Chapter 83: Chaotic Trio Part 3

Shade, Killer Frost, and Cheetah had already caused chaos and destruction throughout the suburbs of Gotham City when suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the night sky. A familiar figure flew in from above—it was Wonder Woman, her lasso crackling with energy.

"What do you think you're doing?" she said, her voice steady and confident.

Cheetah sneered, her claws glinting in the dim light. "Well, well, well. Look who's here to spoil our fun," she said, her eyes fixed on Wonder Woman.

Suddenly, a giggling voice interrupted, "Hiya fellas! Did you miss me?" It was Harley Quinn, twirling her mallet in one hand and brandishing two pistols in the other.

Shade raised an eyebrow. "You brought a clown to a superhuman fight? How amusing," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Harley grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, don't worry about me. I can handle myself," she said, before charging at Shade with her mallet swinging.

Killer Frost cackled, her icy powers surging through her body. "This is going to be fun," she said, before unleashing a blast of freezing energy at Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman deftly dodged the blast and charged towards Cheetah, lasso at the ready. But Cheetah was quick, her movements fluid as she evaded the hero's attacks.

"You can't stop me, Wonder Woman. Not now, not ever," Cheetah growled, her eyes blazing with fury.

Harley laughed as she exchanged gunfire with Shade, the sound of bullets ricocheting off nearby buildings. "You guys are a riot! Too bad I'm going to have to spoil the party," she said, before leaping onto a nearby rooftop to get a better vantage point.

As the battle raged on, the civilians of the neighborhood peeked out from their windows, watching in awe and terror. The heroes and villains were like gods, battling it out for supremacy.

Killer Frost sent a wave of ice crashing towards Harley, but the clown princess was too quick. She somersaulted out of the way, and with a well-placed shot, she managed to knock Killer Frost off her feet.

Cheetah snarled, her eyes fixed on Wonder Woman. "You're the reason I have these cursed powers, and I'll never forgive you for that," she hissed, before launching a flurry of attacks at the Amazon.

But Wonder Woman was unfazed, her movements steady and fluid as she fought back with her lasso and fists.

The battle continued, the sound of weapons and powers echoing through the streets. It was a fight to the death, and none of the combatants were backing down.

But as the battle raged on, Shade saw an opportunity to escape. Feeling like the damage done was enough, he needed to escape… alone.

He tried to slip away unnoticed, but unbeknownst to him and everyone else, Arias had sent one more person. Slade had been watching from afar the entire time with a rifle in hand. He took aim with his sniper rifle and fired a tranquilizer dart, hitting Shade in the neck the moment he showed signs of making a run for it.

Shade stumbled and fell to the ground, unconscious. Because the fighting was so chaotic, Killer Frost and Cheetah had yet to notice his situation. Slade moved quickly, approaching and picking him up before slinging him over his shoulder.

"Time to go," Slade muttered, disappearing into the shadows.

Harley and Wonder Woman continued to fight, determined to stop Killer Frost and Cheetah. They worked together, using their unique skills to overpower the two villains.

In the end, it was Harley who landed the final blow, knocking out Killer Frost with a well-placed mallet strike to the head. Cheetah tried to escape once she noticed Shade was nowhere in sight, but Wonder Woman caught up to her and used her lasso to bind her.

Even as she was caught, Cheetah continued to yell profanities toward Diana, who just sighed and ignored her.

As the battle ended, Harley and Wonder Woman glanced at each other, nodding in mutual respect. They knew they made a good team.

But before the police arrived, they both agreed to lie and say that Shade had escaped. They knew he was in the hands of Arias, a man they both worked for and trusted despite him not giving them any prior notice of his plan for Shade.

As they waited for the police at the scene of chaos, Harley turned to Wonder Woman with a grin. "That was a blast! Can't wait to do it again sometime."

Wonder Woman just smiled. "Let's hope we won't have to."

…

Slade dragged Shade to an isolated warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham City. The building was run-down and decrepit, with rusted metal doors and broken windows. Once inside, Slade tossed Shade into a chair and tied him up with a thick rope.

Shade groaned, his head pounding from the tranquilizer dart. He tried to focus on his surroundings, but his mind was foggy and his vision was blurry.

"What the hell...where am I?" Shade muttered, struggling against the ropes. Without his cane, escape wasn't an option.

"You're exactly where you should be," Slade replied, his voice cold and menacing. "You're going to tell me everything you know about Roulette."

Shade's eyes widened. That single question was enough to tell him who was behind his capture. His greatest fear in coming back to Gotham had just been realized but still, with Arias nowhere in sight, he didn't want to immediately yield.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Shade protested, his heart racing. "I haven't seen Roulette since I left Gotham."

Slade wasn't convinced. He leaned in close, his eyes burning with intensity. "You're lying. And if you don't start telling the truth, things are going to get very unpleasant for you. Don't believe me? Fine."

Slade stepped away from Shade and picked up a dirty rag in the corner of the place before dipping it in a bucket near Shade.

"W-what are you doing?" Shade became very anxious. He knew the dangers of betraying Roulette and Luthor, but right now, his life was in danger. Sadly, he waited too long to speak.

Before he could say another word, Slade stuffed the dirty, wet rag in his mouth and then poured the water over his body. It was freezing cold and had a pungent smell to it.

Shade struggled to move and closed his eyes as the water was poured over him. Once the pouring stopped, he opened his eyes that were blurred by droplets of water still running down his face.

Even with that, though, he could clearly see and hear electricity. The blurry blue streaks of light were not a welcoming image.

They came from a custom taser-like device Slade held in hand; his, though, was powerful enough to render many powered individuals immobile.

He took the taser and placed it under Shade's chin, immediately sending an intense surge of electricity through his body.

Slade did this for only a few seconds and pulled the taser away, while Shade slumped his head, his entire body quivering uncontrollably from the idea.

"Feeling a little numb, are we? I got just the thing." Slade placed the taser back in his pouch and walked behind Shade. Shade could barely register what was said to him. In the next moment, though… the numb feeling was replaced by an entirely different sensation…

Crack~

Using his immense strength, Slade began to break Shade's fingers, one by one.

"Mphf!!"

Muffled screams echoed in the old warehouse, but nobody except them was in earshot. As interesting as this was, Slade was running against the clock and thus needed to be quick with his interrogation.

He took out his pistol and aimed it between Shade's legs. Before the poor victim could even register the action, a gunshot rang out, and he felt a burning sensation in his crotch.

Louder muffled screams emerged, but Slade was unfazed, soon taking out the rag. "Oh, be quiet. You're lucky I got rid of something you don't use. Now, are you ready to talk?"

Shade swallowed hard, his throat dry. He knew that Slade was a dangerous man with a reputation for brutality and efficiency. Now that he got to experience a slight hint of it, he had no choice but to comply.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I'll tell you what I know," Shade relented, his voice trembling. "But you have to promise to let me go after."

Slade just chuckled. "I don't make promises I can't keep."

He grabbed Shade's collar and pulled him close. "Now start talking. Where is Roulette?"

Shade hesitated, but eventually, he spilled everything he knew. He told Slade about Roulette's hideout, her operation, and her inner circle of enforcers. He gave up the names of her lieutenants, her suppliers, and her most trusted allies.

Slade listened intently, taking notes on a small notepad. When Shade had finished, Slade stood up and put his hand on Shade's shoulder.

"I appreciate your cooperation," Slade said, his voice almost friendly. "But unfortunately, I can't let you go."

Shade's eyes widened in horror. "Wait, what are you going to do to me?"

Slade just smiled, his hand moving to his belt. "Don't worry. It'll be quick."

Before Shade could react, Slade pulled out a small pistol and fired a shot into his forehead. Shade slumped forward, his body lifeless and still.

Slade sighed, holstering his gun. He walked to the door and stepped outside, disappearing into the night.

As he walked away, he pulled out his phone and dialed Arias' number. "Mission accomplished," he said, his voice cool and professional. "I have the information you need."

Arias replied, his voice cold but satisfied. "Good work, Slade. I knew you wouldn't disappoint. And as for Shade..."

Slade knew what he meant. Shade's body would never be found, and his death would be just another unsolved mystery in Gotham City. It was the whole reason Arias didn't make a move himself, to have a solid alibi and address the attack instead. It would have been far too suspicious for him to disappear at such a time, especially without knowing just what exactly was being planned.

So instead, he sent a professional in his stead.

"Consider it taken care of," Slade said, ending the call. He walked away, disappearing into the shadows once again.