Chapter 56: Floodgate
Authors Note: Thank you all for your positive reviews they made me feel glade ^_^. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much. Also I have gotten a few good ideas from Injustice and I might do a fanfic on it but in the meantime I will use some of their ideas to strengthen my ideas. Because that's how it works right, like Highlander, there can only be one. I don't know I'm tired okay here ya go.
Disclaimer: One of these things is not like the other one of these things DOESN'T BELONG! Can you tell which thing is not like the others, before I finish my song! (Titans Go! Doesn't belong!)
In the dead of night in a large warehouse once owned by the now late Falcone, was once used to launder his money. Now it was a storage house for Slade to organize his men and his robots. Inside multiple gang members and freelancers were standing in the middle of the warehouse waiting for their orders.
They didn't wait long before Slade walked out onto the stage overlooking the ground floor accompanied by Red Saber, Tasha and a young man in his mid-twenties had unkempt brown hair and blue eyes and was wearing red camouflage body armor.
"My friend's please be silent, so I can explain my plan." Slade said as everyone started to quiet down.
"Well what is it?" Black Mask shouted. "You said there was a way for us to claim Gotham as our own, but yet to say a word about it!"
"Yeah, are we going to see what this master plan is now or what?" Maroni asked.
"This." Slade said as a flood light flashed on the wall. A large map of Gotham took up the entirety of the wall. On it were key points and markings for where certain gangs needed to be. The top read operation Flood Gate. "Operation Flood Gate will be our uprising and hostile takeover of Gotham. And you all shall be a part of it."
"What's the plan?" Two-Face grunted, still on edge after the last time he worked for Slade.
"My associate Red Saber will infiltrate Arkham Asylum while my other two Nightmare and Rage." Tasha and Andrei. "Will infiltrate Blackgate prison and once inside they will open the gates of hell onto Gotham. Then we destroy the bridges cutting them off from the rest of the world and hold the city for our own. We will show this world that we will control them and that they should be afraid. This is our time to rise up from the shadows and remind these fools that they are not safe and that they can be enslaved."
"Question." Cheshire stepped forward. "Since you brought up the Shadow Warriors how exactly will we stop them? I mean look around." She said as she motioned to the crowd. "There are a lot of empty seats here and that's because they either locked them up in Blackgate or Arkham and the rest well let's just say they will never be joining us again."
"Yeah!" Two-Face shouted. "We went up against those little bastards when they were just starting out. And even with those weapons you gave us they still destroyed us!"
"You're still alive." Slade snickered.
"We were lucky." Two-Face mumbled while rolling his coin in his fingers.
"Cheshire, I must say I am surprised to see you here after that whole Reach incident." Slade said with malice. Cheshire shrugged her shoulders.
"I heard something big was going down and I wanted in." She said with determination. "I wanted my name heard again."
"Very well, yes it is true the Shadow Warriors are known for being ruthless, but why are you so afraid?" He asked looking at all the misguided faces. "It looks as if you don't want to go up against the warriors because you know there's a strong chance you will die."
Everyone in the room looked ashamed or angry with themselves as Slade narrowed his eyes at them. Slade pointed his handgun in the air and fired a round getting everyone's attention.
"You all make me sick to my stomach!" Slade shouted with hostility. "You act like you own Gotham but in reality you are only like this because you know the Justice League will not kill you. We'll let me tell you something this isn't a bank heist or a drug deal this is war. In war twenty people die in the first minute but the soldier doesn't stop to think of the dead he moves on with the mission."
Slade started to get some positive cheers from the groups as he continued.
"The warriors didn't beat you because they were better it was because you assumed they wouldn't kill you." Slade announced earning more disgruntled looks. "Let me tell you something they kill everybody except one to let you know that they are in control. They wanted you to tell the tale on how a few renegades slaughtered their entire gang well let me tell you something they may be a team, but we are an army and we will take our city for our own!"
This got the rest of the criminals to cheer while Red Saber walked up behind Slade.
"Tomorrow night I want you to start phase one of our plan and break the Shadow Warriors." Slade said. "Can you do it?"
"It will be done." Red bowed and left the ware house with a grin followed by five slim robotic figures each carrying a katana.
(!)
"Hey, you gave that up years ago I'm surprised you even care." Jayden snapped on his phone.
"You had no right to steal that outfit Jayden or my bow!" A woman's voice snarled. "You are destroying who I was."
"Artemis, you were Kid Flashes partner I get it but he's not with us anymore and neither was Artemis. I just dusted off your costume and bow and gave it to my friend she'll take care of it." Jayden reassured.
"You had no right to ask Cheshire to steal that wardrobe from me!" Artemis snarled.
"She was just paying me back for helping her find Arsenal way back when." Jayden said. "Don't forget Artemis was my partner too, Tigris."
"Jayden…just don't ruin my name." She pleaded quietly.
"I won't goodbye." Jayden said hanging up his phone.
He rested his head on his desk afterwards. Today the kids went to school, Flynn was working in R&D, Ally was putting Maria and Hilary in her new summer catalog and Mark was taking over Marcas's security shift. Jayden was having a tough time with him lately he would defiantly need to straighten his ass out if things went south.
Maybe they should take some time and relax.
(!)
Later that night Marcas was cleaning his guns and sharpening his sickle, preparing them for when he kills Slade. He had been waiting too long for this moment and he was not going to let it slip through his fingers. While cleaning his guns he heard what sounded like salsa music booming through the walls.
He set his guns down and stomped down to the living quarters and was fuming at what he saw.
The whole team was dressed in their casual ware and dancing in the room. Jayden was dancing with Sarah, Ally was dancing with Blaze and Sam was dancing with Maria. The rest were sitting back and relaxing and drinking.
"This is how we dance in America baby!" Sam said as he twirled Maria around who let out a giggle.
"You will be the death of me Samuel!" Maria laughed.
"By the way Jayden, you never finished your story on how you helped take down the Reach." Max said sipping his beer.
"Okay," Jayden said twirling Sarah into Zack's arms. "So, it looks bad from the start. Slade had just killed Aqualad and Artemis. But before Aqualad died he activated a hologram recording explaining the Light's betrayal of the Reach. Then after that we reveal that Aqua Lad and Artemis were both alive and that Slade was actually Ms. Martian. We totally wasted all the Reach and the Light in that single evening."
"Awesome job man." Jason chuckled.
"Yeah, you kicked ass!" Hilary said.
Just then the music was abruptly turned off when someone smashed the stereo. Everyone jumped and looked over to see Marcas with a furious look on his face.
"Seriously, this is what we're doing?" He asked rhetorically. "While you're partying and drinking Slade is out there plotting and invading. You think this is a joke Jayden?"
"No, I think this is down time." Jayden said in a low voice standing face to face with his colleague. "We've been running around nonstop since Maria took Hilary to Mexico. We've been under fire since we infiltrated Diego's lair. We've haven't had a chance to sit down in over a week we're all tired and in need of a little down time."
"You think Slade is having any down time?" Marcas snapped.
"Yes, since he's got his little bitches running around doing his work for him." Jayden retorted. "Why do you think he slips past us, why do you think he's never caught or why he always out matches us, because he never fights us!" Jayden spat. "He sent Two-Face after us when we all met, Joker when we met Sarina, Hush, Ace, Diego he sent all of them after us to weaken us. He knows all of our moves, abilities, powers and weaknesses. If we go up against Slade as we are now, angry and tired he'll mop the floor with us."
Jayden could see his words were having a little effect on Marcas, but it was very little and not enough to loosen him up.
"And if we just fool around partying he'll attack when our guard is down." Marcas shot back.
Just then the alarms started going off and everyone quickly rushed to their stations. Marcas and Jayden still stood their ground while everyone else scurried around.
"My guard is never down." Jayden growled purposely bumping Marcas as he walked to the hangar.
(!)
The warriors had just gotten a report that Gotham General has been taken over by a new upcoming gang called the Shadow Knights. Everyone aboard the Raven knew this was a message from Slade. After a few minutes of flying the warriors received another call only this one was from Batman. Shadow raised an eyebrow and clicked his transmitter on.
"You almost never call me." Shadow muttered.
"Shadow, we just received a call from Gordon that an orphanage has been taken hostage." Batman said.
"Okay, so why call me?" Shadow asked.
"Switch to your ear piece." Batman said in a stern voice. This was the only time Shadow listened without argument as he switched to his earpiece. "Shadow, Nightwing told me what happened and we know Deathstroke is laying siege in Gotham. But that isn't why I called."
"Then why did you call?" Shadow asked.
"It's about Marcas, I know he's your friend and your partner, but he is unstable." Batman warned. "He has an unhealthy obsession with Deathstroke. He once assaulted the whole team and held a gun with kryptonite rounds to his head and wounded Flash."
"Shit, he went nuts on the Justice League, even I didn't do that." Shadow chuckled.
"And if you're not careful he'll do the same to you and your team." Batman warned.
"Yeah, thanks." Shadow said as he clicked off and made his way to the hospital.
Thanatos activated the stealth drive on the Raven and hovered above the hospital. Shadow sent his stealth assassins Hitgirl, Ronin, Reaper and Red along with himself. He was worried about bringing him, but Shadow needed to rescue these hostages. They stood on opposite sides of the Raven and attached grappling cables to their belts.
"Shadow, something's wrong." Ronin stated as they dropped out to the side of the walls and scaled the building. "There's only five thugs holding the doctors hostages and they are in line of snipers line of firing."
"So, they are a new gang they probably don't know what to do." Hitgirl stated. "Hell, they are probably regretting ever robbing a hospital in the first place." That's when Reaper started to get suspicious.
"That's the thing though, we've heard no ransom demands or anything these guys might want." Reaper said. "In fact this whole heist just seems stupid."
"Hmm, keep on your guard guys." Shadow said. "We could be heading for a trap."
The warriors quietly entered through the windows and split up heading towards the main lobby. The crept around the corners of the halls and finally approached the main lobby. They poked their heads out from cover and looked over to see the Shadow Knights. They were just a bunch of hoodlums with handguns wearing black hoodies. The doctors were all sitting in the middle of the floor heads down while some where tied up and gagged.
Shadow watched as one of them was writing something of the wall using a blood pack. Shadow motioned over to Red to use his talent to knock the guns from out of their hands. His eyes turned red and he lifted his dual eagles and fired at the goons handguns. In under a few seconds their guns went flying out of their hands and everyone immediately started to panic.
"Alright nobody move!" Shadow shouted aiming his magnum at the criminals. The rest of the warriors moved in and subdued the crooks and pulled of their hoods. Ronin's eyes widened under his mask at what he saw.
"Shadow, these aren't gang members, they are kids." Ronin stated as he showed one of the gang members to be a thirteen year old boy with duct tape over his mouth.
Shadow was ready to say something when one of the doctors stood behind him and aimed a snub nose .38 at his head. Reaper quickly intervened and swan dived into Shadow tackling him into the ground.
The false hostage missed Shadow's head, but wounded the boy in Ronin's grip. The two fell over as one of the real doctors started to panic.
"Marcus, no!" The man shouted as he broke his restraints and rushed over to him. He took his son in his arms and started to cradle him, screaming at him to wake up.
Red Crosshairs saw the boy and his father and his left eye started to twitch. He saw how much how the father cared for his son, it reminded him of how his father risked his life to save him. How those bastards who worked for Slade killed his father and stole his life.
"Slade," Red snarled in his mind. "He always does this, takes what he wants kills whoever and just thinks with a smug smile that it's alright." His thoughts started to go rabid as more of the doctors got up drawing their guns. "He thinks he can just use people for his amusement and his bread and butter. No, no, no, no I'll kill him and his fucking army with my bare hands. I hate him I want him and everyone else to feel my pain!"
Just before the previous phony doctor could shoot at Ronin, his arm holding the gun had been chopped off without even feeling any blade cut through his skin. Before he could even feel the pain, his head had been struck with a heavy blunt instrument and was sent fling across the lobby before falling dead on the floor.
"Holy shit!" Reaper shouted as he and Shadow got up.
Red stood before them his hammer and sickle both drawn and both dripping with blood. Red was snarling with anger as spit flew through his lips with each breath. And his eyes were glowing dark and red as blood.
"Red, stand down!" Shadow ordered.
Red ignored that order as another doctor held a gun out towards his face. Red brought his hammer down on his arm breaking his hold on the gun and his hand before bringing his sickle down diagonally. He cut through the doctor's shoulder and collar bone and towards his heart before sending a kick to his chest knocking him off his blade.
Red let out a roar ready to take out the rest of the doctors who were now starting to tremble in fear, before Ronin fired a stun dart from his wrist mounted gun into the back of Red's neck. Red was stunned for a moment and just shook it off. When that didn't bring him down both Reaper and Shadow used their stun techniques to knock him down.
"Zoom, now!"
Just then the doors to the hospital burst open and one by one each doctor fell to the ground unconscious or clenching their stomachs in pain. In front of them stood their grey jumpsuit cladded friend standing heroically with a big dumbass grin on his face.
"And that is called kicking your ass!" He shouted. Shadow chuckled and shook his head before hearing his name.
"Hey boss, come see this." Hilary said while Reaper and Ronin freed the doctors and Red had walked out covered in blood giving Shadow a glare before leaving. Jayden made a mental note to deal with him later while Zoom went to check on his mother who was working that night.
"What is it?" Shadow asked, but his question was literally answered by another question written in blood on the wall from where that kid was writing earlier.
'You do this when you pet an animal, you hear this when a new day arrives, and you see this cause some people to become brain dead. What am I?"
"What the hell kind of riddle is this, I though Eddie was locked up in Arkham?" Hitgirl asked.
"He is, and the answer is stroke." He said. "It's what you do when you pet an animal and it's what happens before someone goes brain dead."
"Strange, why the hospital and why the riddle?" Reaper asked.
"I'll contact Batman and inform him." Shadow said earning a few misguided looks from his team.
"Since when do we report to him?" Hitgirl asked.
"Since, we need ll the help we can get to take out Slade." Ronin answered. "Ever hear 'The Enemy Of My Enemy Is My Friend.'"
"He's right it's a mutual partnership, for now." Shadow snickered. "Batman do you copy?"
(Ten minutes earlier)
Batman and his team of Robin, Batgirl and Nightwing all gathered around a warehouse and proceeded inside. They had located the orphans to this location and slowly made their way inside.
"Boss, I'm getting a really bad feeling here." Sarina said.
"I know, keep your guard up." Batman warned.
"Or better yet, keep it down."
Everyone looked up to see Red Saber jump down with his two red dual swords out and ready to cut Robin and Batgirl in half. Nightwing quickly pushed Robin out of the way as Batman did the same for Batgirl.
The four quickly got to their feet and readied themselves as Red Saber stood before them with seven female ninjas with cybernetic enhancements behind him all swords ready. Saber looked at Batman and scoffed at him.
"So, you're him, Batman." Saber chuckled. "I have to say I am disappointed. I tortured the shit out of Batwoman a few years back and now you come after me?"
"Her name is Kate and I remember what you did to her." Batman growled. Batgirl glanced at Saber and her eyes widened.
"You're the guy who Shadow fought back in Mexico." She stated.
"Yes, and since Batman was the one who trained him I think I have very little to worry about." Saber snickered as he readied his blades as did his ninjas.
"You haven't dealt with me." Batman growled.
Just then another ninja hopped down behind Batman ready to stab him when a bullet flew through its head. Everyone looked over at the corner of the warehouse to see another red figure.
"Hey, long time no see." Red Hood chuckled holding his FN five seven. Batman scowled at his brutality.
"Shut up…"
"And fight."
Red quickly pulled out his knives and attacked a ninja while the rest engaged in battle.
Hood attacked rapidly with his knives, but the ninja was too fast with her enhancements. She parried each attack and swiped his feet from under him. Hood fell but quickly pulled out his gun but lost it when a batarang struck his hand. Before he could respond Batgirl quickly jumped behind her and tasered her back knocking her out.
"No guns, no killing." Batgirl stated. Hood let out a grunt and stood up face to face with her.
"Where's the fun in that?"
Nightwing and Robin stood back to back deflecting attacks left and right with their weapons. Nightwing smacked his escrima stick aside the one ninja's head while Robin lunged the end of his staff into another's stomach and upside her head.
One ninja got lucky and managed to swipe her sword across Robin's shoulder cutting through his armor. He let out a scream and fell back as Nightwing landed his boot to the side of her head knocking her out.
"Are you okay Tim?" Nightwing said tending to his comrade.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He grunted, staggering to his feet. "What about Batman?"
Batman was currently blocking Red Saber's vicious strikes with his gauntlets as fast as he could. Saber was laughing manically with each strike before swinging around and swiping his sword across Batman's cheek.
Batman let out a grunt and leaped back, pulling out three Batarangs and throwing them at Red Saber. With his enhanced reflexes he swiped through them with little effort, but missed the ones Batman threw with his other hand.
The three projectiles struck his shoulder, his waist and his leg painfully deep. He let out a painful grunt and popped the blades out of his body and Batman watched as the wounds closed up.
"It'll take more than a few blades to take me out." Saber snickered.
"I was just confirming a suspicion Shadow told me." Batman said calmly as he pulled something out of his belt.
"Which was?" Saber asked unimpressed.
"That you were actually a vampire." Batman then tossed a small ball on the floor which opened and emitted a bright light. Some of the light struck Saber's face letting out a painful scream when it burned his skin to a crisp.
Saber let a feral growl before taking off like a bat out of hell. The heroes and anti-hero stood triumph before Batgirl realized something.
"Wait, what about the kids?" She asked.
"Don't worry we rescued them." Arsenal said running in. "There's also a message in the room they were in."
"Show me." Batman said sternly.
They all walked into a dank room where a message was written in blood. Only it wasn't a message it was a riddle.
'I am always around, but never seen. I am often avoided, but you can't outrun me. For I will come for you when you're old and grey, or maybe even the next day. I will come with cold embrace, or and give you rest with a kiss to face. I come in many forms of emotional state, whether it's irony, love, laughter or hate. I am everyone's final fate. What am I?'
"What the hell is it the Riddler?" Robin asked.
"Doubtful, rumor has it he's been shaken up since his encounter with Shadow." Nightwing stated which made Hood and Arsenal chuckle.
"So, I guess Shadow's method is working huh." Hood snickered. "I mean, when was the last time Riddler stayed in Arkham being afraid of you?" Red chuckled.
"But Red, this isn't the way things are done." Arsenal whimpered sarcastically. "Killing isn't the way to control people. Even if it means keeping a mad man behind bars and not endangering people's lives."
"You shut up!" Batgirl snapped defending her boss's ways.
"Shadow can kill all he wants." Batman stated. "The Riddler is only staying in Arkham to think of a full proof plan to seek his revenge on Shadow that won't cost him his life. Which will endanger even more lives than before. Besides, this riddle is too easy and too sloppy."
"It's death." Nightwing answered.
"Yes, it comes when ever and is everyone's final fate." Batman said. Before he could continue his earpiece was ringing. He pressed his fingers to his cowl and listened in.
"Batman, Shadow is on the other line," Oracle said. "He saved the hostages, but they were mostly fakes with guns. It was a trap."
"Is anyone hurt?" Batman asked fearing for Jayden's team's safety. Barbra let out a sigh.
"A boy was injured, but he'll live and Zack's mother Jessica Andrews is fine and helping any injured. Here Shadow can fill you in." Oracle said.
"Batman, Shadow here, what's your situation?" Shadow asked.
"Had a run in with your friend Red Saber and a few of his ninja girls." Batman explained. There was confusion on the other end.
"Don't know about any ninjas but listen to this I found this riddle and its answer was stroke." Shadow explained.
"I found something like that too and its answer was death." Batman said.
"Stroke and death or death and stroke." Shadow said as they both knew what the riddles were really trying to tell them.
"Deathstroke." They both said in union.
"Red Saber, the attack on you it confirms Deathstroke is back in Gotham." Batman stated. "You should talk to Red before going after him."
"Too late, he just hacked the shit out of half the crooks here." Shadow sighed. "I gotta go, we need to straighten this mess out."
"Wait, I thought you should know that Red Hood and Arsenal are with me." Batman said in a amused voice.
"Tell them I said hi." Shadow grunted before signing off.
Batman shook his head before looking over to see that Hood and Arsenal had both disappeared.
"Batman, I found something." Batgirl said.
She ripped off a sash around one of the ninja's arms and threw it at Batman. He examined it to see it was a black sash with a lone symbol on it. His brows furrowed in confusion when he saw that was a red crosshair.