Rose Wilson: The Ravager #17

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#1  Edited By rav4

Previous Chapters: http://www.comicvine.com/forums/fan-fic/8/ravager4s-fan-fic-archives/660884/#1

Disclaimer: I do not own any DC characters or locations. All rights belong to DC Comics.

Rating: T+

Note: A little bit less in this chapter than average, but still should be interesting. Has some fighting, some character development, all the good stuff.

Rose Wilson: The Ravager #17

Ext. Silverstone City – Night

The assassin charges quickly through the driving rain and swings her blade with expert precision. Ravager steps to the side, parrying the sword with one of her own, and then countering with a strike from her second. The assassin ducks and spins low, sweeping her leg. Ravager jumps over it, bringing her own kick straight against the woman's side; the assassin catches her foot with one arm, trapping it against her, then strikes again with another kick, this one knocking one of Ravager's swords from her grasp.

I don't get it, she thinks, as she flips backwards to avoid another sword-strike. I've never seen that mask before, but something about this woman feels so familiar. The outfit, the voice...

Ravager parries another attack with her remaining sword, then drives a palm strike to the woman's sternum; she take the blow and counters with a quick blow of her own, pummeling her knuckles into a pressure point. Even through her armored suit, the impact is hard and sudden, causing Ravager to lose her grip on her weapon. Taking the opportunity, the assassin thrusts her blade, only have her arm caught and then greeted by a knee to the stomach.

Trying to press the attack, Ravager takes another swing, aimed a the woman's face, but the assassin in green escapes the grasp and flips several times backwards at a range. When she comes to a stop, she flings a series of throwing knives. Ravager weaves around them, jumping and spinning through the air. Landing back on her feet, she glances around to find one of her swords, but never gets the chance before being attacked again.

Now, the woman is attacking with small, metal finger claws, raking her hands in arcing motions. Ravager dodges, steps to the left, then the right, then blocks one of her attacker's arms. In the process, she kicks her leg straight upwards, driving her toes against the assassin's chin and catapulting her backwards to the wet rooftop. The grinning white cat mask flies from her face and skids across the slick surface.

Dazed for only a moment, the woman jumps back up to her feet, taking another combative stance. When Ravager sees her face, however, a wave of revelation strikes her mind like a bullet.

Cheshire!

Though it has been nearly five years since they last met, and though their meeting had been brief, there is no mistaking the Vietnamese woman with long, silky black hair standing before her. For a time, Ravager served as the nanny for this woman's daughter, Lian Harper. She finds herself frozen in uncertainty for a brief moment, as Cheshire dashes in again and takes another swipe at her. The brief hesitation causes her subsequent dodge to be sloppy, not quite getting completely out of the way, as one of the metal claws scrapes across her exposed neck and leaves behind a small cut.

Ravager: Cheshire, hold on! Stop!

Dumb, she realizes. She's not going to recognize you like that.

Before she can make another attempt at having words with the woman, Cheshire unleashes another wild series of attacks; her style of martial arts is completely foreign to Ravager, and her astounding level of acrobatics makes combating her difficult. Not to mention, the sheer speed of combat gives her precog one hell of a time in trying to keep up.

Ravager waits for the right moment, then blocks Cheshire's next attack. She delivers an elbow to the woman's jaw, splitting open her lip, and then brings a hard kick up towards her side. But Cheshire is ready for it, blocking the kick and delivering a palm strike of her own to Ravager's chin, followed by a hard kick straight to her chest. The sudden impact to her bruised torso causes her body to jolt with sharp pain, and in the process her boots slip in a puddle. Suddenly, Ravager finds herself falling, landing hard on her backside.

Cheshire rolls away and retrieves her sword, then dives in again, leading with the steel point. Ravager just manages to roll back out of range, then springs back up to her feet.

Ravager: Cheshire- Jade, stop!

Cheshire freezes momentarily, a look of confusion and caution coming over her face, wondering how her target knows of her real name.

Cheshire: You... do we know each other?

Reaching up to her face, Ravager slips her own mask off, exposing her face.

Ravager: It's Rose. You probably don't remember, but-

Cheshire: You were Lian's nanny.

The woman's eyes widen slightly, the recognition hitting her. It's been a long time, but her memory is sharp.

Cheshire: So... you are my target?

Ravager: Yes... but why? I heard you gave up this business after...

Cheshire: You mean after my daughter died?

A stone dead silence drifts over the two for a moment.

Cheshire: So I fell back into it. A woman has to live, and this is what I'm good at.

And it distracts her from the emptiness left behind by the loss of not just Lian, but of her other child, as well, her son. This, however, she doesn't mention.

Ravager: I used to think that the only thing I was good at was fighting, too. But believe it or not, I've managed to do more with my life than just beat the crap out of people.

Cheshire: Is this the part where you make your big hero speech, and tell me how I don't need to do this, and that you just want to be friends, and all the other clichés?

Ravager: Not even close. I will say that I don't want to fight you, and I don't want to bring you in, but not because I want to be your friend. You're still an assassin, and a dangerous one at that, and you're trying to kill me.

Cheshire: So then why are we even having this conversation?

Ravager: Because I know that life has kicked sh*t in your face for a while now, and even you don't deserve that anymore.

Cheshire: And what do you know about it, huh?

Ravager: I know that you loved Lian, no matter what kind of life you led, and I know what it's like to lose someone you love. That's why I'm giving you the chance to turn around right now and leave. And maybe reconsider your career path.

Cheshire: And if I instead decide to finish my job?

Ravager: Then I'll break both your legs and drag you to the police station myself.

Another cold silence drifts over the two, broken only by the patter of raindrops around them and the whistling wind blowing across the rooftop. Cheshire gives her a long look, eyes narrowed and grip tightening around the handle of her sword. Eventually, however, she raises her sword and sheathes it back into its scabbard across her back.

Cheshire: You helped care for Lian when I could not; for that, you have my gratitude. Because of that reason, I will leave you be.

As she begins to leave, Ravager holds out a hand to stop her.

Ravager: Wait, can you tell me who hired you?

Folding her arms, Cheshire glares at her for a few moments, until finally responding.

Cheshire: A man named Francis Baldoni.

Ravager: Is there anything else you can-

Cheshire: You have the name, don't push it any further. Goodbye, Rose.

And with those words, she retrieves her mask and then leaps down off the building, disappearing into the adjacent alleyway. Taking in a deep breath, Ravager holds a hand to her head and then sighs. Things certainly could have gone worse.

Francis Baldoni... Looks like I have a new lead.

Moving to retrieve her swords, Ravager suddenly stops and flinches. It isn't the the throbbing pain from her bruises, however; it's from the wound at her neck. Gingerly, she reaches up and touches the cut, only to let out a sudden yelp as it burns like fire for a few seconds.

Sh*t, what the hell?

The stinging pain disappears as soon as it came, however, once she removes her fingers. Taking in another breath, she shakes it off and keeps moving. After picking up her swords, she starts heading back to her home; she should be working on her new lead, but the fight with Cheshire has left her exhausted and battered, only reinforced by her previous injuries sustained against Deadshot. She's in no condition to keep going at it tonight.

Int. Rose's Penthouse Suite – Night

By the time Rose makes it back to her penthouse and out of her costume, she's stumbling and struggling to breathe. The cut on her neck is burning again, this time refusing to stop. As she trips her way into the bathroom, her vision goes blurry and the room starts to spin. Taking a moment to regain her balance, she holds a hand to her head and groans.

Poison, has to be. Cheshire's claws... she must have laced them with something.

Making it in front of her bathroom mirror, she inspects the cut on her neck; it's bright red and swelling, while the blood vessels directly surrounding it are traced in black. This definitely isn't good. Doing her best to maintain consciousness, she returns to her bedroom and hurriedly puts her gear away. Then, she grabs her cell phone and makes a quick call.

Operator/Phone: 911, what's your emergency?

Rose: Please.. need... send... ambulance.

Operator/Phone: Ma'am, I can barely hear you, you'll have to speak up. Please state your emergency.

Rose: Just... send a f***ing ambulance... goddamn it. Residential Towers, top floor... suite number H... H356...

Her grip suddenly loosens on her phone, as her right hand goes numb. No, not just her right hand, her entire arm. Falling against the wall, she frantically enters another code onto the security panel, in turn deactivating the alarm system. She lasts only a few more seconds before plummeting straight to the floor, unconscious.

Int. Silverstone General Hospital – Day

Rose awakens suddenly, eyes snapping open and body bolting upright. She takes in a deep breath and looks around, blinking the blur out of her vision. Judging from the atrociously depressing atmosphere, it looks like she made it to the hospital. Groaning, she suddenly brings a hand up to her neck, pressing it against the poisoned cut from before; she feels only a gauze pad and tape holding it in place. No pain.

Becky: Rose?

Turning to the door of the hospital room, Rose sees her partner standing there, carrying a cup of coffee. Two second later, she drops said cup of coffee and hurries across the room.

Becky: Gracias a Dios! Goddamn, girl, you know how to cause a scare.

Rose winces as Becky pulls her into a friendly hug; apparently her bruising still hasn't healed.

Rose: Ow, ow, Becky- hurting.

Becky: Oh, right, sorry. My bad, I just- I didn't think you were going to make it.

Rose: Didn't think... how long have I been here?

Becky: Three days. You've barely moved the entire time, the doctors, they... well they didn't know if you were going to wake up.

Panic suddenly rips through Rose's mind, her eyes going wide with concern. Three days?!

Rose: Where's Holly? Is she alright? Who's looking after her?

Becky: Easy, relax. Holly's at Mrs. Silva's right now. I brought her by a few times to see you; she's worried, you know.

Rose: Mrs. Silva... guess I'm going to have to pay her some crazy overtime. But still, no, that's good. I'm glad Holly's alright.

Becky: Well she might not have if you didn't wake up. Dios mio, girl, what the hell happened? The doctors said you were poisoned by... something, they couldn't even figure out what it was. They did what they could to keep you alive, but... it mostly came down to just hoping the poison ran its course and you pulled through. Luckily, it was a very small dosage.

I bet my heightened immune system and metabolism didn't hurt, either.

Rose: I, uh... I don't really remember. I recall being in my bathroom and then... I don't know, I just collapsed. Maybe it was something I ate.

Becky: Something you ate? And I suppose that cut on your neck just appeared out of thin air? Come on, Rose, don't you do this to me.

Rose: Do what?

Becky: Lie through your teeth, jueputa! Poisoned cuts, massive bruising? Which, by the way, the doctors said could not have been caused by a car accident. What the hell is going on with you, girl?

Rose: Nothing, really, I-

Letting out a frustrated breath, Becky throws up her hands and starts muttering to herself in Spanish. Eventually, she turns back to Rose and points at her.

Becky: Would you listen to yourself? Do you have any idea how full of it you sound right now? Who did this to you? Who are you trying to protect? If someone's roughing you up and you're keeping it bottled in, I swear-

Rose: Rebecca, it's no big deal, I swear. I'm fine.

Becky: You were just in a coma for three days! You're not fine! Whatever it is that's happening with you, it's getting you hurt and... For Christ's sake, at least think about Holly. You think she wants to lose you, huh? You think I want to?

Rose: Why do you care so much about it?

Becky: Because you're my partner! And my friend. And... and Christ, I don't want to lose another one!

Rose goes quiet. Becky takes a few steps back, holding a hand to her head and closing her watering eyes. Shaking her head, she mutters something else in Spanish and drops into the seat next to the bed. A long sigh leaves her lips, the implication beginning to sink in.

Rose: You said your former partner got transferred.

Becky: Yeah, well I lied, alright? I just... didn't want to talk about it.

Rose: What happened?

Becky: Drive by. Was just... a normal day, you know? Lunch rolled around, I waited in the cruiser while he went to get the food. Then he got hit in the crossfire of one gang shooting at another. I tried to help, but by the time I got to him...

As her words trail off, Rose reaches out and holds a hand to her partner's shoulder, trying to offer what little comfort she can.

Rose: I'm sorry, I didn't realize...

Becky: He was... one of my closest friends. Since then, I worked solo, because I couldn't bring myself to work with another partner, not that soon after... Now here you are, my new partner, going and nearly getting yourself killed less than three weeks on the job.

Rose: So... you just don't want to lose another partner.

Becky: Well, yeah. And.... you know, maybe I kind of like you, too. We're friends, remember, not just partners.

Rose: Right... friends.

Becky: So you still gonna say you can't remember anything, or are you going to tell me what happened?

Rose: It... was an old acquaintance. Not something I want to go into detail about, just some of my past trying to crawl its way out of the gutter.

Becky: And you went and let him get away with that? Christ, girl, he nearly killed you! Whoever this guy is, I swear I'll have his head for it. You don't get to attack a cop and walk away free.

Rose: No, don't, really... was just an accident.

Becky: An accident, right. And I'm supposed to buy that? Ni en sueños,

Rose: Believe what you want.

Becky: So what, you expect me to sit back now and let these 'accidents' keep happening?

Rose: No, of course not... But I wouldn't worry about it anymore.

Becky: And why's that?

Rose: Because I broke the b**tard's nose and told him if he ever came near me again, I'd slap cuffs on him and throw him in a cell so fast, he'd be suing for whiplash.

Becky: Should have done it anyway; can't let an a**hole go thinking he can get away with laying his hands on a cop. Or my friend.

Rose: It was a personal issue, Becky... I had to handle it myself.

Becky: If you say so... Anyway, I'm glad you're alright, I really am. Just... be more careful, alright? I... don't want to see you in another hospital bed.

Rose: Yeah... got it.

Becky: Guess I should probably let you get your rest now. I took the day off, though, so I'll stick around for a while; be right outside if you need me for anything, kay?

Rose: Sure, alright. Talk to you later.

Smiling slightly, Becky gives a wave and then finally leaves the room. Now alone, Rose falls back against the bed and exhales a long breath.

Just keep spinning your lies, Rose... god, you are such a b***h.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter #18 Preview: Ravager has a new lead on the assassins that keep showing up to kill her, but the third one is already on her trail. She's dealt with these attackers so far, but will this new enemy give her an even greater challenge? Also, what happens when two different assassins cross paths when competing for the same target? Find out next time!

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Time_Phantom

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#2  Edited By Time_Phantom

I can see Rose running out of lies very shortly. Great chapter, chesire was a goo touch to.

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rav4

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#3  Edited By rav4

@Time_Phantom: Thanks muchly. And yeah, Rose's lies are starting to run a little thin, ae? Bad news for her.

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#4  Edited By batkevin74

@Ravager4: Liar, liar, Rose's pants on fire. I was almost half expecting for Chesire to go nuts at the reminder of her daughter. Good story...who is assassin number #3????

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#5  Edited By rav4

@batkevin74: If this were a couple years ago, she probably would have gone nuts, lol. But I figure she's kind of calmed down by now, as indicated by her last appearance before Flashpoint happened. More of a depressing acceptance. And you'll just have to read the next chapter to find out who the final assassin is!