Afterlight
Chapter Twelve
"The people you save won't celebrate you. They'll gather the wood and cheer while you burn."
― Julie Berry, All the Truth That's in Me
April 4, 2016
Deathstroke was terrifying and cold, even when we were on the same mission. I had never met the mercenary before, but I had heard of the numerous battles between him, Nightwing, and Batman. From what I understood, they were evenly matched, but I was beginning to doubt that after seeing the way Deathstroke moved.
Deathstroke moved like a soldier, but had the grace of a jungle cat. The fact that we were on the same side was good, because I wouldn't stand a chance if I had to fight him. That also made me nervous. If Deathstroke discovered that I was helping the enemy, he would take me down without hesitation.
"We have reached cruising altitude. You are free to move about the cabin," The pilot announced over the speakers. Deathstroke and I were in Luthor's private jet, which was due to land in twelve hours in a city near Belle Reve. Luthor hadn't been happy to lend his private jet to us, but had grudgingly given in after encouragement from the rest of the Light.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood gracefully. Deathstroke observed me with calculating eyes. He looked odd without his mask on and his eyepatch fully exposed. I wondered how he had lost his eye, and what had encouraged him to join the Light.
His eyes burned my back as I poured some water into a cup and sipped it. I made my way back to my seat and sat down. Before I pulled out my tablet, I removed my mask and set it on the seat next to me. I began to scroll through the blueprints of Belle Reve while sipping my water.
"How many years did you train with him?" Deathstroke suddenly asked.
"With who?" I raised an eyebrow at him. There had been so many trainers in my life that I had lost track.
"Batman," My blood froze at the name, "And don't lie."
"Almost a year," I struggled to control my voice, "How did you know?"
"It's in the way you move and hold yourself. You take in everything the moment you enter the room, and you move with a harsh grace," Deathstroke smirked, "You were Astra."
"Yes," I didn't bother denying it, "I was until I found my true calling with the League of Assassins. Batman is a commander leading children to death, and I didn't want that."
"What about you? How does a mercenary end up with the Light? I feel like you would consider the Light to be too much work," I sneered.
"You're very bold for an assassin," Deathstroke said pointedly, "Keep your questions to yourself, and I'll keep my observations to myself."
"What observations?" I snapped at him, ready to fend off his suspicions.
"Bats are very hard to corrupt, so how did you join the League? Unless you really didn't join them," Deathstroke chuckled, "You look like Batman, and you even have the same habits as him. I can hear your teeth grinding together, and I bet your lips are white underneath all that makeup from how you're pressing them together."
"You're his daughter," I scowled at him and rested a hand on my belt, "Drop your hand, girl, unless you plan to do something with it. My observations are harmless, unless they mean something to you."
"Only that I haven't quite escaped my father," I said smoothly, "It's a shame. I thought I had cut all ties with him. As for your question as to how I was corrupted, the answer is that I wasn't. I never agreed with my father on the way to handle Gotham, and I escaped as soon as I could."
"Excellent recovery. The League of Assassins has taught you well, at least in being someone else. As for your fighting skills, I can't test those yet. We might blow a hole in this jet," Deathstroke said knowingly.
"Since we can't do that, I'm going to review my part of the mission. In silence," I said bluntly.
"If you say so," Deathstroke sighed, "Don't over exert yourself."
"I won't," I said sharply as I switched my gaze to the tablet in my hands.
"The lowest levels are shielded from mystic energies, but the first few levels aren't," I stared through my binoculars at the maximum security prison. Spotlights swept over the ground outside the fence, while guards patrolled the perimeter.
"We know that. You don't need to repeat it," Klarion waved his hand in a dismissive manner.
"Just in case you forgot," I said sarcastically, "You'll drop us in the control room first, and then in the lowest level possible."
"We all know our parts, Oblivion. Don't waste time," I dropped my binoculars and glared at Deathstroke.
The mercenary stared at me impassively before looking at Klarion, "Whenever you decide to stop grooming your cat."
"Hmph, sorry, Teekl," Klarion lifted his hand from the cat on his shoulder and snapped his fingers, "Don't resist it."
A red portal slid over us, engulfing us in swirls of orange and red. I caught a brief glimpse of fire and something that I could not identify, but made me want to run and hide and act like I had never seen what I had just seen. Klarion smiled knowingly at me.
The swirls of orange and red suddenly cleared, leaving us in a grey room with windows that overlooked one of the few recreational areas. Guards in uniforms sat at computers, with panels of switches and buttons on either side of them.
They were slow to realize we were in the room, only when Deathstroke's sword cleaved a head off one of the guards. The guard next to him reached for the panic button, but stopped when my sword lopped off his hand. His scream stopped as soon as I slashed his throat.
The final two guards reached for their weapons, but were stopped as I fired a concentrated burst of light at them. They slammed into the other wall, blood streaming from the holes in their chests. I flicked the blood off my sword and began to sheathe it.
"Leave it out. You'll need it soon," Deathstroke snapped.
"I need both hands if I'm going to hack this system," I slammed my sword into its sheath and connected my tablet to the computer.
"Don't trip the system's security," Deathstroke warned, "Or I will hold you responsible for the failure. What will Ra's al Ghul do to you then?"
"Nothing like what I'll do to you," I snarled as I maneuvered myself through their security. Belle Reve's security was almost too good for me to get past. Thankfully, my hacking skills hadn't diminished during my time with the League of Assassins.
"Done," I said softly, "The security systems in the lower levels are down. The only thing still on are the inhibitor collars. They won't realize that we're here until it's too late."
"Ugh! You guys are so boring," Klarion complained, "We're moving."
Without warning, Klarion snapped his fingers again. The portal engulfed us before I could move to stop him. The same feeling of fear passed over me as we traveled into the lowest level possible. It spat us out, Klarion walking out gracefully while Deathstroke and I stumbled out.
"Here," Klarion held out his hands. The palms glowed as two yellow stones appeared in them. We cautiously accepted them, "Crush them when you need me to pick you up."
"Bye, kiddies!" The witch boy smiled at us as a portal swallowed him.
"Lord of Chaos," Deathstroke snorted, "Did you disable the security on the stairs?"
"Yes," I confirmed, "It's a straight shot towards level ten, not counting the guards."
"The guards aren't a concern," Deathstroke walked towards the stairs at the end of the hallway we were in, "Well, don't stand there."
I rolled my eyes and followed him. Deathstroke looked at the key card scanner on the doors with contempt. I pushed him aside and hacked into it, disabling the lock for a few seconds. We slipped inside and wrapped our grappling hooks around the railing before leaping into the few feet of space between each flight of stairs.
We descended towards level ten, pausing only to eliminate the guards who happened to see our descent. I pushed away any sympathies for the fallen guards by remembering that this was the only way to help Kaldur. Granted, the Atlantean wouldn't be very happy to learn that we had killed so many in order to save him. Whatever, this was necessary. That was all that mattered.
As level ten approached, I pressed the button on my grappling gun to slow my descent, and stopped when I was level with the railing of our chosen level. I swung onto the railing and perched there, waiting for Deathstroke to land next to me.
He flipped onto the landing and looked at me pointedly, his one visible eye glaring at me. I somersaulted onto the landing and landed perfectly before marching over to the door and unlocking it. Deathstroke pressed himself against the wall as I opened it, and rushed in as soon as he could slide through.
The guard standing by the door didn't stand a chance. Deathstroke cut him down without even trying. II unsheathed my swords and joined him in taking out the guards in the hallways. They did their best to fight back with their stun guns, but it was no use. In less than five minutes, ten guards were bleeding out on the floor.
Deathstroke glanced at the numbers marked on the walls, "This way."
We stalked through the hallways without bothering to hide. No one escaped our assault, and those that fought back were removed brutally. Blood dripped from my swords by the time we made it to the cell block of the ones considered most dangerous.
Psimon was considered highly dangerous because of his extreme mental power and his willingness to use it. While he had an inhibitor collar on, the warden didn't trust him enough to allow him to mix with other prisoners. That would play to our advantage today.
"Ten twenty-seven," I recited as I stopped in front of the cell. A white door with a plaque was the only indication that a cell was here.
Deathstroke pulled the bar over the peephole open and peered inside. At his nod, I hacked into the security on his door and disabled it. Deathstroke pulled the door open and allowed me to step inside while he remained outside.
"Took you long enough," The man grumbled with his back to me. He backed away once he realized who was with him, "Not you! You freak!"
"Shut up," I said harshly, "Be nice to the person who's getting you out."
"Why me? I know you don't like me," Psimon grinned, "The Light needs me. Why?"
"You'll find out on the other side. Let's go," I ordered. Psimon took a few steps forward.
"Get rid of my inhibitor collar first," He demanded. I cursed and glared at the collar, smiling when the collar shattered as my light destroyed it.
"I will kill you if you attempt to use your powers on us," I threatened and left the room with the man following.
"I wouldn't. Not on you, at least," He frowned at me with hatred in his eyes. I couldn't blame him. Every encounter with me had led to him falling into a catatonic state.
"We got him, let's go," I growled to Deathstroke.
"In a minute. We have company," Deathstroke tightened his grip on the gun in his right hand.
Twenty or so guards came down the hallway in full riot gear with stun guns in their hands. I knocked Psimon backwards so that he was behind us and drew my swords. Deathstroke fired his gun with startling accuracy that took out five guards before anyone could react. The guards recovered and began to fire at us.
I called up a wall of light around Psimon and ducked under a blast. I sliced my swords through the air, sending a blast of light at the guards. Two guards stumbled back with slashes in their chest armor and skin underneath. I pointed my sword at another guard and watched the light destroy the armor of a guard.
Deathstroke holstered his gun and pulled his sword out as he leaped towards them. I followed him and threw myself into the fight, cutting down guards with ease. I ducked under a gun and shoved my sword into their chest, yanked it out, and sliced the throat of the guard behind me. In less than a minute, all the guards were down.
"Move, girl," Deathstroke snarled as he pulled Psimon towards the stairwell. I kicked a crawling guard in the back and joined them.
"Give me your hand," I ordered as we reached the railing.
"Excuse me?" Psimon spat and took a few steps back.
"Do you want to get out?" I was ready to punch him, "We only have two grappling hooks, and you can't fly."
I grabbed his hand before he could argue and grabbed the hook, tugging slightly to start the auto-retract mechanism. The line lifted us upwards and past several layers. Deathstroke was already at the right level, taking out the guards who were waiting for us.
"Stop squirming," I tightened my grip on his arm as we approached the chosen level.
Once there, Deathstroke grabbed Psimon and hoisted him over the railing. I crawled over the railing and leaped over Deathstroke, knife flashing in my hand as I buried it in the eye of a guard. I spun and threw the bloody knife at the final guard before turning to Deathstroke.
"Ready?" I asked as I reached for the door.
"Of course," Deathstroke slipped through the opening door with his guns out.
I heard the pop of his guns going off for a minute before he knocked on the door. I cautiously opened the door wider and pushed Psimon through with me taking up the rear. Several guards were lying in the hallway, bleeding out onto the floor.
"They've gotten out of the stairwell!" I slammed the door closed as a guard rushed towards me. I pressed a palm against the door and sealed it shut before joining them.
"We're at the right level," I fished one of the gems out of my pocket and rolled it between my fingers.
"Hmm, you're right," Deathstroke mused. Together, we threw our gems to the floor and watched as they exploded in a puff of powder and smoke. We waited quietly for a few seconds.
Nothing happened.
"That piece of trash," I swore and glared at Deathstroke, "They'll restore the system in a few seconds. We don't have an escape anymore."
"Then we make one," Deathstroke said grimly. A group of guards walked around the corner dressed in full riot gear, "You want to prove yourself to me? Help me get him out."
"I don't need to prove myself to anyone," I hissed and threw myself into the fight.
I spun through the guards, my swords carving out a path for us to move through. Deathstroke guarded Psimon, killing those who dared to attack them. I snarled as a baton caught me in the knee, and kicked the woman while pulsing light through my leg, throwing her to the wall. A Taser dart skidded off of my armor and smacked into another guard.
"Klarion, get your ass over here!" I shouted as I shoved my sword into a stomach.
"Fine, fine, no need to shout," Klarion stepped out of a portal, "I was eating dinner."
"I'm going to kill you," I promised, "Now get us out."
"Teekl," The cat jumped to his shoulder, "Alright, just let me get rid of these flies."
The witch boy gestured blandly at the guards surrounding us. Fire roared from his fingertips, eating at them until they were burned to ashes. I stared in astonishment and horror at his actions, only snapping out of it when Teekl yowled at me.
"Hold still," Klarion cackled as the portal washed over us.
April 9, 2016
"They're doing what?" Tigress yelled. I shushed her as we weaved our way through the crowds on our way to the engine room.
"They can't!" She hissed over the roar of the engines on the other side of the wall.
"They have to," I said firmly, "If we want to piece Kaldur's mind back together. Psimon is the only one who can do it."
"He'll find out about the mission. They'll kill us then and there," She spat, glancing around to make sure no one was coming.
"No, they won't. I won't let them," I argued, "Both of you will get out of here."
"And you'll die? No, not happening," Tigress shook her head frantically, "We have to think of another option."
"What other option, Tigress? There aren't any. The only other person capable of fixing Kaldur is on the good side. She can't help," I kept my voice low as I spoke.
Tigress gasped, "No, that's it! I know what we can do!"
I frowned at her, "Don't you dare. We are not bringing her into it."
"If I can convince Black Manta to use her to heal him, then we won't have to worry. She can fix him, and then we can have her escape," Tigress thought out loud. Hope filled her voice, but died away at my look.
"No, we can't bring anyone else into it. It's too risky," I snapped, "Keep Miss Martian out of it."
"Don't you want to save Kaldur?" Artemis asked suddenly, "You promised us that you would help us finish this mission."
"I know what I promised," I growled, "And I didn't think this would happen. Of course I want to save Kaldur, but I don't know if I can. I can get you out though, and that's what I'll do."
"Kyara, please," Artemis begged, "He's our friend, a teammate. You have to save him, especially after all that he's done for us."
"He's not my friend, and he's barely a teammate. Both of you are echoes of a past life that I'm trying to hold onto for just a moment longer," I pressed a hand against the wall, exhaustion running through my veins, "I need to let go, and the only way is by getting you out."
"You don't mean that. I know you don't," Artemis said softly, "You care about him, but you're denying it."
"Maybe, I don't know. I don't have time to think about that," My voice was grim, "But maybe, maybe you're right."
"Fine," I spat, "I'll help you grab Miss Martian."
"And afterwards?" Artemis asked, her voice rising slightly as hope filled it.
"I don't know," I pushed thoughts of the Reach and the fear what they would do away, "I might be dead."
With that, I turned around and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the empty hallway.
"What happened here?" Black Manta asked as we rushed into the room.
Tigress was on the floor, gasping for breath and staring at the unconscious psychic on the other side of the room. I calmly stepped over to Psimon and pressed two fingers against his neck. His pulse thrummed underneath my fingertips and I nodded in satisfaction.
"I have no idea. He went crazy," Tigress coughed as she stood.
"It's a psychic virus," I lied smoothly, "The Martian girl must have left in in Manta's mind when she destroyed it. No one can fix him."
"Then my son is dead," Black Manta clenched his hand into a fist, "Murdered by that wretched witch."
"Not necessarily. There is one telepath left who can enter his mind," Tigress suggested softly.
"The Martian," I stated, "That is an option. If we capture her, we can force her to do it."
"That is agreeable," Black Manta decided as he stared at his catatonic son.
"I'll take a squad of troopers with me to the surface," Tigress decided.
"No, you'll take Oblivion and Deathstroke," Black Manta gestured to the man.
I sucked in a breath, surprised. I hadn't considered the possibility of Deathstroke accompanying us on the mission. This would make bringing Miss Martian in very difficult. Particularly with preventing anyone from getting killed or seriously injured. On top of that, I still had to deal with the Reach. Great, this was going to go so well.