Guess who's back, back in the desert. Yea its us! Thanks everyone for all the reviews and the love! Anyways...

ON WITH THE STORY!

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Lately, their sparring sessions had become intense. To the point that they were destroying pieces of the training facilities. Punching through the walls was mostly Slade's idea, wanting his apprentice to retaliate with a deadly force. Robin was a bit suspicious that even Slade was feeling a bit apprehensive about their future endeavors against the ben Elohim. So he was going all out on him, and while Robin had learned much with his time spent under the mastermind's wing, he still found that he was grasping at whatever means he had to keep up with the man. Slade was on another level.

"I hope you understand, that I am not sending you back to the desert alone." Weapons had lined the walls of the training facility, there was everything from handguns to katana's. "If we are to finish this, we do it together." Slade plucked some throwing knives from the wall and aimed them at Richard's head. But the teen saw what was coming and expertly performed a backflip to move out of their way as the knives planted themselves into the wall behind him. "You just want in on the fun." The master took a defensive stance as his apprentice attacked him. He took note that Richard had indeed flourished under his tutelage. The teen had moved in on him expertly, leaving him no room to counterattack, and his attacks were swifter and stronger than ever before. And it was nearly only a year since Robin had willingly become his apprentice. He marveled at what the boy would become.

"Perhaps." Mid-attack the mastermind had grabbed the boy's leg and with little momentum, he had slammed him into a wall. He watched Richard's form slide down the wall and slumped onto the floor. He smiled however when the boy gave him a glare. "But," he began as he stood over the former hero. "If you truly think I'm just going to let you march in there by yourself and your team, you are mistaken. I intend to finish this, just as you do. And from them, we will take hold of the reins that the ben Elohim have cherished for so long."

"And bottle Aurora?" Robin picked himself up off the floor and placed himself into another defensive position. Slade did the same. "Yes, and bottle Aurora."

"I still think you just want in on the fun."

"While I am sure there will be many adventures for you to exploit in the future, this is not one of them."

Robin shook his head. "You know, I never pegged you as someone for being so concerned. You're gonna make the whole team feel awkward."

"Richard, I do not intend to diminish their admiration for you, nor do I want them to feel themselves to be cumbersome in my presence. I have seen what they can do, they do not need to be carried along. In fact, I cannot wait to see you and your team in action."

"But I'm sure you've watched every little detail of every mission we've been on." Slade didn't deny it, "Yes, but it's different when seeing it live. So the plan you forwarded to me, has been accepted. However, I have made some minor changes. Regardless, as you know, nothing ever goes according to plan and so we are left to improvise as things change around us. Getting there is one thing, once we cross that border there will be no amount of planning that can save us."

Robin nodded, "Winging it is what we do best anyway."

They were about to continue their session when Will made an entrance with a tray of coffee he had freshly prepared. "Will you two knock it off, look at all the damage you've done." Slade nearly rolled his eye as the two eased up. Hands clasped at his back Slade approached his old friend. "Really Will? Is interrupted Richards training something you must do on the daily?" William Wintergreen waved his friend off, "Really Slade, I'm not interrupting anything, I'm only bringing you two some coffee and biscuits, but if you want to be ungrateful I can toss it all away." The mastermind stared blankly at his friend, Richard however, scooped up a biscuit and grabbed a cup of coffee. "I'm not complaining," he said, "In fact, I'll always be grateful for your visits Mr. Wintergreen." Will smiled at the boy, "Only because I bring snacks." Robin shrugged and sipped on his coffee. Slade however, looked between the two before letting out a sigh, his defeat was always assured the moment Will walked into the room.

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GVV97 was their unit number, although it was short for Ghostwalkers. They never really discussed it, although the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. No one ever truly saw them coming. Their achievements were already so numerous it was only a matter of time before they were sent to battle to deal with the real enemy, the ben Elohim. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and she had tried to investigate more on the subject. But it would seem she was only allowed a certain amount of access that gave her the same information she already had. Which was quite bothersome for her, and frankly she didn't want to bother Renegade more than she already had. So that left her with Asif.

However, when she entered the meeting room she found Tank and Ksenia were already speaking with the man in question with similar questions of their own. "How long were you hunting these people down?" Ksenia didn't beat around the bush. Asif sat in a chair while the two others stood across from him, well Ksenia stood, Tank sat on the edge of the table. "A long time, years maybe, I never really kept track." Kate found a place to stand next to her friend. "But why, why go through so much effort?" Asif just sighed and shook his head. "My sister, she was involved far before I was, and then they took her from me. She got involved with things that I couldn't understand at the time. It wasn't until a friend came to recruit me that I started to see things for how they were."

"Wait, you have a sister." Asif looked at Tank and shook his head. "Had a sister. She's been gone for a while now."

"Sorry man." If anyone knew what kind of pain Asif had felt back then, it was most likely Tank. "It's alright." Asif leaned back and shrugged, "It's been a long time since then. Nothing really heals, you just learn to deal with it." That comment earned him a smile and a nod from Tank before their team lead entered the room. "Everyone having a fun time without me?" Asif already saw him enter the room, it was the other three that turned to find Renegade leaning against the door frame. "So," He began, "Everyone ready for an adventure?"

"Finally."

"I suppose."

Kate looked to Renegade and nodded, "Finally come up with something stable?" He shrugged, "Maybe." He walked across the room before his hands rested on the back of a chair, and his eyes took in the sight of the team before him. They have all had their own personal struggles, fought in battles, and wars, and completed high-priority missions, perhaps it was fate in some twisted way that prepared them for this up-and-coming assault against this ancient foe. "Honestly, there isn't much of a plan to work with. The ben Elohim are unpredictable, therefore we have to be the same. The plan that I have created will only get us so far. As you may or may not know, Aurora had the Titans deliver to me a message from her. It would seem she wants to meet in Yemen, her so-called land of ash and ruin. I'm sure rumors have spread around and you're all very aware that the next level is beyond just taking out League targets. If you're all still interested that is?" The team looked at him and didn't give him a response, so he took their silence as a solid yes. "The thing is Yemen is amid civil unrest, we can't just fly in, so we are going to have to walk."

"Walk?" Tank groaned at the thought. "Yes," Robin replied, "Walk. We will fly into Saudi Arabia, and from there we can take a helicopter across the desert, but we can't take it across the border, it might raise some alarms where we don't need them. The helicopters will drop us off in the middle of the empty quarter, it will be a two-day walk to a place called At Talh, this little village is in Yemen, it's a small town near the border out in the middle of the desert. No one pays much attention to it, there are no guards, no border control, just desert. From there we can buy what we need and make our way to Sa'dah via camelback, which is only about a day's trip."

Tank groaned again, "It's gonna be hot. I hate the heat!" Robin smirked at his teammate's dismay. "Once we get to Sa'dah, we are winging it. We need to keep our minds sharp and our eyes and ears focused. We cannot plan around something like the ben Elohim. There are too many loose ends. But I have emailed you all the info that I do know, what I have been able to gather from my own encounters based on the members I have met in previous quarrels. Read it, memorize it. Also," Robin crossed his arms, "Slade will be joining us."

"What?" the three said in unison. Asif however, didn't show any emotion. He kind of figured Deathstroke would want to be in on this. Especially when they were so close to what they could only hope would be an end to all of this madness. "Man, things are just gonna get intense. First the damn heat, now Deathstroke." Ksenia was more optimistic than Tank however, "At least it will be an entertaining journey." He groaned almost as if in defeat, "If you say so." Robin imagined that the idea of the big boss tagging along may cause some turbulence amongst the group, but Slade really didn't give him any options. He was coming, and that was that.

"The email, does it include your time in the desert, in that so-called land of ash and ruin? I imagine she had called it that for a reason." Robin could only nod, "Yes, I had my first confrontation with the ben Elohim there. The city was burnt to cinders by one of their more elite members, her name was Madaline. These events I have listed in the email, along with information on each member, or at least ones that we know of. Sven Reinhardt is a fun one, I'm sure you'll all find his file interesting." She took in a deep breath and nodded. This was it, this was the real deal, the real threat. The real danger.

"We have a week to prepare. And that is a lot of time honestly. But do what you can, for now, train as much as you can and memorize what information I have given you. If could very well save you." The trio eventually left, all of them a little nervous but a bit ecstatic to move on to different targets. He had drilled it into them that the ben Elohim was not a normal threat, and while he believed that they took his words to heart, there was no greater way to obtain knowledge than seeing something for yourself. "Do you think they're ready?" Robin remembered the day Asif posed this same question to him in regards to them facing the League. He wasn't wrong then and he knew he wasn't wrong now. This team could do it. "Yes, more than ready. I know they will not comprehend it all now, but maybe they'll begin to understand it once everything starts hitting the fan. I know they will adapt. And they will grow stronger for it." Asif brushed a hand through his hair. "Care to get some food?" Robin simply smiled at his old friend before heading towards the door. "Fine, let's get you some food before you get hangry."

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They had a week to prepare and as Robin predicted, it was more than enough. By this point, the team was ready to go by the third day. But he told them to go back into the files he had given them and study what he shared with them. Also, he updated them with the variety of Legacy updates coming from what Slade's intel team had found. Albeit some of it was old news for him by now. The fact that Aurora herself was a vampire-like creature that drew blood from her victims to contain the knowledge of the dead. That was not something any of them expected and when the news settled into their bones he saw a shift in them. He had always informed them that the ben Elohim was something surreal, something strange. But he could tell that the idea of the leader of this entire secret society being some sort of science experimental creation developed to contain knowledge, a vampire, a creature that has been passing this curse down for thousands of years, it wasn't something they had thought of. And honestly, who would? Definitely not himself.

Four more days had passed and he found himself boarding a plane along with Slade as he watched his team ready themselves on the tarmac. "I think you're making them nervous." Robin chuckled as he watched as his team eyed him from afar, all of them getting ready to board the plane. Slade simply shrugged and walked towards his seat. They would have to fly to Turkey and then take a commercial flight into Saudi Arabia. The mastermind apparently didn't have any bases in the Middle East. Turkey was the last privately owned outpost on their journey, from there they'd have to fly like everyone else. However, once in Jeddah, it would seem that Will had made some arrangements beforehand with some personal contacts of his, who were nice enough to set them up with a helicopter and some supplies to get them to the middle of the empty quarter.

With a sigh, Robin fell into his seat and buckled himself in. He sat across from Slade and he was reminded of the first time they flew together across the desert. Back then he was panicked, trying everything in the book to remain calm, and was looking for any way out of the situation he found himself in. But now, he didn't feel anything as he sat across from his master. It felt almost, natural. Although he dared not tell that to Slade, he didn't need the man holding it over his head. "Do think they're ready?" Robin looked at the man across from him. "You and Asif seem to share the same concerns." His attention was drawn away as he watched the four members of GVV97 walk past them as they situated themselves further towards the back of the plane. "I know they're ready. Anything can be unpredictable, as we know the ben Elohim can be. But I know they can match that. They just won't know it until they get there."

"Seems risky." The man prodded further.

"Maybe." His eyes found Slade again. "But I have a hunch they'll be able to pull through. They have demonstrated their own abilities well over the past few missions, they can react quickly enough and make decisions for what needs to be done, without completely botching a mission."

Slade smirked at the boy. "You seem quite impressed with them." Robin looked to his team that sat further down and smiled. "Yeah, I am."

The flight itself to Turkey was long and tiresome, and while the flight to Saudi Arabia was shorter, it was perhaps just as monotonous. However, they all seemed to perk up a bit once they stepped outside from Jeddah's international and air-conditioned airport and into the fray as the warm weather confronted them all in full force. And within seconds he heard Tank mutter and complain about the heat. You would think someone from Mexico would be used to the humidity, but apparently, he hadn't been home for so long that he grew accustomed to cooler climates.

"Now the long walk to At Talh. Did Mr. Wintergreen talk to that contact of his?" Slade looked to his apprentice and nearly let out a sigh. "Will assured me that he spoke with them, although at times I do wonder," Robin smirked at the thought. William Wintergreen generally always did as he was asked by his old friend. Making arrangements and keeping an eye on the bases while Slade was off galivanting around, was pretty much what Will did best. He was the glue that held things together amongst all the bases. "Mr. Wilson and company?" Slade was about to give his old friend a call when they were approached. "Yes." was the mercenary's reply. "My name is Ahmed, I will be your escort. Mr. Wintergreen has contacted us and we appreciate the great patronage." Patronage? Another sigh nearly escaped his lips and he wondered how much Will had to pay out to his old acquaintance for their little trip into the desert. "If you will follow me?"

The local man had escorted them to a white van, and once everyone was nestled inside, he drove them to a compound on the outskirts of the city. Once they arrived at their destination Slade was greeted by Will's old friend Yusuf. He was a shorter man, a bit thicker around the waistline, and wore traditional robes. "You want to go all the way out into the empty quarter Slade, have you lost your mind?" The mercenary frowned, remembering that Will's friend was perhaps just as annoying as Will was at times.

The facility they stood in now was massive. Big enough to harbor weapons, vehicles, and possibly anything else one may want to smuggle in and out of the country. "Do you have what Will asked for?" Slade didn't seem to budge for the older man as they walked side by side. "Of course, the helicopters are ready and stocked with the supplies you will need to survive in that blasted place. But why go in the first place?"

"That's a little personal Yusuf." the man in question waved his hand dismissively. "That place is dangerous, it is a hell on earth. So few survive it. Although I am sure you are capable, your companions are questionable, however."

"They will be fine, as long as you have provided us with the right equipment. I'm sure Will paid out a handsome fee to get the supplies that we need?"

"And with that fee, you get the very best, forgive me for having to worry about an old colleague of mine as he runs off into the Rub al Khali, into some apparent form of death." Slade nearly sighed again and Robin crossed his arms. This Yusuf was as Slade had warned him to be on the way over, dramatic.

They had all spent the night there, getting as much rest as they could before leaving the next morning. It would only be a short flight before they were left stranded in the middle of those unforgiving sands. In many ways, he wanted to forget, but more so than he ever thought he would, he wanted to stand out there again, in that desert, in that heat, in that vile place he defeated nearly a year ago. He wanted to take it all back in again, to feel every emotion it brought to the surface. All just to trounce it once again. Returning here in some way felt as if he was returning home. This is where he found his path, it's where he met Sariel, Gus, and Asif. Everything changed for him here. He once thought he would never want to return, but he supposed he was wrong. Perhaps returning meant he had grown past something or grown to a level of acceptance of his new life. He didn't worry too much about it however, in the long run, it wasn't that important. What had been done, was done. The past was the past. He could only hope that his future was just as adventurous.

The next day was an early start. All of them were given a change of clothes, all of them a little different from one another. However, Robin was reminded of the outfit he had received from Sariel. He was given olive drab pants, a white shirt, and a brown long-sleeved jacket along with a blue shemagh. To complete the look Richard reached into his bag to find his trusty combat knife, the very one he found in that crate forever ago, and attached it to his belt next to the holster. They would be picking up their weapons in At Talh.

Yusuf had said his goodbyes as they piled into the helicopter and soon they were airborne. Even sooner were they dropped off into the middle of the desert, and once the helicopter left them behind, they were all feeling a little intimidated by the presence of the dangerous environment surrounding them. The desert was a dangerous foe, one could easily lose to its cruelty. But strangely, now that he was here, with his feet in these sands once again, Robin felt glad to have returned. It was a familiar dread that crept into his heart, one that kept him alive out here. And it was then, in that moment, perhaps he saw the beauty in the desert. Maybe now he understood why Sariel gave it so much praise.

Robin pulled the backpack a little closer to himself as he looked towards Slade and the rest of his team. The next two days were going to be grueling at best. "Everyone ready?" Robin nodded towards his master and he watched as his own team did the same. While everyone knew the boss of the outfit, no one here had worked with him just yet. Which, was going to make things a lot more interesting. Maybe a bit more fun. He did find it somewhat amusing when they began their journey that his team walked ahead of him and Slade. "You're making them nervous." Robin had said with a smug look on his face. "It doesn't matter, as long as they can perform when the time comes." The smirk never left Robin's lips as he nodded. "They're more than ready. I know you trust my word enough on the subject. But you know, you could be a little nicer to them? Help loosen them up? Having you around has put them a little on edge. In all honestly, I think they don't know what to do with you, or how to deal with your presence. You are kind of intimidating." The mastermind nearly rolled his eye and instead settled for a bit of a huff. "I'll try, just a little." If things weren't already so erratic between Slade and his team he would have let out a bit of a giggle.

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She had returned, and through whatever means was necessary, she had made her way back to the beginning of it all. And as she stood there in the remnants of the horrors they had all lived through that night, she hoped that she had done enough.

She began to search the area and upon further inspection, she realized that this entire section of the city was still unlivable. There were entire interiors that were just gone, the exterior structures, blackened by the ash, were the only things remaining. People's lives were just uprooted, and torn apart, forcing whoever remained to restart their lives from nothing. Ground up wasn't exactly a good option out here and she briefly wondered about the people that were here that night. How many lived, how many died? She didn't want to think about the numbers.

With a sigh, she realized she would have to make sure everything went exactly as planned from here on out. She couldn't let anyone down. So she would prepare and she would wait. Aurora wanted the Legacy returned and she knew what was stolen was all of the incomplete pieces to the puzzle. And while she was sure that Robin had downloaded all the information he could into Slade's systems, whether or not they had access to incomplete information wasn't a problem for her. They could look at the intel for hours and find bits and pieces of what was truly important and she was quite sure they had found a few interesting things already. But what Robin didn't know was that the missing pieces he had were like keys, Aurora couldn't gain access to certain information or wealth without the keys. And so the vampire was stuck and probably furious beyond all measure. Which pleased Sariel, she would have the last laugh.

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Thanks for all reading, pls pls plllsss leave me a comment. FYI I do update this more regularly on Ao3, same author name, same fic name. Come find me over yonder!

Thanks for all the love and stay safe out there!

-Fangy