Arkham Risings
Three Years Later Arc
Ch.6: Aftermath
[Star City, California]
[June 19, 22:39:02 PST]
Deathstroke paused as he eyed at the window. From his position on the roof of the apartment building next to his target's home, he could easily see the two bodies inside. It goes without much say what the man and woman had just done during their private moment. Slade, however, didn't care. He was there on a rather important personal mission and there was no real rush to complete it.
Though his patience was thinning.
The masked man waited patiently when he saw the woman pulled her green clothing on to hide her nude body. She and the redhead man shared a few words as Slade held a small detonator in his hand.
Three.
Two.
One.
The front door to the room flew off of the hinges due to the small explosion, alerting the two away from the window that Slade was peering into. The seasoned mercenary waited for when the woman goes to the fire escape- the window he was peering through- and leaves while the man was probably investigating the bomb. With the silence of the night's quiet atmosphere, the cat-masked scaled the ladders of the fire escape and took off in the opposite direction of Slade making the man sigh.
He knew that she'd run that way.
The two moved quietly, the woman unknowingly falling for her stalker's trap. Or at least that's what her pursuer thought. The woman was a veteran hunter as well and knew when someone was tailing her. Her "friend" might have fallen for the distraction, but she was nowhere near as oblivious.
Yet she still wound up with her legs being pulled from beneath her and hanging from a light on a small warehouse.
"Damn it!" The woman hisses as she holds her head, which slapped against the concrete before she was reeled upwards.
"You know, I'm beginning to think that you're losing your touch. Then again, with Batman and the League of Assassins after you, I'd be just as paranoid." Slade mocked as he revealed himself while casually twirling his metal staff in his right hand. "I'm sure you know why I'm here, right?"
"No." By now, Cheshire had stopped struggling with her restraints and just glared at the man. "So tell me what the hell this is about."
Slade chuckles before slamming the metal into Cheshire's side, forcing a hiss of pain out of her but nothing else.
"Well look at that, you can take a blow. I'm actually impressed." Cheshire winces again when he lands another blow on her. "You see, I'm here because Vandal believes that you have been leaking vital Light information to people we don't want to know. And unlike my son, I'm not willing to let you escape without proper pay."
Cheshire spits towards the man. "Fuck you."
"Apparently you don't know the situation you're in my dear child." Deathstroke taunts as he circles his dangling prey. "On a professional level, I am ordered to do with you as I see fit. Murder, rape, torture, all of that is within my jurisdiction right now."
"I've been through worse." Jade remarks.
"Oh, I am sure you have." replied Slade. "But I'm not going to do any of that. Not until I settle a score."
"What do I owe you?" Slade laughs darkly at her response. "Or is this about Jake?"
"Very good." Cheshire grunts before she finds herself falling onto her face. She groans as Slade pushes her onto her back with a boot and stares down at her with a katana in hand. "Personally, I do have a father's duty to get even with the woman cheating on my son. I'm sure Lawrence feels the same way whenever he thinks of Jake going between you and your sister."
"Don't bring her into this!" Jade hisses angrily before Slade moved his foot beneath her chin, choking her as he applied pressure.
"No. In fact, Artemis has nothing to do with this." Slade told her. "You will return to Jake and you will tell him what happened tonight. And then he will find me so I can even the score."
"Fuck… You…!" Cheshire chokes out. Slade removes his foot, allowing her to take in a deep breath while rolling onto her side. The breath was short-lived as Slade's boot slams into her abdomen, knocking the air back out.
"Not on your life." Slade said.
The next five minutes were the hardest five minutes in Jade Nguyen's life. Every blow that Slade landed was precise and aimed to get her to make a scream. On her part, she doesn't and moved as much as she could to soften the blows or make sure that he didn't hit her twice in the same spot. At some point, he began punching her as if the metal staff in his hand had grown tired. Somehow his punches felt worse.
Finally Slade stops and stands over the beaten young woman.
"For what it's worth," comments Slade. "I always liked you for Jake. You're a hell of a fighter. And Artemis… She reminds me of his mother just a bit too much." Cheshire looks up to see a gun pointed to her. "Oh well."
The pain came quickly and Jade finally released the scream that Slade was fishing for. But the man did not stay around long enough to see tears fall from her eyes. He had to move on to the next part of his plan. Jake was neither an idiot nor a pushover. When Jake found out that Jade was sleeping with Roy, Slade was sure that Jake would probably kill the archer. From there, Jake would come for Slade with a head full of anger and fury. That is when Slade would teach his son a lesson on using dirty tactics to win a bout.
Afterwards, he would kill Jade just to make sure she ends her little charade with Red Arrow. Not because she was leaking information, but because no one cheated on a Wilson and got away with it. That was something Wade's ex-wife learned the hard way.
[Cross Enterprise: Gotham City, New Jersey]
[June 20, 09:12:44 EST]
"Mr. Cross," Cassie Sorrow said from the doorway that led to his office. "Miss Tate is here."
"Send her in." Jake said as the woman leaves. Talia soon walks in with a few papers in her hand. "I take it that you're either here for important business or just to get me riled up for no reason."
"You wanted news," Talia said as she closed and locked the door. "I have some you may like. Mr. Lau from China's Lau Security Investments Holdings wants to hold a meeting next week in Hong Kong. I figured you'd want to go."
"Considering…?" Jake asked.
"Lau and I know each other from my time in LexCorp. I found out that he was working with a mob family in Metropolis as well as one here in Gotham City. He uses large corporations such as this to cover it up." Talia said. "So when they find out that some numbers don't add up, the company falls, not Lau."
Jake folded his arms on his desk.
"Are you telling me that he's better at calculations than you are?" questioned the young man.
Talia placed the papers on his desk.
"I could have him dead if the League didn't see him as a valuable asset." Jake's brows rose. "As I tried to teach you, your money has to come from somewhere."
"Hmm…. How much would you say his business is worth? A few hundred thousand? Millions? Billions even?" Jake said as he leans back.
"Give or take," The woman said. "Why?"
"How would you like to go to Hong Kong? Get Lau to agree to a, I don't know, seventy-thirty split? And if he doesn't agree then do what Talia would do." Talia was shocked at Jake's words.
"Are you telling me to kill him?" she questioned.
"Now you know I could never tell you to do that, Miss Tate. I'm merely telling you to do anything necessary so that things go our way. How you do that is completely up to you." Jake said with a small wink. Talia clears her throat and smoothes her white-striped black dress out. "What have you heard about Wayne?"
"Jason's death has taken its toll on him. Showing your face around him is the last thing you want to do now." Talia answers. "And speaking of which, your partner has been missing for days now. Have you cleared her from your investigations?"
"Yeah, I have." Jake lied smoothly. "She went after a lead on Dearden's father. Hang it in the girl's face and we can separate her from her pack. Jade's idea instead of mine, of course."
"Do you expect me to believe that?" Jake shrugs.
"Quite frankly Miss Tate, I don't give a damn if you do." Jake returns. "The fact remains that your father and his colleagues somehow have a problem and they want me to fix it. So now I have to track down the hundreds of followers that Ra's has and then go do the same with every associate of the Light. And even then, I have to find out who is lying."
"Funny you should mention lying," Talia spoke as she walked towards the window. "Savage isn't pleased with how slow you are in this investigation. So he had someone else look into it."
"It better not be Ubu. We both know that he isn't much of a fighter. Just muscles and fear tactic."
Talia shakes her head. "No. Ubu remains at my father's side. Instead, he sent your father." The silence causes Talia to turn to face Jake. "You seem disturbed."
"I thought he quit?" asked Jake.
"Deathstroke is now an enforcer for the Light, not the League of Assassins." Jake snorts.
"Dad got himself a promotion." Jake jokes.
"More than a promotion. He jumped on a lead." Talia said before turning towards Jake. "You lied to us, Jake. You knew all along that Jade was the spy."
"I assumed it just like you guys did. But without any proof, I can't just throw my partner into the lions' den. That would be bad for our relationship." Jake lightheartedly says.
"Then you will throw yourself in there in her place." Talia harshly replied. "We will not be made fools because of two children and their disobedience… Treasons, even!" Jake smirks. "What's so funny? The League of Assassins will not tolerate this from her or the poster child."
"If Ra's wants to kill Cheshire so badly, why not do it himself? I've sparred against him. I know he could do it." Jake said. "Then again, I have also snuck up on him once or twice before. Back when he was either too weak from whatever or caught up in his daydreams. And if I had to rank them in stealth alone, I would have to give the edge to Jade."
"So what are you saying?" Talia asked.
"I'm saying…" Jake was interrupted by the buzzing sound of his office phone. He pressed the blinking button to answer his receptionist. "Yes Miss Sorrow?"
"You have a call on line one." Jake sighs.
"Put them through." Jake said lifting the handset off of the base. "Cross."
"Jake," Jake frowned when Artemis's voice was heard. "We have a problem."
"I'm sure…" Jake responds.
"Dick knows where Jade is and he's gone off to deal with her. He's a madman Jake. He beat Wally and Conner." Jake frowns. "Can you get her out of there?"
"That depends on my schedule." Jake said. "I think I'm free to do so but… It's going to have to be quick. Where did you want to have this meeting?"
"Star City." Jake sighs. "You can stop Dick. You always have. And you've never let anyone hurt Jade and get away with it. Not even me."
"I'll be there." Jake said. "See you soon." Jake doesn't wait for her to answer as he hangs up. "Well it seems that I have to go attend to another problem."
"Personal business, I presume." Talia replied.
"No. Not really." Jake said as he stood up. "I just have to go and save Jade from her untimely death and somehow persuade your father to keep her alive. So more professional than anything." Talia uncharacteristically scoffs at his comment. "Meantime, I want you to find whatever you can about Lau. If we go to this thing, I don't want to be surprised by anything."
Talia watches as Jake walks towards the door.
"You know," she called out to him. "If you continue to protect Cheshire, you will eventually have the entire League after you. Both leagues at that."
"Would you do the same for Bruce?" Jake questions as he pauses at the door, Ben scampering up his back.
"This isn't about Bruce. This is about you doing your job." Talia answered.
Jake looked at her. "Answer my question."
"If Bruce was revealing secrets about the League of Assassins or any of our tactics to anyone and I was ordered to kill him, I would." Talia said quietly. "But the truth is he hasn't. When Nyssa, my father, or I are on the Justice League's radar, Bruce comes to us personally."
Jake smiles. "Now who's lying?"
Talia would have argued if the young man had stayed to hear it. Then again, even if he had she didn't have a strong counter. He was right. She would not kill Bruce, even if she could. He was her one love regardless of what her father or Nyssa thought. So she couldn't fault Jake for trying to save his girlfriend. Not now at least.
[Roy's Apartment: Star City, California]
[June 20, 07:26:14 PST]
Jade hissed in pain.
"So they know, huh?" Roy said before sighing heavily. "What are we going to do?"
"I didn't know that there was a 'we' to think about." Jade replied as Roy finishes wrapping her wound. She inspects the bandages around her waist. "In fact, you seem to have a way of getting rid of me whenever you're finished."
"Let's get one thing straight. I didn't come to you. You came to me." Roy says as he hands Cheshire her kimono.
Jade gives him a coy look. "Don't tell me you didn't like it."
"Don't do that." hisses the former Speedy. "What we did… What we're doing. It has to stop. This is becoming too dangerous. For both of us."
Jade doesn't reply because she knows he was right. Plus, it was clear that they were using each other. Originally she used him to get over Jake's death. Now he was her go-to person whenever she was just too pissed to be with Jake. There was some level of care between the two, one that has Roy attending to her wounds. Again, not as much between she and Jake, but enough.
"What are you going to do?" His question has Jade thinking for a moment herself before she ties her kimono tightly around her.
"I'm going to find that bastard and give him a piece of my mind." Jade was shocked when Roy's hand stops her from grabbing her sai off of the bathroom sink. "What?"
"Are you insane? This is Deathstroke. He's made a living on killing people, literally." Roy told her. "You go after him and he's going to finish the job." Roy pauses. "By the way, why is he after you? I thought he and your dad were partners?"
"Don't worry about it." Cheshire says snatching her hand away from Roy's and grabbing her weapons. "Just keep me in touch with this Cadmus situation. They seem to be paying big money on hiring 'guardians'. And I like that."
"Jade wait," Cheshire pauses in her exit and stares at the man. "Don't get yourself killed."
"I'll be fine." Despite her injuries, she had her pride. And her pride wouldn't let her die unless she was taking Slade to hell with her. "See you later…"
Roy sighs as she waltzed out of his bathroom. Like normal, he never hears her enter or leave, he just assumes it. After moment of utter silence, he knows she has left and was now free to rest. Cheshire finds new ways to keep him up and not all of them were good. And if the sex wasn't so good… Well, safe to say that he wouldn't have even bothered healing her.
Roy's ringing cell phone makes him groan. There were only a few people that had his number and only one called him; Cheshire. However when he found his phone in his discarded pants' pocket on the floor, he was surprised when he saw Wally West's name on the screen.
"How'd you get this number?" was Roy's greeting.
"Where is Jade?" Roy scoffs lightly. To think that these two former great friends couldn't start a phone call with a "hello" now.
"I don't know. Why?" Roy replied.
"Dick. He's after her." Wally warns. "It's worse than when he wanted to track down Slade. He's out for blood and he's already spilled some of mine."
Roy exhales an exasperated breath. "Damn. How long do you think I have?"
"If it were the old Dick Grayson, I'd say a day or so. But considering how he left Conner with a Kryptonite bullet in his leg, I wouldn't be surprised if he was there in a few minutes." Wally said. "I'm on my way with Artemis and Vic. We need your help."
"I have my own problems." responds Roy. "Slade is here." He heard Wally make a frustrated sound. "I don't know what he's after but we both know he's after something or someone."
"Don't do anything stupid. We're on our way."
Roy wasn't given the option to reply as Wally ends the call. The former Titan grunts with tired frustration, moving to find his spare Red Arrow costume as the one he was currently wearing was beginning to smell. Once more, his "relations" with Jade was putting them both in harm's way. The Team and Deathstroke would do their parts in making sure that Jade was dealt with, Artemis especially.
A scowl came onto Roy's face. While he admits that he was wrong for accusing Artemis for being the spy, she hadn't really tried to forgive him either. She was too busy fighting Jade over a guy that died for being a grade-A asshole. Roy was suspicious of Artemis, but he hated Jake. Maybe that's why he liked whatever he had with Cheshire so much, it was like getting one over the smug bastard of Slade.
If only he was alive to see it would Roy actually feel even.
[Aboard the T-Ship]
Victor Stone just shook his head as he piloted his plane, the other passengers understanding his current feelings. Dick Grayson was a friend to them and went to great lengths in protecting them. Now he had gone rogue. He had thrown away every rule and code that made him who he was.
"I can't believe this." Wally said, leaning back in his chair. "The guy beat me."
"Stop thinking about your pride and let's plan on how we're going to stop our friend from murdering my sister." Artemis argues from the center pod. "This is serious. Dick could seriously kill her."
"He sees it as justice. I kind of understand him." Artemis wanted to turn around and glare at her boyfriend in the rear pod but chose against it.
"Oh really?" The tone of Artemis's voice told Wally a long conversation later on that he wanted to avoid so he kept quiet. "Wally?"
"Let's be honest. You felt the same way when Red X died." Cyborg said, turning Artemis's attention away from Wally onto the man in the front pod, flying the jet.
"That was different." Artemis's voice was low but clearly threatening.
"Oh really? Tell me how." Wally huffs from his spot. It was no secret that Victor and his ex, Karen, hated Jake before and after the guy's death. And Artemis was still the thief's largest supporter for some reason. "But we're not going to talk about that. We need to make sure that Dick doesn't do anything stupid."
Wally snorts. "How one guy could've changed this…" The silence that followed caused him to sit up. "Think about it. Jake lives, Jade stays with him, Roy can't do what he did with Jade, and possibly Jason stays alive." Wally then thinks. "Well… Unless he ran into someone like Freeze or the Joker."
Artemis kept quiet. She hated the selfishness of Jake and how he assumed that killing himself would make their lives better but she could not bring herself to reveal to her teammates- especially Wally- that he was alive. M'gann would keep it to herself, the others wouldn't. Her mind also thought about Wally's hypothetical statement. If Jake didn't do his little ruse, she would have had to face him at school for one more year. She probably would have never forgiven Dick as well.
Wally hears a small burst of laughter leave Artemis.
"Something funny?" he asked with curiosity.
"Nothing." Artemis said while thinking about the what-ifs in her life. Who knows? It could have been her dating some criminal while trying to grow up just like her parents. Artemis "Crusher" Crock.
"I can't believe Roy would actually do something like this." Victor's voice broke Artemis's thoughts.
"What? Jade?" Wally replies.
"He knows that she can't be trusted. The fact that he would get involved with her isn't like the Speedy from the Titans." Cyborg comments.
Wally leans back in his seat. "Well, maybe he isn't thinking with that head." Artemis releases a warning grunt. "What? I think you're hotter than your sister. And saner. Way saner."
Artemis felt her phone vibrate and looked at it. Unsurprisingly it was her reportedly dead high school crush. She didn't answer, knowing the Cyborg could probably tap and trace the call just by being in her presence. The last thing she wanted was for Wally to learn that Jake was alive and the mysterious Black Spider. That wouldn't bode well for any of them, especially considering the fact that Jake somehow snuck into the Cave once. Who knows what he could or would do if he wanted something other than to "talk"?
"Your mom?" Wally guesses. Artemis realizes that he can see her just staring at her phone and puts it down.
"Yeah. I'll call her when Jade is safe." Artemis said.
"Roy's moving." Victor announced. "I'm guessing he does know where Cheshire is." Artemis saw her pilot press a few buttons. "Hold on to something because it's about to get loud."
"How loud?" Artemis questions, only to receive a laugh from Wally.
"Hold on tight Arty."
Artemis frowns until her body was forced against the back of the seat and she finally heard the T-ship go supersonic. And boy, did it get loud.
[Wayne Industries: Gotham City, New Jersey]
[June 20, 11:20:03 EST]
Bruce Wayne had not been the same in the past two days. He had lost his son in battle and then another son in the aftermath. Jason's death was a heavy toll on the family, but for Dick to respond the way he did was unpredicted. They hadn't been on the best of terms but they normally agreed with how things should be done. Dick wasn't up for the "right" way anymore. He wanted Jade to pay. That frightened Bruce quite a bit as Dick was no longer the boy he took under his metaphorical wing years ago. Chu-hui had made sure of that.
A soft knock gained his attention and he watched as the knocker entered his office unwelcomed.
"You look troubled." Bruce's eyes narrow at the sight of Talia. Cheshire was part of the League of Assassins so Talia had a hand in Jason's death.
"Why are you here?" Bruce growls.
"I came to talk to you." Talia said as she closes the door. "Jason's death has-"
"You planned that. You and your father." Bruce said.
"I assure you, we didn't want that. In fact our goal was to go after Mia Dearden. Cheshire acted on her own accord, a vendetta against your other son and the role he placed in Jake's death." Talia responded.
Bruce glared. "Apparently Jake isn't dead. So why don't you tell me what's going on Talia. What is he up to?"
"Jake or my father?" Talia asked as she leaned against the closed door.
"Don't push me. I'm not in the mood."
Talia nods. "Very well. I don't know what Jake is after. Apparently he has concocted some plan that doesn't help either of us." Talia shrugs her shoulder lightly. "But we shouldn't worry about that. Jake doesn't kill."
"Or so I've heard." states the man behind his desk. "But I'm starting not to believe that. He played a part in Jason's death. He knew what Cheshire was going to do."
Talia pursed her lips. "Maybe not…"
"You're giving him the benefit of the doubt?" Talia nods her head. "Why?"
"Because he was trained by Lady Shiva." The frown on Bruce's face only deepens. "Lady Shiva personally trained Jake as well as my father. Added with the abilities his suit gives him, he would have had no trouble killing Mia, Jason, or Lieutenant Marvel if he wanted to. Fact is he didn't. I don't know why he didn't do it or what his ulterior motive was, but from Cheshire's words, Jake wasn't even there. He was toying with the Marvel."
Bruce hums in a deep octave. "Mia's deposition said something of the same sort. But she also says that it was the Black Spider that let her know where a certain person was and she went to investigate. Clearly he set it up."
"I'm sorry beloved, but I know differently. He was with me when Cheshire began her pursuit." Now Bruce's eyes showed a hint of emotion.
"Why?"
"It isn't important." Talia quickly said, though Bruce was far from letting it drop. Yet in Talia's mind, the last thing she wanted was to see Jake's inner demon turned against her and he not having the control to stop it. He wasn't the boy she had trained years ago anymore.
"Talia, I don't like this Jake Cross. He's dangerous, potentially far more dangerous than Bane." Bruce warns. "You should stay away from him if possible."
"You don't have to worry about me, my love. I know more about Jake Cross than you can imagine." says the assassin.
"Am I going to like how you know him?" Talia smiles.
"That depends." Knowing that there were probably hundreds of ways Talia came about the knowledge, Bruce let it go for the moment. "I have to go my love. I am on a schedule."
"You're working on a job for Ra's?" Talia shakes her head.
"No. Cross Enterprises." Talia answers. "I wish I could tell you more, but I swore to my, uh, boss that I wouldn't mix Talia's life with Miranda's. I only came to see if you were better."
"Hmm, something tells me that you and your 'boss' have something cooked up." Bruce says as Talia reaches behind her to open the door.
"He's currently out of town, trying to save Cheshire from Deathstroke, leaving me temporarily in charge of his daily routine." Talia spoke before pausing. "Unfortunately, I've been forbidden to do anything remotely to what I did at LexCorp. If you want to knock Jake off of his pedestal, you'll have to do it alone."
"I work best alone." Seeing Talia's facial reaction, the man quickly went to backtrack and adlib. "Talia, what I meant was-"
"Save it. I've heard it before." Bruce only exhales slowly. It was another one of those days. "I have to get back to work. I will see you around, Bruce."
The fact that she called him his name did not bother him nearly as much as how she practically slammed the door behind her. A lot of people underestimated the prowess of Talia- and Nyssa for that matter- and ended up in the hospital dead or alive. There were only so many men and women on this planet that could match the two sisters separately and fewer that could face them alone. And it was almost impossible to actually sleep with them both. Though somehow, Bruce actually managed to do all three of the aforementioned things.
And Talia was far from forgetting his night with Nyssa in Metropolis.
[Star City, California]
[June 20, 13:00:45 PST]
How long did it take to set up a decent headquarters? Weeks. For a man with patience, said weeks seems like mere hours as their focus on the main goal somehow overrides the feeling of long grueling days. The excitement of having caught the objective in some elaborate trap makes even the most stoic of men giddy. But to catch a spider in a web? That almost made Slade have a mind orgasm.
Deathstroke now sat in the basement of an unused auto shop, staring at the many small televisions that displayed security footage of the entire city. His target was not just the Black Spider but Cheshire as well. Given her reputation, he knew she would be after him. It was only a matter of time until her pride got the best of her and she did something outrageously stupid. It was rare, though, that Cheshire would make a mistake and go after Slade so early with a fresh gun wound. But Slade knew what was fueling Cheshire wasn't revenge. It was love.
Yes, much like Jake did to protect her from whatever Ra's had planned, Cheshire would attempt to face Deathstroke in an attempt to stir him away from his true target. Of course, he could always just ignore her challenge and find Jake himself. But where was the fun in that?
"Mm! Mmph!" The muffled cry of the officer tied and gagged behind him on the floor reached Deathstroke's ears. There wasn't a real reason why the man was still alive and at the same time, there really wasn't one to kill him either. Ravager would have killed the man just because. Black Spider would have spared him for the same reason. Deathstroke was undecided.
"Yes, I know. It's marvelous, isn't it?" Slade comments as he turns his chair around to see the captured man. "Do you have children, Officer Grant?" The gagged man nods profusely. "Ah. Are they a bit… Disobedient?" The man now shakes his head. "Obedient children, eh? Well let's just say that I have a son who will be here soon. If he is able to realize that this is a trap and defeats me, then you get to live. If he or his partner wounds up failing… Well you get the picture."
The man began to cry silently. This angered Deathstroke for numerous reasons. Most importantly, Slade has been captured and tortured before. He has had his kids kidnapped from his home by his brother. Yet he never cried. He did what he had to do to make things right, and for what? Adeline left him. Jake disowns him. Rose dies. Tara betrays him. Dick defeats him. And Grant was never really in the picture.
Children.
Slade turned his attention back to the screens and smiles as he spots Cheshire stabbing an unfortunate security guard in an alley and then fleeing before his partner arrived.
"Eleven ninety-nine! I repeat, eleven ninety-nine! Officer is down! I need backup and ambulance ASAP!"
Slade sighs contently. "Ah, don't you just love the sound of a plan coming together?" The assassin stood up and put his mask on. "And now the hunt begins."
[Mia's Apartment: Star City, California]
[June 20, 13:26:03 PST]
The blonde sat in her apartment alone for the umpteenth time in her life. By now, loneliness wasn't even an issue anymore. The past was. The past was her only issue in life now. At the moment, the recent past was haunting her more and more.
Jason.
Jason Todd, formerly known as Robin and Red X, selflessly threw himself in front of Cheshire's blade in order for her to live. He even admitted that he didn't hate her before he passed.
And it was her fault.
Why? If she hadn't gone to find the bastard for revenge, Jason would not have been near Cheshire. They were told to patrol the other side of Gotham, and yet she chose to go to Parks Row, knowing the danger. Mia could have killed the man and she didn't because Jason told her to. He believed that she was a good person and so she let him live.
Walking to her cabinet she opened it to find some a few ramen cups there. Grabbing one she closed the cabinet and turned for the sink, only to see a visitor had somehow broken into her apartment.
"You!" Mia screams. Jake, as the Black Spider, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Wh-what do you want? I didn't kill him!"
"I used to live alone. It got lonely some nights, even with my co-workers and classmates." Jake said.
"What do you want?" Mia asked in desperation. She was sure that he would come to finish his mission and honestly didn't have enough will to even put up a half-decent fight.
"I want to apologize." Mia blinked. He sounded sincere and she knew that his skills could have her killed now if he wanted to. So maybe he wanted to apologize. "My partner got out of hand and I didn't let her in on our deal. Red X's death was my fault."
"Why…?" Mia couldn't even process the question she wanted to ask. She wanted to ask why he would spare her and Jason. This was a well-known assassin and the fact that Batman had given them a fight-if-must order (which normally means retreat until back-up arrives) only proves that.
Still, here he was in suit and apologizing.
"I'm a man of my word Mia. You didn't kill so I won't kill. That was our deal, right?" Jake's question was answered with a small nod. "I also said that I wanted you to grow. I can help with that."
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Mia's words sounded desperate, something that slightly irritated Jake but he did not show it.
Sighing, the Black Spider answers. "Because you remind me of myself somehow. The real me." Mia gave him a confused stare. "You want to figure out how you feel about your parents. They brought you into this world and then made you into what you are today. And you hate what you are today. And every picture of the past reminds you of what you really wanted all along… A normal life." Jake then pauses. "So you put on a suit, a mask. That'll stop everyone else from knowing. You do things to make sure that you are number one, the apex predator, and nothing less. It is the survival of the fittest after all, right? But deep down inside, you know that you're not on the top of the food chain just yet. There will always be someone there waiting to prey on you."
"How… How do you know these things?" Jake chuckled at her words, annoying the blonde. "It's not funny! I've never told anyone about how I felt! No one but Canary knows this stuff!"
"Like I said, we're more alike than you know." Jake stated before calmly walking towards her door. "I left you a gift on your bed. Use it if you want to contact me. Or you could use it to put me in a trap with the other members of your team. Either way, I will come."
"How do you know you can trust me?" questioned the teenager.
"I can't." was the man's simple response as he exits.
Mia stands against the counter on shaking legs. She didn't even know her legs were shaking until he left and her mind was able to process what was happening. There were not many people in the world that scared Mia this badly and some of them like the Joker were hardly considered human by some standards. The Black Spider scared her. He seemed to know a lot about her, more than anyone else outside of Oliver, who was her mentor and guardian. Worse, no one in the YJL or Justice League knows the full capabilities. Though Mia knew one thing. The Black Spider clearly out-matched her in almost every aspect of combat.
Then she realized his final words. There was something in her room.
Taking nervous steps to her small bedroom, Mia pondered what could it be. Surely he wasn't dumb enough to leave a traceable phone there, knowing that she could call him and have someone trace his location. Instead, what she finds is a small watch on the bed and an envelope. Further inspection, she saw a folded piece of paper beneath the watch.
She tapped the watch lightly. It wasn't rigged or anything, which was good. Mia lifted the watch to retrieve the letter beneath it. Unfolding it, she read it quietly.
In the beginning, no one knew who Mia Dearden was. She was just another girl on the street, prostituting to get a day's worth of meal. She was a fighter, another nameless soldier in the battle called life. Oliver Queen changed that when he made her into Speedy. He gave her the small hope that maybe she had what it took to survive.
Now, the Black Spider had just given her another great lesson in life in the letter.
"The greatest power of man isn't flight or immortality, it's self-control. For with great power there must also come great responsibility."
The letter seemed to reiterate what he had told her in the church, having the ability of restraint even when she could have killed the guy that pimped her out. She had the power to kill many people, and with that came the responsibility of knowing when and when not to do it.
Smiling at the note and picking up the envelope, she stared out of the window.
She was Mia Dearden. And thanks to the Black Spider, she would become an apex predator.
[Star City, California]
[June 20, 13:40:11 PST]
Roy grunts. There was a really good reason why Cheshire always came to him and not the other way around. He could never find her. She just popped up whenever she damn well pleased and it annoyed him. Now he was lost in his search- in his home town no less- and frustrated.
"Where is she?" The voice started Roy. He looked behind him to see the only other person in the alley with him.
"Dick? Is that you?" Roy questioned as the figure stepped closer.
"The name is Nightwing." The recent high school graduate said as he revealed his black suit with the red bird emblem on it. In his hands were two escrima sticks that unnerved Roy some more. "Where is Cheshire, Roy? I've already been by your apartment and I know she was there."
"I don't know where she is." Nightwing's left hand grazes the brick wall to his left, a spark coming from the escrima stick in hand. "What the hell is that? Are you trying to kill me?"
"That would be too easy." Dick's voice eerily seemed Batman-esque with more anger.
"Dick, look," Roy says as he steps towards the teen. "I don't know what she did to piss you off, but you need to calm down. You're starting to act like-"
Roy would never get to finish his statement as a spinning roundhouse kick had him lying on his back. He stared at Dick, wondering how the former leader of the Teen Titans could mask his movements like that.
"What were you going to say; Slade or Batman? Because either way, you're right. I am." The sticks in Dick's hands began to give off a charge as Roy stood up.
The redhead grabbed his bow and an arrow.
"Don't make me do this Dick. Just leave." Red Arrow threatens. "We're friends, remember? We started the Team together."
Nightwing's eyes narrowed with rage behind his mask.
"We were."
Those two words told Roy that nothing was going to get through to the teen except a well-timed punch to the face. Thankfully Roy had two operating fists to do that job. Unfortunately, this was not the same Dick Grayson that he fought during the Master of Games' tournament.
This was Nightwing.
[Star City General Hospital: Star City, California]
[June 20, 13:52:36 PST]
Artemis took in a deep breath.
"She's inside." The blonde said to her two teammates. "Any sign of Dick yet?"
"Nope, not yet." Wally responds. "Seriously, you'd think that finding him would be easy. It's the middle of the day! How hard can it be to find a nighttime vigilante?"
"Remember who you're talking about. If Dick doesn't want you to find him, you won't." came Cyborg's voice. "Did you check Roy's apartment?"
"Yeah. No one was there but I did find blood." Artemis could feel an uneasy feeling coursing through her veins. "I'm going to see if Speedy has seen or heard of anything."
Artemis sighs. "Yeah, do that. I'm going to go see if I can't get Cheshire out of there before they bring in the SWAT. The last thing the League needs is for us to botch a mission at a hospital filled with patients."
"I'll be there in ten. Don't engage Slade if you see him." Victor orders.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Artemis replies before turning off her ear piece. She looked at the aging commissioner again. "Commissioner Lance, we'll get Cheshire out without harming anyone."
"If that were true," an officer said. "Then why can't you guys stop Slingshot from killing us?"
Artemis stared at the man for a while. She could have told him that this was her first day back on the job and it was only temporarily as she had personal ties with Cheshire. Instead, she formed another response quickly to keep her personal business private.
"We're doing our best." Artemis said before walking towards the front doors. "My partner, Cyborg, will be here soon. Let him in."
"We'll give him twenty to get here and then another thirty to fix this." Commissioner Lance states.
"Should be taking orders from someone who makes our lives a living hell?" the same officer questioned.
Artemis doesn't answer and heads into the medical facility. She wanted to so badly remind them that the Watchtower was a giant gun aimed at the Earth, but knew the publicity that would come there. A part of her didn't care what the general public thought about the Justice League or their covert team. She was already someone normally under heavy scrutiny due to her parents. It wasn't like her saying this would change the thoughts of Huntress or Roy- who's opinion didn't matter anyway.
Artemis gripped her bow tightly, an arrow loaded for any unneeded surprise. She made her way to the front desk and peered behind it. Sure enough, there was a dead or dying woman there. Artemis was going to question why her sister did what she did until she looked closer at the woman. A bullet wound through the back of the neck.
That didn't sound like Cheshire at all.
Artemis stepped away and began heading towards the Queen Wing of the hospital. She wasn't the detective that Barbara or Dick was so she left the scene to the find the culprit. What she lacked in the detective department she more than made up for in her tracking. And judging by the spilled papers and small drops of blood, she was on the right track to find her sister or the mysterious killer also in the hospital.
"Target locked. Engaged." Artemis was confused when she turned around and saw a heavily armored masked man with an assault rifled pointed at her.
"What? Wait, who are you?" she asked as she pointed her loaded bow at the man.
"Taking ac- Agh!" Artemis's eyes widens when she sees the man's body convulse in front of her before collapsing onto the ground. She then saw the Black Spider reveal himself.
"Jake? What is this? Who are they?" Artemis questions.
"A private owned militia known as TYGER." His voice was quiet, gaining a confused yet anger glare from Artemis.
"Jake. What have you done? Do you know these guys?" Strange, all these years separated and she now felt as if she knew him better. After tales that Dick had told her that occurred during their school year together, Artemis thought that she was better suited for him.
But Jake would always have his secrets, she supposed. Even from her.
"The man that runs them is named William Wintergreen. I have never met him personally but after digging around, I found out that he was a friend of the family a long time ago." Jake pauses. "And by that, I meant my parents knew him. He and my dad fought in the Vietnam War together and he was apparently there at their wedding. Their best man, if I remember my mom's notes correctly."
"So why are his men armed and trying to kill me?"
"They are armed," Jake answers before picking the gun up and disassembling it. "Through Cross Enterprises." Now the confusion left Artemis's face and all that was left was her anger. "They are after you, and Jade for that matter, for reasons I don't know."
"You don't?" she was skeptical for a reason.
"Have I mentioned that I love a woman in uniform?" The statement successfully threw Artemis for a proverbial loop. Worst, Jake just sits the disassembled weapon on the ground and begins to walk off. "Coming?"
Artemis followed Jake down the wide hall. She saw him apparently scanning the walls and doors, possibly with some sort of enhanced vision granted by his mask. Her eyes then scanned the man in front of her and she hated the thought that came with that. Even in a full body-suit he was attractive while displaying nothing but his muscle definition. And while he was nowhere near the size of Bane, he was still quite toned.
More than Wally, a small voice in the back of her head. She immediately silenced that voice, though said voice seemed to be stronger as her eyes went from his shoulders, trailing down his back, and then…
"I can see that." Artemis actually jumped at Jake's voice. He looked at her over his shoulder. "And if you wanted to cop a peek, all you had to do was ask."
"I wasn't staring at you!" Artemis argues though her blush pretty much countered her anger. "Just find my sister."
"I…" Jake stops and groans. "Oh give me a break."
"What?" Artemis questions before stepping beside him. There in the hall were three mentally ill patients staring at the two strangely. "Okay…"
"Don't do it. Don't do it. Please don't do it." Jake repeated before one of the three men in hospital gowns charged at him.
Artemis was going to knock the man out, only for Jake to trip the deranged guy and wrap him in a cocoon of black webs. The second man charged for the Spider, this one being thrown to the ceiling by the robotic legs sprouting from Ben and being webbed there. The third came just a recklessly at the assassin and was subdued against a wall in a similar fashion as the other two.
"Show off." Ben muttered. "We could've just used the sedation."
Jake smirks beneath his mask before looking at Artemis's slightly amused face.
"Well? Are you coming?" Artemis only shakes her head and takes the lead this time. "What?"
"You move good for a dead guy." Artemis jokes.
"I look better." Jake replies in the same joking tone
It was odd to her that he had somehow caught up to her and was now walking side-by-side with her, much like they did at school. The difference was the bow she kept in her hand and how his hands apparently had no intention of touching her whatsoever. At one point of time, he would put his arm around her shoulders and she would wholeheartedly allow him to keep it there. From time to time said arm would be around her waist.
Now they stayed idle at his side.
"Alright," Jake said as they came to a split. "Take the left. I'll take the right. And Artemis," Artemis looked at his masked facial expression. "Be careful. My dad is in here and rumor is he wants to kill your sister."
"Why?" Artemis asked.
Jake shrugs. "Apparently Jade was the leak in the League. She was telling things to Red Arrow." Jake spots Artemis's quiet gulp. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"
"I…" Jake turned. "Listen to me! I didn't know how you would react if I told you!" Jake paused in his depart and glared through his mask. "Do you remember what you did to me when I shot her?" Now Jake slumps a bit. That was one of the moments he wishes he could take back if he could. "I just wanted to protect my sister. I knew you wouldn't like it and that you would do something. Roy would probably deserve whatever you give him, but Jade…"
Jake just stared at her for a moment. He really couldn't blame her for wanting to protect Jade. Jade had done the same thing years ago when she made Jake promise that no matter what happened to Artemis, she lived their missions.
"Be careful Goddess." Jake said.
Artemis mutters a quiet "You too" before heading down the opposite corridor. She knew that something was bothering him, but didn't want to push the subject at the moment. At the moment, Wally and Artemis were happy together. The last thing she wanted to do was threaten said happiness with her worry over her undead ex. Besides, now she had to find her sister before Dick- or worse Slade- did.
[Star City, California]
[June 20, 14:09:38 PST]
"Roy!" Wally called as he knelt beside the bloodied Red Arrow. "What the hell happen? Did you face Deathstroke by yourself?"
"No." Roy said as he attempts to sit up. "Fuck man! This was Dick!"
"No…"
It wasn't hard to believe really. Wally and Roy had seen Dick at his worst before prior to joining the Team. There was his obsession to win, his obsession to beat Slade, and his obsession with catching Red X. The only thing different between now and then was the skills that Dick possessed. Dick had now spent months with the True Master. He had moves that none of them have seen or analyzed.
"He's going after Cheshire." Roy grunts again. "You have to stop him."
"Vic and Artemis are there. They'll stop him. For now, I need to get you to the hospital." Wally said.
"No! No hospitals." Roy responded. "Just take me back to my apartment. I have a first aid kit there. It'll do." Wally sighs. "Come on man. Besides, we both know that my body wouldn't last super speed right now. Not with these wounds."
"So you want me to carry you at normal speeds? Not going to happen." Wally replied. "But we'll go to your place. It's closer." Wally then squats next to Red Arrow and speaks quieter. "Did you really screw Cheshire?"
"Are you really asking that now?" The redhead speedster just shrugs his shoulder.
"I think we've all thought about it." Wally states, causing Roy to sigh heavily. "Alright, alright, touchy subject. Still, if you did and she didn't slice of your you-know, good for you."
"The friends I have…" Roy mumbles. "Let's just hope that Dick hasn't gone completely insane."
"Let's pray."
[Star City General Hospital: Star City, California]
[June 20, 14:16:03 PST]
The last TYGER guard fell onto the floor as the two long-time rivals faced one another. For Dick, he didn't know who the Black Spider was and he didn't need to know the man behind the mask. The Spider was an accomplice in Jason's murder. Therefore he had to pay as well. Jake, on the other hand, knew who Dick was almost the second their eyes met. A part of him wanted to tell Dick who he was, but chose against it. He would be damned if his birdbrain nemesis held back like their last time.
"Where's your partner?" Nightwing asked angrily. Jake simply shrugged his shoulders. "If that's how you're going to play it, then so be it. I will get my answers from you one way or another!"
Jake smirked beneath his mask before eying the two electric-charged escrima sticks in Nightwing's hands. This would be interesting.
The two men walked towards one another, their pace quickening until it was a light jog. And once Dick saw that he was in striking range, he struck first. Jake did his best not to be hit by the electrocuting sticks in Nightwing's hands. While his suit could probably take the shock, his goal was not to show that he was invincible, it was to show that he was untouchable. His fight with Slade taught him that he still had a while to go before he could become completely untouchable.
And he was nearly untouchable until Dick through a swift kick into his gut.
"Told you." Ben chides to his wearer, having warned Jake of Dick's educated feet before the two even fought.
Nightwing takes the offensive now, landing strikes with his two charged weapons. His hand movements were like a blur, each hit landing harder than the last. A well timed blow across the Black Spider's masked face caused him to stumble backwards and trip over a downed TYGER guard.
"I'll give you one more chance." Nightwing said.
Jake rolls onto his feet and grins. Sure, he was hurt from the impromptu beat down but he had been hit harder by guys of all shapes and sizes, one who wasn't even born yet. He wanted to see this side of Dick as Dick didn't show it during their final battle years ago.
Now it was time to retaliate.
Nightwing was shocked and pissed when the Spider stood straight up calmly and taunted Dick with a "bring it" jester with his hands. This got Nightwing angry and he reckless charged at his opponent. But every strike, every blow, and every move Dick made was either blocked or completely dodged by his opponent. It was irritating though it gave Dick more than enough to evaluate this man. And his evaluation was rather simple.
Black Spider must be placed on Justice League radar. There was no way a group of kids- without the help of the order members mind you- could take down this man.
An uppercut met its mark on Nightwing's chin, dazing him long enough for the following haymaker to knock him stumbling backwards. Boxing was never Jake's strong suit but he liked the sport. Lady Shiva also had a small dislike for the rather simple yet effective style of fighting. But Jake could not deny that knowing how to box helped in situations like this one.
"Danger detected." Despite Ben's danger radar going off since arriving in Star City, it was the first time since arrival that Jake listened. And he did in time as he drops to the ground, flattening his body as much as possible to allow the grappling hook latch onto Nightwing.
"Aah!" Dick shouted in pain before spotting Slade's foot closing in on Dick's face at a high speed.
Deathstroke wouldn't get the chance to land a knockout blow on the newly named vigilante as Jake, after waiting for his father to go by him, pulled Deathstroke back with a web. The three men glared at one another as Deathstroke took out his two blades.
"This hallway really isn't big enough for the three of us." spoke the elder of the three. "Fortunately for you two, we're already at a hospital."
"I don't have time for this!" Nightwing shouts while holding his bleeding left arm. "Where's Cheshire?"
"Isn't that weird? We're all here for the same girl." Slade answers. "Funny. The last I saw her, she was having sex with the former Speedy. Red Arrow, I believe."
"She isn't with him. I checked." Dick hissed.
"Really? Jake's eyes narrowed as his father pulled out a small device. "Then what does this look like to you?"
Jake saw Slade slide the device towards Nightwing. Even without his suit he could hear the moans and grunts coming from the video and saw Nightwing's face twist with disgust. Jake could feel his fists clenching while glaring at his father.
This was Slade's plan. Jake originally thought his father would drag out killing Jade in order for Jake to come running to her rescue, thus springing the trap. But no. Slade had an entirely different game plan.
And it was working.
"I'm done with this." Dick says tossing the device back to Slade. Deathstroke catches the device and turns to Jake.
"Did you want to see it too? As the League of Assassins' newest hired gun, I figured you'd like to find a way to smoke Cheshire out as well." Nightwing stares at the black-suited man in confusion.
"Wait, you're here to kill Cheshire as well?" Jake slowly nods, his anger somehow still rising inside of him. "She's your partner."
There was silence as Jake closed his eyes and loosened his neck with a satisfying pop. His dad forced him down here to show him that stupid tape. And in the event that Slade did not kill Jade, Jake surely would after realizing that she was indeed sleeping with Roy Harper. Just the thoughts that that bastard touched Jade angered Jake to no end.
Was this her way at getting back at him for dating Artemis?
Slade looked behind Nightwing and saw TYGER guards coming before looking behind Black Spider and seeing the same thing. Being in a hallway with both exits covered by armored men was not in his original plans but he had to see something. With Jake's anger fueled by betrayal and revenge, his son should at least maim most of them.
"Smoke ready." Ben said to his wearer.
Deathstroke and Nightwing braced themselves as the Black Spider covered the area in a thick cloud of smoke, both moving only when they knew that their moves were hidden. They had to move fast as there was a high chance that these men had some form of infrared/thermal vision.
The smoke cleared to show Nightwing at one end, his escrima sticks in hands as he stood over four down men. On the other end was Deathstroke with one blade embedded in one of the guards while five more lay slain around him. The two turned to see an open vent in the ceiling.
"He's going after girl." Deathstroke said. "It might be best if we worked together as I need her alive for my payer."
"…" Nightwing stood quietly. While he was different now, this was still Slade. The same bastard that had attempted to kill his teammates in order to get Dick to work for him. "No deal."
Slade was now amused. "You want to do this now?"
"Might as well."
Dick knew that fighting with anger and vengeance was not always the best thing to do, but his adrenaline was pumping too much for him to face Cheshire now. If he did, he would most likely kill her. Why not take some aggression out on a guy that would heal from most wounds?
[Star City General Hospital: Star City, California]
[June 20, 14:28:19 PST]
Artemis had never seen Jade defenseless. Her sister would never show weakness, not even when they were children. But now Jade was helpless as she stared up at Artemis. Of course, past demons resurfaced in Artemis's mind and she realized that she could at least get even with for all the hell Jade has put her through during the past three years.
As for Jade, she wanted to be put out of her misery. She has come to realize that Slade had done something to her- a poison of some sort- and it was progressing through her body quite rapidly now. She had reopened her bullet wound and was having trouble stopping the bleeding. And now her kid sister was staring at her as if she wanted to an arrow through her head. Jade wouldn't blame her. It wasn't Artemis's fault that Jake got that stupid mission years ago which was now one of their biggest problems.
"You come to kill me too?" Cheshire questioned.
"I have to hide you somewhere so Jake can get you out of here." Artemis answered.
Jade's eyes widened. "Jake's here?" Without her mask on, Jade's worry was clearly seen by her sister who just nods in confusion. "Fuck."
"What's going on Jade?" Artemis asks, lowering her bow down as she does so. "Why are you so mad about him being here?"
It was odd, but Jade just laughs. A low chuckle at first that soon became a loud fit of laughter. Her right arm crosses over her stomach to stop the pain, but it failed to even soothe it. Still she laughed though and it was scaring Artemis.
"Does it even matter?" Jade asked with mirth. "Deathstroke. Roy. Jake. Dick. Hell, even you. One of you will probably kill me today."
"I'm not going to let that happen." Artemis told her sister. "So let's get you patched up and-"
"You fucking idiot! You don't know anything!" Jade's outburst was rid of all happiness and replaced with rage. "When he finds out that I was… I should've told him."
A heavy footstep caused Artemis to look to her right and see Cyborg coming towards her.
"Shit, Cyborg." Jade didn't like her sister's words and pulled herself up off the floor with the use of the hospital bed behind her. "Get out of here Jade."
"You found your sister?" Cyborg asked, not hearing Artemis's last words. He looks into the room and sees the bruised and battered mask-less Cheshire. "Oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about. So how are we going to do this Cheshire? The easy way," Cyborg held his right arm towards Cheshire, it changing into his famed sonic cannon. "Or are things going to get loud in here?"
Giving up was never Jade's forte and the two sisters knew that. Artemis understood that she could somehow subdue Jade and Victor would just take her to the cops outside. But if Jade engaged Cyborg now, she just might die.
That was until a black web latched onto Cyborg's right shoulder and jerked the man completely off of his feet. Artemis watched in awe as Cyborg's body flew towards the revealed Black Spider where the older man was punched by the angered assassin. But Jake was not done. In a fury, he slung Cyborg against a wall where he began to repeated kick the cybernetic abdomen of the larger man. With the suit enhancing his speed and strength, all Jake had to do was ignore the backlash that came from kicking such a sturdy metal repeatedly.
"That's enough!" Artemis calls.
Cyborg was able to push Jake off of him and aimed his sonic cannon at him. Jake knew from a long time ago that not everyone could out speed a blast made from sonic airwaves. As Red X he simply teleported out of harm's way. As the Black Spider, he had to keep moving in a sporadic fashion in order to dodge.
"Hold still!" Cyborg calls as he tried to lock onto his target. Unfortunately, the Spider was able to close the distance between the two and he was forced revert his hand back to itself. "You won't escape this time!"
Jake side-steps Cyborg's right punch and in a display of complete horror (to Artemis that is) he sliced Victor's hand completely from the wrist with one of his blades
"Ahh!" Cyborg shouts in pain while his sliced circuits spark and crackle with his hand on the ground.
Jake grabs the larger man and slings him to the opposite wall where he begins firing one web shot after another. Soon Cyborg was completely trapped against the wall covered in the black sticky web.
Jake fired a web from each hand that stuck onto Cyborg's face, an electric current shocking the half-man painfully. Victor's screams of agony rang throughout the halls as Jake began to step backwards. Artemis glanced at Jade, who had simply stared at the ground. Obviously this was what Jade was trying to avoid.
Artemis then looks at Jake one final time.
"Please… Stop…" Her words were met when Jake slings himself towards the paralyzed Cyborg, landing a missile drop-kick that knocked the larger Victor Stone through the wall he was stuck to. "Damn it Jake."
Jake saw his opponent knocked out and looked around. He was in another hospital room, a teen around seventeen lying in bed, cowering.
"Wh-who are you?" the boy asked.
"…" Jake looked at his foe again before eying the boy. "Justice in its most chaotic form."
"But he's Cyborg! He's a hero!" Jake quickly leapt into the air and landed on the bed, standing over the cowering boy.
"And to the remaining families and loved ones that watched their friends and family members die in a building the Teen Titans were supposed to protect," Jake returned. "I am a hero."
"You're… You're evil!" Jake paused in his exit and glared at the teen.
"I did that for a reason! My younger sister died in that building!" The teen flinched with each word that came from Jake's mouth. Jake took in a deep breath to calm down. "I'm not here to kill him or you. I'm not here to rob the hospital of any finances or turn the power off so no one has help. That would be evil. The Joker is evil. I just have a different view of the law."
"But that's… That's anarchy." Jake snorts.
"Democracy and its heroes are overrated." Jake said. "If you want some advice kid, get better and make sure that you never initiate the first blow, but never take the final one either. Because heroes won't always save you and some day you may run into someone truly evil. Then again, you're not that important, are you? You die, they'll just throw the sick bastard in some asylum until he either becomes 'sane' or he breaks out."
The boy drops his head, realizing that his paralysis was an example of this. He was recently one of the victims that survived Slingshot's attacks. Slingshot was not caught yet and his mother was doing all she could to pay all of his medical bills.
"Stay safe kid." Jake said as he went to leave again.
"Lonnie." The boy said. "My name is Lonnie Machin."
Jake only nods before leaving through the large hole in Lonnie's room. He stepped into the hall to see Artemis's look of worry and disapproval. He didn't necessarily care. He just stepped by her into Jade's room.
"Jake…" Cheshire begins.
Webbing her mask into his hand, he places it on her, covering her bruised face. Artemis gasps loudly when the four spider-legs shot from Ben and wrapped around Jade's body and lifts her. She was actually afraid for her sister's life, but could not take a shot that would harm Jake at the same time.
"Is that okay?" Jake asks when Jade is placed on his back, the four "legs" of Ben keeping her safely strapped there.
"Yeah." she answers quietly.
After giving Ben the mental command to start his plane up, Jake looks at Artemis over his shoulder.
"You should go help your friend." Black Spider spoke. "We'll talk later."
"Don't," Artemis begins. "Don't hurt her Jake. Please."
A few gunshots caused the three to tense.
"My dad and Nightwing. You should go." Jake said. "Jade, hang on."
With that, the assassin crashed through the window out of the room, falling towards the ground below. The crowd that had formed around the hospital watched in awe as the Black Spider swung away with Cheshire safely strapped on his back. None of them could make heads or tails about what had taken place inside, though another set of gunshots told them that it was not over yet.
"What in the hell?" Commissioner Lance questions as he watches the figure swinging away leave.
[Gotham City, New Jersey]
[June 20, 19:29:03 EST]
Jake's anger was not said or seen. It was felt. Jade could see the calm rage on his face as she had seen on Slade's not even a full day ago. It startled her and not in a good way. Even though he had tended to every wound that he possibly could, he was pissed at her and she knew it.
"So you brought her in alive? Good." Ra's comments. "That way we can teach her a valuable lesson about respecting the League."
Jake said nothing, holding a folder of some kind as he stood in shirt and jeans. Ben was strapped to his back but inactive while Jade was still in her ripped and bloodied Cheshire uniform. Jake had taken his partner to Ra's who stood with his daughters at his side, Ubu behind him, and four other masked assassins all waiting to have a piece of Jade.
"Take her." Ra's order was subtle yet firm. One of the masked men that stood at Nyssa's left made a move to grab Jade. However, once he was in arm's reach, Jake quickly grabbed the man's right wrist and held it tightly. "Jake, what are you doing?"
"She leaves with me." Jade had never heard Jake give an order to Ra's before. Nyssa and Talia were one thing, but not Ra's al Ghul. No one ordered that old man to do anything.
"She's coming with us." Nyssa orders as she pulls out a handgun. "That's my only warning."
It was eerie how the Black Spider suit activated and Jade found herself taking a small step backwards. One of the robotic legs sprouted from Jake's back and went around the man's waist. With a simple flick, the assassin was thrown somewhere to Jake's left, no one keeping track of where his body crashed.
"She leaves with me." Jake repeated. "Or does anyone else want to try it?"
"You arrogant little-"
Nyssa was stopped when Ra's raised his hand, hushing her. He then made eye contact with Ubu and silently commanded them to attack Jake. The large man grunted, not really wanting to be pit against the Heir of the Demon, but attacked nonetheless.
But Jake was not in the mood.
Jake waited for Ubu to strike before sidestepping and kicking the muscular man in his stomach. Ubu hunched over as the suit-empowered kick did more damage than he thought. Jake did not relent, grabbing the sides of Ubu's head and driving the guard's face into his rising knee. Ra's watched as Ubu's unconscious body hit the floor, the three masked assassins gulping silently.
They were next and they knew it.
"What's in your hand?" Talia spoke up. Unlike her sister, she had yet to grab her treasured weapon and wanted to calm the young man as quickly as possible.
"Cadmus," Jake said dropping the folder onto Ubu's back. "Has been doing experiments on us. Heroes and assassins alike." Ra's frowns. With Lex now in control of Cadmus, there should be no such experiments on Ra's men and women without Ra's approval. "I sent Cheshire to get information about it."
"And did she?" Ra's questions.
"You can find out for yourself." Jake answered. "But our cover was blown when you decided to let Vandal Savage send my father out to get her. Now that Roy Harper's clone suspects Cheshire of foul-play, I doubt he'll trust her again."
Talia stepped towards Jake. "You sent her to get information from Red Arrow? That doesn't seem right."
Jake deactivated his suit.
"When we learned that he was a clone years ago," Jake said. "We realized that Cadmus wouldn't stop there. Then again, why clone the sidekick of Green Arrow? There are Batmen. Supermen. Possibly copies of me and Cheshire." Jake paused as Talia reached for the information on Ubu's body. "We came to a dead end before I died when Queen Bee brainwashed most of you. Since then, I figured it was all lost until she told me differently. Apparently Cadmus is hiring hired-guns to keep people like us and the Justice League out. Thanks to Cheshire 'betraying us' they were going to hire her."
"Until you had to move in a save her." Ra's finished, piecing it together. "You should've come to me with this information. If Lex thinks that he can form the perfect assassin through mere science, then-"
"Who's to say he hasn't already done so?" Jake interrupted with a hiss. "And I would've been able to stay a step ahead of him if you guys didn't fuck this up for us."
Ra's had dealt with Jake's anger during his training and knew how stubborn he got. So to avoid another long argument with someone who he still saw as an adolescent, he merely waved him off.
"Go and heal up. We will have to convene with the Light soon." Ra's said.
Jake nods. "I'll be there." Jake then looks at Talia, who was reading through the files presented to her. "Things highlighted are projects that have been completed but unaccounted for. You'll find that there are plenty of them."
"Lex is trying to clone everyone?" Nyssa asked more to her sister than Jake.
"Lex," Talia answers. "Is building an army."
As the two sisters began to discuss the information given to them, Jake led Jade away. She was still cautious about the entire ordeal and looked around for any surprise attacks. Instead the two made it out alive and arrived to Jake's motorcycle.
"You didn't have to do that." Jade said quietly.
"I know." Jake answered as he mounted the bike. "Come on. We have a lot to talk about." Jake saw her stare at him hesitantly. "I'm not asking here. We have a lot to talk about."
"I'll take my chances with them." Jade said.
Jake glares at her. "Get on the damn bike." Jade stares at him for a moment before slowing doing what she was told. "And before you ask, I want hurt you or Roy. Not now at least. I just want to talk."
Cheshire's arms go around his waist. "Sure, partner."
She waited for his response as it would tell her just how deep in shit she really was. Thankfully he chuckles before putting his helmet on.
"Let's get out of here Sunshine."
It wasn't the partner response she was fishing for, but still a nickname that had somehow became akin to a pet-name from him to her. As he started the motorcycle up and raced off, she simply held on tighter. Did he love her? Probably not. Or should she say, not as much as he did Artemis. But she did answer her earlier questions on if he truly felt something for her.
Jake felt Jade's face against his back and while his mind went to a completely different subject. He wondered if Dick actually defeated his dad or vice versa. He wondered if Artemis told them that it was Jake in the Black Spider suit or not. Most importantly he wondered where Raven had gone to.
It was time to go on another witch hunt.
Author's Notes: So here is the latest news in the AuDC Production world. First and foremost, you just saw the making of one of the upcoming foes in the story. I'm sure you caught it. If not, just re-read and pay close attention to who Jake talks to. Also the debut of the newer AuDC Nightwing! Because this chapter (this arc really) wasn't designed for many fights, Nightwing's full abilities won't be seen for a while. And to be clear, Deathstroke's plan was never to fight Jake. It was to get Jake pissed enough to kill/maim Roy and/or Jade. Won't reveal if he succeeds or not. Moving on, there will be another showcase one-shot (much like Phoenix) this one foreshadowing an important character who I said wouldn't be relevant for a while. Her name is Lian. So tomorrow or Monday look out for her futuristic one-shot that not only involves her but Aliyah and Ivan. While I will say that there is a connection between them, I won't tell what that connection is but it will be reveal in a day or two. I promise. I will be doing more of these one-shots over time to further explain the backstory of the characters as this is AU and changes some of the history of some of the characters that you're used to. The two that I'm working on now- as Lian's is done- is Beast Boy's (because BB is awesome and somewhat underrated) and one about the dynamics between Batman, Bane, and the League of Assassins. Finally because next chapter is the last chapter of the TYL Arc (finally!) it will also be our favorite ask and be answered chapter. Therefore, any and all comments and questions will be answered or responded to. Hopefully before July the New World Arc will have its first chapter up but we'll see. My summer schedule is hectic right now. So leave a PM or review for any thoughts, comments, or questions you might have and leave you to enjoy the rest of your day. Next time, Jake and Kaldur searches for Raven and you'll see three slightly comical characters from the TT series. Till next time.
