Demons Of The League Of Assassins (A PJO and ARROW CROSSOVER)

Chapter 9 - IX: Different Kinds Of Insanity

1 Flashback 12: Black Feathers

Nanda Parbat

The fight came to a sudden hold, as both rivals readied themselves to engage this intruder.
Instead of a hostile attacker, they were met with a mass of very much black. Black fur and black feathers, all in all, Blackjack.
*Boss, Boss, is that really you?*, the black Pegasus whined while nuzzling his nostrils in Percy's chest, who had changed Riptide back into pen-form and was now stroking Blackjack's head.
"It's really me Blackjack. I'm alive. I'm not dead."
*But we all thought you were*, Blackjack explained.
Ra's stood baffled at the side at voiced his question loudly, "Why can I understand the horse?"
*Pegasus, I. Am. A. Pegasus*, Blackjack was indignant about the degradation at being called a horse and spread his wings as far as he could which was an imposing impression. Then they started to flutter and Blackjack sniffed at Percy.
Ra's used this to make his surprise known and asked again, "How am I understanding your friend, Mr Jackson?"
Now the priestess chimed in on the conversation.
"What are you talking about? And how are you two talking to a mystical creature?"
*You smell a bit different, boss, a bit more like your father, but without the sea scent*, Blackjack suddenly exclaimed.
Percy raised his hands in a defensive gesture, "Please, guys, one after the other. First", he looked at the priestess, "we are indeed talking to my friend Blackjack, who for clarification purpose is a pegasus. Second, ghosts are able to do things most living people can not. And third, Blackjack, a lot has happened since we last saw each other, but I think we can catch up later."
"No need to delay your reunion with your friend, Mr Jackson. We will have later time to continue our spar", Ra's explained, having caught Percy's intent.
*Why does he call you Mr Jackson, boss? People like him normally call you Perseus.*, Blackjack interjected once again, but before Percy could even answer, Ra's started talking again.
"Your name is Perseus? That is ... interesting"
Percy missed the whole wordless exchange between Ra's and the priestess, who's eyes had widened comically at the mention of Percy's full because he starred playfully angry at Blackjack.
"Yes, that's my full name. Now, if you would excuse us, Blackjack and I are going to the yard."
*Erm, boss, there's something I wanted to tell you. I feel something like saddlebags on my back, but I don't see anything*, Blackjack stated in a nervous tone, while he was prancing a bit back and forth and fluttering his tail.
Percy, already on his way out of the room, turned around again.

2 Mourning

Starling City

It was night and Oliver Queen sat in his living room drinking a glass of wine, he normally would have shared with Felicity, when he heard sniffling and quiet sobbing from the direction of William's bedroom. He wanted to comfort his son but knew William was crying in his sleep. And if he woke him up, William would be even more tired in the morning, so he let his son cry, even when it tore his heart, that he could not help.
But William's crying reminded him also of what had happened. Because of the explosion, Adrian jump-started through his suicide, Samantha was dead, which meant he had to take care for and look after William mostly without Felicity. Thea was still in the hospital and in a comatose state and between grieving, learning how to parent, worrying about both Thea and William, and their physical respectively mental health and being mayor it stretched him far to thin.
Oliver Queen was not a person to admit defeat easily, and he was far away from being defeated. He was worn out and tired, but not defeated.
He was musing for a while longer, but in the end, he succumbed to sleep sitting on the sofa, the glass of wine half drunken, with a yearning for Felicity in his heart and William's crying in his ear.

3 Paranoia

Nanda Parbat, Grounds

Exactly after two hours Al 'rwh and Al 'iiesar met in the grounds of Nanda Parbat. It was still a starlit night, but Al 'iiesar's sunglasses sat as always firmly on his nose as he walked side by side with Al 'rwh trough the sand before the structure if Nanda Parbat.
"Al Sa-her asked the priestess about you, while you were sleeping", Al 'rwh informed Al 'iiesar.
"Well, I guess that was to be expected, was it not?", Al 'iiesar asked insouciantly/unconcerned.
Al 'rwh raised an eyebrow, "It was. However, that does not mean I have to like it."
"Of course not", replied Al 'iiesar instantly, not even missing a stride while walking and inquired, "what exactly did he even ask?"
"In example, if you could heal his hand."
"I am not even sure how I did it, never mind if I can do it again", Al 'iiesar reasoned already developing this thought further, "But I could try and use that as a bargain-chip should a quid-pro-quo situation arise."
"That would be an appropriate occasion. But that was not the only thing. He obviously watched your training exercise, because he made an inquiry concerning your fighting style", Al 'rwh concluded stonefaced.
"He will not participate in the training anytime soon, if ever. Maybe he learns something from watching, but that will be it. I won't teach him", Al 'iiesar insisted.
"That is good", he paused and then added, "Just an advise, despite Al Sa-her's assurances not to kill you, you should watch your back. He is hardly predictable."
"The same has been said about me, but I accept your wise advice, Mylord Mentor", Al 'iiesar had fallen back into a more playful mood, as it impalpable dawned.
Al 'rwh just shook his head in silent amusement but said:
"Be serious! What do you plan on doing?"
"I'm not sure yet. I have to get a better grip and a better discipline among the assassins before I can even think of going anywhere else."
They came to a halt in front of the entrance. Al 'iiesar looked the outer facade measuring up and down.
"But for now I just want to watch the sunrise, maybe I even rethink your proposition", Al 'iiesar started, but concluded fast, deterring, "However, don't get your hopes up, I still think I'm not the right person to lead assassins."
"And I still think otherwise, but go watch the dawn. Meanwhile, I will guard the Lazarus Pit."
Al 'iiesar nodded in Al 'rwh's direction, gripped the rocky fabric of the facade and scaled the building. He climbed up until he reached the dome, all in less than five minutes. After he had reached it, he sat down and looked in the east watching as the sun slowly but surely rose and ray after ray coloured/colored the sky. First in a bold orange, then a light yellow until the sky was sky-blue.
It made him melancholic, reminding him of the last time he had seen his lover. The night, they had spent together, and his following execution at sunrise.

4 Phantom Pains (or not)

Nanda Parbat

When the sun rose Malcolm Merlyn was still helping the priestess tending to the wounded.
Most of them had one of Al 'iiesar's throwing knives in their shoulders, but some also slash wounds, that were still oozing blood.
So Malcolm brought water, removed knives, cleaned and disinfected wounds and dressed them. This was a lot more than he had been allowed at the beginning when he had just brought oils and salves to the priestess. He did the priestess' bidding.
He knew the priestess watched him like a hawk. Something like that did not escape his notice, he would not have done it any other way, if it was him, that had to watch a hard assessable, but dangerous variable.
He worked as dutiful as possible, so he would not be seen as a threat. And honestly, how much of a threat could he be, when he himself was still recovering from life-threatening injuries. All of them had been healed, but it had taken a toll on him.
While he was walking to get some fresh water, he suddenly felt pain in the stump of his left hand. Of course, he had had phantom pains before, but never this severe. The jar with water fell out of his right hand. As he sunk to his knees to doubled up with pain and he needed noticeable every shred of self-restraint not to whimper.
The priestess was with him in a moments notice.

AN: So, folks, here is the new chapter. Sorry, if some of you have gotten an alert on Friday. I wrote on the chapter and it was somehow suddenly published. Message me or comment if you have any ideas, tips or complaints. I hope you enjoyed it.