CHAPTER 66

"Ms. Moira, you're truly courageous," Slade said, his voice icy and mocking. "But sadly, that courage didn't seem to pass on to your son."

With those words, he slowly pulled the trigger.

The pistol fired with a deafening bang, the bullet tearing through the air, aimed straight at Moira's heart.

"No!"

The cries of Oliver and Thea echoed in unison, their voices filled with despair. Time seemed to slow as the bullet raced toward its target, cutting through the tense air.

Suddenly, a thunderous boom came from above. In a blur of motion, a dark figure appeared in front of Moira, the bullet striking his chest with a sharp ping. The sound was like metal striking steel, the bullet flattening and falling harmlessly to the ground.

"What the—" Slade froze, his one good eye narrowing as he processed what had just happened. "You… you're that so-called 'volunteer' Oliver found?"

Slade's years of experience and enhanced senses allowed him to immediately register what had occurred. He had seen the bullet hit the figure—a man dressed in black and red—and simply bounce off without so much as a scratch.

This was no ordinary human.

Slade's mind raced. Even fortified soldiers like me can take bullets, but we still bleed. Who the hell is this guy?

"Avenger!" Oliver exclaimed, relief washing over his face. "Thank God you're here. If you hadn't shown up—"

Moira, overwhelmed by the events, collapsed to her knees, trembling. Thea rushed to steady her, her face pale with shock. Kaius glanced back briefly, his stern expression softening slightly as he addressed the group.

"Thea, take your mother and get out of here. Now," Kaius commanded firmly, his piercing gaze returning to Slade.

Oliver moved to stand beside him, his anger radiating. "You kidnapped my mother and sister, Slade. Whatever guilt I had for what happened on Lian Yu—it's gone now. You've gone too far."

"Oliver, let's leave together," Thea pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "Let the police handle him!"

Oliver shook his head. He had no intention of running. "Thea," he said solemnly, "I didn't want to tell you like this, but… I'm the Arrow."

Thea's eyes widened in shock, her mind reeling as she processed his words.

Moira sighed heavily, understanding the weight of Oliver's admission. "Thea," she said softly, "we need to go. Now." She tugged gently on her daughter's arm, urging her to move.

But before they could take a step, a red streak of lightning tore through the scene, and in an instant, Thea and Moira were pulled away. When they stopped, they were standing in front of a man in yellow, his suit glowing faintly in the dim light.

Thea and Moira screamed in terror, and Oliver immediately rushed to shield them. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded, his voice filled with anger.

The man in yellow chuckled darkly, his glowing red eyes sweeping over Oliver, Moira, and Thea before settling on Kaius. "Sure enough," he said, "you're the real problem here."

Turning to Slade, the man in yellow added confidently, "Deathstroke, let's deal with him first. Don't worry about the others. I'll make sure they don't escape."

Slade, intrigued, sheathed his pistol and unsheathed his alloy sword. "Alright," he growled. "Let's take him out first, and then we'll deal with Oliver."

Kaius stood firm, unfazed by their threats. His gaze shifted to the man in yellow. "Eobard Thawne," he said, his tone tinged with mockery. "Didn't expect to see you here. Did you bring that shrink ring I asked for, or are you just here to make things worse?"

Thawne, better known as the Reverse-Flash, snarled. "I didn't come here to humor you. I came to send you to hell."

In an instant, Thawne vanished in a blur of red lightning, circling Kaius at blinding speed. The crackling energy created a vortex of wind and light, enclosing both Kaius and Slade within.

Inside the Vortex…

Slade held his sword at the ready, circling Kaius cautiously. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?" he sneered. "Let's see how tough you really are."

Kaius's expression remained calm. "You're out of your depth, Slade. Both of you are."

The Reverse-Flash stopped abruptly, standing opposite Kaius. "We'll see about that," he hissed, his voice brimming with malice.

As Slade lunged with his sword and Thawne charged with a vibrating hand, Kaius stood his ground, ready to face both threats head-on.

"Deathstroke, now!" Reverse-Flash barked, his voice sharp with urgency.

Eobard Thawne had calculated this moment meticulously. While Kaius's speed was about 10% slower than his own, his opponent's raw power was far superior. Thawne's plan was simple: have Slade Wilson, the strongest Mirakuru-enhanced soldier, restrain Kaius long enough for him to land a decisive strike.

Slade, confident in Reverse-Flash's understanding of their shared enemy, didn't hesitate. He assumed the man in yellow knew the strengths and weaknesses of the figure standing before them. With a growl, Slade raised his alloy sword and charged at Kaius.

"You've ruined everything," Slade snarled, his voice filled with venom. "You sabotaged my plans at Iron Heights and Star City Prison. For that, you'll pay with your life!"

Without another word, Slade swung his sword with deadly precision, aiming for Kaius's head. His movements were a perfect combination of skill and strength, honed over years as a professional assassin. Now, augmented by the Mirakuru serum, his strikes were fast, powerful, and relentless.

Kaius, however, was no ordinary opponent. While he hadn't mastered every combat technique, his system interface was equipped with fighting skills borrowed from Wonder Woman and Green Arrow. These abilities came instinctively to him now.

As the blade sliced through the air, Kaius stepped forward with his right foot, pivoting his body just enough to evade the attack. Slade's blade missed by mere inches.

Undeterred, Slade unleashed a flurry of attacks. His strikes came with precision and ferocity, each swing designed to exploit weaknesses and overwhelm his opponent. Any normal human—or even a lesser enhanced individual—would have been shredded under the onslaught.

Kaius, however, dodged each attack with remarkable grace. He didn't use his super speed; instead, he saw this as an opportunity to hone his combat skills. But even with his enhanced reflexes and borrowed techniques, he was still learning. A misstep left an opening, and Slade capitalized on it.

The alloy sword smashed into Kaius's chest, followed immediately by a powerful punch. The blow reverberated through the air.

Slade, however, had overlooked one crucial fact: Kaius's body was as resilient as steel. A bullet had struck the same spot minutes earlier, leaving not even a scratch.

Reverse-Flash, seeing the impact, thought he had found his chance. At super speed, he darted behind Kaius, his hand vibrating at a high frequency, aiming for a precise strike to Kaius's back. With a vicious grin, he drove his hand forward, intending to pierce Kaius's heart.

Clang!

A sound like a hammer striking a steel bell rang out, echoing through the air.

Both Slade and Reverse-Flash were thrown backward by the force of their own attacks. Slade, with his enhanced durability, managed to stay on his feet, though his wrist throbbed with numbness. Reverse-Flash wasn't so lucky. The force of his attempted strike ricocheted back through his arm, shattering his wrist and forearm.

"Ahhh!" Reverse-Flash cried out, clutching his mangled hand as he writhed on the ground in pain. His enhanced biology kept him from fainting, but the agony was excruciating.

Kaius remained standing, completely unscathed, his expression a mixture of exasperation and amusement. He glanced at the two men sprawled before him and shook his head.

"I dodged your attacks not because I'm afraid of you," he said, his tone light but firm. "I was trying not to hurt you. But no—you had to insist on hitting me. Why?"

Slade gritted his teeth, glaring at Kaius as he tried to steady himself. "What… are you?" he growled.

Kaius smiled faintly. "I'm someone you should have thought twice about challenging."

He turned his gaze to Reverse-Flash, who was still writhing in agony. "Eobard Thawne, I warned you once not to interfere with this timeline. But you just can't help yourself, can you?"

Reverse-Flash's eyes burned with rage, but his body betrayed him. The high-speed vibration he'd used to attack Kaius had backfired spectacularly, and his fractured arm rendered him effectively powerless.

Kaius stepped forward, his presence radiating calm authority. "Now, both of you have a choice," he said. "Leave Star City and don't come back. Or I'll make sure neither of you has the chance to regret staying."

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