Al-Kinariu, Warith Al-Tinin, and Al-Ajnabiu stood silently above the grungy streets of Star City. Al-Kinariu knew it as Starling City in her youth...her wild, wild youth with...*sniff*. Al-Kinariu smiled. She would remember that scent even in death. A cheap cologne that only one person she knew of loved. Silenty she nods to her cloaked compatriots and they dissapeare into the night. Al-Kinariu's sleek, black suit was built for this, and to hold her vast array of throwing knives. Only Warith Al-Tinin knew where they were hidden, and then there were a few that no one knew of. Speaking of whom, Al-Kinariu could see the flutter of Warith Al-Tinin's veil as it flapped soundlessly in the night. Her one time lover, Al-Kinariu knew this woman inside and out, and they were a deadly combination. this deadly combination included Al-Kinariu's sister and Warith Al-Tinin's adopted daughter (for all interns and purposes) Al-Ajnabiu, a woman of immense power; though it had been lost, she could hold her own against any assassin of the league, even the great R'as himself. Though she had never dueled the master himself, she took Warith Al-Tinin's word for it. These three warriors slipped through the night, sisters of shadow, daughters of vengeance, and mothers of mercy. These three are whom the rest of the League calls "Altuyur Aljariha"; better known to their enemies as The Birds of Prey.
Thirteen Years Ago
The planet Krypton had exploded. billions of people dead at the expense of glutinous pride. But two lone survivors floated away together, until one got knocked into the Phantom Zone, and spat out into a different universe. Vox, the Artificial Intelligence that ran the ship kept Kara Zor-El, the eldest survivor of the royal Kryptonian house of El, in a constant state of sedation. Vox had searched for any form of information until she found one that was extremely primitive but, compared to the Kryptonian government's restrictions on information, incredibly diverse and abundant. Vox had found her mistress a new home. If only the landing sequence hadn't been damaged. Vox knew that Kara would survive the landing, she had insured it.
Sleep well, mistress Kara, may the Red Sun ever shine on the mighty house of El*
As the pod entered the atmosphere Vox injected the dense impact absorbent into the pod for Kara's added protection and prepared herself for emergency shutdown. If she were to survive to help her mistress, she would need all the precautions she could take.
Present Day
Al-Ajnabiu walked into the dark living room with a tea service adorned with the traditional ritualistic purification pot and cups for the ceremony. Al-Kinariu and Warith Al-Tinin each took a seat, each woman an equal distance from the other forming an equilateral triangle. Al-Ajnabiu poured the ceremonial tea and each woman took a cup, bowing first to each other, and then bowed in recognition to the one whom they served and from whom they had been sent.
As they drank their tea they pondered on the mistakes and trials they faced to get here. They embraced each dark moment so they could be purified by the raging fire. As the ceremony climaxed each woman began to vibrate with energy, their bodies sweat profusely with the massive amounts of energies that were being used. Finally they collapsed on the ground, their bodies spent from the ritual. Warith All-Tinin crawled over and pulled Al-Ajnabiu into her embrace, stroking the younger woman's face. Al-Ajnabiu's body was the least receptive of the ritual, nothing uncommon, but ever since that day, Warith Al-Tinin worried about her.
"laqad qumt bieamal jayid , eaziziun", she whispered into the blonde woman's ear, " 'ana fakhur bik".
Placing a kiss to Al-Ajnabiu's cheek, Warith Al-Tinin picked her up and took her to her room and layed her in her bed, leaving the young blonde to recover.
Returning, Warith Al-Tinin found Al-Kinariu recovering from the ritual. She was sitting in a chair, looking out of the window onto the streets.
"Who was that fool who thought he could track us, habibata"?
"An old friend who has his own, self appointed mission".
"Yes, the boy with too much anger and blood lust".
Al-Kinariu turned from the window.
"I worry".
"About"?
"How many times can she go through the ritual"?
"I wouldn't permit her too if I didn't believe she could".
"How do you know"?
Warith Al-Tinin glared.
"Do you doubt my love"?
"No. it's just...she lost her powers because of magic, what if something worse happens "?
Warith Al-Tinin took Al-Kinariu's face in her hands.
"Trust me, my love".
Al-Kinariu nodded and sat back down. She couldn't help but worry.
Nanda Parbat
The young girl approached her father with trepidation. She knew he should not be disturbed, especially at this moment, but this was something that could not wait. She stepped into the large chamber room and stood next to her father's bodyguards. This was the time at which he was at his most vulnerable. She silently stood, still as a statue, watching as her father stood up, dark emerald liquid cascading off of his naked body. Before her eyes, his wrinkled skin tightened and was cleansed of the many scars this life had inflicted on his body.
"Why do you interrupt my most sacred time"?
His voice was calm, but the young girl could knew that rage simmered beneath his calm demeanor.
"It is about Altuyur Aljariha, father. They have...".
"They have left", he interrupted, "I know".
She hung her head in shame. She chastised herself for being so foolish. Of course he knew
"Your failure to discover this so late is another reason for my disappointment in you".
He stepped out of the pool and stood before his enterogue, his rejuvenated body bare.
"But I am merciful. Therefore I will send you to them".
"Father, I am not a babysitter".
"You are not to watch them. You are to kill them. This is the command of R'as Al-Ghul. To disobey, is death. Do you disobey"?
"No father".
With a nod of his head he dismissed her. As she walked out he called to her.
"Nyssa", she stopped and listened, "fail me, and you will pay with your life".
Nodding her understanding she left the chamber and made her way to her room. She would not fail.