Star City, Queen Industries Warehouse
"I don't see the big deal about it" she says into the phone, undoubtedly standing at their window, looking out over the street as she normally did. Vic shrugs, opening another drawer and searching through the paper contents. "Well, you know how they get" he says, opening up a folder and going down the line, mentally checking each manifest listing and comparing it to what he had found on the warehouse floor. So far it was all checking out. "Dammit" he says, placing the folder back into the drawer and closing it, wanting to cover any trace of him being there.
"What's wrong?" she asks worriedly, having heard Vic's exclamation as he had been holding the Nokia close when he said it. "Ohh nothing" he says, wanting to assuage her. He looks around the dark office, taking a quick seat in a desk chair and sighing in exasperation. "I'm not finding the connection between this warehouse and that ammo crate" he says, having tracked the crate's origins by back tracing its shipping history. It had originated from Queen's shipping hub, specifically this warehouse. "Maybe there is none?" she asks, a hopeful note in her voice.
He just looks at the phone as if it was Vixen herself, communicating his bafflement at such a suggestion, before bringing it back to his ear. "Yeah, I figured you wouldn't buy that" she says, snickering lightly. "There are a few possibilities" he says, pressing on and opening his notebook, throwing it on the desk and beginning to write while continuing to speak with his girlfriend, holding the phone with his other hand. "The record here says that the crate was for the safe movement of medical gauze and bandages. Either they're lying, the gauze was swapped out for the weapons while in transit, or the box is a coincidence. Just something that was laying around to be used after it was emptied. This is the least probable however as the organization who ordered the bandages, say they never received them" he says, crossing it out and removing it as a possibility as soon as he writes it.
Nothing was a coincidence.
He hears Mari yawn over the phone and can't help but smile. How did she make everything sound sexy? "You sound tired. Go get some sleep" he says, leaving his notebook on the desk and moving to check the next drawer, opening it slowly and discovering another stack of folders that most likely led nowhere, but still needed to be checked. "Nuh uh. I'm fine" she says, leading to another bout of silence from Vic. "Alright, maybe I'm a little tired but can you blame me? My boyfriend has been off investigating creepy old warehouses at all hours of the night for the past three days. How is a girl supposed to get her beauty sleep without her teddy bear?" she asks flirtatiously, bringing to Vic's mind just how good it would feel to be cuddling with the woman at just that moment.
"I'd rather be there too but...well, people are in danger and…" he starts before being interrupted. "I know Vic. I'm not a selfish girlfriend. I work with you remember?" she asks, causing him to nod. "How can I forget?" he teases, pulling out a suspicious black folder from the rear of the cabinet. It seemed like it had been hidden. He keeps his excitement at bay though, not wanting to get worked up over something that might turn out to be nothing after all.
"Hmm, so….what are you wearing?" she asks teasingly, causing him to stop for a minute and shrug. "Hat. Trenchcoat. Slacks" he says, not recognizing the question for the sexual innuendo it was. "You're not too good at this you know?" she teases, finally letting it dawn on Vic.
He feels stupid at not realizing what his girlfriend had been driving at but is made to feel less stupid by the fact that he had stumbled on something. The folder outlined a whole section of mysterious shipping containers. They had been placed in an area labelled v34. Vic had checked all the way up until v33 in the warehouse, and he now took the time to double check the building schematics he had printed out beforehand. The area where v34 was marked down as being in the folder, was just a wall on the schematics. There was something hidden in this warehouse after all.
"Well, I am on a mission. Also, men don't dress sexily. Only women do after being subliminally brainwashed by soap operas interspersed with quick one frame segments of lingerie…" he starts, moving towards the door of the office and opening it, looking back into the dark enclosure and ensuring that he didn't leave a trace of his presence.
"Alright, alright. I get it. We're all being socially conditioned. I for one know that I like dressing sexily for two reasons" she teases, practically purring into the phone. The sound causes a pleasurable shiver to run up the entirety of Vic's back. "And what are those?" he asks, descending slowly down the steel stairs descending towards the loading bay from the upper catwalks. "Well, the fabric feels nice against my skin" she says, accentuating every word. "And...I like how you look at me when I wear sexy things" she teases. "In fact, you should see what I'm wearing now" she adds flirtatiously.
"You really do want me to come home don't you?" Vic asks, turning on his flashlight as he moves through the aisles of industrial shelving, carefully monitoring his progress towards the supposedly non existent v34.
"Desperately" she says saucily, making Vic strongly consider doing just that. "I bought it the other day. It barely holds me in, but I like it. The fabric is sooooo soft" she says, adding to Vic's rising arousal. "I was thinking about taking it off though. It is getting a little warm, but then I thought, wouldn't it be nice of me to let my boyfriend take it off for me? I mean, he'd enjoy that right?" she asks, enjoying this third person back and forth.
The light of Vic's flashlight falls on the end of the shelving, exposing a full two feet of empty space until the makeshift hallway ends against the wall, a wall which he was now assuming wasn't all that met the eye. "There's nothing more he'd rather do I would bet. He's a very lucky man to have such a gorgeous woman like you waiting up for him" he says, deciding to play along as he presses his hands against the wall, feeling along its flat surface and trying to find something hidden. Maybe a mechanism or divot, something that would give it away as anything other than a warehouse wall.
"He is, but I'm lucky too. He's a very sweet man. When he's around" she reproaches, though the lilt to her voice lets him know that there is no venom or mean spiritedness in what she's saying. He goes quiet for a minute, still groping about the walls looking for anything to give the hiding place away. "I love you" he says suddenly, being rather prone to blurting it out at random to her. Ever since their confessions to each other, their relationship had gotten even more intimate, which was saying something.
"I love you too Vic" she responds, her voice being lower and breathier. "I'm sorry. I'm saying it too much aren't I?" he asks, not knowing how to gauge what she was thinking. She laughs, a tinkling and soft sound that is always enjoyable to listen to. "Not at all. I love hearing you say it. I...I want to spend the rest of my life hearing it" she says, causing Vic to blush a bit. He didn't know if she meant to or if it just happened, but she had begun talking about the future a lot more than she had previously wanted to. He didn't know why, but something about it made him uncomfortable. The future wasn't set in stone. It was always malleable and thus always changing.
There was something about how she talked about it that made him feel trapped, and he hated himself for feeling that way. 'Of course she should be thinking about the future. So should I. We love each other don't we?' he reminds himself, moving away from the wall and examining it with a flashlight.
"I said something wrong didn't I?" she asks, obviously having been worried by his lack of response. He takes a deep breath, wanting to focus on what was important. 'You can't live on maybes of the past Vic. It's not fair to Mari and it's not fair to you' he says, unable to shake the image of a certain redhead out of his mind.
"No. You said everything right. I'm just stuck right now and don't know where to go from here. This warehouse is confusing" he says, although he was speaking about something more than the warehouse and Vixen could sense it. "Well, if you're stuck, think about how you got stuck. Walk yourself out of it and see if you can find a way forward" she says, lovingly adding "I'm here for you when you're stuck".
She was talking about more than just him not being able to find the secret being hidden in this warehouse as well and he knew it. He'd become surprisingly ardroit in picking up the cues dropped by women, especially her. He's trying to find something to say when he rests his hand on a steel shelving beam, feeling that something was amiss. The inside was hollow, and by reaching his hand around he could feel a switch. 'What is this?' he thinks, flicking the switch into its on position, causing the wall that had been such a stumbling block to his investigation to open up into another room.
"Mari, you'll never know how much you do for me" he says, staring in amazement. "I have a rough idea of what I could do for you when you get home" she teases, moving right back into the realm of teasing. He chuckles to himself, laughing at how easy it was for her to shift the mood on a dime without any awkwardness in doing so.
"I have to go for now" he says, feeling a little put off himself. He was rather enjoying this conversation. "Ohh alright, if you must" she says, a false and breathy sigh accentuating her tone that made him want to head home right at that minute and return the next day. Only the fact that he knows the owners of said secret room would have to know he was there and would undoubtedly move the entire operation before he could investigate keeps him from doing so.. He had to do it, and he had to do it now.
"I love you"
"Love you too"
"Bye"
"Bye"
It was clear that neither of them wanted the conversation to end, and Vic can't help the feeling of loss that comes over him as he places the phone back into his pocket. He enters the secret room, lazily scanning his flashlight beam over the room. At first glance one would think it was the same as the entirety of the warehouse, with boxes stacked one on top of the other neatly and in an ordered way.
The markings gave them away however, as they all were listed as holding different calibres of rifle cartridges. It took another glance for Vic to realize that the room led downward, moving into a subterranean hallway which undoubtedly held more secrets. Part of his mind tells him to call for backup while the other urges him on into the darkness. 'Don't be an idiot. Call for backup. I'm more than willing' a voice says in his mind, sounding exactly like Mari. It was funny how their close proximity had allowed him to have her with him and know her thoughts even if she was miles upon miles away.
"Right as usual" he says to himself, slowly backing up out of the darkness and reaching for his phone. He had just gotten it out of his pocket when something whizzes through the air, impacting against the plastic device and sending it flying away into the darkness with a very strong force.
He lets out a startled gasp, his hand dealing with the shockwave of having something torn from it so violently. He turns his flashlight upwards, looking for the source of the projectile, as he was sure it was a projectile, and only finds empty space. "Well done detective" a voice calls out, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere at once. Suddenly, lights flick on all along the warehouse's interior, including the secret room. It momentarily blinds him, but his mask contains a lining of fossilized bioluminescent algae which also help him him keep his eyesight and bring him back to normal very quickly. He tucks his flashlight away quickly, still being conscious of preserving all his tools in case the need arises.
He is now more accurately able to pinpoint the source of the voice, and looks up to see a robed figure. He is almost instantly recognizable by his facial features and Vic can't help but be afraid. "Ras Al Ghul" he says, acknowledging the man who is also surrounded by his army of assassins. Two other figures were with him, both recognizable but only one a surprise.
Talia Al Ghul stood beside her father, an air of almost casual disinterest surrounding her as she leaned against the railing. Still, her eyes seemed to be focused on Vic and he doubted that she was an inactive participant in whatever this was. The other figure shocked him and made him question his whole overarching theory.
The Green Arrow stood on the catwalk beside Ras, an arrow notched in the bowstring, ready to let another loose. It became apparent that an arrow had been what tore the phone out of his hand. "Arrow?" he asks, utterly baffled as to why the emerald archer seemed to be working with Ras. "Question. How's it going buddy?" he asks, a cocky grin on his face.
"You're working with Ras?" he asks, moving out of his combat stance as it was clear that it wouldn't do any good for him to fight against such uneven odds. No, fight wasn't going to work, so he needed to think about flight. His eyes dart over the area, looking for an avenue of escape and seeing no immediate possibilities.
"I'm afraid you won't find a way out of this Mr. Sage" Ras says, imperiously waving his arm out and pointing out how many assassins he had brought with him. "You know my name" Vic says, stating more than asking. It was clear that he knew his name after all. "Yes, Lady Shiva speaks very highly of you. She said that you are one of the only men she has been unable to kill and are by far her favorite to try with" he says, a light smirk coming onto his face.
"That's Kind of her" he responds, wanting to get to the heart of the matter as quickly as possible and avoiding the small talk. "What do you want Ras? And why is Queen helping you?" he asks, dropping the pretense of code names. It was clear that everyone knew who everyone else was. Ollie just shrugs, not moving at all from his aimed position. "I can tell you that. Ras is looking for a successor. Has a few prerequisites though. Rich, able to operate behind the scenes, devilishly good looking" he begins, rattling off all qualities that fit him boastfully. Vic can see that this isn't endearing to Ras who rolls his eyes.
"Let's focus on the matter at hand. Yes, I need a successor" he says imperiously, motioning almost disinterestedly towards Ollie. "And what about the weapons? I'm assuming that you didn't just happen to want a conversation with me in this weapons cache and have it not be involved" he says, causing Talia to smirk herself. "Quite a detective" she teases, letting the smile drop instantly as her father glances at her. "Also, why Ollie as a successor? I thought you were dead set on Batman" Question asks, hoping now to lengthen this encounter by utilizing the very measure he had wanted to avoid before.
Small talk.
"Well, Mr. Queen became a candidate after we realized how useful he and his company would be for moving certain things to certain places. After all, he is well noted for his antipathy towards weapons" Ras says, smiling at his own genius. Ollie just smiles even wider, clearly thinking himself as a default leader in this little ploy. "I still hate 'em you know? But I do like the money that comes from selling them. The whole gadget thing wasn't working out. Too much competition and waaaay too much innovation. With weapons, all you need to do is have something that can kill" he says, drawing Vic's attention away from Ras.
"There's nothing more detestable than a traitor. The League is going to know about this. I'll die exposing you Ollie if that's what it takes" he warns, meaning every word. He was going to take him down if it was the last thing he did.
"Big talk from a fish in the barrel, soon to be a dead pincushioned fish in a barrel" the blonde teases. "It's really nothing personal though Vic, believe me. Immortality, wealth, and a chance at tapping some seriously hot babeage? Come on, you telling me you'd miss out on a chance on that?" he asks, half gesturing to a now scowling Talia who glares at the man.
"You used to be about protecting the little guy. Fostering revolutions, toppling governments and enslaving entire nations? How is that looking out for the little guy? You're scum Queen. I'm sure Dinah would love to hear about how you think so lowly of her too. Most men wouldn't throw a good woman away at the first sight of another" he says, fighting to contain his anger through gritted teeth.
"Come on Vic. Goody two shoes like you, should start thinking more realistically" he says, lowering the arrow a little bit. "I need a second in command you know? Someone smart and capable, willing to root around in the mud. Sure there's also a few hotties in the League to sweeten the deal" he says, offering all that he himself had been offered to the faceless conspiracy theorist. "All for the price of a membership in a good boy's club and a pointless life. What do you say?"
"I've got Vixen. I'm good on that front. As for the other part, being your lackey and destroying the world? Go to hell. I'm not for sale" he says, his mind now accepting the fact that there most likely was no escape for him and that he would die here.
'I love you Mari' his mind says to himself, before another thought bubbles up. 'I love you Shayera'. He doesn't have time to dwell on the strangeness of those two contradictory thoughts. He didn't think his mind would have enough time to dwell on anything at all soon.
Ras smiles, strangely almost. After all, the offer made on his behalf through Green Arrow had been refused. 'Why does he look so damn pleased with himself?' Vic asks, his mind racing towards possibilities. Talia herself looks pleased, now openly sporting a gentle smile and watching Vic with an appraising smirk.
"Hmm, what a pity" Ras says, turning to Green Arrow. "Kill him" he says simply, causing the man to wince a bit. He still wasn't too keen on murder, but he never really liked Vic anyway, and if it got him all that he wanted and deserved? What did it matter?
"Sorry Vic" he says, pulling back the drawstring of his bow that he had let go lax when the conversation started. "Shoul…." he starts before his eyes go wide and his bow slowly drops from his hands. He looks downwards, sensing that something was off with his body as there was a distinct wetness over his stomach that he didn't remember being there before. He sees a blade protruding about one foot out of his stomach, and he almost can't believe the sight. He turns his head slowly and sees a masked assassin, his blade thrust through him, standing behind him.
Ras hadn't been ordering Ollie to kill Vic. He had been ordering a nameless assassin to kill him. Ollie gurgles, blood coming out over his lips as he reaches for his wound, trying to prevent further bleeding.
It is pulled out quickly, leaving the mortally wounded man to stumble forward against the rail. He looks over at Ras, surprise and shock in his eyes before he tumbled over the side, falling twenty feet and impacting against the concrete a scant ten feet in front of vic. The puddle of blood begins to rapidly expand outwards and Vic can already see that he was dead.
He sighs, still feeling pity for his former colleague's death. 'What am I going to tell Dinah?' he ask himself, knowing that he'd have to make a full report to the League. He didn't want to do either, but telling Dinah of her fiancee's betrayal and death would be harder than the other reporting of events.
"I am very glad to be done with him and his pretentiousness" Ras says, watching as the assassin sheathes his blade after cleaning his blade with a rag. "We have his company, so his continued existence was not necessary. Still, he did reveal something interesting in pursuit of his purpose" Ras says, his eyes turning openly to Vic. "He has revealed my true successor" he says, taking Question aback. "What?"
"You were offered wealth, immortality and women, all things that men have spilled much blood for over the centuries. You turned them down for two things, a woman you're already committed to in some fashion and your loyalty to the ideals of the Justice League, ideals you worked so hard to instill" he says, motioning for the other assassins to sheathe their weapons, an order which is followed instantly.
Vic remains silent, unwilling to interrupt the villain's speech, hoping he would learn more. "The League of Assassins is dedicated to something far greater than wealth or prestige. Something that makes those two things seem small in comparison. We are dedicated to balance, and ergo justice" he says, going on the same tangent that Batman had undoubtedly experienced multiple times before.
"I thought you were dead set on the Batman serving as your replacement" Vic says, slightly confused and wary of anything the man was saying. He wouldn't join him, nor would he even consider such an option, but he wanted to see all angles and report them back to the League.
"I was, but I've come to realize that the Batman is corrupted. His unflinching dedication to not take human life, has cost much in terms of innocents and order. How many has he killed by allowing the Joker to go free? Time and time again, he has murdered, and the blood is on Batman's hands. It would all have been prevented had Batman taken the simple expedient of snapping his neck" Ras says, moving slowly down the stairs to the lower level.
"And what makes you think I'm any more willing to kill?" he asks, causing the man to smile, finally reaching ground level. Talia follows behind him, slowly and methodically making it clear that she was there for her father's defense. "Because Victor, you have already shown you are. When you tried to kill Luthor" he says, now only a few feet before him.
He closes his eyes, shock coursing through him that anyone else knew of the one act he was most ashamed of. He did try to kill Luthor, but at the time he was convinced that it was the only way. He had to kill Luthor to prevent him from killing the Flash, which would ultimately trigger Superman and the Justice League's descent into madness. It was only through the intervention of Superman, and a surprising strength given to Luthor by his merger with Brainiac, that prevented him from carrying out the murder.
He had tried to forget it, Superman having promised to keep it a secret and Luthor having forgotten entirely after being physically separated from Brainiac, but it was still there. He didn't go a week without remembering how dark that path had been when he started walking it.
It happened during a particularly rough time. A half a year after Shayera had left, and an ebb in the conspiracy coupled with the fear of a tyrannical Superman had led him to not care about his own life enough to kill Luthor to save the world. As far as he knew, Superman and him were the only ones who knew. How did Ras know?
"There is many things I know that are supposedly secret that I know" he says, staying mum on the subject of anything further he might say. It was clear he wasn't going to tell them his sources, and in the end, Vic didn't want to know. It didn't matter.
"That was different" he says, trying to disguise his discomfort as the man walks in circles around him, inspecting him as if he was a zoo animal on display. "Is it? We kill, because we want what's best for the world. You kill because you wanted to save Superman, in turn saving the world. It seems as if our goals are the same with extra steps, unless you have a reason as to how it was different?" he asks curiously, arching an eyebrow. It's only then, as the man's robe moves to the side, that Vic sees the sword he has on his hip.
"Take this" Talia says, moving forward and pressing a sword into his hands before moving away. The other assassins gather about, forming a large circle as they move in, enclosing the two men within. "I see it clearly, and from the workings of your mind I know you do as well" Ras says, letting his green cloak fall off of his shoulders and flutter to the floor.
"You must kill me, and replace me. Become what you've always feared the most, the leader of a shadowy organization, in order to save the world. We are not monsters who kill without compunction. We are protectors who, from time to time, cut the wheat from the chaff to prevent the ruination of the field. We do what most be done, as we are the League of many names" he says, assuming a combat stance, intending to fight Vic.
Vic raises the sword and looks at it, before throwing it away and watching it skid across the floor. "I won't kill. It was a moment of weakness" he says, trying to convince himself that that was the truth.
"I do not have time for this. If you will not kill, then you will die" Ras says, lunging at Vic and thrusting his sword towards him.
Across the Street on a Rooftop, Moments Before
Shayera couldn't help the reflexive opening and closing of her fists while she listened in on Vic's phone call with Vixen. She figured it would be a bad idea to use the signal interceptor, but she still went ahead with it anyway. 'What you didn't know couldn't hurt you' she thinks to herself, glaring at the device.
She would never tell anyone, or at least hoped to never tell anyone, but she followed Vic here. It had been laughably easy to do so, but only because she knew his patterns and where he was ultimately going. It had taken a long time for her to get it down pat, but when she did she knew him better than he probably knew himself.
She picks up the binoculars and watches his movement through the warehouse, the small light of his flip phone giving his position away at all times. She frowned at how sloppy Vixen had allowed him to get, but smiled at the fact that he was still using the same phone he had been when he was with her.
'I wonder if he saved those pictures' she thought with a smile, remembering how she'd enjoy teasing him by sending him things. It did manage to incentivize him to head home early from time to time. She continues listening to the conversation and gasps when Vixen seemingly does the same thing, except through words instead of pictures. She felt herself growl at the loss of yet another personal and private event she thought Vic shared with her alone.
"Relax, she's just flirting" she says to herself, having lapsed back into talking to herself as she repositions herself along the ledge, watching Vic sit down in the chair. "Sloppy Vic, come on. You don't know who's watching" she practically hisses, seething that Vixen had him so distracted.
"If he gets hurt I'll kill her" she vows, not caring one bit for how tenuous her position was in the League and generally considering doing away with her regardless. She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, knowing she wouldn't do that. "It wouldn't be any fun, and aside from that Vic would hate you even more. This isn't Thanagar where delivering your intended's current lover's head was seen as a romantic, if antiquated and now illegal, way of winning their affection.
"It'll feel better to win him back on your own terms anyway" she says, nodding in approval as Vic stands up, canvasses the room and moves out. He had found something while she was daydreaming about holding Vixen's head and she missed it. "Dammit" she says, cursing herself, hating that he threw her off balance so much.
"Where's he going now?" she asks, noticing that he seems to be moving with a purpose down the stairs and towards a hidden corner. She loses sight of him and turns back the signal interceptor, catching their final goodbyes. "I love you".
She bites her lip and closes her eyes, imagining that he was saying it to her instead of his girlfriend. "I love you too" she replies, covering the sound of Vixen saying those exact words.
"Ohh, is someone eavesdropping?" a voice asks with a particularly ominous hiss punctuating throughout. She turns quickly, mace already in hand to see Copperhead perched on the opposite ledge. "Awww is someone in LUV with the faceless freak?" he teases, slithering down and moving on his hands and feet towards her. The snake themed villain disgusted her and she can't help the shiver of fear that runs down her back. Copperhead rarely worked alone, and if he was here, and knew about Vic, what was going on in the warehouse?
"What are you doing here Copperhead?" she asks, her eyes narrowing as she moves herself into a combat position, her wings flaring out and her electric field engaging about the handheld weapon. She'd have to knock him out quick, or get away and to Vic soon, hopefully accomplishing both objectives at once.
The man shrugs, his tail swaying this way and that, an obvious attempt at distraction and deflection from what would obviously be his next move. "Don't know. Don't care. Ras pays me to be here and I don't ask questions. Though it does seem he's going to let that Queen guy kill your crush" he says teasingly, licking his lips.
It doesn't register with her immediately, but something he said startles her. "Queen? Oliver Queen?" she asks, causing the man to nod. "Uhh hmm. Probably already a pincushion" he says, causing her heart to drop. 'No, he's fine. I can save him, there's time".
"Why are you being so open with me?" she asks, gripping her mace tighter and trying to control her anger. "Because it doesn't matter. You'll be dead before you could do anything" he says, baring his fangs and lunging, launching himself forward by his tail. Unfortunately for him, Shayera's wings were natural, unlike his tail, and propelled her forward much faster and naturally. He is hit right in the chest with her mace, administering a severe electric shock which throws the man back at least nine feet, letting his back crash against the concrete ledge he had been perched on moments before.
The shock undoubtedly did a number on him too, as nobody could handle such a shock and stay on their the end, it didn't matter, and she flies up into the night sky, looping downwards and projecting an arc that sends her crashing through the glass windows of the warehouse, her raised arm the only thing protecting her eyes and face from the shards of glass. 'Wish I still wore my helmet' she things, quickly giving the now lit up warehouse with scrutiny, desperately searching for a clue as to Vic's location. He was certainly in danger, and nobody else was going to save him.
She soon sees the open passage, the sound of cheering echoing down the hall and revealing the location of where he must be. She rushes downwards, narrowly avoiding the shelves that stand on either side of her until she enters the tunnel.
Within seconds she sees him, surrounded by a group of figures who do not seem to be friendly in the least. In the center of this circle is Vic, sparring against a man she vaguely recognizes. Vic goes down, the man having slashed his sword across his midsection, drawing a thin red line of blood and sending Vic to the ground. She feels a rage overtake her and quickly flies toward the group, making them aware of her presence with a warcry.
She scatters three of the group with one single blow, opening the inner circle up to her. She'd normally want to fight, take as many down as she could before calling for the police but she knew it wasn't the smart move this time. With Vic being wounded and her adversary being Ras Al Ghul himself, the best chance she had was flight. She smiles as she thinks to herself, 'I'm good at fight or flight' before she closes in on Vic, grasping him by his shoulder and causing him to moan in pain. He had already lost a good amount of blood.
"I'm sorry Vic, I don't have room to maneuver" she says, hoping he understood that the uncomfortable way he was being held was the only way she could get them both out of there. His blood feel from his wound as she grabbed him under each arm and begins to flap her wings, moving up and away out of the tunnel and through the warehouse, the hissing of projectiles following behind her closely. "Do not let her escape! We need him!" she hears Ras shout before passing through the window she had broken through before and almost rocketing into the night sky. She had never known this level of fear and she can't help but stare down at him as she activates her ear piece.
"Vic, can you hear me?" she asks, receiving no response. He only moans, his body having sustained a massive amount of damage, even before the sword swipe. "Hawkgirl? What is it?" Mr Terrific asks a little harshly, his voice carrying a mistrustful tone. The hero in charge of the League's teleportation system had disliked her from the beginning, no doubt harboring his ill feelings towards her from the days of the invasion. She didn't blame him, but she couldn't care at the moment. Vic was too hurt for something so petty to get in the way.
"Question is hurt. I need a relay to the tower and a medical bay prepped and we need it now. The League of Assassins is not too far behind us" she says, causing the man to become more professional. "Getting a lock on your coordinates, though you better have a good explanation as to why you are in Star City with Question. Prepare for teleportation in 3….2…..1." he says before she feels a strange sensation that she was having to get reacclimated to feeling.
Outside of the Watchtower Medical Bay
"Out of the way" Vixen practically screams, shoving a baffled and angered Fire to the side as she tried to navigate the thing hallways. "Why did they make this place so damn confined?" she says aloud to herself, tapping into her totem to gain the speed of a cheetah, trying to make it as quickly as possible to the medical bay.
She had only gotten the call an hour ago, when she had been sleeping. She awoke in her and Vic's bed, clutching his pillow close to her, and answered the call. It was then that J'onn had informed her of what had happened, but not many specifics. He only requested that she come to the tower quickly, offering to relay her up. She had jumped out of bed and into her costume faster than ever before, and had barely stopped running since she'd gotten to the tower.
'I'll be making a ton of apologies, but only once I know Vic is okay' she thinks, finally seeing the medical bay only a few feet before her. She practically slides into it, opening the doors quick enough and making to run forward again until she is stopped by the Martian Manhunter, who places a hand on each of her shoulders and undoubtedly attempts to use his powers to calm her. "Vixen, please calm yourself. Question is stable and…"
"I need to see him J'onn. Where is he?" she asks, tears freely falling down her face. She had been told that he'd lost alot of blood and that he had to be resuscitated twice. She couldn't lose him. Not now, not after they'd come so far. The martian looks at her before nodding, pointing towards a closed door. "Someone is with him right now, but I shall ask her…" he begins before being cut off. "Her?" she asks, seeing a hint of nervousness in the green alien's eyes. She nods, a rather fierce expression on her face as her eyes take on a yellowish hue. "It's her isn't it? I don't care. I'll play nice. I need to see Vic" she says, storming off towards the room with J'onn following close behind, wanting to ensure that nothing happened.
She opens the door slowly, and the first sound she hears is the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. It sends a shock of relief down her spine, telling her that at least her man was still alive. She looks at him, laying in the bed, naked except for his mask and covered by blankets. He was wrapped in gauze and bandages, crisscrossing around his midsection and covering the multiple wounds he'd suffered at the hands of whoever was behind this. Apparently the League knew as Hawkgirl had told them, but it was not yet common knowledge.
Hawkgirl. She was there too, and Vixen finds her eyes shift to the woman sitting in a chair next to Vic's bed. She didn't notice anyone, her eyes only remaining on Vic as she held his much larger hand in her own, rubbing the back of it with her lithe digits. It was clear that she had been crying, and had undoubtedly not expected anyone to come in. "Please, please Vic. Be okay. Don't go" she said, pleading with the man as if he had control over his own mortality. Vixen would've been furious if she didn't feel the same way. The tears fall even freer as she stares at his wounds.
Shayera leans in, placing a kiss on his forehead, lingering much longer than was necessary and betraying her feelings for the man as being anything less than romantic. It was then that Vixen felt her rage return, an urge to claw out the winged woman's eyes becoming a quick and pleasurable fantasy. Before she can act rashly however, J'onn clears his throat, causing Shayera to jump back in surprise, shock coming onto her face before it is hidden under a stoic facade at the sight of Vixen.
"Shayera, I think it best that you leave for now" J'onn says diplomatically, wanting nothing to do with the rivalry between the two women. It is clear from her facial expressions that the last thing she wanted to do was leave Vic alone with Vixen, but she relents and stands up, slowly letting go of his hand and placing it back on the bed. She begins to walk towards the exit, casting one look back at Vic over her shoulder before resuming her movement. "Please, call me if there are any developments J'onn" she says, a genuine softness coming to the woman as she addresses her old friend. He nods and moves over towards the monitors, inspecting them and ensuring that the Question was healing and not in any pain.
Shayera is about to exit without another word when Vixen reaches out and grasps her arm, trying not to put the full force of a boa constrictor onto the appendage. She is silent for a moment, and both women stare at one another before Mari nods and closes her eyes. "Despite the fact we have never met, and the fact that I already hate your guts, thank you for saving him" she says, fully meaning it. In a way, she felt indebted to the Thanagarian, and would feel so for the rest of her life.
Hawkgirl just nods, almost imperceptibly. "I didn't do it for you" she whispers, conveying two things to the woman instantly. The first was that her feelings for Vic were more than infatuation or idealization of the past. She genuinely loved Vic. The second thing she realized was that Shayera wasn't going to stop fighting for Vic. She didn't know whether to respect her or hate her for it.
She lets go of the woman's arm, letting her go and instantly moving over to Vic's bedside, letting the woman slip from her mind as she takes up the seat she abandoned. "Baby" she whispers, taking his hand and rubbing it against her cheek, crying openly. "It's my fault this happened. I'm so sorry Vic" she says, fully feeling that her calling him had put him off of his game and led to him being attacked. "Wake up please Vic. If you can hear me, please wake up".
J'onn quietly exits the room, wanting the woman to have some time alone with her boyfriend. He can't help the sympathy that swirls in his heart, knowing the pain of having a loved one be in such a position. The difference was that he had lost My'ri'ah and that Vixen had not lost Question.
'It came very close though' he remembers, shuddering as he remembers the fear he felt at seeing his friend on a gurney, the blood everywhere and his heart stopping twice. He had problems showing it, but he deeply cared for his new family, and he didn't know what he'd do if he lost any of them.
He returns to checking on the Question's vital signs, occasionally looking in on the woman, ensuring that she was doing well. After two hours he found her asleep, her head resting on the side of the bed with her hand still clutching at Vic's. He just brought in a blanket and covered her, wanting to make her comfortable. She'd undoubtedly have as long a stay here as the Question would.
Outside of the Medical Ward
The door hissed as it closed behind her, and Shayera felt the same empty pangs of longing that had been with her before, not having wanted to leave Vic's side. 'Why not? You left him before. If you hadn't he wouldn't be here right now' she thinks, blaming the whole situation on the fact that she wasn't Vic's field partner. He should've had one the other night, but he had undoubtedly forgone one to move faster in the field. Vixen had let him, trusting in his abilities whereas Shayera would never have let him, and would've fought him until he agreed.
"Hawkgirl, we need to talk" a voice says from behind her, a voice she knows the owner of instantly. "Superman" she greets politely, not wanting to have a conversation with him at all. "Can it wait until the morning? I'm tired" she says, feeling like doing anything other than sleeping if it wasn't next to Vic's bed. Kal just shakes his head and motions for her to walk with him, something she reluctantly agrees to by following alongside the man. "What were you doing following Question?" Kal asks, getting right to the heart of the matter. "I was making sure he was safe. Nobody should go into a situation like that alone" she says, not wanting to converse on it any further.
Superman nods, obviously pretending that he wasn't thinking what he was thinking, which was that she was a liar. "Alright, whatever your reasons, you saved his life. Thank you" he says simply. "I'm not going to tell you what to do in your private life but, take my advice, don't pick a fight with Vixen. It's not a good idea" he says before moving on. "So, Ras Al Ghul is involved in this somehow?" he asks, receiving an affirmative from the shorter woman who instantly ignores his previous advice.
"So was Oliver Queen" she says, the Kyrptonian nodding sadly at the news. "We already know. His body was picked up not too long ago. Police are combing through his personal and business effects but we already have evidence that he was working against us. He willingly sold weapons to third world dictators. Him, of all people" he says, a little shocked but not disbelieving.
"If he went along with it, do you think it's a possibility that…"
"No" he says, shutting down her line of questioning instantly. "Bruce isn't involved in this. I'm sure of it" he says, not even wanting to explore that realm of possibility. "I know, I don't think so either but...I had to ask" she says, Superman smiling sadly.
"We missed you, you know?" he begins, obviously wanting to get something off of his chest. "I wont lie, we all held onto a lot of anger against you for a while. Wanted to know why you'd turned against us, thinking that maybe it was something we did. We all dealt with it in different ways, but I just wanted to say that, at least when it comes to me, you're forgiven" he finishes before placing a hand on her shoulder and smiling.
She is stunned for a second, and the tears begin anew before she responds, just nodding in acknowledgement. "That mean's alot to me Clark. Thank you"
"No problem. Don't worry about the rest. In time, they'll forgive you too". He adds, looking out at the Earth through a window. "Anyway, I'm going to see if Bruce found anything. He's undoubtedly still awake, being a night owl...or, well...you know" he says before moving off.
She doesn't say anything as he moves off, the conversation affecting her more than she had thought it would.
"Not all of us feel that way" Diana says, seemingly coming out of nowhere. She was holding a cup of coffee, something that in and of itself was strange. "Diana" Shayera responds with simply, feeling too drained for a fight. "I want to speak with you" the Amazon continues, apparently not taking into account the Thanagarian's reluctance.
"Diana, I really don't have…"
"While it was a heroic thing that you did in saving Question, we can't trust you, and anyone who does is being very irresponsible and foolish with the lives of everyone in the League. You are still a traitor, the lowest of the low. Understand that" she says forcefull, her last words an order. Her eyes narrow almost to slits, causing the warlike Thanagarian to balk at the promise of violence in them. Shayera doesn't say anything, and merely returns the glare, not willing to back down in the face of her former friend. "Stay away from him" the woman adds, sending the redhead for a loop.
"Why do you care?" she asks, refusing to even entertain any advice the stronger woman would give her. "Because, unlike you I see this team as family". Shayera can barely keep it together. With Vic as hurt as he was, Ras having designs on him and now Diana going out of her way to make life hell, she wanted to get away, from everything. Just her and Vic on a deserted island.
"He's happy Shayera, are you really going to try and take that from him?" Diana asks. The question stops Shayera in her track as her mind thinks over what was just said. 'He is happy' her mind says, remembering the conversation he was having with Vixen. 'He is happy' she repeats, feeling tears run over her cheeks once more. She begins to walk away, not wanting the dark haired woman to see the effect that her words had had on her.
'You heard the call, he's happy' her inner voice reiterates. 'But he could be happier, and safer. We need him, and I'll do anything for him' her other inner voice counters. She shakes her head and refuses to accept the defeatist thoughts that have entered her mind. She would ultimately win. She had too. Vic would see just how much she cared for him and realize that his infatuation with Vixen wouldn't last. They were too different and it was clear that she was the only one who he could count on.
'You killed Hro to protect him' her mind whispers, reminding her of just how far she was willing to go for him. 'I wish I could be there with him' she thinks, already forgetting about Wonder Woman, who sinks into the back of her mind. 'I don't need her forgiveness. I need Vic's' she reminds herself, setting a goal to speak with him after he wakes up. She grimaces as she remembers his injuries but tries to see the golden lining.
'At least he can't run away from me this time'
Gotham City, Abandoned Subway Line
"Are you sure master? That he's the one?" a voice asks Ras as he sits upon his chair. "Yes, I am positive. He does not sway from his code. However, we know that in a serious enough situation, where others are at risk, he can be...persuaded" he says, looking up and scanning the room, his eyes landing on his daughter who is looking off into the distance.
"Talia, you are rather quiet. What are you thinking?" he asks, himself nursing a few slight wounds that had been inflicted by the Question's fists. He was quite happy with them. The man's training was more than adequate, in fact it was impressive. He would need to improve however, and that is where the best trainers in the League would come in. He himself would oversee his training until Victor Sage was ready for the final step.
"Nothing father" she says, staring out over the empty station. Ras quirks an eyebrow and smiles. "You are much too easy to read daughter" he says warningly and teasingly, ordering the rest of the occupants of the room to exit as he wishes to speak with his daughter alone.
"He is much different from that Queen character is he not?" he asks, pretending that this was merely about his successor and not a personal conversation. He notices the slight curl of her lips at the mention of the dead blonde man. "He is noble, strong, courageous and capable. All qualities that endear him as a leader. Despite lacking a face he has also proven himself as a much more attractive and charismatic leader. He captured the attention of everyone when he willingly faced you" she says, causing the man to smile.
"Ahh, you are interested in him then, in a capacity more than as a leader" he says, a gentle lilt to his voice that seemed to belong on anyone other than the notorious assassin. Her blush is almost endemic and she turns away, looking out over the subway again. "It is much to early to know such a thing. I have merely observed that he would make a good leader" she says.
"He will. And soon I think you will find that he is more than a leader. Your loneliness may be at an end my daughter"
Talia says nothing, considering her father's words. She hoped to learn more of this secretive man, of whom only his name was known. "Perhaps" she finally says. "But we shall only know once he is safely ensconced with us" she says.
Ras laughs, placing his hands together and laughing softly. "I already have a plan for that. Their tower is not nearly as impenetrable as they think. If Oliver Queen could be turned to our cause, others can, and they have. He will be trained under my side, and held between your arms soon Talia. As soon as he is healed, he shall join us"
(Sooooooo...this just got a little real huh? Ras is interested in Vic, and he isn't the only one. Talia may enter the fray and drop her hat in as a winner of Vic's heart. Do you think I should be so evil as to add yet more competition? And who else could Ras have turned to his side? Why is Diana so protective? All this answered next time on….well, my fanfiction update)