Chapter 15: Shadowboxing
As Kyle, Robin and Superboy fly off after the Shadows and the Fog, I decide to walk the perimeter. I leap down to the ground and start walking to my left, taking out my bo staff. If anyone comes at me, I have to be ready to attack.
You embarrassed Superboy, Miss Martian tells Artemis.
"Not this again."
Didn't hear him say that.
Must you challenge everyone?
Where I'm from, that's how you survive.
You almost sound like me for a moment there, I tell the archer.
Really?
Having to take what you can to stay alive, challenging anyone and everyone that gets in your way. Yeah, I know all about survival.
Do you now?
Care to find out?
I'm listening.
Okay, maybe you two can have your fight to the death some other time, after we complete our mission, Miss Martian tells us.
Fine! We both say at the same time.
Then Aqualad speaks in our minds next. M'gann, Kid, Artemis, Canary, we are under attack in the computer lab.
On our way, Artemis says as her, Miss Martian and I rush through the halls to him and Roquette.
As we keep running, I look behind me and find someone not there. "Where'd M'gann go?"
"Don't know. No time to look for her", Artemis says. And she's right. Wherever M'gann is, she'll catch up to us, and hopefully soon.
We reach the computer lab and find Dr. Roquette up against the wall with a sai next to her head, and Aqualad on the floor with our intruder standing over him.
The Shadow we find is wearing a green and black ninja like outfit, most likely to for help blend in forests and darkness much better. She's holding a sai in her right hand and a knife in the other. She has black hair that resembles that of a lion's mane. But what really catches my eye is the mask she's wearing. Her mask resembles that of a cat, with red on its sides and a very big grin on it. Cheshire.
Before she can lunge her sai down to Aqualad, Artemis shoots it out of her hand with her bow and arrow. "Don't move."
"This gig's getting very interesting", she says as she brings out a small blade from behind her.
I decide to take the initiative and charge at her with my staff, but our weapons just collide with each other back and forth. While our weapons press against one another, I kick her in the gut and push her back a foot or two. Artemis then shoots arrows at her, only for her to deflect and break them apart.
Miss Martian and Kid Flash finally join the battle and when they do, Artemis breaks from her shooting, leaving Cheshire surrounded, waiting for her next move. "Maybe a little too interesting."
She pulls out something from her side and throws it to the ground, with a black cloud coming from it. Smoke grenade.
Before I can go over to the smoke to see if she's there or not, Kid Flash comes jumping through the smoke and landing right into Artemis. Both of whom back away in horror. And just like that, Cheshire is gone. It had to be her.
"She's getting away! You're letting her get away!", Dr. Roquette yells at us.
"This is all your fault! You were on perimeter! How'd that Shadow get in?!", Kid Flash yells at Artemis, who just glares back at him.
"That's not really fair", M'gann says. "I was outside, too."
"So was I and I'm just as new to this team as she is", I tell Kid.
"You both were probably being distracted by her most likely", he argues. "Besides, I can't be mad at you", he says to M'gann.
You gave me mouth-to-mouth.
We heard that! Aqualad, Artemis, Roquette and I answer back.
"Dang it!"
"Is he like this all the time?", I ask Aqualad, who simply nods in response.
"I didn't do half as well during my first battle, and I know you can't have been Green Arrow's sidekick for very long", M'gann says to Artemis, comforting her. I never know Martians were so compassionate.
"Focus, everyone. The Shadows will be back."
We then hear a buzzing noise in our ears from our coms. "Robin to Aqualad."
"We're over Philadelphia. We've located the Shadows' next target, S.T.A.R. Labs… We're too late. It's destroyed, totally destroyed. The Fog decimated it. This is bad. S.T.A.R. Labs is cutting-edge science, and now their secrets are in the hands of the enemy. What's our next move?"
"Rescan for that Fog", Aqualad says. "Find it. We're moving the doctor."
Philadelphia
August 8, 22:10 EDT
"Coordinates received. Proceeding after the Fog now", Robin tells our leader.
"Affirmative. Aqualad out."
The Bioship starts heading due north after the Fog, with me tailing them. Before we make our leave, I hear something very faint in the wind. Something fast.
Not a moment too soon after, something hits me. And I go down, fast.
"GL!", Robin yells in my ear.
I shake off my pain and stop myself from falling headfirst, floating over solid ground. I reach for my back and pull what hit me just now. It still hurts some, but luckily my GL suit is very protective against most weapons. Including this black arrow, lean and razor sharp. We're not alone.
"I'm okay", I tell Robin and Superboy over coms. "I got hit with an arrow. I barely heard it coming, let alone see it coming."
"Another Shadow?", Robin questions.
"Looks that way. Robin, Superboy, continue your pursuit of the Fog. Don't get behind on their next attack."
"What about you?", Superboy asks me.
"I'm gonna find this Shadow and shine a little light on him", I say as my ring's light glows brighter. "Now go!"
And with that finally said, the Bioship takes its leave after the Fog. Leaving me alone in the dead of night with an assassin out for me and my team. This is gonna be fun.
I float myself up further and bring my right hand outward, shining my light as bright as I can. I search the area for this Shadow, hoping to bring it into my light. At least then I'll get a good look at this guy and know what I'm really up against. "Whoever you are, why don't you come on out? Make this a fair fight?" But he doesn't respond. Not verbally at least.
Next thing that happens, another arrow comes my way from the left. But this time, I see it coming and move to my right, it missing me completely. I make myself a knight's shield on my left arm, with my flashlight still going on strong.
"Just make this easier on yourself and run on back to whatever cave you crawled out of. You're probably not too good looking if you're hiding in the dark." I probably shouldn't have said that.
Another arrow springs my way, but I turn to my right and deflect it with my shield. And now he's just given away his position. I create a fishing rod construct and send the line in the direction the arrow came from. It takes me a few seconds of waiting and searching, until my line ropes onto something, onto someone. Gotcha.
I reel in my catch of the night, and what I find is something very interesting.
The Shadow I bagged is wearing all black over his body. His uniform his that of a black protective jacket, with Kevlar probably under his shirt. Also he sports black pants, black boots, and a black hood as well. He also has a black mask over his face, concealing his identity to me. In his left hand is his compound bow, which is black of course, and carrying a quiver of bows on his back as well. Might as well call him the Black Arrow.
"Who are you?"
The Shadow pulls himself up from the ground, standing casually as if nothing is wrong. "Just a shadow in the night, staying to his element. But you may call me Merlyn."
"Merlyn huh? Are we about to be joined by King Arthur or Morgaine le Fay?", I joke with the assassin.
"Laugh all you want, boy. You can't stop us from our objective."
"Using the Fog to steal intel on weapons and technology, destroying anything and anyone who gets in its way?"
"And eliminating the good doctor."
"Speaking of which, if you are after Roquette, why would the Shadows send you after me and my comrades when we're not the ones protecting her?"
"There are many shadows in the night. We have more than enough to deal with your team, just as capable as me who can finish the doctor. As for me, I thought it would serve a good idea to cross you three off, stop you from taking back the Fog from us."
"We'd just be returning it to its rightful owner."
"The Fog belongs to the League of Shadows. Anyone who tries to stop us will be dealt with severely."
"I'd like to see you try."
"Do yourself some good and surrender now. If you do, you won't die so quickly."
"Not gonna happen", I say as my light glows bright with annoyance at Merlyn.
"Suit yourself."
As soon as he says that, Merlyn takes three arrows from his quiver and brings them back on his bowstring, releasing them at me. I raise my shield and defend myself, deflecting the arrows off of it. I create a missile and send it straight at Merlyn. But he manages to avoid it by jumping up into the air, while also taking aim at me again.
I run forward to avoid his arrows, one after another coming for me. When Merlyn lands back onto the surface, with me right in front of him, I leap after him and sucker punch him in the face. He stammers back for a second, but quickly returns the favor by punching me right in the gut, then roundhouse kicking me to the right. I stop myself from being sent back further. Okay, so this guy's a marksman and hand-to-hand combat fighter. Hopefully he doesn't have any more tricks up his hood.
Merlyn shoots another arrow at my feet. I look down to see the arrowhead beeping rapidly. Uh-oh.
I fly up into the air as fast as I can and seconds after, the arrow explodes, sending shockwaves into the air. I fly back around and stay low to the ground, going for Merlyn. He aims at me yet again, but missing me by an inch. By the time I get to him, I land a punch on his chest, powered with my green ring energy this time, and send him back further than before.
"I will admit, you're not bad", Merlyn says, "for a mere child."
"I have more experience doing this than you can imagine."
"Oh yes, up in the cosmos with your Lantern brethren. Fighting alien criminals, saving planets, preserving life in among the stars. But the threats on Earth are different from your space ventures."
"I think I can manage", I say while I create a bow and arrow construct for myself.
"If you think you can beat me at my own game, you are sorely mistaken." Merlyn aims his bow and arrow straight at me, as I aim at him. Just like in the western movies. Only bows and arrows instead of guns and bullets.
Just breath. Focus. Aim and…
Release!
We both release our arrows from our bows and wait for the other to make a move. I look to my right again and notice another graze mark, bigger than the first. I place my left hand on it, reeling from the pain of his shot. I look over to Merlyn and find he's doing the same. His hand his placed on his right side, but with a few drops of blood seeping through his hand. Nice shoot, Quick Draw.
"Excellent shot, for someone who's never used a bow before."
"What makes you think I haven't before?"
"A true bow, not one you can just make on the spot. I could teach you how to use an actual compound bow. You would never miss your target again."
"You teach me? You must be out of your mind", I say as I walk towards him. "Besides, you won't be doing anything after we throw you in Blackgate."
"No prison can hold me. I am the magician, Merlyn. And I won't be going to prison tonight."
"And why is that?"
"Because, my part in this plan is done. And soon, the doctor will be too." Just as fast, Merlyn grabs something from behind his back and throws it to the ground at his feet. When it makes contact, black smoke surrounds him like mist in the morning.
"Smoke grenade." I create a leaf blower and blow the smoke all away as quickly as I can, but it's too late. He's gone. "Great, no Shadow to bring in. Hopefully Robin and Superboy have found the Fog and stopped the Shadows from using it again. In the meantime, I have some catching up to do." And with that, I fly off into the night sky, heading after my friends and possible destruction. Just another day at the office.