Hunters of Justice

by trestwho

Remnant has fallen, its cities captured and its greatest defenders defeated at the hands of the alien conqueror, Brainiac. In the aftermath of his victory, the people of Remnant's last hope lies in the hands of two teams of students, whisked away to another world. A world where Gods walk among them.

38. The Enemy of My Enemy

Hunters of Justice (RWBY/DC)

Chapter 27: The Enemy of My Enemy

The air was tense and silent as team RWBY, Green Arrow, and Black Canary waited for their new arrivals. Despite not being able to see their faces, Ruby knew that the older superheroes were agitated. Green Arrow kept checking his arrows while Black Canary kept her eyes on the group of five individuals making their way towards them. Ruby was as well, but she kept her attention on the man in front.

"So," Ruby began, breaking the all-encompassing silence, "that's Deadshot?"

"Mmm-hmm," Green Arrow hummed, his eyes never leaving the group. Ruby nodded, twiddling with Crescent Rose in her arms. She had read up on several superheroes and supervillains since her arrival on Earth, but the assassin named Deadshot was one in particular that caught her eye. In another life, he was a marine sniper named Floyd Lawton who fought in several theatres of war for the United States, from Afghanistan and Iraq all the way up to the Darkseid War. After that, with all the chaos that ensued, he decided he wasn't satisfied working for a soldier's salary and became a private gun for hire, one who specialized in assassinations and boasted a perfect shot record. He was a particular thorn in the side of Green Arrow and Batman, so the Emerald Archer being angry at his unexpected appearance was to be expected.

But what was hard for Ruby to understand was why, by all accounts, Deadshot was appearing to help them? If anything, she would've expected the League of Shadows to hire him for security. Ruby desperately wanted to ask, but with the assassin and his teammates so close, she figured it could wait.

When the five people drew closer, Ruby was able to get a better look at them. Like themselves, Deadshot and his team were wearing specialized and armored HAZMAT suits. More rugged and less advanced suits, but obviously enough to keep the harmful radiation out. Deadshot was in the front of the group, his suit primarily red with dark grey accents and shoulder pads. His helmet was stark white, a red apparatus over where his right eye would be, which Ruby could assume to be something that helped his vision. Next to him was a slender figure holding a large mallet over her shoulders, her black and red-checkered suit doing little to mask the outwardly boisterous air she was giving. Another man, wearing dark blue with grey accents, stomped forward, consciously trying to stay ahead of Deadshot.

'Obvious rivalry,' Ruby noted, shifting her attention to the final two members of Deadshot's team. The first was another slender figure, a good head shorter than the other woman, who was on Deadshot's left side at the far back. She was wearing a light blue suit accented in white, and Ruby could swear wisps of cold air were emanating off of her body and small chunks of ice appeared where she stepped. On the last member, Ruby's eyes slightly widened as she beheld a large, hulking man at least ten feet tall. He was wearing an equally large dark-green HAZMAT suit, and she couldn't help but wonder who these people were.

Finally, with everyone staring at the new arrivals, Deadshot and his team stopped in front of the heroes. He tilted his head and placed his hands on his hips as Green Arrow and Black Canary stomped over to him. They stared at each other silently, their helmets just a few inches away, and the air somehow grew even tenser.

"Lawton," Green Arrow grumbled.

"Green Arrow," Deadshot replied tersely.

"Why are you here?" Black Canary demanded as team RWBY reorganized themselves to cover as many angles as they could. Their Auras tingled as they felt the new arrivals attentions briefly linger on them, but just as quickly it went away as Deadshot focused on the two heroes standing before him.

"Like I told you before, my boss wants us to cooperate," Deadshot explained. "If it were up to me, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

What, exactly, he meant by that went unsaid, but none of the Huntresses liked it. Not content with just standing on the sidelines, Weiss perked herself up and moved to speak.

"Alright, seeing as how we're in a talking mood," Weiss began, swiveling her head to look at the people standing before her, "who are you?"

"Oho, looks like you're the serious one, I take it?" the bright blue female haughtily said with a dark, icy chuckle. Weiss glared at the woman, but she wasn't fazed. "Ooh, scary."

"That's enough, Frost," Deadshot barked, sharply turning his head to stare her down. She glowered back angrily, curling her fists before grumbling and turning her head away. Deadshot glared at her for a few more moments, then nodded and turned to face Weiss.

"Sorry 'bout that. She gets a little cranky, you see?" Deadshot chuckled softly to himself while Frost glared at the back of his head, then he looked back at Weiss.

"Right," Weiss slowly nodded, crossing her arms. Deadshot chuckled again, then gestured towards himself and his compatriots.

"Name's Deadshot, but my guess is that you already knew that." Ruby and the others nodded, seeing no reason to indicate otherwise, and Deadshot nodded back before gesturing towards Frost. "Little Miss Sunshine is Caitlyn Snow."

"Killer Frost," Weiss immediately replied, recognizing the name. "A murderous psychopath who kills others for their body heat."

Rather than look guilty, Killer Frost laughed. "Looks like you've done your homework, girly. Keep it up, and I might give you a practical examination."

"Cool it, Frost. I won't ask again," Deadshot immediately ordered. Frost backed down, slowly rubbing the back of her neck as Deadshot gestured towards the woman on his left. Before he could speak, the girl skipped ahead and held out her hand straight towards Yang, having been the person standing closest to her.

"Doctor Harleen Quinzel, at your service!" the exuberant woman announced. Yang recognized the name and she bit back a curse.

"You're Harley Quinn?" Yang said, to which Harley nodded enthusiastically. She couldn't pull her hand away fast enough from Harley, not knowing where it had been. At the same time, Yang braced her arm in case something went down, as it was quickly becoming obvious that the people before her were not heroes or even soldiers. These people were full-out supervillains, but why they wanted to work together rather than fight was still beyond her. On her part, Harley pouted and crossed her arms, backing away to rejoin her group.

"Grumpy," she muttered. The man next to Deadshot scoffed, prompting the assassin to gesture to him.

"George Harkness," the man muttered, his voice warped in a thick Australian accent.

"Oh, Captain Boomerang," Ruby called out. "Flash talked a lot about you. Said you were kind of a jerk."

Captain Boomerang growled indignantly but otherwise did nothing, and finally Deadshot gestured up to the hulking man behind them all.

"Finally, Waylon Jones. The Killer Croc," Deadshot introduced. At once, the members of Team RWBY looked up at the man. Their thoughts drifted back to that horrible night when Scarecrow attacked Gotham. They saw Batman's allies take down Killer Croc and arrest him, which only made their confusion greater. If he was arrested, why was he out and about with a group of supervillains? Supervillains who apparently wanted to work with them, and if they had to guess, knew full well why they were here.

"Well," Ruby slowly began, "am I right in assuming you already know who we are?"

"Yes, we do, Red Reaper," Deadshot confirmed. Ruby narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and Green Arrow tightened his hand.

"Now that the pleasantries are over," he growled out, "why are you here? And don't give me that crap about your boss wanting us to cooperate."

Deadshot looked at Green Arrow for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Did you heroes honestly think you were the only ones investigating the Grimm? There are a lot of people invested in making sure they get contained and eliminated before they get out of hand, Green Arrow. We represent one of them."

"Who?" Blake demanded, and Deadshot slowly reached into his pouch to pull out a small device.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" he suggested. The heroes looked at the device questioningly, which Deadshot seemed to take in stride. "Don't worry, it's completely safe. I'm an assassin, not a crazed killer."

"There's a difference?" Yang replied.

"Yeah. One's a job, the other's mental sickness. I'm not contracted to kill any of you. None of us are, which means you have nothing to fear from us."

"And if you were?"

"Then, like I just told Green Arrow a few minutes ago, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Deadshot then shook his arm slightly, gesturing towards the device. "I'd advise not keeping her waiting. Or do, I don't care either way. She's a bitch, so anything that gets her irritated is good in my eyes."

The other villains nodded in agreement, and after a moment Green Arrow, still glaring angrily at Deadshot, took the device and looked it over before walking away.

"Stay there," Green Arrow ordered, and Deadshot shrugged.

"Not like we're going anywhere else," Deadshot replied, allowing the heroes to get comfortably away. Once they were, the heroes looked at the device in Green Arrow's hand. It was a small disk, one that would attach to their helmets and presumably do something with their communications. No one moved to do anything, and Yang turned her head to look at the supervillains with suspicion.

"So, what are we going to do?" she asked. At first, Green Arrow said nothing, silently asking himself that very same question. Ruby looked at it, then steeled her gaze and looked up at the older superheroes.

"I say we play along with them, at least for now," Ruby suggested, prompting the others to look at her. Before they could protest, Ruby held up her hand placatingly. "Yes, I know they're supervillains, but right now they appear to be on our side. Let's give them a chance."

"Reaper," Black Canary started, "just because they want to work with us doesn't mean we should. The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend."

"I know that, and if they prove to be an enemy we'll beat them up too. But, the way I see it, we're trapped behind enemy lines surrounded by people who want nothing more than to kill us. Here we have a group of people who not only don't want to kill us, they want to help us. They have helped us, so I say we see what this boss of theirs wants."

The others thought it over, and after a few moments, begrudgingly groaned and shook their heads. As much as they didn't want to admit it, Ruby had a point. They weren't in a position to overlook help, even if it came from unsavory individuals.

"I know I'm going to regret this," Green Arrow stated as he reluctantly placed the device on his head. With a faint clamp, the disk attached itself to his helmet, and a shrill static echoed through the heroes' communication equipment.

"Gagh!" Blake hissed in pain. Yang moved to assist, but it was gone as soon as it had arrived, so the Faunus held up her hand to stop Yang. The static was now disappeared, and the heroes patiently waited for whoever was on the other end.

"Finally. I was beginning to grow impatient. And before you ask, this channel is completely isolated from the rest of Task Force X," a voice spoke in such a way that told everyone that she expected this outcome from the very start. None on Team RWBY knew who the voice belonged to, but the same could not be said for Green Arrow or Black Canary.

"Amanda Waller, I should've known," Black Canary hissed.

"Before or after you recognized my forces? Because if you only figured it out now, then I fear you're losing your touch."

"Oh, you misunderstand me. I recognized your stench immediately; I just didn't want to admit it."

"That attitude is going to get you killed, Dinah. I'd advise working on it."

Black Canary's back straightened in shock, as did the other heroes. On the other end of the line, Amanda Waller darkly chuckled.

"Surprised?" she rhetorically asked. "Don't put yourself on a pedestal. It wasn't that hard to figure out that Dinah Lance was the famous Black Canary. At least Bruce and his children wear masks when they go out at night. Masks that directly interfere with security cameras. You do nothing."

Green Arrow had enough. "Now, you listen here—"

"Or you'll do what, Oliver Queen?" Waller asked, cutting Green Arrow off and causing the young heroes to look at the Green Arrow with wide eyes. Weiss recognized the name: Oliver Queen, CEO of Queen Industries and one of the richest men in the world. He used to be a playboy billionaire living large and without a care in the world before he drunkenly fell off his yacht in the South China Sea. The world thought he was dead for five years until he was miraculously found by Chinese fishermen, where he claimed to have washed ashore a deserted island and learned to survive by any means necessary. He came back to Star City a changed man, one determined to change his life for the better and improve his beloved city. Apparently, that improvement included moonlighting as a superhero.

Satisfied that the heroes were stupefied into silence, Amanda Waller continued, "That's right, I know who all of you are. That includes the four Huntresses with you. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Very colorful, I must say, although your little interview with Lois Lane did say your culture held color highly. So, I'm not too surprised."

The Huntresses looked at each other with wide, alarmed eyes. They knew who Amanda Waller was and how dangerous she could be. Their attempts at keeping themselves hidden were specifically meant to keep them out of her attention, but now that proved to be an effort in futility.

"How did you-?" Blake began, but Waller cut her off.

"Do you know just how long it takes for immigration and citizenship papers to go through the system? Years, but you four got it in less than a month." Waller chuckled. "Bruce tried being clever and used four of his many pseudonyms to submit your paperwork, but they were names I had already figured out. It was as simple as flagging them and bringing the papers directly to me."

Weiss was silent for a moment, then her eyes narrowed. "You signed off on them. Why?"

"Call it an investment," Waller replied tersely, confirming Weiss' suspicions. "An investment I'm now checking up on."

Yang was getting angry now, and her eyes flashed red, "If you think we're going to work for you, you have another thing coming."

"Oh, on the contrary. I have no delusions of having you work directly under me. No, right now all I want is your cooperation as we deal with this Grimm infestation. The President has granted me full autonomy in eliminating the threat before it endangers the United States, and I intend to use every asset at my disposal. That includes all of you, whether you like it or not."

Yang moved to retort, but Ruby cut her off with a raise of her hand. Yang looked at her sister, then breathed harshly to herself in order to calm down. Ruby nodded towards her sister, then brought her hand to the side of her helmet in order to speak.

"Listen, we both want the same thing. The Grimm are dangerous and not something that can be controlled," Ruby explained. "There's no reason for us to fight."

"I couldn't agree more. At least one of you sees sense," Amanda replied. Despite the apparent compliment, Ruby wasn't happy to have received it. "Like you and the rest of the Justice League, the United States government has been tracking Grimm activity all over the world. I've sent Task Force X to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kasnia, South Sudan, and many more just to follow a trail of clues that led here. The last thing I want is Grimm on American soil, so I sent Task Force X to eliminate them. When your craft was shot down, I ordered them to assist."

"Is that so?" Green Arrow asked, not believing her in the slightest. It was far too altruistic for Amanda Waller. She had an angle she was working on, he just had to find out what. Waller, for her part, didn't dignify that question with a response, telling Green Arrow everything he had to know.

"Alright, we have the same goal," Green Arrow admitted, turning around to face the supervillains in their midst. "But what's to stop your Task Force from stabbing us in the back?"

"They're under direct orders to assist you," Waller replied cryptically. Blake didn't like the sound of how she said it, and a thought sprang to mind.

"And if we decide not to work with supervillains?" Blake rhetorically asked.

"Then they've failed their orders."

None of the Huntresses liked the way Amanda Waller said it, but Green Arrow and Black Canary's reactions were the most visceral.

"You wouldn't…" Green Arrow muttered in horror. Amanda Waller said nothing, and Ruby looked at the two heroes with a silent question. A question that Black Canary picked up on.

"Reaper," Black Canary gently said, keeping her eyes on Task Force X, "did you ever read the League file on Task Force X?"

"No, I hadn't gotten around to it yet," Ruby admitted.

"Right." Black Canary nodded. The rest of Team RWBY was focused on her now, and Black Canary began to explain. "Task Force X is a top-secret U.S. government black-ops unit composed entirely out of incarcerated supervillains, organized and run by Amanda Waller. In exchange for performing highly dangerous suicide missions on behalf of the Department of Extranormal Operations, their sentences are reduced."

"That sounds…risky," Weiss replied, not liking where this was going.

"You'd be correct," Black Canary said, gulping loudly. "Which is why Waller implanted explosives into their necks. If they step out of line…"

Black Canary didn't finish the sentence, for she didn't need to. Each of Team RWBY's faces were morphed into abject horror as they couldn't help but look at the supervillains. Only Deadshot seemed to notice their attention, and the look he gave told them everything they needed to know.

"Oh, Gods..." Weiss muttered.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Blake gagged, while Ruby and Yang glared into the device still attached to Green Arrow's helmet. It was obvious now what Waller and Deadshot had truly meant. If Task Force X were to attack them, Waller would kill them without a second thought. But if the heroes refused to work with them, Waller would pull the trigger anyway. She was using the heroes' desire to protect lives to get them to do what she wanted.

"You…bitch…" Yang snarled.

"I'm not a bitch, Miss Xiao Long. I am The Bitch," Amanda Waller declared. "I'll let you iron out the details with Lawton. Don't leave me disappointed."

With that, Amanda Waller signed off, the device deactivating and falling off Green Arrow's helmet. As it plopped onto the ground, it sparked and self-destructed into a small poof of smoke, leaving no evidence it was ever there.

"So, you finally got to talk to her?" Deadshot called over the radio. "Told you she was a bitch. Now then, you guys coming or what?"

"You seem awfully used to being forced to do something under threat of death," Weiss pointed out, to which Deadshot darkly chuckled.

"Ivory? There's a reason why we call ourselves The Suicide Squad. You get used to it."

---

It didn't take long for the two groups to come up with a plan. There were multiple anti-air sites and communication jammers scattered all across the ruins of Blüdhaven, and trying to take them down one at a time would've been foolish. Not to mention take far too long. As such, they decided to split into different groups. Ruby went with Deadshot and Green Arrow, Blake and Yang went with Harley and Captain Boomerang, while Weiss and Black Canary went with Killer Frost and Killer Croc. It wasn't the most ideal grouping, Ruby had to admit, but this way they could be sure none of them would be caught alone if the villains tried anything. Not that she thought they would, but she had to remain vigilant at all times.

"We can catch them off-guard from up here," Deadshot announced as he scaled what used to be an apartment complex. A rusted into oblivion fire escape was next to them, but they weren't stupid enough to try using that. It was just as likely to support their weight as it was to fall apart and announce to everyone where they were.

That being said, climbing the wall wasn't a problem for Ruby or Green Arrow. Ruby used her Semblance to bring her to the roof in a burst of petals, while Green Arrow shot a line and rappelled upward. Deadshot didn't have anything equivalent to bring him up to them, but that wasn't their problem. Occasionally, small bits of rubble would cascade off the holds and land on the ground below, which would momentarily pause Deadshot's progress before he would readjust and continue moving. After several minutes of climbing, Deadshot finally found himself on top of the building, where he immediately went prone and crawled towards the edge to join Ruby and Green Arrow.

"There," Deadshot pointed with his arm outstretched, directing Ruby's and Green Arrow's attention to what used to be a courthouse on the far end of the street. The front façade was partially blown out, obscuring all but the top of the jammer and preventing Ruby from simply shooting it from where she was. Around it were heavily armed guards and assassins, with several snipers on the rooftops around it that scanned the surrounding area. Their targeting lasers were highlighted on their HUDs, and thus far none were heading their way.

"How do you two want to do this?" Ruby asked, pulling out and unfurling Crescent Rose in its marksman rifle configuration. Green Arrow and Deadshot looked at each other for a moment, then the assassin fiddled with his arm-mounted gun while Green Arrow pulled out his bow.

"Take out the snipers first," Green Arrow finally declared. "I trust you two can take care of that?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Deadshot replied haughtily while Ruby nodded. Green Arrow nodded back, then turned his head back towards Deadshot in silent warning.

"If there's even a scratch on her…" Green Arrow growled, letting the last part go unsaid. Deadshot stared at him for a moment before returning his attention back towards the jammer. Green Arrow regarded him for a moment, then crawled over to the side of the roof where he hung the upper portion of his body off in order to aim a grappling arrow to a building on the other side of the roof. He then used his arrow as a zipline, falling off the roof and sliding across the line into an empty window frame, disappearing from view.

"Laying on the overprotective dad bit a little thick, isn't he?" Deadshot rhetorically asked. Ruby frowned before deciding not to reward that comment with a response, instead taking up position on the opposite end of the roof away from Deadshot.

"Once Green Arrow gives us the signal, you take the snipers on the left. I'll take the snipers on the right," Ruby said.

"Already have them lined up," Deadshot replied, then slightly adjusted his head to look at Crescent Rose. He whistled appreciatively. "That's a nice gun. Custom?"

"Yeah," Ruby admitted, seeing no reason to say otherwise. "Made from scratch."

"What does it fire?"

"Right now? Seven-point-six-two. If I want it to, I can make it use fifty-caliber, fourteen-point-five by a hundred and fourteen millimeter, or twenty-millimeter rounds."

Deadshot whistled again, this time at a higher pitch. "Nice. Mind if I commission one? I have the money."

"Absolutely not," Ruby insisted. Deadshot regarded her for a moment, then shrugged while returning his attention to his targets.

"Figured you'd say that. Still, had to ask. A weapon like that would be very useful in my line of work."

"Which is why you're not getting one," Ruby said, turning her head to look at the assassin with a hard glare. She may be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt right now, but that didn't mean she would be stupid and give him something to make him even better at killing other people, including potentially herself. Instead, Ruby focused on the task at hand, looking through her scope and arcing her rifle between the targets she planned to hit in rapid succession. Deadshot did the same, although his was much calmer than her own. Disturbingly calm, and Ruby had to force herself not to think about what the assassin was likely firing from those guns of his. She was still firing rubber bullets, but she knew Deadshot was going to be shooting to kill, not incapacitate like herself, her team, or Green Arrow and Black Canary. When the bullets started flying, people were going to die. She just hoped she could take down as many as possible before Deadshot got to them.

"I see Green Arrow," Ruby announced as she spotted a flash of green in the apartment building. He was putting an unsuspecting assassin in a choke hold, knocking him out and moving the body out of sight before continuing on. They waited in silence for Green Arrow to show himself again, occasionally seeing a patrolling assassin be pulled into darkness. Finally, they saw Green Arrow position himself next to a partially destroyed wall, his bow out and an arrow nocked.

"Get ready," Deadshot declared, aiming at his targets as Ruby did the same. They waited a few seconds, then Green Arrow released the tension in his bow. A single arrow whistled shrilly as it shot high into the air, and many of the assassins turned to it for a split second before it exploded into a bright, blinding light. They could hear their cries of alarm as they were momentarily blinded, providing the sharpshooters the time they needed to make their move.

The rooftop exploded into a cacophony of gunfire as Ruby and Deadshot fired on their targets at the same time. They aimed for the head, Ruby firing a small burst into each to put them down before moving on to the next while Deadshot simply fired a single round into their skulls. Jets of red blood ejected out as the bullets passed through, sometimes continuing on to hit the sniper behind the first target and killing both. Once again, Ruby forced herself not to focus on the loss of life going on in front of her and instead concentrated on taking down her own. She felt like she was in some kind of twisted competition with the former soldier, racing to drop people before he killed them. The world through her scope seemed to slow down as her adrenaline surged, and a few stray petals drifted off her form unnoticed as she fired Crescent Rose as fast as its new mode would allow. At the same time, they saw Green Arrow firing arrows into the targets on the ground, and by the time all of the snipers were downed or killed, only a handful of assassins were left.

Those who remained quickly took cover, taking pot shots towards where they thought their assailants were shooting them from. Green Arrow had already relocated, however, and none of the shots came near Ruby's and Deadshot's position, leaving them safe. As she took down an assassin who poked her head out just slightly, Deadshot took down a trio of others, two of which were behind cover and had to be taken out through a ricochet.

"Nice shot," Ruby had to admit. Deadshot grunted in acknowledgement as he continued to scan the area for more targets. When they found none, he clicked the safety on and stood up, Ruby following suit just after.

"You're…not bad yourself, especially for not being a dedicated sharpshooter," he belatedly returned, still looking at the other building, while Ruby blinked in surprise.

"You can tell-? Uh, I mean, yeah, my usual fighting style is more focused on my scythe, and the sniper rifle was more of a secondary support. But most of my old moves ended up being a bit too deadly for most hero work since coming here, so I've found myself sniping more than I used to back home," she babbled a little at the grudging compliment, while trying to make sure she didn't say anything she probably shouldn't.

"Hmph, figures they'd hinder you like that. Well, you can't just treat this as 'secondary' anymore if you really want to keep up with the best. You've already got sharp eyes and good reflexes for your age, but you need to really put the work in to polish that potential. You'll want to brush up on your physics and start thinking more laterally, too. It's not just about what your crosshairs tell you."

"Uh, thank you?" The teenager was left a little nonplused at the spontaneous bout of advice, mostly because Deadshot still hadn't turned to her while giving it. Deadshot, meanwhile, finished scanning the area and brought his fingers to the side of his helmet.

"Arrow, you see anyone else down there?" he asked, and the radio cracked to life.

"Not a one," Green Arrow confirmed. "Get on down here and help me destroy this thing."

"Got it," Deadshot responded, then turned to face Ruby. "You good?"

"Yeah, I'll meet you down there," she confirmed.

"Right," Deadshot replied with an appreciative nod. He then moved towards the line Green Arrow had originally put in place, where he attached himself and zipped down to the opposite street. Ruby, meanwhile, jumped off and turned into a cloud of red rose petals, reforming on the street below and racing towards Green Arrow. Soon she and the veteran superhero were reunited, and they waited for Deadshot to reappear.

"What do you think of him?" Green Arrow quietly asked. Ruby said nothing for a moment, then turned her head towards a nearby corpse. A clean bullet hole was easily visible where the assassin's eye once was, and she frowned. Green Arrow followed her gaze and sighed, knowing where her head was at. He couldn't help but agree. Although he had killed some people in the past, it was always a last resort. If he could help it, he'd prefer to never kill at all, but Deadshot did it without hesitation nor remorse. He was a cold-blooded killer, one that they were forced to work alongside.

After a few more moments, Deadshot finally reappeared, walking past the two heroes straight towards the jammer.

"You two have any explosives?" he asked, only for Ruby to simply walk up to the jammer and unfurl Crescent Rose into its scythe configuration. Deadshot moved his head back in both awe and surprise as Ruby swung the massive blade through the jammer's metal frame. The device cleaved in two, then fell to the ground in shambles.

"… Again, I have the money," Deadshot brought up, but Ruby shot him a flat look while twirling the massive scythe up with one dainty hand to rest on her shoulder. He raised his hands in defeat and stepped back. "Alright, alright."

"So long as we're on the same page," Ruby said as she reconfigured her weapon back into its rifle mode. She walked past the two older men, Green Arrow turning around to join her while Deadshot stayed still and stared at the twisted hunk of metal that was once a communications jammer. After a moment, he nodded and turned around to join walk back towards them, only to stop and turn his head to the side. Ruby noticed from the corner of her eye and turned around to ask what the holdup was, only for her eyes to spot a faint silhouette.

Without any further warning, an assassin they had previously missed erupted from the shadows next to Deadshot, yelling at the top of his lungs and his sword raised high in a downward swing. Ruby and Green Arrow both raised their weapons, preparing to fire, but Deadshot was already moving. He crouched, firing two shots from his wrist-mounted guns into the assassin's knees and dropping him. The man screamed bloody murder and cursed them all in Arabic, but Deadshot coldly unsheathed his knife before grabbing and pulling the man's head back to draw it across his throat. The screams became a gurgle as red blood oozed out of the open wound, and soon the struggles ceased as the assassin slumped over. Deadshot regarded the body for a moment, then removed the knife with a wet squelch and wiped it on his suit before putting it back in his sheath.

"Missed one," he said as he walked away, Ruby and Green Arrow eying him with open shock and disgust.

"You didn't have to kill him," Ruby insisted, but Deadshot looked at her and shrugged.

"Live by the sword…" Deadshot dispassionately replied, while Ruby grew more incensed.

"Then did you have to do it like that?!"

Again, Deadshot shrugged and motioned to his arm-guns. "Didn't want to waste more ammo."

Ruby was stunned into silence as the assassin walked away. Green Arrow ground his teeth against each other as he and Ruby turned their gaze towards the now cold body. A pool of red blood was forming around it and after a moment, he and Ruby finally turned around and walked away.

---

Yang ducked under a fist before retaliating against the League of Shadows assassin with a headbutt to the man's chin. He dropped like a rock, but Yang didn't have time to celebrate before another fired a fully automatic rifle in her direction. She raised her forearms to block the bullets, allowing Blake to flank the gunman and throw her chain-scythe like a lasso around his waist. She then pulled it tight and yanked him towards her, where she clotheslined him into unconsciousness.

"Thanks," Yang called out as she fired two rubber slugs into a pair of assassins trying to attack her.

"No problem," Blake replied, her body disappearing into a shadow as a sword-wielding assassin tried to stab the Faunus in the back. She reappeared behind him, swiftly punching the back of the man's head before ducking and turning around to fire a trio of shots into another's chest. Like the others, he fell under the barrage, and soon only the sound of dull thuds filled the room as Yang finished taking down the final assassin. The two looked around the room, trying to see if anyone else was there, and found none.

"I think we're good," Yang stated, reloading Ember Celica as Blake did the same for Gambol Shroud.

"It appears so," Blake admitted, scanning the room to try and hear if anyone else was lurking. This was the third site they had attacked since joining up with the Suicide Squad, and already the League of Shadows had displayed a remarkable tendency to hide a few members during the battle who would wait and try to catch them off-guard. It hadn't worked so far, but it had proved annoying to deal with repeatedly. More importantly, as a faint gunshot sounded in another room, Blake remembered another reason why she kept searching for anyone still hiding. It prevented them from being found and 'dispatched' by their reluctant comrades first, which was not something she wanted.

Finally, Blake shook her head and made her way to the door, "Come on, let's go help them."

"Uggh, do we have to?" Yang whined. Blake shrugged sympathetically. She wasn't happy about working with Harley Quinn or Captain Boomerang either, and she trusted the two criminals far less than she could throw them, but it wasn't as though they had much choice in the matter.

"Fine," Yang replied tersely, "but if Boomerang makes another pass at me, or you, I'm going to punch him."

"I'll tie him down and join you," Blake added.

"Careful, with our luck he'd probably enjoy that." Yang stuck her tongue out in exaggerated disgust, before grinning proudly at the snicker she elicited from her partner who was able to read her actions perfectly despite the helmet. Then the two passed the threshold into the main lobby of what used to be a library. Bodies littered the floors and cabinets, some groaning in pain while others were disturbingly silent. The two superheroes forced themselves not to look at them as they made their way towards the center of the building, where the remains of a communications jammer laid scattered across the floor.

There they saw Captain Boomerang sitting on a strut, sharpening one of his trademark weapons as he coldly regarded them. Next to the man was Harley Quinn herself, leaning against a bookshelf and reading a book without even caring that a body was on the ground next to her. Her mallet was freshly stained, and both Blake and Yang grimaced. At the same time, Yang almost subconsciously placed herself between Blake and the supervillains before the Faunus gingerly grabbed Yang's shoulder to calm her down. Yang looked at her partner for a moment before sighing and stepping back, placing the two of them equidistant to the supervillains. Harley glanced knowingly from over the top of her book before going back to reading its contents.

"Ya know," Harley said nonchalantly, flipping through the pages, "I never got around to reading this. Moby Dick. It's pretty good."

"Is now really the best time to read?" Blake asked. Harley peeked over the top of the book before loudly snapping it closed.

"Probably not, but as I always say, always take the time for the little things!" Harley announced as she gently placed the book back where she found it. "Besides, I figured a little bookworm like you would love to read some of the stuff here."

"There's a time and place for everything," Blake insisted.

"I didn't hear a rebuttal!" Harley cheered. Blake glowered at the woman while Yang merely tilted her head towards Blake. If the Golden Dragon was being honest with herself, Harley picking up on the fact that Blake loved books wasn't surprising. The woman, although she had proved herself to be batshit insane with the way she took out anyone in her way, was still a doctor in psychology. The insights she picked up on from people were unsettling.

Captain Boomerang, on the other hand, was just an asshole.

"Okay, now that we're done 'ere," Boomerang grunted as he stood up and sheathed the boomerang he was working on, "let's not screw around and get going. There's a gun battery not too far from here. If we hurry, we can take it out before more of 'em get here."

"Sound good to me," Yang replied as she stepped forward. Blake followed, and Harley moved to go after them when she noticed Boomerang wasn't moving. Instead, he was simply looking at the two girls as they sauntered past, his eyes shamelessly roaming up and down, and with a frown on her face she picked up her mallet and slammed it into his gut, knocking the air out of his lungs and collapsing him onto his knees.

"Gaagh!" he grunted, clutching his stomach as he angrily glared up at Harley, who looked back down at him disdainfully as Blake and Yang shot around in surprise.

"Honestly, Captain, you need to learn how to treat ladies with respect," Harley chastised, then turned around and skipped away. As the pain slowly went away, Captain Boomerang grunted and stood up, trying to ignore the glares Blake and Yang were giving him.

"What are you two looking at?" he asked while raising his arms to the side. "See somethin' ya like?"

"No," Yang replied, curling her fists, "just an egotistical nutjob who can't catch anything other than his own equipment."

"Boomerang's perfectly sane!" Harley called out from near the back door of the library. "At least, that's what the voices in my head say!"

"By the Gods…" Blake groaned, covering her face with her hand as another bout of pure craziness threatened to overwhelm her.

"Welcome to my world, sweetheart," Boomerang said before brushing past them. The two Huntresses waited for a moment, then Yang looked at Blake before gently rubbing the top of her head in a teasing manner. Blake appreciated the gesture, feeling herself calm down somewhat, then the two went after him and walked out of the building into an alleyway. As with the interior of the building, the alleyway was filled with bodies as well. Yang supposed that the others would've preferred a more discrete and stealthy approach, but that wasn't really her style. They showed up, kicked some bad guy butt, and then left before the League could even do anything, all in the span of five minutes. Now they were moving on to the next objective, and soon they'd be able to reconvene with the others and get this entire operation over with.

"By the way," Boomerang started as they walked past and over a few groaning bodies, "been wanting to ask you two something."

"Depends on what it is," Blake replied tersely, Gambol Shroud held in her hand as she scanned the rooftops for any sign of activity. If Boomerang was offended, he didn't show it beyond a trademark grunt as he continued walking.

"After taking down three of these things, I like to think I've gotten a pretty good grasp of how strong you girls are. Which is freakishly strong. I reckon the rest of your team are the same."

"That's right," Yang confirmed.

"Then why the hell do you girls take so long to take these bastards out?" Boomerang asked just as they passed another unconscious assassin unceremoniously slumped against the wall. Blake and Yang looked at each other for a moment, then turned their heads towards Boomerang and Harley who was now patiently waiting for them to answer his question.

"What do you mean?" Blake finally asked for clarification, and Boomerang groaned.

"Do I have to spell it out for ya? You girls could destroy these guys without even breaking a sweat. You know it, I know it, and the fact that you all use guns and aren't blowing my head off about the people Harley and I have killed tells me you aren't completely against offing 'em. So why are you trying so hard to keep them alive?"

"Besides the fact we're not murderers?" Yang shot back, only for Boomerang to raise his finger.

"The only people I've ever killed is because of The Bitch forcing me to," Boomerang insisted. "Where I came from, us Rogues had a code. We could lie, steal and cheat all we wanted, but no one gets killed. Not the police, and especially not bystanders. The only thing that mattered was the score and the skill involved."

"How noble," Yang replied, and Boomerang shrugged.

"Call it whatever you want, I call it self-preservation. Killing people is when superheroes start taking you seriously, and the last thing anyone wants is for the Flash to take you seriously. Regardless, you never answered my question. Why are you girls holding yourselves back?"

Blake and Yang looked at each other once again, silently trying to determine how exactly to answer. It was a fair question, but one they had to be careful with lest they accidently reveal too much. Finally, they both came to an agreement and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right," Yang admitted. "If Nightshade and I wanted to, we could take these guys out without breaking a sweat. People here are…squishy compared to what we were used to on Remnant, and if push comes to shove we're okay with killing someone as a last resort. But, again, we're not murderers, and us being so much stronger means we can afford to put in the effort to do this without killing. If we can help it, we'd rather no one dies."

"So, we hold back. We throw five punches to knock someone out instead of just one that will kill them," Blake added. "There's nothing more to it than that."

Captain Boomerang and Harley Quinn looked at them for a moment. Then Harley shrugged and turned around.

"Seems legit to me!" she called out. "Now then. Boomerang, lovebirds, let's get on out of here before the party shows up."

For a moment, Blake and Yang wondered just who Harley was talking about. Then her comment sank in, and faint blushes crossed their faces as they prepared to retort, only for Harley to silence them with a raised finger.

"Oh, shush! Don't give me that look, I know what I see. The gingerly touches, placing yourselves in the front protectively, being able to read each other perfectly despite the helmets. The list goes on. You two may not recognize it, but I do! Trust me when I say that I'm an expert in this kind of thing."

"No, she's not," Boomerang loudly whispered to the two Huntresses. "The most stable relationship she's ever had is with the goddamn Joker."

"Hey!" Harley pouted. "We broke up, remember?"

"Yeah, and how many times does that make it? Ten?" Boomerang asked. "Face it, Harley. As soon as your 'Puddin' wags his freaky little finger in your general direction, you'll happily go right back into his arms. Even though everyone knows he doesn't give a shit about you."

"No, I won't! I mean it when I say that Mistah J and I are through!"

"The fact that you still call him that tells me otherwise."

As Harley and Boomerang's argument grew more intense, Blake's thoughts flashed back to a time she had long thought she'd moved past, when she was in a relationship that had become toxic and abusive by its end. Her ears tried to flatten themselves under her helmet, and she started to reflexively shrink in on herself before she felt Yang's hand gently clasp her shoulder, giving the Faunus a sense of comfort that caused those dark thoughts and memories to drift away. She then looked at the still arguing supervillains and coughed loudly, catching their attention and stopping them.

"If you're done acting like children, we should get a move on," Blake said, her ears twitching as she picked up the faint sounds of a large group of footsteps making its way towards them. Harley and Boomerang looked at each other, then shook their heads and nodded in agreement to Blake.

By the time the League of Shadows' reinforcements arrived, all they found was the broken remains of yet another jammer and dozens of bodies waiting for them.

---

Bullets rained around Weiss as she and Black Canary took cover behind one of her Glyphs in what used to be a two-story shopping center. Chunks of concrete and clouds of dust filled the air from the heavy gunfire, and Weiss could feel the vibrations of the gunshots hitting the glyph wall through her back. Yet Weiss and Black Canary were the picture of calm and focus.

"You take the ones on the right, I'll take the ones on the left," Black Canary said as she peeked towards a group of assailants.

"Sounds good to me," Weiss replied, refilling the vials in Myrtenaster. The two women silently counted to three, then Weiss stepped behind Black Canary as the veteran superheroine took a deep breath. Once her lungs were full, Black Canary released a mighty Canary Cry just as Weiss replaced the Glyph with ice. The soundwaves struck the crystalline mass, causing massive fractures to appear and break it apart, sending chunks and shards of ice flying towards the assassins. They took cover, allowing Weiss to form another glyph behind herself and Black Canary before launching the two of them up and over. The assassins attempted to shift their aim, but any bullets that managed to accurately come their way were blocked by another glyph, allowing Black Canary to release another Canary Cry onto her selected target. Not to be outdone, Weiss launched herself in mid-air towards her group, quickly bouncing between a series of glyphs like a pin ball to both knock the weapons out of their hands and strike at their joints.

Before long, Black Canary and Weiss were the only ones left standing, the rest groaning on the ground in pain. The two heroes looked at each other and nodded appreciatively, then heard shouts and screams of pain coming from the other side of the complex. A knowing look was shared between them, one filled with discomfort, and at once they ran towards the sounds. As they drew closer, they passed by scores of unconscious or groaning assassins, their handiwork. But soon, the environment shifted. What were once merely unconscious criminals were now only corpses. Some were ripped apart, limb from limb, red blood staining what was left and the dust-covered tile, wood, and concrete around them. Others were frozen solid, their bodies twisted in anguish as the frostbite penetrated their very being. Some of them had their helmets cracked open, exposing their terrified visage for everyone to see.

"Barbarians," Weiss muttered as she passed by a trio of frozen corpses standing upright and still like macabre statues. One of them had his arm shattered, exposing the frozen flesh and bone. She wanted to throw up, but she forced the bile down and kept going.

The screams grew louder as they approached a set of heavy double-doors. Without breaking their stride, they broke through the doors only to see an utter massacre before them. What was left of the League of Shadows were either fleeing or cowering in terror as the two Killers slaughtered them. Killer Croc was throwing their bodies around like ragdolls, each impact accompanied by the shattering of bones and ripping of flesh. One particularly brave assassin attempted to stab him from behind, only for Killer Croc to backhand him away into what used to be a cashier's counter. The counter shattered on impact, but the assassin was still groaning as he tried to desperately crawl away.

"Oh, I'm not done with you, meat," Killer Croc said as he stomped towards the body, only for a large white Glyph to erupt between them, halting the supervillain in his tracks.

"Yes. You. Are," Weiss warned, pointing Myrtenaster at Killer Croc as a warning. He growled and glared at her in a mixture of genuine anger and disappointment, but then he huffed and turned around. Weiss was now able to turn her attention to Killer Frost, who was being forcibly held back by Black Canary from freezing a terrified assassin to his core.

"That's enough!" Black Canary shouted as she attempted to drag Killer Frost back.

"Oh, please! He asked for it! Didn't you, big man?" Killer Frost asked menacingly towards the terrified man.

"Ple…please… Have mercy…" he begged through tears. Weiss knew that, had they not intervened in time, he would've joined the display she had passed by just earlier. The pit in her stomach that had been growing over the course of this entire mission was getting larger and larger by the second. By no means did she like the League of Shadows. They reminded her of the White Fang in many ways, and were just as dangerous, but that didn't mean they deserved whatever fate Killer Frost or Killer Croc had in store for them.

Despite hearing his pleas, Killer Frost was unmoved as she once again attempted to break free and finish what she started. Despite the helmet, Weiss knew that a manic glee was on her face, and ice started to form around her feet when Weiss finally had enough and formed a small Glyph underneath a rock, then launched it gently towards Killer Frost's head. It bounced harmlessly off her helmet, and Killer Frost's attention shot towards Weiss who already had Myrtenaster at the ready.

"That's enough," Weiss declared.

"What, you actually care about this guy?" Killer Frost asked as she finally stopped attempting to break free, now furiously focusing her attention onto Weiss.

"Not particularly, but there's a line between killing someone and executing them," Weiss darkly stated. "So please, by all means, give me a reason."

Killer Frost looked at Weiss for a moment, contemplating her next move, then to the former heiress' surprise she tilted up her head and laughed.

"You got guts, kid. I'll give you that," Killer Frost said, then turned her head towards Black Canary who was still holding tightly onto her. "Birdie, you can let go of me now. Or do you want your fingers frozen off?"

To make her point, ice suddenly crept over Black Canary's fingers, causing her to yelp in shock and rip them away. The cold sensation quickly went away as the superhero shook her hands back and forth, all the while glaring daggers at the smug supervillain. Without words being said, it was clear that Killer Frost could've done that anytime she wanted, she just didn't because she found it amusing. Weiss' disgust grew even more, something that continued to astound her each and every time.

"You're a psychopath," Weiss stated, causing Killer Frosts' grin to grow wider.

"And you're a copycat, so I guess that makes us even," she accused. Weiss growled, knowing what Killer Frost was talking about. Ever since Weiss showed the supervillains that she could merge her Glyphs with Freeze Gas, the ice-themed supervillain had been shooting her looks and snide comments like a petulant child. A child that would undoubtably kill her if she thought she could get away with it. Weiss had only put up with it for so long, and by now she was thoroughly done with the entire charade. As was she with the entire arrangement her group and Task Force X had found themselves in. She had half a mind to take them down now and throw them in jail with the rest of the criminals they had been fighting against, but only her desire to limit the amount of death as much as possible stayed her hand.

If Weiss or any of her teammates attempted to combat the supervillains working alongside them, undoubtedly Amanda Waller would make them live up to their name. Although, as time went on, Weiss was increasingly wondering if that was such a bad thing.

"Frost, quit it," Killer Croc called out as he stomped over. Killer Frost shot her 'partner,' for lack of a better word, a look that he matched without hesitation. A silent game of chicken developed between the two, and soon Killer Frost relented as she huffed away.

"Why I do I always get paired with you?" she mumbled to herself as she leaned against a wall and crossed her arms.

"'Cuz I won't deal your psycho-killer bullshit."

"You eat people, you don't have the right to talk."

"Only the ones who piss me off. Like you."

"You trying to start something?!"

"No, none of you are," Weiss interjected, then sighed and brought her hand to her forehead. "I swear, it's like we're babysitting."

"Yep. Sucks, doesn't it?" Black Canary whispered. "Come, we've got another target. Then we can get this over with."

"Can we leave them behind?"

"Fat chance!" both Killer Croc and Killer Frost replied, causing Weiss to sigh.

"Yay…"

---

It was nearly nightfall by the time Ruby and the others were done taking down all of their targets. They had destroyed dozens of jammers and anti-air emplacements all across the city, except for one located in the heart of the League of Shadow's operation. The assassins themselves were in a frenzy, trying to grab as much as they could before getting the hell out of dodge. Ruby knew they needed to get down there and stop them before they could escape, otherwise this entire operation might've been for nothing.

But, other than the fact that Ruby was still waiting for the rest of her team to show up, there was another, more pressing reason why they hadn't attacked yet.

"Jesus Christ…" Green Arrow mumbled under his breath as he, Ruby, and Deadshot looked through their helmets' built-in magnification onto the site, where they saw scores of caged Grimm roaring and clawing at their confines. The cages were sturdy, preventing the creatures from escaping, and a few assassins were thrusting shock-rods into the cages in an attempt to keep them at bay. How long that would last, Ruby didn't know.

"Remnant was full of those things?" Deadshot asked as he focused his attention on a large bear-like creature Ruby had called an 'Ursa.' "Ugly bastards, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they were," Ruby confirmed with a frown. "Before Brainiac arrived, the Grimm were the greatest threat to the people of Remnant. They can't be tamed, can't be controlled. They only live to destroy."

"And the League of Shadows expect to control these things?" Green Arrow asked incredulously.

"No, at least I don't think so," Ruby replied. "If I had to guess, their plan is more 'unleash and cause chaos.'"

"Simple, yet effective," Deadshot remarked, causing Ruby and Green Arrow to shoot him a look. "Just making an observation."

"Yeah, right," Green Arrow muttered before turning his attention back towards the site below. At the same time, Ruby sighed and brought her fingers to the side of her helmet. With all but one of the jammers destroyed, she could now communicate with her team within the bounds of Blüdhaven, but the radiation when coupled with the last jammer made it difficult to get a clear signal back up to the Watchtower. A few scattered bursts of communication were intercepted, but they went away before anything could be made out. It was frustrating, but something that should hopefully be resolved in the next few minutes.

"Dragon, Ivory, Nightshade, you guys in position?" Ruby asked into her comms. Silence then broke away to a crackling sound as her team responded one by one.

"Yep. Killer Croc found an old sewer access point that wasn't completely destroyed. We're underneath these guys right now. Just give us the word," Black Canary replied.

"Please hurry. I'm getting cramped down here," Killer Frost added. Ruby ignored the psychopath and waited for the next response, which came soon after.

"Nightshade here. Golden Dragon, Harley, and Boomerang are sneaking up on the docks. We'll be ready in just a few minutes."

"Sounds good."

"Harley, Boomerang, plant charges on any boats you find," Deadshot added. "Want to make sure they don't get any funny ideas."

"Now you're speaking my language," Boomerang replied gleefully. Deadshot nodded, then turned his head towards Ruby.

"How do you want to do this? Snipe them from here?" he asked, but to his slight surprise, Ruby shook her head.

"No, not with those Grimm. I gotta be down there in case they get out."

"Alright, sounds good to me," Deadshot replied with a nod, immediately seeing where she was coming from. "Perhaps then I can see what you can really do?"

"I hope not," Ruby said, then crawled towards Green Arrow and tapped him on the shoulder. "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Green Arrow confirmed, then he turned his head slightly towards Ruby. "You sure this is safe?"

"Totally," Ruby replied with a wave of her free hand. The archer was unsure, but after today he trusted her judgement. Despite being so young, Ruby had proven to have a good head on her shoulders. If she thought she could take him along with her Semblance despite him not having an Aura, he could believe that. Still, as Ruby prepared to burst off of the ruined apartment building they were hiding in, he braced himself for what was to come.

Then he felt a splitting sensation, like he was being pulled in every different direction at once. His sight disappeared, only to come back as he found himself on the ground far below where they just were.

"You okay?" Ruby asked in slight concern.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he answered, a little woozy but nothing too serious in his mind. "How do you even see when you're like that?"

"I dunno. Aura, I guess," Ruby answered with a shrug. Green Arrow stared at her for a moment, then nodded.

"Good enough for me. Come on, let's get going."

At that, the two superheroes crawled forward, inching their way to the site and avoiding any searchlights that came their way. A few helicopters passed overhead, but the two superheroes were able to remain unseen. Eventually, they found themselves on the outskirts of the site, laying prone underneath a ruined car in a garage as the League of Shadows ran about.

"Get those crates on the boat now!"

"Keep those Grimm contained!"

"Stations Alpha through Epsilon have reported nothing."

"Well, if they're not here, they're on their way now, dammit!"

More and more chaotic and slightly panicked conversations were going on all around them. Seeing the once confident League of Shadows beginning to freak out over their plans falling apart brought smiles to Ruby's and Green Arrow's faces, but they forced themselves to remain still as another group of assassins jogged past, carrying boxes towards the docks. Ruby hoped that the boats were rigged to blow. The last thing she wanted was for any of these criminals to escape.

"Head's up. Head Honcho coming your way," Deadshot warned over the radio. True to his word, Ruby saw one of the helicopters land on the pad, allowing a woman dressed in a dark red and black suit to step out. In contrast to the other assassins, she was the picture of calm, and the men and women around her seemed to tense up when her gaze fell upon them.

"Lady Shiva," Green Arrow whispered.

"How dangerous is she?" Ruby asked. All she knew about Lady Shiva was that she was one of the top members of the League of Shadows, but other than that she had no idea who she was.

"Very. Without question, she's the greatest martial artist on the planet."

"So don't hold back, then?"

"I don't know if that'll be enough," Green Arrow warned. Ruby's frowned deepened, then her body went still as she noticed Lady Shiva's attention start to turn in their direction. Green Arrow noticed as well, and the two held their breath. They felt Lady Shiva's gaze fall upon then pass over them, and for a moment they thought she hadn't noticed. Then her head snapped back to the garage they were hiding in, and her body tensed.

"Ah, crapbaskets," Ruby muttered. Lady Shiva seemed prepared to issue an order, only to suddenly dive out of the way as a single shot rang out. The head of an unfortunate assassin behind her popped like a balloon, and a moment later a series of explosions went off at the docks as the moored boats went up in flames. Then thick spikes of ice shot up from a sewer grate, causing the panicked assassins to scatter lest they be impaled.

"Reaper, find that jammer and destroy it!" Green Arrow shouted as he got up and loosed a trio of arrows into three separate targets. Ruby nodded then disappeared in a burst of petals, shooting up to the top of the tallest building near her. She took a moment to fire a few shots at some gunmen who had fired at her, putting them down before going back to finding the jammer. After a few moments, she recognized the upper portion of a tower in a garage near the docks, and as more bullets flew past her head, Ruby ducked and pressed her fingers to the side of her helmet.

"Nightshade, Golden Dragon, jammer's near the docks!" Ruby yelled into her comms, taking cover behind a chunk of concrete and firing Crescent Rose.

"We're on it!" Blake shouted back over the sounds of gunfire. Ruby peeked to see yellow and black blurs race across the outskirts of the site, and Ruby shifted her aim towards the assassins trying to hit them. After firing her entire magazine, felling at least ten, she stopped to reload, only to hear rapidly approaching footsteps coming her way. Her hand shot to her hip and pulled out Rose Thorn just as the first assassin's head poked out over the top of the stairs. She fired a shot into the helmet, knocking the criminal out instantly and causing his body to fall back down the stairs. A few more rushed up, trying to succeed where their comrade failed, but Ruby felled them just as easily. She waited a few more seconds for anyone else to come up, then holstered her pistol and shifted positions in order to fire again, keeping a careful eye on the increasingly agitated Grimm still held in their cages.

---

Deadshot was calmly firing his rifle one shot at a time. Each bullet passed through a target's head, and none missed. A few times he had to get creative, firing through the tiniest of gaps or ricocheting, but it wasn't anything too difficult. At the same time, he was watching both his team and the Justice League's taskforce tear the League of Shadows apart. He had to admit, watching Captain Boomerang throw one of his weapons into an assassin to knock them off their perch, Killer Frost freezing others into human icicles, Harley slamming her hammer into assailants, and Killer Croc using others as flails brought a satisfied smile to his face.

But, after running with the Suicide Squad for years, he was used to their particular quirks and fighting styles. There's only so many ways you could throw a boomerang or hit something with a hammer, after all. But the newcomers, the ones from Remnant, those were catching his interest. They were new, exciting, and in the eyes of certain people, dangerous. Still, after the past couple of hours with them, he thought he was able to get a read on them.

At first glance, one might assume that Red Reaper, Ivory Mage, Nightshade, and Golden Dragon were naïve children in way over their heads, but he could see the fire and experience behind their movements. They knew what they were doing, and they were good at it. Very good, and even more determined to do what they felt was right. Hurt and loss may have guided their actions on their new world, but that had turned into a silent vow to ensure that harm wouldn't befall innocent people so long as they could help it. In a way, it was admirable, and he could respect the fact that after losing so much and so hard, they got back up anyway to keep on kicking.

The biggest takeaway, however, was perhaps the simplest. These girls were genuinely good people who wanted to make the world a better place, even though Earth wasn't their home. He dared say that they had already adopted Earth as their new home. To think that Waller thought they were a threat.

As though his thought was a ringing bell, Deadshot's comms burst to life as he fired several shots into an equal number of assassins.

"Lawton," Amanda Waller's voice cut in through their private channel.

"Little busy at the moment," Deadshot replied, reloading then firing again.

"Not anymore. I want you and your team to pull out."

"What?" Deadshot asked, momentarily pausing his shooting. "But the League of Shadows—"

"Aren't your main objective anymore. Now I want you to observe them."

Deadshot scowled, gripping his rifle tighter. Of all the things he hated about working with Amanda Waller, her tendency to stab her supposed allies in the back was the worst. By no means did Deadshot consider himself to be a hero, but even he felt abandoning allies in the middle of battle was low.

"No honor among thieves, right?" Deadshot rhetorically asked, taking another shot at an exposed head.

"You're the last person to lecture me about honor, Lawton. Don't make me ask again."

"I know, I know," Deadshot replied. "You do realize they won't just let us leave, right?"

"I'll let you figure out how to deal with that. Feel free to get creative."

With that, Amanda Waller shut off her end of the comms. The scowl on Deadshot's face never abated, and the grip on his rifle tightened more.

"God damn it," Deadshot cursed, trying to figure out ways to move forward. The last thing he wanted to do was pull out and risk the League of Shadows escaping, yet at the same time knew that not immediately complying with Waller's orders would result in his head becoming a gory mess. He supposed he didn't have much of a choice, and he sighed.

Then, watching the firefight below, Deadshot caught a glimpse of the cages, and an idea began to take root.

---

Yang and Blake ran across the battlefield, leaping over obstacles while dodging oncoming fire and retaliating with their own. It was a careful yet violent dance they were having, one that resulted in scores of assassins falling at their feet. Both of them, however, couldn't dwell on their quick successes. Instead, they focused on getting to the final jammer Ruby had spotted for them. Once they destroyed it, the Justice League would finally be able to pin down their location, bringing in reinforcements and ending the threat of the Grimm.

At least, they hoped. More likely, this was just one of many distribution centers. The Justice League had yet to find the Grimm's source, and the two Huntresses could only hope they found it soon. The last thing Earth needed was a full-grown Grimm infestation, and she doubted the League of Shadows truly understood exactly what they were dealing with. If the Grimm were fully unleashed, it would be a catastrophe unlike anything Earth had ever seen. They couldn't let that happen.

"There it is!" Blake called out as they jumped over a few fallen-over boxes. Sitting in the middle of a two-story boat dock was a single metal tower. A few guards were waiting for them, aiming their rifles and shotguns towards them, but Blake and Yang dodged before any of their bullets could make contact. At the same time, Blake and Yang fired their weapons at their assailants, knocking them all down before the black and yellow pair even hit the ground. They scanned the room for any other hostiles, but when they found none, they relaxed and jogged over to the jamming tower.

"You want this or can I?" Yang asked, grabbing one of the metal bars.

"Go ahead," Blake replied, looking around the room and hearing the sounds of battle coming from outside. Yang nodded, then grabbed the tower with both hands and pulled it apart. The metal shrieked, then collapsed under its own weight. At once, their comms sprang to life, no longer clouded.

"Watchtower to ground team! Come in, dammit!" Mr. Terrific yelled.

"Ground team to Watchtower! We hear you!" Blake replied.

"Thank God!" Relief filled Mr. Terrific's voice, but it was replaced with his trademark seriousness as soon as it arrived. "We're tracking your position now. Sending a flight of Javelins over, they'll be there in ten minutes!"

"Thanks, but we really could've used it a little earlier. What gives?" Yang couldn't help but ask. It was a fair question, in Blake's mind. To be honest, she had been wondering that exact thing.

"Up until two hours ago, we didn't even know you guys were in trouble," Mr. Terrific explained, his tone telling them he had been mentally kicking himself ever since he figured it out. "Then those jammers were preventing our Javelins from getting in, and the background radiation prevented us from using the teleporter safely."

"Those weren't the only circumstances preventing us from getting to you," J'onn's calm voice cut in. "A few hours into your mission, a series of Grimm incursions were reported across the planet. The League responded immediately, preventing us from going to you ourselves until recently."

"That's not a coincidence," Blake mentioned.

"Undoubtably," the Martian Manhunter confirmed. "It is most likely that the Grimm were released to keep us away from you."

"Bastards," Yangcursed, tightening her fist. Blake noticed her temper and put her hand on Yang's shoulder. The action seemed to calm her down, and after a moment Yang said, "We'll see all of you when you get down, and we'll save a few for you guys as well."

"I'm certain they'll appreciate it. Watchtower out," Mr. Terrific replied then signed off. Blake and Yang looked at each other and nodded, preparing to head back outside and rejoin the fight, only for the Faunus' ears to twitch inside her helmet. She shot her head up to the ceiling, where she saw the silhouette of a woman jumping down towards her.

"Move!" Blake yelled, jumping back as the figure landed on the wooden floor with a roll straight towards her. With the woman too close for Blake to accurately shoot, she attempted to swing Gambol Shroud's blade at her, only for the woman to turn to the side at the last second, grab her wrist, and wrest the weapon away while kicking Blake back. Yang was just on the woman as she tossed Gambol Shroud away, leaning backwards to avoid Yang's thrown punch while kicking her in the face. She then jumped up and wrapped herself around Yang's upper body, twisting herself around while using her feet to slide Ember Celica off Yang's arms. With the Huntress disarmed, the woman leaned back and slammed Yang's back into the ground, causing a small cloud of dust to billow up. The woman herself, meanwhile, turned her fall into a roll, landing back on her feet and taking a relaxed posture as Blake and Yang recomposed themselves.

"Is that it?" the woman asked, sounding disappointed. "After the ease you showed taking down my men, I have to wonder if that was due to your skill or their lack of it."

Blake and Yang glanced at each other and their fallen weapons, which they noted were thrown to the far side of the room and well outside their reach. They then turned their heads back towards the woman, finally able to take in her suit in its entirety.

"You must be Lady Shiva," Blake noted after recognizing the color pallet. "I've heard a lot about you."

"As I with you. Understand that you have my utmost sympathies regarding your situation."

"Wow, coming from an assassin using Grimm, that means something," Yang sarcastically shot back.

"Believe me, I abhor those abominations," Lady Shiva maintained as she paced to the side, echoing Blake and Yang doing the same. "Creatures of barbaric and wonton slaughter. If it were up to me, I'd have them destroyed."

"Then why are you running an operation smuggling them?" Blake asked, eying her opponent's movements.

"Because," Lady Shiva said, "I know that they are a threat others like the Justice League cannot ignore. Threats invite challenge, and a challenge is a chance to test my skills. Despite my misgivings, I stood fast, and look at how my faith was rewarded."

Lady Shiva gestured towards Blake and Yang, and both Huntresses frowned in anger and disgust.

"If you really hate the Grimm, you'll stand aside and let us destroy them. Before they destroy everything," Blake offered, but to her disappointment, Lady Shiva shook her head.

"That I cannot do," Lady Shiva insisted, then settled her body into a stance. "Tell me, is it true that you all were recently in Gotham?"

"What's it to you?" Yang asked, preparing herself.

"Just curious about how my daughter is faring, is all."

"Your daughter? Why would we—" Yang paused, then her eyes widened. Lady Shiva worked with the League of Shadows, which Cassandra Cain once lived with and tortuously trained under. And after asking about their time with the Batfamily in Gotham, she was asking about her daughter as though they personally knew her. Yang was beginning to realize that they did, and she began to seethe. From her body language, Blake undoubtedly came to the same realization.

"Cassandra… She's your daughter…" Blake whispered.

"You left her with the League of Shadows, didn't you?!" Yang accused, and Lady Shiva nodded.

"Not by choice, but I must admit that they've produced fantastic results. Which I'm certain you've bore witness to."

Yang's nostrils flared, Lady Shiva's actions echoing far too close to home for her liking, then with a wordless yell she charged at the assassin with her fist raised high. Blake followed suit, and despite her face hidden by a helmet, they could see Lady Shiva smile.

"Finally," Lady Shiva muttered, then charged towards the two huntresses as well. When both sides clashed, Lady Shiva ducked underneath Yang and Blake's blows with a split, punching both of them in the gut with enough force to make them bend forward slightly. The assassin followed up with a dual jumping-uppercut to both of them, flipping the two Huntresses before Lady Shiva jumped up and kicked both away at the same time.

"Oof!" Blake and Yang grunted as they rolled across the floor, landing on the ground with Yang digging into the wood. Lady Shiva, at the same time, flipped up from her back to her feet, looking at the two Huntresses with an almost bored expression.

"I know you two are holding back. Afraid you might kill me. You need to stop if you want to have any hope of besting me," Lady Shiva suggested. "If I were to die at the hands of a superior opponent, it would do nothing but bring me satisfaction."

"Well, we're not you. And we don't give a damn about your satisfaction!" Yang shot back, then she and Blake charged at her yet again. This time, the two partners split, attacking Lady Shiva from both flanks. Yang attacked high while Blake attacked low, hoping to split the deadbeat mom's attention and get a hit in. Unfortunately, much like her daughter, the martial arts mistress read them both and deflected their attacks with careful arm and leg movements. She then headbutted Yang away while kicking Blake back, only for the Faunus to disappear into a shadow, allowing her to catch Lady Shiva off guard and kick her in the back.

Lady Shiva stumbled, allowing Yang to charge-grab her and ram her body through a piece of rotten wood, shattering it into thousands of tiny splinters. She only stopped her charge when she hit a tougher piece of wood, allowing Yang to rain repeated blows against her before the assassin punched the Golden Dragon in the throat. Yang instinctually grabbed her throat, allowing the martial artist enough room to fall back and slide underneath her feet. As she did, Lady Shiva grabbed Yang's ankles and carried them with her, causing the Huntress to lose her balance and faceplant into the ground.

The assassin didn't have much time to recover, however, as Blake was already on her. With narrowed eyes, Lady Shiva moved her upper body out of the way of Blake's strike while retaliating with a sideways kick. As before, Blake's body dissipated into shadow, but she was ready this time. Choosing to rely on her razor honed instincts over what her eyes told her, Lady Shiva immediately tracked Blake's real body and jabbed into her face, stunning Blake long enough to spin-kick her in the back and knock her down.

"I see now," Lady Shiva said as Blake and Yang pushed themselves off the ground. "It truly was your skill that led to victory. Yes, this will be quite the test indeed."

"You're good, I'll give you that," Yang admitted begrudgingly, "but you're just another criminal in a long list we've encountered so far."

"That may be," Lady Shiva replied, nonplussed about Yang's comment. "But I will enjoy our bout regardless."

"You really have a hard-on for fighting, don't ya?" Yang asked, then charged at Lady Shiva without waiting to hear her reply. Lady Shiva charged as well, but when the two met, Yang crouched into a slide to allow Blake to jump kick the surprised assassin in the chest. As Lady Shiva flew back, Yang ran up and grabbed her again, this time running her through the wall and back to the main fight outside. They fell into a wooden box, shattering it, but Yang didn't waste time and threw a few more punches into Lady Shiva before hurling her away. She wasn't about to let the assassin punch her in the throat again. As before, Lady Shiva twisted in mid-air to land on her spread feet, looking at Yang as Blake came running back, their weapons in her hand. The Faunus tossed Ember Celica to Yang, who eagerly put them back on before both Huntresses aimed at Lady Shiva.

"With or without your arms, it makes no difference to me," Lady Shiva insisted, showing no signs of distress about the three guns aimed at her, even as the other superheroes battled the League of Shadows assassins around them.

"Certainly makes things easier," Yang quipped, loading shells while tilting her head. "Give up. You guys lost."

Lady Shiva said nothing, instead turning around to look at the state of her operation. To her displeasure, it was not going well. Weiss and Ruby were working side by side to take down any League assassins in their way. Loud screeches marked where Black Canary currently resided, while Green Arrow both fought directly in the fray while at the same time firing arrows into anyone he could. They were losing, that much she could tell, but at least the Grimm were still in their cages.

"Hey, where's the Suicide Squad?" Blake suddenly asked, noticing their absence.

"We don't know! They chased after some getaways and they haven't come back!" Ruby answered as she slammed the blunt end of Crescent Rose into an assassin. With their guns still trained on Lady Shiva, both Yang and Blake wondered why, exactly, the supervillains would do that.

"Your allies abandon you?" Lady Shiva asked, picking up on the situation. Both Huntresses wanted to refute her, but a nagging feeling in the back of their minds was making it hard to do so. Finally, with one of her arm-mounted shotguns kept pointed at Lady Shiva, Yang pressed her fingers to her helmet and began to speak.

"Deadshot, where the hell are you guys?" Yang asked, hoping for a response. A moment of silence followed, and she was beginning to think that he and his team had truly abandoned them. She was about to curse into the comms when his voice suddenly cut through.

"Sorry, Dragon. There's been a change of plans," Deadshot revealed, sending chills down her spine.

"What are you talking about?"

"We're pulling out. Figure you guys have it from here."

A low growl escaped Yang's throat, and she glared out towards the building where Deadshot previously was while he continued to speak.

"Don't worry, though. I'm leaving you a parting gift."

"What? What are you-?" Yang asked, genuinely confused as to what he meant, when a series of shots rang out. As though in slow motion, she watched as a multitude of bullets shot straight into the control panels holding the Grimm, and everyone paused as the lights blinked off. Everyone fighting stopped to stare at the cages in horror, then pandemonium reigned as creatures of pure darkness burst forth onto the combatants.

"Deadshot, you son of a bitch!" Yang yelled as she charged towards an Ursa that had crushed an assassin under its mighty claws. She slammed her fists into its skull before grabbing and twisting it to the side, breaking the Grimm's neck. Then a Beowolf lunged at her, and Yang ducked underneath to grab it by the forearms and slam it into the ground. Planting her foot on its neck, Yang loaded live shells into Ember Celica then shot a single shell into its skull, destroying it and causing the body to dissipate into gas.

Lady Shiva, meanwhile, seized her opportunity and made a break for it, causing Yang to cease fighting the newly escaped Grimm once she caught sight of her fleeing form. The Golden Dragon bit back a curse as she fired a shell into a Beowolf's head, then turned around towards the rest of her team.

"You guys put the Grimm down. I got Lady Shiva!" Yang shouted as she sprinted after the assassin.

Ruby shot a Grimm lunging towards Yang in response, giving her silent acknowledgement as she effortlessly twirled Crescent Rose's scythe-blade in wide arcs, bisecting any Grimm that go too close. Nearby, she saw Black Canary and Green Arrow working together to take down one, the Emerald Archer pinning a Beowolf's legs to the floor with high-strength arrows while Black Canary screamed into its head with enough force to make it explode. Towards the back of the group, Weiss bounced around along her Glyphs to skewer any of the Grimm that got in her way, while at the same time sending the remaining assassins hurtling into the air and out of harm's way. At the top of her arc, Weiss looked around and scowled at the sight of yet more Grimm breaking free of their containers and scattering across the city, clearly intending to make a break for it.

"Oh, no you don't!" Weiss shouted, shooting herself forward off of yet another Glyph and skewering one in the brain, followed by generating huge spikes of ice that both impaled any unfortunate Grimm in their path while at the same time blocking off an exit, preventing their escape. Blake, in the middle of the fray, pulled herself to a large Ursa using Gambol Shroud's ribbon, using the momentum to cleave through its neck like a hot knife through butter. When she landed, she reconfigured her weapon into its pistol form and fired several shots into a Creep as it burst upward from the ground. Even after it collapsed and dissipated upon death, Blake kept firing her weapon at any Grimm she saw, all the while the remaining assassins attempted to flee for their lives. They didn't make it far, both due to the heroes preventing their escape as well as the freed Grimm running them down.

Yang, meanwhile, raced down the docks in hot pursuit of Lady Shiva, punching and shooting her way through any unfortunate Grimm that got in her way. They were heading towards the open water, and only when they reached the end did the assassin stop and turn around to face her.

"There's nowhere else to go, deadbeat!" Yang called out, brandishing her weapons while keeping her eyes and ears peeled for any activity. Above, she could hear the telltale sign of a Javelin's jet engines roaring, and a smile graced her lips. Yet that smile disappeared when she noticed Lady Shiva's calm demeanor, as though she wasn't trapped at all. Merely waiting for something. Yang didn't like it, and so she took a few steps forward with Ember Celica still aimed towards the supervillain.

"Give up, it'll make things easier," Yang offered, but Lady Shiva shook her head.

"Not this time, young one. I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut our bout short for now," Lady Shiva replied, confusing the young Huntress.

"'For now?' What are you-?" Yang began, only to see the water next to Lady Shiva churn and bubble as something large began to rise. Red lights shown from underneath like large eyes, and soon Yang could make out a large submarine that vaguely reminded her of a stingray break the water's surface. Droplets of saltwater sprayed everywhere, splashing onto Yang's visor, and as she wiped it away she saw a hatch on the top of the submarine open up.

There a man climbed out. He was dressed in a black suit of armor with a large, bulbous head. Two massive red eyes were on the front, and large tubes connected from the top into a built-in tank strapped to the man's back. It took a moment for Yang to wrap her head around the unexpected development, enough time for the man to turn his face towards her and his red eyes to ominously glow.

"Oh, shit!" Yang cursed as twin beams of energy shot out of the man's helmet, striking her in the chest and sending her flying back. She crashed into a nearby storage house, and she groaned in pain as her Aura flickered dangerously. As Yang attempted to regain her bearings, she could hear the man and Lady Shiva begin to talk as the woman got onto the submarine.

"Hurry up, we need to get out of here," he said, his voice muffled slightly from the distance.

"One moment, Manta. This won't take long," Lady Shiva replied as she turned around to face Yang one last time. "Til we meet again, young warrior. You and your compatriot fought well. Rest assured, I know we will meet again, and next time we shall fight to the end."

With that, Lady Shiva nodded one last time towards Yang as the Golden Dragon shifted beneath the half-a-building's worth of debris that had collapsed onto her. The man, however, merely scoffed.

"Do you enjoy playing with your food?" the man asked, but Lady Shiva shook her head.

"Merely paying a fellow warrior the respect she deserves, Black Manta. Nothing more," Lady Shiva remarked as she stepped into the open hatch and climbed down the ladder.

"You can do that when the Justice League's not on our ass," Black Manta chastised, then he climbed in after the martial arts mistress and closed the hatch tight. Just as Yang finally heaved everything off of her and began sprinting down the docks, the vessel slinked back into the water, and soon the only sign of its appearance was the slightly disturbed water left in its wake. Soon even that disappeared, and Yang could only stare out in anger at the sea with tightly clenched fists.

"Dammit!" Yang cursed, then heard another roar of the Grimm. She turned back to the source, only to see a large Ursa Major waiting for her at the docks. It charged her, then a red and golden glow flared out of her visor as Yang activated her Semblance. She mentally replaced the skull mask of the oncoming beast with the smug face of that glorified thug, and punched the Ursa with every ounce of strength and frustration she had absorbed and been holding back during her fight with the assassin and her getaway driver, obliterating the Grimm with a large explosion that shattered part of the dock and caused ripples in the water. Yang looked around, trying to see if there were any more in her immediate area, but found none. For a few moments, she breathed heavily to calm herself down, and then shook her head and ran out to rejoin her compatriots.

At the same time, she saw a flight of Javelins breach the cloud cover, depositing Justice League superheroes around the city and cutting off the Grimm. One landed next to her and her friends, allowing for a trio of superheroes and a number of support personnel to disembark. She recognized them as Captain Atom, who immediately proved his prowess by blasting apart a group of Grimm with atomic energy. Next to him was a boy that looked to be around her age, wearing a dark red suit with glowing shoulder, knee, and elbow pads that also exposed his dark-skinned face and completely white eyes. The oddest thing about him was the fact that the top of his head was literally on fire, and when he formed a fireball vaguely shaped like an atom, she figured the source of his power was atomic in origin. Finally stepped out Shining Knight, his armor protecting him from the effects of the radiation as he cleaved apart Grimm after Grimm.

"What foul creatures!" Shining Knight exclaimed as he blocked a strike from a Beowolf with his shield, followed by cutting off its limb and head. Captain Atom nodded then turned towards the young man beside him, pointing up towards the sky.

"Firestorm, fly up and scout for any stragglers," he ordered, his tone reminding Weiss of how her older sister liked to talk.

"You got it, Captain!" Firestorm replied, crouching down and preparing to take off, then he locked eyes with the Huntresses. He smiled and waved. "'Sup. Name's Firestorm."

"Red Reaper," Ruby replied as she turned Crescent Rose into a polearm to stab an Ursa in its open maw. "That's my partner Ivory Mage, my sister Golden Dragon, and her partner Nightshade."

"Cool!" Firestorm enthusiastically exclaimed, then he noticed his mentor's stern look as Captain Atom crushed a Creep between his hands. Firestorm chuckled awkwardly, then waved goodbye towards the Huntresses as he took off, a stream of fire and smoke following his arc.

"We'll talk later!" he yelled out, flying around the city and assisting any other League operative he could find. The others, meanwhile, continued to clear out their immediate area, and only when it was secure did they allow themselves to sigh and relax.

"Are you all alright? Any injuries?" Captain Atom asked, but the Huntresses shook their heads.

"We're fine. A little banged up, but nothing a few hours of rest won't fix," Weiss remarked, then she saw Yang wince slightly. The others noticed as well, and immediately turned to face her with looks of concern.

"My Lady, are you injured?" Shining Knight asked, and Yang took a few deep breaths and waved him off.

"I'm fine. Some asshole with a fishbowl on his head shot me with laser eyes. My Aura took most of it, but it hurt like hell," she admitted, prompting Blake to pull up Yang's Aura levels. Her eyes widened upon seeing how much was left.

"Dragon, your Aura's in the red!" Blake protested.

"Yeah, it certainly feels like it," Yang remarked. It was then that the gentlemanly Sir Justin grabbed a still intact box and moved it towards her. Yang smiled towards the knight, then sat down and rubbed her hands along her lower back.

"Where's Lady Shiva?" Captain Atom asked after directing the support personnel to both arrest the survivors as well as tend to their wounds.

"She got away," Yang revealed, clenching her fist and ignoring the man scanning her with a pad, checking for injuries. "That guy with the fishbowl head had a submarine. She called him Black Manta or something."

"Black Manta?" Shining Knight asked in surprise.

"You know him?" Yang asked, but Shining Knight shook his head.

"Not personally, but he has been a persistent thorn in King Arthur's side for many years."

"King Arthur?" Ruby asked, not knowing which King he meant. There were many King Arthurs she knew about, one of which Sir Justin worked alongside nearly a thousand years ago.

"You probably know him as the Aquaman," Captain Atom revealed with a frown. "If Black Manta's involved with the Grimm Trafficking, Atlantis is going to want to know. I'll send a report to him and Queen Mera once we're done here."

"Indeed. It is a matter of grave concern."

"You're telling me. Took almost all of my arrows just to put down one, and even then it nearly got me," Green Arrow remarked, nursing his shoulder that was undoubtedly bruised. A nurse was already tending to it, and Black Canary was rubbing her hand along her throat. After screaming so much in the past few minutes, it was beginning to grow sore. After a few moments of rest, the superheroes stood up and faced the city once again, knowing they had a long night ahead of them.

"The Grimm cannot leave this city. If they get out, people are going to die," Ruby stated as she reloaded Crescent Rose. "Don't hold back."

"I wasn't intending to," Captain Atom replied, his hands glowing with pure energy as he and others ran off towards the battle.

---

Far away from the fighting, Deadshot and the rest of Task Force X watched as the Justice League tore into the Grimm without restraint. Bullets shot out, swords flashed, and blasts of energy destroyed the unnatural creatures, but that was all old and familiar fare, and the Suicide Squad weren't focused on them. Instead, they kept their sights squarely on the Huntresses, recording everything they saw.

"Ya know, that was a dick move," Captain Boomerang remarked with a frown on his face, laying prone and looking through binoculars. "Smart, though. Should've thought of it myself. Very karmic, in my opinion."

"I'm well aware," Deadshot remarked. "Waller, I hope you're getting what you wanted."

"I am, Lawton," Amanda Waller confirmed, not elaborating further. Deadshot didn't know what she wanted to know about the young girls, and frankly he didn't care. She had the control of the bomb implanted into his neck, and if she told him to jump into a lake, he'd do it.

"Ooh, look at them go!" Killer Frost remarked almost joyously as she saw Weiss freeze solid dozens of Grimm at once before setting others aflame. "She's still a copycat, but that carnage is a sight to see."

"They really were holding back, weren't they?" Harley Quinn noted, taking notes about the differences in their fighting styles against the Grimm and other people. From what she could see, their training had primarily been meant to deal with the Grimm, and now they were able to cut loose. It was awe inspiring, and a little terrifying at the same time.

"You do realize that, if we run into them again, they will try to take us down," Killer Croc pointed out.

"I know," Deadshot calmly replied. "Waller, how's our extraction?"

"Stealth helicopter a mile south of your position. Be there in thirty minutes, or it takes off without you," Waller revealed.

"Acknowledged," Deadshot replied, then turned his attention to the rest of his team. "We'll watch them for a few more minutes, then we'll bug out."

"Sounds good to me," Harley Quinn said, then she sighed dramatically. "You know, I'm really gonna miss you guys."

"What are you talking about?" Captain Boomerang asked, causing Harley to gasp dramatically.

"You mean you haven't been… This is my last mission! After this, I'm free to go!"

"How do you know that?!"

"I've been counting," Harley simply stated, causing Boomerang to growl. "Cheer up, Captain! You'll be out on your own, eventually! It may take some time, though, and to be honest you'll probably end up back here with our failure of a justice system."

"Oh, like you won't!"

The two continued to argue, which Killer Frost watched with utter glee. Killer Croc, meanwhile, sighed and shook his head. He couldn't help but feel that, even though they took down this location, the threat of the Grimm was far from over. More importantly, in stabbing the Justice League in the back as they did, it was only going to paint a target on their heads. He could only hope that things wouldn't pan out as he feared, and judging by Deadshot's demeanor, the marksman felt the same way.

---

November 14th, 11:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time)

United States of America, New Jersey

Gotham City

Ruby could only stare at the scroll in her hand as their new Javelin flew towards Gotham City. Captain Atom, Shining Knight, and Firestorm, who she had learned was only a year older than her, was flying them, Green Arrow, and Black Canary back to Gotham City. Their chaperones would be going back to Star City after dropping them off, and after a long day in Blüdhaven, Ruby wanted nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep. Luckily, Captain Atom's powerset allowed him to absorb the harmful radiation off of their suits, meaning they wouldn't have to go through a long and arduous decontamination procedure at the Batcave.

Of course, right now her attention was preoccupied by the fact that Firestorm was actually two people instead of one.

"So, you two literally combine to form Firestorm, Doctor Stein?" Weiss asked, honestly intrigued.

"That is correct, Weiss," Dr. Stein confirmed with a nod, then gestured towards the young man sitting next to him. "He became the Firestorm Matrix' new host after the first Firestorm died last year."

"How'd that happen, if you don't mind me asking?" Yang asked, turning her head towards Jason Rusch.

"Wrong place in the right time, honestly," Jason admitted. "Took me a while to learn how to control my powers. At first, I thought I was going to explode and take my hometown with me. Then Doc showed up and we worked together to bring me under control."

"Due to the nature of his powers, I've also begun helping Jason finetune his control," Captain Atom remarked from the pilot's seat. It wasn't hard to see why, due to their powers both being atomic in nature. It was a natural fit. Yang was about to comment on that when she noticed Shining Knight tightly clutching himself, looking oddly nervous.

"Something wrong?" Yang asked in sympathy, and Shining Knight shook his head.

"Nothing to be concerned of, Lady Yang. Tis merely my dislike of these infernal flying machines. Try as I might, I can never get used to them and dispense of the nervousness I find myself trapped in."

"Hah, you remind me of Jaune."

"Indeed. He, too, shared his burden with me, and I have utmost sympathy for the boy."

Yang chuckled and shook her head. Then she saw a faint glow of city lights, and turned her head to look out the window and take in the sight of Gotham City. Compared to Blüdhaven, it was a sight for sore eyes, but at the same time she couldn't help but notice that the ACE Chemical Plant was oddly dark. What looked like strange growths had sprouted around it, growths that were not there that morning.

"Something went down," Jason noted.

"Those look like plants," Doctor Stein pointed out.

"Makes sense. The others were chasing after Poison Ivy," Blake remarked. The others nodded, seeing where she was coming from as the Javelin shot across the Gotham skyline towards the secret hangar bay of the Batcave hidden in a waterfall. The water split apart upon their approach, revealing massive hangar bay doors that opened for them. Once their jet passed through, the doors closed, and the waters returned to their former state.

Captain Atom and Black Canary carefully piloted the aircraft through the hangar, eventually finding themselves in the Batcave itself. Standing next to the landing pad was Pyrrha and Nora, the others nowhere to be seen. Their hair ruffled in the gusts of wind kicked up by the Javelin's landing, and soon the girls bid their allies farewell and walked towards the extending entry ramp.

"Pyrrha, Nora!" Ruby called out as she walked towards her friends, Green Arrow and Black Canary coming down to see them off. It was then that the two older heroes, as well as the rest of Team RWBY, took note of the odd looks on their Pyrrha's and Nora's faces. They shared looks of concern while Black Canary and Green Arrow winced.

"Ooh, I know that look," Green Arrow whispered, to which Black Canary nodded.

"Yep," Black Canary said with a sympathetic wince, then turned towards the rest of the girls as they looked up to them. "We're heading out. You girls did good work today, and I'm happy to have fought alongside you."

"Likewise," Weiss replied, extending out her hand in offering. Black Canary happily took it, and so did Green Arrow once his partner was finished. Ruby, noticing what was going on, raced back to her team in a burst of petals to shake the veteran superheroes' hands, then they waved them all goodbye as they got back into the Javelin and took off. They watched them go, and only when the orange hue of their jets disappeared alongside the roar of their engines did they turn back to the still silent Pyrrha and Nora. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of Blake's stomach, but Ruby either didn't notice or refused to acknowledge it as she went up and gave her friends a hug.

"Hey, guys!" Ruby said as Pyrrha and Nora returned the hug, perhaps a little tighter than what she had been anticipating.

"Hello, Ruby. How was Blüdhaven?" Pyrrha asked, and Ruby wiggled her hand around.

"We got shot down almost immediately, then had to work alongside a group of supervillains working for Amanda Waller called Task Force X. They called themselves the Suicide Squad, if that tells you anything. Trust me, if you see them, take them down. We destroyed the Grimm and arrested the League of Shadows operatives, though, so mission accomplished, I guess."

"Their leader got away, unfortunately," Yang added with a frown. "Lady Shiva, Cassandra's mother. She's good, really good, so don't underestimate her. I doubt we've seen the last of her."

"We'll keep that in mind," Nora replied, glancing up at the elevator. Ruby was beginning to suspect something was wrong, but she perked herself back up and asked the question that had been on her mind ever since they started heading back to Gotham.

"So, how'd the date go?"

[~][~]

Hello, everyone! I hope you all are staying safe with the current CORVID-19 pandemic. To help just a little, here's the latest chapter of Hunters of Justice for you all to enjoy. Special thanks to NaanContributor and Jesse K for all their help in bringing this chapter to life.

The Bludhaven chapters are now officially completed, and up next is what JNPR was doing. I think you guys are going to like what we have planned.

Now, onto the Q&A:

Jacob: Thank you. I'm doing alright, personally, but things are hard to be sure.

Shadowwolf20: You'll get the answers to those questions in due time, rest assured.

gordhanx: I'm really happy that you enjoyed the story so much. It warms my heart to see that. We're having a lot of fun writing this story, and we have a lot more to share with you all in the future.

SRG Brutally Honest: You'll have to wait and see what our plans regarding the Brothers are.

NightFuryRider98: As you can see, Firestorm showed up in the current chapter! As for Blue Beetle, you'll have to wait and see.

NexusPrime42: Marvel is, unfortunately, completely off the table as doing so would throw everything off for the purposes of my story. Sorry to disappoint.

Mol2311: We kind of got that with Scarecrow, to be fair, but yes. Them having to face Doctor Destiny would be an interesting fight to be sure.

Jackalope89: Yep, that was actually the inspiration for the omake. Aphrodite is supposed to represent and parody the entire shipping community, with Diana the confused outside observer. Shipping's all well and fun, but it can be harmful if done to actual people, which is what we were trying to convey.

Alank2: Yep, those Pokemon were a reference to Boldores and Boomsticks. It's one of my favorite RWBY fanfics, so I felt a reference was appropriate.

hirshja: Even she knew not to touch that unshakable foundation.

Notros: Personally? I like Bumblebee, White Knight, Arkos, Lancaster, Renora, and really any other ship that has a realistic chance of actually happening. Now, that does not mean any of those ships, except for Renora as it is sacred, will happen in Hunters of Justice. As I've repeatedly stated in the past, we plan on shipping being primarily a background element of the story, and even then we're having a mixture of canon and crossover ships to really take advantage of the opportunity this crossover affords us.

I Am The Prophet: You'll have to wait and see.

Gundam-Knight-Chris: Yep, but that was the intention to be sure.

Jebest4781: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

edinosuar25: You'll have to wait and see what we do with Star Sapphire.

the mysterious Mr.E: Yep, that was a parody of how out of hand RWBY shipping can be.

Vein Bloodborne: That was probably the best part, in my opinion. That and the thought of what happened afterwards. But that's potentially for another day.

Chaldea: Possibly.

That's it for this time. Now, before we sign off, it appears that I forgot to give you guys the Ruby Batcomputer File. So, to make up for that, here is the file in question. We hope you guys enjoy!

[~][~]

Accessing Batcomputer Archives

Username: Dark Knight

Password: **********

…

…

Welcome, Batman. Please select file for review:

…

…

Selection: Analysis on Remnantians:

Accessing Archive

Name: Ruby Rose

Age: 16

Species: Remnantian

Alias: Red Reaper

Equipment: Crescent Rose, a highly-customized .50 caliber collapsible sniper rifle capable of transforming into a scythe. Could further transform into a warscythe configuration, which could be used as a polearm. Using specialized bullets, Crescent Rose was capable of a variety of ballistic effects, including explosive, incendiary, shock, and freezing. Using Gravity Dust, Ruby was even able to use its recoil to boost her own movement, allowing her to zip around the battlefield. However, as with the rest of her team, Ruby's supply of Dust was rendered inert upon arrival to Earth, prompting her to develop specialized replacements using materials found on Earth. Currently, she has developed a C4-infused round capable of destroying thin concrete walls alongside a rubber bullet with a built-in electrode, meant to incapacitate enemies without killing them. Unfortunately, the weapon was destroyed beyond repair during battle against Trigon.

Semblance: Rose Burst – Capable of turning her body into a cloud of rose petals, which she can use to move at high speeds. Further training has resulted in her gaining the ability to move others alongside her, their Aura colors determining the color of their respective rose petals. When used in configuration with her glider-cape, Ruby is capable of limited flight.

Bio: The younger half-sister to Yang Xiao Long, Ruby was born to Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose. Her parents were members of team STRQ, one of the most successful teams to have graduated from Beacon Academy. However, the team fractured when Yang's mother, Raven Branwen, left her husband Taiyang following Yang's birth, creating a void in the Xiao Long household that Summer filled. The two eventually married, with Summer giving birth to Ruby. Tragically, Summer disappeared on a mission when Ruby was young, an event that has shaped her ever since. Desiring both to live up to her mother's legacy and make the world a better place, Ruby was fixated on becoming a huntress since a young age. She quickly showed herself to be a prodigy, rapidly rising above her peers to the point where she was eventually scouted by Professor Ozpin following an altercation with the petty criminal Roman Torchwick, after which she was advanced by two years and joined Beacon Academy alongside her sister. Despite her young age, she was selected as the leader of team RWBY following Beacon's last initiation.

Strengths:

Marksmanship: Ruby has shown extensive skill in her ability to hit targets at both long range and during movement. She is capable of accurately hitting moving targets while she herself is flying. Her current record is hitting a moving target dead-center while she herself was moving in the air at thirty miles-per-hour.

Scythe Combat: Ruby has proven to be a prodigy with her selected weapon. Yang has noted that using scythes on Remnant was a highly-dangerous fighting style, both to the user and others. After years of practice, Ruby has managed to nearly master it, proving to be a highly effective combatant capable of engaging against multiple targets at once.

Adaptability: Ruby can quickly adapt to situations on the fly, both in terms of her individual combat ability as well as her overall team dynamic. Her weapon is capable of effectively fighting at both close range and long, with individual opponents or large groups. She is also able to effectively coordinate with her team to overcome challenges, often using pre-arranged attack combinations. These team combos serve not only as an effective shorthand for the often-complex maneuvers but also serve to confuse her opponents, often creating precious moments of inactivity which her team readily exploits.

Semblance Utilization: Ruby's Semblance, although not as flashy or audacious as others, has proven to be quite versatile. With it, she can vastly increase her speed to upwards of sixty miles-per-hour, although it can only be sustained for short bursts at a time. After further experimentation, she has managed to expand upon her abilities, now capable of fully converting into a cloud of rose petals with limited flight capabilities.

Technician: More than the rest of her team, Ruby has proven to be a capable technician in manipulating Earth-based technology to suit their needs. During their time with the Titans, Ruby would often spend hours on end conversing with Cyborg on how to best equip themselves for a variety of different scenarios, both combat related and otherwise.

Determination: Ruby, more so than anyone else on RWBY/JNPR, has shown an unwillingness to accept defeat. No matter the odds, she continues to fight and work to ensure their victory. This dedication of hers reflects in her overall outlook on life, which recognizes that although the world isn't all good, through hard work and simple yet kind acts, she can make it better. As Martian Manhunter described, she has 'a simple, yet honest soul.'

Weaknesses:

Unarmed Combat: For as much skill as Ruby has with the scythe, her ability to fight effectively while unarmed is severely underdeveloped. Should she manage to lose her weapon while in combat, she is nearly defenseless.

Stamina: Ruby's ability to take a hit is limited. Her fighting style is able to compensate for this, however should her opponents manage to land enough solid hits, her Aura will quickly shatter, leaving her exposed.

Areas for Training:

Hand-to-Hand Combat: Ruby's ability to fight while unarmed needs to be expanded upon. There will be instances where she will not be able to rely upon her weapon, and as such needs to be able to defend herself. Possibilities of combining her Semblance with martial arts should be explored. Will use time in-between creation of replacement weapon to improve upon this area.

Durability: Will teach Ruby how to better handle blows, both heavy and otherwise.

Semblance Training: Further refine Ruby's use of her Mobility Semblance to expand their use beyond present capabilities.

Access Level Black

Require Secure Login to Access

Password: ***********************

Access Granted

Strategy for Subdual:

Should Ruby Rose be placed under mind-control or otherwise forced into opposition against the League, depriving Ruby of her weapon remains the greatest avenue for success. As it stands, Ruby's combat effectiveness without her weapon is limited, and as such would become easier to handle. Her ability to tank blows is low, and as such heavy blows should be favored.

If disarming her proves to be impossible, a mixture of carbon-fiber mesh and heavy armor plating should be able to mitigate Crescent Rose's melee capabilities. When made from a high-grade anti-ballistic plating, the armor would be able to withstand a few shots of her weapon. Will add dampening gel to prevent the force from rupturing internal organs following blow.

Aura-Draining Nanite has been completed. A single canister will always be on-hand, should it prove to be necessary. Progress on Project: HUNTER-BAT is underway, including preliminary research into mechanized servos to increase strength along with lighter yet strong alloys to keep mobility loss lowered. Aura Generation is, at present moment, unlikely. However, should the opportunity present itself, it will be pursued.

Access Level Crimson

Require Secure Login/Biometric Data to Access

Password: *************************************

Thumbprint Scan … … … Accepted

Iris Scan … … … Accepted

DNA Match … … … Confirmed

Access Granted

Silver Eye Powers:

During the events of Jump City {see Trigon the Terrible for more details}, it was discovered that Ruby Rose's eyes were connected to the Life Equation, a powerful force that connected to all life in the cosmos. This has severe implications, both for Ruby herself as well as for Remnant's history.

Upon studying Remnant's ancient tales (the only reliable source of information on hand), it can be determined that Silver-Eyes were primarily capable of destroying the Grimm. This was proven via analysis of Ruby's eyes by Doctor Fate, Zatanna Zatera, and John Constantine, to the point where they require the presence of the Grimm in order to be primed and thus triggered. Otherwise, they are inert. However, should a being be metaphysically similar to the Grimm, such as Trigon the Terrible, Ruby's eyes are primed and thus able to be used. Trigon himself was crippled by Ruby's first use of her eye-powers, according to Raven Roth. The eyes emit a wave of white light, which when encountering anything Grimm or Demonic in nature (unknown if more triggers exist), severely harms or outright destroys them. Everything else is unaffected. It also appears to possess a built-in filter as well, able to discern between applicable targets (as was the case with both Miss Martian and Beast Boy).

Although we still do not know the full capabilities of Ruby's Silver-Eye Powers, their importance cannot be understated. As such, emphasis should be placed on mastering her ability, both its full capabilities and limitations. At the same time, they should remain top secret, known only by limited members of the Justice League and trusted confidants. Should this information leak, I worry for Ruby's safety. Training will thus occur in secret, possibly using captured Grimm specimens. Will work to obtain said samples during investigation of LexCorp's involvement in Grimm Smuggling Operation.

[~][~]