The Thing Inside Me

Chapter 13

There was a banging at the door, "We need to talk." A voice said from the other side of the door. I groaned in pain as I rolled out of bed, Megan opened the door and we walked a few doors down to the meeting. Megan opened the door and walked in, Dick slipped out behind her closing the door. "What's going on?" I asked confusedly, "They don't know that your here." He responded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You didn't tell them?" I questioned. He shook his head. "I'll just go back to my room then." I said turning around, "Wait!" He called out, "You're still part of this team, Arrow is just going to be really suspicious about your return." He warned. I nodded and he opened the door. Everyone except Megan looked shocked. Redarrow's shocked expression shifted into a subtle glare. Artemis wrapped her arms around be suddenly, "I thought I would never see you again!" I smiled, "I didn't know you were capable of hugging." She let go of me at the comment, and glared at me. I just smiled, which made her smile. "So you returned from the dead?" Redarrow asked me gruffly . "Who said I was dead?" I asked, "We did. Sort of, when the building collapsed we thought you were still inside." Artemis said quietly as she looked at the floor. "Actually I woke up a few miles away from the building, in a forest actually. I don't remember leaving the building, or how I got there." I said coming to a realization that I didn't know what had happened.

Magen sat down suddenly, "M- Dawn! Are you alright?" Dick asked, "I think I got that flew that's going around." She said "When did you start to feel sick?" Dick questioned, "Just after boarding the train earlier this evening. It came on suddenly. " She said weakly. "Same with me, I remember Ray rubbed my head for good luck." Dick said. "Ray, that roustabout? He touched Megan before we boarded. Guy must be a walking Petrie dish." Connor said roughly. "Yeah, yeah, maybe." Dick said leaving the room suddenly, and ran down the hall. "Dan, you look refreshed." Mr. Haly said, "Thanks. Uh, Jack, how long has Ray worked for you?" He questioned Mr. Haly. "I picked him up at the start of the European tour. Pour fellow got the same flew as the others." Haly responded. "We'll check on him for you." Artemis said, turning down the hall. "If you insist." Haly said as he continued pushing a large crate. Megan walked out with me close behind her, "You two should stay in bed." Dick said. "As a friend of mine once said, I'll manage." She responded. And she headed down the hall with the others. I started to follow her, "Darla please stay here. I don't want you to rip your stitches." He said placing his hand on my shoulder. "Fine." I nodded. And he took off down the hall.

I sat down and closed my eyes, placing my hand on the wall beside me. Letting my mind flow, I opened my eyes and I could see what my teammates were seeing. They were in a dark boxcar with boxes everywhere, they came along a bed and Ray wasn't there. They continued to search and found an empty elephant food box, with a light layer of ash on it. The team quickly split up, to searched different cars. Dick was running down the hall when he heard a muffled cry for help. He kicked down the door to find Mr. Haly tied up and gaged. "Who did this to you?" He asked while taking off the gage. "Ray." He said and Robin charged down the hall. "Dawn, come in." Robin said into the mic. "Dan?" Answered Megan. "I tried to reach you the other way." He said, "I think the flew knocked out my other way." Megan said weekly. "Dane, Dean, Diane, com in. We're chasing someone who stole Dawn's act. Her whole shtick, if you catch my drift." Robin said into the mic. Superboy came to the dining cart, and a clown entered with a large crate. The clown raised his hands and the tables and chairs flew at Superboy. "I found him, exiting the dinning car now. He's gone topside!" Superboy called into the mic, then climbed into the roof.

The clown used his telekinetic powers to throw Superboy off the train. Superboy suddenly started to fly and landed back on the train, a ability I did not know he had. "That won't work on me clown." Connor said ruffly. "That's not clown." Robin said swinging himself up onto the roof. "He's the Parasite, the guy who once stole Superman's powers." Robin continued. "And if you kids are as you claim to be. Please." The Parasite said as he transformed into a dark slightly bug like creature. "Stay out of his reach. There's no flu going around. The weakness comes when he makes physical contact and feeds off of the powers and abilities of others." Robin said. " I have been rather glutton today. Chowed down on the skills of nearly every loser in this troupe." It said in a raspy voice. "But oh my, the piece de resistance was Daw Danger. Or whatever her real name is. I thought I would munch on her trapeze skills, imagine my surprise when she tasted like Martian Manhunter instead." He said as Megan climbed onto the train. " she made a lovely appetizer, but guess who I want is my entrée." He spat as he raised his hand, forcing Superboy to his claws.

Superboy wormed in his grasp. "Mmm, now that's the full body Kryptonian flavour I love!" The Parasite smiled. "Everyone stay well. Subdue, but keep your distance." Robin yelled over the wind. The Parasite's eyes started to glow a bright red, lasers burst out of his eyes burning Redarrow and Artemis's bows to ash. "You know I almost never say this, but I'm sated." It spat before dropping Superboy. "I hate to eat and run." It spat before taking off into the air, and using his telekinesis to take his precious cargo with him. Robin leaped on top of the box, and onto the Parasite. "Sorry, no hitchhikers." It said before throwing Robin. I watched as Robin fell towards the ground, no! I clenched my fists and suddenly Robin hand was in mine, I just barely caught him before he hit the ground. He looked up at me in surprise, I placed him down on the ground. And we watched the train speed away, with our teammates.

"Thanks, but I told you to stay behind." He said rubbing the back of his head, and looking off into the distance. "You could have died from that height." I said confused as to why he was upset. He turned to face me, "You could have been hurt!" He said looking into my eyes, then he sighed "We need to catch the train." He said turning back to the direction of the train. "I can't teleport in this state." I said wrapping my arms around myself. "But I have an idea, if your up for it." I said quietly. He turned to face me, "What do you have in mind?" I smiled. I closed my eyes, I felt my body change.