WHAT HAPPENS IN RUSSIA, STAYS IN RUSSIA
Moscow, Russia
10 am
Cold. That is the word I would use to describe the terrain as well as my heart.
Turned rotten a long time ago.
I thought I'd find a ray of sunshine when an arrow was hanging from Deathstroke's remaining eye, stuck firmly in place. But I found it elsewhere. Ahead of schedule too.
"So, this is it, yeah?" her words shudder too through the windy cold air, prompting me to just nod. The hanger buzzing with people even in this weather and time of day. My eyes constantly looking around at the crowd.
"Guess this is everyday life for the locals," Z offered an explaination, amidst a noisy background of airplanes constantly taking off and landing not too far off from us.
A breezy wind meant my hair flying to my right. Z was wearing a cute beanie hat and a muffler, to go with her heavy brown fur coat and pants, her hands warming up in her pockets. She came prepared alright..
"Yeah," I said, actually being able to see my own breath.
"You sure you don't want a cap? I brought a spare!" she asked again, worried seeing my naked head and a sorry excuse of a tank top and jeans for protecting myself.
"Trust me. I need to get used to the cold," I said in reply, with a smile of course.
"Thanks for the cellphone, by the way. I completely forgot to get a new number. Silly me," she laughed a bit, looking nowhere but at me.
"Oh, it's alright. I'm happy to help," I replied with my feet involuntarily creating holes and angels in the snow.
But when we just smiled in silence for more than a few seconds, I figured it was time to go.
I opened my arms, going for a hug, which she probably expected as she moved forward, which - of course - made me hesitant and nervy as hell, making me all jittery mid-way, before I went all in.
"Oh," I heard her gasp as her chin rested on the top of my shoulder.
"Well, I could get used to these kinds of hugs. Especially in this weather," she said, breaking the hug and her brows tilted to the top with her laugh.
"Tell you what?" I said, being all warm and fuzzy in my chest all of a sudden.
"Why don't we stay a couple of days here? I mean, if you...want? The cocoa will taste even more delicious in this weather. What say?"
Probably the best idea I ever had.
"Oh, no. I'm sorry, Thea. I have to be back like by tomorrow morning. I'll probably lose my job if I'm not there!"
So close.
I brought up a smile anyway. "Oh, no worries then. We'll leave tonight, as we planned!"
A yellow colored taxi lined with snow on the top, and it's wipers clearing it off the windshield, arrived.
Guess that's universal.
"Are you sure I can't drop you off? It's snowing. You probably shouldn't go alone without bodyguards or-"
Her hands grabbed both of my shoulders. "You have already done enough for me, Thea. I couldn't be more thankful. Now, stop worrying about me and go, do your thing."
"Alright," I said, forcing myself to stop looking into her eyes as I turned away, walking with my arms criss-crossing with each other to keep the warm.
"Take care, Miss Queen! And beware the snow!" I heard her scream in the distance, making me turn to match her smile, as we waved each other goodbye.
I do wish a snowy Russia was the worst of my problems though. Sigh.
12 am
The old beer factory was a gigantic structure of architecture, with giant pillars holding the structure in place and grey rusty walls creating the perfect ambience for the climate as well as doing some good old fashioned human trafficking.
The smell of beer and piss was just an added bonus to go with the chilly winds. The perfect package to keep people away from the long closed mill. And from today's probable bloodshed.
I had arrived an hour early and had a decent lead time to bug the place and plant my small but deadly gas thing-ies nicely hidden on the walls, the ceiling, central area of the room and behind the beer containers out on the floor, while I myself hid behind one of the ventilation pipes close to the ceiling, with a horizontal pillar laying just behind it, creating a small but enough space for a vantage point.
With my sniper set and binoculars on, I waited. For twenty very long minutes. Until three men eventually came out, rushing in with a number of guards following soon after.
As their prep work began, I smirked a little at having mine finished already.
As the first set of girls were hurried through a few minutes later, with all of them blindfolded, I closed my eyes for a second.
"One final mission. And then, I take my revenge. This one is for you Oliver. And dad," I said to myself and slowly opened my eyes, with a slow breath out.
"God, give me strength," I said, kissing my necklace. "Here we go!"
But as I put my eyes back on the binoculars, I saw someone. Their back at least.
A tall, well-built woman in a black armored suit, with her hair done in a pony tail, hanging out from underneath her mask's back.
My eyebrows rose in shock as she turned. The orange no longer hidden. The woman had the same leather metallic armor up front as...him. As Deathstroke.
"He's here," I heard a voice from the top of my right shoulder, making me jerk off to my left and shriek, as a hand forced it's way down to shut my mouth, pinning me to the ground.
"Boy, you scream like a little girl," the woman with the hood whispered.
Guess who it was.
My eyes looked at her in anger with my body resisting against her. Wrinkles formed on my forehead - which are probably making me age faster by the day - for she probably blew my position and advantage off.
She shushed me with a finger on her lips, as she let me go, once I calmed down a bit.
"Nyssa!" I "shouted" as loudly as I could under the conditions at her just under my breath.
"What!?" she said, removing her face mask and lowering the hood, her hair tied together neatly.
"Don't scare me like this! And stop shushing me," I said, quickly sitting up and looking down, my binoculars covering my eyes.
"Shouldn't you be ready for anything, the Magician..."
The woman downstairs was looking towards our direction, but quietly looked the other way at no further disturbance or sound.
"Don't call me that," I began, once I was sure we were out of danger. "That was my father. And..."
"And?" she said, interrupting.
I turned to her, pushing her against the wall, my face right in hers. "And, you can't be shutting up my mouth literally everytime you meet me! That's three for zero, now!"
"My apologies, dearest. I genuinely thought you sensed me and was just hiding it...very well."
Her sincere eyes and lack of snarkiness made the apology seemed genuine. "Well, I didn't," I said, letting go of her.
"Boy, we're definitely winning tonight. Shall I bring the champagne after we're done here?" she smirked..
And...the snarkiness is back.
I breathed in slow, my teeth grinding against each other, my eyebrows raised in anger.
"Is someone happy to see me?" she smirked.
I wasn't much far from her so, she could see and feel every second of my glare.
So, while I sweared to God for not giving me much space here to run away from her or fight with her to let my frustrations loose, I chose to redirect my focus.
"Any way..." I said, easing whatever bit away from her as I could. "..what's Slade doing here?"
"Why else? Looks like he's the buyer."
"Slade Wilson is interested in buying underage girls? Why? Didn't he love that Shado girl from the island?"
"You can ask him yourself," she said. "When it's time."
"You said he's here."
She looked at her watch, before looking back at me. "He is. He'll be in that room at the time I told you. But I'm assuming you weren't prepared for him arriving here. So, what's the plan?"
My eyes lowered in deep thought as I turned, sitting on my knees, looking downstairs while maintaining cover.
"I wasn't prepared fully for one mirakuru soldier in the first place. Let alone against a dozen. I thought I'd save the girls and even if Slade kills me, I'd at least save them. But now.."
A felt a hand on my right shoulder. "It's alright. We are soldiers in this injust war. It's difficult. But we don't quit," her words as sincere as I could expect from Ra's al Ghul's daughter.
"I'm not quitting. I just...Okay, let's just focus. We have to assume that the masked woman and some of rhe guards are enhanced as well. Right?"
"Fair assumption," she said.
"They have at least a dozen guards right now. More could join later.
My bombs in the east corner can't be activated because they are keeping the hostages there. The west and south ones should be good to go. I'll activate them to maybe get rid of say 30% of them? You can sniper some of them while I head down. Surely they're not immune to the heavy bullets both of us managed to bring.
Once they take cover, join me downstairs.
You could handle the North side, while I could go centre. We have each other's backs. Lady Shiva down there is up for grabs but the main guy is mine.
You're obviously better at fighting than me. So, you'll have to kill more guys than me. But when Deathstroke arrives, if the lady's not dead by that point, just take on her, so that I can fight Slade.
Of course, if she is dead, we could go double team on Slade."
"Well, great plan. Just one gigantic flaw," her reaction.
"Great. You're the League commander. I'd appreciate your inputs."
"I can't go down there," her words.
"What? Why not?" I said, charging a bit in her direction.
"Why do you think?"
"Oh shuck. I thought you were my backup."
"Well, as I told you before that my father has declared that the League can not interfere until Slade lives."
"Yeah, what does your father declare about kissing girls? Surely you need his permission for that too?"
No one was smirking any more.
"You've made your point. But full disclosure. He doesn't stop me but he doesn't encourage 'unnatural' relations either. Besides, you know League of Assassins. It isn't that simple. We have to keep the peace until the infection has made the foundation so weak that we interfere. Slade's death will serve as that."
"Yeah. Sounds more like a death cult"
"Hey. Don't forget how much I've helped you. Besides, it would be your honor to even spend a day at the League. Despite clinging to some outdated traditions, the League serves it's purpose for which it was built."
She sighed at my silence and whispered, "Sometimes, I so miss Ta-er al- Sahfer."
"Who's that?"
"My ex-girlfriend."
"Okay, don't need to enter that territory," I said, turning my back to her.
I thought and thought. There was simply no way this wasn't a suicide mission. I couldn't do it alone. Not now, not ever.
"Alright. Alright. The League is humanity's only option cor survival, alright? But come on. What about humanity who suffers if Slade survived today? His rein may last years and years.
You know I'm not like this super fighter like you. I never even completed my full training and I need all the help I can. Besides, if Slade is dead, the League will come in anyway. Right?"
She obviously agreed with me. But was bound. Not necessarily by his father's decree, but by the League's head.
"My dearest. I understand you but you don't understand me," her remark.
"Nyssa. I understand you too. But I'm begging for your help. I am. If Slade isn't dead today, I don't know what I'll do. The Arrow died. My ex-boyfriend died. My vigilante father died. Team Arrow's mostly dead. Starling City has no savior but me. So, I'm begging you. Please help me."
She looked away from me, and then down to the ground, pondering in unrelenting silence. She wanted to. She so wanted to.
"Alright, my dearest. We'll do this your way. But if no one dies today, just know that I would have broken League code for nothing and that means death. Even for Ra's Al Ghul's daughter."
"We can do his. We have to."
"Alright. What's with the ex-boyfriend though?"
I let a smile through to match her vexing one and shake my head in a laugh.
"How much time until this thing begins?" I asked her.
Nyssa looked down the railing. "The stage is set. Literally. With a big curtain. For glamor. Slade's not the only buyer, of course."
"It's almost one now."
"Then, we're almost ready."
"Thank you Nyssa. I appreciate your help."
"Consider it an apology."
"For what?"
"For kissing you. I was actually just shutting you up so your mother doesn't notice. Could have stopped. But you didn't resist. So, I thought you wanted it. It's clear now you didn't."
She looked at me with a small smile as she put on the hood again.
I rolled my eyes at her going all soft on me, at now of all times.
I stood up slightly and slided to her, sitting up on one knee; going down within a few inches of her.
In a lower voice, I took a long breath and began, "Now, I'm gonna tell you something that we will never talk about, okay?"
She gave me the approval with her nod and I pushed myself lower, my face near her ear when I whispered with a laugh.
"You know, it wasn't all bad."
As I withdrew, she was probably relieved and had a appreciative look before beginning to speak.
"Ah-ah!" I stopped her with a finger on my lips.
"Shhhh..don't worry, what happens in Russia, stays in Russia.."
She smirked and we both looked downstairs almost simultaneously.
She gave me a nod, and I took my position.
I tapped on my earpiece. "On my mark," I said, sharing one last look with Nyssa.
"Anytime you say, Archer," she replied, with me nodding.
The main sniper was Nyssa's responsibility now. Placing my bow on the edge, I looked through the scope.
Three guards out of the fifteen I count were near the stage. Can't bomb the girls.
I wanted to hit at least eight or nine. And for that, I needed certain people in certain areas for the explosives to work.
But in the field, you'd be lucky if even half of your plans actually go through.
So, after making Nyssa wait with her finger twitching on the sniper for ten minutes, it was time to go with the flow.
"Nyssa," I said softly. "We're a go in five, four, three...activate explosives W and S," I said and after two beeps, I saw the explosion and the loud bang that followed.
Sniper shots were mostly silent but I saw bodies going down. Nyssa was good.
My sniper was a customized version.
The woman downstairs was unaffected but was rightly looking in our direction. Unmoved and unfazed.
After wounding a few people, I decided to move to her. Launching three bullets back to back, but her body moved to dodge each three. Backflipping to the first and dodging the later two.
"What th f- How?" I quickly moved my position to shoot from her side.
Taking her sword out, it was almost as if someone had activated slow motion around me as I could visibly see a bullet hit the middle of her blade and rechichate.
Okay, plan B.
"Nyssa, cover me," I said as I whip out my bow. I shot an arrow to the empty floor, which shot the head into both the opposite directions, creating a zipline from behind me to the floor.
"NYSSA!" I shouted to her, prompting her to look to me for a second.
I threw my bow to her. "Throw me yours!"
It was time to go old school.
She used her left hand to take it off her back, while still shooting downstairs. "Wow..."
""YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!" I shouted among the sea of bullets from both sides.
I jumped from the zipline towards my target but mid-way, she threw a knife to my rope.
Landing on my better shoulder, I got into a standing position after rolling down to the other side.
I immediately dodged a punch, making me shaky off my feet. Before a kick near the chest, made me crash to the floor.
"What brings the great Dark Archer to my humble abode then?" her voice almost effortless with a tinge of Russian accent.
She brought out her sword along with the words and I was suddenly in a familiar nightmare.
"Ollie, no!" my head screamed to myself, thinking of that fateful night.
I immediately took out my sword with the cover to block it.
"Well, someone has to stand up for our fellow women, right?" I said with force.
Receiving a mirakuru kick to the stomach, her blade reached almost to my nose.
"With what? Fashion sense? Not that you have any," she replied.
"Yeah? Says a copy cat with her face hidden by an ugly mask!" I said, trying to hold on. "League commander, anytime now would be fine!" I said tilting my head to avoid the slash, which seemed almost inevitable.
An arrow was almost immediately flung towards my attacker and she instantly held it with her right hand while still holding her grip with her weak hand, looking down, smiling.
"What were you saying?" she quipped.
"Ah, I hate you so much," I grumbled in my teeth, still trying to hold on.
"Oh, you haven't seen hate yet, kid..." she said, lowering herself near my face.
"See, that's where you're wrong!" I said screaming and overcoming the blade at my throat, pushing her away.
Rolling to my right, I sat up and brought out my gun stocked besides my socks.
"Gotcha!" I smirked.
Before I pulled the trigger though, I felt some big, manly presence behind me. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," said a deep voice. A deep, throaty voice which I could never forget. Which had frightened me every single night for almost two years like a broken record.
Instinctively almost, I turned around. A bulky man was standing in front of me. Heavy beard, black overcoat and a tired look.
"You..." I grumbled with a lump in my throat, my arms raising to point the gun next to his eye patch.
"You know me, kid?" he grumbled.
With a tear across my cheek, I spoke with a broken heart. "Yes, I do...Deathstroke..."
Author's notes:-
Hey guys! I so apologise for the long wait. I am so busy in work. I am.
But know this. This story isn't abandoned.
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Next chapter:- "Versus Deathstroke" (Releasing May 2021)
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