Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.
Slade and Artemis stopped at a nearby small town, as they entered a nearby bar to get some rest.
"You are not from around here, are you?" The bartender asked, cleaning the pints.
"We're just passing by." Artemis said.
"What brings you here anyway?" The bartender asked.
"Just catching up with an old friend. Anything interesting happened here lately?" Slade asked and the bartender seemed to be lost in thoughts.
"Now that you mention it, someone with an accent like yours, did pass by recently. He was a bit rude, though." The bartender said and Slade raised his eyebrow.
"Tall, brown hair, blue eyes?" Slade asked.
The bartender nodded. "He was polite at first but…" He glanced towards some men at a nearby table, who were wary of Slade. "Well, let's just say that not everyone here is pleasant to newcomers and outsiders. But this outsider didn't go down."
Slade sighed, disturbed by what has happened to his son. "Where is he now?"
The bartender shrugged. "I don't know. Just passed by, that's all. And they were traveling with a lot of cargo."
"Cargo?" Artemis asked.
"Giant containers, who knows what was inside it. A lot of folks pass by here but these were different." The bartender said before looking around uncomfortably and then turning to Slade and Artemis again. "Although, not everyone was… pleasant towards them."
"Did they kill them?" Slade asked.
"No. They were taken prisoners." The bartender said.
"Why?" Artemis questioned.
"All I know is that lately these people have been kidnapping from other towns around here, but some people like me they don't find worth it." The bartender said, shuddering, clearly not wanting to think about it.
"How far do you think we'll be from their camp?" Slade asked.
"I think we're about to find out." Artemis said as she remembered the city that had been turned into burning ruins. "First my sister, now this…"
"I suppose there is always a black sheep in the family." Slade said.
"I need to find her and stop her." Artemis said.
"Do you think she can be reasoned with?" Slade wondered.
"I'd hoped she could…" Artemis breathed out. "Last time she came back, she told me that she had regained her sanity but I was a fool."
"Not everyone is what they seem to be." Slade pointed out. "I'm not sure if my son can be reasoned with… but I am not going to give up on him."
"I wish I could do the same for Akila." Artemis said.
Deathstroke and Artemis saw a nearby small town, where people were in cells, with some mercenaries guarding them.
"The Jackals." Slade growled as he observed with his goggles. "Of course."
"The mercenaries your son leads?" Artemis asked.
"No, they're either dead or captured but these ones use the same patterns they do." Slade said.
"Which means your son must be in charge." Artemis realized as Slade nodded.
"It is likely. Whatever they're up to, we need to find out what it is and stop it." Slade said.
"Please… we're tired." One of the enslaved villagers said as they kept moving equipment until one of the mercenaries shot him in the chest, killing him.
"Anyone else is tired?!" The mercenary called out, frightening the slaves, who shook their heads. "Good. Get back to work. All of you."
"We're going to have to be discreet and subtle." Slade pointed out, sneaking up on one of the mercenaries from around the corner and grabbing him in chokehold before the mercenary was knocked out.
"Usually I prefer to be more direct but I agree." Artemis nodded.
Artemis climbed up on a sentry tower and pulled out her knife, slitting the throat of a guard. Artemis jumped from the tower onto a roof of some kind of a depot. Artemis smashed through the window and jumped down.
"Did you hear that?" One of the mercs on patrol said as he walked down. "Hey! Who's in here?"
Artemis hid in the shadows as the merc look around before she leapt down from above and slammed his head to the ground.
"Say 'goodnight.'" Artemis quipped as she went out.
Deathstroke jumped onto a truck and opened the driver's door.
"What the—"
The driver yelped as Deathstroke threw him out of the truck before he got in and behind the wheel, taking control of the vehicle.
"You stole a truck? Really?" Artemis asked, amused.
"They're smuggling weapons and some equipment. The question is, 'Why?'" Slade asked.
"You know they'll see us coming." Artemis pointed out, referring to her Amazon armor and Slade's Deathstroke suit.
"That's exactly what I'm counting on." Slade said, driving towards the checkpoint.
"I need credentials—" The mercenary paused as he saw Deathstroke and paled.
An explosion went off, blasting through the main door as Artemis fired magical arrows from her bow, sending the mercenaries flying.
Slade neared one of the mercs lying on the ground, who had burns and lifted him. "Where's Kane?"
"Go to hell." The merc sneered.
In response, Slade slammed the merc to the ground and stabbed him in the shoulder with his sword as the merc screamed.
"WHERE'S KANE?!" Slade snarled.
"Already gone with the components." The merc said, groaning in pain.
"What were you working in?" Slade asked.
"Slade, move!" Artemis ordered, pushing Slade away as reinforcements arrived, opening fire and Artemis and Slade took cover behind some containers.
Slade climbed up onto the catwalk and as he covered his eye with his plated arm, Slade rushed forward with his sword, stabbing one of the mercs in the chest and Slade rolled down as he cut the hand off another merc and threw him over the railing as the merc screamed before Slade pulled out his Uzi, shooting at more mercs coming.
Artemis quickly dodged as the mercenaries fired at her and stabbed one of them with her dagger, then she kicked another one in the chest, sending him flying away with her Amazon strength. A mercenary attacked her with a sword but Artemis blocked with her own and dodged as the mercenary aimed at her neck. Artemis impaled him on her sword, killing him before she rolled away and took cover from the gunfire behind the rocks.
Slade jumped from the catwalk onto a cable and slid down, shooting the mercs rushing in. Slade jumped over some crates, kicking the mercs back and slamming the face of one of them onto the crate before he cut the head off another merc and then he threw a grenade, sending the mercs flying away. Artemis fired another arrow at the door, blasting through it as they both entered another area.
"Damn it, they've cleaned up this place." Slade said.
"Wait. You hear that?" Artemis asked.
"Help!"
Slade and Artemis turned to the monitors and saw people in caverns and around them bombs on the walls.
"Those are the villagers they kidnapped. They've been forcing them to work for them." Slade realized.
"And now they want to bury them." Artemis realized.
"That's right. And you with them."
Artemis was suddenly sent flying back with a red laser beam as her armor and arms were burned as from above jumped down a figure in black armor and a helmet with red lenses that reminded of a manta.
"Last time we met, you blasted my helmet. I've come for some payback." Black Manta said.
"You." Artemis glared as she recovered.
Slade dodged as Black Manta fired lasers before Slade attacked with his sword. Black Manta pulled out blades from the sheaths on his arms and blocked Slade's sword and Slade dodged as Black Manta scratched his chest plate.
"You chose the wrong side, Slade." Black Manta said as his blade crossed with Slade's sword and sparks flied.
"Better to live with honor than be a monster again." Slade sneered.
Both men crossed their blades until Black Manta got behind Slade and scratched him in the hip and stabbed him in the shoulder as Slade grunted. Slade spun around, scratching the lens of Black Manta's helmet as Black Manta screamed, while sparks flied, blinding him for a moment but he managed to fire a laser, blasting Slade away as the burns charred his armor.
"Slade!" Artemis cried out.
"Don't worry. You're next, Amazon." Black Manta said.
"Not today." Artemis sneered before she fired a magical arrow from her bow as Black Manta dodged.
"You think this is going to stop me? You caught me off-guard the last time." Black Manta taunted.
"I wasn't trying to shoot you." Artemis smirked.
Black Manta looked perplexed before he heard creaking and turned to see the arrow hit the base column of a crane and it exploded, causing for the crane to fall on Black Manta.
"Noooo!" Black Manta screamed, covering his eyes as the crane collapsed onto him and the floor beneath his feet crumbled, making him fall into the water.
"Slade." Artemis turned to Slade, who staggered on his feet, his armor burned and damaged. "Are you alright?"
"I'll survive." Slade assured before he smiled at her. "I'm impressed."
"I knew you would be." Artemis chuckled.
"I'm not sure that is going to stop him, though." Slade pointed out.
"Me neither. Although, this is our chance to shut this place down." Artemis said.
Later, the local army had taken control of the area and the base, rescuing the hostages.
"Whatever equipment they were smuggling, it's gone." Slade said.
"My sister was here, I know it. The villagers said they saw her." Artemis pointed out.
"And my son was here, too. We need to find them." Slade said.
"I need to find her and stop her." Artemis decided as they stopped at a nearby post, taking a rest.
"I understand feeling responsible for someone else's sins but even an Amazon needs to stop and take a breather." Slade pointed out.
Artemis sighed as she sat down. "I've never been good at this."
"Good at what?" Slade asked.
"Stopping and resting, get a moment for myself." Artemis sighed. "For centuries, all I knew was war, hunt and search for the bow of Ra. It had consumed my sister and I needed to find it before it would consume someone else. Never really thought about… the luxury of rest… friends… love…"
"All I knew, was betrayal and hate at one point." Slade said with a haunted look as he stared at the sunset. "I was focused on survival after my best friend had betrayed me. Until I met the kid. Then I started to… think more about… how we'll both survive. How should we rest." He turned to Artemis, looking fond. "We're not machines, Artemis. You may be a demigoddess but you're allowed to feel human."
"I've never been good at this, you know?" Artemis chuckled. "Being human. Feel joy. I mean… I've tried but… it wasn't until I met Roy and Dick that I started to feel happy and amused again. They've been good friends, despite what I had done. Despite my failures."
"Failures make us human. Help us learn from our mistakes. Make us try to be better." Slade said.
"Do you think you can help your son?" Artemis pointed out and Slade sighed.
"Even if I cannot, the least I can do, is make sure he won't hurt someone again." He admitted and Artemis gave him an understanding look.
"How far are you willing to go, to stop your son?"
"That's the question that has been scaring me for a while."
"I know now that my sister that I knew, is dead." Artemis said. "If I have to, I'll put her down again. But I know how hard it might be for you, so… if he'll force us to, I'll gladly do it. No one should have to have blood of their family on their hands."
Slade smiled. "You're kinder than you give yourself credit for."
"I could say the same about you." Artemis said. Neither of them knew who moved first but then they neared each other and kissed as they laid down.
So, what do you guys think?
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