𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐬
𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟐, 𝟐𝟎:𝟎𝟖 𝐜𝐞𝐭
𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐃 below ringing in her ear. Watching Haly step onto the platform below her.
"Damen and Herren! Madame et monsieurs! Ladies and Gentlemen... welcome to the Haly International Traveling Circus! Where the world of the center ring is your oyster. And these are our latest pearls, The Daring Dangers!"
"Dan Danger!" The spotlight shown on Robin as he made the first move, crossing paths with M'gann, "Dawn Danger!" Lily jumped off the platform and grabbed onto her hands, "Demi Danger!"
The spotlight made it's way down to Artemis as she pulled back her arrows, "Diane Danger!" A second light shine on Roy as he copied her action, "Dane Danger!"
Conner stood at the center, holding the large green barrels, "And Dean Danger!" Lily dove through one of the barrels he threw up towards them, grabbing Robin's hands as she hung upside down from the bar.
"You'll never see another trapeze act like this folks! And all performed without a net." She threw him towards M'gann, but he missed. Falling to the ground as the crowd gasped from below.
MM: Robin!
R: Don't blow our cover.
S: But saving your life's okay?
Conner was quick to throw up another barrel, catching Robin and getting him high enough to grab M'gann's hand. When he missed, M'gann quickly used her telekinesis to grab him.
R: What did I just say?
MM: The crowd couldn't see me use telekinesis from below. Besides, I've been using it all night. I'm not exactly the acrobat you two are.
L: Clearly, someone else isn't either since he just almost fell to his death.
R: I know. I think I caught that 24-hour bug that's been going around the circus. But, the show must go on.
❀❀❀
"Advanced weapons tech has been stolen at manufacturing plants throughout Europe and each theft coincides with tour stops made by the Haly Circus. Batman's sending us undercover to catch the thieves." Robin explained, Lily looking at the projection from beside him as Roy came up to them.
"This clown car have room for one more?"
"Uh, we-we've got this covered." Robin replied, Roy leaning in.
"You've got the mission covered but who's covering the three potential mole suspects you two are bringing along?" They didn't really have a choice when he put it like that. As much as Lily didn't think there was a mole, they couldn't take the risk.
❀❀❀
"Put your hands together for the Daring Dangers!"
MM: Didn't think you'd make it through.
R: Neither did I. Help me backstage.
They made their way back inside, helping Robin sit down. Lily noticed how miserable he looked no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
"Haley, what's the deal? Giving the top slot to those Danger kids?" Lily's attention was grabbed by the twins.
"That's our slot." Carlo added.
"Was your slot. Until you missed that performance in Paris." Haly responded.
"Carlo was sick. He's better now."
"Plus those Dangers are a sham. They say they're brothers and sisters. They don't even look alike."
"Nah. You just don't like the competition." Haley shoved through the two, being stopped again by another man, "Oh, for cryin' out loud. Not you again. We're in the middle of a show."
"Then we'll talk after, but we will talk. Another city last week, another tech firm robbed another stop on your tour. If I prove you're responsible I will shut you down."
"I've got three minutes to gather props and get back to the center ring." The man walked over to their group, bringing out a badge.
"Faraday. Interpol. New act?"
"Yeah, just joined the tour." Lily responded.
"Probably clears you. But don't get too comfortable. Haly's going down for this." Lily went over to the curtain where Haly went.
"You want some help with that?" She asked as he carried a load of props.
"Would definitely appreciate it. There another load right there. The last one." Lily nodded and grabbed them, following behind.
"You used to have a guy named Dudley on your old tours right?"
"Yeah, but that was a few years ago. Had to give it up after he took in some kid. Think his name was, Billy..."
"Batson." She answered for him.
"You know him?"
"He's a very close friend of mine." She smiled.
"Really? Then tell them both I said hi when you go back home will you?" She nodded as he went back into the ring.
❀❀❀
S: If Interpol's already on this, why are we bothering?
R: Because Batman said so.
L: Yeah, you got something better to do?
A: How do we know the thieves will hit here?
RA: There are more obvious targets.
R: And Faraday will have them covered. But I've analyzed the tech already stolen and the oattern suggests this is the place.
MM: How are you feeling?
R: Lousy, actually. But I'll manage.
S: Contact. Northeast quadrant.
A masked figure ran across the yard before easily flipping himself over the fence.
S: Well, it looks like we know why Carlo missed a performance.
R: Could be Carlo. Could be his brother. Keep an open mind. And move in.
Robin, Lily, and M'gann went after him. Carefully following behind to a corner where they met up with Artemis and Red Arrow.
R: Did you see where he went?
Superboy landed on the ground, using his infrared vision to scan for the suspect.
"The warehouse." He spoke out loud.
They followed him inside, seeing the suspect on one of the lower levels taking a device out of a crate. Robin laughing as he did so, grabbing the suspects's attention.
"Caught red-handed. Red-faced too I'll bet."
"Acrobatics won't get you out of this." Artemis said as her and Red held arrow's at him. But the guy took a torch and blew it at them.
"Look out!"
Lily ducked out of the way, hiding behind a stack of crates with Arrow who looked at a label.
"Those crates are full of live ammo. Move!" But it was too late. The place blew, Lily protecting herself using her plants. Conner shoved a piece of metal out of the way as Artemis and Arrow helped Robin up.
"That guy's dead meat!"
"Superboy, no!" Robin warned as Lily helped up M'gann, which proved a challenge as the fire made them both weak, "We need to get them both out."
"He's getting away!"
"And that matters more than Lily and Miss M? The fire's killing them."
"Right. Right." He picked up M'gann as he carefully put Lily over his shoulder, running out of the building.
❀❀❀
"Another weapons plant is hit and once again, the circus is in town. I don't believe in coincidences."
"I don't care what you believe. My people are not responsible. I did a bed check last night. Every single member of my troupe was asleep in their bunks."
MM: Well, we sure weren't.
A: And if he's lying about us.
❀❀❀
A: So two thieves right? The fire breather and one of the acrobats.
MM: Dressed in identical clothes.
R: Maybe not just two. Here's the Madrid security footage.
The suspect pulled the iron bars apart to get inside.
R: And now Paris.
He walked carefully along a power line, almost as if it was a tightrope.
RA: So the strongman and the clown too. If the entire circus is involved Haly himself might be the master mind.
R: You don't know that.
MM: It would explain his lies.
"I told you to keep an open mind." Robin spoke angrily as he walked off. He seemed so... defensive.
MM: Hello, Megan. I'll read Haly's mind.
RA: I'm not sure we can trust you to do that without tipping him off.
Lily narrowed her eyes at Roy as he said this.
S: Or maybe you don't trust her period. I heard you talking to Lily and Robin back at the Cave. I know you're only here to spy on the three of us.
RA: There's a mole on this team, no matter how much Lily denies it. As well as good reasons to suspect all three of you. Both Artemis and Miss Martian have already been caught in lies. And you could be programmed by Cadmus without even knowing.
S: Or maybe I take your head off without even trying.
MM: Okay, let's all timeout, before we do something we regret.
S: Speak for yourself.
Lily followed them out of the room before heading outside.
❀❀❀
Everyone helped load the train for their next stop, Lily struggled a bit as she loaded one of the heavier crates onto the boxcar. That heat had really gotten to her last night.
"Let me help with that." Ray grabbed her shoulder to gain her attention, taking it from her hands and loading it.
"Thanks."
"No problem. That was a pretty good performance you had last night, Demi."
"Oh, uh, thank you." Truth was, they weren't acrobatic skills. At least not specifically. She just used the training from Selina back when she was a villain.
"All aboard! Everyone! Now!" Haly yelled. Lily was pretty sure he was in a hurry to get away from Faraday and his men.
But everyone did as he said and they made their way onto the train. As Lily did, she realized how miserable she felt. Cursing herself for catching that flu. As they made their way back to their room, she found out M'gann had become sick too.
"You look better." Artemis told Robin.
"I feel better. I'm sorry, M... Dawn. You too, Demi. I hope you two didn't catch it from me."
"I feel so silly. Who knew a Martian could be vulnerable to a human virus?"
"Uh, H.G. Wells. Look, when did you guys first feel sick?"
"Just after boarding the train. It came on suddenly." M'gann answered.
"Same for me. I felt fine when we were loading the train."
"Same with me the other night. I remember Ray rubbed my head for good luck right before we went on."
"Ray? That roustabout? He touched her before we boarded." Conner told him.
"And I saw him grab Lily's shoulder while he helped her load a crate." Roy added.
"Guy must be a walking petri dish." Conner said sarcastically.
"Yeah. Yeah, maybe." Robin left the cabin, when the others followed M'gann and Lily decided to go with them.
"You two should stay in bed." Robin advised.
"As a friend of ours once said, "I'll manage." M'gann replied before they followed the others. They entered Ray's cabin, but it was completely empty.
"Guess he wasn't that sick." Conner stated.
"Does this circus have an elephant I don't know about?" Roy asked them.
"Not on foreign tours." Robin replied.
"Empty. No. Wait. Ash."
"From the warehouse fire in Bruges. Robin realized.
"Uh, guys. I found Ray." Artemis held up a mask of the man's face.
"Split up. Search the whole train."
Lily did as he said and searched the middle portion of the train while he ran up ahead.
"Dane, Dean, Demi, Diane, come in. We're chasing someone who's stolen Dawn's act. Possibly Demi's too. Their whole shtick if you catch my drift."
Their powers.
Lily kept looking, but she was coming up empty before meeting up with Roy again.
"Nothing. You?" He asked her.
"No."
"I got him. But he's on to me. Exiting the dining cart now." They heard Conner speak over their comms, heading over to the cart, "He's gone topside." When they got there, Roy helped her onto the roof.
"Chowed down on the skills of nearly every loser in this troupe. But, oh, my. The piece de resistance was was Dawn and Demi Danger, or whatever their real names are. Thought I'd munch on their trapeze skills. Imagine my surprise when they tasted like Martian Manhunter and Poison Ivy instead. Mmm. They made some lovely appetizers. But guess who I want for me entree?"
Parasite used telekinesis to grab Conner by the throat.
"Mmm, now, that's the full-bodied Kryptonian flavor I love!" Conner groaned in his grasp.
"Everyone, stay whelmed. Subdue but keep your distance." Artemis and Roy tried aiming at Parasite, but he used heat vision to burn their bows.
"You know, I almost never say this but I'm sated. Hate to eat and run." Parasite flew away with the box, Robin jumping up on top of it before lunging at Parasite.
"Sorry. No hitchhikers." M'gann grabbed Robin before he fell of the bridge, Lily helping her bring him back up while Artemis and Roy helped Conner.
"Conner! Are you alright?" M'gann asked him worriedly.
"Fine. Fine."
"You're drained." Robin corrected, "Parasite took more power than you even have. Heat vision?"
"Well, I have the genetic potential for it. Must have been enough for him." Robin groaned as they all made their way back inside the train.
❀❀❀
"It's not a complete debacle. I picked Parasite's pockets, got this flash drive." He held it up with a smile, putting it into his hologlove and de-coding it.
"Looks like Parasite's working for Intergang. Everything he's stolen, they're all pieces of something. They're putting together a weapon that generates... black holes?"
"Oh, come on, to build that you need a particle accelerator." Arrow replied.
"Like the large Bozon Collider in Geneva?" Lily asked him.
"The circus' next stop." He realized, "But now that Parasite can fly he's got a big head start on us."
"Sorry." M'gann apologized.
"Not your fault. But this thing could wipe out entire cities. We need to hurry."
"You and I need to hurry." Arrow corrected him as he grabbed his backup bow, "Without powers, the others will hold us back."
"Hey. You're not the only one with a back-up bow." Artemis took out a crossbow.
"My powers might be weak but I can still kick ass." Lily faced Red Arrow, but their attention was grabbed by Conner smashing the wall.
"And my powers are back."
"How?"
"I'm still-"
"I guess Kryptonians recover faster than humans or Martians."
"Don't even think about leaving me behind." M'gann stated as she put her hands on her hips.
❀❀❀
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐚
𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒, 𝟎𝟎:𝟑𝟕 𝐜𝐞𝐭
A guard groaned in pain, Robin kneeling down to check on him.
"Trail of destruction. This way." They ran inside, but they could already hear the whirring of machines.
"That's not good." Lily stated. They hid behind a row of pipes as Robin looked at his hologlove.
"We need to take him down. Or at least lure him away so we can safely disengage-" Robin was cut off by Superboy yelling as he busted through the pipes, attacking Parasite.
"No, wait!"
"Seconds? No, I couldn't." Parasite tried to grab Superboy again, but he punched him in the face. They started fighting, Lily turning to the others.
"What's wrong with-"
"Wait." M'gann warned Arrow before he made a move, "He still has mine and Lily's powers, which must mean he also has-"
"Our biggest weakness." Lily finished her statement with realization.
"Oh, what a rush." Parasite stated as he grabbed Superboy again, "How do you do it, kid? Even Superman never never recharged this fast."
"Alright, Dangers, come on out. Only a couple minutes before this baby's done warming up and eats Geneva."
"What do you think?" M'gann asked Arrow.
"Big risk to take on a theory."
"Do it. Go." Robin told her. M'gann stepped out to grab his attention.
"What do you have against Geneva anyway?" She asked him.
"Never like the food. But the menu keeps improving." Parasite used M'gann's telekinesis to grab her.
"I'm just the appetizer, remember?" She stated as she ducked, "Here's the main course." She added as she landed on the ground, swiping her leg under his feet. When Parasite got back up, Arrow shot him with a foam arrow.
"Foam? You think foam can hold me?" He took away his bow and lifted Red Arrow up, "Or stop me from crushing you with a thought. Combined Martian and Kryptonian powers here."
"But do any of those powers free you before I sabotage your death thing?" Robin asked him.
"This one does." Parasite grew a vine that attacked Robin, who ducked out of the way. Artemis shot an arrow at him, when he used his heat vision it hit the fuse, causing an explosion and fire to completely surround him.
"So clever. Trick me into igniting flammable gas. But you forgot, doofus' double does of... invulnerability. Fire... can't... touch me."
"Unless you make a meal of our powers," M'gann stated as Lily walked up next to her, "and get our weaknesses as a side dish."
"No. No!" Parasite fell to the ground, totally passed out.
"Aw, poor baby. Something you ate?" M'gann mocked.
"That's what you get for stealing my whole shtick." Lily added. Robin went back to the controls and shut down the collider.
"We'll take it from here." Faraday told the others as they extinguished the fire, placing an inhibitor collar on Parasite's neck, "Thanks for the tip, by the way. Definitely helps to prep the inhibitor collar in advance."
"Glad to be of service." Robin smiled. Lily's attention was caught by Artemis helping Roy get up.
"Wow. He deigns to touch the hand of a suspected traitor."
"Mind open. I guess I never really saw you three in the thick of it before. Superboy's a hot head, but I know I'm not one to talk. You could each have betrayed us here... you didn't. I'm sorry I doubted any of you. There is no mole."
"Huh, and now I'm actually starting to like you." Lily smirked as Roy smiled at her.
❀❀❀