Author's note: Hi all! This one is focused almost entirely on Desmond. I felt he should make some progress with his abilities. Just a heads up, the next few chapters will be heavily based on actual episodes, so be ready for that. Alright, enjoy!

Disclaimer: None of these beautifully created Characters or settings are mine.

Chapter Fourteen
Developments

The rest of the week was rather uneventful. When Friday rolled around, Happy Harbor High had a football game against a school from Providence. Desmond and Conner agreed to go, not because they cared about the game, but because Megan had begged them to. It was her first night of cheering in front of a crowd, and she wanted their moral support. So Des and Conner went to the game. Climbing the bleachers to their seats, they heard someone calling their names.

"Do you hear that?" asked Desmond. Conner held up a finger, and closed his eyes. Desmond guessed he was trying out his super-hearing, which often needed a lot of concentration. Soon his eyes opened, and he pointed to a spot high in the bleachers. Desmond followed his finger, and his eyes settled upon Marvin and Wendy. Since that incident the first day, the three heroes had become rather close with these two. Even Mal Duncan, the boy who Conner had faced off with (and tonight's star quarterback) had grown warmer. Conner and Des walked to join Marvin and Wendy.

"Hey you guys," said Marvin. "Just in time, the cheerleaders are about to go on." It was half time, and the cheerleaders walked out. Conner watched intently, not because he cared about intricate moves, but because he wanted to make sure Megan was safe. Dude had a serious hero complex—even for a hero! Desmond, who cared more about the cheerleaders than the cheerleading watched closely as well. The Bumblebees came out, and the crowd cheered like lunatics.

"Football's really big here?" Desmond asked Wendy, above the roar of the crowd. She nodded, smiling.

"We're going for conference champs," she explained. "People seem to think Mal can take us all the way!" Desmond shrugged.

"How's the big guy doing so far?" he asked, and Wendy filled Desmond in on the things he and Conner had missed. The cheerleaders were dazzling, the game was intense, and in the end, Happy Harbor came out on top by just one touchdown. Once the game was over, Conner and Desmond went and stood outside the locker room the girls were changing in, waiting for Megan. Needless to say, they got quite a few looks from girls who just thought they were being peeping toms. When Megan eventually did come out, she threw a huge hug around both Conner and Desmond.

"Did you see, did you see?" she asked excitedly, jumping around like a little kid on a sugar rush. "Was I great? Oh, did I mess up? Tell me I didn't mess up!" Conner put reassuring hands on her shoulders.

"You were great, M'gann," he assured her. "I mean it." The gazed into each other's eyes, and Desmond suddenly realized how third wheel-ish he was being. Instead of saying something awkward (ie. "How about you two get a room?") he just did what he does best. He phased through the ground, watching silently as M'gann and Conner kissed. He wasn't being creepy, he was being nice, and giving them their space… kind of. His mind wandered to Artemis, and he quickly shook those thoughts away. Yeah, she was nice, and funny, and can kick a villain's ass six ways from Sunday, but still… He let the thoughts go, as he was too tired to really act on them.

"You can come out now, Des," Called Megan. Desmond released a sigh of relief, and floated back up to where the couple was. They began the trek to the Zeta-Tube that would take them to Mount Justice. As they walked, Conner nudged Desmond in the side.

"Thanks," he said. Desmond winked, and gave him a thumbs up. Even a Kryptonian needs a wingman sometimes.

XxXxX

Desmond did not wake up the next morning to the smell of M'gann's excellent pancakes, as he had hoped. No, he was woken by a sharp wrapping of knuckles on his bedroom door. He groaned, and shoved his head under his pillow.

"Come in," he said sourly. He heard the door open, and footsteps walked in. Then the person spoke up.

"Get up, Desmond," came the gruff voice of Batman. "We have work to do." Desmond almost jumped a foot in the air. The Dark Knight woke him up! Then he remembered that he slept in his boxers, and quickly covered up.

"Yeah, sure thing, Batman, sir," he said, covering himself with pillows, his face turning a shade of red akin to a tomato. "Can I just have a minute to, uh, get ready." Batman nodded curtly, and left the room, the door shutting behind him. What was going on? Desmond ran through all the possibilities in his head. What could be so important that Batman would make a trip to Mount Justice, just for him? Although he had many possible ideas, most of them revolved around Ra's al Ghul. Had something happened? Should he not have told the others? Once he was dressed, Desmond walked tentatively into the Mission Room. Then he quickly relaxed, because he was not alone. Batman was there, of course, but he was accompanied by Black Canary, Red Tornado, and Martian Manhunter. Next to them was Miss Martian, who waved to Desmond excitedly. He walked over to the assembled heroes.

"Isn't this great?" she asked the groggy teen. Clearly she had been filled in on what was going on. "We're getting special training! And from my Uncle, J'onn." Desmond instantly perked up. Training from the Martian Manhunter? This was going to be great. But what would they be learning? What could the Martian really offer Desmond? The adults nodded, and began walking. Desmond raised an eyebrow.

"Come along, children," said J'onn. "The training will commence in the pool." Whoa, the pool? Desmond was going swimming… with M'gann? Oh, Conner wasn't going to be happy about that. But once they arrived at their destination, Desmond quickly realized it wasn't a swimming exercise. There were large blocks of metal, larger than a full grown man, along the side of the pool. The majority of the water had been drained, and there were brighter lights now.

"What exactly are we doing, Mr. Manhunter?" asked Desmond. J'onn smiled slightly.

"Please, Desmond, call me J'onn," he said, in his Martian accent. "Now, as for what you and M'gann will be doing today. I Batman and I have made some… calculations. We speculate your and M'gann's powers are progressing." M'gann interjected.

"Progressing?" she asked. "What do you mean, Uncle J'onn?"

"Naturally, all powers grow," he explained. "They are like muscles: the more you use them, the stronger they become. For you, M'gann, this means that you will begin your training on density-shifting." She smiled broadly.

"And me?" asked Desmond curiously.

"Well," said Martian Manhunter. "Your case is a bit more interesting. I trust you remember your first day, yes? You showed me your limited grasp of flight. Well, a limited grasp is still a grasp. I believe you will be able to control your hovering, and turn it into full blown flight soon enough." Desmond couldn't believe what he was hearing. Then J'onn dropped a bit more info on him. "There is… something else as well. But we will get to that later. For now, stand on the diving board." He motioned to one of the diving boards, and Desmond nodded. As he walked to the board, Red Tornado stood next to him. He glanced, and saw Martian Manhunter guiding his niece over to the large metal blocks. Desmond focused on his own training, and got on top of the diving board. Batman walked over, and Red Tornado stepped aside to let the Dark Knight speak.

"Now, we'll see if we can get you to fly," he said. "Lower your density, like you did the first day. Jump off the board, and hover there."

"I can't hold it for very long," Desmond explained. "When my density gets that low, I get really light headed, and start to have trouble breathing." Batman nodded, already having a response to this issue.

"When you get to that point," he said. "Raise your density. But very slightly. You will start sinking a bit, but don't lose focus. As soon as you become stable again, lower your density, and try to regain the position you were at originally. Understand?" Desmond nodded, and mounted the diving board. "Red Tornado will supply a small burst of wind, if you need one to remain in the air." Red Tornado nodded to confirm this. Desmond gave the android a thumbs up, and began lowering his density. He brought it to the point where he could go no lower (at least not without dissipating into thin air) and jumped off the board. He made it about a foot away when he began floating in place. He immediately felt a difference from the last time he attempted this; normally he would be light headed in ten seconds, dizzy in twenty. He was going on forty, and felt fine.

"Try moving around," said Black Canary, watching from a distance. Desmond nodded, and willed his body to move to the left. It did so, to his amazement. Then he moved to the right, and finally, upwards. This was officially flight! Just as Desmond began feeling elated, his vision began to blur. Batman seemed to notice this.

"Raise your density slightly," he called out. Desmond mustered a nod, and slowly raised his density. He began sinking to the pool below, very slowly, but also was able to catch his breath. Once he regained his composure, he gestured upwards, signaling for Red Tornado to give him a boost. The android complied, and Desmond regained his position in the air. He felt better than the first time, and was able to hold on for almost double the time. After several times floating around for a bit, taking a five second break, and getting back to it, Desmond could remain at his lowest density for nearly five minutes. He had all but forgotten floating in place, and had now taken to flying around the large room. He soared across the pool, doing midair flips. He moved over to M'gann, training with her uncle. She noticed her teammate hovering nearby.

"Desmond, you got it!" she exclaimed, reaching up to give him a high five. "You're flying! That's fantastic!" J'onn phased out of the block of metal next to M'gann, and nodded his approval. Batman, Black Canary, and Red Tornado walked over.

"Yes, it is," Batman said. "And with enough practice, you should be able to remain airborne for at least an hour, maybe more. If you devote yourself to practice, it will be easier than you think." Desmond touched down, and landed next to the Bat. He smiled and nodded.

"I will, Batman," he promised. "Absolutely, anytime I can." He turned to M'gann, J'onn, and the block of metal. "So, how's your training going?" Her face fell.

"Not too good," she said. "I can't seem to get it, at least not on my own." Desmond raised an eyebrow, and J'onn explained.

"If M'gann's density shifting were to fail halfway," he began. "She could be seriously injured. I need to hold her hand while she is inside the block of metal, and if I feel her start to slip, I need to lower her density for her."

"Like, density shifting training wheels?" Desmond inquired. Martian Manhunter grinned.

"Yes," he said. "Sort of like that." M'gann was not amused, however.

"I feel happy for you, Des," she said. "I really do. But this is really bothering me. How do you do it? You make it seem so easy." Desmond shrugged.

"Like Batman told me," he said. "You need lots of practice. And I mean lots of practice. If I had a nickel for every time I got a limb stuck in the floor, or smacked into a wall instead of going through it, well… I'd have about seventy five cents." M'gann giggled, and J'onn put a hand on her shoulder.

"That is good advice, Desmond," he said, beginning to pull M'gann back to her training. "But we really must be getting back to it. Into the block, M'gann." Desmond nodded, and turned back to Batman.

"So… are we done now?" he asked. "I mean, I don't want to sound arrogant, but I think I've got it now." Batman shook his head.

"You don't sound arrogant at all," he said. "And you are correct, you do have it now. But since you grasped it so quickly, we have another test for you." Desmond raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"There's more?" he asked, excited. It was like getting Christmas presents, but it was only October! "Well, lay it on me." Batman shook his head again.

"Not in here," he said. "Come, we'll go to the locker room instead. Farewell J'onn, M'gann." With that, Batman, Red Tornado and Black Canary all walked towards the direction of the locker room. After a moment of hesitation, Desmond followed. The entered the locker room, and Red Tornado excused himself, saying that "his services were no longer required" and that he should "attend to other matters." Now it was just Batman, Black Canary, and Desmond.

"Okay," said the latter. "So, what is this super special power we needed to come in here for you to tell me about?" Instead of answering, Black Canary removed her jacket, and walked a few feet from where Des and Batman were standing. Desmond looked at her quizzically, and then to Batman, for answers.

"Black Canary has volunteered to help test our theory," he said, still not saying exactly what the theory was. "Now, lower your density, and walk to where she is standing." Desmond shrugged, and did what he was asked. He strode up, and stood about three inches from Canary. He looked to Batman, confused, but the Dark Knight shook his head. "Exactly where she's standing." He said.

"Uh…" said Desmond, confused. "You mean… shift inside of her?" Batman nodded.

"That's precisely what I mean," he said. Desmond's eyes widened, as he looked at Black Canary. He felt uncomfortable that she was here. Yes, he'd been in the locker room with the female members of the team before, but they were always separated by a wall. Being on the same side felt… wrong, somehow. He took a deep breath, tried not to think about how inappropriate this was, and walked into Black Canary. There was a sudden rush of blood to his head, causing his vision to blur. He rubbed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Black Canary was gone. Then he realized something else was amiss. He felt a bit taller. And… top heavy? Investigating, he looked down at his chest, and saw… boobs. Black Canary's boobs, to be precise. He held up his/her hands, and saw perfectly manicured fingernails. He grabbed his clothes, and saw he was wearing Black Canary's skin tight black top. He brushed a lock of golden hair out of his eyes, which were now the size of baseballs. He spun to look at Batman, who was nodding his approval.

"What is going on?!" he shouted, in a voice that was not his own. "Why am I Black Canary? How did this happen? How can I fix it?" Batman held up two gloved hands, trying to calm the confused hero-in-a-heroine's-body.

"Desmond, relax," he said, keeping a level head. "Our theory just proved correct. It seems that if you lower your density, and put the majority of your body into someone else's, you can 'posses' them, so to speak." Desmond's/Canary's eyes grew wider.

"What do you mean, 'posses'?" he asked, still not calming down. "Like a ghost? Do you mean I have full control of Canary's body?" Batman nodded.

"To an extent," he said. "If the person is unsuspecting when you enter them, you should have no problem gaining control. People who are aware of your presence will most likely fight for control. Black Canary is relinquishing control to you, but could take it back if she wanted. She is aware of everything you are doing right now, and letting you do it." Suddenly, Desmond heard a voice in his head that was not his own.

That's right, Des, thought Black Canary. I'm still in here. So watch the hands, mister. Desmond immediately dropped his hands to his sides.

"You said I'll need to fight for control," Desmond asked Batman. "What happens if I lose that fight?" Batman smirked, and nodded.

"Canary, if you please," he said. Suddenly, Desmond felt an immense pressure in his head, like a migraine. There was a flash of light, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting on his butt, at Canary's feet.

"Oh," he said sheepishly. "That happens." Canary held up a hand to help Desmond up, and pulled him to his feet. Batman walked over, and put both hands on Desmond's shoulders.

"Desmond," he said, a stern expression on his cowl covered face. "This gift, it's very unique, and very powerful. It has a lot of potential for good, but could also be used for evil purposes. You need to make sure that you aren't taken advantage of. By anyone." This last part, Desmond knew, was focused on Ra's, who would abuse Desmond's gifts, and use them for evil. Desmond nodded.

"I understand," he said solemnly. Batman nodded once more.

"Good," he said. "Then we're done here."

Desmond got some upgrades! Also, M'gann will be getting slightly better at density shifting every once in a while, just as a bonus. I hope you enjoyed. Please favorite, review, and most of all CONTINUE READING!