Author's Note: Okay, this one will finish up the events of "Performance." But there's a little bonus thrown in at the end. I don't want to keep you, so get to it!

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING besides Desmond.

Chapter Twenty Nine

The Final Act

As the train headed for Geneva, the Danger siblings met in one room. While Dan had recently gotten over his flu, Dawn suddenly came down with it.

"I'm sorry M'g—uh, Dawn," Dan said apologetically. "I hope you didn't get it from me." The other Dangers were leaning over Dawn's bed. Dean pressed a hand to her forehead to check her temperature.

"I feel so silly," she said. "Who knew a Martian could get a human virus?"

"Uh… H.G. Wells?" offered Dan. "Look, when did you first feel sick?"

"Just after boarding the train," Dawn recalled. "It came on so suddenly."

"Same with me the other night. I remember Ray rubbed my head right before we went on."

"Ray?" asked Dean, confused about why that was important. "That roustabout? He touched her before we boarded. Guy must be a walking Petri dish." Desmond and Diane nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…" said Dan, seeming to be thinking hard about something. "Yeah maybe…" Then, all of the sudden, he slid open the door and ran into the hallway, sliding the door back shut behind him.

"What was that all about?" Diane asked. Dean and Desmond shrugged. "Well, let's find out." She slid open the door, and her, Desmond, Dean and Dane walked in the hall.

"… he's down with the same flu as the rest of them," said Jack Haly to Dan. They guessed the 'he' of the conversation was Ray.

"We'll check on him," offered Diane. "It's the least we can do."

"If you insist," Haly said with a shrug. The four teens began walking down the hall of the train cart, and were soon joined by Dawn.

"What're you doing out of bed?" asked Dean. "You're not well." She said she felt fine enough for this, and that was the end of it. After that, Dan caught up with them, and they entered Ray's room. It was large, full of boxes and crates. They walked a bit further in, and found an empty bed.

"Someone's feeling better," Desmond muttered. Then Diane knelt down, lifted up the mattress, and pulled something out.

"Uh, guys?" she said. "I found Ray." She held up a prosthetic mask that looked exactly like Ray's face. The team's eyes widened, and they realized they had to stop being the Dangers for a moment, and go back to being Young Justice.

They quickly fanned out, all going to different parts of the train. They didn't want to alert the other performers, so they refrained from making any unnecessary noise that would bring attention to their actions. At some point their earpieces all buzzed.

"Dane, Dean, Diane, Desmond, come in," came Dan's voice. "We're chasing someone who's stolen Dawn's act." They way he said it made everyone understand what he meant. 'Ray' had stolen M'gann's powers. "Her whole shtick, if you catch my drift." Suddenly there was the sound of wood crashing in a room nearest Desmond.

"I got him," came Dean's voice. "But he's on to me. Exiting the dining car now…" There was a short pause. "He's gone topside!" Instantly Desmond leapt into the air, and phased through the roof of the train. The clown from the circus was standing there, facing Superboy.

"That's no clown," said Robin, appearing out of nowhere, like he does. "That's the Parasite. Guy who once stole Superman's powers!"

"As if you kids are who you claim to be," he said, in a low and gravelly voice. "Please!" He thrust his head up, and when he pulled it back down it was no longer the face of a clown. This new face was purple, and covered in wrinkles and pockmarks. Superboy moved towards him.

"Stay out of his reach!" Robin warned. "There's no flu going around: the weakness comes when he makes contact and feeds off the powers and abilities of others." As he was talking, the rest of Young Justice climbed to the top of the car they were on.

"I've snacked on just about every loser in this circus," Parasite said. "But the piece de resistance was Dawn Danger, or whatever her real name is. Thought I'd snack on her trapeze skills. Imagine my surprise when she tasted like Martian Manhunter instead. But she was just the appetizer…" he turned his ugly face at Superboy. "Guess who I want for my entrée?" His eyes glowed green, and Superboy suddenly was pulled in by Parasite's newfound psychic powers. He grasped Superboy by the neck, and made a sound like he was eating something delicious. "Mmm! Now that's the full-bodied Kryptonian flavor I love!"

"Everyone stay whelmed!" commanded Robin. "Subdue, but keep your distance." Artemis and Red Arrow both readied arrows. Suddenly, Parasite's eyes glowed red, and lasers shot out of them, disintegrating both their bows.

"Heat vision?" asked Desmond. "Where'd he get heat vision?"

"You know I almost never say this," said Parasite, dropping Superboy on his stomach. "But I'm sated. Hate to eat and run." He leapt into the air, flying off. A large case flew off behind him, levitating telepathically. Robin jumped after him, but Parasite knocked him back. He flew off the edge of the train, but Desmond quickly sprang to the end and grabbed his arm, pulling him back up top. They all exchanged looks, realizing they needed a plan.

XxXxX

"It's not a complete debacle," said Robin. He, along with the other team members, were now in their usual uniforms. "I picked Parasite's pocket. Got this flash drive." He plugged it into the small computer on his wrist, and some data popped up. "Looks like Parasite's working for Intergang. Everything he's stolen, they're all pieces of something. Their putting together a weapon that generates… black holes?! And the circus' next stop is Geneva, which is where the Large Boson Collider is located. That's the particle accelerator they'd need to build it."

"Now that Parasite can fly he's got a huge head start," said Roy. "Come on, you and I need to hurry. Without powers the others'd hold us back."

"I've still got my powers," Shifter reminded him.

"And you're not the only one with a back up bow," said Artemis. Suddenly there was a large thud, and everyone looked to see Superboy, who had just made a dent in the wall with his fist.

"My powers are back," he growled. When M'gann and Robin began asking how it happened so fast, he said, "I guess Kryptonians recover faster than humans or Martians." M'gann turned to the rest of the group.

"Don't even think about leaving me behind."

XxXxX

The team arrived at the lab that housed the Boson Collider in Geneva. They had come across what Robin had called a "trail of destruction" leading inside the lab, a clear sign Parasite had already been there. When they got inside, they found Parasite typing commands into a glowing blue keyboard, in front of what Desmond assumed to be this Boson Collider. As the machine began lighting up, Robin formulated a plan.

"We need to take him down," he whispered. "Or at least lure him away so we can safely disengage the—" But before he could finish, Superboy screamed and ran at Parasite, fists in the air. "No wait!" Robin called after him. But it was too late. Superboy lunged at Parasite, but the villain telepathically flung him into a wall, then to the ground. He pulled him in close, grabbing him around the neck, and absorbed even more Kryptonian power. Superboy had reasoned that Parasite could get abilities he himself didn't have, since he had the genetic potential for it.

Once he was done feeding off of Superboy's powers, he flung im aside and returned his attention to the machinery in front of him. He typed in a few commands, then turned to face his surroundings. "Alright, Dangers, come on out," he said, addressing the rest of the team. "This baby's almost done warming up, and then it eats Geneva!"

What Parasite didn't know, however, was that when he was dealing with Superboy, the others were coming up with a plan. Robin figured that, since Parasite absorbed people's strengths, wouldn't he also get their weaknesses.

"Big risk to take on a theory," said Red Arrow.

"What choice do we have right now?" argued Shifter. Robin looked down, thinking for a moment. Then he looked back up.

"Do it," he said. "Go!" In a moment, Miss Martian had walked out into plain view of Parasite. He pulled her forward, but she ducked under his arm. She fell to the ground and kicked out, knocking Parasite over. Before he could get up, Shifter leapt down from platform, knocking Parasite back down. He quickly stomped on his chest, and jumped off, just in time for Red Arrow to fire an arrow that emitted a thick foam around the villain.

"Foam?" he asked. "You think foam can stop me? Combined Martian and Kryptonian powers here!" He began to slowly work his way out of the foam.

"Yeah," said Robin, who was currently fiddling with the controls of the Boson Collider. "But do any of those powers break you out before I sabotage your death-thingy?"

"This one does," Parasite grumbled, and began shooting lasers out of his eyes. Before he broke out, Shifter ran up and socked him square in the jaw. It didn't do much, but it got his attention. He began firing his heat vision at the hero, who ran towards Artemis. As Parasite fired laser after laser, the archer fired an arrow filled to the brim with flammable gas. It hit, broke open, and the heat vision from Parasite ignited it. The purple villain was surrounded by flames.

Parasite stood up, breathing heavy. "So clever," he said, panting slightly. "Trick me into igniting flammable gas. But you forgot… doofus' double dose of… invulnerability. Fire… can't…touch me…"

"Unless you make a meal of meal of my powers," M'gann informed him, standing at a safe distance from the flames. "And get my weaknesses as a side dish!" Parasite suddenly realized what was going on, and fell to the ground, his strength draining rapidly. "Aww, poor baby," said Miss M mockingly. "Something you ate?"

In the matter of a few minutes, Robin had defused the Boson Collider, and agent Faraday and his team had come in and snapped an inhibitor collar around Parasite's neck. Desmond and Artemis strolled over to Roy, who had been flung on the ground during Parasite's attack. Artemis offered him a hand, and he accepted.

"Wow," she said, somewhat sarcastically. "He deigns to touch the hand of a suspected traitor." Roy looked from Artemis to Desmond, then back to Artemis.

"Mind… opened," he informed them. "I guess I'd never really seen you four in the thick of it before. Superboy's a hothead, but I know I'm not one to talk." Robin and M'gann walked over, the latter supporting a weakened Conner. "You each could have betrayed us here: you didn't. I'm sorry I doubted any of you…" he took a short pause, and a small grin appeared on his face. "There is no mole." Desmond smiled, and put an arm on his shoulder.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Now, maybe, we can patch things up between you and the rest of us, yeah?" Artemis and M'gann nodded in agreement, and Conner made a weak groan. Roy smiled again.

"Sure," he said, sticking out a hand. "Partner."

XxXxX

The day the team was planning on returning to Mount Justice, Dan had come in and told them they were staying one extra night. When questioned why, he had said it was a "favor for an old friend." He didn't elaborate, but Desmond assumed it had something to do with Robin's past with the Flying Graysons. He didn't want to bring anything up, but he made sure to put on one hell of a show, for both Jack Haly and for Dick Grayson.

Once the farewell performance of the Daring Dangers was completed, and the circus goers had all left the circus grounds, the Dangers walked through one more time. Though it had only been a cover for a mission, Desmond felt that everyone of them had grown slightly attached to Haly's Traveling Circus, especially Robin. Though he didn't vocalize it, he secretly hoped they could return to the circus life for a mission in the future.

As they walked about, saying their goodbyes to a few of their fellow performers, Madam Sight came up to them once again.

"Goodbye, children," she said, giving each one of them an individual hug. "I know you're all probably fed up with hearing me ask, but… Would you like me to show you your future?" The team all exchanged looks.

"Sorry, Madam Sight," said Robin. "I don't think we—"

"I'll do it," said Desmond suddenly. The team looked at him, confused, but Madam Sight smiled slightly. "I mean, why not, right? I'll meet up with you guys in the train." The others shrugged, and left Desmond alone with Madam Sight.

"Oh, this will be wonderful," she said. "Follow me, dear." Madam Sight lead Desmond to the tent that she brought her customers to. It was full of intricate trinkets and bobbles, all strung up to give the illusion that Madam Sight was some sort of ancient mystic woman. "And of course, it's free of charge."

"Even though we're not performers anymore after tonight?" asked Desmond.

"Well, that's true…" she said. "Just think of it as a Christmas present from old Madam Sight." It was, currently, Christmas Eve. The team had accepted they wouldn't be back in time to celebrate it with the rest of Young Justice, or their mentors. So Desmond smiled, and sat at the large table in the center of the tent, opposite Madam Sight.

"So how does this work, exactly?" he asked, still somewhat dubious about this whole fortune telling thing. "Do you use a crystal ball or something?" Madam Sight chuckled.

"No, nothing like that, Desmond," she said. "Just give me your hands, and we'll see what we can see." She chuckled again at her own joke. Desmond shrugged, and placed his hands in her old wrinkled ones.

"Can I ask you something, Madam Sight?" Desmond asked. She nodded. "Why were you so insistent on showing us our futures?" She opened one of her eyes.

"Just watch," she said. "What you see will make you understand." And suddenly there was a blinding light, and Desmond could see nothing. And then, before his eyes, a scene began taking place. It was hazy, like an old movie. But he could clearly make out what was happening.

He saw what appeared to be a meeting room of sorts. It was large, and had several chairs that were occupied by various people. Most Desmond didn't recognize, but he could pick out a few; Cheshire and Sportsmaster, Talia al Ghul, and Ra's. Everyone in the room looked older than Desmond knew them as. The Demon's Head was wearing his classic green cloak, covering his suit of black body armor. A door opened in the back, and someone walked in. He also wore a dark green cloak, this one with a hood pulled up over his face.

"The prodigal son returns," noted Sportsmaster gruffly. The hooded figure walked up to Ra's, who put a hand on his shoulder.

"I knew you would see things my way," he said softly. "Someday, my son, I knew you would come around." The figure pulled off his hood, and Desmond saw… himself. He was older, maybe early twenties. His hair, which was normally cropped rather short, now hung down past his chin, and he was growing a thin beard. But it was definitely him.

"The Prince of Shadows," said Cheshire, from her spot next to Sportsmaster. "Joining us at last." Talia walked up to older Desmond.

"I'm so glad you saw the light, Desmond," she said to him. This older Desmond said nothing, staring at Ra's with a cold look on his face.

The scene suddenly shifted. Desmond could see the inside of a large cave. There were holographic images of several people projected to larger-than-life scale. One looked was wearing Robin's outfit, but looked slightly different. The only one he recognized was Ted Kord, the hero Blue Beetle. Someone walked in. It was a young man, in a black outfit with an image of a dark blue bird on his chest. Desmond didn't know who he was, but something about him was oddly familiar. Footsteps sounded, and another person walked in. This time it was someone Desmond recognized; Kaldur. He looked older as well, slightly taller, and a more mature face.

"Hi Kaldur," said the other boy. His voice sounded familiar too, but Desmond couldn't place it. "Did you bring Des?" Kaldur shook his head. Then, from out of Desmond's view, someone cleared their throat.

"I came alone," said a voice. It was the older version of Desmond. He walked into Desmond's line of sight. He was wearing black body armor, similar to Ra's', but he did not sport the cloak right now. He looked to Kaldur, then to the other man. "Are we sure about this?"

"Even if we were not, it is too late," said Kaldur. "You have already joined Ra's forces, and I will be gaining my father's trust soon."

"But… isn't there another way?" older Desmond asked again. "I mean, I could betray Ra's right now, and we can call the whole thing off." The boy with the bird on his chest shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Des," he said, resting a hand on older Desmond's shoulder. "We've thought of every scenario. This is the only way." Desmond sighed, and looked at the ground., and Kaldur shifted uncomfortably. "Everything will work out." The boy reassured Desmond.

"How can you be sure?" he asked.

"I'm not."

The scene changed again. Older Desmond, once again wearing his green cloak, was walking down a dim hallway with Kaldur. His Atlantian friend was wearing some sort of black and red armor, instead of his usual suit. They walked up to a large metal door, but stopped suddenly before entering.

"This is it," older Desmond said. "Are we sure, I mean really sure this is the right thing to do?" Kaldur looked to the door, then back at older Desmond.

"Sometimes, the right thing is not always the necessary thing," he informed his friend. "This is one of those times." Older Desmond nodded, and the two entered the room. Inside stood an African American man, wearing armor similar to Kaldur's. There were also several monitors, all showing a blank blue screen. Kaldur and old Desmond walked to the man, and bowed their heads.

"Greetings, my son," said the man, putting a hand on Kaldur's shoulder. "And hello to you as well, young al Ghul." Desmond nodded to the man. Suddenly, the screens all flashed, and several people's faces appeared. Desmond could see Queen Bee, Klarion the Witch Boy, and Ra's al Ghul. One of them said something, but Desmond couldn't hear what it was. Then Ra's nodded.

"I agree," he said. "We appreciate hard work and dedication. And… family ties." He shifted his gaze to older Desmond, who nodded. "I have never been happier or more proud than I am today." He stopped looking at just Desmond, and looked at Kaldur as well. "My son, Desmond al Ghul, and Kaldur'ahm. Welcome to the Light."

Desmond suddenly inhaled sharply, as if coming up from underwater. Madam Sight nodded solemnly. Desmond looked around, confused and worried about what was going on.

"What was that?" he demanded of the old lady. "What kind of trick is this?" She shook her head.

"No trick, Desmond al Ghul," she said, using his true name. "Now you understand why I wanted to show you your future so badly."

"Who… who are you?" she smiled.

"I'm a friend," she said. "A friend to you, and to our late friend Kent Nelson." Desmond was slightly surprised when she mentioned the old Doctor Fate. He had never met Kent Nelson himself, but apparently the deceased magician had known of Desmond. "Worry not, boy. Nothing I have shown you tonight it set in stone. You have the power to change it. And you have more than enough time."

Desmond sat in silence, shocked at what he had seen. Was he to join Ra's after all? Everything he'd ever tried to resist, for nothing? "I… I don't know what to say right now…"

"Say you will make the right decisions," advised Madam Sight. "Now, your friends are probably worried. Go to them, but say nothing of this meeting." Desmond, not knowing what else to do, nodded and stood to leave. As he exited the tent, Madam Sight said, "I have faith that, when the time comes, you will be able to make the right choices." Desmond sighed heavily, and walked out of the tent, this new knowledge as yet another burden for him to bear.

So… maybe I should explain. First off, Madam Sight is NOT a real character. I made her up, so no, she has nothing to do with Kent Nelson in the actual show/comics/whatever. Secondly… well, here's some back story. When I started writing this, I told myself not to watch season 2 until I got to that part of my writing, so as not to spoil anything for myself. But recently I gave in to the temptation, and couldn't resist putting a little bit of season two into this story. So you can probably guess where Desmond's story will be going, but like Madam Sight said, it's not set in stone. Anyway, please review and favorite, and keep reading if you've enjoyed so far. Later!