"Clean shot in the head." Zach rounded the newfound corpse tied onto a post. Their once triumphant foe had lost his light ( pun intended ). Jason's tracker had guided them towards this body. They did not know how to feel about this discovery. "Fuck, look at his stupid helmet. The bullet went perfectly through the metal, too. Whoever killed him─"
"─has to be more dangerous than him." Artemisia moved beside her friend, attending the dented helmet he had mentioned. She felt terrorized. "We limped out of that stadium."
Dawn joined the duo, staring at Doctor Light's shattered skull. A loud gulp filled the air. "Maybe it was luck."
"No, this isn't luck." Zach carefully grabbed the man's wirework, stirring his pale face towards him. Blood blotched his hand as he analyzed the victim a second time. There wasn't much to see: a crack in his head, threads binding his face and body, and the puddle of blood under his feet. He let go of the corpse, its head plummeting back into place. An object the size of a pea dropped to the ground. "What the fuck?"
Dick kneeled to have a closer look. Drenched in blood was Jason's tracker. "Someone must've cut it out of him."
"Well, if Dr. Light's dead, where the fuck is Jason?" Hank, oddly, for someone who showed dislike towards the boy, looked very stressed about the missing teen. But Artemisia was not one to judge; she'd insulted Jason on uncountable occasions, sometimes even stepping towards the physical line, yet her figure was jittery since she left her room and saw everyone prepared to search. When it became real.
"He must be working with a partner."
On cue, a cellphone began ringing. They looked at each other, trying to figure out whose phone went off. No one claimed the annoying sound. Zach then turned to the body. He took an old phone from among the wires. Artemisia snatched it off his hands, passing it to Dick. Private number, it said on the screen.
Dick answered the call. There was an instant of pure silence and then: "I see you found my gift."
Their hearts sank at the strange voice. It was modulated, hiding its true tone. Artemisia stepped closer to Dick, anxiously biting on her nails. But with his next words, ripping her grown nails would not satisfy her, opting to tear through her healing lips.
"It's Deathstroke." As the rest of the group held back their emotions, and nearly failing to do so, Dick remained still, face and tone cold. "Where's Jason?"
"Oh, you mean your little sidekick?" Deathstroke's voice triggered a shiver up her tight spine. She had not met the man, only heard stories, and yet she was scared like a kid who'd believed every scary tale their parents told them.
But Jason, proving to be more courageous than most of them, did not feel daunted by the man who was in the same room as him. "Who the fuck 'you calling a sidekick, asshole?" He barked at his captor. He was still alive. That was good ( finally something positive this night ).
His bravery was not responded with hesitation from the man. Artemisia recognized the sound of the blade slicing through the air, envisioning his acts. A muffled cry came from the phone.
The group fell silent for a blink. What the fuck were they supposed to do? They were left with no other choice than to listen to the torturing. A whimper caught them off guard ─Deathstroke was really hurting him. It switched something in Hank. He grabbed the phone. "You fucking bastard! Come try that shit with me!"
Dick snatched the device back. He was the only one who could continue the treaty with civilization. The rest had sunk into their emotions. Fury. Startle. Anxiety. He did not feel anything but disappointment, all written over his face. "Just tell us what you want."
A choked breath cut off the last of Jason's whimpers. Artemisia clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. She wanted to cry. "As I was saying if you want him back, hand over Rose."
"And how do we know you're gonna keep your promise?"
Silence. Then more of Jason's swears. Deathstroke chuckled. A primal need to murder him came upon them. "Tonight, three AM. Embarcadero Plaza. Outside. Use this phone to confirm."
The line disconnected. Artemisia relaxed, showing how weak she actually was. She turned her back on them, hiding her cries. "Fuck." She struck the nearest object, which happened to be Doctor Light's dead body. She did not feel bad about it. "It's my fault. I told him─"
"No, I left him behind," Dick argued. He had walked over to face her, hands resting in her shoulders. She did not believe him. This was on her. "I shouldn't have pushed him back for so long."
His hands traveled up her neck, stopping by her jaw and tilting her head up. Her watery eyes stared at his desperate ones. "Dick, I told him we'll let him have the next mission. He went out because of me."
"It's not the time to blame anyone," Hank interrupted their self-pitying moment. "Jason went out without your permission. What's done is done. Let's focus on bringing him back."
Artemisia would have normally spun around, start a discussion and annoy him by poking her finger into his chest. But right now, she did not have the energy to do so. Besides, she was thankful he forced her to stop crying and compose herself. She turned to the team with a shy smile. Not pretending. They were all destroyed.
"How'd you plan on bringing him back? It's not like you guys beat him last time," Zach called from a few steps behind the team. He acted like a stranger; because he felt like one. This was not his fight but here he was, helping them find a teen with who he barely shared a word.
Hank glared in his direction. "We're very aware of that. Thank you, dickhead." Zach only shrugged at his response.
"We should go back to the apartment. Talk there." Donna offered. And they agreed. This was no place to discuss what their next move would be. Deathstroke could be anywhere, listening, targeting them. There was no safe place, just like it had been with Doctor Light.
They were quiet in the walk towards the car. And inside the vehicle, too. The same happened in the elevator. None of them wished to speak their minds. What would they do with Rose? Trade her off? Use her as leverage?
The doors to the apartment opened. Five pairs of eyes looked in their direction. Time seemed to slow down when Artemisia's eyes landed on the tallest of them all.
"Kory?" She rushed towards the woman and pulled her into a needed hug. A short one since the time was not right. The footsteps behind her reminded her of their reality. This wasn't a time to celebrate. She pulled away, trying to hold onto her grin. "It's good to see you again."
"You, too." Kory smiled down at her before looking up at the group. "All of you." She received waves and mumbles hellos, which she did not question. That could only mean one thing: the teens had updated her with their latest situation. "Now, can someone tell me what happened to Jason?"
Dick nodded to his left. "Let's talk in the training room."
Kory frowned but complied. She warned the teens to stay put ( just like Artemisia and Dick did right after ) and headed towards a quieter place, where no one could listen. All adults settled in a circle, arms crossed and ready to discuss the proposition. First, Donna informed Kory about the result of their recent mission.
Then, the argument began.
"You should have thrown that girl out the minute you knew she was Deathstroke's daughter."
Kory batted her eyes in confusion. Apparently, she was not informed enough. "Wait a minute. Pirate girl is this guy's daughter?"
"Yeah, and he wants her back," Hank stressed over the well-known factor. It was the reason they'd called this meeting, after all. The giant question that would test their morals: should they give Deathstroke what he asks for?
"Which we can't do," Dick reminded. But did he believe so? What other option did they have to get Jason back?
Artemisia glanced directly at him, questioning his statement. "Why not?" Kory's mouth fell as she turned to her. She shrugged, studying the rest of their faces. Vacant. Still deciding what to choose. "It's not such a crazy idea. The kid was trouble before we found out about her father."
"You're not serious," Dawn gasped.
Hank raised his voice, standing by her side in their mindset: get Jason back no matter what. "She's right. We do this, we end things with Deathstroke once and for all. It might not be pretty, but neither is watching Jason get killed by that lunatic."
"This isn't Rose's fault. We all know it." Dawn jumped to defend the girl. A girl she hadn't had an opportunity to meet. None of them had. She was a stranger. "The only reason we're all still alive right now is because she's here."
Artemisia scoffed at the veil of heroism thrown to cover who the girl really was. A threat. "So, what, are we supposed to stay locked in here forever? I mean, clearly, we can't go out 'cause look at Jason. Is that how you want to live?" She bit on her tongue, holding back the need to be louder in order to be heard.
"I'm just saying, there has to be another option," Dawn established with a calm tone. Because she knew she was right. And so did Artemisia. If only another choice presented itself, she'd take it and save Jason. Save them all from the nightmare that stalked them for years.
"Why don't we find this guy and neutralize him?" Kory proposed, still clueless about the threat they were facing.
Donna tried her best to sound nice when explaining the danger, forcing a nervous smile into her lips and all. "It's not that easy. We barely survived his last attack."
"Look, Jason is hurt, alone, scared. And I. . ." Hank paused, rephrasing his sentence, thinking it through. Artemisia looked at him with worry; he never cared what he said, at least not until too late. "We all know what that feels like. Bottom line is, he's one of us and she's not. So handing her over, if it saves his life, I don't know about you, but I can sleep a little better at night knowing I did the right thing!"
Kory cleared her throat. She shook her head in disbelief. True faces were being revealed tonight. And not all of them were pretty. "You good with this, Grayson?"
He did not respond. His gaze was glued to the soft ground. As the head of all teams, the final decision rested on him. It was his morals that really got tested. Whatever he chose, the team would adjust to it. As long as it brought them Jason back.
Kory called his name a second time. He snapped out of it, glaring over the circle that had been arguing the whole time. "Just give me a second."
"There isn't much to think, really." Zach played with a bo staff, only listening to their drama, finding out about his friends. His mind seemed set. In what?
Dawn sighed, truly frustrated with the dilemma. "She's just a kid."
"Deathstroke's kid," Donna insisted. When the eyes fell on her, she avoided them, looking away. "Let's be honest. The further away from us she gets, the safer she's gonna be."
The blonde shook her head, growing slightly angry. She insisted that she needed to be protected from Deathstroke; they could not leave her because he would hunt her down. "Or worse," Dick pointed out, "we lose leverage over Deathstroke once he finds out she's in the wind."
"We've gone down this path before. We all know how that ended." Dawn brought up their past, a sensitive subject that would weaken them for long enough to convince them against using Rose. But Artemisia did not know how things ended or how far they'd pushed. The option still stood for her.
Hank clapped his hand as if sealing the deal. "Fuck it. I'll take her there myself. Good luck trying to stop me."
"Wait, have you lost your mind?" Kory called after him, making him halt in his steps. "You're all turning into monsters instead of trying to figure out how to fight one. We all need to get our shit together and figure out how to fight him as a team. Otherwise, we've already lost Jason."
"Don't!" Artemisia snapped. She'd crossed the line for her. They were supposed to find a solution, not throw themselves down. "We're not losing him."
Before anyone got a word out, a figure ran past the room, too fast for their brains. The mood turned in a second. "What was that?"
Garfield arrived seconds later, following the same direction as the last person. He stopped by the entrance and chuckled breathlessly. "Rose, uh, overheard you guys talking about giving her up. She's trying to leave."
Dick rushed to the nearest panel and pressed his thumb against the screens. Red lights blinked over them, disappearing as quickly as they shone. The Tower was in complete lockdown. Rose would not be able to escape the easy ways. "Find her and stop her. She's not leaving this place no matter what we choose."
He took off towards the main entrance, seeking to intersect her before she reached the elevator─ not that she'd be able to get out. Artemisia took off to the first exit that popped into her mind. A second pair of steps echoed hers. She ignored them, focusing only on catching the girl.
Seeing the white doors, she studied the passage that crossed hers. No one nearby. She turned over her heel to find the space empty. She was alone now, guarding the door and hoping for the girl to come this way.
The footsteps returned after five minutes or so. This time they were faster, yet light. Like they were sneaking about. She caught the noise by her left, head craning in that direction. Rose's figure passed once more like a blur, but she recognized her this turn.
Artemisia took off, tracing all the possible routes the girl could've taken. She turned to the right, smashing into another person. Her hand steadied her by sticking onto the wall. She shot up, ready to grab Rose and take her somewhere she could not escape. The bad news was, she had not run into their escapee. It was Zach.
Huffing, she stepped around him. The girl should not be far. Zach blocked her path again. Artemisia moved to the other extreme, only to find him there, stopping her from going further. "Zach get out of my way."
"First think about what you're gonna do." He grabbed her arms, keeping her from slithering away. She slapped his hands away, taking a step closer, invading his dear personal space.
"Saving Jason?"
Zach shook his head, regaining a tight grip on her. "Killing Rose for the wrong reasons."
"I'm not killing her." She stopped struggling, invested in his idea of her. She was not a murderer. It was exactly why she wasn't going to let Jason another day alone with that psychopath.
Zach moved a few inches back, regaining control of the space between them just the way he liked it. "You don't really know that. Once you hand her over, he can do anything to her."
"That's not on me."
"Yes, it's on you. Be smart." Artemisia was ready to shut him off. He would not lecture her on making the right choices. He was not her parents. His hand circled over her accusing finger, lowering it. "Convince Dick to make the deal, trade them over. Then kill her. Save her from a lifetime of torture."
She blinked up at her friend. Was she understanding him right? He wanted to assassinate a teen? "You want her gone?"
"Let's be honest." He threw his hands up casually, playfully. "If it comes to facing Deathstroke, Jason's more agile and trustworthy than Rose. I'm not planning on dying."
Unconsciously leaning back, Artemisia spoke above a whisper, too scared of raising her tone. "I don't know if killing her is the answer."
That's when his face shifted. He was frowning now, his posture straightened; he was not playing around anymore. "But giving her away is? I found you in a sketchy scenario, too, I want you to remember that. I could have left you with those fucking scums or turned you in with the police for murdering all those poor girls. But here you are. A fucking hero who gets to decide whose life's more important."
His words hit her like a hammer. Because it was true. She would be considered a criminal in the eyes of anyone but Zach did not see it that way. He gave her a chance. Why was she so bothered to do the same with Rose?
"I don't─" Her quaking sentence was stopped by a strange bang that resonated across the apartment, followed by absolute silence. "I think it came from the kitchen."
Leaving their fight behind, both of them rushed towards the supposed source of the sound. They reached the kitchen along with everyone else. Rachel stood curved over Rose's limp─ broken body. All bones were twisted, including her neck.
Rachel glanced around the room, at their faces, and took off, Kory going after. Dawn bent beside the injured girl, checking to see if she hung onto the fine thread of life. Surprisingly, she was. If that wasn't enough of a miracle, what happened next surely was.
The bones in her arm snapped back to their natural position, then, so did her legs and neck. In a matter of seconds, she had fixed her fatal tragedy and saved herself. There was no time to question it. Hank lifted her and rushed to the med wing with Dawn, Zach, and the teens going after him.
Everyone but Artemisia and Dick left.
"Temi. Why're you crying?" He was peeping over her, still glued to his spot.
Artemisia reached towards her cheeks, feeling a sheen of her tears. They must've been from Zach's confrontation, he'd exposed her selfishness to her. It was not a pleasing truth. She cleaned the tears away. "I'm fine. Let's check on Rose─"
He stalked towards her, taking her hand before she could walk off. She let out a sigh, slowly spinning on her heel to look at him. "Listen, I made my choice. You're not gonna like it."
"If it keeps both of them safe, I agree with you." Artemisia grabbed his hand and slowly pulled it off her. Dick raised his brows in surprise. She had surprised herself, too, revolutionizing her ideals over one minute.
"Good. I'll call a team meeting to lay out the plan." Dick celebrated with a smile, his other hand laying over hers and pinching tenderly. "We'll save him, I promise."
In ten minutes, the team had gathered in the living room under Dick's orders
( Rachel remained distanced in the kitchen, listening from a comfortable spot ). Rose had been stabilized and left in a temporary coma to finish healing. No one had an excuse to skip the talk.
"So," Dick grabbed both of his hands, trying to glance at every member of their found family, a hard task to do since they were scattered all over the place. "You were all right. Jason needs us. We can't just stand here and do nothing. Deathstroke wants to make a trade, we make a trade."
"We can't hand over Rose," Hank defended his new position. It was good to see him change their harmful mindset and do some positive things.
Dick could not hold the curl in his lips. He was proud they had grown out of their stubbornness and opted to help. "We won't. But I have an idea." He focused on the group of nervous teens, one member missing. "Gar, you Dianna and Rachel stay here with Rose. Protect the Tower. I'll contact Deathstroke, confirm our meetup at the Plaza. And then we take him down once and for all. Together."
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
The positions had been assigned and the team rushed to make it in time. The plaza had a lot of ground to cover. Deathstroke could come from any direction and they needed to be prepared. But one thing Artemisia could not understand was the massive blindspot at the building's perimeter, where Dick had appointed himself to. Although Hank and Zach had been laid out pretty close together, he ran out of people to aid him.
It seemed sketchy. Like he was offering himself as bait out in the open ( not a part he discussed in his detailed plan, she would have remembered it ). What really bought her mind was the way he watched them walk away. He looked relieved by it. When his eyes landed in Artemisia, his expression went back to hinting concern.
"I know that look in your face," she pointed out. Dick's attempted to fight the guilt that his face displayed. Artemisia snorted softly, moving towards him, lowering her voice. "You're about to do something really stupid."
"Don't try to stop me."
"I'm not." She cupped his cheek boldly, extending a smile, one he returned. It felt weird, looking at him and not knowing what he was thinking about. She couldn't even see his thoughts like she used to. They were preserved all to himself now. Even stupid ideas like the one that heaved down on him. "Please be careful. We need you alive, okay?"
Dick bit down his lip, bobbing his head in assurance. Artemisia tilted her head, wishing to hear it from his lips. "I'll be okay."
Her gaze fell, caught in the subtle movement of his tongue against his lips. She stopped internally cursing him for a split second. She shot her eyes up. He was holding her with his sight, regarding her smallest action with appreciation.
She felt her heart thumping against her ribcage like it was trying to escape. Dick must've felt her speeding beat, a smile growing into his face as he drew her closer. Her hand glid down his jaw towards his chest, clenching onto his shirt, dragging him to her stature. "Don't you dare die, Grayson."
Instead of giving an answer, he kissed her, at first quick, desperate, fueled by panic, maybe repent. But Dick could hold onto those emotions only for a few seconds. It became slower, passionate; he wanted to hold time, feel like they had all the time in the world. But they didn't. Jason's clock was ticking. They could not stay like that forever─ no matter how much they wished to.
He pulled away. Artemisia opened her eyes to catch his weakest moment. His face showed pain, an expression that did not last once he licked his lips, recalling her taste. His gaze never returned to hers, sticking to the ground as he cleared his throat. "Go back to the others and keep them there."
As he began moving away, Artemisia grabbed his hand, tangling their fingers one more time before parting ways. She smiled and let go. He walked away, leaving her alone to follow his explicit instructions. He entered the building, disappearing behind the dark glass doors.
Instantly, she snatched her phone from her jacket, dialing Kory's number with shaking hands. The woman had picked up in a matter of seconds with an ironic laugh. "Why can't you talk to me over the comms?"
"Meet me at the building. Right now. Don't tell anyone." She shot the words at her, leaving no place for more laughs or interruptions.
"What is it?" Kory sounded more attentive, now. Artemisia could tell her smile had vanished, replaced by a frown that could be sensed from the other side of the line.
"Just come," Artemisia demanded. She took a deep breath, glancing back at the building in hopes of Dick's quick return. Did he even plan to make it back─ of course, he would. He wouldn't leave the teens alone. They meant too much to him. "Please."
Kory sighed. "Okay. I'll be right there."
The phone went quiet. Artemisia dropped her hand, guiding her phone back into the jacket. Now, she had to wait until Kory showed up. She tried listening to her surroundings, they were nothing but silent, inclining her to attend to her thoughts. Not a great idea either. There was too much going on there.
She settled by humming, remembering a song that Dianna would constantly play during their training. 'It lifts the mood' according to the teen's argument every time she was told to turn that off. The name of the song didn't come to mind.
"What happened?" Kory interrupted the melody with her pantings. Not more than two minutes had passed since their call and she had managed to reach her. She'd later thank the woman for her effort.
Artemisia pointed over her shoulder. She didn't want to look at those doors yet. "Dick went inside. He knows Deathstroke's in there. We have to go after him."
"He's a real asshole." Her eyes scanned the building. There wasn't much to see from the outside other than its longitude. "Too much ground to cover. Let's go."
Now, Artemisia did turn around, eyes on those dark doors. This time, she did not expect him to come out. She would be getting him out. Her sweaty hands pushed the glass, inviting Kory inside, then following her into the dimly lighted area. There wasn't much to see other than a reception, couches, and an elevator. They headed towards the latter.
The fact that they had to wait for it to descend was a great sign: Dick was the last one to use it. They walked inside, illuminated by a soft beam over their heads, the mirrors around them making their shine seem stronger. Artemisia pressed the button to close the doors.
"How do we know which floor is it?" Kory wondered as she peeked over her shoulder.
Artemisia took one look at the board and got her answer. "Penthouse." Kory stared at her wide-eyed, glancing between her and all the possible options. "I put some lip balm in his hand before he went in." Her hand created a perfect shadow that allowed the balm to stand out. "See?"
"Remind me to never run away from you." Kory's quiet laugh was hushed by a beeping alerting they were about to get there; three floors left. Rolling her shoulders, Kory summoned her powers with ease. Artemisia looked at her, dragging a blade out of her jeans. "You're not transforming?"
She filed the blade against her jacket, bringing out more shine into the sharp metal ( anything to avoid confronting Kory as she admitted a liability ). "Um, no, I don't wanna lose control."
"You're struggling with self-control, too?"
Her head perked up at that. "Who else is?" There weren't many options, only four of them had been gifted with these supernatural abilities. But only one of them was relatively new to them, though it didn't feel right. "Dianna?"
"No, she's a show-off," Kory replied immediately, laughing at her poor guess.
Of course, it wouldn't be Dianna, the girl used her fire to do pretty much anything that involved the element─ and maybe some things that shouldn't involve it, Garfield had been a witness of that.
The black woman's head dropped with a sigh. "It's Rachel. She didn't want to tell you guys because she thought you wouldn't want her in the team anymore." Artemisia opened her mouth to argue but only a strangled scoff left her. How could Rachel think that of her? "Deep down she knows you won't have a problem. She's just worried."
Artemisia could only shake her head in agreement before the elevator's doors slid open. The room ahead looked to be under remodeling; plastic bags hanging from the roof, all the way to the floor; construction elements piled up in places; and the burning scent of fresh paint. "Here goes nothing."
She took the first step, wandering silently into the room. Kory stayed close, scanning her left while Artemisia did the right. Everything was quiet. Normal. No sign of Deathstroke or Dick. They pushed further, approaching a light. A window, by the wide shine.
Kory put an arm before her, keeping her in place. A voice came from their left. They slowly turned over their heels, taking advantage of the whirring and rattling sounds that came from that same source. Hiding behind a darkened panel, they caught sight of Deathstroke. And then Jason.
The teen had been tied up onto a platform on the other side of the glass. A red light twinkled by its only support. A matching pattern came from Deathstroke's grip: the control for those explosives. His finger played around the trigger, teasing a third figure that helplessly had his hands in the air. "Say goodbye to your friend."
A blast of fire erupted from Kory's palm. It hit Deathstroke's hands. The control dropped to the ground. Artemisia rushed towards it, propelling it further away with a determined kick. She looked up with a smirk, only to find herself at a barrel's end. She stopped dead in her tracks, petrified by the idea embedded into her brain of this man.
"What are you doing here?" Dick questioned the pair as he tried to cover her with his chest.
Artemisia hated him for putting himself on the line, moving along with him, staying one step ahead. Deathstroke pressed on them with his weapon, ordering them to stay put. Gulping, she responded to him. "You can't kiss me and expect me to walk away. We're helping you."
A slight shift in the man's helmet indicated interest. In her. His new target. Bullets began to be shot. Kory pushed her down, bringing her hand up, holding the bullets until they were safe behind the walls. Their backs pressed against the thick material, slowing down their breathing, trying to listen to his steps.
Finding the perfect tone, Dick and Kory took off in different directions, distracting him. Artemisia waited until the shots were fired. She clutched the dagger tightly in one hand, a blob of water contained in the other. She shot the blade first, stabbing his back, causing a pain that tensed his muscles. The effect did not last long. He turned around, gun pointed at her. She shot the body of water, tossing his pistol away.
He was left disarmed long enough for her to attack. Her fist was thrown into the air as she jumped to gain strength. He grabbed her hand before it could reach him. He twisted it with ease. Then, tossed her across the ground. Artemisia found the strength to hold back a cry as she climbed back to her feet.
A bomb went off. Kory went to the ground. On the other end of the room, Dick struggled with the decision of helping Kory or freeing Jason. She solved his dilemma with two commanding sentences. "Keep focused in there! I'll handle him."
He was expecting her with his sword drawn out, blade shining under the bright light that entered from the window. It wasn't the moon. A helicopter was hovering over them, its spinning wings echoing in her ears as she approached the larger man, reading his tactics.
Deathstroke swung left, then down, left again, and back up. Artemisia dodged all these attempts to harm her, predicting his attacks by the smallest change in his feet. A great giveaway when facing an opponent like her.
As she recovered from the last blow, she caught the approaching glint in the corner of her eye. She did not have time to avoid it, so she embraced it. Her hand clasped the blade at the perfect time, millimeters from her neck. Sweat accumulated on her hand, spreading over the weapon and turning cold. Icy.
"They didn't tell me you fought with swords." Her brow rose in curiosity. She examined the sword, remaining in that position. Deathstroke seemed too shook to move. Taking this advantage, her fist tightened over his weapon, shattering it like it was nothing. "I would've brought my own toy."
Her devilish smirk was wiped off by a dry boot in her stomach. The man had strength. She ended up on the floor, two meters away from her initial spot. When she tried to move, fuck, her ribs hurt. Artemisia began sliding further back with her legs and weakened arms, biting away her hurt.
Deathstroke reached her efforts with just two steps, hand going behind his back for the other sword. Dick stepped between them before the man had a chance to finish her, punching his armor, luring him away from her harmed figure. It wasn't long before Dick found himself in the ground, too, beaten by one man.
Seeing Dick struggle to get back up (for Deathstroke kicked him down every time ), Artemisia realized the stories had not been exaggerated in any means. They were the hard truth and a clear warning. One they had foolishly decided to ignore. But giving up now wasn't a choice either, they had already shown up, after all.
Artemisia jumped to her feet, a mistake that sprained her ribs further. She held onto the nearest railing, stabilizing her feet. Deathstroke glanced at her trembling form and tossed yet another bomb her way. Everything turned white. They were all stunned. Injured. With barely any stamina circling their bodies.
As the room lost its blinding shine, Artemisia searched around for their brute, conjuring a hardened spike of ice in her free hand. Standing before Jason with his fist up, he appeared by the windows, the switch back in his grip. This time, he did not tease; didn't give a sermon.
He just pushed the button.
The bomb went off. Glass shattered. Jason screamed. So did Artemisia, calling out his name. The teen fell out of sight. Deathstroke walked away victorious. No one paid him attention. Dick scrambled towards the open window. Artemisia followed his lead, pushing away her pain.
Dick looked down the precipice, letting out a relieved sound as he dropped to his knees. Jason was still with them. Dick stretched his hand, inclining closer for the boy to reach. Artemisia moved faster at the sight, afraid he would also fall. Plunging on her ass, she grabbed his torso, creating a safe balance to hold them. Her feet pressed against the windowsills, trusting their capability to hold pressure.
"Don't let go, Jason," Dick pleaded, straining his voice as he struggled to get the teen back inside with one arm's force. It felt impossible. He still tried his hardest. But he began to grown nervous and his palms sweated like crazy. Jason's gloves began slipping from his grip.
The roar came seconds after. Dick lurched even further into the abyss to reach for him. Artemisia collapsed by his side, also stretching her arm. Jason's hands tried to hold onto anything.
The distance between them grew larger, yet his cry reverberated in their ears. His name hung from their lips.
Jason!
But he kept sinking. His terrified eyes buried into their minds.
All their sacrifice turned to dust.
They had lost him.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hello! Hope you're having an amazing day<3
This chapter is something lmao. I was a trainwreck when I wrote this so it's a combination of all those emotions.
I'm working on more chapters rn so you should expect more updates soon!
(If you read any of my other books: I'm sorry for not updating them as much, I'm focusing mainly on this one cause season 3 is close).