Chapter 67: Choosing Sides

"Why the hell am I here, Patrick? Please tell me that the only reason you got me out of that God damned wedding was because you want me to join... them again." I said, glancing at the Zeta Tubes and then back to Patrick, eyeing him like he was crazy. In some ways he was, and in others... I was the crazy one.

"No." I rose my brow. "Okay, maybe that might have been half of it. Batman very..."

"Bossy?"

"I was going to say a know it all..."

"Never mind. I don't know why the hell I asked you. It's obvious what happens when you join certain... exclusive groups." Patrick sighed as he punched in a few numbers or letters and looked back to me.

"Please. Don't kill anyone. Or piss anyone off. I think you've done that enough."

"And just now you're concerned about Roy? Wow, your relationship with your brother is more complicated than Alex and I."

"A-" He stopped, which was smart, but I still heard the whole sentence, we both did, even if we didn't want to. At least my sibling isn't dead. "Sorry..."

"Don't apologize. You're just doing what you think is best. And, just to let you in on a secret... it's not."

I was pissed, and not because Patrick was bringing me back to the cave, or that he almost said something as destructive as Alex's death itself - and the fact that he should've just said it, since after all, I could take a few stupid words from someone I was on the edge with, romantically, that was - but it was the fact that he was apologizing for something that he obviously wanted to say. And as much as I, myself, had been taught to lie and cheat and whatever, I hated the fact that Patrick was practically lying to me. And I wasn't quite sure why it pissed me off so much.

I was standing in the cave in no time, Patrick right at my side as he motioned for me to walk forward so I could have a little friendly chat with the head of the organization. Or at least the man who thought he was the head. Either way, I didn't care. As long as Batman didn't attempt to ground my ass from anything while Patrick forced me to join up again.

Walking into a room alone with the masked hero - if you could call him that... - I sat down on the opposite side, staring at the white orbs after I took off my own mask. The last thing I wanted to do was be someone other than me. I had enough that in the past months. I just wanted to be Sarah Lawson again. And if Sarah Lawson was my real identity, it would be a hell of a lot better.

"You resigned. Why?"

"Wow. You just go for the goal don't you?" He didn't answer, and I didn't expect him to. "For a detective you must be pretty damn stupid to not realize what the hell's going on. Or what was going on, but then again with you making Patrick chase me down and convince me to not finish what job I had to do, it may still be going on."

"Just answer the question."

"Project Volv."

"What does that mean?"

"It stand for the last name of the four top assassins in the world. Whom of which either want me dead, or want me for another reason."

"And the project...?"

"To take down the top four assassins in the world. Everyone ranked below them is either a part of it, against it, or neutral. Like most quarrels. But unlike most of the projects people have, this one's different. It's a one-way deal. You get approached once. You said yes, you're in. You'll be forced to kill others to get to the top. You say no. It's the last thing you'll ever be saying."

"Miss Lawson, I am one of the only people in this League that thinks that you should come back. Do you know why?" I shook my head, not quite sure what to say. Or do for that matter. "It's because you have potential. You've killed. No one can forget that. But you have your reasons. Ones that are beyond my own knowledge. I haven't been abandoned, abused, hurt mentally, physically and emotionally. I haven't been through half of the hell you have obviously been put through, but I've seen people. And I know what they do. Through this all, you've seen what's right and wrong. Most people don't. You regret loving people, because you know they can get hurt from the people who you have to fight.

"I would like you to come back to the Justice League. Maybe not officially, if you wish, but still. To make my point, none of the Team knows about either incident in these past few months. They know nothing of neither your sister's death, nor your plans of marrying someone you obviously don't love only to put them into as much safety as possible. And they won't know. Not until you're ready to tell them.

"So, who's side are you going to be on, Miss Lawson?" His question caught me off guard. Not only had I really ever thought about it, but to be perfectly honest I really didn't know. I mean, I wasn't one of them. A heroic member of the Justice League. But I wasn't one to bow down to my father or Alexander or anyone for that matter without a reason. Most likely to protect the people I loved. To save the people I cared for from an unnatural death, a death that might come too early for anyone to handle even slightly normal. My breath was caught in my throat as I forced myself to answer to the already hard question.

"I can't be on either."