Thursday 3rd December 2009, 03:00.
New Jersey,
Gotham City,
Wayne Manor.
Bruce remained calm as he watched the news recount last night's robbery of the auction, one that succeeded due to his failure. It was something that rarely happened, but as of recently, it was seeming to happen more often, something he did not like in the slightest. He had always known that criminals were getting more as they attempted to defeat him, but he had always risen to the challenge and came out the victor.
Slade Wilson was one such individual that he was always wary of facing.
The man had been a gifted and decorated soldier who had undergone a failed military experiment that gave him enhanced abilities. That alone combined with his skills in hand-to-hand combat made him an extremely dangerous foe that Bruce could never take lightly.
Last night, however, Slade had managed to keep him stalled long enough for one of his two apprentices, Ravager to steal what was inside the artefacts.
All the while the other, Marauder managed to hold off both Batgirl and Robin.
That alone was a cause for worry.
Deathstroke was skilled enough to match him blow for blow and his enhancements always gave him a slight advantage in their fights. Luckily, despite his top speed being over a hundred miles per hour, the distance required to reach those speeds was too long and so, in close quarters, Deathstroke was no faster than him, only stronger.
However, with two apprentices, Deathstroke was infinitely more dangerous.
Especially when one of those apprentices was capable of taking on both Batgirl and Robin.
Bruce had believed that his two protégés could handle most threats in Gotham, alone they could only be overwhelmed by some of the more dangerous villains, but together there were very few that could come out on top. Considering Marauder took on both Batgirl and Robin, it told Bruce that this new mercenary was far more skilled than his protégés and that they weren't as ready as he once believed.
Even more so, if Ravager was on a similar level to Marauder.
'I'll need to increase their training.' Batman's presence seemed to no longer have the same impact it had and with the robbery still succeeding despite his best efforts, Bruce knew that the criminals of Gotham would take this as a sign of weakness on Batman's behalf. 'Whether they like it or not, the coming weeks are going to be difficult.'
But above all else, one question had been in Bruce's mind.
Who were Marauder and Ravager?
Ravager's identity remained a mystery, but he had a theory as to who Marauder was.
Esau had mysteriously disappeared, only telling Jim, who in turn told Barbara that he was travelling the world. That alone didn't fit Esau's MO as he seemed dead set on saving Gotham. That meant he was doing something he thought was more important, something that would help him save Gotham.
Training under Slade would certainly help him in improving his fighting skills, but why Slade of all people?
But the one thing that really convinced him that Esau was more than likely Marauder was that during the assault on Arkham that the latest iteration of the Suicide Squad and performed, Esau had shown major leaps in strength and speed. More so than should be possible in such a short time range. And he had miraculously healed from all his injuries at the hands of Alton Carver.
That in comparison to Slade's own enhancements granted by the serum and it made the theory of Esau being the Marauder more concrete.
Something he didn't like in the slightest.
-X-
Thursday 3rd December 2009, 07:00.
Florida,
Location Unknown.
His breathing was heavy, his body covered in a thin layer of sweat as he continuously threw punch after punch into the bag before him. Each punch left an imprint in the bag as it jerked away roughly, the metal chains dangling from the roof groaned and creaked as he continuously punched the bag. Eventually, it proved too much and the chains snapped off and the bag was sent flying across the room where it skidded across the floor before finally coming to a stop.
Panting with his right arm still outstretched, Esau dropped his hands with a sigh before heading over to where another set of bags was propped up against one wall. Taking one with his right hand, Esau dragged it over to where he had been before and lifted it up in order to set the bag in place.
Once it was done, Esau again went back to punching the bag, his mind replaying the flight back home constantly.
-X- Flashback -X-
"So what exactly is this?" Rose asked indicating to the glowing green rock on the table in front of Slade, all currently sat in Slade's private jet as they made their way back to his safe house. Esau and Rose were on one side of the plane with Slade on the other as he looked calmly out the window to the world below, tearing his gaze away to look at them.
"This." Slade lifted up the rock. "Is known as Kryptonite and it's extremely rare. Not for its durability or radiation levels, but because it is one of the only known weaknesses to the strongest being on this planet, Superman." Esau felt himself tense up, his fists clenching tightly as the true meaning of what they had stolen dawned on him.
This wasn't just a matter of stealing a rare and valuable artefact, Esau was fine with that.
But stealing something that could pose a threat to Superman of all people?
That was practically a declaration of war against the Justice League.
'Fucking hell!' When Slade said that he was going to make Esau a mercenary, he had known that going against the Justice League was a possibility. But going against them so soon and making a move against a guy like Superman was something Esau was hesitant to do. He was a symbol of heroism, the face of the Justice League and practically worshipped as a God by people across the world. 'And now I've aided some criminal get their hands on one of the things that could kill him.'
"So who hired us for this then?" Rose asked the question on Esau's mind, but Slade like they had expected, didn't answer.
Instead, he just remained silent as he looked between the two of them in thought.
Turning away Esau looked out the window and watched as the clouds passed by, things looked so much simpler from up here, it almost made him angry at how little he had actually accomplished. Sure, Gotham had experienced its moments of peace when he made his appearance, but ever since he had gone things seemed to have returned to the way they were and he hated it.
'But things will have to get worse before they get better.' Esau thought, remembering Slade's words early on in his training.
They were true, though it didn't mean he had to like them and he definitely didn't like them.
-X- Flashback -X-
With a grunt, Esau once again sent another bag flying across the room, only this time the sound of someone giving a low whistle of amazement caused him to turn to see Rose standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She wore a sports bra leaving her toned midriff bare and a pair of leggings that highlighted her developing curves, but Esau ignored it and looked at her grinning face and the amusement that shone in both eyes.
Raising one brow, Esau looked at her questingly. "What do you want, Rose?" He asked and Rose chucked a pair of fingerless, sparring gloves at him.
Catching them in one hand, he looked from them to her.
"Fancy a spar, you've been brooding far too much and it's starting to piss me off."
Snorting at her words, Esau strapped both gloves on and moved over to the ring in the centre of the room. "Alright, should be good to kick your ass for a little."
After strapping on his gloves, Esau looked to see that Rose had done the same only to have to parry one of her punches as she capitalised on his opening. "Let's see if that will be the case this time, asshole." She said viscously with a smile before throwing a couple more punches, each one parried to one side before Esau snuck a punch through her guard. It struck her cheek with enough force to whip her head to one side as she stumbled back a little, she taking a moment to wipe her split lip which quickly healed.
"Don't get too cocky, Rose." He taunted and with a snarl, Rose came at him once more.
Ducking under one jab, Rose came up with an uppercut that Esau knocked slightly to one side and came down with a hammer fist that Rose spun around, aiming to slam a hock into his back. However, Esau used his elbow to knock it away while also coming around with a punch that knocked her onto the floor.
"Pretty good that, Rosie. Almost managed to avoid eating the ring for a minute." Growling in annoyance at his taunting, Rose pushed herself to her feet and came at him once more. However, he caught the wrist as she came at him with a straight punch in one hand, while applying pressure to the elbow as he pushed up. At the same time, his front leg moved forwards tripping her feet out from underneath her and flipping her over onto her back. "Almost, but not quite."
"Whatever, let go of me." She muttered, trying to push his knee off her chest, her face flushed.
With a laugh, Esau got to his feet and offered one hand that Rose looked at warily, before finally accepting with a sigh.
"You done brooding?" Rose asked as she shook off her right arm and started bouncing on her feet as she waited while he took a drink of water.
"Not really," Esau replied causing Rose to huff.
"Seriously? Why?"
"Why?" Esau questioned dubiously, confused as to how she didn't understand why he was so annoyed. "Slade had us steal something that could kill the strongest hero on the planet. A guy that many people praise and worship as if he was a god. If it gets out that we took Kryptonite and sold it to one of Superman's enemies and they used it to kill him, we'd be held accountable. Hell, with Batman being there I have no doubt people already know what we've done."
Rose just shrugged not seeing a problem with that. "So, should make things more interesting."
Esau realised he should have expected an answer like that from Rose. "Okay, let me put this simply for you, Rose." He said calmly and Rose scowled at the note of condescension in his tone. "Facing Superman is something Slade told us to avoid at all costs, right?" Rose nodded her head as it was something Slade stressed to avoid unless absolutely necessary. "Now, not only have we given his enemies the very thing that can kill him, drawing attention to us, but it's practically a declaration of war against the Justice League."
Rose was many things, impatient, hotheaded and a little bloodthirsty, but she wasn't stupid and as Esau spoke, she started to realise what Esau was getting at. Even so, while part of her could understand why Esau was so worried and annoyed, most of her just looked forward to the future challenges ahead of her.
"We're talking about declaring war against an organisation of people who, while maybe not as powerful as Superman, are equally as dangerous. Hell, there are people who can actually match Superman in it and your father has made us an enemy of them." Esau explained exasperatedly.
Again, Rose shrugged at his words still finding it to be a fun and challenging prospect.
Seeing this, Esau shook his head and instead raised his arms up for another quick spar, an action that put a smile on Rose's face as she copied him.
"Ah, you're both here." Before the two could fight, Slade stepped through the door. "Come with me." He ordered and then exited back through the way he came and after sparing a quick glance at one another, Rose and Esau followed after him.