NO CELESTIAL / dick grayson

six, death visits

"WE'RE BEING TRACKED."

It was her fifth day in Gotham. Her new suit still wasn't ready and she was yet again out in the city with the others. This time Red Robin was with them, though the Red Hood hadn't shown up tonight. Their achievements for the night were the Riddler and Two-Face, both villains she was fairly familiar with.

It was Batman who noted this, his voice sounding the comms. Remiel's brows furrowed. Not many people would dare follow them.

"Oracle?"

"Wait, I'm checking. I'm not picking up much but... oh. It's assassins from the look of it. They're trying to surround you. One squad of five trying to flank you from the left, one's coming down from Cross Street, think they're trying to cut you off."

"How many total?" Remiel asked. If it was assassins, it meant Deathstroke had decided to strike.

Finally.

"There's another squad waiting at the crossroads right up ahead. Prepare yourselves for a fight."

"It's Deathstroke, isn't it?" Damian spat.

"No sign of him," Oracle's voice replied. "Think he just sent out a squad, unless he's hiding in a corner somewhere, but I shouldn't have missed it."

"He won't leave Nanda Parbat just yet," Remiel pointed out, "he might send a squad here in hopes that Robin and I can be taken out, but he himself won't risk it just yet. If he leaves Nanda Parbat then it's ripe for the taking for Talia and Seraphina. No, he's not here tonight."

"Pity," Red Robin sighed. "It would make everything so much easier."

Agreed. But Deathstroke wasn't stupid.

They'd reached the crossroads, their vehicles sliding to a halt. Six before them, all in League suits, faces covered behind masks. Remiel looked like she could fit right in.

The next squad came from the left, cutting them off from that direction. And then another, from behind them.

It was a nicely planned ambush. Technically speaking they were completely outnumbered, but when had that ever been an issue?

Remiel extended her three-section staff as she stepped off her motorcycle. "You have no business here."

"Deathstroke requests a meeting."

"We don't take orders from him," Damian snarled. "Leave now, before you regret it."

"He's the new leader of the League now," one assassin replied, raising her head. "Return now and this can be bloodless."

"If blood shall be spilt," Remiel announced, "it shall be yours, not ours. Go back and tell Deathstroke that wearing a crown that never belonged to him will inevitably backfire. He is not the leader of the League of Assassins."

"The strong prevail and the weak die."

"My Grandfather was not weak!"

Batman held Damian back. "They're under our protection. And you have no business in Gotham."

"Then we shall take them by force."

Everything snapped into motion all at once. Three of the assassins went straight for her, and while she managed to dodge the incoming blow of two, the last one slammed her right into the ground. Remiel tried to push them off, but the assassin wrapped his hands around her throat and started to squeeze. Clearly, the orders had been to capture, not kill, or the assassin's knife would have lodged itself in her heart by now.