there were some new members that could not perform today…"

Clearly, anyone who had joined the circus recently would be a prime subject.

"Oh, you will love Beppo's act on the tight rope! It really is a shame that he was still sick today, but you will certainly see him in Bruges on Wednesday. He is a master at building and breaking suspense, at tumbling and flaying and almost missing his steps… The audience always loves the great finale, when he finally reaches the other side of the rope, and then falls straight off the podium…"

"Into a safety net, I hope?"

"Of course!" Haly's expression grew suddenly serious. "This circus operates only under the strictest security standards. For the past four years, we have taken every possible legal precaution to ensure the health and protection of our crew and audience. If you're interested, I could make some time during the train ride tomorrow to tell you all about our new net policy, our updated fire safety protocols, and the mandatory equipment checks… Oh, but here comes a new member of my crew who has specialized in all of these questions. Please, meet Ray the Roustabout! Ray, this enchanting young lady is Zatanna Zatara, our esteemed guest for the next few days."

A muscular man in a white shirt and suspenders had approached them, smiling eagerly. "Very pleased to meet you."

Unsuspectingly, Tanna shook the blond man's outstretched hand.

The feeling was nauseating. Her breath caught, a cold sweat broke out all over her skin. It felt like all her energy was drained from her body, leaving just a shaking, feeble hull behind.

Tanna tried her best to hide her violent reaction to the blonde man's touch, her mind racing.

Could it be...

"Mr Ray, please, do meet my companion Mary. She's always so keen on talking to circus people…"

Rambling on, she directed the man towards her baffled British friend almost forcefully, praying that her suspicions were correct.

He shook Mary's hand briefly, then frowned and recoiled from her touch.

"Meduro!", Tanna called out.

To her great relief, they both froze instantly, the performer's eyes turning as grey as Mary's skin.

Leaning in quickly, Tanna whispered the counter-spell into Mary's ear. The young woman woke with a stifled moan, hastily stepping away from the immobilized man and his still-outstretched hand.

"What have you done to him?", the ringmaster bellowed, moving his massive form protectively in front of his employee.

"This man was draining my magic powers", Tanna tried to explain. "He, um… He absorbed a very old petrification spell as well. Or at least some of the magic that fuels it."

Haly furrowed his heavy brows. "How could that possibly…"

Before he could finish, Robin appeared beside the petrified performer, reaching up to pull a skin mask off his face. Beneath the flesh-coloured latex, a strange, nose-less face was revealed, its stone-grey skin blotted by root-like protrusions. His blond wig fell to the ground at his feet.

The ringmaster blinked only once. "Someone better explain this."

"That's Parasite", Robin identified their captive. "He is a meta-human criminal. He can steal other people's skills and special powers for 24 hours."

Haly stared at the petrified creature, then shook his bald head slowly. "I'd bet that's not the only thing he's been stealing. There's an inspector who'll want to hear about this. Will that spell of yours hold him while I make a call?"

"That's what it's made for", Tanna confirmed. Her legs still felt wobbly.

"I'll send someone over with strong rope, just in case. Don't you kids touch him!" Still shaking his head, Haly hurried off.

"He took that surprisingly well", Mary noted.

"Oh, he's a circus director!", Robin laughed it off. "That was probably not even the strangest thing he's seen this month." When he turned towards Tanna, his smile was full of admiration. "That went way faster than expected. I'm totally traught that we didn't use my other plan instead…"

Tanna let herself sink to the ground, a helpless giggle escaping her.

"So, um, your mission is accomplished?", Mary asked tentatively, sitting down beside her. "Someone is going to arrest this guy, and the circus is safe?"

"Yep", Robin nodded, still beaming at Tanna. "I'm truly turbed."

"And he'll stay petrified for the next 24 hours?"

"Will I get my magic back when that time has passed?", Tanna added. She was still feeling weak, but not quite as ill as a few moments ago.

"Yes to both."

Sighing with relief, Tanna finally returned the Boy Wonder's grin. "Asterous! So, what do we do till then?"

Mary's sudden laughter chimed brightly through the evening air.

"We're in Paris!", the British girl exclaimed. "Let's go look at the Eiffel Tower!"

- - - December 21st - - -

Paris.

Mary could still barely believe that she was here.

Last night, they had taken a short stroll along the Seine, watching the city lights reflect on the waters, letting their legs dangle form the concrete river bank while marvelling at the renowned Tour Eiffel.

This morning, after an early breakfast with the circus crew, Mary and her two young wardens had taken the metro to the Champs Elysees. They had wandered from the Arc de Triomphe towards the Place de la Concorde along the city's most famous avenue, taking in its illustrious stores and monumental sights, and revelling in the diversity of people streaming past them.

Now they were sitting outside a little cafe a few blocks North from the Louvre museum, wrapped up comfortably in their warm scarfs and coats, sipping cappuccino and nibbling puff pastries.

Tanna and Robin were making up words again, while Mary's simply enjoyed the scene and her life and the winter sun on her face.

Somewhere in the distance, a street performer started playing a violin.

And she remembered.

In Paris, there's music in the air, he had said.

Henry had enticed her with Paris. Amidst the misery of the war hospital, the charming French doctor had regaled her with alluring tales of his city, of the roaring twenties and their freedom and culture and music. Together, they had been reminiscing of a time that had already been history long before they'd met, shattered first by the great depression and then by the fall of France and German occupation.

Henry had always belong to the past, Mary reflected.

Today, she had experienced the Paris of the future. A city full of life and noise, invaded only by hordes of chattering tourists. There were millions of cars and bikes and buses in its streets, its green parks crowded with walkers and joggers and pigeons. Crêpe booths and souvenir stalls lined the avenues and century-old monuments towered between shiny new office buildings. High above them, the French Tricolore was proudly joined by a blue flag with a circle of golden stars.

The future was a glorious, colourful mess. And it was all hers.

Somewhere in the distance, a new song began.

There was still music in the air in Paris.

"Talking about feeling chalant, it would have been whelming to see them assemble those circus tents in Bruges", Tanna mused. "Everything is so much more time-sensitive and mobile at Haly's than at our theatre shows. It's quite a different world, really."

"The circus actually has two sets of tents, for a short-stop tour like this", Robin informed her. "I'd expect that a part of the crew has already started setting up everything in Belgium. The tents they are currently packing up here will probably be sent straight to Geneva for their following stop."

"I see", Tanna mused, clearly used by now to Robin simply knowing all kinds of unexplained facts.

Mary hid a soft smile behind her cappuccino glass. She wasn't quite sure whether Mr Haly had recognized his former Flying Grayson, yet it was obvious that Robin still held great affections for his elderly ringmaster and his travelling childhood home.

Bruges… She'd seen a few photos in a magazine. A beautiful historic market place and some picturesque channels. They made some special kind of waffles there, didn't they?

She couldn't remember that Henry had ever visited Belgium.

Mary felt her smile widen.

"Would you like to go?", she asked. "To Bruges, and Geneva?"

The two teens looked at her with round eyes.

"You mean, follow the circus further?", Tanna asked. "Learn more about their shows?"

"We could visit that famous Swiss physics museum at the LBC near Geneva…" Robin tried to sound casual, but Mary sensed his excitement at the prospect of spending more time with his former crew.

"Why not?", she replied.

Belgium, Switzerland – there was so much more to see in mainland Europe. Such a diversity of countries, cultures, landscapes and cuisines. Why had she ever confined her dreams to just one city?

"Could we still make it back home in time for Christmas, if we followed Mr Haly for the next two stops of his tour?" Tanna wanted to know. "I wish the Zeta system wasn't only national..."

Robin had already pulled out his phone. "There is a direct flight from Geneva back to New York on the 24th, three days from now. Since we're moving west through a couple of time zones, we'd arrive on the same evening. Should I book us three tickets?"

Mary felt something bright bubbling up inside her, light and alluring like the music in her ears.

"Show me how to do that, please. Booking flights."

He looked up at her, surprised.

"I'm coming back here soon." With each word, she felt more certain. "I'll take some time off in January. Two or three weeks, I think."

Robin wrinkled his brow. "Why, what are you planning to do?"

"I don't know yet!" A grin split her face. "I just want to travel, see more of the EU. There are so many options! Who knows, maybe I'll learn skiing in Switzerland? Or hire a car, and try driving on the wrong side of the road? Or take a train down to the French Rivera, and dip my toes into the Mediterranean Sea… Hah, I could even go to Germany now!"

Her young big brother shot her a concerned look. "All by yourself?"

"I'll make sure to wear that alivio-earphone you gave me. And I've got my passport and a credit card and a mobile phone, I know how to book hotels and buy train tickets and read digital maps… You've taught me so much over the past year." She smiled at Robin with her heart in her throat. "Yes, I think I can actually do this on my own. I'll just have to try, right?"

- - - December 24th - - -

They had hung their stockings right below the Watchtower's main console. Everyone was watching the red glowing digits on the virtual clock approach midnight.

J'onn tried to remember how that little Christmas Eve tradition had started. Was it the year after Clark had first invited him to Smallville for the holidays, back when the League still numbered only seven members? J'onn had not wished to impose his presence on the Kent's two years in a row, so Diana had proposed a small get-together early on the 24th of December, before everyone with a family went home.

A year after that, they had spent nearly all of Christmas Eve locked in some violent battle. Had it been the walking plastic creatures, or the army of snow monster, or those obnoxious flying deer? He could not quite recall. In any case, they had all stumbled back into their headquarter just a few minutes before midnight, bloody and worn out, and the Flash had whipped up a jug of hot chocolate and decided that midnight would be just the right time for a bit of Christmas spirit… And thus a convention had been born.

At J'onn's side, Aquaman raised his third glass of eggnog for a toast, just as the clock struck zero. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

"Merry Christmas", they chorused. Whooping excitedly, the scarlet speedster rushed towards his stockings, almost loosing his red-and-white Santa hat. The Hawks embraced each other tenderly – someone had managed to talk them into taping two tinfoil halos onto the crowns of their beaked masks, yet the angelic look was somewhat marred by the vicious battle maces they carried.

Activating their power rings, Hal and John summoned a galaxy of green-glowing stars, letting them dance slowly around the lustrous fir tree that their friend and colleague Kilowog had provided from his home in the Alaskan forest. Somewhere behind the tree, Dinah and Ollie shared a passionate kiss. Diana and Bruce were toasting each other with half-empty glasses. Clark, wearing a home-knitted blue sweater over his costume, pulled J'onn into a hug.

J'onn's own woollen sweater was yellow.

This year, Megan and Conner would spend Christmas Day at the Kent's farm, together with Clark, his parents, and his fiancée Lois Lane. Surely Martha and Jonathan Kent would receive the two teens with open arms, just like they had welcomed J'onn so many years ago. His niece had been overjoyed at the prospect of sharing this special moment with Conner, and of celebrating a typical 'human' holiday on Earth. He was happy for her, truly.

Maybe next year, they'd all spend the holiday together.

At least none of the teens would be alone at Mount Justice tomorrow. Megan had told him that Artemis would pass the holidays at Central City with Kid Flash. The blond archer had first been reluctant to celebrate Christmas Day without her mother, until the West's had simply extended the invitation for their infamous Christmas feast to the retired Huntress as well. Regarding the two red-haired archers, both former Speedies had, after much deliberation, agreed to join Green Arrow and Black Canary in Star City tomorrow. Aqualad had already returned to his family in Atlantis yesterday, Tanna had come home to New York a few hours ago, and Robin and Mary had returned to Gotham via Zeta Tube from there, where they would spend the holidays with Bruce – and with Diana, if J'onn was reading the signs correctly.

Smiling softly, he went to retrieve his own Christmas stocking.

"Look at all those sweets!", Captain Marvel nudged him excitedly.

The sock-shaped gift bags were indeed well-filled this year. They did not usually exchange presents at the League, it used to be just a chocolate Santa and some candied fruit. Yet Megan and their friends had spent the previous weeks preparing implausible amounts of Christmas cookies, and insisted on sharing them widely. To J'onn's great relief, his niece's baking skills had improved significantly under Mary's guidance, barely any of the teams' creations were burnt.

On Megan's behalf, J'onn himself had brought the carefully labelled cookie bags to the Watchtower this morning. They were decorated artfully, bearing the League member's logos in colourful icing.

J'onn had not really expected to find anything else besides cookies in his own gift-bag. Yet to his surprise, his probing fingers closed around a little rectangular box.

Beneath the green wrapping paper, he discovered a small assortment of chocolate macarons, cream-filled clouds of baked sugar in five heavenly shades of cacao.

Merry Christmas from Paris!, Mary had written onto the box.

He glanced around. Dinah was holding a similar package, her macarons were berry-coloured.

Next to J'onn, Batman pulled a small square box out of his stocking. His wrapping paper was bright yellow, yet it contained what must been the blackest chocolate available in all of Switzerland.

Merry Christmas from Geneva!

J'onn vaguely registered the sound of heavy foot steps behind him, heralding Red Tornado's approach.

He froze. His Martian eyes flashed bright red as he hastily established a mind link with Diana, who stood just two steps away. She had asked him to tell her about any kind of League-internal emergencies.

'Has anyone remembered to fill Tornado's stockings?'

Of course the teens had made no Christmas cookies for the android, since he could not eat.

Unfortunately, the Amazon's reaction was just as apprehensive as his own. 'Maybe one of the Lanterns?', she proposed feebly.

Last year, Hal had been mindful enough to bestow some type of electronic gadget on their android companion for Christmas. Yet one quick glance at the Lantern's dismayed expression shattered any hope for a repeat performance.

Batman wordlessly placed a reassuring hand on J'onn's arm, then locked eyes with his princess, who calmed down instantly.

In front of the trio, Red Tornado pulled a soft red package out of his fabric sock.

J'onn watched him carefully unwrap a bright blue scarf, the exact colour of his cape.

There was a little card attached to the wool.

Merry Christmas from Bruges to the next John Smith!

She'd really thought of everything.

- - - December 25th - - -

Hidden deep in the her island's tropical forest, Sofia Guía Martinez answered her phone.

"The council has decided to accept your proposition", she said. "Welcome to Santa Prisca."

Author's note:

Seriously, there is just no way Mr Haly would allow the 'Daring Dangers' to perform their act without a safety net. Not after the tragedy that befell his former star artists... I really liked the episode "Performance" in the series, but that one detail really bothered me. (Sorry for taking such a shortcut here.)

I was initially tempted to have Mary stay in Europe for her vacation right away, to really depict how independent she's gotten. Yet in the end, I felt that she'd prefer to spend Christmas with Alfred and her younger older brother Robin.

This is the last chapter featuring all of the League. Please review: Which League member did you most enjoy reading about, throughout this story? What was your favourite scene with them?

By the way, J'onn received that yellow woollen sweatshirt in the absolutely wonderful episode "Comfort and Joy" of the Justice League cartoon series. Watch it, you'll love it!