Star City

Aya nodded sadly. 


"Noted." She replied with some disappointment laced into her tone. She watched Thrall, seemingly studying him. 


"You are most physically impressive," she informed him blatantly, meeting his eyes as she did so, "In fact, you are quite handsome." she smiled politely, attempting a compliment.


She wasn't sure what else to say; small talk in another language wasn't the easiest; goodness, small talk in one's own language was hard. She rocked on her heels again, fidgeting with the symbolic necklace she wore. 


@Sir Les Paul


@NecroKnight
 
Liam heard Jenna, and slowly pushed himself off Skylar, sniffing and rubbing his cheeks with his hand. Looking at Jenna, she could see his eyes were red from all the crying, but he did his best to smile a little. "I-I'm glad that you are alright Jen." Liam said, putting the other hand on his hip. Skylar went next to him, sighing, and patting him on the back. "Hey, how about you go freshen up a bit, Liam? I'll talk to Jenna." Liam nodded slowly, moving towards the small pond to wash his face.


Skylar's eyes went to Liam, a frown appearing on his face. "Kary and Aya have been kiddnapped." Skylar let out a sigh, putting his hands on his hips, looking straight at Jenna. "And now we got a message from Thrall that they're dead." Liam was kneeling down at the pond, and a splash could be heard. Closing his eyes, Liam let the water drip from his face slowly, breathing slowly. "Liam's taking it bad... But I've managed to keep him together."


"For the next 48 hours or so, we'll be tested by Waller. Seems he think we are slacking off." Liam's phone once again rang, and this time, Skylar went fast to it. Picking it up, he scrolled over to messages and read the story. He let out a sigh, putting his hand over his eyes, grunting. "God damn it..." Liam sighed and rose up. Skylar was still standing in his place thinking about the whole event. Liam slowly grabbed the phone from Sky's hand, looking at the message.


By now, Liam was all cried out. No more tears were coming out. "...Looks like our proctor confronted them, and they went haywire... This won't sit well with how people will view Aurians." Liam threw the phone on the table, then looked at them both. Skylar cleared his throat. "Alright, we need to agree on something : No splitting up. He's not afraid to kill, and I'll be damned if I go down without a fight."


Liam nodded, putting his hands behind his back. Skylar texted something on his phone, then put it away. "Did you cancel your fling for tonight?" Skylar let out a small laugh. "Just canceled all my meetings, but I'm glad you're feeling a bit better." Liam nodded, still standing in his place, moving near to Jenna. "Well, I'm going to be exercising. If you need anything, yell or use the comms." And with that, Skylar went further away, to the training area.


Liam looked at Jenna, sighing. "For a moment there, I taught you were dead as well." This time, a sad smile appeared on his face, looking down at the ground. "I-I'm sorry you had to see me like that... I-I just..." Liam stopped himself, letting out a tired sigh and shaking his head. He rubbed his fists, who were still a little black from his hours of training. Skylar was already getting to business, doing push-ups at a make-shift stand. The pillars were made out of a dark metal, and the bar was of a similar metal, but the color was more worn-out.


@Demonhunter
 
Why all the tears? These two looked like they'd been through hell and back! I-I'm alright. It's just a dance class. She was completely confused about why Liam would be concerned about her leaving off for her job that she'd done every day for a significant chunk of time. But once Liam walks away and Skylar finally explains things it put it all into perspective. Skylar, that's horrible! This was all new to her. She'd never seen Liam cry, Skylar on a couple of occasions, but never Liam. Do they have any kind of information? Like who would do that or why?  She asked beginning to get a bit worked up in the confusion. Had she known it was something this urgent she'd have called a co-worker to lock up so she could get here quicker. 


Jenna's guilt began to bother her, she'd avoided Skylar intentionally after their near-car-crash. If she hadn't been avoiding him, she probably would have been around with Aya and Kary. Then again she didn't know anything about the whole kidnapping and murder, or even if she could have done anything at all. She was more of a healer with a massive moving Achilles heel that had a mind of his own. And even more bad news: Waller. She knew that testing wasn't going to be good for her. Testing? Skylar I'm a healer not a fighter! Does he not think that losing two people was enough but now it's our fault?  Jenna laments. She began to wonder what would happen to her if she wasn't up to Waller's standards. Her fighting abilities were just enough to keep her alive against cumbersome opponents so her fighting ability was rather weak and her healing ability if tested too harshly could give her a heart attack right there.For a moment she'd begun to regret being so tight lipped about the painful repercussions of her very limited powers.


She knew Skylar's mind was in turmoil beneath that stoic face. If not about this, about how the universe seems to plauge him. Liam was torn to pieces. She pushes her emotions down only to hear the comment about a 'fling' of Skylars. And the knife twists deeper. Now wasn't the time or the place, she'd just have to let that go. So even though she wanted to cry right then and there, she had to choose not to. I'll just call in sick until this gets cleared up unless someone wants to go to work with me. Rehtorical question. She doubted any boy would want to step foot in a ballet studio to save their life.


And Skylar was gone, before she could say anything. And Liam was left with her, upset. Jenna's heart hurt for him. She felt at least a little decent to know he was at least concerned. She reaches out and hugs the archer. Don't worry about judgement from me. Everyone needs to cry sometimes. She picks up his bruised hands, stone faced as she felt the pain of the bruises while her magic worked to fade them off Liam. Sadly I can only fix whats on the outside. I would make what you must be feeling go away if I could.Jenna wished she could heal inner turmoil. Sometimes a heavy heart hurt worse than a pierced one. 


@AnnoDomini
 
Liam looked at his hands, and then he made them into fists, then relaxed them. "Thanks." His eyes went back to her, a tint of red could still be seen on his eyes. "Some things take time to heal." Liam turns to look at Skylar, then back at Jenna. "He's not afraid to kill. It's best that we don't leave the Quiver for the moment, just to eliminate the probability of civilian deaths." Sighing, Liam went to the stand where his bow was.


His hand rose and slowly brushed it, picking it up. He picked up a few arrows, normal ones, and held them in his free hand. Slowly he walked past Jenna, and, a few feet later Liam stopped. The ground was a little sandy, so Liam stuck the arrows in the sand. There were some wooden logs set in the distance, each one at different distances, altitudes and even angles. Taking an arrow from the ground, Liam blinked slowly, starting to concentrate.


He steadied his breath, and pulled on the string, the sound of the wooden frame bending could be heard softly. A swoosh could be heard as the arrow flew form the bow, hitting a target in front of him. The targets didn't have a bullseye on them, or some sort-of scoring system. Skylar told Liam 'When shooting at someone, they won't have a point or something to indicate where to hit them. You're supposed to know that, and strike true. This is why you'll shoot at these logs.'


Liam heard the sound the arrow made when it struck the target, so he took up another arrow, aimed, and shot. He hit another target. With each hit, he was getting faster, until all the arrows were depleted. Knowing that he had to retrieve the arrows, he put the bow around himself, going to get the arrows out of the targets. Of course, the first two targets were at ground level, but the rest were either on cliffs, or one was suspended by a metallic chain.


Sighing, Liam jumped, managing to get a grip on the edge of the cliff. Raising up, he took the arrow out of the target, and, just to test himself, fired it at the target behind it. Taking the arrow from it, he turned to see the last arrow, and the suspended target. He closed his eyes, exhaling loudly. Down below, Skylar could be seen looking at Liam, his arms crossed to his chest, and a grin on his face. Liam broke into a sprint, and he leaped, his left arm lunging to grab the target, but he missed it.


Before he taught that he was going to plunge, his hand grasped the arrow, hanging for a few seconds. Liam knew the arrow won't last there, so, he tried to lift himself up. He couldn't get a foothold on the long, as the end was too high for him. Looking below, he saw that the only place where he could land without major damage was the water, but it looked a little too far. Skylar looked at him, now his arms weren't crossed at his chest anymore, but behind his back his smirk gone. [COLOR= rgb(0, 128, 0)]"Come on kid... You can do it."[/COLOR]


Putting he put his additional arrows in his mouth, and the now free hand was used to almost hug the target. One of his feet was placed on the log, the perks of him being agile, and, he leaped for the water. Closing his eyes, he joined his feet, trying to pierce the water, like an arrow. The splash was heard, and Skylar quickly scrambled to where Liam landed. "Liam! Liam!" Liam quickly surfaced, eyes closed, his arrows still in his mouth.


Skylar let out a sigh of relief. "Try and think of your safety before doing that again. Don't injure, or kill, yourself before the battle." He was at a loss for words because of the stunt, while Liam swam to the edge, raising from the water. He spat the arrows on the ground, starting to breath heavily, putting a hand on his chest. His breathing began to be erratic, dues to the combination of fear and how cold the water was. "Skylar... That target-" He says, pointing to the suspended target. "-Is very... very unpractical."


Skylar sighed, going to a small console near Jenna, pushing a button, the target slowly lowering itself. "...Oh you are just... making fun of me... asshole." Liam said, between breaths. "Sorry Liam. It was set for my training regime. I can do that easily." Liam looked at him, sticking his tongue out, before exhaling loudly. "This time Liam, try aiming for the normal level ones." Skylar went and patted him on his back, while Liam turned to swat his hand, groaning.


Skylar returned to his exercises, doing sit-ups this time, and then using the work-out bench and weights, while Liam recovered and started to follow Sky's advice. For a moment, the cave was rather silent, as the sound of weights being lifted and being placed on their metallic stands combined with the sound of arrows hitting wood to make an odd harmonious sound.


@Demonhunter
 
"The young one may," Thrall responded to Kary, "but the other knows his place and knows the importance of these simulations. Green is a veteran." Thrall was blunt with the girl, but it was becoming expected. If he was any more deliberate, he would have just outright told Kary that Skylar was more mature than her, but his method of delivery had more tact. It didn't dull the edge, though. The elevator dinged and he guided the girls over to the helicopter pad he told them about earlier. "Aya has a new handler at the Watchtower whom will look after her while I take you to Waller," Thrall told her. It made sense. Aya had no place or purpose meeting Waller yet, not to mention, separating them made sense considering the errors she had just made. Once he explained what was happening to Kary, he looked back to Aya, "You have a lot to learn. Lesser men would take advantage." The Zeta beam then opened up and in the swirling vortex brought them to an entry gate in the Watchtower. As it did, Thrall mumbles, "that is what worries me."


Once the blinding light dulled down, none other than the former Lieutenant Farrel was waiting inside the Watchtower. His arms were crossed and he stood against one of the support columns in the bay with his foot against the wall. He looked up with his dark eyes to Aya before smiling, then over to Thrall. Thrall nodded, then said, "His name the Commander. He is an official member of the League-Gamma Squad." Thrall then looked over to Aya with his daunting, green eyes and told her, "he opted to show you the Tower while Karoline has her trial." Of course, Thrall knew the intentions of the Commander, but he was also aware of the family ties that he had. Under the eye of Waller and his brothers, he wouldn't try anything funny... but that didn't make his motivation less devious.


@NecroKnight @Rui
 
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Aya nodded, frowning slightly upon seeing Farrell. 


"Dolf Herder..." she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.


She was still in her civilian's clothes, and despite the simplicity and (somewhat) modesty of her attire, she felt acutely like he could, as is the Earthen expression, 'See through her clothes'. 


She looked up towards Thrall again, "Must I accompany him? I have seen him no more than a few seconds, and he already makes me most uncomfortable." She cast side glances his way every few seconds, slightly aware of the chill that ran up and down her spine repeatedly. 


"I feel as though he has the vision of the X-Ray." She explained quietly, tighetening her arms around herself and shielding her chest. 


@Sir Les Paul
 
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@Sir Les Paul


Kary groaned at the sight. Wondering if Waller had a funny sense of humor - a pairing like this, would likely end up with one or both of them ending up in the infirmary.


@Rui


"He can't do anything to you Aya. And if he does try, your legally allowed to defend yourself," she replied to Aya, in english before she followed Thrall to Waller' office and gently swallowed in fear.
 
She grimaced and hesitantly approached the Commander.


"Hello." she grumbled, refusing to make eye contact.


She was being petty, yes, but she intended to make this as unpleasant for him as she could. He would pay; if not physically then mentally.


She looked back at Thrall longingly all the while, giving Kary a hopeful expression of good luck.


@NecroKnight


@Sir Les Paul
 
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"'Ello," he replied to her. He uncrossed his arms, revealing his left arm to have a metallic bracer with a screen on it. He allowed his fingers to dance on the screen; it was silent, unlike most of the phones of the era, but it was colorful and adequately bright. He seemed not to pay a significant amount of attention to her. His dark brown eyes--speckled with bits of bright green--kept focused on the screen he was toying with. After a good minute, he broke the odd silence, "Waller likes to make me the bad guy, but the fact is, I probably did you a favor." His disinterest was the complete opposite of the attitude he had before. Not only that, his tone was completely different. Before Aya stood a whole different man, including the casual outfit he wore in their apartment. "I can tell you dislike me without even looking at you. You're bad at hiding your feelings," he told her. It was hard to call it an observation when he wasn't really observing her, but it still seemed applicable. "You don't understand Earth, but not many do. The planet is considerably different and more complex than most others. Mostly because we do not have one governing body. So, Kal'aya, what I intend to do is answer you. Ask me any question you want," he told her, finally looking up at her for just a moment. His eyes were brighter than they were earlier. Maybe it was because she saw them directly. Maybe because it was just what happened when he looked at her. Regardless, it was a fleeting moment as he looked right back down at his armband.


Elsewhere in the Watchtower, Thrall escorted Kary through the halls of the labyrinth known as the Watchtower. "You really need an adjustment of attitude," Thrall told her. He looked to her with his powerful, green eyes, then looked back in front of them. "You still act entitled. You give advice when you don't even understand your own position. You're a junior member in the field, Karoline; and, barely that. You need to learn your place," he continued on. His inner warrior aspect was coming out. On Themyscira, he was a servant to Diana. In fact, that was where his name came from: thrall. Even though he was stronger than all but one person on that island, his position was still beneath them. It wasn't until recently that he was acknowledged as a citizen of Themyscira, but even then, he wasn't a 'true' Amazon; not even an honorary Amazon like his mother. Thrall had his ego beat out of him and he was shown the world for what it truly was. He was given the perspective of a people that had lived a dozen lifetimes over and more, although nowhere near the actual insight of those people. When he spoke to Kary, he meant what he said literally. She needed to understand her place. Not just her role in the world, but how low she actually was on the totem pole. What she meant in the grand scheme of things. What her rights really were--and weren't.


After a few halls and passing by two actual elevators, Thrall brought Kary to a large, cylindrical doorway. It appeared to be a different elevator entirely. Before he explained what it was, he stood there waiting for her response. He was tired of pampering these wanna-be heroes.


@NecroKnight @Rui
 
@Sir Les Paul


"I apologize then, for giving advice to a friend I made," replied Kary, being honest in both of her words. "You like it straight up, so I will say it. Or would you have reacted differently, if you were in my position with my kind of limits. It wasn't so much advice, as to simply giving her a touch of encouragement. As you said it yourself, I am just a low little girl, and from my point of view - I don't know nothing about Farrel, if that is his real name. So I apologize again, for being cautious."


Her voice remained respectful at that - although tinted by that youthful idealism; still believing that heroes were meat to be heroes. Not the pragmatic and cold mercenaries, they seemed to have become - call her naive, childish or a girl, if they wanted - Karoline still held hope on that. Kary didn't say it out, but she felt like Thrall was that kind - the kind whom were beholden to no morals but their own; and simply did as they were told, not minding much of how others saw them. Sure, such heroes were powerful and respected - but Kary also felt, such heroes were only a step away from becoming supervillians. Since how long, before they did start to obey only their morals. Thrall had spoken it himself - he was powerful, and nobody could stop him beside a handful . so how long until he stopped obeying Waller' words or that of the ULJ.


She sighed at that, looking at the large, cylindrical doorway. "I assume, this brings me to Waller, Sir?" asked Hope, looking it over.
 
"Don't apologize," Thrall responded to her, snipping at her with some latent amount of aggression. "I don't care how sorry you are or how you feel. You need to change. Words mean nothing when you're in the field. If you act how you speak, you'll get yourself and your allies killed. That is what I care about," he continued on. While his warrior tone came out earlier, now his authoritative one was coming out. Like a general on the battlefield. "Waller won't care either, so don't throw him a pity party," he explained. While his words were definitely harsh, it seemed they served a point: to prepare her for her encounter with Waller. "As for your intentions, they don't matter, either. You may want to encourage that girl, but I bet you didn't even consider how she--an alien--would interpret them. Words and phrases don't mean the same to someone from a different culture--and you barely know what they mean to begin with," he explained to her further. Now that was an odd thought that she likely hadn't considered. Thrall broke everything down for Aya. Kary was just feeding her facts without any context. 


Thrall didn't exactly seem like he was in a tone to respond to. What he did was prepare her for what was to come: a literal trial where she would be in no place to argue a point and with someone whom was far stricter than himself. "Yeah, it does. You'll be at his central office. You'll feel a weird shift. At your strength, you'll just feel human. The room is meant to make just about anyone in it equal. No magic, no technology, no radiation--whatever. It even makes me somewhat weaker," he explained, "so go and don't do anything even more stupid."


@NecroKnight
 
@Sir Les Paul


Kary mentally cursed again at that indication - she hadn't considered it that way. It seemed that everything she did was wrong in one way or another - and those who were here, did nothing wrong. She honestly wondered, why the people bothered to interact with people like her - if it was obvious, she was a likely burden and useless in anyway they thought. Kary was now simply apathetic, she sighed and nodded in agreement, before stepping into the elevator. Bracing herself for the likely tear-down and sentence to come - this was nothing like the Justice League of her younger years. Now this place felt cold.


She tried preparing herself both mentally and physically at that, making sure her appearance was crisp and perfect at that. She likely knew, that whatever she expected Waller to throw at her - was ten times off her mark. But there was nothing to do here, like Thrall had said - no pity party here and nothing to argue about. Guess it was time to face the music. Once she arrived on the top floor, Kary stepped off the elevator and then with a calm and steady step started walking inside Waller' office - knowing that likely her days would be numbered, if she screwed up here.
 
Aya watched him with little change in her expression or mood. For once, she seemed kind of...neutral. 


"I wasn't trying to hide anything. I thought I made my feelings clear."


Her tone was lower than her usual, happy chords. She had a sing-song nature about her, like pixie or a princess. Now? She just seemed pissed off, like a regular human being, maybe even more so. For another thing, she had properly used an English contraction in a sentence.


Huzzah for English. 


She put her hands on her hips.


"What I would like to know is why you would ever trick us into that awful car! Karoline is now in trouble, I am now some "commodity" to be passed around and lewdly touched by foreign doctors, and this whole thing is a mess!" 


She had a fierce glimmer in her eyes, a determination to chew him up and spit him out.


"And you are not as important, nor attractive, as you obviously think. You wear your confidence on your sleeve," she gestured to his arm band, "and forget how easily one person can snatch it away from you." 


She shook her head to him, shaming him.


"I hope you're pleased with yourself." 


Huh, two for two. She was really taking to the language. 


The people? Not so much...


@Sir Les Paul
 
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Jenna's attention quickly went to her job. Well she couldn't take Skylar to work with her because that'd be the worst distraction ever, and she highly doubted Liam would want to watch little girls in tutus trying to learn the basics. She had to teach the little kids tomorrow so nothing majorly interesting would be happening, although the babies were easier to find replacement teachers for. Jenna took her phone from her bag texting another instructor about an emergency and being unable to work tomorrow or for a while. 


She ditched the phone back in her bag before noticing the whole exchange between Liam and Sky. And then silence. If there was one thing Jenna hated it was silence. Usually after long silences came sudden angry outbursts. Uh. Hey Liam! She waves deciding to at least get one of them out of the silence. Skylar was scaring the crap out of her right now so she decided to go for Liam instead. You said earlier you'd teach me how to fight better. Is now a good time?  She asked, pulling her jacket off. She was wearing a black tank top and blue Nike shorts that showed her upper thighs. 


Her skin was litter with bruises on her shoulders, hips and knees from hitting the ground so often. Most dancers did hit the ground quite often and pretty hard too. But she always got back up. She didn't ever damage herself too badly. Then her nerves began to kick in... She was probably gonna wind up sparing with him. Shit. Liam was much bigger than she was, all he had to do was hug her too tight and he'd win. Oh well, too late now!


@AnnoDomini
 
Liam stopped from firing his bow when he heard Jenna's voice. His bow hang from his left hand, his right hand on his hip. He did not speak, rather waited for her to talk. But, he was taken by surprise about what she said. "Yeah. It isn't too late." Looking at Sky who was still training, he looks at Jenna. "Why don't you ask Skylar? He knows more than me." Liam said, a little silent than his other sentences.


His eyes went on her bruises, crossing his hands to his chest, shaking his head. "Why don't you heal yourself? I mean, those bruises must hurt." Liam shot Sky a rather unsavory look, before his gaze returned to Jenna, a little frown on his face. "I'm afraid that, if we did spar, you'll hurt more than normal. So, you'll need to practice the moves I'll teach you on me." Liam put the bow down, then readied his stance. The stance he took was the classic boxing one.


But, just as Liam was ready to say begin, Skylar spoke up. "Uhm, kids, we might have something!" Liam grunted, and looked to see Sky now standing at the computer. "Sorry Jen. Come on, let's see what's up." Liam said, and, as he passed Jenna, he patted her gently on the shoulder. Arriving in front of the screen, a couple of pictures of the docks appeared. "South Shore." Skylar spoke. "Looks like Kary stumbled upon something when doing her research : a drug smuggling operation. Transported into civilian freighters-" A picture of the containers that were plastered with a couple of companies's logos on them.


One of them caught Liam's eye : A freighter with Queen Industries's logo on it. "...Those are Queen Industries freighters Sky. How are the-" "If you let me finish, I wanted to add that I received a call a few days ago reporting that one of our freighter has gone missing." "And you didn't think it was necessary to tell us about it?" "No. Why did you think I left so abruptly sometimes? It was a matter of principle Liam." Liam grunted, shaking his head.


"So, what I am thinking is that we can take out the smugglers, and get the manifest on board. I am sure that it might lead us somewhere. Either a shell company, or the route they were taking." Liam nodded, going to grab his equipment. Skylar looked at Jenna and smiled, passing her by. Jenna could feel something about that smile. It was both fake and creepy, like a china doll's. Sky was dressed in his armor, so all he took was his bow and a few arrows.


Liam in the meantime managed to equip himself as well, and taking his compound bow. This bow had a strong frame, and the weight difference could be felt. Liam knew how to compensate that disadvantage, it being one of his favorite bows out of his small collection. Looking at the arrows, he decided to pack a few extra, just in case. Seeing that they were going in without knowing where the patrol routes they took, or how many hostiles were in the area, so that meant that Sky had planned they would spot them from a vantage point. In regards to some things, Skylar could be old fashion.


@Demonhunter
 
Jenna bites her lip, glancing down in slight shame. "I. Um. I can't heal myself. Only others." She looked a bit surprised when Liam told her she'd be better off asking Skylar. He thought she'd want to challenge HIM to a spar? Hell she was nervous sparing Liam! Skylar'd probably kick her ass into the dirt and laugh like hell given how he's been acting recently. Ah- I'm a bit tougher than I look.  She smiles, but flinches as he hits that intimidating stance. 


Skylar interrupted them just before Jenna was about to get back in the right mindset. Later then.  She mentions, attention turning to Skylar. She blinks as Skylar and Liam seemed to bicker for a moment, deciding it was best not to voice an opinion at all. Seemed that was becoming normal for her to be passive to avoid an argument with Sky. But that sudden stare frankly scared the shit out of her. Why was he acting so strange? Wait, this actually wasn't all that strange. He had been bullying her around a little in her mind, she honestly thought he was trying to be jerk. Now she was a bit intimidated and decided to stick a little closer to Liam. 


Right... I'm going to go get changed.  She blinks, deciding to grab her bag and skip off to the bathroom to change. She came back in what should be a rather familiar costume. The armored corset with one shoulder guard, a waist cloak that covered her legs with some pants and boots underneath. Her usual outfit looked far more dangerous than she actually was, but it once belonged to that demon that had her body for so long. Her scythes swayed at her sides as she uncomfortably avoided Skylar and went straight to Liam instead. So we're about to go grab a manifest off one of Sky's stolen toys?  She was mostly making small talk.


@AnnoDomini
 
Liam had put his armor back on himself, stretching so it would not sit awkwardly on him. He put his red hood over his head, covering the blond hair he had, and the black mask that made his eyes glow red. Looking at Jenna, he nodded. "More or less. Nice way to put it though." Skylar looked at them, then at Jenna, smiling slightly. "Oh ha ha. You know, that toy actually has a sentimental value for me, so..." "I really hope you're joking." Came the retort from Liam, as he went next to Jenna.


"Right. I'll provide overwatch from a building nearby. Liam, you and Jenna will be next to me, and, when you consider the time is right, you make your move. If things get hairy, I'll come down and help you." Liam nodded, looking at Jenna. "And it should be a good time for Jenna to learn how to fight." Said Sky, throwing a short glance towards Jenna. "Team Arrow, move out." "Oh we are so not calling it that."


-An hour later, South Shore docks-


Outside, rain started to pour. The wind sent a chill through the air, as it made the flags on the docks move chaotically. A sign over a warehouse read Bertinelli Construction, a relic of a past life of Star City. The giant Queen Industries freighter was standing in port, starting to be shaken by the ever more agitated waves, the sound of them crushing against the ship and against the seawall covering the sound of the people guarding it.


Two containers stood in the middle of the yard, with two guards staying at one end. Another one patrolled a small area towards the entrance of the warehouse. Another two grunts stood guard on the small bridge that led up to the ship, with numerous guards patrolling on the ship. It seemed to be important, especially since they didn't look like normal, street level thugs. "Assault rifles, Flak jackets. Definitely mercenaries. Look at their insignia." Skylar said to Liam. Liam looked as well, trying to make out what it said. "I-It's in Cantonese. I can't really make out what it says." Liam said, taking in mind where the targets were.


"Alright, we chose the perfect time to strike." Said Skylar. "The cover of the storm will mask the sound of the arrows, and might hinder the enemy's sight. Hopefully." Liam looked at him. "Hopefully?" "You can never be too sure." Liam rolled his eyes, turning to Jenna. "Look Jen, first things first : We need to find out what's in those two containers in the middle. If it was a clear day, we would've been sitting ducks. You take out the patrolling guard, and me and Sky will take out the two guards in front of the containers." Liam said, looking at Jenna, putting a hand on his hip, then preparing an arrow. "Oh, and non-lethal moves. They might be mercenaries, but they're still human."


Liam jumped down, taking cover behind a wall. The targets were a couple of meters away, apparently entertaining themselfs with stories of what they did. They were loud and obnoxious, and Liam prepared an arrow. "I have the one on the right. You take the one on the right." "Already ahead of you kid." Came the response from Skylar. Liam tensed his bow, readying one of his norml arrows. Luckily these thugs had flak jackets, so an arrow might have just the right amount of force to leave a man unconcious and to incapacitate.


@Demonhunter
 
Jenna was a bit irked about Skylars tone. 'learn how to fight', she could hold her own! Sure she couldn't do a ton of damage, but she could avoid death for a while. She hides her irritation, doing as she usually did and taking it. She whistles, and Sodom gets up begrudgingly from his place on the floor and mopes over to his handler, but growls at her the second he reaches her. She flinches, still afraid of him.


----


Jenna just decided to stay hidden. She was the healer not a fighter. Liam and Sky fought, she'd stay behind and keep them in fighting condition. But she perked at the fact she had a role she had to fulfill. She blinks before sighing. Got it. I can probably handle one guard she smiles. Jenna glances to Sodom who was sitting on the other side of the roof, by himself, but staring judgmentally at Skylar. Almost doubtingly. 


Jenna began to think, watching the patroling guard's route. Looking for a point at which he was out of view of the other gaurds and eventually found the pattern lead him down a long ally with no dead end. That was probably where she should get him. Sodom would be pretty useful, if she could trust him to apprehend and not maul. Although he put on a fairly terrifying show, she could probably use that to get in his head. She could fight better against an impaired opponent. Alright. I'm going for it. Met you on that ship?  She asked as she looked to Sodom. C'mon Sodom. Go flush him out. She asked, pointing him in a direction. 


Sodom just stares for a moment. Although he eventually obeys for the soul purpose that he loved to chase things. Jenna circles around, planting herself at the entrance of the ally that the guard was halfway down, hiding herself as her hellish dog made his way to intercept the guard. Sure enough it worked, the gaurd turned to run as he saw a massive beast round the corner, snarling. He was about to make it to the begining of the ally when Jenna made her move, moving out from behind the dumpster and jamming a shoulder into him so hard it knocked the breath out of him and he couldn't scream. He fell to the ground as Jenna knelt over him, slamming the shaft of her scythe into his head to knock him out. She huffs for a moment, catching her breath and prasing her hellhound. She glanced around the corner to see if Sky and Liam got their guard yet.


@AnnoDomini
 
"Now." said Sky as his arrow flew from his bow, hitting the one on the right in the chest, the force propelling him into the container with a large thud. The other guard was shocked, and his hand reached for his communicator, but Liam turned the corner and hot his arrow, hitting the target in the hand, pining him to the said container. The guard closed his eyes from the pain, and, when he looked in front of him, he only saw Liam, who stood above him. With a swift punch, Liam knocked the guard unconcious. "Good work Re-" "What the hell man? Left! And why did you not coordinate with me?"


Liam was flustered, but merely grunted, taking his arrow back, cleaning the blood. He heard some knocking from the container, and Liam stopped. There were no guards around, so Liam put a hand on the lock, grunting as he managed to open it. The doors let out a metallic sound, while Liam struggled to not let the door go. "Red. Red! Stop that! You know the objective!" "I-I heard some-" Liam stopped when he opened the door, the lightning lighting up the container. "Red? What's in there?" "...Fucking animals..." Liam mutters, as he looked inside.


There were asian people inside. Korean, Chinese, even some Taiwanese. The majority females. Liam knew what this meant, and his hands trembled. He spoke in Korean to them, deciding not to use his translator. He assured them he will be back, but, as he closed the doors, he could hear them whimper and beg him not to close it back up, but he had no choice. He was mad, furious, angry as all hell. "Red. I know how you fee-"


"Cut the shit Green. We'll talk about this when we get back." Liam said, a clear angry voice on him. "Don't let anger control you Red. You know better than this." "It's so easy to talk from that high horse you stand on!" Liam said, pretty loud. The other two guards moved towards the container, as they heard his voice. Skylar looked at them. "Shit. Red, two guards approaching. They'll see the ones we took out earlier and call for backup. You can't move them in time."


Liam simply looked at them, his shape appearing when the lightning struck, then gone the next. The guards approached the downed guard, as from afar they seemed like they were sleeping. But then, they saw the arrow sticking from one's armor. Before they could say a thing, they felt a swift jolt as their body became numb, and they fell down, seemingly knocked out. "Great use of the shock arrow." Came a swift praise from Sky, as Liam was on top the container, looking at the ship.


"Alright, next up is the ship. Here, I really can't help you by shooting. I'll provide real-time overwatch." Liam nodded, then looked at Jenna. "Jen. If you want, you can stick back. It's a little more dangerous than one guard." Liam shrugged, jumping down and heading towards the cargo ship, preparing himself in case an enemy might appear.


@Demonhunter
 
It took a bit for Jenna to catch back up with Skylar and Liam, sneaking herself past the other guards just in time to see Liam closing the container door. She walked into the conversation at 'cut the shit' and was thoroughly confused as hell. Probably a bad time to argue guys. She passivly wispers, trying to figure out what to do about those incoming guards. Sending Sodom was risky not only because he could be injured, but he seemed to attract a ton of attention. Luckily they were taken care of thanks to Liam's forethought.


Jenna looked back to Sodom who'd taken the liberty to lay down on the floor of the boat. She understood Liam being angry, but right now was a really bad time. An outburst could get them all killed. She glances to Liam. We can handle it later. I think they're safer inside the container until we're done anyways.  Her logic was if they stayed there until it was all clear, it'd be easier to free the people because they're be no risk of them sustaining guard fire should they get caught. Its not like that container was going anywhere soon, right? I'll come back and help you with it after. She assured him, not wanting Liam to feel like he was the only one who cared about it.


She frowns as Skylar offers to let her stay back. Are you shitting me? If it's more dangerous that's all the more reason for me to go. Jenna didn't swear often, it really didn't fit that sweet face. But this kind of called for it. She wasn't going to just take out one bad guy and stay behind like a little pansy. If one of you goes down, you might need a little help to keep going. Besides I've got Sodom anyway. He'll keep me safe, right? She reassuringly looked to the hell hound, hoping he'd be of some help. But instead he just groans. 


@AnnoDomini
 
The sound of thunder crashed through the skies. The storm worsened. The sky darkened. It became even more difficult for even the keen eyes of the Hellhound to make out the silhouettes of the guards. Torches at the ends of assault rifles lit up the docks, but one-by-one, those same lights fell to the ground. Another was making his way through the lines of organized palettes and shipment containers. Another was making his way to their target. Another had made them their target.


A line of lifeless bodies and haphazardly pointed rays of light revealing the heavy droplets of rain followed the trail left by this new intruder. He did not cross paths with any of the three initially, but once they neared the container being used for human trafficking, there was a definite difference in how these guards were treated. The mercenaries surrounding the container began to go down one-by-one. Loud thumps and gunfire filled the air, only slightly muffled by the rain. The threat that once existed in the form of the guards was vanished by the darkened atmosphere and new hunter in the grounds. 


"You three are slow," a voice rang out in between the roars of the thunder, "one shipment was already off the docks," he continued, "now its back and i secured three others." His voice was obviously mocking them. On some level, he was doing the exact same thing they were, but he had no qualms about taking the lives of these mercenaries. Not only that, he pointed out a simple fact: alone, those three would have inadvertently allowed at least one shipment to leave the docks. If true, they proved dangerously inefficient. 


Then lightning struck, and as it did, their target was made plain. Wearing his dark brown trench, surrounded by the falling rain, the Commander stood in front of the container they had in their sights. He held a single one of the mercenaries by his throat, hoisted in the air with a cracked off helmet. A quick jerk of his wrist snapped his neck. Before the Commander released the corpse, the corpse released its gun. This was their first real, good visual of the Commander. The light from the end of the gun shone on him before he covered it with his boot and crushed it with the weight of his body. 


"At least you may put up a fight," he said aloud, "unlike that pathetic android."


@Demonhunter @AnnoDomini
 
As the whole scene unravelled, Liam did not take his eyes off The Commander. He didn’t show any signs of fear on the outside, although inside he was trembling, still thinking about what he did to his teammates. Skylar had jumped down from where he was and stood next to Jenna, putting a hand in front of her, shooting her a quick glance.


Then came the comment about Kary. By far, the one that Liam knew better than the two. He tensed his bow, aiming at The Commander. “Red!” Liam let the arrow go, it flying past The Commander. Skylar grunted, aiming as well. “Jen, stay back. Don’t throw yourself at him! Same goes to you ho-”


Liam was already charging The Commander, letting out a rather gutted yell, preparing to hit his target using his bow like a baseball bat. Once Liam neared the figure, this tactic proved not only ineffective, but inherently dangerous. The Commander disappeared just as he had did with Kary and Aya, but this time, his reappearance was marked with a forceful blow to the abdomen of Liam.


A new reality struck Liam as the fist sank into his gut. This man was not as strong as Skylar. He was far, far stronger. Liam, even with his increased endurance, was not immune to the pressure being pressed down on his diaphragm, forcing the air out of his lungs. Nor was he capable of doing much to stop the speed of the same arm as the Commander reach upward to grab at his throat, holding him above the ground while also using him as a human shield against Skylar.


“You may be even worse than that girl, Arrow. You see, she had an excuse. No training, no understanding of this life… but you?” the Commander said smirking, “you’re a special kind of stupid.” The Commander then prepared a double-hit technique he normally only used on his elite opponents. In this case, he just wanted to show each member of this group how outmatched they were. There was no flash with his speed. No showmanship. He just vanished and before Liam could fall the two inches to the ground that he hovered, he reappeared with a full-force thrust of his arm that launched Liam through the air.


The Commander knew precisely what Liam could take. Every report Skylar had ever sent on his progress, endurance and durability was at his disposal. He wanted to hurt Liam as bad as he could without killing him. He wanted to wound his pride until he was as broken as the android before him. He wanted to test him. Liam was thrown through the air with enough force to leave a large dent in one of the aluminum container units--a dent deep enough that he could settle there without slipping down onto the rain-soaked ground.  


Liam was hazed. The air that was missing from his lungs didn’t even come back after he felt the punches connecting with his body. The comments about Kary made him angry, but couldn’t say anything, as his head was spinning because of the oxygen deprivation. But, now in the air, he felt a little weightlessness come over his body in the brief moment he was in the air. Then, coming down, he hit the ground. Hard.


“Red!” Skylar yelled, turning his attention to the Commander. “Hey, pick on someone your own size!” He said rather loud, launching a few arrows towards the Commander. In this time, Liam managed to scramble to his feet. He had lost his bow in the confusion, and now, he was assuming a guard position, but a weak one, as the effects of the punches were still taking their toll on him. Liam didn’t say anything, but rather spit some blood next to him.


Jenna had her scythes drawn the whole time, but was heeding the warning to stay back. She knew the second the comment about their missing teammate was dropped things would escalate. Jenna knew her limits, she wouldn’t rush into this. She was a healer, not a fighter and if her beast of a dog got involved she’d be in some trouble. She was pulling Sodom by the collar to keep him back as he snarls and barks at The Commander. “Sodom! Go. Leave him be!” She groans, tugging his collar until he jerked around and snapped at her before deciding the go to the other side of the docks and lie down there, completely ignoring the carnage. “Useless mut- ah!” She jumps as Liam was thrown into the container just to the side of her. The sight and smell of blood brought her attention to just how bad of shape he might be in.


The Commander saw the arrows coming, but decided not to dodge them. It was unwise for him to use the same technique repeatedly. Instead, he allowed them to phase through him, only catching the final arrow with the same hand that he used to rock Red’s little world. Liam dropped his bow not far from the Commander, too. An idea struck him as he saw it. “How about we play a game,” he said as he knelt down to pick up the bow.

“You toss me a few arrows for fun, and I won’t dodge them unnaturally,” he suggested in a cynical voice.


Skylar stopped, looking at the Commander holding the arrow. He was rather shocked. “What the-” Liam let out a loud cough, managing to catch his breath at last. “I… don’t like s-” Another violent cough came, making him stop mid sentence. “-sharing my toys…” Skylar gritted his teeth. “You sadistic fucker!” As Skylar was about to draw another arrow, Liam simply looked at Skylar, raising his hand.


“T-This ain’t your f-fight.” “Don’t be stupid R-” Liam slowly took his quiver down, throwing it towards the Commander, them hitting the ground in front of him. “I-I don’t need t-those a-anyway… Let’s see what you g-got.”


The arrows skid across the ground, wetting them from the rainwater that was flooding the docks. Even the overflow ports had difficulty keeping up with the downward flow of rain. The Commander walked over to the first of the haphazardly scattered arrows to collect them. The arrow flashed a little red, before the tip, who looked like a small container, burst open, the arrow and a part of the Commander’s arm catching fire.


The concoction was a variant of napalm, but still retained its destructive capabilities. The flame emanated a very bright light, surely a distraction, a it started to burn. Liam smiled, then he ran forward, grabbing another arrow from the ground. Liam failed to take into account the abilities his foe possessed. While he lunged for an arrow, his hand was stabbed through with the remnants of the arrow that had just exploded, pinning him to the wooden docks.


Above him was an irritated opponent, his nostrils flared and a distinct look of predatory intention in his eyes. The trenchcoat that normally covered his arm now revealed his entirely metallic appendage. Pieces of synthetic skin hung from it around his lower forearm alongside seared remnants of what was there. “A special kind of stupid…” he repeated before lunging his boot into Liam’s gut, compounding on his already bruised abdomen.


Liam’s eyes widened as his opponent had reacted so fast. His hand now stuck, he put the other hand on it, but then he felt the kick to the gut, and his whole abdomen hurt . He could feel his insides burning, as he fell backwards, his hand still somehow pinned to the dock. Closing his eyes, he put his other hand to his gut, yelling in pain, thrashing around from the pain.


Skylar quickly scrambled to Liam, standing in front of him, looking straight at the Commander, a rather calm look on his face. “Come on tough guy. Time to fight someone on your level.” Skylar readied his bow. It was made from a titan alloy, taking a tip from his dad’s past bows and adding a small knife to it.


Jenna was in a mess. The beast that was supposed to help protect her was being completely counter-productive as usual and was lazing around on the other side of the dock. She takes a deep breath and tries to figure her options. Skylar had stepped up to fight, but he didn’t have a good distance between Liam and Commander. If she could convince Sodom to help her make a distance and keep the Commander off them, that’d be optimal, but then came the whole issue of him getting hit and killing the both of them.


She groans, the one time that dog could be useful and he chooses to abandon them as much as he could. She draws her scythes deciding to take a risk, stepping forward behind Skylar, deciding to get closer so that if there was a window to do what she was meant to do, she could quickly do it, but she was also decently guarded. “Keep him off me.” She whispers under her breath, hoping Skylar could hear her through the chaos. She knew she was a bad fighter,she wasn’t physically strong enough to put up too much of a fight, hell look what he did to Liam! But she had to atleast try something. She had to get closer to Liam to fix him. She hoped if she were to stay behind Skylar’s guard, she’d be safe but she kept her defenses up.


It was too dark to see his smirk, but it was there. It was definitely there.The entire idea of Jenna fighting him was even more absurd than Liam, but if was going to make the effort, he had no qualms bringing her down just as easily. Instead, his focus--and taunting--turned to Skylar.  “Do you honestly think you and I are equals, Arrow? I don’t,” the figure told him with no lack of confidence in his voice. “I’ll make this simple: leave now, completely aware of how unfit you are to protect Star City, and I’ll allow all three of you to live,” the figure told Skylar, offering him a pride-shattering armistice.


Skylar grunted. The taunting, combined with the image of Liam lying on the ground, holding his pinned hand and groaning were getting on his nerves. He knew Jenna wasn’t on the same power level with him, moreso compared to the Commander. Sky knew that Gamma squad members were powerful, but this was on a whole new level.


The hand which held his bow went down, and the one that held the arrow softened. He was considering giving up. “Don’t you d-dare…” Skylar looked at Liam, who was holding his own pinned hand. With one yell, Liam lifted his pinned hand, managing to get it free. Blood started to pour from the wound, and was already covering his hand.


Shuffling to raise back up, he held onto Skylar. “Liam. You’re-” Liam coughed, looking at him. “I’m not giving up. I will-” Another cough interrupted what he had to say. “I will bite his ankles i-if I have t-to. I-I’m not going down without a fight…”


Skylar looked at Liam, seeing something in him. A fire in his eyes, and a certain determination. Letting out a small laugh, his attention turned to the Commander, smirking. “...Something you should know about the Arrow family.” Sky said, giving an arrow to Liam, who proceeded to hold it in his mouth, his healthy hand holding the wounded one in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. “We never know when to quit.”


“You should learn,” he replied before yet again disappearing. His target was far from expected. The last liability any one of the three had likely considered. Despite the darkness in the sullen rain, just who he was after was apparent by the quick yelp it let out. This figure had Sodom by the throat using the reinforced bow, then held his mechanical arm up to his head, keeping the Hellhound sprawled out and up to limit its strength and range of motion. The darkness was soon penetrated by glowing diodes that began to arc across his fingers until what seemed like a blade was formed hovered a half inch above his metallic hand.


He pressed his hand close to the Hellhound, allowing the glowing arc to touch his skin and cut through it before withdrawing it--solely to prove he could cut into the tough hide of his beast with ease. “So, do remind me, which one of you dies when I slit this thing’s throat?” he asked with a definite tone of rhetoric in his voice.eba


Jenna jumped as Liam only did more damage to himself. She needed to heal him now but she just couldn’t get close enough. Skylar was right about not knowing when to quit! She was afraid Liam was going to kill himself. She was so concerned about Liam and the current fight at hand, she didn’t even think about Sodom.


Sodom yelped in surprize as he was suddenly grabbed, struggling to fight back, an angry snarl sounding as he found himself unable to move. God forbid the Commander let him go. Jenna suddenly screams as the monster cut into Sodom’s skin, blood trailing down her own neck from the shallow cuts that immediately transferred to her. “You leave my dog alone!” She then realized this put the commander a good distance away from Liam, but now she still couldn’t move. He basically had her by the throat.


Skylar fired an arrow at the Commander’s feet. The tail of the arrow blinked, as a small beep faintly announced a slow countdown. Liam grunted and looked at Jenna, then back at the Commander, but, before he could move, Skylar slowly walked towards the Commander, managing to launch two more arrows in his direction, as the other one continued to beep.


The Commander had pieced together that the beeping arrow was some type of trick arrow. Liam had effectively ruined that element of surprise for them. Instead, the Commander simply threw Sodom into the two arrows with full intent on letting the Hellhound take the piercing arrowheads directly into its thick hide. After the momentum from his toss reached its equilibrium, the Commander leaped back and put some distance between himself and the mysterious arrow on the ground.


The arrow’s beeping stopped, and it made a soft blast, and the area around the arrow instantly froze, the radius ending a little far from the Commander. Skylar smiled and broke into a sprint, then decided to slide on the ice, gaining a little more speed, while aiming his next arrow straight at his target, preparing to engage him in a melee.


The arrowheads of the arrows that were heading towards Sodom opened up, launching a metallic net around the giant beast, forcing it to fall hard on the now frozen ground. Skylar’s attention changed to Sodom, who was now in his path. The fact that he was sliding on ice didn’t make the situation easier. Using his bow as a pivot, Skylar managed to go around Sodom, quickly retrieving his bow and once again taking aim the Commander, although his speed had been reduced from the move.


Jenna’s heart drops as Skylar released Arrows while Sodom was in the way. She knew they’d had their arguments, but was he really so heartless as to fire at her anchor, knowing exactly what would happen to her!? Luckily those weren’t the deadly arrows, just more of their fun tricks. Sodom hit the floor with a yelp, making Jenna jump in pain but she felt better knowing Skylar had freed him from the commander at least. Now was her chance. The commander was on the other side of the dock and with Skylar going in for melee, it left her with good space to fix Liam. Hopefully she could be discrete.


The healer silently settles beside the wounded archer, gritting her teeth as she holds his wounded hand in hers. Her focus was to relieve the pressure from his abdomen . Of course her body hurt too, but she wasn’t a fighter and Liam was. It looked like they’d need someone else to take on the commander. She’d heal best she could, but healing him completely would take a good amount of time. She only had until the commander separated them. Jenna bites her lip as her hand begins to burn, but she had to do this. If their opponent lost interest in Skylar and turned on Sodom again, she was done for. If she could get Liam out there and get her more space she might be able to go get the hound.


In the time Skylar tried to maneuver around Sodom and slide on the ice, the Commander had gained more distance between himself and the icy area and thus more distance between himself and Skylar. He outstretched his hand, holding in a clenched position waiting for Skylar to refocus on him. If this were a real engagement, he wouldn’t partake in such theatrics. But, since Skylar was finally getting serious--meaning this fight was finally getting mildly entertaining--he thought he would pull out the stops. Or, at the very least, leave behind some clues.


The moment Skylar finished his momentum on the ice, the area around them changed dramatically. The heavy rain froze midair. Countless droplets and streams of water halted in place. It wasn’t a large area. The sound of rain hitting the metal and wood around them was still present. The distance showed the area couldn’t be more than eight meters or so. The point was, the figure in front of him could manipulate more than just himself. He seemed to be able to control the area around him.


“Eighty-three seconds, Skylar. That’s how long you are at my mercy,” the Commander said before instantly appearing in front of Skylar, effortlessly standing on the ice. “She can’t heal him, he can’t help you and that beast is as useless as ever,” he added before launching an absurdly fast roundhouse kick at Skylar. That particular kick was completely impractical and that was the point. The Commander was moving so fast in this frozen world that he could afford such frivolities.




“Seventy-one seconds, Skylar,” the Commander added, reminding him just how precise of a battle this was. Skylar growled, putting his hand on his chest where he was hit. Looking at his opponent, he managed to grin. “So, let’s get this show on the road, shall we? Seems like you don’t have the time to spare.” And Skylar launched a punch at the Commander, still holding his bow in his hand, trying to get a little more bang for his buck. He planned for the punch to land on the Commander’s chest, in order to make him step back, and possibly open him to an array of punches.
 




In what was just another moment for Jenna and Liam, the Commander held the limp body of Skylar by an inward twisted hand, holding him against the ground in a contorted submission with his very ligaments being stretched from their bone. His bow, for all its pride and skill, had been cut in half, still red-hot from the plasma blade at the fingertips of the Commander. "You couldn't even give me a reason not to kill them," the Commander said, seemingly replying to a previous conversation they had, "you're hardly better than either of them." The others couldn't see it, but tears trailed down the cheeks of the defeated Arrow. The Commander let go of Skylar, then lifted his boot to kick him in the chest, making him skid across the ground and towards the others. He then looked over at them, although his figure was still darkened by the dim rain.


"Waller expects you back within the hour. My report will be finished then," the Commander said, although what it meant was only known to Skylar at this point. With that, the Commander ran over to the edge of the docks and jumped off of the edge into the water... there was no splash.


@AnnoDomini @Demonhunter
 
Skylar started to cough, his body feeling like a freshly punished punching bag. Everything The Commander said made sense while they were time-locked. He didn't even look when he jumped off the edge. Sky never felt like this before, this beaten and downright humiliated. Liam crouched next to him, although it was still painful, as some wounds didn't have time to heal themselves. Red put his hand on his shoulder, then with the other he motioned him to raise up. "Come on big guy. Let's get you cleaned up."


Skylar slowly raised up, looking at his bow. "...We screwed up Liam. Big time..." Liam sighed, shaking his head. "We did the best we cou-" "Well it wasn't enough Liam!" Skylar let out an outburst out of the blue. "We don't have time to clean up or anything." Sky said, letting out a groan. "Yes we have. Look at you, you need to ge-" "You don't understand kid! Waller wants to see us in the Watchtower." "Not for milk and cookies I guess." Liam tried to soften the mood by cracking a joke, but Sky gave him an angry look, pushing him down. "This is why you won't excel..." Skylar said, starting to walk past them. He didn't even cast a glance at Jenna.


Liam stood in place for a minute, raising up, dusting himself off. He moved next to Jenna. "I'm happy he didn't pick on you. Come on, let's go to the zeta beam." Liam's tried to hide his anger and his sadness as best as he could, casting a second glance at the two pieces of Skylar's bow still standing on the dock. He taught of picking them up, but decided not to, as they were rather short on time, and didn't want to keep Waller waiting.


The walk was a rather long one from where they were. In Dalleyville, near the outskirts lay rows and rows of warehouses, long abandoned. They once belonged to big companies that found Star City a good place where to expand their businesses. But now, they represented the past glory of this city. Liam helped Jenna navigate through the rows, pointing towards one that was full of graffiti top to bottom. For Liam's eye, one new graffiti grabbed his attention, as it was new. 'Porcelain' wrote with white and in cursive. Liam shacked his head. "Kids these days..."


The door was opened slightly, and the dust was raised. Skylar was here before, as it couldn't have been anyone else to try and walk inside. This warehouse seemed abandoned in a hurry, as many weapon storage units still remained, although all empty and closed. Walking next to the one, he stepped on something, and, raising his foot, he saw a sort-of small red bead, its content hollow. Groaning, Liam put his foot down again, the container analyzing his badge. "I'll go in first, then you come after me Jenna. Me and Skylar are gonna go straight to Waller. It's your decision if you want to come with us or just wait outside." Stepping inside the now open container, it closed, and soon enough a bright light flashed inside, and Liam was gone, teleported onto the Watchtower.


@Demonhunter
 
Later

Liam exited the zeta beam in the old warehouse. It was quiet, and dark, as nightfall had settled in. The rain started again, as the metal roof was letting the familiar sound. It was oddly peaceful, and Liam just stood inside for a bit, letting out a small whimper, as the voices were still yelling at him, calling all sort of names. For Liam, they were a reminder. A grim reminder of his inabilities.

"Late as always Red." Came a voice from behind him. Liam turned only to see the same green figure he had seen leave him in the tower. "Alright S- Green, you can say everything you want about me." Liam lowered his eyes to the ground, letting out a small sigh, as he felt Sky passing him.

Skylar put a hand on his ear, hearing something. "I know I'm not something special, but you saw something in me. When you took me in... I could've been like a street urchin, or some of the numerous gang members or just another statistic, another missing person. But you trained me, you gave a shit about me."

Sky put a hand on his shoulder, and turned him. Liam was smiling, rather happy, but, his expression changed to a rather painful one, and disbelieving one, as a sharp arrow was thrust in his gut. Liam fell down, yelling in pain. "Argh! What the-" "Shut up you runt!" Came a rather loud retort from the man who was standing in front of him. A sharp kick was sent towards his face, making him sprawl on the ground.

The lighting that hit lit the warehouse, and he could see Skylar... Only... Something was weird about his now yellow eyes. With a swift hand gestures, the man's face changed from a caucasian color towards a pale, almost pearl looking white. Even his eyes appeared to have small asian features.

"What the fuck! Who the shit are you?!" The target moved with a weird almost serpent like movement. "They call me... Biànsèlóng." He took the arrow from Red's gut, then stabbed him in the leg, letting out a maniacal laugh. "You little worthless shit were almost going to ruin my plans. They were almost going to reinforce this piece of shit city. You don't know what fun I had personally closing some of the facilities our dear old Skylar Queen had built up for years. He is virtually... pennyles now."

Liam grunted, regaining some of his strength. As the target was monologing, Liam managed to raise up and leap towards him. But, Bian twisted, and grabbed him by his collar, putting his face into the cold ground. "You worthless runt dare to attack me with things I have taught you? Are you dense?" A left hook flew from Bian's hand towards Liam's face, connecting with it effectively, leaving Liam's face bloody, but after two more punches, Liam was already seeing red in front of his eyes. His right hand grappled the man's armor, and, he let his own body weight work against Bian as he made him fall, Liam landing on top of said target, back against him.

"I see you need to be taught a lesson you shit." Bian said, as his hands grappled Liam's neck, trying to choke him. Liam elbowed him and rolled immediately off him. Liam remembered that he had left a reserve of arrows and bows inside this warehouse, something he knew that Bial wouldn't. Getting a head start, Liam opened a cabinet, revealing a red compound bow, along with three arrows.

As he turned, Liam saw that Bial was already shooting arrows at him. Dodging the first too, he hid behind another cabinet. "You can run... But you will only die tired. I already have won. Skylar, Green Arrow, is dead... and soon Red Arrow will be gone too. You aren't anything without your mentor."

Liam had enough. Letting out his anger, he drew one of the arrows and fired it a Bial, slightly wound him. But, Bial launched a valley of arrow. Once again, Liam managed to doge almost all of them, but he misjudged one of them. Liam closed his eyes as the arrow scratched his eyes, leaving a cut on his nose as well, and another arrow hit his chest, sending him flying against a wall.

Bial smiled, as he approached the blinded archer. "How does it feel, hero?" Liam just let out a bloodcurdling scream as he put his hands to his now defunct eyes. "I-I can't see! I can't see!" Liam said, almost clawing at his own face. He ripped the arrow from his chest, his head turning to each side, as he heard the rain hitting the windows, and a multitude of sounds disorientating him. Bial smiled and laughed. "You know, killing you would be merciful from my end. I am just going to let you live the rest of your life, blind like this. So, I bid you farewell, Broken Arrow." And with that, Bial ran out of the building, giggling all the while.

Liam grunted an pulled out his phone, but he dropped it. Moving his fingers on the screen, he couldn't see what he was doing. The phone had started recording a voice mail for Kary, and Liam started panting, almost getting frustrated. "What... How does thi- Argh!" He yelled, as he threw his phone away, cracking the screen and closing the call. He let out another yell, and then... silence.

Liam stood alone in the warehouse. He was cold, as his wounds were beginning to have their effects. Ripping a part of his shirt, he wrapped it along his eyes, trying not to give it time to heal. Raising up, he couldn't hold his balance no more. After a few tries, he got the hand of it, and shuffled forward to pick up his bow and remaining arrows. Shuffling out of the building, he was caught by surprise by the sensation of cold water hitting him.

After a few miles, he heard a loud bang, as the warehouse where the zeta beam was located exploded, leaving behind only a few remains, along with a small red piece of cloth.

A few hours later, at a bus stop, a man with blond hair and a red hoodie on was standing on a bench, grasping a ticket,a duffle bag near him. Raising from his place and shuffling towards a bus, he bumps into the driver. "Hey kid, watch where you were going." Looking up, everybody would recognize him as Liam by his hair, but by the dark sunglasses, no one could tell it was him. "I-Is this the bus to Los Angeles?" "Yeah. What, are you blind or something?" Liam lowered his glasses to reveal a pair of white eyes. "Sorry kid. Didn't mean to offend ya." Liam just sighed and went on the bus sitting in the back and putting his bag next to him. As the bus started, Liam could only sigh, as he was leaving his only home. Not because he wanted to ,but because he was forced to.

Somewhere else in Star City

In a dark lighted room, the smoke formed like a cloud. The only thing lit was a round table, with a phone on it, along with a pack of cards. A puff of smoke came from a slender figure that was sited cross-legged, with one hand holding a pair of cards, while with the other holding a lit cigar.

On the opposite end, a massive figure stood towering over the others. One hand was resting on the table, and the tint of it seemed to be orange. It threw the cards on the table, stating proudly. "Hah! 4 of a kind! All kings! With me, you could consider 5 kings!" It let out a loud laugh.

"Oh hush you lumbering beast. I've beaten you once again." The slender figure's rather skinny and delicate hands put all the cards on the table, face up, revealing a straight flush. The orange hand, witch seemed to be already big, slammed the table, all the cards and chips spilling all over.

"Now look at what you did... again. You should control your temper, mister Brickwell." The man, even though calling him man would be a stretch of the word, grunted. "You know, I'm not shy of hitting a girl, Ping." "Please, call me Porcelain." "I prefer not to." The phone rang, and Porcelain's slender fingers pressed on the speaker button. "Yes?" "It Biànsèlóng. Red Arrow and Green Arrow are no more." "Good job my little spider. Now, come home to mama, and she'll reward you as promissed." Her words felt like silk brushing against skin, like a mother talks to her child.

As soon as the call ended, Brick started to laugh. "Ya know, I never had more respect for such a devious thing, but that kid might just make my top 100. I'll notify them." Brick was ready to raise, but Porcelain rose as well, putting her coat on. "We'll tell them Brickwell." Turning to one of her henchemen, she spoke to them in mandarin, before turning to Brick. "The car is waiting for us already my dear Brickwell."
 
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