Knock. Knock.
Jason waited as the door opened, revealing a calm if slightly bewildered Richard Dragon. The older man stared down at him. Jason stared back.
"Remember that promise you made?"
Slowly, Dragon nodded.
"Well, it's time to cash in."
"Another note was sent to the precinct, with coordinates on it," Batman's gravely voice aired over the comm as Jason suited up. "I've told Jim not to involve the GCPD. Shiva will be long gone by the time they arrive to set up a perimeter, and she'll probably take Stephanie along with her."
"Okay. Send coordinates to the computer, and I'll have Tim get us an address. I'll send it to Dragon's cellphone and we'll all meet up together there. Even with us there, there's no way she'll pass up a chance at fighting Dragon," Jason replied, smoothing out his domino mask across his eyes.
"Alright. I take it he tried to convince you to come with us?"
"Yes. I told him fuck no, not with his injuries. But in exchange…" Jason sighed, "Cass managed to wheedle her way in."
"…I thought you didn't want her anywhere near Shiva."
"I don't. Tim, however, managed to successfully argue her case," Jason explained, "Shiva did all of this to draw Cass out, not Dragon. So Cass at least has to make an appearance, even if Dragon is the one who will be fighting her. Plus, we need someone with us to guard Stephanie once everything goes to shit. Stephanie no doubt will have figured out who Shiva is, at least relative to Cass; the resemblance is uncanny, and Stephanie isn't an idiot."
"Valid point. Will we be telling Stephanie the truth after this?" There was no inflection in Batman's voice, but Jason had enough practice to sense the anxiety and disapproval beneath the surface.
"Only if she figures it out on her own and tells us. Otherwise, it would be better to keep her in the dark a little longer. No need to scare her off."
Batman grunted. "So Cass will be coming in civilian clothing then?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Just keep her out of sight. If anyone spots her near the Batmobile—"
"Don't worry, she's not arriving in the Batmobile. She'll go with Dragon."
"Then what about you?"
Jason cast a look towards his little brother, who was working diligently on the Computer. "Well, since Robin isn't making an appearance tonight…"
As they drew closer to the address Jason had given them, Cass shivered.
This — all of this — was her fault.
No one had said as much, but she knew it to be true. Shiva had come to Gotham for her. Had sent men to attack her little brothers, to kidnap her best friend, to draw her out. Everything that had happened these past thirty-six hours, it had all been because of her, and now her mentor was about to enter a fight that he had been avoiding for years, just for her sake. That bitter taste of guilt had been welling up ever since Jason had revealed just who had taken Stephanie, and nothing could drown it out.
How long would it take for them to turn her away? It couldn't be that long, she dully thought. These past few months, first with Jason and Damian, and then with the rest of the family…it had almost seemed like a dream. Sure, not all of it was perfect, but it had been the happiest she had been a long time. Since she had left Cain, in fact. It figured it wouldn't last forever.
She could have never imagined this is where she would end up all those months ago, when those strange men had come for her. It was Cain, she had originally thought. He had finally employed help to catch her, and it had worked. She had fought as hard as she could, but there had been so many and she had been so weak. It had been days since she last ate and as she felt the needle of the plunger enter the junction of her neck, she figured that this would've been the end.
And then she had woken up to two strange boys staring at her. The younger of the two was awkward and slightly hostile, but it had been the older boy that had caught her attention. His body had screamed of sheer affection for her and for the other boy almost immediately, and she didn't know what to make of it. But it also meant he wasn't a threat to her, and he had been so kind…she couldn't begrudge herself this, could she? Especially since she didn't know where she was.
Jason was his name, and the other was Damian. And her name was Cassandra, or Cass for short. Her name…nobody had quite given her that, at least not out loud. Perhaps that had been the first step, the first sign.
They hadn't pushed her into anything. Instead, they gave her food, water, and a place to sleep. They taught her how to speak and how to read, as minimal her progress was. They even trained with her when she asked. They had done all that, and when she finally asked them what they wanted from her, they told her they wanted her to come with them to Gotham. To be their sister. To stay with them forever. She tried to analyze them, to see the ulterior motives they had for their offer, but there were none. At least none that she could object to. They wanted her to be safe. They wanted her to stay with them.
How could she ever say no?
She followed them to Gotham without question, and met the family she was to join. All of them were like Damian was at first, awkward and not quite able to make out what they thought about her. But eventually, they warmed up her, and she gradually got to know them better.
Dick was even more open in his affection than Jason. There was just something so bright about him, so good that she could barely touch on it without being overwhelmed. Perhaps it was a good thing he lived in a different city and visited the Manor rarely. She wasn't sure she could handle having him around all the time.
Tim was much less open than Dick, but just as kind and good. Though his general annoyance and exasperation showed up much more than the others. It was actually a bit refreshing, having someone not so bright all the time. Though that meant their relationship had started up awkwardly, she could safely say they were friends at least. Tim, like Jason, had helped her with her speech therapy, explaining things patiently to her and helping her sound out the words she wanted to read. He even taught her how to play some of his video games, uncaring of how long it took her to get used to the controls.
Then there was Barbara. She showed up less often than Tim but more than Dick, and she was always kind to her. Occasionally Cass could see the occasional flash of bitterness and anger when her paralysis prevented her from doing something, but for the most part she was as put-together as the others in the family. Like Tim and Jason, she had served as another tutor, but took even further interest when she learned that Cass had started her vigilante training. She had even promised to get her started on coding once Cass had reached a certain threshold with her speech therapy.
Alfred was much more subdued and dignified. His interactions were also more reserved than the others; his status as their employee no doubt serving as the barrier. And yet his affection was every bit as clear to her as the others. Jason had managed to drum in basic etiquette during their stay with the All-Caste, but Alfred is the one who had helped her refine it into an art. He was always there with whatever she needed, whether it be food, or water, or a towel, or pillow or just about anything. He was also one of the few that was okay with just sitting with her in silence while she tried to get a hang of silent reading.
Finally, there was Bruce. Bruce was…difficult. There was affection in his carriage, like the others, but it was mired with sadness. Lots and lots of sadness. And anger too. The only time she had seen anything close to it had been with were the other people she had interacted with on the streets with her. And, more disturbingly, Jason, when he thought no one was looking. He had tried to hide it from them, from her in particular, but she saw it all the same. It made her wonder what, exactly, had happened to her brother before they found each other.
Bruce wasn't like the others. If they were awkward, he was practically clueless. But he cared, that much she could tell. He cared, he just didn't know how to express it. So she at least tried to meet him halfway. She just didn't know how, until the idea had popped into her mind a few weeks in.
When she had first found out about the family's extracurricular vocation, she didn't know what to think about it. But when she saw what Batman did on the news, how he saved people and brought justice to others, all without killing people — she had been immediately enchanted. That's what she wanted to do, she thought. She wanted to save people, and perhaps that would make up for what she had done all those years ago.
So she had approached him for training. To one day become a vigilante in her own right. He had been pleased, but also worried. And she didn't understand why until Jason had found out and blew up at him, at them both really. She had never seen him so angry. The way he had looked at her, it was a kind of terrified helplessness that she couldn't quite recognize. It had been like he knew that this day would come, but had desperately held on to the idea that it wouldn't.
And then he had shown her one of the reasons for his disapproval. She hadn't even realized she had lost so much of her own ability, but how could she? Other than training and sparring, fighting hadn't been on her agenda for a while. She hadn't noticed, but evidently Jason had, as had Bruce. It's why he had booked her lesson with Richard Dragon behind her back, something that had enraged Jason because he knew who Dragon would bring with him. Shiva.
It always came back to Shiva.
She had heard of Shiva before, of course, or at least the sound of her name. It had been in hushed whispers, as if speaking of her would summon her before them. She never quite understood why, and Jason wouldn't explain until she all but forced him to tell her. Even then, all he said is that she was the greatest martial artist in the world, a dangerous assassin, and that if Cass became a vigilante, she would catch Shiva's attention — and that she would never be able to shake it until Shiva was dead. Cass had thought he was being paranoid.
She was wrong.
Shiva, somehow, had found out about her. Had come for her. Again, Bruce and Jason hadn't said as much, but she had seen the fear in their eyes once they realized who had taken Stephanie. The way Jason cast his gaze towards Cass as if she were to disappear the next moment he took it away from her. He had fought her involvement in the rescue so vehemently, but all she had to do was admit that she knew Shiva had come for her for him to cave. Even with his reputation, with his past with Shiva, Dragon would never be allowed inside without her presence. Shiva hadn't come for him, after all.
She was scared, she would admit that much, but it was for Stephanie. Stephanie, who beamed at her like the sun, who smiled at her and played with her and taught her so many things that men in her life couldn't. Who listened to her and helped her when she asked. Who made Tim relax in a way that no one else did. Stephanie was her best friend. Cass would do anything to get her back.
Anything.
Cass exhaled as Dragon parked the car a little way's away from the warehouse. Not too far, but far enough to keep the car out of sight and away from attention. They would make the rest of the trip on foot. She watched as he put up the hood of the jacket he was wearing, and mimicked him.
It was night time. Not too late, but late enough for Batman and Robin to start patrolling. Cass knew, however, that neither of them would be patrolling on this night. Robin would probably be out of action for the next couple of days, to be honest. The injuries weren't too severe, but better safe than sorry, as Jason was wont to say.
They followed the dim, dirty streetlights until they reached the entrance of the warehouse. After exchanging a look with Dragon, she hesitatingly knocked on it, waiting for the door to slid open. Eventually, it did, revealing a large man in dark garb. He glanced at Dragon, but then looked at her. Cass lowered her hood, just enough to expose her face, and the man stepped away.
They walked inside, and looked around. Several large men in similar garb and of similar size were loitering around the building, forming a loose but large circle that almost resembled a human-made ring. Cass swallowed, not liking the implication. She looked ahead, and froze.
Stephanie was there, bound to a chair with ropes with her wrists tied up. Her mouth was covered with duct tape, no doubt to keep her quiet. Cass saw her friend look up, her eyes widening at the sight of her. She began to struggle, only to freeze when a slender hand gently but firmly settled her was a single clasp of the shoulder. Cass followed the arm the hand belonged to, and resisted the urge to gasp.
Jason had never completely explained why Shiva would be after her. After some further pressing, he told her about Shiva's obsession with crushing powerful martial artists, and about how she was searching for a superior martial artist to finally kill her in battle. Cass would be of interest to her, because she was one of the few people who had the potential to fulfill that wish. Her body-reading ability, once she regained full use of it, was unsurpassed. It was just a matter of experience and expanding a repertoire of techniques, and it wouldn't be long until she matched Shiva.
She had accepted the explanation at face value, but one question had kept on nagging on her — how would Shiva know that? How would Shiva know about her at all? She knew Cain had been a reputable assassin, but she doubted he would ever air out the details of his pet project so loosely around the assassin community. Even if it was someone like Lady Shiva demanding them. The question had nagged her at the back of her mind, but she didn't dare voice it out loud. Something inside her told she wouldn't like the answer.
And whatever that feeling was, it was right. As she gazed at Shiva, at the planes of her face, the way that it so closely resembled her own, her heart started beating erratically. There was no way that could be a coincidence. She didn't need the basic detective training that Bruce had started her on to see that.
Who are you?
"Hello, little girl," Lady Shiva purred, raking her eyes up and down her body. There was nothing lustful in that gaze, and yet Cass still felt violated. "Do you know who I am?"
"Lady Shiva," Cass replied, and she hated how quiet and stilted her voice sounded.
Shiva smirked. "Take off your hood," she ordered.
Cass did exactly that, and struggled not to flinch when Shiva's eyes met her own again. No doubt she had noticed the resemblance as well — or perhaps she knew it was already there and had just wanted to see it for herself? There was a flash of anger on the older woman's face, but it was gone before Cass could fully process it, and that smug exterior was back in place.
"I'll admit, I was planning on waiting a little longer for this meeting to take place," Shiva said conversationally, as if she were just talking about weather instead of a duel to the death, "But plans changed. If anything else, this will allow me to see if you are ripe or not."
Ripe? What did she mean by that?
"I take it you brought your companion to be your second? Tell him to stand aside. I will allow a few minutes for you to stretch before we begin."
Cass said nothing. Instead, she looked at Dragon, and he knew that was his cue. He removed his hood, and once his face was revealed to all, the entire atmosphere changed. A cold tension settled into place as Shiva processed who exactly had come with her, and Cass savor her stunned look as it slowly transformed into something dark and furious. The men surrounding them had tensed as well. If they were truly Shiva's followers, then they had no doubt recognized the one man who call himself Lady Shiva's one, true equal.
It seemed the only person who didn't recognize her mentor was Stephanie, judging by the confused look on her face. That was only to be expected — Cass highly doubted someone with a relatively normal background like hers would recognize Dragon. The man may be revered in the martial arts community, but he was also a recluse and his face was only well-known in certain elite circles. Even Cass had only heard whispers of him before Bruce had sent her off to him to take lessons. Then again, she could hardly speak and read before Jason and Damian came along, so that probably should have been expected.
She didn't know much about Dragon or his relationship with Shiva. She knew that he was considered one of the greatest martial artists in the world. She knew he had mentored Bruce, Dick, and Barbara. Jason seemed to be familiar with him as well, far more than he was willing to admit. Most of all, she knew Jason hadn't wanted her to be mentored by him, ostensibly because of Shiva. It didn't take Tim to figure out they had some sort of past together. What kind of past that was she had never bothered to find out. Dragon wasn't the most forthcoming of mentors, her speech wasn't the best, and ultimately it didn't matter.
And now it did. Because, while her body-reading ability wasn't quite what it used to be, it was still there, and she was able to see a lot. Neither Shiva nor Dragon had yet to speak, to break their stare-off, but they didn't have to; it was enough to tell everything to Cass, to show her everything she needed to know. The anger, the tension, the respect, the hunger, the desire, and beneath it all, the longing. Something deep, something that she rarely saw. The closest in recent memory had been the few times Dick and Barbara had visited together, and even then what was between them wasn't as raw as what was between these two. It made Cass wonder what, exactly, had happened between them.
"Sandra," Dragon finally said. "It's been quite some time."
"It has," Shiva intoned, voice frigid. "I'm surprised. I thought you were still holed up in that mountain shack of yours. I didn't think you'd rejoin society for the likes of her."
Dragon didn't shrug. The sentiment was there, however. "A former student called in a favor. He was very…convincing."
Shiva narrowed her eyes. "I imagine he was. I imagine his money was even more enticing. And I imagine a single look at her face was enough to seal the deal."
"You never did say much about what happened after Carolyn died," Dragon said instead of denying her words. "Ben knew though, didn't he? I saw some of his style in her. A lot of styles, in a way that makes my stomach curl."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What exactly did you leave her to, Sandra? I am no stranger to harsh training, but her scars, the way she fights — that wasn't training. That was torture."
Shiva didn't snort. That sentiment was also there. "You have no right to judge my choices. You're certainly not any more of a saint than I am. Besides, she came out all the stronger for it, did she not? Not even you can deny her talent, her skill."
"No, I can't. But was it truly worth it? She's your—"
"She is nothing to me," Shiva cut him off. "Nothing but a means to an end. I made an investment all those years ago, and I am here to observe it, to see if it payed off. Do not interfere."
Dragon didn't back down, however. He stepped forward, standing in front of Cass with a determined look on his face. "She is my student, and her training isn't quite complete yet. I would be a poor mentor if I were to let you kill her now."
She glared at him, and then she laughed. There was no mirth in it. "So this is what it takes for you to finally face me? I asked you, demanded you, begged you to fight me, and you refused. I made your life hell, and you refused. And yet I threaten one of your students, and you step in? She's hardly the only student of yours I've faced over the years, you and I both know. Nor would she be the last."
"But the only one still under my tutelage," Dragon reminded her, face set. "Are you really so offended that you'd give this chance up?"
"How do I know you'll even be serious about it?" Shiva shot back, tone disparaging. "Time and again you've shown me how weak you are, how unwilling you were to do what needed to be done. You thrive in violence like I do and yet whenever it becomes too much you scurry up the nearest mountain like a coward. It makes me sick, knowing you, the only man in the world could ever dare to equal me, would rather live in isolation and let his skills rot rather than live up to his full potential."
"Like you?" Dragon asked, and now there was something dark in his voice too. "You think what you've been doing has been fulfilling your potential? Don't make me laugh. You revel in the violence because it's all you have." His face softened. "Sandra, Carolyn wouldn't have wanted this."
"It doesn't matter what she would've wanted. She's dead, and her sister along with her," Shiva responded coldly. "Lady Shiva is all that remains. You would do well to remember that."
"Lady Shiva is just a construction made by Sandra Wu-San, so she won't have to face her grief," Dragon countered. "You can fool the world, Sandra, but you can't fool me. Because there's no one in the world who knows you better than me."
Shiva's nostrils flared.
"Sandra—"
"Enough," Shiva snarled viciously. She smoothly removed her jacket, throwing it to the side. Dragon sighed and mirrored her, though he handed his jacket to Cass.
"Wait," Cass called out before the duel could begin. "Stephanie—"
"You'll have her back after the duel ends," Shiva hissed, glaring at the younger woman fiercely. "Until then…stay out of the way."
Cass felt her own anger flare up, but she squashed it down. Nodding jerkily, she stepped back into the circle, eyes on the two combatants. Her arms clutched Dragon's jacket tightly.
The last interruption finished, the two masters locked eyes, and the battle began.
"When this is all over, you're gonna have to tell her everything."
Knight crossed his arms as he watched Shiva and Dragon lock forearms, and sighed. "I know. I just hope she won't hate me for keeping so much from her."
Batman grunted. "You were trying to protect her. She'll understand that."
Knight neither agreed nor disagreed, but said nothing more on the matter. Instead, he zeroed in on the two martial artists going at it on the floor. "He's not going to kill her."
"No," Batman confirmed, "He doesn't have it in him. She means too much to him."
"We're not going to let either of them die, are we?"
Batman gave him a look.
"I know. I'm not suggesting we should. But it's not going to be easy."
"When has anything we've ever done been easy?"
Despite himself, Knight couldn't help but quirk his lips up. "True. So very true."
Stephanie resisted the urge to continue struggling. Her wrists were starting to burn from the rubbing, and she didn't want to be anymore uncomfortable than she already was. Even so, she couldn't help her beating heart, which drumming in her ears, nor the wince when she heard another loud clash of flesh as she watched her captor and Cass' mentor(?) go at it with a ferocity she had never seen before.
She was no stranger to violence. She grew up in Gotham, in one of the worst neighborhoods of the city. Her father was a supervillain. She even took weekly martial arts classes at a local dojo for the past couple of years. And yet, watching these two try to tear each other apart made her physically sick. Any appreciation she had for their abilities, their skills (so beyond her own) was trampled by the sheer carnage that accompanied it. Humans weren't made for such raw destruction, especially against other humans.
It had barely been minutes into the fight when she heard the cracking of bone. Whose, she didn't know; she wouldn't be surprised if it was both of them. Shiva was already sporting a shiner. Blood was dribbling from Dragon's mouth. Limbs were being twisted, skin cut. There were so many bruises sported on their bodies…the movies really failed to capture what it meant to have a duel like this.
And worse yet, it wasn't going to end. It wasn't going to end until someone died and Stephanie really, really didn't want to see someone die. Not even the men who attacked her and her friends, not even the woman who ordered them to do it. Certainly not the man who came with her friend to save her. And certainly not Cass, like what seemed posed to happen before Dragon revealed his identity, whoever Dragon was.
She just wanted to go home. She just wanted to go home and forget that any of this happened. She was tired, sore, hungry, and in desperate need of a bath. Why couldn't it be over?
So drowned in her thoughts, she barely noticed when she felt fingers touching her bound hands. She stiffened, and looked around — all the men were too focused on the fight. They weren't watching her. Slowly, she turned around, and blinked.
It was a vigilante, that much was certain by the red bat on his chest. Certainly one she had never seen or heard of before. Considering it was rumored that Nightwing was the first Robin, perhaps this was the second? There were rumors that the current Robin was the third. But if that was the case, why had it taken him so long to appear?
Red Bat (as she had deemed him in her head) held up a finger to his lips, and then silently pointed back at the fight. Realizing what he was telling her to do, she quickly turned back to watching the fight, keeping her eyes forward as she felt a knife begin cutting her bonds, first with her feet and then with her hands. He was just about finished with the ones binding her to the chair when a yell was heard.
The fight paused as one of Shiva's men pointed towards Stephanie. Stephanie froze, wondering if she had been had, when another shadow appeared beside her and started moving towards the former combatants. She watched in amazement as Batman (because who else could it be?) approached the two combatants, drawing their attentions away from each other and to him.
"Shiva."
"Batman," Shiva spat out, almost literally. She looked terrible, though Dragon was hardly in any better condition.
"Enough," the Bat said roughly, "I will not have you two killing each other in my city."
"So you wait until we nearly kill each other and then stop us from finishing the fight," Shiva shook her head, "Conniving as ever."
"It's not my fault you never learn." He stepped aside, revealing that Stephanie was no longer in her bonds and long gone. Shiva's eyes widened, and she turned around to see Stephanie already fleeing with Cass and what looked like another vigilante.
"STOP THEM!" She screamed, and her men ran to obey her orders.
She turned back to her original opponent and her new aggressor, and settled back into a fighting stance. Dragon followed the suit, as did Batman.
"You can't beat both of us, Sandra," Dragon growled out, preparing to charge.
He was stopped, however, by a new figure jumping through the window. A very familiar figure.
One dressed in orange and black.
"Who said she had to do it alone?" Deathstroke asked menacingly.
"Come on, come on!" Knight urged the two girls down the street, towards where the Batmobile was parked. The three of them rushed forward, hearing the telltale sounds of running behind them. Without even looking back, Knight tossed a smoke bomb behind him, not bothering to wait for the minor explosion nor the knockout gas that came with it. That should take care of them.
Before they could reach the Batmobile, however, Knight noticed a glint of something from the corner of his eye and drew one of his batarangs and threw it, cutting through the arrow that was about puncture one of Stephanie's shoulders. Both girls froze, and Knight was quick to pull them behind him. Looking up at a nearby rooftop, he narrowed his eyes and snarled beneath his mask.
"Merlyn."
"Merlyn?" Stephanie asked, hysterical.
"A master assassin that specializes in archery," Knight explained, drawing another batarang, "He usually antagonizes Green Arrow over at Star City, but he's also crossed paths with us Bats before."
"Why is he here then? I thought Shiva only wanted—" she looked at Cass guiltily. Cass, for her part, was not offended; she only shrugged helplessly, just as bewildered as her friend was.
"I don't know, but—"
"YOU!"
"Shit," Knight cursed as he and the girls dodged a sword thrust from an enraged Ravager.
"You think I wouldn't recognize you, second Robin!?" The crazed teenager shrieked, brandishing her blade threateningly at the three of them. "Well, screw you! This is not going to go like last time!"
Knight kept one eye on Merlyn as he watched Rose rant with slight exasperation. This was not how he expected tonight to go. If Rose was here, that meant Deathstroke couldn't be far behind — that would explain why Batman hadn't immediately followed up on them. Shiva was dangerous but in her current state Bruce should've been able to handle her easily. Add Deathstroke in the mix, however, and he would be hard-pressed even with Dragon helping him.
More distressing was why all these assassins were here, and how they had managed to slip into Gotham undetected. Bruce would've never been so sloppy as to let that happen. Neither would Babs. Someone had to have helped them. Someone who knew how they worked and knew how to subvert their systems. And considering who these people were…he didn't like who was on the shortlist for the possibly guilty.
"Do you think you can handle her?" He whispered to Cass, reaching back to hand her one of his spare knives. Rose had yet to notice that her 'audience' wasn't paying attention to her. Cass slowly nodded.
"Good." He turned to Stephanie. "Find somewhere to hide behind, and keep low. I'm going to handle Merlyn."
Stephanie hesitated, but quickly realizing that she really wasn't in any position to argue, complied. Knight watched her go, and once he was certain she was secure, bolted past Ravager and towards the direction of Merlyn. Ravager finally broke off her rant and moved to chase after him, but Cass cut her off with her own attack.
He drew his grappling hook, knocking away a few arrows as he shot it towards the ledge of the building next to the roof Merlyn was on. Landing on the fire escape before Merlyn could cut the line, he leaped to the other side and climbed up the stairs, flipping over the ledge and drawing his escrima sticks, landing in a battle-ready position. Merlyn eyed him speculatively, letting go of the arrow he was about draw and holding up his bow like a quarter-staff.
"The second Robin, right?" Knight didn't answer. "There's been a lot of rumors about you lately. I wonder if there's any truth to them."
Before he could say more, Knight charged forward, one of his sticks meeting the sturdy bow in a loud clash. The second stick followed up, and just like that they were at it. Thrusts, stabs, swings — the two of them danced around each other violently, neither one able to to get the advantage. Merlyn might have had a stronger and sturdier body, but he did not specialize in close combat. He was a marksman, not a brawler.
Even so, there was only so much Knight could do with his body. His physical abilities were limited until he was fully grown, and his skills weren't completely able to bridge the distance. That left things at a stalemate, something that he was not comfortable with knowing that Cass and Stephanie were still in danger.
He risked a glance at them, and internally sighed in relief when he saw that Cass had already knocked out Ravager. It proved to be a mistake, as Merlyn took advantage and knocked him away, causing him to land on his ass. Knight shook his head to clear the cobwebs, just in time to see Merlyn aim at his sister and shoot. He looked back at Cass, and breathed a sigh of relief when she managed to dodge it, only getting nicked on the arm.
And then she collapsed.
Poison.
Before he could even get his head straight, he was already up on his feet and charging at Merlyn, a silent roar echoing from his mouth. The man barely had time to react before Knight was on him, knocking him down and slamming one foot — painfully — on his crotch, the other on his right arm. He then reached down and pulled up the left one, stretching it out so he could twist it just so.
To his credit, Merlyn didn't scream. But the expression on his face showed the suffering he was in.
"Antidote. Now."
Merlyn glared up at him for a long moment, but another pointed twist had him grimacing, and he wiggled his fingers towards a pocket in his right leg. Knight bent down and drew the vial from it, and then finished up with a hard punch to the face, knocking the man out cold.
The light was fading. The world was going dark.
She was dying, she realized.
So this is how it ends, she thought. Oh well, that was fine. At least she didn't have to live long enough to see her family turn her away. Perhaps this was for the best. Perhaps this was payment for daring to be so happy after what she did.
"Cass."
Was that Jason's voice? Or Stephanie's? She couldn't tell. They all blurred together now.
"Cass."
It's too bad. I would've liked to apologize.
"Cass!"
The light was growing brighter now. She reached out—
"CASS!"
Cass sat up, breathing in a huge gulp of air. Knight let out a small sigh of relief, struggling not to reveal how worried he had been. Even after the antidote had been administered, she had — ever so briefly — gone into cardiac arrest. Even with CPR, they still could've lost her.
He watched Stephanie throw her arms around his sister, and was glad his mouth was covered so they couldn't see him smile. He couldn't linger, however, and looked around. He blinked.
Ravager was gone.
He couldn't leave Stephanie and Cass just yet, but he was willing to bet that Merlyn was too, as were Shiva's men. That was fast. Too fast. It was as if…Knight looked around the shadows suspiciously, for any signs of movement. Nothing. But that didn't mean anything. Someone else had been here, he just knew it.
And Merlyn…why did he attack Cass? If she had been his original target, he would've aimed for her first, not Stephanie. Stephanie herself had only been bait to draw Cass out for Shiva. She should've been rendered a non-factor the moment she was out of Shiva's captivity. After all, it didn't matter if she could identify who killed who — all the people involved were publicly known assassins and supervillains. More than that, Merlyn in particular was well-known as a professional. He wasn't one to kill an innocent girl for kicks.
Not to mention the presence of Ravager and, presumably, Deathstroke. The last time he had seen those two, they had been after him. Presumably that's why they were here in Gotham, but how did they know he would've been here as a vigilante? If Tim hadn't been injured, Robin could've easily taken his place and Jason would've just stood by for back up in case of an emergency. This, after all, was Knight's first public appearance. Beyond Stephanie and Dragon, no one outside of the Family knew he even existed.
None of this made sense. None. Unless…
Maybe. But not yet. We don't have any proof yet.
Still, it was something to file away for later. As he watched his sister and his friend clutch each other tight, he allowed himself to relax, ever so slightly.
They had gotten Stephanie back, safe and sound. Right now, that was all that mattered.
I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but considering I just finished Camp NaNoWriMo and finished fifty thousand words in sixteen days, I don't really care. That means I've got seven chapters in the backlog, ready for editing. Cheers, everyone!
And yes, if you were wondering, Shiva and Dragon used to be lovers. No, Dragon is not Cass' biological father — that's still David Cain. But they do have a past together, and their relationship is kind of twisted. Dragon is basically the only man Shiva could ever love, and while she does love him, the basis of her love and attraction to him is the sheer violence he's capable of. Dragon's affection for her is a little more conventional, but the violence she's capable of attracts him as well.
I thought this would last another chapter or so, but it was not meant to be. Even so, I'm sorta satisfied with how this turned out. Cass' parts are the ones throwing me off — we know she's capable of complex thought, it just feels wrong putting it into the words when it should probably be sensations or feelings. But I don't really know how to describe that, so this is what we got. Oh well. It's not like I'm going to be writing from Cass' POV all that often anyway. She's not the main character.
We're going to have a bit of cool down the next couple of chapters before the drama picks up again. Prepare yourselves for that.
Next chapter: the denouement of this situation. Plus, Jason's official vigilante name!