TOKYO, JAPAN
Drake Lance
I watch a hooded figure with an orange and black pattern go into an apartment building as it pours down rain in the city. I stand in an alleyway as I've tracked down who I need to see. The alleyway is lit by neon signs for little ramen and sushi restaurants that are hidden inside the buildings.
I hear gunshots, glass breaking, along with loud shouting and screams. I then see two figures jump out of the window of the apartment building and they land in the alleyway floor in front of me as I hide under a black umbrella watching it all.
I watch the yakuza leader who many people have been trying to track down these last couple of years and yet, this hood has managed to find him. "Why are you doing this? We never did anything to you?" The yakuza leader says in Japanese, as he stands himself up taking out his katana to wield and battle.
"I'm cleansing this world from filth and corruption." I hear the hooded figure speak in fluent Japanese and I understand it just fine. The Yakuza leader then goes in for his attack as the hood figure protects himself with his sword and battles against the Yakuza leader cutting him into shreds.
"You're done hurting people." The hood says again as they stand off again.
"We hurt people? You're crazy." The leader scoffs as he shows off the chaos that the hood has done, showing the dead bodies of yakuza men on the alley floor piled up. Blood has been shed and it goes into a river with the rain down the drain.
They battle again, and the yakuza leader moves faster than the hood but the hood catches up. The yakuza misses all his strikes, as the hood counters it all, attacking back. The hood then manages to slice the leader's throat and the leader stops, choking.
The leader falls to his knees choking on his own blood wanting The Hood to help him but The hood shows no mercy. He quickly impales the leader with his sword and whips it out quickly ending the leader's life fast. The hood wipes his sword clean with his uniform and puts it back in the sheath.
The hood takes his hood off as the rain touches his black hair, soaking him quickly. "You shouldn't be here." I hear the familiar Australian accent and voice warning me to leave. I know for a fact he won't hurt me.
"Neither should you." I speak up as I've just seen Slade commit numerous crimes. He's put on his vigilante pants now, and it's not working out. Slade turns his head towards me and I see him stare directly at me in confusion.
"I've got a job to do." He says arrogantly, not surprised to see me.
"Is that what you call this?" I say with an angry tone as this isn't what he should be doing. "Killing people isn't justice Slade, it just makes you one of them." I tell him as I would know out of all people.
Slade ignores me and stands in the rain still as I walk towards him wanting to comfort him. It has been a long year, and a lot has happened for Slade. He's gone to his old ways of killing, but this time for the meaning of justice.
"I need you." I say passionately as I've missed him, and I should've taken the chance to run away with him when I could've. Slade looks at me with pain and a tear growing in his eyes and I begin to do the same. "I need your help." I say as my voice breaks getting closer to him, and I put the umbrella over us both as he begins to cry softly.
"Don't give me hope." He tells me wanting this romance between us to work out the way it did, and I don't know if it could. I don't know if it ever can go back to that.
"I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner." I tell him with a break in my voice and he holds my hands, as I hold on to his tightly.
_____________
SUSHI BAR
"So let me get this straight." Slade says confused starring at me and Silver Siren sitting together in a booth behaving differently. I sit back with my arms crossed while Silver sits with one leg on the couch looking around at everyone as he reads them in his mind. "You two are working together?" Slade says tilting his head confused still as he doesn't trust this partnership with me and Silver Siren and I wouldn't expect him to either.
"It's called empathy Slade, I'm learning it." Silver says with sass in his tone and Slade ignores Silver not liking him. Silver then sees a sushi plate he likes on the conveyor belt and takes it out and stuffing the sushi in his mouth with chopsticks. "And this, this is really good." I ignore Silver again as Slade is losing patience with us both.
"We need your help Slade." I say and Slade gives me his full attention wanting to hear me out. "Your son is on a rampage on my city with a full military, and plans to explode my city with Ollie's nuclear energy source, which is now turning to a bomb." I say and Slade scoffs shaking his head.
"Look Drake, it was nice catching up with you... and your twin, but I can't help you." Slade says seriously as he begins to pack himself up putting on his jacket and I look at him confused.
"Why not?" I ask with an angry tone as he's lead us here this far. Time is valuable right now, and I'm not in the mood to waste it so fast on a sushi date.
"Joe took everything from me. He's taken my men, and because he has my mask and armor, they're only going to listen to him. He has either destroyed or stolen all my connections that could help. I'm sorry but there's no way." Slade breaks the bad news down and I sigh as I'm disappointed that I thought this would've worked. I feel like a failure and it hurts that I still can't do anything to stop Joe.
"There has to be a way." I say softly and then hear footsteps behind me.
"Because there is." I hear a familiar female voice and I turn around seeing a blonde woman dressed in all black as well. To her side, I see a tall woman with black hair and they both smile down at me. "Hey brother." Sara says with a charming smile and I get up from my chair hugging her tightly.
"Nyssa." I say with a smile and hug her as well as it's been forever since I've seen the both of them. I then get suspicious as to why they're here as it could only be for one reason. We all sit down in the booth together and they both stare at Silver confused as Silver ignores them and goes in for another plate of sushi.
"It's complicated." I tell them and then lean close to the table as this might seem like the only hope to getting rid of Joe from my city. "So what are you guys doing here?" I ask wanting to get to the point.
"We have a common enemy Drake." Nyssa says and I respect her, she helped train Laurel when nobody wanted to. She's been loyal to helping my family, and now she's helping me. "After my father died, and due to me being heir to the Demon, I was next in line for the throne of Ra's. When I took over I took on a new vision that many didn't like. This caused a divide and many rebelled against me." Nyssa explains her situation with me and I can tell it already relates to Joe. "That is when Joe stole his father's identity and became leader of the Rogue League of Assassins." Nyssa looks at Slade meanly and then back at me. "Ever since then, we've come to many conflicts, until I saw what happened on the news of what Joe was doing in Star City."
"So you want my help?" I say as she hints it and I need her help as much as she wants mine.
"Yes." Nyssa says slowly as she slowly is trusting me. "If you stop Joe, I get my League back. I'll supply you with my remaining members if you help us battle against him with you in Star City." Nyssa says turning my city into a war zone for her League of Assassins bullshit and I'm beginning to get over it.
"What's the catch?" Silver says bluntly as he stops eating and focuses on the conversation being apart of it. Nyssa hesitates and Sara sucks it up taking whatever Nyssa is feeling nervous about to say.
"Joe might have power over the people he's recruited, but it's not real and true. Ra's Al Ghul gained his power from a ritual and path. 'He who wields the blade of the Dragon, has power over all' and he doesn't have the blade of the Dragon. It takes two people to go through that path, and the Dragon chooses who will lead. With that power, Joe is stoppable." Sara says explaining the situation and it means that if I do this path, there is no going back.
"Pass." Silver says right away not interested in the blade, neither in any of this. Sara, Slade and Nyssa look over at Silver as I ignore Silver not wanting to hear him one more time. "Being chosen by a Dragon is something that I don't need answered." Silver says and then looks over at Slade and me.
"I guess it's the two of us." Slade says volunteering me and him and I didn't think he'd want to join in. I look over at Slade and he reassures me that this is what he wants to do with a soft smile.
"So how do we get chosen by a Dragon?" I ask Nyssa and Sara as they both smile back at us.
"The training is extensive and difficult, but it'll make you fit to wield the blade." Nyssa says and I've never been so prepared for something in my life.
"Then let's go." Sara steals the words out of my mouth as she smiles at me and I smile back at her.