8 The Assassin Pt. 3 (DC Universe)

Stepping through the door, Deathstroke looks around, somewhat nonplussed by what he sees. Not a lot can surprise Slade Wilson these days, but he has to admit to being a little baffled by the meet-up place. A crowded Ramen Bar really didn't seem like the sort of spot to meet with someone who'd been able to bring nearly every assassin on Earth into a free for all, all in the name of some vague prize they all wanted.

Of course, Slade as well as some of his more intelligent colleagues had all realized rather early on that their participation wasn't exactly without coercion… but at that point, it simply became all the more interesting, all the more intriguing. Obviously, he couldn't speak for the others, but for Deathstroke it had become a matter of wanting to know what lay at the end of this particular rabbit hole.

Not to mention, none of them knew exactly what would happen if they tried to quit, at least not at first. The first example of someone breaking the rules of the game had been… particularly enlightening. One moment, KG-Beast was alive, the next moment he was dead with a hole where his heart used to be. The stupid washed-up old geezer clearly never saw it coming.

The next fool to break the rules had gone and gotten themselves some magical protection, likely assuming it would help… or at least believing their master when he told them it would help. Ubu had died for breaking the rules of this strange new game all the same. Interestingly enough, Deathstroke's sources told him that when Ra's tried to revive Ubu with one of his Lazarus Pits, it did exactly nothing. The wound refused to heal; the life refused to return to Ubu's body. His heart remained missing.

That was when Ra's had backed himself and the rest of the League of Assassins out of the competition entirely. There'd been no punishment for that, no censure for the departure of some of the best assassins in the world, but by then, Slade wasn't just going to stop. While the rules were a bit more constraining then anything he'd ever operated under before, he appreciated the challenge at the end of the day. Truth be told, it was rather fun, though he'd never admit as much out loud.

After Ubu's death and the League's departure, the rest of the competition had seemingly wised up. Oh, there were still one or two idiots that got themselves killed for breaking the rules of this strange game they were all being at least partially compelled to play, but in the end, those were nobodies, certainly no one that he bothered remembering the names of.

Most of his extra processing power that wasn't being spent on winning the game had been spent on wondering just who could be behind this. Names had come to him, with ideas of how they might have pulled off parts of this, but in the end, he still wasn't sure. Faust, Klarion, Morgana, Brother Blood, and several others… all seemed like this could potentially have come for them, and yet there were other reasons that disqualified them, in the end.

Having been watching the agreed upon meeting place for the last day, Slade had noted every single person who came in and out. He'd observed the different levels of business and what times had rushes. Oddly enough, he'd come to the conclusion that the time he was meant to meet with his mysterious benefactor was in the middle of the dinner rush.

Truth be told, he had no idea how their meeting was supposed to be discrete in such a crowded venue. It made him fear that the one who'd invited him into this little game was some kind of all powerful fool who'd based the entire competition off of movies. There was little to no truth to that strange concept of holding clandestine meetings in a crowded place to use the crowd's conversation to drown out important dealings. That was just… it was idiotic, Hollywood-based nonsense, at the end of the day. In the end, all Slade could hope was that this would all be worth it.

Almost as if on cue with that thought as his eyes finish drifting over the Ramen Bar's occupants, the Master Assassin blinks upon watching the world fade out before him. It's noisy… until it's not anymore, the noise falling away and everyone inside of the Ramen Bar turning grey and lifeless, until they practically look like ghosts.

All except for one man sitting at the bar who turns to regard him and lifts a hand in simple greeting.

"Yo."

He then takes out a stool and gestures for Slade to take a seat, something that the man known to some as The Fastest Killer Alive does, sitting down and eyeing up the other man sitting beside him. He's trying to figure out if this is the guy behind everything, or just an intermediary. It wouldn't be the first time that he's been hoodwinked before, after all. Not even the first time he's been hoodwinked by this particular gentleman or the possible power behind him either. After all, somehow he'd been coerced into playing this game to begin with, and he still didn't really have any idea what the prize for winning it was supposed to be.

"You can call me Shirou if you like. Before we begin, I'd like to go over the competition, and the part you played in it."

Slade stiffens up a bit at that, having never been the kind of man to appreciate criticism from someone who he frankly doesn't know and thus can't say for sure whether or not they're worthy of giving it. All the same… he's come too far to let his pride get in the way now.

"… Very well."

And so, they talk. Well, mostly this mysterious 'Shirou' talks. Slade only speaks when asked an actual question, delivering his answers in clipped responses. Mostly, Shirou asks for his thought processes at the time of some of his assassinations over the course of the competition. He asks Slade why he did this or that, seeming curious as to how the mind behind Deathstroke works.

Likewise, Shirou goes over pretty much every single one of his jobs throughout the competition with him. Despite his overall success (he'd won, hadn't he?!) the young man has very little praise for Deathstroke. Oh, he certainly mentions the more notable moments, but there's quite a few critiques on how things could have been made more memorable or grand while still maintaining cover and concealment, or even just simply getting away cleanly.

The man's obsession with words like memorable and grand is something Slade picks up on immediately. This Shirou seems to be almost eager to make a legend out of someone. Meanwhile, Deathstroke has already made a legend out of himself, and isn't sure why he needs to make it any greater. Truth be told, even as he takes the criticism silently, inwardly he's fuming.

This is looking like it's going to turn out to be just what he feared it would be. Shirou, or whatever is operating through him, is clearly just looking for entertainment. Slade Wilson was no one's entertainment.

"… Well, it didn't matter too much for my little competition, but for the rest of what I intend for you to do, I expect a certain level of flair that you may be a little less accustomed to. I hope that won't be a problem for you."

It is and having never been one to beat around the bush, he has no problem making that clear. Rising to his feet, Slade doesn't quite snarl, but there is menace in his voice as he glares at Shirou.

"I didn't come here looking for more work. I came for whatever the damn prize was. But now I see that there was nothing, that you were just stringing me… all of us along. Know this… I don't care who or what you are. I'll find a way to kill you, and when I do, I'll be back to end this farce."

With his piece said, Deathstroke makes to walk out, turning his back on the strange man but not his senses. He's fully prepared for an attack from behind, and almost hopes it comes after his challenge. While he would usually prefer the time to prepare properly and find out more about his quarry before finally taking him down, there was something truly exhilarating to having little information and little chance of victory. He did some of his better work when he didn't have time to plan… even if he did his BEST work when he had all the time in the world.

However, just as Slade is arriving at the door, Shirou calls out behind him. The other man doesn't so much as raise his voice… and yet, his words hit like a truck, rushing across Slade's ears quite roughly, like a coarse desert sandstorm.

"Well, if you don't want your family back, then I suppose you're free to leave."

That stops Deathstrok- no, that stops Slade Wilson in his tracks. Turning back around, the admittedly old Master Assassin narrows his eyes as he looks at the other man in a new light. Smirking, seeing that he has Slade's attention, Shirou cocks his head to one side, looking altogether… inhuman.

"If you do as I say, Slade Joseph Wilson… if you agree to finish just a few more jobs for me, then I will restore your family to you. Your wife, your dead children, everyone. You can all be together again, and happy too. And the best part is… I'm willing to pay in advance upon agreement. After all, barring that failure with the Teen Titans, everyone knows that Deathstroke's word is his bond."

It's impossible, and yet Slade has lived his life dealing with the impossible. The world doesn't make sense, but that in and of itself has come to make sense to him. Despite himself, he believes Shirou is telling the truth, that he can do what he's promising. And… he wants it. He wants it more than he'd ever admit to anyone, more than he'd even admit to himself, truth be told.

Slowly, his feet carry him back over to the bar where Shirou sits. He comes to a stop in front of the other man, his hands clenched into fists at his side.

"… What do you want?"

Each word is clipped out, spoken through gritted teeth as he glares at this… at whatever and whoever this is, this being who's offered him everything he's ever wanted. Smiling, Shirou bobs his head, as if Slade's agreement was a foregone conclusion.

"I want you to remove the greater evils from this reality for me, Slade Wilson. One by one, you're going to kill the biggest threats that this galaxy has ever known. It's going to be memorable, and it's going to be grand, because you're going to make it so. And you're going to succeed, because you don't fail, you never fail. They might call you this world's greatest and deadliest assassin behind closed doors and in hushed whispers… but I want more for you. I want you to become this universe's greatest and most celebrated assassin. How does that sound?"

It sounds like the words of a mad man to him, but Slade has worked for mad men before. And Shirou has shown that he has power. Plus, there's the small matter of the other man, or being, or whatever he is, agreeing to pay in advance. So, in the end, how can Slade not take the plunge? How can he say no?

"… Fine, I'm in. Tell me who I am to kill, and how you want it done."

Shirou smiles and snaps his fingers.

"… S-Slade?"

"Dad? Mom?"

"… What is this?"

Turning around, Slade Wilson regards his family for the first time in years, hale and whole. They look confused… but not angry. Not furious. Not enraged. They look… well, which is something Slade honestly doesn't know if he could have said for any of them in a long time. Glancing back at Shirou, he sees the inhuman creature for what he is now, even as Shirou smiles an almost-human sort of smile and waggles his fingers in their direction.

"Go. Spend a day with them. Tomorrow, we'll begin."

Slade nods, and then slowly makes his way over to his family, not one ounce of regret or guilt in his steps. His family was returned to him, and if this was some sort of Faustian bargain or something, well then, he had a whole day to figure it out. If it was a lie, if Shirou was tricking him, then he'd kill the other man, inhuman or not, or he'd die trying. If it did turn out to all be real… then Slade would gladly kill whoever the being wanted him to in exchange for this boon.

-x-X-x-

Watching Slade spend the day with his family is all well and good, but they do have work to do, and Shirou will stop at nothing to get what he wants. So, when the time comes to begin building Deathstroke up from just Earth's Deadliest Assassin to one renowned and feared throughout the galaxy, Shirou doesn't really feel any guilt, pulling him away from his family for a few final jobs.

After all is said and done, Slade can retire if that's what he really wants. Given what Shirou intends for him to do, he won't need to do much more afterwards for his Legend to be well and truly set in stone. Of course, the Master Assassin probably will still take a few jobs here and there from time to time. Slade isn't the kind of man to just settle down permanently, for all that he's happy to have his family back.

Starting things off simple, Shirou sends Deathstroke after Lex Luthor first. Now, even the Master Assassin had looked at Shirou when the Sidhe Emperor called Lex 'simple'. But to be fair, in comparison to what they were working up towards, Lex WAS simple. He would also be a wonderful little test for Deathstroke, because Shirou had greater expectations now then he had during his little competition.

Slade might not understand why Shirou was so obsessed with things being memorable, with the grandstanding. But then, he didn't need to know. He didn't have to understand Shirou or his goals to become the Assassin for Shirou's eventual Grail War. He just needed to become legendary enough to qualify.

And to be fair, he was already halfway there when Shirou had come along… but while Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, would have made a fine Assassin in any of the previous Grail Wars, Shirou was making something special. He was planning something far greater. He needed the best of the best, cultivated to be the greatest of their classes. It wasn't good enough for Deathstroke to be worthy of being an Assassin… he needed to become THE Assassin.

Watching from another plane of existence, Shirou can't help but smile as Deathstroke carries out his first assignment with the same sort of professionalism that got him a title like The Professional. Lex Luthor is hands down one of the most dangerously intelligent men on this version of Earth. He may not be the absolute smartest, may not have the highest IQ, but he doesn't need it. He's a brilliant scientist as well as a billionaire industrialist, and he's put those two skills to use to become one of the world's worst super villains.

He is, without a doubt, incredibly ruthless, horrifically efficient, and terrifyingly creative. It's too bad that all of his focus is on Superman and being the Kryptonian's greatest enemy. Certainly, Lex could have been so much greater than he already was if he weren't such a force for evil. As it stood, his death would remove the pressure from quite a lot of individuals that Shirou had some measure of fondness for, while at the same time growing Deathstroke's already frightening reputation even further.

The assassin strikes at an open event, an outdoors gala that Lex is hosting. It's a re-election fundraiser, the bald man once again trying to become President of the United States. He never did serve a full eight years, after all…

Regardless, going by Shirou's expectations, Slade waits until Lex is in the middle of giving some big speech about how the world needs human strength above all else, and how, without him, they might as well bow down to their alien overlords. Honestly, it's a bit less coherent then Lex is usually capable of… but Shirou has already checked. This isn't a clone; this isn't a body double.

As Lex's security tries and fails to stop Deathstroke from reaching his target, as Lex Luthor turns at the last second only to realize he's become the assassination, one of Slade's Promethium Swords slices through the air. Now, a man like Lex Luthor isn't without his protection. There's the normal mundane security, of course, but Lex's greatest enemy is Superman himself. The normal security is more for show than anything else.

However, Lex's more advanced security… is hopelessly technological in nature. The personal protective force field that should snap into existence as Slade's blade sings through the air towards Lex's neck is nowhere to be found. The armor hidden beneath his tuxedo that SHOULD unfold and surround Lex in its protective embrace never does so.

Deathstroke's katana slices through Lex's neck with ease, and the bald man's head slips from his shoulders as his corpse collapses to the ground… in front of everyone. Hundreds of people have come to Lex's party, even if they don't much care for the man himself… especially if they don't care for the man himself. Lex always did believe in the old adage of keeping his enemies close.

Not where the Justice League was concerned though. None of the heroes, in either their secret identities or otherwise, had been invited to the event. Which meant there was no one there to even start saving Lex's life when Slade had begun his attack, and there was no one there to stop the Master Assassin from collecting the bald man's head and burning the rest of Luthor's body to unidentifiable ash in the moments following the successful assassination.

In the end, as everyone watches on in a mixture of horror and fear and even glee at Lex finally getting his comeuppance, Slade presses a button on his gauntlet, and a portal opens behind him. He steps through it, and it closes shut a moment later. The whole assassination had taken place within the span of a minute or so, by Shirou's estimation. But the way it was carried out would be the talk of everyone for years to come.

Of course, there were certain contingencies Lex Luthor had in place for such an eventuality as his successful assassination. There were rebirth plans and doomsday plans alike. He'd try to come back, of course, and failing that, he'd burn the whole world down with him if he could. That was the kind of megalomaniac Lex was, for all that he acted like he loved humanity.

Shirou had gone ahead and taken care of all of those. Not personally for every last one, in fact several of the assassinations carried out during his little competition had been the building blocks to this final coup de gras so to speak. His Master Plan was coming along quite nicely, and as Slade appears out of the portal beside him and holds out Lex's head, Shirou smiles as he takes it and vanishes it away.

Much like the hearts of those who had broken the rules of his challenge, Shirou laid claim to Luthor's brain from this moment on. As Emperor of the Sidhe, it was now his property… which meant, much like the likes of Ubu, no one would be able to resurrect Lex Luthor without Shirou's permission. Good luck getting that, heh.

"Well done, Assassin. As first impressions go… that was a good one."

A derisive snort emits from Deathstroke's mask at that.

"You have to know that wasn't my first impression."

Shirou just smiles enigmatically and lets out a soft chuckle.

"Mm, perhaps not. But… not to downplay everything you've done up to this point, all of your previous achievements… when people look back, they will remember the way you killed Lex Luthor in the height of his strength, in the seat of his power, and they will remember you for it more than anything else. Well, some of them will. Lex Luthor was the kill to set yourself into the psyche of the general populace. Your next kill will cement your place among your fellow killers."

This time, Shirou stops Slade before he can make a comment, chuckling once more and waving his hand in the air.

"I know, I know. You're Earth's Mightiest and Deadliest Assassin. They already respect and fear you, as they should. But even those of your peers who respect you for who you are, still believe you human and fallible. Part of what we're doing together is to disabuse them and everyone else of this notion. I want you to be seen as more than human… I want you to be legendary."

For a long moment, Slade just stays quiet, staring at the inhuman being seated across from him. Whether he's mulling over Shirou's words or what, he doesn't let on or anything like that. In the end, when he speaks, it's to change the subject.

"What's next then?"

Shirou's smile grows wide.

"I thought you'd never ask…"

-x-X-x-

The next target is a little less simple. Lex Luthor was incredibly brilliant, insanely wealthy, and thus dangerously capable… but he wasn't immortal. Ra's Al Ghul on the other hand, was something else. The Demon's Head had been around for hundreds of years, running the League of Assassins from the shadows for much of that time as well.

Shirou had made it clear to Slade that he wasn't to use his swords for this kill. And, watching from above just as he had with Luthor, Shirou can see that Slade has taken his words to heart. Modern means, that was what Shirou had asked of Slade for this assassination. Ra's Al Ghul wasn't necessarily stuck in the past or anything like that… but he was somewhat archaic without meaning to be, much of the time.

In the end, this killing wouldn't be as flashy as Lex Luthor's death had been, but it would still be memorable and grand in its own way. Ra's Al Ghul was not a public figure in the same way that Lex was, but he was still an infamous individual, in the right circles. His death would be witnessed by his followers, and they in turn would spread the word to the rest of the criminal underworld.

The energy weapon that Shirou's chosen assassin has picked for this task is the very definition of modern weapon. It might even be called futuristic, if this were taking place back on Shirou's original Earth, where the technology level wasn't being constantly propelled through the roof by super-intelligent genius scientists or alien invasions all the time.

Regardless, this kill is not the spectacle that Lex's death was. One might even call the assassination boring, for all that it was hours of waiting for the right moment. It took Slade weeks of planning, and then he spent nearly twelve hours up in his chosen sniper perch, waiting for the right moment. When it finally comes, it's still quite spectacular in Shirou's biased opinion.

The energy bolt lances through the air, crackling with power. It flashes into the League of Assassin's headquarters through a slightly open window, and slams into Ra's Al Ghul while the ancient assassin is giving a speech to his followers. He doesn't even get a chance to cry out. The energy weapon does exactly as it's meant to do… it disintegrates.

Right before his followers' eyes, as well as the eyes of Shirou himself, Ra's Al Ghul disintegrates into nothingness, leaving nothing behind that could be brought back in one of his Lazarus Pits. Not even the ash remains as Shirou intervenes in a small way by causing a light breeze to rush through the room right as the deed is done. Rather than piling up in a small hill at the base of where he was standing, Ra's Al Ghul's ashes are spirited away on that wind, joining Lex Luthor's head and the hearts of those assassins who broke Shirou's rules during his little competition.

Ra's Al Ghul is dead and gone… and he's never coming back. Slade Wilson has slain him, and his legend will grow even further this day. As a portal opens up and the Master Assassin once again stands before Shirou, the Sidhe Emperor can't help but beam.

"Well done. Masterfully done."

A scoff comes from his chosen assassin and Deathstroke rolls his shoulders as he looks at Shirou with his one working eye.

"I would think you'd be upset with how visually unimpressive it was."

Shirou grins wickedly at that, and with a snap of his fingers shows Slade a recreation of what happens within the room when the assassin strikes. While it may not have looked visually impressive from Deathstroke's end, the actual fruits of their combined labor are glorious. The way Ra's Al Ghul is struck and disintegrates mid-word, the way his followers all just remain where they are for several moments in sheer disbelief before finally reacting.

They turn on each other then, Ra's vaunted League of Assassins. Some because they believe one of their number did the killing, others because they quickly realize that there is now a power vacuum where one hasn't existed for hundreds of years. As the fighting grows, Shirou shuts off the recreation and chuckles as he regards Slade with a pleased smile.

"Oh, it was precisely as impressive as I wanted it to be. Needless to say, you've once again impressed me. But now… now is when things start to get interesting. Tell me, have you heard the name Sinestro before?"

Slowly, the Master Assassin nods his head.

"… I have."

Snapping his fingers, Shirou points at Slade.

"Excellent, because Thaal Sinestro is to be your next target. Needless to say, you'll need a ship. Luckily, Earth is littered with leftovers from various alien invasions. I'll find you the best to steal. From there, you will make your way to Qward. It'll be difficult, getting into the anti-matter universe, but I'll be making arrangements to… ease your passage."

Taking this all in silently, the Master Assassin doesn't say a word. Shirou knows he doesn't have to, but he goes ahead and continues speaking anyways.

"As to the why he has to die… if left unchecked, Sinestro's actions will bring about a power ring enabled zombie apocalypse. Needless to say, it gets messy and I have no desire to see that happen. So, we're going to take some… preemptive measures."

"… Fine. Direct me to the ship."

Heh, he expected as much from The Professional. Always so ready to spill blood for a price. In this case, the price was already paid, and Shirou imagined Slade had no problem at all earning the reward he'd already been gifted.

-x-X-x-

There's no difficulty in procuring the space ship. Slade Wilson blasts off into space without much fanfare, though Shirou likes to imagine the whole of Earth would probably breathe a collective sigh of relief if they knew that the Deadliest Assassin was no longer among them. Meanwhile, the rest of the galaxy would probably whimper in terror if they knew that Deathstroke was suddenly out among the stars.

Luckily for the rest of the galaxy, Slade had no desire to turn his gaze towards becoming some sort of permanent Space Assassin. If not for Shirou's interference, the mostly human man would have stayed put on Earth for the rest of his life. As it is, this little field trip to space is… temporary. Either way, Shirou gets Slade where he needs to go. Traveling to the Anti-Matter Universe is not easy… for normal people. For Shirou, it's a piece of pie.

From there, Deathstroke follows Shirou's orders to the letter. This is not an in person assassination. Nor is it even a simple sniping from far off. Sinestro's death, while the main goal, is going to be the byproduct of what Shirou is having his chosen assassin do. What Slade is actually doing… is killing a planet.

Sneaking into the reactors that power Qward takes some doing, even for the great Slade Wilson, but once he's there, he uses the explosives that Shirou has provided. They're… mostly conventional explosives, and in the end, they get the job done. With Sinestro on Qward, there's no warning, no escape, no chance to survive. Slade steps through a portal and out of the main reactor a second before it blows, taking all of Qward and Sinestro as well with it, and ending the threat that the insane alien poses once and for all.

However, Slade's portal doesn't take him back to Shirou this time around. Instead it deposits him elsewhere, and Shirou reaches across the vast distance between them with ease to speak directly into the man's mind.

You'll be going directly into your next target, I'm afraid. I hope it's not too much of a bother, but this is just the way things are. After all, you were always going to piss off the Anti-Monitor with the destruction of Qward. Simply continue to follow my instructions, and everything will go well.

It wasn't like the man known to many as Deathstroke had a choice at this point. He was far from home, and effectively at Shirou's mercy at this point. Shirou is nonetheless impressed by the level of professionalism that his chosen assassin continues to show as he guides Slade through the monumental task that is assassinating the being known as the Anti-Monitor.

It certainly isn't easy, by any means. Even the destruction of Qward itself, which the Anti-Monitor was undeniably tied to, wasn't enough to end that entity's existence. All the same, it had done some damage to the Anti-Monitor, and on top of some other things Shirou had Slade do over the next few weeks, that was more than enough to draw the entity's ire and set him on a revenge path towards the mostly human assassin.

In the end, Slade plays his part to perfection, as he always does. Drawing the Anti-Monitor to a dying star, Deathstroke mocks the extradimensional being all the way along. Once they're both right where Shirou wants them, his chosen assassin proceeds to do exactly as he's told… and detonate the dying star right in the Anti-Monitor's face via a piece of crystal that Shirou had provided.

Needless to say, Shirou saves Slade from the resulting explosion, spiriting the super soldier away before the star's detonation can wipe him from the face of the galaxy, just as it does the Anti-Monitor. Not a trace of the entity remains once the explosion has run its course, Shirou makes sure of that, even as Slade comes before him once again, looking no worse for wear, though the man's adrenaline is clearly pumping.

Chuckling as he gazes upon him, the Sidhe Emperor cocks his head to the side.

"Hm, did you have fun, Deathstroke?"

"Fuck you."

Shirou just laughs. There's some mild heat in Slade's words, but he doesn't really mean them. They both know that it's been a long time since he's been so excited though, a long time since a job has left him this… alive. Nothing like near-death experiences that involve whole planets and star systems blowing up to get the blood flowing, really.

"You've done well, my Assassin. Very well indeed. Now… it's time for the final target. There's only one man I have left for you to kill."

"… Darkseid."

Shirou has to admit, he's a little surprised when his chosen assassin beats him to the punch. It's not often that he gets surprised anymore, given his existence, but he tends not to read the minds of every mortal he comes in contact with, so he can't say he's been reading Slade's all this time. So yes, it is a surprise to hear that the deadly assassin has apparently figured it out.

Something must show on Shirou's face because Slade just scoffs.

"I'm not an idiot. Nor am I completely unaware of what's going on in the galaxy at large. It sure as hell comes to our doorstep on Earth way too often for me to remain ignorant of the threats out there. If not Darkseid, who else after you just had me ice the Anti-Monitor?"

Smiling, Shirou nods. It's a surprise that Slade figured it out, certainly… but it's also a welcome one. In the end, the Emperor of the Sidhe chuckles.

"You continue to impress me, Slade Wilson. Yes, Darkseid is the final target. It will be an especially difficult task, because I intend to have you do a repeat of what you did with Luthor. You will remove Darkseid's head in front of all of Apokolips. They will bear witness to what you have done… and then the planet will implode, and you will once again have scant seconds to make your escape. Tell me… do you think you're up to the task?"

"… Do I have a choice?"

It's a good question, and Shirou lets out a low sigh before giving the answer he's honestly loath to give. Honestly, curse his remaining human sentimentalities sometimes. He might be inhuman these days, but sometimes something approximating a conscience snuck up on him.

"… Yes, Deathstroke. You do. I am willing to call us even here and now if you want out. I will not take back what I have already given you, and I promise that your family will remain safe from any reprisals. You've done enough that things should be fine, going forward… but if you wish, I would ask you to work with me this one last time, to remove from this galaxy arguably the greatest evil it has ever known. It certainly sounds like it would make for a pretty great adventure, wouldn't it?"

It's a gamble, but not as much of one as it might seem. Because at his heart, Slade Wilson considers the role of Deathstroke to be a job, not a reflection of who he actually is. As far as he's concerned, he's a good man… an adventurer, living his life to the fullest. It's that side of him that Shirou is appealing to at the moment, and while it's possible he'll quit while he's ahead, Shirou never believes that will actually come to pass, not even for a moment truth be told.

"… Fine, I'm in."

Shirou just smiles, pleased with his chosen assassin's choice.

-x-X-x-

It's not enough to just kill Darkseid in front of everyone. The evil tyrant has cultivated evil for all of his existence, creating many, many more evil beings in his wake, all who are vile monsters in their own right. Much like Ra's Al Ghul, but on an intergalactic scale. Needless to say, Slade has his work cut out for him… which is why Shirou interferes much more with this final job then all the others. It truly is a matter of them working together, rather than Deathstroke working FOR Shirou.

When the super soldier meets with Kalibak, it's Shirou's words that he speaks to slowly turn Darkseid's second in command towards thoughts of rebellion. When Slade helps Kalibak convince Granny Goodness and her furies to turn against their dark master and side with him as well, it's again Shirou's honeyed words. It's the words of a fae that turn some of Darkseid's greatest allies against the dark tyrant, but in truth, it's not like it's all that difficult of a task.

Darkseid does not inspire loyalty through love and affection. His so-called allies are little more than subordinates too afraid and terrified of the evil god to stand up to him. In the end, causing a Civil War on Apokolips is child's play for one such as Shirou, with a tool as useful as Slade to guide through the process.

Of course, even all working together, they're quickly discovered and killed. As Apokolips begins to fall apart, warring with itself, Darkseid handily deals with his would-be usurpers, slaughtering Kalibak, Granny Goodness, and her furies, all with ease. None can stand against Darkseid indeed. It's in that moment that Shirou has his chosen assassin strike. It's in that moment, as Darkseid triumphs, that the dark god falls.

The God Killer is what it's called. The legendary weapon that Slade Wilson has wielded since a contract given to him by the Forge Deity, Hephaestus himself. The Olympian God had hired Deathstroke to kill a Titan, and in doing so, Slade had earned the right to wield the God Killer beyond that contract as the semi-sentient blade had ultimately chosen him as its wielder.

Darkseid is powerful, Darkseid is strong… but he is not invincible. He is not unbeatable. In his moment of triumph, Slade's god-killing blade swings through the air in silence… and removes the head of a god. Cutting off his head and catching it in one hand, Slade kicks Darkseid's body down into one of the holes in the floor, sending him into the flames below and burning him up.

Then, Shirou's assassin steps out onto the balcony where Apokolips' civil war rages below. He holds up the dark god's head, as he's been told by his employer. And, a moment before the planet is due to implode, he falls back into a portal that appears behind him. Of course, that bit isn't livestreamed back to Earth like the rest of it was, thanks to some arrangements on Shirou's part. What everyone on Earth saw was Deathstroke's signature orange and black mask lit up by the flames surrounding him as he held the head of Earth's would-be conqueror aloft like a trophy.

When he arrives before Shirou, Shirou accepts the head of Darkseid with a wide smile on his lips, sending it along its way with the rest of his… trophies. Then, the Sidhe Emperor gives Deathstroke a pleased nod.

"Well done. Go, and enjoy your rewards."

The man does so without another word. But that's alright, they don't have that kind of relationship. They aren't friends, and Slade has a family to get back to. Shirou watches him go, and then sits back and relaxes, ready to watch the fireworks.

-x-X-x-

A month later, everything is in full swing. It took time, and some little nudges by Shirou in the right spots, but everyone knows what Slade Wilson has done now. Well, not everyone knows everything the man has done, but all the important individuals know some of the things he's done. The most high-profile assassination, of course, continued to be Lex Luthor's. Even now, Shirou is watching a news organization of some popularity reporting on the death of Lex Luthor in broad daylight. The fact that Deathstroke is still at large despite the Justice League's efforts to bring him to justice baffles the talking heads something fierce.

Meanwhile, at the same exact time, there are conversations taking place in dark rooms about the death of Ra's Al Ghul and what that meant for the assassins of the world. Deathstroke wasn't known to be the ancient immortal's killer at first, but Shirou had made sure that those investigating eventually discovered the truth. Now, all that needed to know were aware that it was Slade who'd done the deed.

The same was true of the other targets as well. Sinestro and the Anti-Monitor had been investigated, and ultimately their true killer had been unearthed by those in power who cared about such things. A slight prompting from Shirou here and there had made sure that the information got out so that much of the galaxy knew of the legendary Deathstroke, the human assassin who'd managed to kill such entities seemingly all on his lonesome.

And of course, finally, there was Darkseid. The survivors of Apokolips had been great witnesses for the galaxy at large, while everyone on Earth was aware that Deathstroke had killed their would-be conqueror. It didn't really matter that Shirou had helped him here and there. Because no one knew of Shirou's existence.

In the end, the Throne of Heroes didn't much care about facts. It cared about legends, about myths, about stories told and retold a hundred times until the embellishments are accepted as simply part of the tales. Now, what sort of embellishments will come about from the tale of the Master Assassin who killed Darkseid?

Truth be told, Deathstroke's place in the Throne of Heroes was already secured based on his deeds before Shirou had even come along. The man was already something of a legend and would be remembered long after he was gone. But… now Shirou can feel the position of Deathstroke rising higher and higher within the Assassin branch of the Throne of Heroes. The man's legend would only grow with time and retellings of his story. With such an unbelievable foundation, he would indeed become the Assassin that Shirou desired for his Grail War.

On the other hand… Shirou glances over at another television and can't help but smile as he watches Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn wreaking havoc together. It was too bad that the world's greatest assassin hadn't turned out to be a woman, but Shirou had wanted the best of the best… and in this universe, Slade Wilson was the best of the best.

All the same, all work and no play made for a dull life. Shirou's task in creating a worthy Assassin for his Grail War might be done now… but why shouldn't he have some fun on his way out? Eyeing Poison Ivy's green garments and all of their revealing glory, and Harley in her skintight suit, Shirou decides that somethings are just tradition.

And besides, he's always wondered what a jungle world created and run by Ivy would be like. Truth be told… Harley is just a bonus.

-x-X-x-

"That was so much fun, Ivy! We gave those guys a right walloping, didn't we? Hee-hee, did you see the face on the one when I slammed my bat into his stomach?"

Pamela Isley, more commonly known to the world as Poison Ivy by this point, can't help but smile fondly at her new partner in crime's exuberance. Sometimes, Harley can get a little… over the top, but truth be told, Ivy enjoys her company more than she can say.

"I did, in fact. The look on his face was… wonderful, Harley."

Harley Quinn giggles cutely and does a little twirl, causing very interesting things to happen with her sizable bust and her gorgeous derriere as the skin tight suit she's wearing does little to keep those parts of her body from jiggling. Not that… not that Poison Ivy is interested or anything. Or if she is, she knows better than to act on those interests. Especially when Harley had just gotten out of the abusive relationship to end all abusive relationships. Joker was dead and gone for good apparently, and now was a time for Harley to be healing, not jumping right into another romantic entanglement.

But god was she a bisexual mess. Harley was hot, like smoking hot, and so was Ivy, and it was hard to resist going over there and laying a kiss on those painted lips.

"Indeed, you struck him quite soundly, Dr. Quinzel. It was very impressive."

And like that, the good mood both women are in evaporates as they whirl around to find that they're not alone in their little hide away like they previously thought they were. Harley whips about and readies her bat, while Ivy calls upon her plants. This is after all HER domain, and whatever man thought himself fool enough to invade it was about to be in for a very bad time indeed.

Except, as the plants grow and stretch towards the intruder at her command, Ivy and Harley are both forced to watch in disbelief as they… turn docile at the last moment, seeming to submit to the stranger with his red hair and soft smile. Chuckling, the intruder reaches up and casually runs a hand along one of the vines that's supposed to be lacerating him even now, not seeming to mind the poisonous secretions Ivy has bred into the plant one bit, nor so much as scratching himself on the impossibly sharp thorns.

In response, the vine curls around him like it's nuzzling him, like a pet, rather than like the restrictive, lethal weapon that Ivy had made it to be. As Harley and Ivy stare, the stranger looks back at them, his soft smile remaining as he tilts his head to the side like a particularly curious bird, eyeing them both.

"Pamela Lillian Isley. Harleen Frances Quinzel. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintances. The video and photos of the two of you truly don't do either of you justice."

Stymied, at least for the moment, Ivy lets herself actually take in the intruder, at least briefly. He's… young? That's her first thought anyways, but she quickly realizes it's not true. While he looks young, this red-haired stranger, Ivy can tell that he's much older than he appears to them as. More than that, she's quickly beginning to realize he's not entirely human. This… being, for lack of a better word, doesn't act much like the humans Ivy has come to despise all these years. After watching humanity deal so much death and destruction to the natural beauty of the world, Ivy has gotten good at being able to tell humans apart from non-humans.

Harley… not so much.

"Oh. My. GOD! Ivy, you didn't tell me you had a kid! He's adorable!"

And like that, Harley drops her bat and prances over to the inhuman red-head, leaving Ivy frozen in place as she processes what her partner in crime has just said. She supposes from the right angle… maybe he could look like her offspring. The red hair was the only thing they really had in common though, his features were far too eastern for them to be related. Except there was also the plant control that he seemed capable of, so Ivy could sort of see where Harley had gotten her mistaken impression, even if she herself knew it simply wasn't true. She'd remember giving birth to a son, after all… wouldn't she?

As Ivy is suddenly dealing with a bout of nausea at the thought of this stranger being related to her, via either an incident she'd been memory-wiped of or a cloning mishap (both were entirely too common in the world she lived in, and distinct possibilities as much as it pained her to admit it) Harley comes to a stop in front of him and beams happily.

"Hi there Ivy Junior! Do you have a name? Or should I just keep calling you Ivy Junior?"

Watching the boy closer now for his reaction, Ivy isn't sure whether to be relieved or not by his completely unsurprised countenance. He looks more amused by Harley's antics then anything else as he shakes his head and (thankfully) sets Ivy's worst fears to rest.

"I am not your friend's offspring, my dear. You can call me Shirou… and I've come with an offer for the two of you."

As Harley blinks and pulls back a little upon the realization that he's not who and what she thought he was, Poison Ivy lets out a quiet sigh of relief and steps up to the plate.

"Who and what are you then, Shirou? What's this about an offer?"

Smiling, the inhuman being spreads his arms wide, running his fingers along her plants almost lovingly.

"I am… many things. Most importantly of all, I am your salvation, the two of you. This world will never accept either of you. By now, I imagine you both know that, deep down inside."

Ivy bristles, but Harley just droops a little, before brightening up and giggling a little madly.

"That's okay! Ivy and me, we don't need their shitty acceptance… we have each other!"

Shirou hums at that, even as Ivy's heart thumps in her chest at Harley's words. She knows, rationally, that the painted-up clown doesn't actually mean it THAT way… but god, she really is a bisexual mess, because Harley's words just… really do it for her.

"It's good that you two have each other. What if… what if you could have each other forever? What if you could get away from all of this? Pamela… I'm well aware that you wish to excise humanity from this planet. But I imagine you've long since come to realize it's never going to happen. When was the last time you did something big, after all? When was the last time you made a real go at reclaiming Mother Earth for nature?"

Ivy flinches at that, even as Harley glances over at her. That last bit 'reclaiming Mother Earth for nature' was pretty much verbatim as something she used to shout all the time when she was just getting started. Truth be told… he was sort of right. She had been getting more and more complacent, recently. Part of that was Harley, but even before Joker died and Harley and she teamed up, Poison Ivy had sort of… given up on her biggest goals.

Batman was always there to stop her, and even if she managed to get past him, the entire Justice League wasn't about to let her have her way. To say nothing of the villains who would put an end to her crusade if they ever thought she was anywhere close to seriously accomplishing her goals. Damn it all, he was right, but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it…

"As I said, I'm here to make you two an offer. Admittedly, the offer is for Pamela before you, my dear Harleen… but I have no problem extending the invitation to you as well, if the two of you wish for you to come along."

Smiling, Shirou continues on.

"It's quite simple, really… I wish to offer you your own planet, Pamela. A world of your own, to fill with whatever life that you wish. As you have already surmised, I am not from around here. This world is not my own… and frankly, I think we both know its not yours anymore either. Your home lies elsewhere, out there amongst the stars, waiting for you to discover it and build it."

His words… resonate her. As much as it pains her to admit it, he's not wrong. Her home… Earth isn't just dying, it's already dead. It's a corpse and has been for as long as humanity has had industry on a global scale. What's left is like vultures picking over carrion. There's nothing left here to safe on the macro scale, and on the micro scale… Ivy does what she can, but what she can do isn't enough.

Shirou's offer speaks to her in a way not much has for quite some time. The only other to make her feel like this of late… has been Harley. Glancing over at her partner, Ivy bites her lower lip when she finds Harley looking surprisingly serious… and considering.

"Harley? What… what do you think of all of this?"

Wrinkling her nose in concentration, Harley purses her lips for a moment.

"I think… I think if it's real, it'd be good for you. For us, even! I-If you'd have me…"

Shirou seems content to fade into the background for just a moment as Ivy smiles weakly.

"I-I don't think I could possibly go without you, Harls…"

That gets a surprised look from the painted harlequin, who looks at her with wide eyes for a moment. Ivy can't help but blush a little, and before she knows it, she's doing what she's wanted to do for months. Closing the distance between herself and Harley, Ivy wraps her arms around the other beautiful, voluptuous villainess… and kisses her soundly on the lips.

There's no worry that the poison she always has on her lips will harm the other woman. For one, it's tailored to only work on men. For another, Harley is pretty much immune to almost every poison after her exposure to that vat of toxic shit that the Joker had dropped her into. It was half the reason Harley was able to live in a place like this, filled with Ivy's man-eating, monstrous plants.

Regardless, their lips meet and while Harley freezes up for a moment, she soon relaxes into Ivy's arms and kisses her right back, the two women moaning into each other's mouths. Insistent on making sure that she gets her point across, Ivy pushes her tongue past Harley's lips altogether, rubbing their bodies together as she entangles their tongues with one another, and swaps spit with the other villainess.

Shirou… doesn't do anything. He doesn't clear his throat, or draw their attention back to him, or remind them both that he's in the room. He lets them work through their feelings for one another while he silently remains in the background. Eventually though, they do have to pull apart and it's Ivy who does so, pulling back reluctantly to look at the inhuman stranger who has intruded on their sanctuary.

Except it's not really much of a sanctuary at all, is it? He's right… she doesn't belong on this world anymore. And if Harley is willing to go with her… lacing her fingers through the other woman's, Ivy nods.

"We… we accept your offer."

Harley squeezes her hand reassuringly, even as Shirou smiles and snaps his fingers. There's a bright flash… and then it clears, and it almost looks like nothing has happened, but there's a strange light coming through the windows of their base and frowning, Ivy drags Harley with her as she steps outside. Outside is… a barren wasteland, a world desolate of life… except for the life that Shirou has brought with them when he's transported them and everything else they owned to this world.

Through her senses, Ivy can already feel her plants pushing their roots into the unfamiliar soil. There is water beneath the ground, she quickly discovers, so they aren't going to go without. This world… it might be desolate, but that just means it's an empty canvas. Barren doesn't just mean no plant life, after all… it means no human life as well.

A breathless little laugh leaves Ivy's lips, and before she knows what she's doing, she's whipped around and embraced Shirou in the same way she embraced Harley moments before. She kisses the other red head with all her might, cradling his face in her hands, even as she presses her body up against his. It feels… right, kissing him. A moment too late, Ivy remembers the poison coating her ruby red lips, but when she tries to pull away, Shirou won't let her. He holds her close and keeps on kissing her… and it's obvious within moments that the poison has no effect on him.

He might be male, but that doesn't mean he's human, of course. Which is good. In Ivy's view, it's a point entirely in his favor. A man who is not a man? She could certainly grow to love that, bisexual mess that she is.

Shirou quickly takes charge of their kiss in a way Harley didn't, and Ivy finds herself moaning and melting into his embrace as he runs his hands down her back, eventually arriving at her beautiful, voluptuous backside. Her extremely skimpy leaf-coverings don't really do much to hide her curvaceous figure, nor does it stop him from laying his hands directly on her bubble butt as he gropes her to his heart's content.

Anyone else besides him and Harley, and Ivy would be outraged and offended. But to be fair, she'd initiated this makeout session… and she'd done it without any intention of killing him with the poison on her lips or enthralling him with her saliva. In fact, it seems more like she's the one being enthralled. Though, the fact that she feels like she's being enthralled probably means she's still got her own mind… right?

"J-jeez, Ivy… kissing a girl one, mm, m-moment, and then turning around and k-kissing a boy another… y-you really are, hah, r-ridiculous aren't you…"

This time, when Ivy tries to pull back, Shirou lets her. Pulling away swiftly, as if she'd been burned, Ivy turns to Harley with wide eyes, trying to come up with some explanation, some excuse. She LOVED Harley, she had f-for a while now, but Shirou was just… except, whatever excuses Ivy might have come up with die in her throat before they can ever reach her lips.

Harley's words are one thing, but her actions paint an entirely different story. The painted clown has stripped her skintight suit halfway down her body and has one hand stuffed down her pants, while the other is playing with a breast. Her face paint makes it hard to tell, but she's definitely flushed with need and arousal if her lustful gaze is anything to go off of, as she plays with herself to the sight of Ivy and Shirou kissing.

Chuckling beside her, Shirou shakes his head in amusement.

"You two… you girls are perfect for each other. I won't always be able to be around, unfortunately, so it'll just be you both and any life you create while I'm gone. That said… why not make the christening of this world memorable, hm?"

What he's offering is obvious, and even as Ivy is blushing profusely, Harley is nodding rapidly, a wide manic grin on her face as she all but hops forward and leaps into Shirou's arms, glomping him and wrapping her limbs around his body, something that the non-human man has no issue handling. So… Ivy lets Harley go first. So, she can prepare herself better.

… It's not long before Ivy is touching herself in just the same way Harley was, to the sight of this… of Shirou fucking the other woman. Harley's skintight suit is stripped away in moments, revealing a body just as voluptuous as Ivy's own. Not that anything was really hidden when Harley was still wearing the costume. Regardless, her blonde hair is exposed now, and Shirou has one hand fisted in it as he pulls Harley into a kiss while bouncing her up and down on his cock in a standing fuck.

With her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist, the curvaceous harlequin clings to Shirou like a spider monkey, even as the biggest cock that Ivy has ever seen in her entire life slams home into Harley's gushing wet twat, again and again and again. In response, Ivy's hand slides down to her own twat, and she begins to finger herself. First one finger, and then two, and then finally three. It still doesn't feel like it's enough as she jams the three digits in and out of herself, but she's worried if she continues she'll be fisting herself like some wanton whore.

She needs to maintain some level of pride, even as she watches her friend (her lover?) get plowed silly by this inhumanly handsome, hung-like-a-horse man. So, Ivy bites her other fist to try and hold back her moans, even as she fingers her cunt, trying to match the pace with which Shirou is bouncing Harley up and down on his cock. All the while, Harley is letting out these muffled cries into Shirou's mouth, moaning and squealing and screaming alike, all of it stifled by his lips.

It's beautiful, truth be told. The most beautiful sight Ivy has ever seen. As she fingers herself, her cunt juices squirt out and onto the ground, and unbeknownst to her, she creates life. She's too focused on Shirou and Harley going at it, truth be told… she doesn't even notice as her powers respond to their mistress' pleasure, her satisfaction, her sheer JOY.

This world might not be her home yet, but unlike the Earth she left behind, Ivy knows deep down in her soul that it has the potential to be. And so long as Harley is with her, Ivy is convinced that it will become home, that it will be everything the two of them could ever want, together. This world will be their world, they will be the mothers of it… and it will never become like the earth that they had to leave behind. Not on Ivy's watch.

Under her subconscious direction, the plants in the greenhouse that Shirou brought along with them spread out. Likewise, alien plant life sprouts from the ground around the greenhouse, influenced into existence by Ivy's mere presence. This world, as barren and desolate as it seems… is just waiting to be born, really. And it's mother is finally here to make sure that happens in the right way.

But of course, for the moment at least Ivy is wholly unaware of all of that. She's too busy masturbating to the sight of Shirou fucking Harley through screaming orgasm after screaming orgasm. Perhaps she's supposed to be upset that this man she and Harley just met is fucking the love of her life mere minutes after she finally worked up the courage to confess to her. But Ivy has never done what she was supposed to do, and neither has Harley.

Neither of them have ever conformed to what society expected of them… so why start now? As Harley lets out a particularly loud squeal and her body goes rigid as Shirou holds her in place, it's obvious he's cumming inside of her. Over Harley's shoulder, Shirou raises an eyebrow and somehow, she understands what he's asking permission to do immediately. Ivy's eyes widen at the thought that he might get Harley pregnant… something that Ivy could never do for her. It… it seems like a good idea, so Ivy just nods, and he gives her a grin as he continues to fill Harley with his seed.

There's no doubt in Ivy's mind that Harley will be pregnant from this encounter, especially when Shirou carefully sets her down on the ground and the voluptuous painted clown's belly is already absurdly distended, just from the sheer amount of cum he'd left inside of her. As Harley lays there, eyes rolled back in her skull and tongue lolled out of her mouth, Ivy… Ivy knows how she wants to be taken.

Because she IS going next, that much she's definitely not going to pass up on. Shirou is still rock hard after all, his cock absolutely massive as she stares at it with desire and need. So, striding over… Ivy drops herself atop Harley. Placing herself over the insensate harlequin, Ivy bites her lower lip as she plants her hands on either side of Harley's head, kneeling between the other woman's legs. Their tits are so massive that they smoosh together, while at the same time Ivy's smooth abdomen (for the moment at least) is merely rubbing gently against Harley's distended belly.

Reaching back after a moment, Ivy spreads her pussy lips wide and arches her back in invitation… an invitation that is swiftly accepted. Shirou's hands fall upon her fat ass and grope and squeeze at her butt cheeks in a way that has Ivy tossing her head back and moaning. Those moans turn to ecstatic cries however, when Shirou finally thrusts forward into her unbelievably wet twat.

His big fat cock splits Ivy open like there's no tomorrow. She doesn't bother neutralizing the defenses down there either… she knows they won't do anything. Her name wasn't Poison Ivy for nothing, after all, and most people knew by this point to avoid getting kissed by her. However, if a man did ever manage to take her down and decided he wanted to take liberties with her… well, let's just say Ivy had two pairs of poisonous lips and leave it at that.

It doesn't stop Shirou for a moment though, just like Ivy knew it wouldn't. The voluptuous, stacked plant-controller can only moan wantonly and arch her back even further as Shirou begins to fuck her harder and faster by the second. She's getting close to an orgasm when Harley finally recovers enough to realize that Ivy is getting fucked right on top of her.

Having her partner, friend, and now lover reach up and pull her down into a tongue-filled, soul-searing kiss as Shirou continues to rail her from behind with his big fat cock turns out to be just what the doctor ordered for one Pamela Isley. Eyes rolling back in her skull, Ivy cums on the spot, orgasming explosively around Shirou's cock as her tongue wrestles with Harley's.

The two women embrace quite lovingly, even as Shirou takes Ivy to pound town, giving her the same exact treatment that he gave Harley. It's just this time, Ivy is being tag-teamed, sandwiched between a cum-stuffed harlequin and the inhuman being who brought them to this new world. It's all but impossible for Ivy to keep things straight in her head, and as time goes on she loses all semblance of time, of anything beyond the pleasure that Shirou and Harley are foisting upon her.

As such, she really doesn't notice just how… out of control her powers get. Not until all is said and done. In the process of being fucked silly by Shirou and kissed silly by Harley, Ivy isn't at all aware of her surroundings. However, after Shirou cums buckets inside of her as well, breeding her just like he bred Harley, and after she's had a chance to recover, flopping over onto her back beside her friend and lover… well, it's kind of hard to miss the tree canopy suddenly overhead.

Blinking dumbly, Ivy slowly leverages herself up and looks around in wide-eyed wonder, while at the same time stretching outwards with her other senses, with her powers. It's… it's insane, what she's done in the height of her ecstasy. Where once was a barren wasteland… she'd just created a vibrant, living jungle of plant life that spanned the entire length of a continent.

Wait, a continent? Her powers were NOT that strong before. Tossing a look Shirou's way, the other red head just laughs and shrugs his shoulder.

"I figured you could use an upgrade, my dear. You and Harley both. Unfortunately, this is where I must depart and where we must part ways, for now. I'll be back in nine months, of course… but until then, have fun you two~"

Ivy blushes at his insinuation, even as Harley lets out a confused noise.

"Huh? Why nine months? Wait…"

Harley wasn't stupid, no matter what anyone said. Ivy looks over at the other woman as she places a hand on her distended belly and gasps in understanding. Harley in turn looks to Ivy… and then beams, grinning the biggest grin Ivy has ever seen as she squeals in delight and throws her arms around the red head's neck.

"We're both going to be mommies, Ivy! I can't wait!"

Truth be told, if they were back on earth, Ivy would be horrified by the thought of either her or Harley having kids. But here, on this new world that was to be their paradise? She could hardly wait either…

In the ensuing hug session, Shirou slips away and Ivy lets him. They'll see him again; he's promised as much. In the meantime, they have a lot of work to do on their new world.

-x-X-x-

As he departs from Ivy and Harley, satisfied and content, Shirou experiences a strange sense of vertigo. He's not… going where he meant to go, much to the Sidhe Emperor's surprise. Instead, he suddenly finds himself in what can only be a Hell Dimension, facing down a large demonic face with four eyes and some truly titanic horns.

Said face is glaring at him, though Shirou silently admits that that just might be the massive demon's default expression. Before him is Trigon, an incredibly powerful demon, and a celestial conqueror. He was also, most importantly of all as it likely pertained to Shirou's current situation, Raven's father.

"… I will acknowledge that my daughter will be happier as she is now, and that I have intervened too late to stop your initial interference. However, if you ever seek to interject yourself into my daughter's life again, overtly, or covertly, I will hunt you down and destroy all that you love and cherish. Is that understood?"

Cocking his head to the side, Shirou regards the demon with all the seriousness he deserves. The Emperor of the Sidhe can tell… Trigon is more powerful than he is. Not that that necessarily sparks fear in Shirou's heart or anything like that. It doesn't, truth be told. Even if Trigon has more power than Shirou, there's still a matter of skill, and more than that, the numerous Noble Phantasms and Sidhe powers that Shirou commands.

But even still, the red head can't help but feel like the resulting battle could truly go either way, and Shirou isn't ready to die yet. He still has things he wishes to do. All that said, he's already accomplished what meddling he had planned with Raven and the Teen Titans. So, giving his agreement here really costs him nothing, since he already had no further intentions of interfering with Trigon's daughter. So, with a placid smile on his place, Shirou gives a half-bow, one of respect but not deference before straightening up and nodding.

"Very well… I accept your terms."

And then he leaves. Trigon doesn't try to stop him, nor does Shirou have any issue getting to where he wants to go this time around. Once he's gone from the demon's world, he lets a laugh erupt from his lips as he walks off with the thoughts of what he's leaving behind in the DC Universe swirling through his head. The New Kryptonians bred from the wombs of the Amazons would eventually come into lewd and perverted conflict with the race of shapeshifting demons brought forth from Raven and Beast Boy's coupling, as well as the other women that Raven would collect to have fun with.

He'd check in on it from time to time, just to see how things were going. He was perfectly fine with no longer interfering in that particular version of the DC Universe, especially since he'd gotten everything he wanted, from his Assassin, to two new beautiful Queens… but nothing said he wouldn't take a peek in on it every now and then, just to see how things were going.

It promised to be quite entertaining indeed, after all. And Shirou was the Emperor of the Sidhe. Seeking entertaining and amusing distractions amongst mortals… it was what he was meant to do, was it not? Ah, but that did not mean his eye was at all off the prize. Arturia still awaited him at the end of the rainbow. Preparations for his Grail War continued as he assembled the pieces, one by one. It would take time, of course, but Shirou was nothing if not motivated.

Leaving great change behind him wherever he went, the Sidhe Emperor keeps his gaze forward and his eye on the prize.

-x-X-x-

If you'd like to read more of my work not seen on this website, check out Hentai-Foundry.com and QuestionableQuesting.com! I'm known as 'Cambrian' on those websites.

If you'd like to contribute to funding my writing at all, check me out on P atreon.com/Cambrian

Thanks for reading!

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