Shadow Of The Nightshade

Sort of Expected.

Artemis was wounded and couldn't use her weapon. KidFlash had a broken leg and couldn't run. M'gann was barely breathing and Aqualad and Robin weren't present.

The rate at which things were going, they were going to die very soon.

But in their defense, the guy had just popped out of nowhere and started attacking with no warning.

Conner charged at the slim blonde. He had to take him down or it was over.

Carter simply held up the gun and aimed directly at the kryptonian.

'Sorry.' Superboy said. 'Bullets don't work on me.'

A taunting smile appeared on Carter's lips. 'Is that so?'

He pulled the trigger, Conner's eyes widened at the feeling of sudden weakness that overpowered him.

Artemis' pupils shrunk as she ignored the pain in her shoulder and released an arrow, before grimacing and collapsing.

Artemis was down. But a bullet was heading for Conner and an arrow for Carter.

The archer knew she couldn't stop the bullet and save Conner, but she could impale the mad man and prevent him from doing anything else.

At the point of contact of both arrow and bullet, there were no sounds of impact. In fact, there was a person.

Shadow clicked her tongue. 'Guys, can't we just get along? Is all this violence necessary?'

The arrow was in her hand, and surprisingly she caught the bullet too. She was standing directly in front of Conner, with blood dripping down her right hand, a new hole in the shoulder of her suit.

'Carter, welcome.' She greeted him with a smile. 'Now get the hell out.'

'I was asked to bring you back, you don't have to be in one. . . Peace!' He said, stumbling a step forward.

Shadow cocked her brow in amusement. 'Carter, are you. .   drunk?'

He smelled like a mix of seawater and whiskey.

'Maybe.' Carter pointed the gun at her.

'Yeah, I was wondering why they weren't all dead already. And how I could stop your bullet, makes sense now.'

'Why did do that anyway? You just hurt my. . .yourself?' Carter asked in confusion.

Shadow rolled her eyes. 'Because if I caught it like I did with the arrow Superboy would still die, so why not body block?'

'Okay, let me kill them so that I can get you back—' The blonde was out of patience.

'Back where, exactly?'

'The Nightshade, no where else.' He said sternly.

'Well, I can't do that now. If you had killed them before I got here then fine. But now I can either silence you permanently or keep you here.' She shrugged.

Everett's eye twitched, and he wasn't the only one feeling that this scenario was off.

Someone risks his life to rescue you and you straight up say you're going to kill him.

Maybe she really likes staying here. Everett thought to himself.

'Let me guess.' Carter glared at the spot behind her. 'Another promise.'

'Actually it's the same one. It's like a two in one combo.' She laughed.

'You're hurt.' Carter's glare softened.

'Because of you,' Shadow hissed.

'You stood in the path of the bullet. I had nothing to do with it.'

'Then who pulled the trigger?'

'Them.' He shrugged, pointing the firearm at the heroes sprawled on the floor.

'Why did you bring out the gun?' Shadow asked in exasperation. 'You could have just talked.'

'Really? So I would have to listen to some self-righteous bullshit? Everyone knows the way to shut them up and have a sensible conversation is to kill them.'

'Then how would you talk to them.' Shadow sighed.

'That's the beauty of it, I usually don't get to. Something about dead men getting to tell no tales.' He smirked.

'Carter, stand down.'

'Sorry, I'm not in your crazy cult.'

Shadow shook her head. 'But you should still listen to me. . . otherwise.'

There was a pause.

'Why are you here, Carter?'

'Vanessa broke up with me and it's your fault, so I need you to fix it. It would be best if you were. . . alive.'

That explains the alcohol.

'Who told you were I was?' Shadow asked again.

'Don.'

'Don?' Shadow wasn't convinced.

'He's a light weight drinker.'

'Remind me to kill him.' Shadow said, taking the gun out of Carter's hand and disassembling it.

Carter laughed, slumping to the floor. 'I hate alcohol'

'Well?' Shadow asked.

'I'll stay.'

'Really?'

'Yeah, apparently this place can turn psychotic people to relatively sane people.' He teased.

'Great, nice to have you at our rehabilitation center.' Her voice raised in pitch, causing Carter to groan in pain at the sound.

'I wish, I had something to hit you over the head with.' He moaned.

She turned around. 'Don get your butt down here.'

'You know it's sexy.' A voice came from behind her.

Turning around very slowly and resisting the urge to strangle the owner of that voice, she smiled at the pink haired teenager standing next to Carter.
He stood, completely clad in black except for the pink feathered scarf wrapped around his neck.

This was Don.

And he was currently fist bumping with Carter.

'Shadow!' He screamed excitedly, draping one hand over her shoulder. 'I knew one day I'd hear you shout my name.'

'I didn't shout.' She shrugged his arm off. 'Now please fix everything.'

'Even her.' He pointed to Artemis.

'Yes.'

'But she's sort of a bitc—'

She cut him of. 'Just do it before Batman comes and—'

'Batman: 02.' The animatronic voice of the Zeta Beam generator announced.

She groaned. '. . . blames everything on me.'

'What happened here?' Batman's voice was the same as always when he talked to her, deep, gruff and angry.

'Perfect timing.' She mumbled under her breath.

It was obvious. The heavens hated her.

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