"Cyberpak, go fetch."
Weiss' and Connor's eyes widened as the three cyborg wolves rushed at them, their titanium fangs eager to rip into them.
They both jumped out of the way as the wolves came for them and shot at them as they moved out of the way.
As she jumped backwards onto a Glyph, Weiss loaded Hard-Light Dust into Myrtenaster and shot several streams of energy at them, adding onto the bolts that Connor was shooting at them from his perch on top of a statue of an angel.
The wolves were exceptionally quick, and they dodged every bolt that they shot at them, much to the delight of Artemiz.
"Look at my puppies go! Aren't they just the cutest most dangerous puppies in the world?! Yes, they are, yes they are!" She cooed, clearly irritating Deathstroke.
He took out one of his katanas and hit the back of her head with the hilt. "Tell your mutts to stop toying with them. We need them both alive, preferably in the next day or two." He muttered dryly, already fed up with his childish partner.
"Oh, alright." She pouted. "Tertius, Unus, it's laser time! Secondus, pick up the rear."
Weiss stopped and she looked over at Connor, panic evident in her voice and on her face. "Did she just say 'laser time'?"
Connor didn't have time to respond because when they looked down at the dogs again, their bionic eyes changed lenses and started glowing red. They both jumped out of the way as red laser beams came their way.
Tertius focused on Connor and Unus focused on Weiss, red-hot laser beams coming out of their eyes as they burned through the garden and cut through solid concrete walls.
"You got any powers that might be helpful?" Connor asked as they passed each other while dodging the lasers.
Weiss nodded and used a Glyph to jump back into the air, focusing a Time Dilation Glyph into Myrtenaster and then releasing it as a beam of energy which went into the ground that Connor was standing on, creating a Time Dilation Glyph underneath him. "This should help!"
Connor glowed with lime green energy as the effects of the Glyph took over him and slowed down time around him.
With all the deftness of an assassin, Connor jabbed all three wolves in pressure points by their necks and immobilized them. He wanted to go after Artemiz and Deathstroke, but before he could, the effects of the Glyph wore off and time went back to normal.
"Wha-what did you do?!" Artemiz screeched as she saw her pet wolves lying on the ground, each one, twitching slightly as their bionic parts short-circuited after being exposed to the Lightning Dust in the Time Dilation Glyph.
"Put your mutts down for a nap, what does it look like?" Connor smirked, enjoying the enraged and bewildered look on her face.
"I'll kill you!" She screamed as she ran at Connor, shooting golden arrows at him with abandon.
As she shot them, Weiss loaded Wind Dust and created a current of air that reversed the direction of the arrows and shot them back in the direction of Artemiz and Deathstroke.
They managed to block the arrows before they landed, but neither looked too happy at having their attacks turned back on them.
"Restrain yourself, you idiot! Keep the boy occupied, I'll take care of Princess over there." Deathstroke growled, having half a mind to slit the Fury's throat and deal with the two teenagers himself.
Artemiz growled, but nodded anyways, eager to hurt the archer who hurt her puppies. She pulled out a dagger and grinned, the crazy gleam in her eyes making Weiss almost glad she wasn't the one fighting her.
"My pleasure." She cracked her knuckles, her gold daggers gleaming in the light of the fire.
Connor pulled out his own daggers and readied them, a smirk on his face as Artemiz ran at him.
"Looks like it's time to put you down too, crazy."
They both started attacking each other, moving away from Weiss and Deathstroke as their daggers clashed in golden sparks.
Confident that her new ally would be able to handle the alien warrior, Weiss spun Myrtenaster's revolver and pointed it at Deathstroke.
"That's a lovely rapier, Princess. I hope you won't mind me selling it after I turn you over to Darkseid." He taunted.
"I don't recall giving you permission to call me 'princess'." Weiss tightened her grip on Myrtenaster. "And I'll be dead before you take my sword."
Deathstroke drew his second katana and readied his stance. "Let's find out then, Princess."
Weiss narrowed her eyes and rushed at him, their swords meeting in a clash of sparks.
She slashed at him, only for him to block and counter with a slash of his own. Weiss parried the slash and was forced to take a defensive stance, her mind racing as she blocked his quick strikes.
Not wanting to be on the defensive anymore, she used a Glyph to jump backwards into the air and used Wind Dust to create a funnel of wind which blew him off his feet.
"What the-"
Deathstroke was thrown into the air by the wind, allowing Weiss the perfect opportunity to use a Glyph to jump up and land strike across his chest, slamming him down on the ground.
She used another Glyph to launch herself back down to the ground, aiming for another strike at Deathstroke.
Before she could, he recovered from his fall and countered Weiss' strike and forcing her back.
"Not bad, Princess."
He charged at her again and continued his onslaught of attacks, their blades dancing in fluid motions, bright sparks flying as a result of the metals clashing against each other.
Tired of the stalemate, Deathstroke pushed Weiss back with both of his katanas and then kicked her in the side, sending her reeling into a statue of a knight.
She slammed into the statue and hit the ground, but before she could get up, he quickly followed and kicked her up in the air and then punched her in the stomach, sending her flying towards Connor and Artemiz who were still shooting at each other.
Pain surged through Weiss' side and shoulder, her Aura not being able to keep up with the injuries that she was receiving. Her shoulder throbbed in pain as it had taken the brunt of the impact from when she was thrown into the statue, and her stomach ached from the kick that she had received.
She winced as she stood up, not enjoying the fact that her Aura wasn't healing her injuries as well as she wanted it to.
"You okay?" Connor asked, shooting more arrows at Artemiz who had taken cover behind a hedge.
She surveyed her surroundings and saw Deathstroke coming at her again, this time, wielding a pistol in one hand and a katana in the other.
Weiss stood up shakily and loaded Hard-Light Dust, slashing a wide arc through the air and sending a blade of energy towards Deathstroke to keep him back.
"I'll let you know in a minute." She breathed, creating another Glyph to launch herself at Deathstroke again.
He shot at her as she ran towards him, but she just deflected the bullets with Myrtenaster.
Creating a Glyph underneath her, Weiss jumped over Deathstroke and slashed at him from above. He blocked her strike, but she created another Glyph and used it to turn and strike him in the back, sending him sprawling forward.
Deathstroke caught himself and rolled upright, but it was obvious that the attack caught him off guard.
"It seems you're not an incompetent fighter after all. And here I was worried that this would be boring." He remarked, casually twirling his katana, the orange flames from the deteriorating building reflecting off them
"Why did you attack the museum?" Weiss questioned, the flames that consumed the museum burning brighter than before.
"That gala held some of the most corrupt politicians in the city. We did the League a favor." He reasoned as if setting a museum on fire were as simple as that.
Weiss gasped and stepped back subconsciously, not being able to comprehend how someone could rationalize trying to commit a mass murder.
"What about the people working the event? The players? They can't all have been as corrupt as you say." Her voice threatened to crack as she spoke.
Deathstroke shrugged. "There will always be casualties in pursuit of the greater good."
Something in Weiss snapped.
"You monster."
She felt tears well up in her eyes but refused to let that stop her, her grip on Myrtenaster so tight her knuckles turned white.
Weiss loaded Water Dust and sniffles as the runes glowed a deep blue color, reminding her of Conner's eyes, which only gave her more motivation to do what she was about to do.
When she had first used Dust to Summon, it had ended badly because she didn't know what she wanted. The Light Dust opened the portal to Earth because Weiss didn't give it any direction. It was Herald's horn that acted as a beacon for her power.
With the Water Dust, Weiss was sure of what she wanted to do and she would be damned if she didn't accomplish her goal.
Breathing deeply, she drove Myrtenaster into the ground and created a Summoning Glyph, blue dragon designs swirling around the snowflake in front of her, the different layers spinning rapidly as she poured more and more Aura into her Semblance.
Deathstroke stepped back, the light so bright he could barely look at it.
Artemiz and Connor both stopped and looked at the Glyph in awe as Weiss' Aura started to gather and take the form of ice crystals which swirled around in the air rapidly.
In a bright burst of aquamarine light, an immense white and blue Sea Feilong Grimm flew out of the Glyph and into the sky, aggravating the stormclouds that perpetually loomed over the city.
The dragon roared as it soared over the city, its blue plating shimmering as if it were the ocean.
Weiss took in a deep breath and focused, knowing that she would only have one shot before she ran out of Aura to sustain the dragon.
The Sea Feilong spread its shimmering aquamarine wings before it opened its jaws and shot a powerful stream of water over the museum, dispersing it into a heavy rain that quelled the raging fires in a cloud of steam that left the building a wet skeleton of what it used to be.
With what little energy she had left, Weiss directed her Summon back to the gardens and allowed it to use its power once more.
"Wait, are you going to turn that thing on us?!" Artemiz squealed as they watched the dragon turn on them.
Even Connor looked concerned as the dragon charged up its energy once more. "Uh, Weiss, is this safe?"
She didn't respond and instead focused on not keeling over from the exhaustion and nausea of using so much Aura at once.
Deathstroke watched in amazement as the dragon flew down and tucked in its wings, its massive head bent down to look at Weiss and the others, waiting for the final order from its mistress.
"Now!"
The dragon opened its jaws and prepared to let loose another blast of water.
Just as it was about to shoot at them, a blur sped towards the dragon and from Weiss' peripherals and cut its head clean off, reducing her Summon to ice and mist, the shimmering spray washing over them as it disintegrated.
Weiss felt her heart drop as she watched Deathstroke jump back from the attack, sheathing his second katana after wiping off the residual ice crystals. "That was quite the display, Princess, but I'm afraid I won't be letting you take the easy way out."
Before she could even think about pulling her sword out of the ground, Deathstroke sped towards her and with one powerful swing, sent her flying into a rose bush, Myrtenaster clattering after her as her Aura broke and the ice blue energy that protected her shattered like glass.
"Weiss!" Connor called out, ready to run to her side.
Before he could take a step, Artemiz appeared behind him and kicked him to the ground, digging her heel into his stomach to keep him down. "Not so fast, hot stuff. I'm not through with you just yet."
Weiss groaned in pain as Deathstroke had managed to hit her on the same shoulder that had taken the brunt of her collision with the statue earlier.
He walked up to her slowly, dragging his katana on the ground for dramatic effect. "Interesting...It seems that given enough time and force, that annoying energy field around you wears off." He held his katana to her neck menacingly. "Tell me, Princess, do people from your world bleed?"
Weiss could only glare at him, her gaze icy and fiery at the same time. She had completely depleted her Aura with her last Summon and Deathstroke's last attack had broken her Aura for good, meaning that she was defenseless against whatever he had planned next.
Before Weiss could retort an answer, however, a green arrow sailed straight for Deathstroke's head and a red shuriken for Artemiz's. He swiped them out of the air easily with his katana and she blocked them as well, having to jump away from Connor to do so, giving him the chance to jump back and out of close range from her.
"Weiss bleeding has yet to be seen, but if we have anything to say about, it won't be." Green Arrow called out from his perch on a gazebo that was across the garden, his sleek black suit now in tatters and his black hero mask now on his face.
"And we do have something to say about it." Black Canary called out, walking casually through an arch that led back to the museum, still looking glamorous despite her black halter dress being covered in soot and ash.
Redbird was at her side with a few more shuriken ready for throwing, and judging by the twitch in his hand, it seemed he was eager to.
Weiss looked around for Superboy, but disconcertingly, he wasn't anywhere to be seen.
Did he make it out of the fire?
Artemiz readied her bow and walked closer to Deathstroke, keeping her eyes on Green Arrow at all times. "We're surrounded. What's the plan?"
Deathstroke looked back at Weiss and saw that she was in no better shape than before. "Same as always, grab the girl and leave."
In a blur that almost matched Kid Flash's speed, he rushed at her. Weiss reached for Myrtenaster in a weak attempt to fend him off, but she stopped when she heard a someone roar from behind her.
"Leave her alone!"
Tears of happiness threatened to escape from Weiss' eyes when she saw Superboy's broad build come from the direction of the museum and deliver a blow directly to Deathstroke's gut, sending him reeling across the garden path.
Deathstroke stabbed his katana into the dirt, creating a gash in the ground from the sheer force of Superboy's punch. He laughed wryly, tapping the katana on a bench to shake off the dirt. "Always playing the hero, Superboy. Trying to live up to dear old dad and save the damsel in distress are we?"
He clenched his fists, but ignored him and looked back towards Weiss, his heart beating at a thousand beats per second as he looked at her and assured himself that she was okay.
Her dress was covered in dirt, her ponytail had bits of rose petals and thorns in it, and there was a bruise forming on her shoulder, but the icy look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know.
Beat up, but okay.
"Damsel? I don't see a damsel anywhere." Black Canary pulled out a short metal rod that extended into a full bo staff and leaned on it casually. "All I see is a girl who summoned a fucking dragon and saved the people of Gotham from a citywide fire."
Green Arrow nocked two arrows and aimed them at Artemiz and Deathstroke, his fingers just barely on the drawstring. "You're an archer, Artemiz," He pointed his bow at her. "Tell me, what are the chances that these arrows lodge themselves in your brain?"
Artemiz looked nervously between Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Redbird as they started to close in on them. "Granny Goodness isn't going to be happy…" She sighed as she nocked an arrow with a glowing rope attached to it, giving Deathstroke a sideways glance. "You're on your own now. I'll be sure to tell Granny that it was all your fault!"
Artemiz sniggered as she shot the arrow into the sky and grabbed a hold of the rope, disappearing in a flash of light as the rest of the rope went into space.
Deathstroke growled in frustration and cursed at the sky. "I'll see you in hell, bitch!"
Before anyone could make a move to stop him, he pulled out a black and orange ball and threw it on the ground, disappearing in a vortex of smoke and black energy.
Green Arrow sighed and slung his bow around his back, putting the arrows back in his quiver. "And it looks like we're back to square one on catching Deathstroke."
Black Canary collapsed her bo staff and hooked it to her side, sighing as she crouched down to inspect the residue from the ball that Deathstroke used to escape. "I'm no scientist, but this is definitely Apokoliptan tech. He probably went back to Darkseid with Artemiz."
While Black Canary, Green Arrow, and Redbird continued to inspect the residue and talk about Deathstroke's next appearance, Conner stood awkwardly off to the side, remembering Weiss' words about running away and making amends with his dad.
Weiss saw his internal struggle and tried to get up to go and support him, but hissed in pain when because of the soreness in her stomach and shoulder whenever she tried to move.
Superboy saw her attempts to get up and walked over to her, gently putting an arm under her back and another under her knees, standing up in one smooth motion so as to not suddenly jostle her or cause her any more pain.
"Slow down, Ice Princess." He looked at the situation going on across the garden and smirked. "I heard the verbal beatdown you gave him earlier. I think you talked some sense into him."
"I hope so." She sighed. "Otherwise this all would have been for nothing."
Across the garden, Connor twiddled his thumbs, trying to find a good way to talk to his dad. Weiss' words echoed through his mind, and while he knew leaving the League of Assassins would be hard, it would be worth it if he could train with his dad.
"Hey, dad? Can I talk to you for a sec?"
Green Arrow stiffened, and for a second, Connor thought that he might be angry at him for running away, but then he saw his dad's eyes start to water.
"D-did you just call me dad?" His voice nearly cracked as he spoke, making Black Canary smile, knowing how much of a crybaby he was underneath his tough exterior. "Don't think I've ever heard you call me that." He breathed, trying to get his emotions under control.
Connor stuck his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground, focusing on a caterpillar that had fallen asleep on a leaf. "Weiss talked some sense into me. Said something about being grateful for your family and all that crap."
Green Arrow looked over at her and gave her a grateful smile. "How about we talk more about this on a plane back to Star City? If you're gonna be my apprentice then we need to start training."
Disbelief and amazement surged through Connor. "You mean it?"
"Only if you want to." Black Canary assured, remembering their promise to Weiss. "If you want to stay with the League then that's your choice, but if you don't, you're more than welcome to stay with us."
"Of course I wanna go with you guys. I'm gonna be the next Green Arrow!" Connor affirmed excitedly, making Green Arrow chuckle.
"I've still got a few years left before I think about retiring, but maybe."
Weiss smiled and jumped down from Superboy's arms, ignoring the burning pain that shot up through her side when she did so.
Superboy tried to protest at first, but she shut him up simply by lacing her hand through his and tugging him along to the rest of the group. He clenched his jaw and looked away, trying and failing to hide his face which had turned bright pink.
Black Canary raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, finding it amusing that the tiny snowflake could get Superboy to shut up with a single touch.
"I, for one, am glad that this worked out so well." She started, happy that Connor would be able to be with his family. "But what about the museum and everyone in it? Where were you guys when the explosion went off?"
Redbird smirked and pointed to Superboy. "Thanks to Loverboy who was able to see the explosives with his infrared vision, we were able to get the majority out before the bomb went off."
Superboy narrowed his eyes at the nickname but continued anyways. "And as you can see," He gestured to their ruined clothing. "We searched the museum for any stragglers afterwards."
"There were a few casualties unfortunately, but instead of dying from smoke inhalation, we found them with their throats slit." Black Canary sighed.
"We think that the League must've gotten to them before the bomb went off and then escaped." Green Arrow explained.
Connor's face fell and his guilty expression told Green Arrow everything he needed to know.
"It's not your fault, Connor. Clearly, the League was going to get the job done, with or without you." He placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm just glad that you didn't have to go through with it."
"I just-"
Connor was cut off by the sound of a police siren cutting through the air, red and blue lights flashing as the sirens grew louder.
"We can finish this conversation later." Green Arrow pulled out a phone and sent a text message. "Right now, we need to get out of here before the cops see us and start asking questions."
A black SUV sped around the corner and came to a screeching halt next to the gardens, creating black skid marks and filling the air with the scent of burning rubber.
"Superboy, take Weiss back to Redbird's apartment for the night and get some rest. We can talk again in the morning." Black Canary ordered, ushering everyone else into the SUV. "Be safe." She warned before stepping into the SUV herself, the large vehicle disappearing into the night as quickly as it had arrived.
Superboy nodded and picked up Weiss again, making her hiss in pain as he wasn't gentle with her as the first time in his urgency.
He looked at her with concern but she just shook her head and waved it off. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Your main priority is getting us out of here."
"But-" He hesitated.
The police sirens got louder.
"Let's go! At this rate, they'll get to Damien's apartment before we do." Weiss insisted, creating a Glyph underneath him with what little Aura she had managed to regain.
He nodded, and with some help from Weiss' Glyph, they shot into the sky, leaving behind the charred remains of the museum and a fleet of police and firefighters who were just about to start their investigation of the place.
"One more second and we would've been caught." Weiss breathed, looking over Conner's shoulder at the crime scene.
"I'm sure we would've been fine." He assured her, completely at ease despite what had happened that night.
"You and I have very different definitions of the word 'fine'."
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A.N. Uh...So if Weiss being able to Summon the Apathy was a 'stretch', I'm going to call her being able to Summon the Sea Feilong a 'leap'.
I know only Blake and Sun have fought it in the show, but I really wanted her to Summon this giant majestic dragon, and then for Deathstroke to kill it with one shot because he's not your run-of-the-mill villain.
I was also considering doing the Leviathan in lieu of the season finale, but I thought the Sea Feilong would look much prettier in Summon color palate than the Leviathan.
One of the other reasons why it took me so long to update was because I was having trouble figuring out how to write Deathstroke and Weiss' fight scene and how it would interact with Connor vs. Artemiz. I think I did okay, but it was definitely one of the harder ones I've done.
As always, until next time!
