"Slade, this doesn't change anything."
"I wouldn't expect less, my former apprentice."
All the villains actually went to the JCPD HQ awaiting protection. The Titans and their villain whom they were assigned to protect had split up and went to the villains' lairs. Slade's layer was underground, as usual, although instead of it being huge, it was meagre in size. It had a screen with several panels on it, and a throne.
"Stay here, I'll scout the area for anyone who's trying to follow us."
"I can handle that amateur myself, but a little help wouldn't hurt."
Nightwing only grunted, he took out his escrima sticks and guarded the main entrance.
"Slade, do you the slightest idea of how's trying to kill you?"
"As a matter of fact, I do not. However, my computer has finished downloading the video footage of this mystery man in Chang's hideout. Oh and by the way, there's no sound."
Nightwing turned around and looked at the large screen. The videotape revealed several men armed with swords and guns. There were just standing around talking to each other. Then a large figure dropped on 2 of the men from above, slamming his wristblades into their necks. He then used his grappling guns to pull the guns away. He then proceeded to stabbing them in their necks and torsos, it took no more than 2 strikes to kill each man. The figure then looked to his left a took out 2 short sticks, one in each arm.
'Escrima sticks?'
The figure ran towards the supposed enemy and away from the camera sight. Just then, the power went out.
"SLADE STAY BEHIND ME!"
Slade took out his bo-staff, preparing for the coming battle. Despite not being able to see, Nightwing threw several portable long-lasting light disks from his belt. He slid them all across the floor, then they all suddenly lit up, illuminating the room. His eyes darted across the room, then he saw him. In a cold-voice he said,
"So you are as good as they say, Nightwing, I missed seeing you fight."
Nightwing growled.
"We don't have to fight, you can just turn around, leave this city and never commit crime again."
"Nah, I prefer to do this city a favor."
He then raised his wrists and pointed the thin barrels at Nightwing.
"Slade, run, NOW."
"As you wish."
He threw a smoke bomb and disappeared.
"I've blocked supersonic sniper bullets with these sticks, what makes you think your ballistic knives can accomplish more."
"Maybe I wasn't aiming for you."
He then fired his grappling guns at 2 pipes that were adjacent to each other and were placed on both sides of Nightwing. The as the metal bonds retracted, the man placed his 2 legs together and aimed it at Nightwing. The retraction happened so fast, Nightwing couldn't dodge the man's kick. He was sent crashing through the screen. He immediately regained his senses and moved his head to the left, barely dodging the man's punch. Nightwing in turn kneed the man's chin and kicked him in his chest, causing him to stumble back. Nightwing followed it up with a flying kick, just before the foot could touch his face, the man grabbed his ankle and threw Nightwing across the room. The man didn't notice Slade sneaking up on him. When he did, he was met with a bo-staff to the face. Then another, and then another. Slade then made a battle cry and swung the staff hard enough to send the man crashing onto a wall. Slade then took out his magnum pistol. Nightwing was sprinting towards him as he shouted,
"Trying to kill my was a mistake."
"SLADE, DON'T-"
Slade pull the trigger, but nothing came out. Slade then looked at the hand which held the gun and realised that it wasn't there. Instead he looked behind him and saw the gun impaled by a stiletto blade. He turned around only to see the man's fist connect with his mask, sending him across the room in good measure. Ideally, he would've used his wrist-blades and finish the job early, but the device was jammed during his collision with the wall. He couldn't think about the blades, as he barely dodged a swing by Nightwing, the man grabbed onto Nightwing's upper arm and pulled it hard, dislocating his shoulder. Nightwing screamed in pain, before being thrown across the room again. The hooded figure then turned towards Slade who was in a battle position with his staff. Slade taunted him.
"Is that all you've got?"
The man took out a stick from his belt, the same sticks that were seen in the video-footage.
"A stick? You think you can beat me with a stick?"
The figure then pressed a button on his belt which made the stick extent until it was 8 ft long, then 1 foot at the end of a stick flattened, and curved into a blade. Now the man held a 7 ft metal stick which had a large long curved blade at the end which made his weapon resemble a scythe. On 2nd thought, he weapon is a scythe.
Nightwing raised his head, and looked at events that had unfolded.
'A scythe! That's what mutilated the bodies in Chang's HQ'
Slade showed no expression during the change, but even he felt a tinge of fear.
"A scythe, how appropriate for a bringer of death."
Slade charged forward and prepared to swing his staff. The man just stood there. As Slade swung the staff, the man swung his scythe 3 times, Slade immediately jumped backwards to avoid a swing by the figure. In the aftermath of the attack, Slade's staff separated into 3 cleanly cut pieces. At this point, he knew that he lost, and now, he really needed to get away. The man walked towards him, with his scythe in both hands. He then formulated a plan. He threw smoke pellets into the ground. The man did not move at all, in his calmed state, he barely noticed a dark moving figure among the smoke. He shot 2 ballistic knives at him, he was responded by a cry of pain. As the smoke dissipated, it reveal Slade on the ground with a knife embedded in his back. He was still alive, but he was dragging himself across the floor towards the door. The man walked up to Slade and stepped on his back. Slade only grunted in pain.
"56 innocent people killed, hundreds of families ruined, you deserve death." He then manuevered the blade oh his scythe to be placed under Slade's neck."
Slade gave him one last taunt.
"You may have think that you've won, but you're wrong!"
He gripped the stick a little harder.
"This is for Terra."
He then sharply raised the blade vertically, beheading Slade, who's head rolled a good 4 feet. Blood spattered all over his mask, armour, and cloak. He then heard a groan from across the room. He saw Nightwing who was trying to crawl towards him.
"I...will...stop...you."
The man then hit Nightwing's head with the end of his stick, knocking him unconscious. He threw Nightwing over his shoulder and exited the lair. Wintergreen was left behind to pick up the pieces.
The man grappled his way towards the Jump City hospital, from there he laid Nightwing's body in front of the entrance and then sprinted away. He came there to kill villains, not heroes like Nightwing. A doctor noticed Nightwing's body near the entrance.
"NURSEs, GET HIM ON A HOSPITAL BED NOW! I'll call the Titans."
The nurses did as they were told, the doctor went up to reception desk and took out a classified document containing the telephone #'s of the Titan communicators. He can say whatever he wants and the Titans would hear it, but they can't say anything bad. He punched in some digits on the phone, it then made a beep.
"Hello, this is the Jump City General Hospital, you teammate Nightwing is currently unconscious and is having his injuries treated in one of our rooms. If you wish to see him, all you have to do is stop by."
He then hung up the phone.
"Sandra, I don't want the media to catch any drift of this, keep them out understand?"
"Yes, doctor."
Nightwing slowly opened his eyes. His eyes flickered, but then widened greatly.
"SLADE!"
He then felt a firm yet comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Nightwing, has Slade done the betrayal of you?"
"No, he was going to die, and then he died and then I think I blacked out."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"How did you know he was dead?"
"I was there, a man, with a dark cloak and hood on fought me and Slade, we managed to do a number on him, but then he took me out of the fight. He..he carried a s,s-s SCYTHE, YES THAT WAS WHAT HE WAS WIELDING, a scythe. That's how he was able to cut several bodies in half back in Chang's layer! He fought Slade, then next thing I see he was standing on Slade, and the blade was under his neck, then I didn't really didn't see it clearly, but I saw a red blur so I assume he's dead."
Cyborg handed Nightwing a newspaper, on the front page it read, 'GRIM REAPER COMES TO JUMP!'. The picture that corresponded with the article showed Slade's bloodied mask nailed to wall in city hall. Above it had a large message written in blood. "Villains beware, Reaper is here." Nightwing slowly put the newspaper down.
"How long have I been out?"
"2 days."
"What's are you guys doing? You're supposed to be protecting the other villains from this maniac!"
"Don't worry, we've brought them with us, if the man attacks them here, he gonna have to face all of us."
"Nightwing, did you have an idea of what his face looked like?", asked Raven.
"No, he was wearing a hood, so his face was basically in the shadows. I saw something, but it wasn't a face."
"I'm confused."
"He was wearing a mask I think, or a helmet, I couldn't tell."
"So what now."
"Now we go back with them to their lair."
"What, Nightwing, if you and Slade couldn't beat him, what makes you think that we and our assignments can do the same?"
"Argent, we have to assume that the location of their lair has been compromised, we'll need to send them to another location. Cyborg, I'll join you in protecting Holocaust. Everyone else, you have your missions. Titans go!"
Cyborg and Nightwing walked towards the area where he had left Holocaust. He was trying, but failing, to flirt with the nurses in the hospital.
"You ain't gonna get any ladies with an ugly face like that."
Holocaust was angered by Cyborg's witty comment.
"Watch your mouth, scrap yard, cuz I can rip it out if I wanted to."
Cyborg got in a fighting position.
"Then why don't you?"
The men glared at each other.
"Guys, guys, now's not the time to fight. Right now you,"
he pointed the escrima stick at Holocaust.
"Need protection. And you,
he pointed it at Cyborg.
"Are going to protect him."
Holocaust then became boastful about his powers.
"Protection? I've the strength of superman and
His hands became covered in flames.
"And can conjure flames that make's your teammate Hotspot look like he's playing with a lighter. If anything, Reaper needs protection from me."
"Then why do you want us as bodyguards?"
"Because it's fun to watch weak people like you try to protect me. Let's face it, that time you guys beat me was a fluke, I can't be beat again."
"What if we had..."
Nightwing took out a purple glowing rock.
"Vibranium."
Holocaust's boastful expression turned into one of fear.
"HOW THE FUCK DO YOU GUYS KNOW, THAT'S A HEAVILY GUARDED SECRET!"
"A little birdie told me that, well, more like Justice League told me that. Holocaust, we can't take any chances, this guy might have some vibranium on him or is on his way of getting some."
"No way, like you said, the Justice League told you, why would they tell some punk or mercenary that?"
"Man, this stuff is basically your Kryptonite, you shouldn't be taking any chances."
"Drop the subject will you, we don't want the whole city to hear about this now do we?"
Nightwing and Cyborg remained silent.
"Good, now escort me to my lair."
"We're changing locations, we have to assume that Reaper know where you hide, any other places you got?"
"I've got 1, I'll bring you to it. Let's go."
Nightwing and Cyborg on either side of Holocaust and walked out of the hospital. Meanwhile, a man in a green hoodie was reading a newspaper, from across where the trio were standing. A nurse walked up to him.
"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"
The man raised his head to look at the nurse. She gasped.
"Oh my you're..."
The man chuckled.
"It's not too late to prepare for Halloween is it?"
"No, of course not."
"Well don't worry it isn't paint, it's food colouring."
After the woman regained her composure, she asked,
"How can I be of assistance?"
"You've done enough for this city, I'm just here to read the newspaper. Just keep saving the lives that count."
He stood up, revealing that he was a towering 6'2 ft man, he dropped the newspaper on the table.
"Have a good day."
He walked out of the hospital. The nurse kept thinking about the man's words.
'Saving the lives that count, what does he mean by that?'
When the man was a good distance away from the hospital and other people, he thought to himself.
'Vibranium huh?'
The man smirked at the thought.
'I've got just the friend in Wakanda who owes me a favor.'
He then took out a communicator a pressed a button.
"Hey, T'Challa, you mind if I visit Wakanda for a while."
A strong African accent was heard from the communicator. The screen had a man who wore a suit that resembled a Panther.
"Of course, Garfield, you are always welcome in Wakanda."
"Thanks T'Challa."
He shut off the communicator and put it away.
'Watch your back Holocaust, I'm coming for you.'
