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For the next week, Dick and his teammates were ordered to protect Senator Roberts. Even though the police had put him protective custody, Batman and the rest of the Justice League agreed that Deathstroke might still make a move. Or maybe that the Light might hire someone else, like a dirty cop, to finish the job. So, every evening, two or more of the Team would got to the hotel building in Washington, DC where the senator was staying and keep an eye out for any sign trouble. Then, after a few hours, a Justice League member would take over.
It was extremely boring and everyone hated doing it. Yet despite how much they complained, Batman still insisted that they continue. It was clear to Dick and the others that Batman was only making them do this to distract them and keep them from going after Deathstroke. While they did want the senator to be safe, they all thought this might be a bit overkill. Artemis, Wally, Conner and Dick were the most vocal about it but they all knew that Kaldur and M'gann felt the exact same way.
At least tonight, they were all together so it wasn't as boring as the times when it was just two. More people meant more talking, usually. Since they were still technically on assignment and someone's life rested in their hands, they had to stay focused. That was easier said than done though.
Someone please tell me that I'm not the only person bored out of my mind. Wally said after almost an entire hour of complete silence. Dick was actually a little impressed that his best friend was able to last that long without complaining.
You're not. Conner replied. Though M'gann didn't say anything, everyone could feel through the link that she was also bored.
We'd be better off hunting Deathstroke than we are right here. Artemis complained from her spot on the roof of the restaurant across the street.
Deathstroke failed at killing Senator Roberts, which means he will most likely try again. Kaldur reminded everyone, doing his best to keep them all calm while trying to remain calm himself.
But would he do it so soon after the attempt that we stopped? He has to know that the senator is protected now. He could be running or hiding or something and then we'll never catch him. M'gann wondered.
From everything that I was able to find out about Deathstroke, once he takes a contract, he doesn't stop until the job is done. He'll be back. And when he does, we'll be here. Dick informed them.
Artemis scoffed and said, Unless of course the Justice League finds him first in which case we've just wasted our time.
You should hang out with Roy, Artemis. I think you two might actually get along. Wally joked. Ever since they started dating, Wally had been trying to get Artemis and Roy to hang out as he wanted her to be friends with his other best friend, since she was already friends with Dick, but it hadn't been going well. Roy wasn't interested in much outside his search for the real Roy Harper and he didn't seem to care about making nice with Artemis.
That would mean he'd have to stop moping and get his head out of his a**. Artemis responded.
Cut him some slack. He's been through a lot. Dick immediately defended his other redheaded friend. Yes, he was fully aware that Roy did not give a good first impression and could be very rude and cold, but Roy was a good guy, once you got to know him. And right now, he was still dealing with the shock that he was not only a clone, but a mole to be used against his friends and mentor. That was a lot for anyone to deal with. He would've hoped that Artemis would be a bit more understanding.
Can we focus on the mission please? Kaldur rejoined the conversation.
Fine. Artemis muttered, then fell silent.
Looking around for what felt like the millionth time, Dick sighed when he saw that nothing had changed. As bored as he was, he wasn't sure if he actually wanted Deathstroke to show up. He had only fought him for like, two minutes, but in those two minutes, Dick got a clear sense that he would've gotten his butt kicked and that the assassin was only playing with him. Add the way Bruce had been acting, Dick was really starting to feel uneasy about the threat Deathstroke actually posed.
Superboy, do you still have eyes on the senator? Kaldur suddenly asked, pulling Dick from his reverie.
Yup. He's watching TV. Conner answered.
Lucky. Wally mumbled.
What's he watching? Dick wondered, thinking that maybe Conner could mentally broadcast whatever Senator Roberts was watching to stave off the boredom they were all suffering from.
Some kind of game show. The clone of Superman and Luthor replied.
That's boring. Why can't he watch something interesting so we're also entertained? Wally whined, giving Dick the mental image of the speedster dramatically draping himself over a bench or something.
Because that's not what we're here for. Stay focused. Kaldur told him, his annoyance seeping into his mental voice.
Dick did his best to stay quiet and keep his thoughts quiet, agreeing with Kaldur. He truly agreed with Wally and Artemis, but Kaldur was right. They had a mission to do and that was what they should be focusing on. If Batman made sure Dick knew one thing, it was to concentrate on the mission. Distraction led to mistakes, and mistakes could lead to death. It was their job to keep that from happening.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by another sound. It was coming from his left, near the fire escape. Not someone speaking, or thinking, but something else. It was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Whatever it was though, it gave Dick a bad feeling.
Guys, I think I hear something. Batman's protégé informed them, taking a cautious step towards the noise. He didn't think the sound was someone moving around, but if he was wrong, he didn't want to risk letting the possible killer know that he had been found out.
Someone approaching? M'gann questioned.
No, something else. Dick answered, gaining more and more confidence that the sound was not from a person as he got closer. When he got the edge, he looked down. His eyes immediately widened when he realized what was making that noise as he mentally shouted, BOMB!
He turned around and started running down to the other side of the roof, but before he could, he heard an explosion and felt a force of air hit him hard in the back, causing him to fall flat on his face. Thankfully, he wasn't knocked out and it didn't feel like he broke anything. That meant he could still get up and run, and fight if need be. And he would, as soon as he could ignore the pain that was flooding through his body and head.
Robin! You okay? Dick heard Wally yell, hurting his head even more.
Get the senator out of here! Dick yelled back as he pushed himself up. His body felt like a giant bruise but he couldn't just stay down and wait for the pain to disappear. He had to move. Before he could get to his feet though, a figure landed on the roof to his right. A figure in black and orange armour with a sword in his hand. A figure he recognized.
It's Deathstroke. Dick told everyone, standing up and pulling out his bo.
Kid Flash and Superboy, get the senator to safety. Everyone else head over to Robin. Kaldur ordered.
Dick felt a rush of relief hearing that. He was a very good fighter, he knew that, but he also knew that he wasn't up to Slade's level. The acrobat may have been the first child vigilante and was extremely skilled and trained, but he knew better than to be overconfident. Being cocky led to mistakes and death. He was going to have to fight defensively until his teammates showed up.
The assassin waited for a few seconds, then charged, his sword swinging as he went. Dick blocked it, then pushed it away and took a few steps to the side to get out of range. It was an easy move, one that he had mastered right at the beginning of his training, but his muscles loudly protested the movement. The fact that he was able to move as easily as he could confirmed that he hadn't broken anything, but he was definitely bruised. That was going to make his job tougher.
Slade again came at him, this time, aiming his weapon at Dick's legs. Again, Dick blocked it with his bo. Using the way the sword hit, he lifted bo, and the sword with it, into the air with as much force as he could to try and push the older man away. Normally he would also throw a kick in there but he had a feeling that that move wouldn't be very effective against Slade. He started to regret it though when Slade didn't even shift and instead, stepped closer and slammed the flat side of his sword against Dick's head while driving his knee into the teenager's stomach. With a pained grunt, Dick fell to the floor.
"You're fairly good for your age." Slade stated as Dick got back up. Giving him time to recover, he continued, "But that shouldn't be surprising considering how early you started your vigilante career."
"You trying to play to my ego or something? That would be a first." Dick responded, getting back into a fighting position and wondering what was taking his teammates so long.
"Really?" Slade actually sounded surprised to hear that, though Dick didn't know why. He's a human kid. Who wouldn't underestimate him?
"Most criminals act like I'm stupid kid." Dick answered, keeping his eyes on the assassin even though instinct begged him to look for his friends.
"Which is why they fail. I never make the mistake of underestimating my enemy." Slade told him as he moved his sword back into a readied position, clearly getting ready fight again.
"Neither do I." Dick responded, and waited for Slade to charge. After a few seconds, he did.
Dick immediately sidestepped out of the way, but Slade had clearly expected that. He swung his sword to the side to where Dick was now standing, but the young vigilante held out his bo and blocked it. He had to continue to stay on the defensive. He was not going to be able to defeat Deathstroke, especially with his injuries, however mild they may be.
Slade continued to attack, seemingly okay with being on the offensive even though he had just said he didn't underestimate his opponents. He must be fairly confident that he could beat the teenager. And if Dick was being honestly, the assassin would definitely win. Suddenly though, Slade stopped and stood completely still, surprising and confusing Dick.
"I see your friends have arrived." Deathstroke said. Though he was wearing a helmet, Dick could tell that the assassin was looking at something behind him. Taking a risk, Dick quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw Kaldur, Artemis and M'gann standing on the roof.
"Surrender Deathstroke." Kaldur ordered, using his powers to create his popular swords.
Holding up his weapon, Deathstroke said, "No."
Kaldur didn't waste any time rushing towards the killer, but they were all stunned by how Slade reacted. Instead of accepting the fight, he jumped off the edge of the roof with a dramatic flip and disappeared from view. Dick, Kaldur, Artemis and M'gann all frowned in confusion before rushing to the roof's edge. When they looked down, they expected to see the assassin in the alley below, but there was nothing.
Artemis, stay here and cover us. Kaldur told the archer, who nodded and pointed her bow and arrow down at the ground. The other three then silently climbed down to the tiny street. Well, Kaldur and Dick climbed. M'gann flew.
Once they reached the bottom, there was a quiet clanging noise and something small and round rolled over to them. As it rolled, a blinking red light would become visible, letting them all know what it was. The three young heroes instinctively ducked for cover, but it went off too soon and filled the alley with smoke.
Coughing, Dick reached into his utility belt, pulled out his rebreather and put it on. With all the gas chemicals the villains in Gotham used, he always kept two in his belt. He then looked around for any sign of Deathstroke, but he didn't see or hear anything. He couldn't even see Kaldur or M'gann. He did however soon heard the sound of arrows whizzing by after being fired from a bow, followed by the sound of gunfire.
The youngest member of the Team dropped to his hands and knees, trying to stay out of the crossfire. The smoke wasn't as thick down there but that wasn't saying much. He started crawling towards where he thought the wall was, then stopped when he heard Artemis cry out. He turned around and lifted his head, looking for any sign of his teammate but found nothing. Then he felt something slam against the back of his head and everything went black.
Deathstroke watched as the boy fell to the ground after he kicked him in the head, hard enough to knock him out but not hard enough to cause any permanent damage. He then glanced around the rest of the alley. His helmet helped him see through the smoke and the filters kept him from breathing in any of the gas. Fortunately for him, the others didn't have that perk, except of course for Robin, hence, the need for a quick blow to the head.
Thanks to the knockout gas he placed in the small grenade, boy's remaining teammates were lying unconscious on the ground. He wondered if he needed to check on the blonde, as his shooting had thrown her off balance to the point she fell off the roof, but it had seemed the Martian girl had managed to catch and lower her to the ground before they both passed out. They were probably fine. After all, he didn't really care about them. No, his attention was on Batman's little protégé.
"You are good Robin," Deathstroke mumbled as he crouched down beside the little bird. He then pulled out a syringe filled with a clear liquid and plunged it into the boy's exposed neck as he continued, "but don't worry. I'll make you better."
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Sometimes, Wally got really frustrated with the police. When he and Conner went to get Senator Roberts, the police were all on high alert due to the explosion and because of that, they were very reluctant to let the two young heroes take him somewhere else. Apparently, they weren't sure if they could trust them. It wasn't until the senator actually stepped in and told the cops that they were the ones who saved him from the first attempt on his life that they let them take him. The speedster and clone both understood that the police were just doing their job, but it was really annoying.
After taking the senator to the nearest police station, they thought he would safest there, they rushed back to the hotel. The police were still there, most likely getting trying to figure out what was going on, but there was no sign of their teammates. Not on the roofs and not on the streets.
"Guys!" Wally yelled and was about to start running through the streets at superspeed but then he heard Conner shout, "Over here KF!"
The young speedster ran over to the alley where he had heard Conner's voice come from, then skidded to a stop. Conner was on his knees in between M'gann and Kaldur, who were lying on the ground, apparently unconscious, and was helping M'gann sit upright, positioning her to lean against him. Wally's eyes however, soon locked on Artemis's limp form only a few feet away from them.
He ran over to her before getting down to his knees. Looking her over, he felt relief flood his body when he didn't see any kind of injury, but that meant he didn't know why she was unconscious. He tapped her cheek and was about to start calling her name, but then she opened her eyes. Letting out a sigh of relief, Wally pulled his girlfriend in to a tight hug for a minute, then pulled back so he could look at her face as he asked, "What happened?"
"Deathstroke was fighting Robin." Kaldur answered as Conner helped him sit up with one hand while the other was still wrapped around M'gann's shoulder. "We tried to intervene, to get him to surrender."
"He beat us." M'gann finished, letting her head fall against her boyfriend's shoulders.
"You're lucky he left you all alive." Conner stated, looking his girlfriend and friends in shock.
"Yeah." Artemis agreed as she leaned heavily against Wally. The redhead held her close, then looked over his other friends when he noticed that someone was missing.
"Where's Rob?" Everyone's head immediately snapped up at that. They all looked around and saw that the youngest member of their team was missing.
"Robin?" Conner called out, then listened as best as he could for any kind of response, but there was nothing. He couldn't even hear another heartbeat apart from the others around him.
"Robin!" Wally practically screamed before he stood and started running through the area in search of his best friend as a cloud of fear and dread fell over everyone.