"Why should I believe you?" Slade's tone was sharp, his suspicion evident despite the mask concealing his face. It wasn't in his nature to trust a stranger who appeared uninvited in his stronghold.
The man in yellow sneered, his voice low and distorted. "Because we have a common enemy. And the enemy of my enemy… is my friend."
Slade tilted his head slightly, his mind racing. "A common enemy?" He thought quickly and replied, "You mean Arrow?"
The man in yellow chuckled darkly. "Arrow? No, no, no. I'm talking about someone else—the stranger who's recently joined his team. The one who's been interfering with your plans."
Slade frowned under his mask, now understanding the implications. "Ah, you mean the newcomer, the so-called 'volunteer.' He's meddled in my operations, yes. But why would I need your help to deal with him?"
The man in yellow's eyes glowed ominously. "Because you don't know your opponent."
With that, the yellow-clad figure burst into motion, his body transforming into a streak of red lightning. In an instant, the factory was engulfed in a whirlwind of speed. Slade instinctively crouched, his sword at the ready, while Sebastian Blood, wearing his signature skull mask, was caught off guard.
A sudden force slammed into Sebastian, sending him hurtling into a wall with a bone-crunching impact. Slade's grip tightened on his sword as a powerful sense of danger overwhelmed him. He swung his blade, slicing through the air with precision, but the red lightning evaded the strike with an impossible curve.
Before Slade could react, the figure materialized behind him. A cold pressure pressed against his back, and Slade glanced down to see that his alloy war sword was gone.
"Do you still think you don't need my help?" The man in yellow's voice was calm, almost mocking. A moment later, the stolen sword clattered to the ground in front of Slade.
Slade inhaled deeply, forcing himself to remain composed. Slowly, he turned to face the intruder, studying him carefully. "What do you want me to do?"
The man in yellow crossed his arms, his glowing red eyes boring into Slade. "The so-called 'volunteer' that Arrow recruited has speed similar to mine, but he's not as fast. However, he's powerful—more powerful than me in certain ways. I need you to hold him off, distract him, so I can finish him."
Slade remained silent for a moment, piecing together what he'd just learned. It was clear this man wasn't from around here—not just geographically, but temporally. His demeanor, his advanced abilities—it all hinted at a future origin. Slade smirked under his mask. "You're from the future, aren't you? That's why you know so much about them."
The man in yellow's expression tightened slightly, but he didn't deny it. He continued, his voice tinged with resentment. "I know everything. Including that this 'volunteer' isn't supposed to exist. There's no record of him in history. He's an anomaly, a wildcard that could disrupt everything I've worked to achieve."
Slade nodded, starting to see the bigger picture. "And you're afraid he'll ruin your plans for the Flash."
The man in yellow's glare intensified. "I don't fear him—I just won't tolerate uncertainties. He's a threat to my timeline, and I intend to eliminate him. His strength may surpass mine, but speed is my domain. I'll end him with a strike he won't see coming."
Unbeknownst to the Reverse-Flash, Kaius wasn't just another vigilante. His strength and invulnerability were on par with Superman's, and no amount of speed could pierce his near-indestructible body.
Slade considered his options, his mind calculating the potential benefits of this alliance. "Alright," he said finally. "Your target is the volunteer. Mine is Arrow. If our goals align, we can work together."
The man in yellow smirked, satisfied. "Good. Then let's begin."
As the two men planned their next moves, Slade couldn't help but wonder if his new ally had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the volunteer. That would explain the desperation behind his offer. Still, Slade wasn't one to turn down an opportunity to gain the upper hand in his own vendetta against Oliver Queen.
The man in the yellow suit handed Slade a small vial of glowing blue liquid and a pager. "This serum," he explained, "will accelerate the absorption of Mirakuru. Inject it into your fortified soldiers, and their transformation will take mere hours. As for this pager, use it to contact me if you encounter the 'volunteer'—the policeman working with Arrow. I'll arrive immediately."
Before Slade could respond, the man in yellow vanished, leaving behind only a streak of red lightning that disappeared into the horizon.
Sebastian Blood limped toward Slade, rubbing his shoulder where he'd hit the wall. "What kind of monster was that? Can we trust him?"
Slade stood silent, examining the vial in his hand. After a moment of thought, he handed it to Sebastian. "Test it on one of the soldiers. If it works as he claims, inject the others."
Slade's indifference to the lives of the prisoners was clear. They were expendable—mere tools for his war against Oliver Queen. Whether they lived or died after serving their purpose was irrelevant. His only concern was the destruction they could cause.
Sebastian took the vial, his expression uneasy. "Understood. I'll handle it."
Slade's lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Once the serum proves effective, we move immediately. Deploy the fortified army and bring Star City to its knees. And Sebastian," he added with calculated charm, "this city will need a new leader. Soon, you'll be mayor."
Sebastian's eyes gleamed at the promise, his doubts momentarily eclipsed by ambition. "Yes, I'll get everything ready!"
---
Meanwhile, in Star City…
The sun shone brightly over the bustling metropolis. From high above, Kaius hovered in the air, scanning the city with his enhanced vision. His focus was on industrial areas and abandoned warehouses—prime locations for Slade's operations.
By midmorning, his search led him to a grim discovery: hundreds of lifeless bodies wearing prisoner uniforms, scattered across a desolate field. Their faces were pale, their orifices streaked with dried blood.
"Oliver," Kaius said into his communicator, his tone grim, "I've found the prisoners. They're dead—classic signs of Mirakuru overdose."
Oliver's voice came through, laced with anger. "Damn it. Slade really doesn't care about anyone, does he? But at least this gives us time. Those who survive the injection will still need hours to stabilize."
Kaius nodded to himself, recalling the timeline from his fragmented memories of past lives. He knew that Slade's plans would culminate during Moira Queen's upcoming mayoral campaign press conference. Slade would force Oliver to choose between saving his mother or his sister—a cruel echo of their shared history on Lian Yu.
But Kaius never treated those memories as prophecy. They were reference points, nothing more.
"Oliver," he said, "have Felicity hack into the city's traffic cameras and use facial recognition to track Slade. If he's out there, we can pin him down."
Before Oliver could respond, Felicity's voice chimed in. "Already on it! I've been monitoring the city's surveillance. The last sighting of Slade was at a banquet in the northern district last night. He hasn't appeared on any cameras since."
Kaius frowned, considering another angle. "What about Sebastian Blood? He's one of Slade's main allies. We might get useful information from him."
Oliver's voice was decisive. "You're right. Sebastian's been laying low, but he's scheduled for a news interview in two hours. He'll show up—he's too much of a public figure to miss it."
Kaius smirked. "Good. While you handle your errands, I'll keep an eye on Sebastian. He thinks he's playing both sides, but aligning with Slade is like dancing with a tiger. He'll regret it soon enough."
"Be careful," Oliver warned. "Sebastian may be a politician now, but don't underestimate him. He's still dangerous."
"I'll handle it," Kaius replied, his confidence unwavering. "Let's make sure we stay one step ahead of Slade this time."
Late Afternoon…
As the countdown to Sebastian's interview began, Kaius positioned himself discreetly near the venue, ready to act. With Slade's fortified army looming in the shadows, the clock was ticking. Every move mattered, and every ally of Slade's was a potential key to dismantling his plans.
Slade, meanwhile, stood in his secret base, watching his soldiers undergo their rapid transformations. The Mirakuru-enhanced army was nearly ready. Soon, Star City would face its reckoning.
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