The next month flew. Richard and Reyna were busy most nights, but it felt more like putting out fires than addressing the source of the problem. They were becoming more comfortable with each other and had developed a rhythm when in battle. Reyna could tell he was a leader. She couldn't help but think that he would make an excellent praetor, if he were a half-blood. Richard was a hard worker, especially when it came to research. She was amazed at how much he could find, just on the computer. She found herself looking forward to their meetings.

It was late in the day when she heard from him asking for another meet. He took her to another unmarked building out in the middle of nowhere. But for some reason, Richard was more antzy than usual.

"What's going on?" She asked as they scoped out the building.

He didn't answer at first, but then said, "Somethings not right."

"What do you mean?" She questioned.

"I've been here before." She answered by way of explanation.

"So?"

"So, bad guys don't go back to places they've been caught."

"What do you want to do?"

"Nothing to do, but keep your head on the swivel."

Richard quickly took out the guards guarding the entrance. They entered the building cautiously. It was erily quiet. Every hair on the back of her neck and arms stood on end. They made their way down to the labs, encountering no one.

"I don't like this." Richard breathed.

"Do you feel that?" She kept looking around expecting to see a monster.

Richard didn't answer as he searched the lab. "Nothing. It's a trap!"

A deep laugh echoed across the empty building. "Not too bad. Not too good either."

"Show yourself!" Richard had a couple of baterangs out, ready to attack.

"You know, when I was hired to take care of a menacing threat, I expected a bit more than Batboy and his girlfriend." A large man dressed in red and black with the handles of two swords sticking up behind each shoulder stepped out.

"Slade." Nightwing breathed. If she didn't know better, she'd say he actually sounded afraid.

"You know him?" She asked.

"I prefer Deathstroke." Slade corrected.

"I know of him. He's mine." Nightwing's voice took on a hard edge. Reyna took it to mean that the man was mortal.

"Ahh, that's cute. For that, I won't even draw my swords." Deathstroke mocked him.

Nightwing didn't hesitate as he threw both baterangs at him, following quickly behind with several kicks. Deathstroke managed to successfully dodge the baterangs, but got kicked several times in the head and in the gut. Reyna thought for sure he would go down as Deathstroke swayed a little. But she was mistaken when Deathstroke, instead of falling over, did a flip where he used his momentum to grab and throw Nightwing across the room and painfully against a wall.

"And I thought that you would last longer." Deathstroke scoffed.

Reyna let out a roar and charged. She barely ducked a blow and landed a punch across his nose and one one his throat. He staggered back for a moment before he attacked back. He moved so quickly, she could barely keep up. He almost had her when Nightwing attacked from behind. He was grunting with every move. Together they attacked full force. Reyna would deliver a blow and get out of the way for Nightwing to get in some hits, then she would get a turn.

They did this for a while, until it seemed that Deathstroke had had enough. He roared in frustration, reached behind him, and pulled out two long samurai swords. Nightwing looked grim. Reyna drew her own sword in response.

Nightwing shook his head slightly toward her. She merely rolled her shoulders in response.

Deathstroke was deadly with his swords as he took on both of them. Nightwing was mainly dodging and leaping out of the way. He was a good distraction, Reyna wasn't sure she could hold her own with him. A sword sliced her exposed arm. She hissed in pain and drew back. Nightwing attacked, but was hit with the back of the sword and kicked across the room. He landed roughly. His body lay motionless. Reyna fought the panic rising.

Deathstroke seemed to be interested in something else for the moment. He was studying his sword and then he suddenly removed his mask that had covered his entire face and licked the blade. Reyna cringed. "You're different." He smiled pleasantly as he pointed his swords at her. Reyna didn't dare have a conversation with this man, so she just kept her sword trained on him. "There's something about you . . ." He muttered as he walked toward her.

Reyna attacked, hoping he was preoccupied with something else. She was wrong. In one swift move he deflected her sword with one of his swords and ran her through with the other.

"No." She heard Nightwing mutter.

She looked down at the strange sight, then back up to the man's face. To her horror she recognized it. It haunted her dreams. She gathered what depleting strength she had and twisted her sword enough to come down across his wrist and cut off his hand. He roared in pain and began pulling away, his sword ripping her body apart as he did, but she forced herself to focus and with the last of her strength she sliced off his head. The rest of the sword came out of her body as Deathstroke fell limply to the ground.

Reyna followed soon after. She stared upon the severed head, whose eyes began to swallow her up in unwanted memories. Someone blocked her vision, and she heard a familiar voice calling out her name. She tried to focus on his face, to stay in the now, but she felt herself unwillingly pulled into her worst nightmare.