Thea stepped on a small branch feeling it give way under her foot making it scream. Thea ignored the sound it made and kept on walking. She wasn't heading anywhere but her mind was moving with a direction.
Her father had some weird friends. No they weren't friends she tried to conclude after witnessing how Onyx had tried to attack her dad but didn't then laugh it off as if it was nothing. Then the whole part about being if Ras learning if Onyx was alive. Well she doubted Onyx didn't deserve to die since she worked for the league of assassins. But couldn't that hold also true for Sarah who also admitted doing some pretty bad things. Sarah was her friend she was a hero. A hero with a dark past and she wasn't the only one. Oliver had admitted to Thea that while on the Island he had done some terrible things.
Thea heard a shuffling of leaves a few yards ahead of her but she didn't register them.
Thea had believed for a long time that the world was black and white that's why it was so hard for her to forgive her mom for her part in the Undertaking.
Then another thing that bothered Thea was this thing Malcolm hid from Ras after supposedly finding it for him.
Before Thea could think any more on this a finger tapped into her forehead.
Thea jumped back and looked up to see Onyx leaning against a tree with her arm outstretched and two of her fingers sticking out.
"You really need to listen for your surroundings" taunted Onyx as she pushed herself off against the tree.
"Yeah, well...fuck you" growled Thea as she couldn't think of anything to say. This only made Onyx laugh throwing back her head as her arms wrapped around her stomach.
"You really are your father's daughter" she said in between chuckles.
"What the hell does that mean" she demanded taking a threatening step forward.
"Exactly what I said child" Onyx replied again wiping away a tear, "not only did you inherit his stubbornness, but his listening skills as well".
"I'm nothing like that monster" Thea growled, "don't ever compare me to him again to my face, to his, or even in your thoughts."
Onyx expression hardened, "Malcolm is many things, stubborn, a liar, and holds a grudge like nobody's business, but he does what he does out of love for those he cares about and you Thea Merlyn, whether you like it or not is one of those people he loves."
"So you're saying he killed my friend out of love for me" Thea said as her temper grew, "he killed five hundred people because he loved Tommy"
"That's straight up bullshit and even if it was true then he's the most..." Thea yelled.
"Well I didn't say he's the most rational man now did I" countered Onyx with a smile. Thea just lunged at Onyx. Onyx sidestepped Thea. Thea whirled around with a back kick which Onyx blocked with her right arm.
"How the hell can you consider even helping him" she demanded as Thea whirled around for a roundhouse kick to Onyx's left. Onyx ducked under the kick and lashed forward into Thea's unprotected midriff. Thea fell back a few steps clutching at her midriff. She realized she was clutching her stomach out of shock than pain.
"Because Thea I owe him my life".
"That's stupid" yelled Thea lunging with a double front kick. Onyx stepped back swatting each kick single with her right hand.
"After everything he's done how you could willingly offer him your services" Thea tried to block Onyx left handed punch but somehow it got through her defense and hit her squarely in the chest. Thea was shoved back not by force but due to shock. Onyx was throwing full force attacks but held back at the last second psyching Thea out into thinking she was getting hit.
"Because he gave me a chance to not be a monster no more" Onyx said now going on the offensive rushing at Thea. She leapt into the air and slammed her right foot at Thea. Thea raised both arms over her face. The kick broke through both arms and shoved Thea to the ground. Thea rolled backwards onto her feet.
A hand pushed down on Thea's head forcing her back to the ground. Thea looked up to see Onyx was behind her. She really is fast thought Thea.
"Malcolm noticed that I no longer wanted the life of murder of assassinating" Onyx said with a faraway tone in her voice, "Malcolm gave me a way to get away from Ras' control and be who I wanted to be instead of a living weapon".
"To once again to have the chance to make my own decisions again, I gladly die for the man who gave me that chance of my volition" Onyx concluded removing her hand from Thea's head and walking away.
"Come on you need a shower, and I got an extra bed for you to sleep on"
Thea looked down at herself to see how sweaty and hard she had been breathing.
If onyx was part of the league of assassins then how much stronger is Ras and how did my brother even hope to beat him? Thought Thea watching Onyx walk away until she disappeared in the underbrush.
When Thea walked in Malcolm raised his eyes at her tired state and then gave a quick glance to Onyx who was washing dishes and then simply closed his eyes before looking down at a map. Thea gave it a quick glance before walking over to Onyx.
"Where's the shower?" she asked. Onyx gently put the dish she was washing back into the pool of soap and water before drying her hands on a nearby dish towel.
"This way" Onyx said leading Thea down a hallway.
After making sure Thea had everything she needed and knew how to work the water Onyx had left her alone to shower. It felt good to have warm water cascade down her sore muscles-reminding her that it's been about two or three days since she had taken a shower, after finding Malcolm.
When she was in the shower time disappeared and she was allowed to drift through her mind thinking about things. Most importantly certain people, one of the people she began thinking about were Roy, How was he doing as the Green Arrow? - Was he hurt by her sudden departure? All these questions guided her to the most important question, "Were they still together?"
Thea shook her head. Roy isn't important right now. She thought, she was surrounded by murderers and a sociopath and was traveling to a place filled with ninja who could kill her a hundred different ways-thinking about a high school crush could get her killed.
Knock-Knock
"Yeah" Thea called out.
"You been there for two hours" called Onyx through the door. Thea was surprised it felt like she was in the shower for barely half an hour, damn the waters powers to erase her sense of time.
"You're my guest and all but that doesn't mean you can run up my water bill" Onyx said again. She has to pay a water bill? Thea thought surprised since the cabin was practically in the middle of a dense forest with the nearest city at least four hours away.
"Yeah, sorry" Thea called out. She reached down and turned off the nozzle.
"Took you long enough" Malcolm nagged. Thea looked at Malcolm who was leaning against the wall with a towel over his shoulder and his arms crossed.
"You..." began Thea.
"Yes, Thea even I need to take a bath every once in a while, it's why I'm so spry".
Thea shuddered and purposely pushed past him.
"Get some sleep, Thea" Malcolm called after her as he stepped into the bathroom, "tomorrow we're flying to Nanda Parbat."
Thea turned around to ask him something but he had already closed the door.
Thea made it to the front room where Onyx had a duffel bag and was filling it. On the table beside the bag were assorted weapons from shurikens - kunai - Kronos chain - brass knuckles. Maps of varying sizes, one looked like a map for a dungeon? Thea recognized food rations, and what she assumed was a fifty foot rope.
"Are we going to need all that?" Thea asked as Onyx picked up the rope.
Onyx shoved the rope into the bag, "You'll never know when you'll need rope."
"Have you ever seen any of the Death wishes, Dirty Dozen, or any of Charles Bronson's movies?"
"No?" Thea replied, "Give me a reason why we need rope."
"I don't fucking know when we'll need it" Onyx replied shoving some knifes into the bag, "they just do in the end"
"You're an assassin how come you don't have a real legitimate reason from your own experience."
Onyx was about to say something then stopped, "To hang someone". Thea gasped at her.
"W-whatever go to sleep" Onyx demanded walking over to the smaller lady and pushing her by her shoulders back into the hallway and into the nearest room.
"Your room" Onyx said as she pushed her in, "Sleep". Thea cringed at the slamming of the door.
"A reason to have rope" mumbled Onyx through the wall walking away, "They just need it."
Thea just sighed and leaned back into her guest bed. It took her a while to sleep as the stress of today battled against the anxiety of tomorrow to actually go to Nanda Parbat and get her brother's body back.
Finally sleep over took her.
The Next Day
Thea woke to the creaking of her door being opened.
"Thea get up" Malcolm said.
"What time is it?" drawled Thea as she tried to sit up.
"Time to get up" he said before walking away.
It was 2:00 A.m. Now Thea had another reason to hate Malcolm. Actually waking her up at 2 was now on the top of the list of why she hated him.
If Thea wanted to look at it logically it made sense. Getting to this private air strip was a six hour drive. Then giving the pilot the necessary coordinates to land in a city took another four hours. Thea still didn't like it and something she wished her "dad" would have told her. She might have tried harder to focus on time while showering.
"Where are we" Thea asked.
"We're in a city called Srinagar" Malcolm replied.
"Nanda Parbat is near here?" Thea asked.
Onyx chuckled and when she was done she rubbed Thea's head, " nope not even close, we have a day or two hike till Taobat and then another till Nanda Parbat" Thea growled at Onyx as she used her to hand push Onyx's hand away.
"Let's go" Malcolm shouldered his bag, "we leave now and take a few breaks we might reach Taobat in three days". Thea now really hated Malcolm as she watched Onyx quickly matched step with Malcolm. It was going to be a long walk.
Edmaster 2: Alright guys I'm trying to update this story at least two or three times a month.
Anyway what do you guys think? I hope you guys are enjoying the story and let me know by writing a review or tell me what you don't like or wish to see happen.
Thank you.
