Skyfall | Dick Grayson ³ ' ⁴

|7| 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚎

" There's reasoning behind his return. " Oliver said as he gestured to an old news article of Deathstroke and Dr Light.

"What do they have to do with anything?" Harper frowned.

"Well we've had a hit on Merlyn ever since he disappeared those many years ago. But he's been under the radar until recently."

"How recently?" Harper asked tentatively.

"Since the death of these two." Oliver said referencing Slade and Arthur Light.

''Okay and? we wasted them. Got revenge. The whole shebang. What does Malcolm Merlyn want with Deathstroke and Dr Light? "Harper scoffed as Oliver sighed, leaning against the table, somewhat dispirited.

"He worked with them" Oliver confessed and Harper let out a disbelieving snort. ''Worked with them? Since when? What could Deathstroke, Dr Light and the Dark Archer possibly have in common for them to be in cahoots with one another. It makes no sense."

"It makes every sense Harper. What's one thing connecting all three?" Oliver said as Harper frowned, glancing at the three images. "Think Harper, there's always one thing tying everyone together. A common goal." he pressed.

"Revenge" Harper realised. Oliver nodded pleased. "On who, us?"

"Precisely" Oliver affirmed. " Deathstroke wanted revenge on you and the Titans after his son Jericho, obviously you guys got to him before he could finish the job. Merlyn wants revenge on me for numerous reasons including putting him in exile for the past two decades. Dr Light was their bridge at killing two birds with one stone."

Ice rushed through her veins. "Makes sense.  Everyone knows I was your protégé. If Deathstroke killed me it would have been enough to lure you out. Gives Merlyn the perfect opportunity to attack. But that plan failed miserably, so what? He's angry and wants revenge for us killing Deathstroke and Dr Light?"  she said, trying to draw a link between all this. 

''It's highly likely" Oliver nodded. "All we know for sure is that he's back and eager to finish what he started. But we're going to end it, tonight, once and for all."

"You know where he is?" She asked as he swiped at the screen revealing a letter, signed by Merlyn, calling him out. Merlyn found them, not the other way around. 

Harper stared at it for a long, hard minute. Quiver had gone silent and Harper could feel the excitement and grin that bubbled within her. She didn't turn when she said, "I can't promise I won't kill him" and she meant every word. It ended tonight. Oliver felt his lips quirk.

" I won't be the one to stop you" he said. "So, suit up, we leave in five." 

Harper nodded, grabbing her gear. Dinah placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her in place before she could walk away. 

"Be careful alright" Dinah told her.

Something stirred in her chest when she noticed how dark Harper had gotten at the revelation of Merlyn's comeback. She felt something shift in the air at how lethal she looked and Dinah, against her better judgment was certain she saw her eyes flash a different colour. But that was impossible. A nagging feeling tugged at her, maybe it was her mother instincts kicking in that was screaming at her that something was about to go horribly wrong tonight. She just didn't know what. So Dinah held her a little longer than necessary, pleading with her in her mind, hoping Harper would feel some of her anxiety. 

But Harper merely smiled, heaved her bow on her shoulder and shot Dinah a small, and worrying smile. "I got this" she said. She concealed how much this news really affected her because if they knew she was one string loose from ripping a whole straight through Malcolm Merlyn's chest, they wouldn't have let her join the mission and she'd rather die than let Merlyn  escape once again.