If you don't read my profile, I had an unexpected hiatus due to extremely personal matters. I am back, and I am most likely here to stay. I will not expand upon those personal matters, but rather move past them. This chapters was originally going to be all of the Performance episode, but I had already written over 3,000 words and haven't updated for like five months so I wanted to give you all this.
Also, I am planning on doing a small one-shot of Agendas, but of the League's discussion of new members to be invited in, and how that has changed due to Dick's unique situation. That is, of course, only if people show interest, and would most likely be posted after this story is (finally) completed.
In addition - it's been over a year since this story was first published! Thank you all for sticking around for so long. This story has grown much more than I ever planned it to (I've mentioned it before, but I'm saying it again - this story was meant to be ten chapters, each about 1,000 to 2,000 words).
Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice.
I hope you enjoy!
[Reuploaded 5/25/17 due to the mass amount of spelling errors. Sorry for the inconvenience. Next chapter is in the works, but I'm not off official hiatus due to the uncertain position life has placed me in.]
His eyebrows creased as he read through the reports that made him grow increasingly more worried. The harsh, bright light of the batcomputer stared back at him, and he was vaguely aware of the squeaking of bats behind him.
Having finished up his homework, he had decided to see if there was any work for him to do in the Batcave, as Bruce was still at work. He had stumbled upon news reports of a robbery that police were thinking about connecting to Haly International Traveling Circus, and instantly began investigating.
He had to admit that the evidence that had been found so far was pretty damning, and if he hadn't been raised in that exact circus he probably would have thought that Haly was guilty.
He leaned back in his chair, staring at the news reports in front of him, but not actually reading them.
I could ask Bruce if we could investigate it...no, he's too busy with Gotham. Riddler's still out there, and by the time we catch him this will have ended.
Maybe the Team?
No, he won't clear me for that. Neither will Dinah, as Bruce has probably already told her about… He sighed, remembering his breakdown that had occurred weeks prior. He hadn't talked about it with Bruce directly since that night, but he noticed that his mentor had grown increasingly more protective, and finding excuses to take him out of Team training more and more. He wasn't complaining per se - being around the Team did hurt, even though it had been months since the simulation.
But still...a part of him knew that it would always hurt. A part of him would never get over it. The pain would stay forever. Maybe he was being too dramatic, and he should just face the problem head on?
He tapped on the table in front of him indecisively, before moving away from the Batcomputer and standing up from the chair. He would worry about his own mental state after Haly's circus was safe. He moved swiftly, trying to not think about what he was about to do so much that he would change his mind, and changed into his Robin costume quickly. Bruce wouldn't get back from work for four more hours at the very least due to meetings, but Alfred would realize he was gone before then.
He leaned back over the keyboard, not bothering to sit down again, and typed out a brief message for either Bruce or Alfred. He gave them a vague idea of where he what was happening - mission in Europe with the Team, be back in a day or two, that he would be careful, etc.
By the time Bruce got wind of it, and figured out the details of what he was up to, it would be too late. Bruce probably wouldn't have the will to stop him, as the man knew how much that circus meant to him. It would probably be no use anyway, due to the amount of time it would take to fly to Europe to collect him, and that whole time Gotham would be unprotected. And with Riddler on the loose, that could be nearly disastrous.
He finally made his way to the zeta tube and, taking a deep breath, typed out his location.
"Recognized: Robin, B01."
No one was in the hangar, but he knew that M'gann and Conner were in the lounge or the kitchen (as those were their typical locations at this time of day), and either Artemis or Wally would probably be with them. He hoped it was the former, as the latter knew of his ties to Haly's circus. He knew Aqualad and Zatanna wouldn't be there - Aqualad had already informed them that he would be on a mission with Aquaman, and Zatanna was working with Dinah on some legal issues that had appeared from the apparent disappearance of Zatara (since the public didn't exactly know the entire Zatara/Dr. Fate situation).
Sure enough, Artemis, M'gann, and Conner were all in the Lounge.
Perfect.
...not so perfect.
Roy was also in the Cave. He hadn't accounted for the red-clad archer's presence. Thankfully, he was doing target-practice in the room that they had taken to calling the gym, simply because none of them could think of a better name for it after Wally suggested that. Artemis told him that he had been there for a few hours.
It was easy enough to tell them that Batman wanted to go on this mission, but he was busy and it would be easier if he told the Team, rather than bother one of the people in the League.
"Advanced weapon tech has been stolen at manufacturing plants around Europe." He explained, showing them what he had found at the Batcomputer on the Cave's holographic computer. "And each theft coincides with tour stops made by the Haly Circus. Batman's sending us undercover to catch the thieves."
He had heard Roy entering the room before he saw him, and he mentally cursed.
"This clown car have room for one more?" Roy asked, coming up beside him. He quickly looked the archer over. He...didn't know what to think of Roy anymore. In the simulation they had been basically brothers. But here, in the real world? He wasn't sure if he could even trust Roy. He seemed..off. He wasn't sure if his memory was just messed up from the simulation, but this Roy just felt too aggressive to be the Roy he knew. Too paranoid and eager to accuse others.
"Thanks, but we've got this covered." He observed Roy's body language and he realized that Roy didn't trust him either. He had already expressed how much he didn't trust M'gann, Conner, and (above all) Artemis. He saw this group as a group full of potential traitors, and he wanted to come along to ensure that this wasn't some sort of cover-up.
That meant that Roy would insist to come no matter what he said, and by arguing with him further he would just raise more suspicion on not only himself, but the others as well. It wouldn't be fair to do that to them, just based off of the suspicions of someone who was currently fighting to differentiate what was real and what wasn't.
So when Roy offered once more, he hesitantly accepted. After being prepped further, as well as packing for the mission, they all headed out on the bioship.
It was silent, not to mention tense. Roy's clear lack of trust in any of them combined with the others suspicions that he was keeping something from them (which he was, but this was not the time nor place to talk about the simulation) was a deadly combo.
It was eventually broken by M'gann, who started an easy conversation. He was thankful to the martian for doing that, even if he barely participated in it (which was more than Roy, who didn't participate at all).
Maybe the mission wouldn't be a complete disaster.
The mission was going to be a complete disaster.
First, he had begun to feel really sick before their performance. He rarely got sick, and it never came on this sudden. One second he was fine, then it was like a switch had been flipped and he felt really dizzy, slightly nauseous, and had a pretty fever. Not to mention his head was pounding.
Then, of course, came his slip up during the performance.
He found himself falling through the air, and instead of fear gripping his heart like he expected, he felt lighter than he had in a long time.
He felt free.
Conner and M'gann had saved him, discreetly using their powers. They all managed to play it off like it was just part of the performance, but afterwards he found himself conflicted.
The truth was, a part of him wanted him to crash into the ground. To die. It wasn't that he was depressed or anything, it was just that a part of them was still hoping that he was wrong, and if he died here he would wake up once again. Barbara would still be his wife. Jason would be there. Tim would be there. Stephanie would be there. Damian would be there.
The Roy he knew would be there.
He knew it was a foolish belief - he could now tell the difference between reality and what was not enough to know that that was completely and utterly foolish.
He felt Roy gently nudge him and turned. Roy gestured at Haly, who was talking to two men with face paint.
"Was your slot." He was telling them. "Until you missed that performance in Paris." He knew of Haly's strict rules concerning those who didn't live at the circus, merely worked there.
"Carlos was sick! He's better now." Carlos nodded at his (presumably) brother's words.
"Plus those Dangers are a sham," Carlos said, "They say they're brothers and sisters - they don't even look alike!" It was true. M'gann and Roy had red hair and green eyes, while he and Conner both had black hair and blue eyes. And then there was Artemis, with her long blonde hair. Plus their other physical features, they did not look like they could all be related.
Knowing that, he still proposed the idea to them knowing that Haly wouldn't call them out. As long as they were polite and pulled a great performance, they could claim to be family and he wouldn't mind it.
"Ah, you just don't like the competition." Haly dismissed them, pushing past them and towards a white-haired man with a blue suit. "Oh, for crying out loud. Not you again." Haly grumbled. "We're in the middle of a show."
"Then we'll talk after - but we will talk." The man informed him. "Another city last week, another tech firm robbed, another stop on your tour. If I prove you're responsible then I am shutting you down."
Looks like we aren't the only ones who made the connection. He thought to himself.
Haly stood his ground, "I've got three minutes to gather props and get back to the center ring." He informed the other man coolly, before walking past him.
The man turned to look at them, as they had all been watching the confrontation.
"Faraday. Interpol." The man introduced himself, flashing his badge. "New act?"
"Yeah. Just joined the tour." He replied.
"Probably clears you. But don't get to comfortable. Haly's going down for this." Faraday turned and walked away, and he found himself glaring at the man's back. No matter what happened, the circus would always be an important part of his life. It was his childhood, before Tony Zucco had mercilessly taken that from him one night.
Haly is innocent.
I just have to prove it.
[If Interpol is already on this, then why are we bothering?] Superboy growled, about an hour into the stakeout. He had been feeling the clone's annoyance steadily rise through the mental link.
[Because Batman said so.] He said simply, definitively. They could not argue with it if they thought the Dark Knight had given them the task himself (which he hadn't, but they were still unaware of that).
[How do we know the thieves will hit here?] Artemis inquired, and he could just make out her dark green figure from far away, with Red Arrow right in front of her, crouching. To the average eye, it would have been difficult to see them unless searching for them, with their dark colored outfits, still figures, and the dark night.
[There are more obvious targets.] Red Arrow added, and he could just detect the small jab at his intelligence. He would have bristled, had he been the person he once was.
Instead, he felt it as a blow to his sanity, reminding him that their friendship was not the same as it had been in the simulation. There was none of the trust there once had been.
[And Interpol will cover them,] He pointed out, [but I've analyzed the tech already stolen, and the pattern suggests that this is the place.] He felt slightly dizzy all of a sudden, and gritted his teeth in an attempt to ground himself better. He raised an arm to wipe away the sweat on his forehead due to an uncomfortable fever.
[How are you feeling?] Miss Martian asked him, seeing the action (as she was behind him) and growing concerned for his health.
[Bad but...I'll manage.] He replied, the most honest answer he had given to that question since the simulation.
[Contact - northeast quadrant.] Superboy broke in, and he found his eyes scanning that particular area, moving slightly so he just saw a dark figure jumping off of a light pole so they could flip over the fence with ease. [Well it looks like we know why Carlo missed a performance.]
[It might be the brother, and they could be switching off.] Artemis pointed out as he jumped off of the rooftop, grabbed a nearby lamp post, and slid down easily. Miss Martian flew down next to him.
[Move in.] He told them all, wincing mentally at the command.
Just like you commanded them to go on a suicide mission?
He pushed the thoughts away - the last thing he needed was his sickness and his mental instability to mix.
They all moved quietly, following him so that they were pressed against the wall of one building, casting glances around the corner in an attempt to spot the figure.
[Did anyone see where he went?] Miss Martian inquired, not being able to spot their target.
Suddenly, Superboy jumped off of the rooftop and hit the ground near them with a booming crash. He internally winced.
So much for covert…the intruder definitely knows we are on to them.
Superboy looked around, before muttering angrily, "The warehouse,"
He saw where the target went?
[Proceed, but stay cautious. We still don't know if this intruder is alone or not.] He warned, mentally cringing at the order. He disliked giving them back in the simulation, and that dislike seemed to be sparking up again. It didn't help that the people he was ordering were the same people he ordered to go on a suicide mission.
Focus. He reminded himself, as he snuck in through a window of the warehouse. The thief was in front of them, taking out some kind of hard drive from a machine he was facing. He couldn't tell the machine or the hard drive's purpose without further information, and he didn't have time to hack into the system with the intruder right there.
"Stop right there," Red Arrow ordered, and the intruder - one he could now clearly identify as male - turned.
"Acrobatics won't get you out of this." Artemis informed him, as both she and Red Arrow pulled back on their bows, prepared to unleash a volley of arrows on him.
Surprisingly, the intruder was silent and quickly pulled out a long stick of what he could easily identify as a torch used for fire breathing. The man quickly pulled up the bottom of his mask before blowing on it in their direction.
"Move!" He yelled forcefully, realizing what was going to happen the second the man had pulled up his mask. They all managed to duck to the side to avoid the fire.
That doesn't make sense...he would have to have been holding the fuel in his mouth for way too long...unless he had been prepared for us? He might have poured it into his mouth when he heard Superboy…
"The crates are full of live ammo!" He heard Red Arrow call. He locked eyes with the archer, and spotted the fear in the other boy's eyes. Red Arrow yelled something. He could not hear it over the loud crackle of the fire near him, but was experienced enough in the art of lip reading to understand what he was trying to stay.
Move!
That's when the warehouse exploded.
He blacked out, but it was only for a brief time.
The first thing he was aware of was the pain. Everything burned - every muscle, nerve, every bit and piece of him felt like it was on fire. He felt like he would simply die from the pain any second.
It was too similar to the mothership. Eerily similar.
"Batgirl's here." Roy told him softly, standing in the doorway to his hospital room. His voice drowned out the steady beating of the heart monitor that seemed to be trying to slowly drive him insane.
"Send her in." He said instantly. He needed to see her. To make sure it was Barbara. He had to see someone who survived. Just one other person he knew.
"Okay," Roy said, before moving to the side to show someone who was unmistakably Barbara Gordon, but in full Bat regalia. He was impressed - it was a high quality to come from a civilian. Had she stolen some of her father's body armor?
Barbara's eyes widened with recognition, "Dick? You're...you're alive!" Realization struck her, and what she had momentarily forgotten came back to her, "You're Robin?"
"You know what they say - 'You can take the boy out of the circus, but you can't take the circus out of the boy'."
"Robin? Robin, can you hear me?" He was aware of something shouting, and he was suddenly aware of black spots in his vision. "He hit his head badly. He's bleeding!"
Roy?
It was ironic that Roy would be the first person he saw after coming out of this explosion, since he was the first person he saw after the mothership all those simulated years ago.
There was another yell - one that he couldn't properly hear but could tell it was from Superboy. Artemis had a quick retort, before Superboy quietly agreed.
What are they saying?
His head was ringing too much. Pushing through the pain, he forced his eyes to focus and stay completely open. He saw Red Arrow, who gave him a quick look of relief.
"Artemis, help me with him!" He yelled, and, for the first time, the green-clad archer obeyed without a word of protest. He could just see Superboy, who was quickly carrying Miss Martian away from the fire.
The fire is killing her.
Just like these memories are killing me.