Circusmaster Grayson

Performance

"Sshh, Zitka. Don't mind us." Dick stroked the elephant's trunk, gently pushing it away at the same time. "We're just passing through." He laughed as she kept trying to grab his arm. "Not now. I have to go take care of these crates first, okay? Then I can talk to you."

"Are you about done yet?" Apollo asked. Dick glared at him, despite the large gap in age and height.

Red stepped between them. "All right, since you two clearly can't get along, how about we just get on with moving these heavy and conspicuous crates?"

Dick pointed grumpily toward the farthest animal stall. "That one just has hay in it. You can bury them in it until whoever-it-is can pick them up."

Cole and Anthony did as he suggested, then the troupe, which was less like a troupe and more like a team, left to practice their acts, leaving Dick to talk to Zitka.

He stroked her trunk. "You know, this will probably blow up in my face." She gave a low grunt of agreement. "You're supposed to be on my side," he told her scoldingly. She just looked at him warmly.

"Stop making me feel guilty. I'm just doing it faster than those Teen Titans would have if they turned it over to the people in charge." He left her and went to the stall with the crates.

He started digging through the straw, revealing one of the crates they'd confiscated. He tugged it away from the wall and heaved the lid up, revealing the valuable contents. "All right, genius, let's get this over with," he muttered.

xXx

"What do you mean, they're gone?"

The hapless smugglers cowered before the speaker. "We got caught by this kid, and then he had backup, and--"

"Shut up." Their voice was dangerously quiet. The goons obeyed. "We need to find it before the League picks it up."

"How do you know they haven't--"

"If they have, I'll have your head. That's how." They sighed. "Come forward. Yes, that's it. One more step." The smugglers looked absolutely terrified. "You know, there's a reason I usually don't use hired help." Shing. "They never get the job done." Thud, thud, thud. "Although I suppose they would have been useful for cleaning up this mess."

xXx

Dick mindlessly did some acrobatic tricks alongside Angel as they walked with the team toward the main tent to practice their routine. "What was the scariest thing you've ever done?" he asked her.

"Why must you keep asking so many questions?" Red was clearly exasperated. "I know, I'm a fine one to talk. But really, do you never shut up?"

Dick shrugged. "I'm a curious soul."

Apollo glared at him. "One that clearly doesn't know his place."

Dick started walking on his hands. "Sheesh, somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed today." Apollo stormed ahead. "What's his deal?" Dick asked once he was out of earshot.

"He's just a bit grumpy you found out," Red told him. "Pay him no heed."

He did a couple cartwheels. "You should be a barker. Or one of the people who gets everybody's attention or something. You're cut out for it."

Red shrugged. "I'm not much of one for talking in front of crowds."

"Practice makes perfect."

"I'll consider it, if only to make you shut up."

"I'll take that." He did a series of handsprings, landing ten feet in front of them. "Are you guys coming or not?"

The shadowy figure watched from afar as the group made its way to the big top. "Each of you knows where it is. The question is, who is the weak link?" His wandering gaze landed on the small figure holding the tent flap open with a dramatic bow. His eye narrowed, and under his black-and-orange mask, he smiled. He knew how he was going to get his shipment.