A..N. Friendly reminder that Green Arrow's son's name, Connor Hawke, is spelled with an 'o' not an 'e' like Superboy Conner. I nearly had an aneurysm when I was writing this and the last chapter.
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"A gala? Why would Connor be at a gala?" Weiss asked, not entirely comfortable with having to relive her horrifying experience at the SDC fundraiser again.
"The League of Assassins is planning to hit a gala that's fundraising for the construction of a new football stadium for Gotham University. Apparently, the head coach has been charged with multiple allegations of sexual assault, but because the team's been on a winning streak for the past few years, the university swept it under the rug." Laurel explained. "Since Connor is the same age as the football players, they're using him to get into the event so he can assassinate the head coach."
"How will I get into the event?" Weiss questioned as she was neither a teenage boy or a middle aged woman who could pass for faculty.
Oliver smirked. "You'll be the date of the strapping young man of your choosing." He gestured to Conner and Damian, making Weiss' eyes widen and her face turn red.
"Since we already have their information, it'll be easier to pass them off as a player with you as their date." Laurel continued. "But, as soon as you go through the doors, you'll need to split so that Connor doesn't see you together."
Weiss looked down at her combat skirt, which, while pretty, was too casual for an event like a gala, and because she had been dropped into this world so suddenly, she hadn't exactly had time to pack her formal skirt.
"One problem." Weiss brought up. "I don't have a dress."
Laurel's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Don't worry, Snowflake, I've got you covered."
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"So, how does it look?" Laurel asked from outside the changing room.
Weiss looked in the mirror, admiring the snow white silk which was layered delicately, the snowflake designs on the layers creating the illusion of falling snow. The dress cinched around her waist and flowed outwards, the glittering snowflakes that embellished the bodice flowing downwards through the layers.
The dress was sleeveless and not strapless, thankfully, as Weiss wasn't sure how she would fare in a fight if she constantly had to be pulling up or adjusting it.
To finish off the look, she wore the silver snowflake necklace that Lois had given her and some silver snowflake earrings which matched her tiara perfectly. To add some height, she also wore some four-inch white heels, though they weren't visible under the gown's layers.
"Breathtaking." Weiss breathed, enamored with the gorgeous ball gown.
"Well then come out here so we can all see it." Laurel called out, a smile on her face as she had been enjoying her time at the boutique with Weiss.
Conner, and Damian all sat on the bench in the waiting room behind her, their suits already packed and ready to go. Conner and Damian had already had their suits picked and fitted an hour before Laurel finally settled on a dress for Weiss and they reminded her of that fact every ten minutes after an hour passed. Oliver sat next to them, his head leaning against the wall as he snoozed the day away, snoring softly every now and then.
He had fallen asleep half an hour into their waiting and Damian had closed his eyes as well, though he remained wide awake, his senses tuned to his surroundings.
Conner simply slouched back in his seat and yawned periodically, also hyper-aware of his surroundings but making less of an effort to fall asleep.
When Weiss opened the door, however, Conner's eyes widened and his heartbeat quickened, his face going flush as he looked at her.
Laurel gasped and clasped her hands. "Yes. Yes. We're taking it."
Weiss looked over at Conner and saw that his face had gone red and he had a awestruck look in his eyes, his mouth slightly agape as he looked at her.
Laurel laughed lightly and closed Conner's mouth for him. "Pick your jaw off the floor, Conner, you'll catch flies."
His face burned even brighter in frustration and he stood up and walked out of the room mumbling, "Damn….dress...bathroom."
Weiss giggled lightly as he walked out and tried to step forward, but then realized that it was harder than normal to move because she had so much fabric on her. "It's pretty, but I'm not going to be able to do much fighting in this." Weiss admitted, not liking how heavy the dress was.
Laurel smirked and tapped one of the buttons on the back of the dress. "Pull this button out if you need some more mobility."
Weiss felt around the back of the dress and found the button that Laurel was talking about.
She pulled the button and the heaviest part of the dress fell, leaving Weiss in a shorter, much more manageable dress which was like the one she wore for the dance at Beacon.
"Better?" Laurel asked, knowing that Weiss would be much more comfortable in a dress that resembled the one that she usually fought in.
"Much." Weiss admitted as she admired the dress in the mirror.
"I'd say you're just about combat ready." Laurel complimented absentmindedly, fluffing the skirt of the dress a little more.
Weiss couldn't keep the frown from forming on her face, memories of Penny and the Fall of Beacon resurfacing against her will.
The Vytal Festival and the Fall of Beacon haunted her even when she was back on Remnant. Now that she was on Earth, those memories hurt even more.
The idea that an event like the Fall of Beacon could happen while she was stuck on Earth was a very real possibility and she didn't want to imagine a world where she wasn't there to fight alongside her teammates.
"Something wrong?" Laurel asked, her eyebrows creased with worry.
With a newfound determination to get back to Remnant, Weiss sniffled and shook her head. "Not at all. Like you said," Weiss picked up the layers of the dress and reattached them to the dress.
"I'm combat ready."
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"Wipe that smirk off your face." Weiss chided as she and Conner walked into the gala, her arm linked through Conner's as security let them through.
"What smirk? I'm not smirking." He defended, not even bothering to hide his smugness.
She rolled her eyes but smiled as well. "The only reason I chose you was because your suit goes well with my dress." Weiss reminded as they approached the grand double doors that led into the ballroom.
Conner adjusted his tie proudly, secretly glad that he had decided to wear the all black suit over the gaudy red and black one that Damian had chosen. "Sure, Ice Princess, I believe you."
Weiss rolled her eyes and pulled her arm back from Conner's, knowing that they would have to part ways, allowing her to be rid of his smugness for the evening. Even so, shuddered at the thought of enduring the gala by herself.
As they reached the grand marble archways, Conner pulled Weiss aside and looked her directly in the eyes, the intensity of his cobalt blue eyes catching her off guard. "Listen, if you even get a hint that Connor is onto you, get out of there as soon as you can."
Before Weiss could retort that she could defend herself just fine, he gripped her shoulder and pulled her closer. "I know you can defend yourself, but this place is crawling with people from the League of Assassins. If you can't get to your sword fast enough then give me a signal and I'll be there. Okay?"
Her eyes softened and she nodded. "I-yeah, okay."
"Great." He breathed, releasing a breath that he didn't know he had been holding. Conner nodded and he stepped back, giving a rough nod towards a hallway that led to the gardens outside of the museum that the gala was being held in."Redbird is gonna be keeping an eye on things outside in case any League members come as backup, Black Canary and Green Arrow are in disguise, patrolling the ballroom, and I'm gonna head outside with Redbird when we split. You remember where your weapon is, right?"
She nodded, having gone over the plan at least twenty times since they had left the boutique. "Yes, it's with one of the statues in the garden. I lure him out to the garden, talk to him, and if he catches on, keep him occupied until you and Damian come for backup."
Conner nodded and turned on three earpieces and handed two to Weiss. "Be careful."
Weiss nodded and took them, fitting one into her ear and pocketing the other. "You too."
He stole one more glance at her before heading down the hallway and making his way outside, leaving her alone at the entrance of the ballroom.
Weiss took a deep breath, preparing herself for another high society function, hoping that this one would go better than the last one she attended.
She held her head high, fixed her posture and walked in, paying no mind to the curious eyes of the people she walked by.
Across the ballroom floor Weiss saw Connor, casually mingling with a few big guys in expensive, tailored suits standing out amongst the other players who were wearing relatively cheap and ill-fitted suits which were obviously rented out for the occasion.
He was wearing a sleek black suit with a white undershirt and a black tie, blending in perfectly with the rest of the crowd. He wasn't traditionally handsome, but his olive skin, dirty blonde hair, and blue eyes did lend themselves rather well to his appearance.
Weiss had no doubt that the guys he was talking to were also part of the League of Assassins, and judging by their stance around him, she could tell that they weren't going to part ways with him quite so easily.
How to get his attention…
She did another casual glance and saw that Connor was looking in her direction, suddenly making her job a lot easier.
Weiss scoped out an older man who seemed to be of higher authority, maybe one of the museum staff, and walked over to him, her plan already set in motion. Looking closer, Weiss saw a nametag on his suit with the title "Museum Director" written in gold over his name. His hair was pure white and he had blue eyes which practically screamed superiority, old rich white man written all over his face.
"Mr. Kane, hi." She greeted as she walked up to him, purposefully interrupting his conversation with an older woman, discussing the regulation of alcohol for the athletes from what she could hear. "I'm with the Gotham Gazette and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about tonight's event?"
With a sneer that could challenge her father's, Mr. Kane turned up his nose and looked at Weiss with a scathing glare. "Press is downstairs, young lady, and if you had even the slightest shred of intellect you might know that. Now shoo."
Trying with all her might not to use a Glyph to launch him into the ceiling, Weiss smiled politely and nodded. "Of course, Mr. Kane. My apologies."
Mr. Kane continued to ignore her, leaving Weiss to turn on her heel and march towards one of the windows that looked over the museum gardens, trying her best to appear disheartened and forlorn as she looked over the beautiful landscape.
When she heard the tapping of expensive dress shoes coming her way, Weiss smirked internally. Externally, she remained looking frustrated so as not to rouse suspicion from the assassin that was heading her way.
"Dad issues?"
Weiss sighed and turned around to see Connor standing in front of her with two glasses of red wine in his hands and a charming smile on his face. While she hadn't intended for him to think that she was Mr. Kane's daughter, it certainly got the job done, so she wasn't complaining.
"Name's Connor." He introduced. "Mr. Kane giving his lovely daughter a hard time?" His blindingly white smile looked sincere, but Weiss had enough experience with rich boys and people in positions of power to be able to see through false smiles and pretty words.
"No…at least, nothing serious." She took the glass of wine from his hand gratefully, though she knew better than to take a sip. "My dad thinks that I shouldn't be working for the Gazette- that I should take a job in his company instead. He doesn't think I'll be able to handle myself out in the 'real world'."
The disappointed look on Weiss' face was genuine as she recalled the countless times she had begged her father to let her go to Beacon before he finally made her face the Arma Gigas. She knew she would be able to connect with Connor on this level, which would hopefully give her an in.
Connor's eyes hardened for just a second before reverting back to his previous charming persona, meaning that Weiss had hit the nail right on the head.
"Yeah, I know what you mean. My dad can be pretty controlling too, but I actually want to take over the family business. He doesn't think I'm ready." He admitted, his eyes flickering back to Mr. Kane who was talking to more people by the podium.
From what she could discern, it looked like he was about to give a speech. Weiss knew that Connor was going to want to complete his mission pretty soon, so she knew that she would have to divert his attention to get the job done.
"I don't think I'll be able to listen to him brag about his money and influence for another you like to take a walk with me?" She asked, gesturing to the gardens through the window.
Connor smirked, as if he had been the one who had done the fooling in their conversation.
"Of course. We can't have the lady bored at a gala now can we?" He held out his elbow for her to link her arm through.
Pretending to go with his thinly veiled attempt at flirting, Weiss smiled and put her arm through his. "That would be a shame, wouldn't it?"
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"Stop pacing, would you? You're gonna wind up causing a tornado or something." Redbird griped, feeling a draft start to pick up behind him as he watched Weiss leave the ballroom with Connor.
Superboy stopped abruptly and stared intently at the corridor that they had just went through, tracking their movement as they went to the gardens which were on the opposite side of the museum that he and Redbird were stationed at. His eyes glowed orange for a second as he used infrared vision to follow them, but had to stop as the heat signatures from the other people in the ballroom obscured them.
"Should we head to the other side of the museum?" Superboy asked, anticipation clear in his voice as his fingers twitched, making him clench his fists to stop and give Redbird less of a reason to tease him. "I don't like not having a visual on them."
Not wanting his annoying friend to have a heart attack from worry, Redbird sighed and nodded, relenting also because he didn't like the idea of leaving Weiss alone with Connor. "Yeah, sure. But be quiet- we can't have your stomping give away our position."
Superboy nodded and they both walked quietly over the rooftop, edging towards a dome which stood like a lighthouse over the museum.
From there, they watched Weiss and Connor stroll through the gardens, Weiss leading Connor ever so subtly towards the knight statue that had her rapier in its grasp, the sword that it was originally holding hidden in the bushes behind them.
"Can you hear anything?" Redbird asked Superboy, hoping his enhanced hearing would be able to help.
"I think they're talking about their childhood, but there's too many hedges- it's blocking the sound." Superboy's eyebrows creased as he tried listen further.
He cursed under his breath when Connor turned suddenly and his eyes flickered upwards towards the roof.
Superboy and Redbird instantly moved back behind the dome, but it was too late- Connor had spotted them.
Connor winked at them and led Weiss further into the gardens and subsequently, away from her weapon.
"Fuck!" Superboy cursed under his breath. "He saw us. Should we go down there?"
Redbird shook his head. "He saw us, but that doesn't mean he knows Weiss is working with us. He could just think that we're keeping an eye on him for Canary and Arrow."
Superboy fought the urge to reduce the dome they were standing behind to rubble. "I hope so."
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"So, what is the family business, exactly?" Weiss asked casually as they walked through the gardens.
He furrowed his eyebrows, not liking being reminded of what he was missing. "It's kind of like a security company. My dad brings people to justice who the normal authorities have trouble catching."
"Like a bounty hunter." Weiss supplied, though she knew that Oliver Queen was much more than that.
Connor nodded. "Sort of. My dad thinks it's too dangerous for me, that I'll get hurt on the job."
"It does sound pretty dangerous." She agreed.
He turned to face her and ran a hand through his hair. "I can fight. And if worse comes to worst, my dad and I can back each other up. We could be partners…"
Connor shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head, as if erasing the idea from his mind. "But it's too late for that. I've already joined another group and they actually respect me there. Soon enough, I'll leave my dad in the dust." His fists clenched with conviction, though his eyes told Weiss a completely different story.
From what she could tell, it was obvious that he cared for his father despite their strained relationship and that unlike her, he would regret leaving his family.
"I doesn't have to be like that that." Weiss expressed. "Maybe if you-"
Connor's eyes flickered upwards and he smirked, setting her on edge. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, hoping that he hadn't caught wind of their operation.
Faster than Weiss could process, Connor's face was inches away from her own, a sharp blade pressed into her neck with deadly intent.
"I don't know, why don't you tell me, Miss Schnee?"
Weiss froze when he called her by her last name, indicating clearly that not only did he know that she wasn't the museum director's daughter, but he also knew who she was.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't gut you like a fish." He threatened, his jaw clenched and the veins in his neck pronounced, telling her exactly how close he was to doing what he promised.
Weiss took a calming breath and tried to steady her nerves, not wanting to give Connor the upper hand or give him the impression that he scared her.
He was angry and hurt, and for good reason, but she wasn't about to let him hurt her either.
"I wasn't lying about my father."
Connor's grip on the knife loosened.
"I just came here to talk to you. That's all I want to do." She coaxed, placing her hand very lightly on his and pushing it away from her body.
His face was tight and his shoulders were tense, but he sheathed his knife into his sleeve and stepped back.
"The comm in your ear. Get rid of it."
Weiss hesitated for a second, but reached for the tiny device in her ear, pulled it out, and threw it into the bushes. Thankfully, Connor had assumed that she only had one, and was clueless about the spare that she had in her dress.
"There. Now can we talk like civilized people?" Weiss questioned as she walked over to the statue that had Myrtenaster and sat at the bench under it.
She crossed her legs and looked at him expectantly, secretly enjoying how taken aback he was at her casualness.
Instead of taking a seat beside her, he stood directly in front of her and crossed his arms, standing over her in a way that was supposed to remind her who had the power in the situation.
"Talk."
She sighed, but continued nonetheless. "I came to talk you out of working for the League of Assassins."
Connor scoffed. "Why? Because my dad sent you?"
"Because I've only been here a few weeks and I already know how dangerous it can be to associate with them, much less join their ranks." She pressed. "I know what it feels like to want- to need to leave home, but what you're doing isn't leaving. It's running away."
"And what would you know about leaving home? I've seen the way you walk, the way you talk." Connor retorted, his face red from Weiss' comments. "You're no different than the people who the League works to rid the world of."
Weiss' face turned red hot at his accusations, ugly memories of the SDC fundraiser gala rearing their heads in her mind.
"I left that world, you judgemental prick." She retorted, her icy eyes full of fire as she stood up and looked him dead in the eyes. "My own father practically disowned me and took away my right to the company after he figured out that I wouldn't be his little puppet. He admitted on my birthday, of all days, that he only married my mother for the company and the family name and he molded my little brother into his evil little pawn to take my place."
Weiss stepped forward and stabbed a finger into Connor's chest and pushed him back, much to his shock. "So, yes, in my home world I come from an environment filled with those people, but don't you dare compare me to one of them."
She used a Glyph to bring Myrtenaster from its place on the statue and caught it with her left hand, turning it on Connor in a flash. "I left home and made something of myself, something that you'll never accomplish if you join the likes of the League of Assassins. You want to be a hero and save the world? That's admirable, but if you stay with them, you'll be nothing more than a pawn."
For once, Connor seemed speechless. A speck of cold sweat had formed on his brow and his mouth was slightly agape, as if he never been spoken to in such a manner.
"You may be able to fight, but that doesn't excuse running from people who care about you, who want to be with you. Your father may not be perfect, but," Weiss had to fight back the tears as she thought of her own father who was currently rotting away in prison in Atlas for all of his crimes against the Faunus and his workers. "At least he cares about you. Don't take that for granted."
She sniffled and stepped back, lowering Myrtenaster as she did so. "I'm not going to fight you or force you to come with us, but I need you to promise you'll think about it."
"I-I…"
Boom!
Just as Connor was about to respond, a loud explosion came from the inside of the building, followed an intense roar of fire that came up from museum.
Without another thought, Weiss pulled out her spare intercom and put it in her ear. "Conner! Are you okay?!"
Silence.
She turned and brandished Myrtenaster at Connor again. "Is this the League's doing?"
He raised his hands in the air and looked back at the site, horror in his eyes as the fire reflected off his eyes. "No! At least...as far as a I was told."
Something pricked in the back of Weiss' head, and right as she turned her head to see what it was, an arrow whizzed by her head and went directly towards Connor's heart.
Fortunately, he wasn't kidding when he said he could fight, and he deflected the arrow with another dagger he had stashed in his sleeve.
"As cruel as the League can be…" A new, toneless voice called out from the shadows of the burning building. "This is not their doing."
"What we have planned is much more fun than the trivialities than the Assassins had planned out." A slightly more feminine voice added from the shadows.
Weiss raised Myrtenaster again, this time in the direction of the new voices. Connor reached into his coat and unstrapped a bow that he had been hiding under his clothing. With the press of a button, the dark green bow extended fully and a drawstring made of light energy formed, a similar arrow being nocked as he pulled back on the string.
"Who's there?"
Low growls reverbated from the shadows and the smoke, three pairs of eyes glowing in the darkness. Metal scraped against concrete as they got closer, and when the smoke cleared, it revealed three cyborg wolves with different bionic parts making up their bodies.
Despite the differences in metal parts, they all featured titanium claws and teeth, perfect for tearing the flesh off their prey in an instant.
A massive girl, as tall or even taller than Lashina, emerged from the smoke after the wolves, her burnt orange tunic, golden circlet, golden boots, and unruly black hair making her look every bit the deranged huntress. In her hand was a golden bow with spikes going down the center, a quiver filled with gold and orange arrows on her back, and a dagger at each side to complete her arsenal.
"Unus, Secondus, Tertius, heel." She called to her hounds, her high-pitched reminding Weiss of Neon Katt. "Right now we have to focus on getting little Snow White over there back to Lord Darkseid. You can have the hunky archer over there for a meal after I've had a round with him." She winked at Connor, making both Weiss and Connor cringe at her abrasive voice and terribly inappropriate flirting.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, twit, I'm sure Darkseid can find use for him, too, and not as your personal chew toy."
A man wearing a black and orange mask walked out of the shadows, his arms crossed and clearly annoyed with his younger partner who seemed much more enthused about their mission than he was. His mask revealed one eye, visible only through thin slits that seemed like they'd be more of a hindrance in battle. To match his mask, he wore black body armor with rows of bullets across his chest and an orange crosshair emblem on his belt buckle.
He had two katanas sheathed on his back and two pistols at his sides, and from his twitching hands, Weiss could tell he was restraining himself from using them on his partner, who most likely was one of Lashina's lackeys.
Connor stiffened when the man in the mask showed himself, but refused to show any fear.
"Oh, come on, Deathstroke, don't be such a killjoy. Not all of us want to spend our time skulking around and fighting teenagers for money." She nocked another arrow and pointed it at Weiss this time. "After we're done with Princess over there you can go back to fighting the Titans as much as you want, though they'll probably your ass just like last time." She snickered.
In the blink of an eye, Deathstroke unsheathed one katana and held it up to her neck. "Another word and by the time I'm done with you, even Darkseid won't be able to put you back together."
The giantess didn't even flinch.
"That's cute." She grabbed Deathstroke's katana with her bare hand and pushed it back to him. "But let's try to focus on the mission." She winked at him and loosed an arrow at Weiss without looking away from Deathstroke.
Caught by surprise, Weiss only barely managed to bring Myrtenaster up in time to block the arrow. If she hadn't been paying attention, she would've gotten an arrow to the heart.
"Well, I suppose if you two are done bickering, then we can get on with this?" Weiss pulled the button from the back of her dress and let the heavy layers fall from her dress, leaving her in the shorter, much more mobile version of the dress. "I'm due back home any day now and I can't if I have to spend a century waiting for your arguing to end."
The giant girl with the pack of wolves smirked. "And who are you to talk to the Artemiz in such a fashion? The greatest huntress in the universe?"
Weiss spun the Myrtenaster's revolver, loaded Hard-Light Dust, and cut an arc through the air, shooting streams of energy which surged downwards and landed at Artemiz's feet.
"My name is Weiss Schnee, not 'princess', or 'Snow White', or any other idiotic names you can come up with. I'm twice the Huntress you'll ever be and I refuse to let you drag that title through the mud."
Artemiz grinned maniacally at her newest prey and nocked another arrow. "Why don't we test your strength then, girlie? Then we can really find out who the greatest huntress in the universe is."
Weiss looked back at the burning museum which was deteriorating rapidly, and couldn't help but think of Conner and Damian, and Laurel and Oliver. She didn't know where they were or if they were safe, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to help if she didn't get these two out of the way first.
Fortunately, she had Connor by her side.
Weiss created Glyphs underneath herself and Connor.
"Let's find out then, shall we?"
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A.N. Boy, college is not making it easy for me.
Sorry for the late update, but I find myself with less and less time to write. I did manage to squeeze out a bigger chapter this time, so I hope it kind of makes up for it.
Truth be told, I rewrote Artemiz's dialogue around five times because I was conflicted on whether or not she should speak like a teenager or more formally like Lashina and Bernadeth. In the comics, she speaks formally, but she's one of the younger Furies, and I liked the idea of her annoying Deathstroke, so I decided to go with the former.
Anyways, be sure to comment with any questions or criticism! I love hearing from readers and getting feedback is paramount in me becoming a better writer.
As always, until next time!
