IT EVEN BEGAN!?"

And this time, it didn't look like he was going to stop this blow.

before pulling his staff back last second.

"Sweep at your legs? Knock your @#% to the floor!?"

He mocked doing just that, once again stopping just shy.

"Decisions...decisions..." And then, he grabbed the staff firmly and jabbed it right toward his sternum.

"DO I JUST END THIS FIGHT BEFORE-

softly his the trash below with a loud CRASH!

And, probably as expected, Slade did not jump in after her. Nor did a bomb go off at all.

But a bullet did. It whistled across the street and screams could be heard in it's aftermath.

It seemed Deathstroke found his target.

awaited.

"Don't have time...gotta drop you."

He looked again over the edge, and despite whatever protests this might have warranted from Lois, he held her over the edge carefully.

"Hope you don't publish a hit job on me after this, Mrs. Lane."

And like that, she was dropped, falling until she-

"I hear it..."

His enhanced senses could pick it up easily, it was unmistakable.

𝘛𝘪𝘤𝘬...𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬...𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬...

"𝘈 𝘉𝘖𝘔𝘉!"

He was quick to grab Lois' arm, picking her up in his arms as he quickly ran to the edge of the building, a narrow alley was below them, and a large, conveniently placed garbage bin-

harder than he needed to.

"An oath."

seeped from the wound and splattered along the dirt beneath them.

"Don't gotta touch tips to know I'm a man of my word. A man of honor."

He held his hand out to her.

𝘠'𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦...𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘰.

And grasped at her oversized appendage, clenching it-

that?"

The assassin turned once more, this time facing her entirely, his tall frame looming as he made a few tentative steps.

"I don't want to hurt you, Lois. Don't make me. Just-"

He heard something, a loud crash, a rumble down the stairs that led back into the building they were on.

"D'you hear-

go to in the summer." Slade's sarcasm was all too typical. And he knew that wasn't going to shake her, and if she was to get her friend involved...

"Superman will be thanking me after I'm done. Maybe he'll even send a Christmas card this year. Unless they've just been getting lost in the mail?"-

Despite the mask, it was clear Slade was groaning internally. His shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh before he turned his head to her once again, viewing the men across the street through his rifle scope.

"He's here on vacation. Really enjoying the sights and thinking about buying a condo he can-

every muscle had been coordinated to move with machine efficiency.

The staff came crashing towards the hero's ribs, promising to be extremely painful unless he moved out of the way in time.

It was at this moment he wished he had a step stool handy when Raven opened that portal and sent him flying.

"Unless you want to send more men to their deaths, lets talk about a contract."

not change. When I found myself in this strange world you live in, no offense."

His helmet hissed as he removed it from his head, depressurizing as he held the bloody piece of metal by his side.

"I realized I had to find my way until I can leave. And it led me right to your doorstep. Now..."

"I was a realist just now."

The greatest assassin on Earth approached the queen, the blade being offered back to her as he reached up.

"When I saw your warriors charge at me, I didn't let my confidence make me sloppy, or dread still my feet. I acted in the moment, accepting the things I could-