Got Your Back, Always

V.XIV

Donna snapped her lasso and knocked a few assassins down. Tim spun his bo staff and took down a decently large assassin.

"Hey kid, you're getting pretty good with that," Donna said.

Tim beamed, "Thanks!"

Dick kicked a Talon and jumped into the air, he spun and zapped it with his ezcrima sticks.

Kory threw her hand out and blasted a large Talon, it crumbled to the ground sizzling.

Cassie dropped to the ground dodging the claws of another, she grabbed its leg and plunged a knife into its back. She quickly stood up and kicked it making it land on top of Kory's now dead one.

"What the hell are these things?" Kory asked.

Cassie took a moment to catch her breath.

Roy grunts and nocks three arrows at once, quickly firing them together. A large Talon grunts and crashes into a smaller one, both falling to the ground.

Jason shoots his guns until he runs out of bullets.

"Wouldn't want to get into a fistfight with one of these," Roy says.

Jason reloads his guns, "Whatever the hell they are."

They both raise their weapons and shoot at the same time.

Cassie crouches in front of a dead Talon.

"A sample would be nice," Dick puts his hands on his hips looking at its corpse. "You wouldn't happen to have a-" He shook his head watching as Cassie pulled out an evidence baggie from a pocket in her suit. "Of course you do."

She smirked, "What? Gotta be prepared."

Kory laughed, "Only you Cassie, only you."

She shrugged, grabbed a knife from her suit, and stabbed the creature. She pulled as much from the corpse as she could and put it into the baggie, sealing it. She stands up, "Okay. The others have cleared their areas, we good to go home?"

Kory and Dick shared a look.

Cassie stands in front of them, pulling up the results from the tests she and Dick ran. Dick stands next to her leaning on the table.

The others stand facing the screen, Cassie pulls up the pictures and images of the creatures they fought tonight.

"Do we know what they are?" Roy asked crossing his arms. 

Cassie sighed and looked at Dick.

He nodded, "They are called Talons. They are the reason why the League has been looking around Gotham."

"Tests came back and they are made of dionesium, it's chemical makeup is very similar to that of the Lazarus Pit, think of it like a by-product of the Pit," Cassie said.

Donna asked, "Do we know how they are made?"

"No," Dick answered.

"Do we know anything other than it's a formerly dead person mixed with a resurrecting chemical?" Tim asked.

Cassie shook her head, "Tests can only tell us so much." She raised her finger, "But I did analyze the footage from tonight when I was scrubbing and I realized that Roy and Jason's hits were more effective."

Dick crossed his arms and looked at Jason and Tim, "Why?"

Both boys thought for a moment watching the footage.

"Ranged," Jason spoke up. "Cassie's throws are more too in that one, over direct stabs," he points out. "Same with Kory's blasts. Ranged fighting. Bullets, arrows, throwing knives, those need distance."

Dick said, "Good."

"Exactly," Cassie nodded. "That's an advantage we can use. Roy, Jason, Kory you three alongside myself should have plenty. As for Gray your darts arrived about an hour ago if you want to give it some practice, and your forearm attachments should be easy to add." She turned to Tim, "You said you're pretty good with a slingshot right?" He nodded. "Good. There's one here in the vault I'll grab for you, it comes with an ammo pouch too that we can add to your suit." Cassie looks at Donna, "You bring your bow?"

She nods.

Roy scoffed, "Bow? But bows are my thing. Can't she have knives or something? You have plenty to share."

Donna smacked Roy across the back of the head. He grunted in pain grabbing his head. Kory snickered to herself ignoring Roy's glare at her.

"Roy," Cassie rolled her eyes. "You literally have the same weapon as your mentor, the Green Arrow. So do not give me that."

Dick smirked, "Tim you'll want some practice before patrol tomorrow, as will I. But good work tonight everyone."