A/N: Another couple of days, and I already have the next installment ready to rock. I'm on a roll with this one boys and girls.
Incase most of you haven't noticed yet, I made a couple alterations to the beginning of the previous chapter in order to make more sense for this one. You're more than free to go back and see for yourself so that you aren't thrown off when you reach the point in this chapter where that last one had started.
Anyway, a lot of fighting in this chapter. And I think a few of you have been waiting to see the mystery villain behind the bombings. So here we go again!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Her vision was blurred, ears ringing loudly as she slowly came back to consciousness. Bright lights buzzed just above her head making it hard to make anything else out, she tried to move, but everything hurt.
Turning her head to the side, she could just make out someone standing off to the side looking at something. It looked like Hank. She tried to speak, but a soft groan came out instead attracting the man's attention.
Her head swam again and she felt herself slipping away, but before she did, she thought she saw the Director's eyes glowing red...
X
Kara awoke with a jolt, taking in a deep gasp of air. Blue eyes searching all over as she tried to figure out where she was and what happened. Memories slowly started coming back to her. Getting the bomb from Lord Technologies, taking it outside the city...an explosion...then nothing.
"That was some fall you took." she twisted her head to the side and found Hank standing over her. She looked around at the strange table that she had woken up on, all metal with strange yellow lights that shined brightly down on her.
The lamps on the side lifted up and Kara attempted to sit upward, but swayed when her body ached and a sense of vertigo settled in. "Easy," the Director said as the heroine managed to sit on the edge of the table. "You're at the DEO, a rescue crew fished you out of the ocean."
"What...What is this thing?" the kryptonian asked, referring to the strange bed she was sitting on.
Hank motioned to the lights, "Concentrated solar waves, mimics our yellow sun and helps recharge your kryptonian cells. It's something we've had in the works since you joined the agency."
Kara grunted as she managed to get to her feet, just in time for Alex and Matt to come jogging into the room. "Kara!" her sister exclaimed before wrapping her in a firm, but gentle, embrace. "Are you okay?"
She nodded and looked at Matt who looked just as relieved to see her alright and standing upright. "You scared the hell out of us back there." he said before pulling her into a hug as well. "Glad to see you in one piece."
The heroine smiled as she hugged him back, stepping back and looking at the Director. "Thanks for the help, boss."
Hank nodded, "If I'd let you drown I wouldn't hear the end of it from her." he said motioning to Alex before heading out into the op center.
Looking back to the other two that were with her, something clicked with Kara. "Carter. Where is-"
"Winn's looking after him." Matt said, calming her down. "When Alex called and told me that the bomb pretty much blew up in your face I thought the worst. So I got here as fast as I could swing."
"Pretty sure you broke a speed record with how we were moving." Toxin commented, but was ignored.
"We found evidence that could point us to who the bomber is." said Alex, "If you're up for it..."
Kara nodded, her body already on the fast track back to full health thanks to her biology and the yellow sun lamps. The trio headed out into the op center where Hank was already there waiting for them. "We got a shot of the bomber from a security camera back at Max's lab." he said motioning to one of the screens infront of him. An image of a man in his late 30's to early 40's with sandy colored hair and beard appeared.
"Facial recognition came up with a match," the Director continued. "His name is Ethan Knox. Worked for the first lab that was attacked, fired six months ago when his work became erratic. His family reported him missing two weeks ago."
"Doesn't look like the mad bomber type." Matt said, reviewing the image and the data with it.
"But he does have the know how in building the explosives. And with his work history, he'd know where to get the resources." said Hank.
"Where do we find him?" asked Kara.
Alex looked at her incrudensiously, "We? A fall from the height you endured would have rattled your cousin. You are staying home."
"There is a literal mad bomber out there!" the heroine stated firmly, "And I have to get back to work. I'm supposed to be babysitting and I can't afford to have-"
"Kara!" Alex said loudly, making her adopted sister spin around to face her, "Maybe you're spreading yourself too thin. You're trying to be Supergirl, and Cat's assistant, and a DEO agent on top of it all. At some point, even the girl of steel might break."
"She's got a point, Kara." said Matt, joining the conversation. "We all have limits, don't stretch yourself out to the point of running yourself down."
Looking from her sister to her friend, the heroine tried to think of a way to combat their arguments. "What about the bomber? I can't just sit by while you guys put yourselves at risk."
"I'll handle things on the DEO's end, you head back to CatCo and keep Carter company." said the spider-hero. "If there's a situation none of us can handle, we'll call. Okay?"
Kara looked ready to argue, but she saw the look Alex was giving her and knew that she wouldn't be getting anywhere. "Fine." she said begrudgingly, "But my phone will be on, and you better call me if I'm needed."
She turned and made her way for the exit, intending on heading back to the office and quickly. Back in the op center, Alex turned to Matt. "Thanks, for helping make her see reason. She's always had this habit of taking on more than she can handle. And with what's happened today, I'm worried she's going to end up burning herself out."
Matt nodded, "I went through something similar. Going through college, work, a personal life and the superhero gig, it's a lot to take on for one person. I think stubborness is a power all heroes get when they come into their abilities."
"Does it get easier?" the older Danvers asked.
"My situation is pretty flexable now, but depending on how a hero prioritises it does get easier over time. Kara's still learning that, and she will wear herself down from time to time, it's inevitable I'm afraid." he turned and smiled at her, "But that's why she has us, people she can come to when it does get too much. And we'll help her in anyway we can."
Alex smiled back at him as they headed back to where Hank was standing to plan their next move in finding the bomber before he struck again.
X
After making sure that Carter was okay, and taking a few minutes to get him lunch, Kara came back to the office. Her mind going in several different directions as she tried to look and act as 'normal' as possible despite the situation.
She wanted to be out there, helping find Knox and put an end to the bombings before they got any worse. But at the same time she made a promise to Cat to keep an eye on her son while she was gone, and with things getting worse with the recent attacks, it was getting harder and harder to stay on task with anything.
"Maybe Alex and Matt are right, maybe I am stretching myself thin..." she couldn't help but think as she made her way back toward Cat's office where Carter and Winn were still playing video games.
"Hay, Kara! Got a minute?" she looked up and saw James waving her down from his office. With food for her charge still in hand, Kara turned and headed his way to see what was up.
Though, given the encounter she had with his ex, Lucy, at Noonans, she hoped that things went bit smoother.
"What's up?" she asked, setting what she was carrying on the desk.
"We've got one live camera on Lord's new train station, and I just wanted to make sure that all of our reporters have the proper press credentials." James said going through files on his computer regarding the opening event going on that night.
Kara groaned internally, marking off another thing she overlooked during her hecktic day. "Right. I meant to double check that. And I will, right after I give Carter his lunch." she said motioning to the food she bought.
James looked at her flustered expression and knew right away that she wasn having a rough time, "Nah, it's cool. You got your hands full, I can handle this."
The heroine sighed, thinking back to the earlier discussion the photo journalist tried to have with her regarding his ex and the issues he was having and how she just blew him off. "Look, James," she said getting his attention again, "I'm really sorry about earlier, about cutting you off when you were talking about Lucy."
The man shook his head, "No. No, you were right. Besides, you're just really easy to talk to sometimes it's hard not too." he said, getting up and putting various documents together.
Kara bit her lip, promising herself before not to get involved with her friend's past relationship...but her good nature managed to win out in the end against her better judgement.
"Apparently, Lucy feels the same way." she said making James stop what he was doing. "We ran into each other at Noonan's."
"And she talked to you about me?" asked James.
"She still loves you." Kara saw him about to argue and cut him off before he had a chance to, "She ended your relationship because she felt that you were putting Superman before her. She was tired of coming in second." she watched her friend sit down on his desk top, his face reflecting realization and regret all at once as the words sunk in.
"Look, I don't know anything about romantic love." Kara pressed on, "I...I have not had the best luck with it. But...if I ever really had it? I think I'd fight for it."
"I've...already put that behind me, Kara." James said, stumbling to find the words. "I don't wanna go back there and do that again."
The heroine shrugged, "Who does? But, are you really ready to move on? Because if you're not, then that might not be fair."
"Fair for who?" asked the journalist perplexed.
"For you, and whoever else comes along in your life...and certainly not for Lucy. She's willing to keep fighting for what you had. If there is even a small part of you that misses her, then you should give it a chance. If not...let her know. Don't leave her hanging for something that's not there anymore."
James slumped a little more, his mind turning over what Kara had told him. He still needed to think more on this before making any sort of move, but at least he had something to think on now. "Thanks, Kara. It means alot, you trying to help me with all this."
Kara smiled, "That's what friends are for, James." she adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat, "Carter's lunch is getting cold, I'd better get this to him." she said picking up the take out again, "I'll make sure those credentials are ready." she called over her shoulder as she made for Cat's office again.
Watching her leave, James couldn't help but think back on what she had said about not having luck with romantic love. Yet he and everyone that knew her could see how close she was getting to Matt, in and out of costume.
Ever since the spider-hero had arrived Kara always seemed to have this glow about here whenever they were in the same room. Her smile would always be brighter when she saw him step off the elevator, and she would always blush whenever he complimented her on how she looked.
He may only have known the younger man for a short time, and just barely learning about who he was and a bit of his past, but James trusted him. More so, he trusted him around Kara. Which helped a great deal when he messaged Clark from time to time about the on goings on in National City.
"Kid better not break her heart." James said softly to himself, careful so that Kara wouldn't pick it up from the other side of the bullpen. "Hero from another world or not, Clark will send him on a one way trip to Rao."
Gathering up the documents he'd been looking over, he glanced back at his computer that showed a live feed of the train terminal that would unveil the new bullet train Lord would be unveiling to the public in a few hours.
X
In another location, the same footage was being played on another computer with two men watching it.
"Is everything ready?" asked the one in the mask.
The other man, who in the light of the small screen was revealed to be Ethan Knox, nodded slowly. "Everything...Everything's in place." he said sounding defeated and tired.
"Good, then it's time to move onto the next step." the other man turned and started making his way out of the room.
"W-What about the people on the train?!" Knox called out, making the man stop. "If the bomb goes off, there's no telling the loss of life it'll cause. This...this isn't-" whatever would have been said next was cut off by a strangled gasp as the ex-Lord employee found his throat encased in and iron-like grip.
"You're objections on the matter are noted, Mr. Knox." the masked man said coldly. "Now. Do as instructed...or I'll be paying a visit to your family once I dispose of you."
Knox felt his blood freeze before he was thrown to the floor, gasping for air and realizing that he had no choice but to do as told...
X
The rest of the day passed well into the night with no luck in finding Knox, even after checking every possible angle on where the ex-Lord employee could have either been hiding or where he was planning to hit next.
But it was like trying to find a needle in a hay-field, and there were no leads since the man had been in the wind for two weeks. What they could find was being searched, and so far it was taking them no where.
Matt swung off the webline he'd been on and landed on the edge of a tall building in a crouch. Pressing his earpiece through his mask. "Got nothing on this end. Kara?"
"Nothing here either...Alex?"
"No sign of Knox. But we've just gotten reports of a bomb located at the airport. Just like the one found in Lord's lab." replied the DEO agent.
"I'm on my way." Kara replied before the lines cut out.
Looking down from the building he was perched on, Matt took in the sights and sound that were happening at the large terminal below. It had been all over the news that Lord was opening a new type of high-speed bullet train to the public that night. A lot of people were going to be there for the event, some even saying that Supergirl and Spyderman were said to be there.
"I don't remember us getting an invite..." Toxin muttered making his head silently agree as they tried to figure out where to go from there in their search. He stood upright and raised his arm to fire a webline when his spider-sense went off hard.
Bending back and twisting to the left just as a gunshot rang out and a bullet whizzed past where he had been. Flipping backwards and spinning around in the air so that he landed facing the other direction and looking across the dark rooftop.
Nothing moved in the shadows, but he knew that someone was there. "...Tox?" he asked his partner.
"On our left, by the stairwell entrance."Matt turned in that direction and could just barely make out an outline of someone standing beside the entrance.
"I know your there, come out where I can see you." he said loud enough so that whoever it was could hear him. There was a couple seconds pause before a deep chuckle echoed from the dark.
"Impressive. Not only did you dodge my shot, but found where I was hidden." the shadow he'd been looking at moved forward and stepped into the light. Standing a couple inches taller than Matt was a man in full body armor, guns, ammo packs and an array of throwing knives lining belts around his waist, chest and legs with a katana strapped across his back beside a customized assault rifle.
But the most prominent feature was the helmet/mask that hid the man's identity, pitch black on the right, bright orange on the left with only one eye hole on the orange half.
Looking the hero over, the assailant started pacing, keeping Matt in sight. "I was expecting a bit...more, however." he said, voice distorted by the metal of his mask. "Though, looks are often deceiving..."
"Who are you?" Matt demanded, all of his senses on high alert as he tracked the man's movements sharply. "What are you doing here?"
Spinning the 9mm he had used to shoot at the spider-hero, the assailant slipped it into the empty holster on his right leg before speaking again. "I've gone by several names, but most refer to me simply as Deathstroke."
The man swiped his hand through the air, the hero's spider-sense flared again and he dropped low to avoid half a dozen throwing knives that had been launched at him. "And as to why I'm here?" Deathstroke continued, reaching his a hand behind his back and producing a footlong poll that extended into a full length bowstaff. "I was hired to do a job...and you're one of the marks."
Without warning he leaped into the air and came down toward Matt like an armored bird of pray.
Diving aside as his attacker came down, slamming the staff into the roof where he had been standing. The hero rolled back to his feet for only a second before blocking a backwards strike that would have gotten him by surprise. Dearhstroke spun around, weapon leading as he performed a series of swings and jabs that Matt's reflexes were thankfully able to keep up with.
Blocking each strike until he was able to grab the staff itself, falling into a backwards roll and flipping his opponent over him.
The mercenary rolled with the momentum and got back to his feet, spinning his staff and keeping his lone eye locked on the spider-hero, "Not bad. But is it skill or luck, I wonder?" he said outloud before going on the attack again.
"This guy isn't an amature." Matt thought as he blocked and dodged the man's attacks. "We might need to turn this up a notch, Tox."
"I'm with you, partner." the symbiote replied as the hero snapped his hands out and grabbed the staff again on the next swing. Pulling up as he jumped into the air and delivered a strong spin-kick to Deathstroke's chest sending him stumbling back.
"If you're going to play rough." Matt said, snapping the bowstaff over his knee, "I'm taking your toys away." he finished tossing the pieces aside.
The mercenary rolled his neck, "Your humor will get you nowhere with me." he said serious, his hands snapping down and pulling out a pair of 9mm handguns and opening fire.
Time seemed to slow down as the slugs flew from the barrels and cut through the air toward the hero. Matt ducked, leaned and twisted in various directions, avoiding the bullets by mere centimeters each time as they passed by him.
Dodging the last round, he came up and fired two weblines that attached to Deathstroke's midsection. A good yank and he shot toward the mercenary, slamming both feet into the man's stomach and launching him back
Skidding along the rooftop by several meters, Deathstroke regained his footing and narrowed his eye at Matt. Reloading his weapons and holstering them before drawing his katana and holding it in a prepared stance.
Matt held up his right arm, his hand forming into a long blade that he cocked back and waited for the man to make the first move.
The assassin charged forward, closing the gap between them quickly and made a hoizontal slash. The hero brought his blade-arm up and deflected the strike, his other arm forming into a tendril that he used lashed out at Deathstroke who managed to twist out of the way before the attack could land.
"Full of surprises, aren't you?" he said, coming at Matt again with a barrage of slashes and stabs, trying to score a hit.
"You haven't seen nothing yet." the hero shot back as they countinued the dance of death. Sparks shooting into the air when their respected blades connected hard against one another.
Deathstroke leapt back and drew one of his sidearms with his free hand and fired several shots. "You're skilled, I can say that much. But how long do you hope to hold out?"
Matt raised his tendril arm and formed a shield that absorbed the rounds, "Long enough to kick your ass to the ground and keep you there." he shot back swinging his other arm and sending a salvo of throwing knives made from his suit at his opponent.
The mercenary dodged the attack, swapping his sidearm for a grenade that he primed and tossed toward the hero.
Spider-sense flaring, Matt fired a webline and snagged the explosive before hurling it into the air were it detonated. Bringing up his blade arm in time to parry another strike aimed for his heart from Deathstroke.
Trading a few blows back and forth, the combatants jumped apart, preparing for another bout when the sound of a horn going off drew their attention down to the station below where the bullet train was preparing to depart.
Matt turned back to Deathstroke when he heard the man chuckling, the assassin slipping his katana in the scabard on his back as he spoke. "Seems that we're going to have to postpone this little match of ours. You have a far more pressing matter on your hands."
"What are you getting at you friday the 13th reject?" the hero demanded, confused at what the man meant.
The assassin chuckled again, "You'll see soon enough. For now, you've got a train to catch." he grabbed another grenade from his belt and tossed it between them. The second it touched the ground it exploded in a bright flash and smoke which blinded Matt for a brief moment, when his sight returned, Deathstroke was gone.
"What did he mean by..." Matt froze and whirled around just as Lord's new train started moving. "Dammit!" he threw himself off the roof and started webswinging as fast as he could toward the station. "Guys! We got a situation!" he shouted into his comm.
"Spyderman, report." Hank said back.
"I just ran into the guy that is really behind all this. I think Lord's train has a bomb onboard."
"I just got a call from Winn." Kara said coming onto the line, "He said he saw Knox getting onboard a few minutes ago. We're dealing with two bombs!"
"Are you both sure?" asked the Director.
"I trust my friend...like I trust you." replied the kryptonian surely.
"And I trust the fact that I was shot at repeatedly and nearly turned in to a kabob." Matt tossed in as he swung through the station, the train having left seconds before and was going down the tracks and slowly gaining speed. "The train's already left, I'm trying to gain on it but I don't think I'll catch up when it reaches max speed."
There was silence over the comms briefly before Kara broke it, "Alex, you guys handle the bomb at the airport. Matt and I will handle the train. Matt, I'm coming your way!"
The spider-hero shot a webline at the rear car of the train and managed to stick it, one pull and he shot through the air and latched onto the metal surface. "I'm already on board. See you when you get here." he managed to say over the wind blowing around him and the rattle of the bullet train on the rails.
"Matt, there's something else." his fellow hero said making him pause, "Winn also told me that Carter's on the train too..."
"We'll get him out, Kara." Matt said back as he started crawling along the roof of the train, keeping low to avoid being blown off as the transport started picking up speed. Crossing over several cars, he came across a hatch that would take him inside. A moment later, Kara landed beside him.
The two heroes nodded to each other as he opened the hatch and they dropped inside. Surprising the passengers when the suddenly appeared, but not nearly as much as Carter Grant who had been standing beside Maxwell Lord. The teen's eyes wide seeing the heroes standing before him.
"Supergirl, Spyderman, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Lord asked casually.
"Ethan Knox is on board." said Kara.
"That's...That's not possible." the billionare said back, shaking his head.
"It is, and he wasn't working alone." Matt said stepping forward, "You need to put the breaks on and get these people off."
Lord shook his head, "I can't. The whole system is automated."
"Something's wrong..." Carter said, making himself known.
Kara turned to him and approached him, "There is a problem, but we're here to fix it." she said putting her hands on his upperarms. "You look brave and strong, can you help us?"
The teen took a deep breath and nodded, "Good," the heroine said nodding back. "I need you, and Mr. Lord to get all these passengers to the back of the train. You ready to be a hero?"
Carter took another deep breath, "Yes."
Lord looked to the other people around him and motioned them to follow him, "Let's go!" Kara turned to the front of the train and focused her eyes, her x-ray vision cutting through the layers of metal, through several cars ahead until she caught the visage of Ethan Knox walking toward the engine car. Turning to look over his shoulder once before disappearing through thr door ahead of him.
"Knox is heading for the engine car." she said turning to her fellow hero.
"Then let's head him off before it's too late." replied Matt as they made for the front of the train.
X
Ethan Knox entered the lead car, pulling off his jacket off exposing a suicide vest and taking the detonator hooked to it out of his pocket just as the doors leading back where he came banged loudly and warped inward.
He tensed as the doors were ripped open to reveal Supergirl standing there, she and Spyderman both storming the room until he held up the detonator making them freeze. "This bomb is rigged with sensors, you try to move me off the train and it goes off." his voice shook, fear overcoming him about the entire situation.
"We want to help you." Kara said with her hands up, "But you have to deactivate that first."
Knox shook his head, "Th-There is no way out for me."
"Yes there is! There's always hope." the heroine tried to reason with him. Matt tense at her side, ready to make a move if all else failed. "I know you're upset, but think about your family...your daughter."
"You...You don't understand. You can't." the man said, visibly shaking.
"I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed." said Kara as she kept trying to get through to him, "You are not alone, I can help you."
She took a step forward and he flinched and stumbled back, "Stay away!" he demanded, holding up the detonator, thumb hovering above the switch.
The kryptonian kept her hands up, showing she meant no harm. "I know your daughter's sick, she needs you."
"That's what this is all about...this is her only hope!" Knox shouted making both heroes confused.
"What do you mean?" asked Kara.
The man shook his head, "It doesn't matter anymore...it wasn't supposed to be like this. I...I...I can't face my family again...my little girl...with what I've done."
"Ethan, please...don't kill all those people." Kara pleaded.
Knox ran a hand through his hair, sweat pouring down his face and looking to be fighting within himself. Hand holding the detonator shaking. "I..." he muttered, clenching his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. "I...I can't..." he opened his eyes and looked at the heroine. "I can't."
Lowering his arms, Knox dropped the detonator and sagged against the. Both heroes letting out a breath of relief.
"Shame."
A gunshot rang out and the bomber jerked as his chest sprouted a fountain of red. Falling to his knees before collapsing to his side motionless. Kara and Matt were momentarily stunned by what had happened before whirling around.
Deathstroke stood at the end of the car behind them, rifle scope at his eye that he lowered after taking the shot. "He had one job, and in the end he proved to be just as cowardly as he was as Lord's puppet."
"You...Monster!" Kara shouted before launching herself at him.
The assassin looked to have been expecting this and fired the larger barrel of his rifle, a 40mm grenade lobbing out and striking the heroine head on and sending her flying back. Though he hadn't been expecting a webline to quickly follow her, yanking the rifle out of his hands and tossing it off to the side.
"You're going to pay for what you've done." Matt growled in rage.
Deathstroke chuckled, "Then by all means, come and get me bug." he spun around and disappeared into the next car. Jumping up through the hatch in the ceiling he used to infiltrate the train with the spider-hero hot on his heels.
The howling wind greeting them as they stood facing one another on top of the train. "Exhilirating, isn't it?" the mercenary asked, drawing one of his sidearms and aiming at the hero. "Dangerous stakes and environment, makes you feel more alive."
"Lets see how much poetry your spit out with your teeth!" Matt shouted as he charged forward. Ducking and weaving around the shots fired at him as he closed the distance and got right in the Deathstroke's face.
The man swung his fist, but Matt blocked it and slammed his elbow into his face causing him to grunt in pain and stagger back.
Kicking the pistol from his hand, the spider-hero grabbed him by the front of his armor and punched him across the face repeatedly before hefting him up and slamming him into the roof of the train.
Deathstroke recovered quick and double kicked Matt away from him. Flipping back to his feet, he drew his remaining pistol in one hand and a combat knife in the other as he went on the attack.
Matt grabbed the arm with the knife, an inch before it could penetrate his head, and threw it wide. Bringing his other arm up and blocking the handgun from firing at pointblank before snapping his hand back out, grabbing the slide of the weapon and tearing it off making the gun useless.
Throwing the broken pistol away, the assassin slashed with his knife only to have the attack blocked again. The hero spun to the left, using his strength and position to hip-toss the man behind him. Deathstroke rolling with the throw and winding up back on his feet and prepared to keep fighting.
A pair of bright beams shot out of the roof just behind the mercenary making him look over his shoulder as a wide hole was cut in the metal. Kara leaping out of it a moment later and stood leering at him with the wind blowing her hair and cape wildly.
The heroes had him boxed in with nowhere to go.
"It's over Deathstroke!" Matt shouted over all the noise. "Give up before things get worse for you!"
Both heroes narrowed their eyes when the assassin started chuckling. "Well, you're a little late on that one, bug!" he called out to them as he pulled something from one of the many pouches on his belt.
A detonator.
"You didn't think I'd have a backup plan, did you?" he pressed the button and tossed it away. "The bomb strapped to that corpse down below is now on a timer. You got 30 seconds until this train becomes a pile of scrap metal." Deathstoke looked over his shoulder back at Kara. "Which is more important to you heroes? Bringing me in? Or the lives of the people on board? Clock's tick-"
He never got to finish as Matt slingshot himself forward and spear tackled him. Kara moved aside as they flew past and rolled onto the engine car. "Supergirl! Cut this car and the engine car from the rest of the train!" the spider-hero shouted to her as they got back up.
"What?! What about-"
"JUST DO IT!" Matt shouted as he started fighting the assassin in hand to hand once again.
Kara looked torn, but knew that the passengers on the train were in danger. And she knew that Matt could handle himself and that she should have faith in him.
Looking down, with the aid of her x-ray vision, she fired her heat vision between the cars and through to the main coupling that connected them. The powerful beams cutting through the dense metal in seconds and severing it allowing the engine car to surge ahead of the rest of the train.
Flying down to the front of the now leading car, she pressed her hands into the surface and planted her feet on the tracks. Sparks shooting up from the heels of her boots as she used her strength to slow the whole train down until it came to a slow stop.
Breathing slowly, the heroine turned and looked at where the engine car was quickly disappearing down the track. "Please...be safe." she said to the wind.
X
The wind whipped around violently, the surrounding scenery flying past in a blur of colors and sounds. The situation was looking grimmer by the second, the speed of the train increasing beyond simply dangerous and boardering catastrophic.
Matt's feet were planted firmly on the roof of the train, crouched low with a hand pressed into the cold surface infront of him for balance as he leered at the man in full body armor standing on the engine car.
Reaching over his shoulder, Deathstroke drew his sword, "Come on, bug. You're running out of time." he said getting into a ready position.
He wasn't wrong. They'd be reaching the end of the line in minutes, but the bomb would go off long before then reducing them both to ashes in the wind. And with Kara dealing with their other problem he didn't have seconds to waste.
"How did we get into this position?" the spider-hero thought as the two rushed one another. his arm turning into a blade again as they started another deadly dance.
"It's just been that long a day."said Toxin, "You got a plan to get us out of here?"
The spider-hero leaned back away from a slash that would have opened his throat, "I might have an idea, but we need to deal with this guy first!"
Another strike was stopped, the blades scraping against one another sending out sparks. "For someone with your abilities, you seem set on wasting them on this useless crusade of justice." said Deathstroke as they leapt apart.
"What are you gabbing about now, cyclops?" Matt jested, keeping himself prepared for the next attack.
"Skills like yours could be used for so much more." the assassin continued, spinning his sword as he did so. "Yet here you are, spending day after day, knocking around purse snatchers and car jackers."
He stopped moving and narrowed his eye, "It's pathetic."
The spider-hero tilted his head, "Is that right? You wanna know what I think is pathetic? Some commando drop out in a hockey mask running around blowing stuff up. You're talking about wasting skills? Take a good long look in the mirror, pal. You're the one playing a trigger happy terrorist."
Deathstroke shook his head, "It was nothing personal, a job is a job as long as it pays. But I wouldn't expect you to understand, a usual trait in people as young and arrogant as you. An arrogance...that'll lead to your end!" he launched into the air.
The wind at his back making him move even faster as he came down with his katana leading. Intending on slicing the young hero down the middle.
Time slowed, Matt tracking the assassin's every move as he came baring down on him. Bringing his hands up at the last possible moment, he caught the sharp blade between his hands before it could make contact with his mask.
The two struggled, but Matt wasn't giving in as he held firm. Applying more pressure, he twisted his hands to the left. The blade of the katana breaking effortlessly under his enhanced strength.
Deathstroke had barely a moment to blink before the hero lashed upward with his left arm, converting it into a tendril and striking the mercenary on the jaw sending him flying back. His mask being knocked off from the force of the blow and landing at the hero's feet while he landed hard a couple meters away toward the nose of the engine car.
Picking up the mask, Matt looked toward the assassin as he staggered back to his feet with his back to him. A head of snow-white hair covering his head before he turned around to show a haggard and scarred face with a goatee. An eye patch covering his left eye while the remaining, steel-grey eye leered dangerously at him.
"You'll regret that." the man hissed, his eyes shooting down to the roof of the train where they both could hear a loud beeping emitting from the compartment below. Sending one last glare at the hero, Deathstroke ran two steps to the edge of the car and leapt off. The front of the train coming out over a large river that cut through the city just as he did so.
Matt's spider-sense flared and he knew the bomb was about to go off. Thinking fast, he ran toward the farthest end of the car before the engine and jumped. Freefalling several meters before firing weblines from each hand to compensate for the momentum and leapt away when he reached the peak of the swing.
Landing hard, rolling to cushion the impact and ended up flat on his back after tumbling a ways, he felt the whole track shake and a loud explosion blast through the air from ahead.
Flipping onto his stomach, the hero looked up to see a smoldering husk that had once been the head of the bullet train.
"...too close..." he said outloud, dropping his head on his arms and sighing deeply.
"Matt! Matt are you there?! Answer me!" Matt winced when Kara's frantic voice burst in his ear and nearly blowing his eardrum.
"I'm here." he replied as he pulled himself into a sitting position, knee bent with his arm drapped over it. "Cut it close there at the last second, but I'm still here."
"Thank Rao." the heroine said in complete relief. "What about that guy you were fighting?"
Matt held up the mask that he had managed to hold onto, looking it over with sharp eyes before he replied. "He got away. Don't know how he managed it, but he had a way out planned the whole time. But I made it difficult for him."
Standing up, the spider-hero placed the mask on his hip where a small tendril from his suit kept it in place before telling Kara he was on his way back. Diving off the tracks and started swinging back toward where the rest of the train had been stopped.
All the while wondering who Deathstroke was and why he had the strange feeling that he hadn't seen the last of the assassin.
A/N: If this chapter seems a bit off, I apologize, I put a lot of work planning out the fight sequences and I was hoping for the best with the final draft.
Also, Deathstroke's outfit was the one used in the Batman Arkham series and I based his character after the one portrayed in the games to match his fighting style and level of strength. Supersoldier/commando or not, going up against someone with one of the strongest symbiotes in history and Spiderman's reflexes and spider-sense put him at a pretty big disadvantage.
Though I tried to make the fights interesting regardless...and this may or may not be the last Matt sees of him...
Review, and the next update will be here before you know it.