A Twist of Fate

Chapter 22

They searched the train. Going up and down the cars making sure no one touched them. Wally stayed with Dick as he was still weak. He was good enough to look around. As they were walking they passed Haley.

"Dan. Dave." Haley greeted.

"Hey Haley." Dick greeted with a grin, "What's up? Need some help?"

Haley blinked a few times to hide his surprise saying, "No. No need. You and Dave go on."

Dick narrowed his eyes, "Sure, Haley. Did you get all of Zeka's stuff?"

"Of course." Haley said exasperated, "Now go on."

Jack turned around walking away. Dick watched him, his suspicion confirmed.

"Dan?" Wally whispered, "Got something?"

Dick nodded, 'Magan?'

Reaching up to the com-link Dick called, "Dawn?"

"Dan?" Came a hesitant voice through the com.

"I tried the other way but got nothing."

Magan sighed through the link, "I don't feel very good, I think I got touched."

"Shit." Dick hissed, "Dean. Diahn. Dusk. Dillon. Someone took Dawn's act or whole stick if you catch my drift."

"Damn it," Roy snarled, "That means he could be anyone."

Kelder grunted.

"Me and Dave just met him."

"We did?" Wally squeaked thinking back over through Renegade's odd conversation with Haley, "You were testing him. There is nothing for this Zeka, is there?"

"Not on foreign tours." Dick confirmed, "Haley would have said that the stuff wouldn't have even been out and might need some dusting. He would have asked us to do it."

Wally hummed, "Nice but I bet he changed his appearance."

"Found him." Conner muttered, "But he's on to me."

"If he's touched Dawn, that means he knows we're not who we say we are."

"I'm in the dining car."

Wally and Dick turned around rushing to the car. They made it the same time Artemis and Roy got there. They looked at each other before hearing the resounding thud above them. They rushed up the sides of the car on both ends. Up top there was one of the triplet clowns.

"Parasite." Dick called out.

The clown grinned shifting like a martian back into his original state, "Like you kids are who you claimed to be."

Artemis and Roy knocked and arrow, aiming them at him.

"The daring Dangers." Parasite mocked, "I thought of just nibbling on a bit of his trapeze skills. To my shock I found more than just acrobatic abilities. Then I got thinking that if he had those skills maybe his partner on the trapeze would too. To my immense enjoyment I got Martian Manhunter instead." He turned to look at Conner, "But those were just appetizers. I want the main course."

With a flick of his hands Conner was in Parasite's grasp. Artemis and Roy fired. The arrows came nowhere close before they were crushed by telekinetic powers. He dropped a now limp Superboy.

"Well I'm sated." Parasite grumbled, "See you around then."

He started to fly and Dick rushed him. He was already drained, no need to make anyone else useless. But drained or not, Dick was trained by Slade. He was Renegade, the apprentice to Deathstroke. He climbed on Parasite like a monkey, staying just out of reach before his hand grabbed something. Dick smirked. It fell the moment a hand grabbed him and threw him down. They were on a freaking train. Well hovering over one, but that meant... The train was moving and they were not.

The fall was like slow motion, as his brain moved nearly as fast as Wally or Flash. He contemplated the impact to be hard or painful. It was both. The impact was on his shoulder. It was also on the caboose of the train. Dick had a second of relief before he felt himself sliding off. Without thinking he moved his injured shoulder and open hand to latch onto something. It was slick, cold, and not a single rivet or overlap to snag on to.

Dick looked down and his vision tunneled. They were going over a valley, and the floor was hundreds of feet below him. He looked up panicked as he was sliding off the train roof and had no grip in sight. Suddenly an arrow landed just below his sipping hand. He grabbed it praying that the arrow would hold.

The wind threatened to rip him from his spot, the cold grinding bone deep. He just kept hoping they would come. Someone would come. His strength was diminishing fast and his headache was coming back with a vengeance.

"Renegade!"

Dick looked up groggily. A flash of green eyes shining with worry.

"Wally?" Dick mumbled his fingers slipping.

Wally grabbed Dick's arm pulling him up with little effort, "That was stupid dude."

Dick pulled up his half frozen fisted hand, "Picked his pocket." Was all he got out before passing out again.