Chapter Text
Richard is woken up by an electric shock to his temple. He cries in pain as his eyes shoot open. He looks confused. His face bruised, his lip swollen, and blood coming out of his nose. He looks at the man in front, hatred in his eyes. He tries to move but he can't, he is cuffed to a chair. He is wearing his Nightwing suit minus the mask, a red bird insignia on his chest.
"That blood on ya face, seems familiar, ain't it mate?" Mad Mod teases in a stern tone. He takes out a gun and loads it. "The Mark of Scath, where is it?" he demands dead serious. Behind him there's a tall woman with short hair, a grin on her face.
Richard looks confused, he tries to remember, his mind a little foggy right now. "I... I gave it to you" he says not sounding completely sure.
"Grayson… where is the Mark of Scath?" Mad Mod repeats. He doesn't buy Richard's response.
"Wait, what are you saying? That wasn't…? I gave it to…" Richard mumbles, his head hurting badly.
"I will count to ten, you are going to tell me where the Mark of Scath is, or she dies." Mad Mod moves to the side revealing Kory. She is also cuffed to a chair and her face swollen, blood on her cheek. Tape over her mouth gagging her. Mad Mod points his gun at her temple.
Richard widens his eyes as he tries to lean forward. They make eye contact. A pleading look on her eyes. He looks panicked.
"Kory, it's going to be okay" he says trying to comfort her. "It's going to be okay, you understand?"
Kory nods, tears threatening to come out of her eyes.
"One" Mad Mod counts. Richard looks at him.
"Listen to me, I gave you exactly what you asked me, you want anything more, I can get it to you. If there was a misunderstanding I can fix it, whatever you want!"
"Two."
Richard closes his eyes for a second and reopens them. He better change tactics. He tries to calm down. "Listen… let's talk, we can talk like gentleman, Mod."
The woman behind continues smiling.
"Three."
"Fuck!" Richard yells as he moves trying to escape, but he can't, the cuffs are too tight. Kory looks down. Richard tries to calm down. "Alright, I know where the Mark of Scath is, I can help you!" He says looking at Mad Mod straight on the eyes.
"Like youla helped me when this skank almost killed me?... That way?" he says motioning to Kory.
"Put your gun down, I won't talk to you like this" Richard says in a comprehensive tone.
"That's ya choice, lad… four."
Richard looks completely scared but tries to look calm. He has to, for Kory. "The Mark of Scath is with Victor, he has it. You want to know where he is, let her go, because…"
Mad Mod doesn't let him finish. "Victor doesn't have it; you wouldn't have given it to him. Five."
Richard looks at Kory and back to Mad Mod. "I can get it for you, but if you kill her, you get nothing."
"Six."
Again, Richard tries to move. "You listen to me! The only way you are going to…!"
Mad Mod shoots Kory in the leg.
"NO!" Richard yells. Kory tries to scream but she can't. Tears rolling from her eyes. She is in deep pain.
"You think this is a game?!" Mad Mod yells.
"Son of a bitch!"
"You think this is a game?! That I wouldn't do it?! Where is it?!"
Richard tries to contain his anger as he looks at Kory crying. "Look at me" he says to Kory.
"Where is it?!"
"Stay with me" he talks to Kory. Again, trying to comfort her.
"Seven! Seven!"
Richard looks at Mad Mod. A death look on his eyes. "I'm going to kill you; I swear I'm going to kill you!"
Mad Mod points the gun again at Kory's temple.
"Eight!"
Richard closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath. "Please" he whispers. Kory looks at him. He tries to think of a way to escape, but he has nothing, just to pray. "Please, don't do this, just let her go." A tear comes out of his eye. "I promise you; I can figure out what happened."
"Nine."
Richard looks at him. The tears now rolling freely through his face. "Listen, listen…" he trails. Mad Mod looks at him, waiting for what he has to say. "I want to help you. I want to help you get whatever you want, but you have to do what is right. And you know what is right."
Mad Mod appears to think about it, but ultimately smirks.
Richards eyes widen. He understands that look. "No…" he whispers, a crack on his voice. His whole world crumbling around him. "No…" He looks at Kory. She is looking at him, crying. He looks back at Mod. "No…"
"Ten."
Mad Mod pulls the trigger.
________________________________________
ONE MONTH BEFORE
A huge ocean liner is located down at the port in Jump City. A few men descend big boxes from inside placing them at the shoreline. A few others guard, machine guns in hand. They seem foreign, maybe European.
At a near building, a figure is watching them from the roof. With a binocular he observes each of the armed men. He counts seven. He touches his earpiece. "Thirty-caliber, seven of them" he informs. Its Victor.
A big truck approaches the scene and parks next to the boxes. Two men descend and start loading the boxes into the truck. Victor notices it.
"Here are the bag boys, you can proceed."
"Copied that" a voice says through the earpiece. "Team one, move."
A black van parks right outside of the port and a SWAT team starts descending from it. They have grey suits with helmets on and automatic guns on their hands.
A young lieutenant is at another van watching all through various screens. "Team two, move" he orders.
Another SWAT team approaches from a boat.
Victor watches from his spot as both teams approach the scene. "Remember we want the truck to leave without suspecting so it can lead us to their place. Then you move to the cargo men."
"My men know the plan, Stone" the lieutenant says.
"Just checking, Carson." Suddenly a shot echoes through the place. Victor is startled as he looks through his binocular the source. Then another shot, and another. A shootout commencing between the men and the SWAT teams. "What is going on?! Who fired?!" He demands.
Lieutenant Carson looks surprised. "Who fired? It wasn't one of us" he says.
Victor notices as the panicked men get on the truck and drive away from the port. "They know we are here and now they are getting away!" he calls.
The lieutenant thinks. "Team three move to chase the truck."
"They'll never make it in time" Victor reasons. He looks at the driving truck. It probably will take the turn bordering his building leading them straight into the highway. He walks up to the edge of the building and looks down. The building its ten floors tall. Indeed, the truck takes the turn. He takes out a blue chip and places it inside his temple. A blue energy expanding throughout his whole body.
Victor jumps from on top of the building landing with his knees and fist in a superhero pose. "Watch out!" one of the men yells as the driver doesn't have time to react and the truck crashes into Victor. Both men instantly fly out throw the window in front. Victor gets up, he doesn't even have a scratch, barely felt the contact.
"Stone, you got it?" the lieutenant's voice echoes through his earpiece.
"Yeah, I got them." He walks to the back of the truck and opens it. Instantly two more men inside start shooting at him. Victor rolls avoiding the bullets. In a quick move he charges his canon and fires at then knocking them unconscious. He looks at his control panel. Ninety eight percent battery it shows. He smirks. Ever since he had started using the max 8 chip his abilities had improved. He was faster, stronger, his canon had a better fire rate and didn't waste his body battery.
He walks once again to the truck and opens it. Inside there are four of the boxes they were loading up. He opens one revealing machine guns, probably more than fifty in this box alone. The van arrives at the crash and more SWAT men descend along the lieutenant. He approaches Victor with a smile on his face.
"Good job, Stone, we shut down their whole operation here."
Victor looks at him, he isn't smiling. "Who fired?" he asks.
The lieutenant is taken aback by Victor's tone. "One of the men, thought he had been spotted and fired."
"It's the third operation we shut down this month without being able to link it up with their boss, who knows how many more we are missing, next time, make sure to tell the plan to your men"
"Is that a threat, Stone?" Victor doesn't answer. "You know who you sound like? Your old buddy Nightwing" The lieutenant adds.
Victor is about to retort but stops. He thinks. "Do you know where the ship came?"
"My men are checking now, they think Russia probably, we can interrogate the guards, but I don't think they'll talk."
Victor narrows his eyes.
________________________________________
It's a cold night at Moscow. The streets seem deserted. Kory is standing below a bridge. Next to her is a man with red hair, green eyes and a red beard. Both have black coats on. Although Kory is usually not affected by earth temperatures, she must admit she is feeling a bit chilly right now. Behind them is their car. They are illuminated by the light of a single lamppost illuminating them from above.
Kory looks at her partner. "Do you think he is coming?"
"I do not doubt it, dear" he says in a Russian accent. "You must be patient, relax."
"I am the relaxed" she retorts.
The man laughs. "See? Your language slips when you are nervous."
"Perhaps I require more lip contact to avoid the slip ups" she says in a flirtatious tone. The man raises an eyebrow and looks at her.
Just then two black cars arrive and park a few feet from them. Five men descend. One of them takes a step forward, he is a bit overweight with lengthy orange hair and an open overcoat.
The man next to Kory smiles. "Like I told you, Russian punctuality." He walks up to them and extends his hand. "Leonid Kovar" he introduces himself.
Their adversary doesn't answer. He alternates his gaze from Leonid to Kory. "Wait, I know you" he says pointing at Kory. "You used to work with Nightwing, didn't you?" He looks at Leonid. "I won't make traits with vigilantes, we are done." With that he turns around going to his car.
"I can assure you I no longer have any relationship with Nightwing" Kory defends herself. The man stops. "Should I rip the balls off of your men to prove that?" Leonid smiles looking at the man.
The orange hair man turns around and laughs. "I like her." He walks up to Leonid and extends his hand. "Dwayne Mcduffie, or you can call me Controllus."
Leonid raises an eyebrow. "Not very Russian."
"Irish." They shake hands.
"Do you have your part?" Leonid asks.
"Where is yours?"
"Close" Leonid says.
Controllus laughs and nods. He signals to one of his men. He approaches them with a briefcase and hands it to Controllus. He opens it and shows it to Leonid. Inside there are two huge golden bullets.
"You know how difficult it is to get one of this from Mad Mod? But… for the right price…"
Leonid looks at him. "Why does Mad Mod want them?" he asks.
"What do you care?"
"I like to know with whom I do business."
"You are doing business with me! And now do you have my part?!" Controllus says raising his voice.
Leonid nods and signals Kory to approach. She walks up to them with a cellphone in her hands. The number ten million appears on the screen. Kory presses send.
"There you have, ten million euros, untraceable" Leonid says.
Controllus checks his phone. He smiles. "Pleasure doing business with you" he says as he hands him the briefcase. He looks at Kory. "I can also give you my number" he says in a flirtatious tone. Kory doesn't answer, her eyes flashing green in a warning tone. He quickly turns around, gets in his car along his men and leaves the area.
Leonid smiles as he watches them go. "The pleasure is all mine." He turns to Kory. "We got him." Kory smiles. "So… lip contact?"
Kory laughs as she walks up to him and places her arms around his neck. She leans forward to kiss him but stops. "Although I am uncertain about the beard."
"Oh? I can fix that" he says as he sticks out his fake beard. "And the hair." He takes off the red hair wig revealing black hair. "And the eyes." He reaches to his eyes and takes off a pair of contact lenses revealing blue eyes behind them. Its Richard. "And the voice." He takes off a transparent chip stuck to his throat. "That's better" he says in his usual tone, the Russian accent disappearing.
Kory smiles at him. "I do believe I like you better this way." They both smile as they close the distance between them.
________________________________________
An old long-distance bus reaches the terminal at the outskirts of Jump City. Inside all passengers descend except a sleeping girl. She has a hoodie covering part of her face and a backpack over her. The driver notices her through the rear window.
"Hey kid, get out!" He yells.
Raven gets up, confused she looks around. She seems tired, her baggy eyes being evidence of that. She sees the driver and nods as she descends from the bus.
The driver turns on the engine and drives off leaving Raven alone at the side of the road. She looks around. Theres not much, just the countryside outside the city and some cars passing by. She puts on her backpack and starts walking to Jump.
Raven reaches an old diner by the road and enters it. She looks around. The place seems rather dirty, three or four customers in their tables, a cook behind the counter and a waitress walking around the place. Keeping her gaze down she walks in and sits by the counter. The cook looks at her. She reaches into her backpack and pulls out some coins and leaves them at the counter.
"Coffee."
The cook looks at her and then at the coins. He has a stern look in his eyes, but ultimately nods. Raven stands up and walks to a table by the window. She gazes through it. She notices a raven standing over a high voltage cable at the side of the road. A few seconds later the waitress comes to her table and leaves a cup of coffee. Raven looks at her reflection in the coffee. She notices her baggy eyes and sighs.
She is about to take a sip when suddenly two pair of red eyes appear in the reflection. Raven gasps as she flinches back scared of what she saw. She looks around. No one seems to be paying attention to her. She looks back to the coffee, the red eyes are no longer there. She pushes the cup to the side, not feeling like drinking from it anymore. She turns to the window watching the cars passing by. The last few days being difficult to her. Scratch that, the last few weeks being difficult to her.
The waitress comes back and leaves a bowl of soup on her table. "From the gentleman back there" she says signaling with her head to another table and leaves.
Raven looks in the direction she signaled. She makes eye contact with a man with pale skin, white hair and sky-blue eyes. He is also wearing a black poncho over some white clothes. Raven must admit he is quite handsome. The stranger smiles at her. She blushes and nods to him in appreciation. She turns to the soup and takes a sip. She sighs in content, the temperature of the soup being the adequate.
"The food here is not the best but I must admit the soup is not bad" a voice in a wordy British accent says. Raven looks up. Standing next to her is the stranger, looking at her straight on the eyes. "May I sit?"
Raven nods shyly. "Thank you for the soup."
He sits in front of her. "My pleasure, you seemed hungry… where are my manners? Malchior of Nol, at your service" he introduces himself with a bow.
"Raven." She pauses as she catches on what he said. "Wait, you said Nol? You have a title?"
"Indeed, I come from a long, boring family linage down at Nol."
Raven giggles. "You are funny."
"You've been there before?"
Raven denies with her head. "Just read about it."
Malchior raises an eyebrow. "Where? If I may ask."
"In The Book of…" she pauses once more. She doesn't want to scare him away. "Either way, aren't you a little far from your land?"
"I am, like I told you, family can be a little… overwhelming so I figured why not take some time off, recently I had a dream about this city, so I decided I wanted to visit it."
Raven's eyes shoot wide open. "I also had a dream about Jump, that's why I came back."
"You used to live here?"
Raven nods. "Yeah."
"You don't say, how interesting we both dreaming about the same place."
Raven shrugs. "It was last week, the same day of my birthday" she says not really referring to her actual birthday but to the day she had been found, according to the file Victor had given to her, but Malchior didn't need to know that.
"An awfully coincidence, may I ask how many?"
Five. "Eighteen" Raven says. If you take into account she had been found as a teenager, her past life being mainly a blur. "Yeah, I…" she trails as suddenly she is hit by a strong headache. She leans back on her seat. She is in pain.
"Raven?"
The headache stops. Raven opens her eyes. She looks at Malchior, he seems worried.
"Are you alright?"
Raven nods. "Yeah, sorry, I… sorry I must go." She says as she picks up her backpack and leaves the table. "Thanks again for the soup."
Malchior looks at her as she exits the diner.
________________________________________
A guard is at his night shift at a video store. He is currently seated bored looking through some magazines. He suddenly hears some falling objects. He looks up. He can't see anyone. The place is completely dark, nothing out of the extraordinary. Cautiously he stands up and walks to where the noise came from.
He reaches and aisle where he notices three video cases on the floor. He sighs as he picks them up and places them back in their place. As soon as he turns around a big green snake comes creeping from behind. Slowly the snake starts transforming into a small scrawny boy with green hair with a black and purple jacket. He looks to where the guard is. He is back on his chair reading the same magazine. He turns back to the movie cases. He grabs two and looks at them, as if deciding which one he wants. "Super Ninja Showdown 8" or "Maniac Fury: Attack of the Protozoids". The decision proving to be impossible he shrugs as he places them inside his jacket and runs to the exit.
The guard never realizing of his presence.
________________________________________
Victor is driving his blue Camaro through the dark streets of Jump City. He is currently on patrol, driving around waiting for an alarm to sound. He must admit its not the best part of the job but its one of the duties he has to fulfill, that was the deal he made with the police department in order for them to forgive his past offenses. He looks around the streets. The city has not been the same since Deathstroke's attack. It now seems darker, more dangerous, more threatening, or maybe it was just him projecting his insecurities.
He suddenly hears from the radio. "Jewelry shop alarm at Soto and seventh, unidentified robbers" it informs. In a quick move Victor turns the car around and speeds off to the jewelry. Finally, some action.
He makes it to the jewelry shop, hops of his car but is surprised to find the glass of the store shattered, and the two robbers tied to a near lamppost. He looks around. Who could have done this? He looks up where he sees two figures looking down at him. He smirks, already knowing who they are.
Victor makes it to the top of the building where he sees the figures. "Next time, how about we make it at an easier place to get to?" he jokes.
The figures turn to him. They are Kory and Richard.
"Victor!" Kory yells happily as she runs up to him and hugs him tight. "It is glorious to see you."
"You too, little lady."
Richard walks up to them and places his hand over Victor's shoulder. "Glad you could make it."
"So, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Victor wonders.
"Can't we just come to visit?" Richard asks playfully. Victor raises his eyebrow. "Did you visit my grave?"
"Oh yeah, every week I go there and take a piss on it." Richard laughs.
"You are now working along the police" Kory says.
Victor looks at her. "Yeah, I made a deal with the new lieutenant. They forgive my crimes and in return I help them take down Mad Mods operation."
"We heard he was still alive." Richard adds.
Victor nods. "No one has seen him though, these last months he's been flooding the streets with guns and bullets, every thug we encounter seems to have a whole arsenal with him. The now mayor O'Hara has increased the budget assigned to the police department, he thinks this is the way of fighting against him."
"Yes, I've seen the new SWAT teams they are using, seem impressive." Richard says.
"At least their equipment. The guns come every week in an ocean liner from Russia, we've captured a few but none of the men have talked."
Richard thinks about it. A question comes to his mind. "The new lieutenant, what do you think of him?"
"Carson? A little young but has his heart in the right place… and what's up with all these questions?" Victor now questions.
Richard and Kory trade glances as they smile. "Well, we may have found someone who has been in contact with Mad Mod."
That catches Victor's attention. "Who?"
Kory continues. "His name is Dwayne Mcduffie or Controllus is his alias, he oversees the deliveries. Sends the guns from the manufacturers in Europe all the way to here, through Russia."
"Why use Russia?" Victor questions.
"Less surveillance" Richard answers. "Recently we found about these eight special bullets, each one worth one-point-five million. Six of those bullets were delivered here at Jump last week. With Kory we intercepted the other two bullets and using fake identities we bought them for ten million from Controllus."
"You what?!"
"Relax Victor, we did not hand him the money" Kory interjects.
Richard smirks. "We gave him a virus, basically we wired him."
"Did he talk to Mod? What did you find out?"
"He didn't talk to Mad Mod, but we heard other things in between codes." Richard pauses. "They are preparing for something, something big, we heard these words: Markovia, opera and Rouge."
Victor thinks about it. "The prime minister of Markovia is coming to Jump these days…" he trails.
"And he is scheduled to attend the opera along the mayor" Richard continues.
Victor looks at him, of course he knew that. "Rouge?"
"French assassin, one of the best, in the most wanted list by both the CIA and INTERPOL."
________________________________________
A tall slim woman with short dark hair descends from a commercial flight. Its Madame Rouge. She has a large white coat and shades over her eyes. She carries a large black case in her hand, walking oblivious to the officers at the airport.
________________________________________
"If she is who Mad Mod hired, we may be in trouble" Richard finishes.
"We need your assistance, Victor." Kory adds.
Victor appears in deep thought. If this assassin is as dangerous as they are saying, things could be difficult. He stops. Another thought coming to his mind. "And that's why you came?"
The question catches Richard off guard. "Yeah…"
"Why tell me here on top of a roof? Why not call from wherever you were? Why not notify the police? Or try to get the opera cancelled?" Richard doesn't answer, he looks down avoiding his gaze. "You want the attack to take place, you want to catch her in the act."
"Victor, we have a plan" Kory chimes in.
Victor looks at her. "He convinced you too?" He says in a harsh tone referring to Richard
Kori pauses. "We have a plan to catch her, but we need your help" she repeats.
"It's the same shit as with Deathstroke all over again."
"So, you're doing it?" Richard questions.
"No, Grayson, and you know why? Because you are a gambler, you take chances with people's lives, and one day your luck is going to run out, and the ones close to you will pay" Victor explains as he turns around. "I'm going to tell the lieutenant and we are going to prevent the attack." Victor leaves the roof.
Kory looks at Richard. "And now what shall we do?"
Richard turns to her. "We move, we can do it the two of us."
________________________________________
Raven is walking through the sidewalk at Jump City's downtown. The backpack still on. She gazes down as she walks. Although Malchior seemed like a nice guy, she can't allow herself to be close with anyone, it would be too dangerous for the other person.
She is suddenly hit by a strange sensation as she clutches her head. She notices a boy with green hair walking down the other side of the sidewalk, they lock eyes. The strange sensation in Raven is replaced by a strong headache, like the one she suffered at the diner. The boy is also hit by a strong headache as he too clutches his head. He screams as his face starts turning green and fangs grow on his mouth. He notices the people looking at him and runs away. Raven puts her hoodie on and leaves the scene, the headache never ceasing.
________________________________________
"Sir, with all due respect, I think we should cancel the function" Victor says to mayor O'Hara. They are currently at a private room at the opera house in Jump City. The lieutenant Carson by their side.
O'Hara doesn't like it. "This event is key to the relationships with Markovia, if the deal goes through, they could help us in the fight against Mod. Better equipment, more funds."
"But if something happens?" Victor questions.
O'Hara looks at Victor then at the lieutenant. "How's the security?"
"I have my men all around the perimeter, but sir, if I may…"
The mayor interrupts Carson. "Good, we are doing this, it's a must nothing happens, okay?" With that he turns around and leaves the room.
Victor and Carson look at each other. The lieutenant shrugs. "We better do what we can with what we have." Victor nods. Carson leaves the room.
Victor sighs. He looks at the control panel at his arm. He scrolls until reaching the disguise option. He taps it. His metallic body instantly changing to human. He looks at himself in a mirror. He must admit he doesn't look bad dressed in a tuxedo along the complete human skin. He lets a out a sad smile, if only it wasn't a projection. He turns around and exits the room.
________________________________________
The prime minister of Markovia descends from a limousine along his wife. Instantly they are surrounded by a mass of paparazzies photographing them. The mayor walks up to him and greets them. They smile as they enter the opera.
A pair of high heels descend from another car. Its Kory dressed in a stanning long purple dress revealing a little cleavage. Make up over her face and her hair perfectly stylized. She receives the look of various people that stop to look at her, both man and women. She enters the opera house along other attendants. Once inside she touches her earpiece being hidden behind her hair.
"I am inside" she informs.
Inside a small service room at the opera house is Richard dressed in a black uniform, similar to the Nightwing one minus the bird insignia and the mask. Esgrima sticks clutched to his back. He has four holographic screens in front of him. He can see the blueprint of the opera and the cameras inside. "Good… by the way you look beautiful" he says as he watches her through one of the cameras.
Kory blushes. "I thank you; you too would look rather handsome in a suit."
"Why do I have to be the one in a closet?"
"Because your face is quite famous, my love" Kory says as she continues walking.
"Fucking Victor" Richard murmurs.
The musicians, all dressed in black, are in-line showing the cases with their instruments to an officer. He looks at each and nods letting them inside. Madame Rouge shows her case and opens it. Inside there is a silver flute. The officer nods. Madame Rouge enters the opera.
She follows the rest of the musicians but separates before entering the stage.
Victor is at the entrance scanning each face waiting to find something suspicious. He notices a couple walking together into the opera, they are holding hands, a loving look in their faces. They stop as they look at each other, their lips connecting in a lovely kiss. Victor's eye softens as he watches them. The couple break apart as they continue to their seats. He misses that feeling, the feeling of being able to touch somebody, feel their skin. He pushes the thought to the side focusing back on the task at hand.
"Everything clear" he calls to the lieutenant.
The lights inside the stage turn off and the opera starts along the orchestra. A man in costume enters the stage and starts singing. The play is "Turandot".
In the service room, Richard is checking each face in the audience through the cameras. In the screen next to it he has a photograph of Madame Rouge. He moves through each camera but there are a lot to check.
Kory moves through a glamorous staircase. With one of her hands, she holds the dress so not to step over it. She reaches a door guarded by security. She shows him her ticket and he lets her in into a box with a wonderful view of the stage. The voice of the lyrical singer echoing throughout the opera.
Kory looks down. Just below her box is the prime minister and the mayor in their own box watching the spectacle.
She touches her earpiece. "Richard, have you located her?"
"Nothing yet" Richard says as he continues looking through the cameras. "I know you are here, where?" he whispers to himself.
He changes to another camera where he notices a tall woman moving through a hallway backstage. He widens his eyes. Its Rouge. "Kory I may have found her" he communicates.
"Where?"
"Backstage, I'll direct you."
Kory exits her box and enters a hallway.
"To the left, open the door, you should see her right there" Richard says guiding her through the blueprint on display.
Kory turns to the left to a closed door and using her strength forces the handle opening it. It's a backstage on top of the stage, from where the lights are directed.
Madame Rouge makes it to a spot and stops. She looks in front, a clear view of the prime minister in front of her across the opera house. She smirks. She kneels and opens her case revealing the flute. She starts moving the different parts around, it's a sniper rifle. The music of the play still echoing throughout the opera. She opens a secret compartment at the case and takes out three of the golden bullets and places them next to her. She grabs one and commences loading the rifle. She looks at the prime minister through the sniper and aims at his head, she has a clear shot.
Kory sees her. She takes her heels off and using her flight launches at Madame Rouge before she can take the shot. The assassin doesn't have time to react as she is tackled to the side. The rifle falling to the floor. Kory lands on top and punches her hard. She repeats the blow, but Rouge catches it and headbutts her. Kory falls and now Rouge is the one who launches at her. The opera still going on.
Richard watches the fight from the screen. He notices the bullets Madame Rouge left. Two of them on display plus the one on the rifle. Where are the other three? He starts looking through the other cameras, searching for anyone that could be suspicious. "Where could they be?" He mumbles. In one of them he finds a huge man with orange hair dressed as a cop enter the control room. He also has a black music case. Richard narrows his eyes. There is his suspect.
Kory even with her super strength is struggling against Rouge as she continuously punches down at her not letting her breath. Kory blocking the blows she can. She knees her in the waist getting her off. They both quickly stand up studying their adversary. Kory fires a green beam but Rouge dodges it and throws a couple of quick punches that Kory blocks with her arms as she backs away, overwhelmed by the assassin. Rouge reaches forward and grabs her by the throat slamming her hard to the floor.
Kory using her legs pushes her back and floats standing up. Madame Rouge takes out a knife and attacks Kory. She dodges the attack, grabs her wrist and pushes the knife against Rouge stabbing her. Rouge stumbles backwards as she looks wide eye at the knife in her chest. Kory smiles.
Madame Rouge reaches out and pulls the knife off her chest and smirks. Kory widens her eyes.
The man dressed as a cop enters the control room. Inside there are two workers, a man and a woman that control the lights, they look at him. The man walks up to them, punches hard the man breaking his skull and grabs the woman by the neck breaking it with ease and killing her. He places the black case over the control panel and opens it. Inside there is another flute. He starts separating the parts transforming it into a rifle. He has another clear view of the prime minister. He takes out three bullets and loads one of them.
In that moment Richard enters the control room. He sees the man aiming at the prime minister and throws a batarang at him hitting him in the hand. The man yelps in pain as he lets go of the rifle. Richard runs up at him and jumps up in the air delivering a flying kick to the man's chest. Both fall to the floor and get up quickly. Richard looks up at him. The man is really big, around seven feet and three hundred pounds.
The man attacks him, Richard ducks and throws a punch that the man catches and throws him hard against a wall.
From the lobby at the opera house Victor hears the fighting and moves to the source.
Kory continues fighting Rouge as she avoids her knife attacks. Kory fires a beam hitting her in the hand that forces her to let go of the knife. An angry Madame Rouge jumps forward punching Kory hard on the face sending her to the floor and hitting her head to the wall. Kory's eyes start closing, almost unconscious.
Rouge smirks as she goes back to the rifle and picks it up.
The man is about to throw Richard again, but he takes out another batarang and stabs him with it in the hand. The man screams again and lets him go. In one motion Richard kicks him hard on the knee, the man falls, Richard takes out his esgrima sticks, charges them and hits them to the man's temple knocking him unconscious.
Richard touches his earpiece. "Kory, do you hear?"
Kory doesn't answer as she struggles to get up.
Richard sees Rouge from across the opera, she is about to shoot. He grabs the man's rifle and aims at her. A column blocks most of her, he doesn't have a clear shot. He turns to the prime minister. If he doesn't do something quick, she is going to shoot him. An idea comes to his mind. He aims the rifle at the prime minister. Just before he can pull the trigger Victor along the lieutenant and two cops burst in the room.
"Richard, no!" Victor yells.
Richard ignores him and fires. The bullet travels all across the opera house until reaching the prime minister hitting him in the shoulder. The prime minister falls to the ground because of the impact just before Madame Rouges bullet hits the chair behind him.
"NO!" the assassin yells.
Victor tackles Richard to the ground, the cops coming in behind and handcuff him.
Madame Rouge looks at where the shot came. She swears as she throws the rifle and escapes the area.
The prime minister is taken away from the box by his security guards. They rip open his shirt to inspect the wound. "I'm okay" he says in a European accent. "It is superficial." Just a little blood coming out of his shoulder.
The opera is suspended.
________________________________________
A cuffed Richard is taken down to a backroom at the opera house by Victor, the lieutenant and the two cops. The mayor burst into the room angrily.
"What the fuck just happened?! You are alive!" he yells.
"He shot the prime minister" the lieutenant answers.
"In the shoulder" Richard whispers.
"Do not talk" Victor says angrily.
"What the fuck, Grayson?! Yesterday you were dead and know you are shooting the prime minister! Why is it that always something bad happens you are in the middle of it?!" the mayor questions.
"We knew of the attack; we didn't know there were two killers" Richard says.
"Who's we?"
Kory bursts on the room. "Richard!" she yells as he runs up to him and hugs him.
"Cuff her too" the lieutenant orders.
"Don't touch her" Victor warns.
Richard turns to the lieutenant. "Carson, is it? One of the killers was using a police uniform, why don't we cuff you and your men?"
Carson narrows his eyes. "Why don't we lock in you in prison huh?" he shoots back.
"Everybody calm down!" the mayor orders.
A security guard enters the room and whispers something at the mayor. The rest of the room stays in silence.
Richard looks at Kory. "Are you alright?"
Kory nods. "Yes, but Madame Rouge escaped."
"Its okay, you did your best" he says as he kisses her temple.
"The prime minister is alright" the mayor announces. "The bullet just grazed him before apparently another bullet hit his chair at his head height." He pauses and looks at Richard. "He saved him…release him" he orders.
"But sir…"
"Release him!"
The cops take the cuffs off Richard who narrows his eyes at the young lieutenant. The mayor looks at him. "Now Grayson, how about you tell us what the hell happened here?"
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The boy with green hair is at his bed tossing and turning while he has a nightmare, he is sweating. He starts screaming, his skin again turning green and fangs growing. It hurts. His parents enter the room panicked.
"Garfield are you alright?!" the father asks.
"It's been months since he last suffered an attack!" the mom yells.
The father runs to him and grabs him trying to wake him up. Garfield doesn't wake up, just continues screaming. A loud roar comes out of his throat as both the father and mother back off him. Green fur grows on his skin as his eyes start changing and claws grow on his hands.
The parents scream in panic.
________________________________________
Its late at night at an excavation site somewhere in middle east. A man with glasses dressed in a white suit is sitting at a table below a tent as he studies a map of the area. Three months they had been there and had come empty handed, until now.
A local man wearing white burst into the tent, a mass of people behind him. The man is startled as he looks at him.
"Sir, we found it" he says. The man doesn't say anything, he just stands up and takes off his glasses. The local reveals an object bathed in gold in the form of a tridimensional S-like form. He hands it to the man in suit who just looks at it. He is amazed, they finally found it, all because of a vision he had of this place.
"The Mark of Scath" he breathes.