as promised this chapter is dedicated to the gorgeous SiriuslyGinnyChase who has been such a supportive reader and leaves the funniest comments that always make my day xx

okay it's breakout time *cue mission impossible music*

Damian's P.O.V:

Night was beginning to fall over Nanda Parbat. My back was pressed close to the wall, body blending into the shadows as I tugged my hood over my face.

Conner saw me do this and did the same, leaning against the temple and pulling his own hood up. He looked at me, nodded, signalling that he was ready.

That was when I ran, Conner hot on my heels, keeping low so no one could see us. We were out of Ubu's sight for now, under the illusion that we were at the infirmary. That meant we had a short period of time to get Sasha, then formulate a plan to get the hell out of here.

I knew Bruce was on his way. He'd most likely still be flying here in the Batwing, which meant he'd be here soon. He'd deal with the hard part of breaking us out. I just had to focus on Sasha.

"Dungeon's this way," I whispered, rolling to a crouch and sticking to the dark shadows surrounding us. I was grateful to see that Conner wasn't a complete idiot like every other assassin here. He seemed to know what he was doing, somewhat, and didn't get in my way.

I wondered why Sasha had never spoken about him before. Was he truly an old friend of her's? I couldn't trust him yet, not until we found her. He could be working for my mother.

An open window into the temple gave us easy access. Jumping through, we landed on stained wood. We were in the west wing, near the main dojo.

The sound of weapons clashing echoed around us. I placed my fingers to my lips, glaring at Conner so he wouldn't do anything stupid. He just nodded back, gazing out into the hallway.

"Shortcut," I mouthed.

And soon enough we were speeding our way down the corridor, slashing our swords through the flesh of two guards who weren't fast enough to stop us.

No one was ever fast enough to stop us. No one was ever fast enough to stop me.

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

Sasha's P.O.V:

I tugged at the chain bounding my leg to the wall and winced, the cold metal biting at my skin. It was no use, I needed a sharp weapon to cut through. My bare hands wouldn't do shit.

Nevertheless, I yanked some more, my weary brain hoping that somehow I'd be able to pry myself free. That somehow, I'd break the thick steel chain with my fingers.

I'd completely lost my mind.

"Give it a rest," Slade muttered weakly. It seemed that even speaking was causing strain on his body. He looked so utterly broken, sitting there in the dark, eyes dull and emotionless. I almost felt bad.

Almost.

With a grunt I replied, "I'm not stopping until I get out of here."

I could practically hear his eye-roll.

"You're draining your energy. Even if you managed to get free, all your strength would be gone."

I ignored his smart-ass commentary. I didn't need him to tell me what I was doing wrong. Everyone was always telling me what I was doing wrong. I was sick of it. I just wanted to be left alone.

"Just shut up," I spat, snapping my head toward him savagely. It struck me then that I probably looked like a crazy person, my blonde locks a mess, my face bruised from fighting and red from crying. My whole body was covered in dirt and grime. It was disgusting.

I switched my gaze to the barred window above. Slowly and with great amounts of pain, I lifted myself to my feet. My hand reached for the sill, which was a couple inches above my head. I had to jump in order to see outside, leading me to land painfully back on my feet.

I cursed inwardly, stumbling back a few steps. There was nothing out there that could help me. The sky had fallen dark and there were no assassins about. I was stuck here with Slade. No one was coming for me, at least not that I could see.

Then, a clattering noise from behind me.

I spun, now facing the barred dungeon door. More noise followed. The cries of men sounded out, making me flinch.

They were cries of agony. Someone was hurting them.

From the corner of my eye I saw Slade sitting up straighter.

"What was that," he said, voice on edge.

I just swallowed. "I don't know."

And then suddenly a body flew past so quickly it appeared as a mere blur of black. It slammed against the opposing wall of brick, bones visibly breaking, wails turning silent. The guard was most definitely dead.

I yelped, rearing back in fear and landing on the hard cement floor. Swords clashed outside and soon another guard was being hurled into the wall, falling limp on his head.

And then I saw him.

Damian.

I knew it was him even dressed in the identical black robes of every other assassin in the vicinity. The way he sauntered over, the way he casually spat a mouthful of blood to the floor and shook out his red-stained fists, seemingly unaffected by the carnage he'd just caused.

He turned his head, eyes meeting mine. Through the darkness that his hood cast over his face, I could still see that smug smirk spreading across his lips.

Relief flooded through me and my heart fluttered just at the sight of him. Picking myself off the floor, I made my way to the thick bars between us and leaned my head through the small opening.

"Took you long enough, huh?" I smiled.

He tugged down his hood so that I could see his emerald orbs. Rolling his eyes, he said, "You're welcome, asshole."

I sent him a smirk. "Whatever, dipshit."

The assassin behind him, clearly his accomplice, shook his head slightly. "Well aren't you two just the cutest couple?"

Damian sent him a hard glare. "Shut up and give me the fucking keys."

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

Conner's P.O.V:

I watched as Damian slotted the ancient-looking key into the thickly barricaded door. Sasha stood there, face battered and clothes caked in blood. Her eyes were tired, those familiar blue irises dull of color. She looked so fragile and worn-out, like she was inches away from crumpling to the floor.

Yet despite all this, she was still beautiful. She was still the same stunning girl from Midnight. The girl that everyone wanted to be like, the girl that everyone feared because she was his daughter. Deathstroke's daughter.

And it was funny how she'd never seen it. Never seen that people viewed her that way. She thought they all hated her, she thought she was a nobody. That's why she'd always kept to herself and hadn't spoken to anyone.

But she was so wrong. They didn't hate her; no, they were scared of her. They were intimidated by the girl who sat alone, always watching everyone, knowing all their secrets. The girl who fought so unpredictably, unlike anyone I'd ever sparred with before.

She was special. She was unique. And everyone knew that but her.

"Who's your buddy?" Sasha laughed hoarsely, words turned into a ragged cough and making me grimace just listening to it.

Damian only scoffed, shoving the dungeon door open with a loud clang.

"He's not my buddy."

Sasha's eyes drifted to me. Before I could speak, her leg gave out, and she fell forward. Damian caught her in an instant, hoisting her back to her feet as she grabbed onto the nearby bars for support.

"I'm okay," she was saying, though we all knew she wasn't.

Now I couldn't stop myself.

"Sasha," I said, a lump forming in my throat as I ripped off my hood.

She stared at me, eyes widening and lips parting in shock. It felt like the world had frozen for a solid ten seconds.

"Oh my god," she breathed, stepping toward me.

"Conner?"

I nodded, unable to speak. It felt as if my throat was closing in on itself. I'd wanted to see her for so long, wanted to speak with her just like old times.

We used to tell each other all our worries and nightmares. We used to talk about getting out of Midnight when no one else ever wanted to. Just the two of us, alone at Midnight. We had always been different from the others.

I missed that. God, I missed that so much.

"What? How... how did you get here?" She let go of the bars and threw her arms around me, pulling me into the tightest hug of my life.

I didn't think I remembered that last time someone had held me like that. Surely it had been years.

I found myself squeezing her back, burying my head into her hair. I wanted to cry. God, I wanted to let out all my pain right then and there.

"The assassins... they came and took me here. Talia took me and long the other Midnight students."

"Fuck, of course she did," Sasha muttered.

Then, quietly, she said, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," I managed to reply.

But Damian's harsh voice snapped us back to reality. "Sorry to interrupt this little reunion, but we have to go."

I pulled away quickly. I felt my cheeks flushing red.

Shit. I wasn't used to this.

Sasha glanced at Damian. "What exactly is your plan?"

His eyes switched to the corridor behind us, brows furrowing. It was at that moment that my ears picked up on the sounds of footsteps echoing nearby.

"Well, step one is to deal with that," he grumbled, snatching up one of the surrounding guard's katanas.

I whipped around. At least ten assassins were heading our way. They were fully armed with all sorts of fancy blades. They were a good 50 yards away from us, still making their way down the hall.

"Shit," I cursed, turning back to the others.

Damian was already backing away in the opposite direction. "Follow me. Quickly."

But I noticed Sasha eyeing the dungeon cell through the bars. She was glued to the spot, an unreadable look on her face.

"Come on," I urged, panic forming in my chest.

But she wouldn't move.

And that was when I saw Deathstroke, a bloody mess of a man lying against the cell walls. Sasha's hands were curled into fists. She looked torn between running and staying still.

I knew what she was thinking; that was her father in there, and she didn't want to leave him.

"Hey," I soothed, reaching for her wrist.

She wouldn't look at me.

"Hey," I said a little more forcefully, pulling her gaze toward me. "He's not worth it. He abused you, Sasha. He treated you like shit for years. Leave him."

She nodded shakily. "I know..."

I tugged at her arm and she reluctantly followed. We sprinted down the tunnels, passing so many cells. Some had ruthless-looking prisoners inside, while some bore tortured and trembling victims.

Damian was waiting up ahead at an intersection. "Could you move any slower?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Just go!"

We took a left, sprinting as the ninjas followed hot on our heels. Up ahead I spotted the way out. There was an opening at the end of the tunnel, with a steel gate that had been drawn upwards.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound filled the air. The gate began to move, the walls vibrating as the machine whirred.

It was closing. It was fucking closing on us, and we weren't gonna make it.

"Goddamnit, Talia, you son of a bitch," Damian growled, obviously noticing this too.

He took off faster then before, pumping his arms while Sasha and I quickened our pace. I glanced at her and knew she was injured. Somehow, she was still managing to keep up, but I knew it wouldn't last. She was seconds away from collapsing, I could tell.

The gate grew closer to the ground. "No!" Sasha snarled, speeding past the both of us even in her bloodied and bruised condition.

And that was the Sasha I knew.

A warrior.

She approached the shrinking opening seconds before Damian and I did and slid to the floor, clearing it in an instant. I did the same, ducking my head as I glided below the thick metal above.

Damian made it through moments before the gate slammed into the ground. It formed a wall between us and the small army of assassins behind.

"That was some Indiana Jones shit right there," I gasped, my body out of breath.

Damian picked himself up in an instant. "Get up, we're not done yet. Mother will be sending more of them."

I watched as he moved over to Sasha. She lay breathless on the floor, gaze lifting to him as he outstretched his hand. She took it and tried to get to her feet. It looked like she was in agony, but she clenched her teeth and persevered anyway.

"Where are you hurt?" Damian said, obviously concerned.

She shook her head. "No, we don't have time. Let's go."

He looked uncertain, but now Sasha was limping away, determined to get going.

I sent him a shrug as I trailed after her. Sasha had always been stubborn, I had learned to go along with whatever she said. But Damian struck me as the kind of person who was used to being in control.

"Wait," he declared, and there was a concerned edge to his voice when he said that.

We turned around. "What is it?"

The sky was pretty much black above our heads. The only light that could be seen came from the nearby torches nailed to the outer temple walls. Trees surrounded us, along with thin layers of snow that increased as snowflakes began to fall.

Overall, it was silent, aside from the whistling of the wind.

But then I realized. It was too silent.

I sensed it mere seconds before it flew past my ear. I jerked to the side, avoiding a hit to the neck. The object flew at record speed toward Damian's face. Before I could shout a warning, his hand flung to his head. He caught the object between his fingers.

What the fuck.

Those were the fastest reflexes I've ever seen.

Damian brought it out into the light.

It was a shuriken.

Oh, shit.

"Get down!" He yelled, but the ninjas were already emerging from the trees.

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

Jason's P.O.V:

"Now," I whispered to Tim as we weaved our way through the snowy forest surrounding Nanda Parbat.

The plan was simple, and by simple I meant very, very hard. Bruce hadn't exactly given the clearest instructions. Not that I'd even follow them if he did, anyway.

He and Dick were heading in from the east side while Tim and I took the west. Our job was to locate the kids as quickly as possible and get them the fuck out of there.

In all honesty, God knows where they were. They could've been anywhere. But Bruce had insisted that he knew the place from the inside out. He said that they were either somewhere near the cells and dorms, or somewhere near the training grounds.

The west wing was supposedly where the cells and dorms were located. I prayed that they weren't there. Judging by the nature of the place, it didn't seem like their "dungeon" would be easy to break out of, and I wasn't sure if I had the skill to fight off a hoard of deadly serial-killer ninjas.

But then again, I'd always loved a good challenge.

"This is an in-and-out operation," Bruce spoke darkly through the comms. "No fighting, Jason. The aim is that they never know we were here."

I internally scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, no need to worry, old man. I'm not really in the mood to battle ten thousand assassins by myself anyway."

Tim scowled, "Um, I'm here, too."

We ducked behind two neighboring trees and I gave a small sigh. "Exactly, Tim."

"Hey..."

A rustling noise from a couple feet away interrupted his protests. "Shh," I hissed, craning my neck in the darkness. I could hardly see a thing, but I sensed that there was someone -- or something -- nearby.

Tim tapped at the holographic computer projecting from his glove. "Scanning for heat signatures," he whispered. A few seconds passed before turned back to me.

"Three of them up ahead. Two o'clock."

I processed that. "Only three, huh?"

Tim just nodded.

"Well, there was bound to be some bloodshed tonight..." I grunted as I tugged out my twin pistols, loading ammunition into the chambers.

Tim pinched the bridge of his nose. "Did you not hear a word Bruce just said?"

I sent him a shrug. "Don't know what you're talking about."

He glanced down at his screen again. "They're approaching now, approximately 50 feet. Keep quiet or you'll attract attention."

I cocked both pistols and clicked off the safety, placing my fingers on the triggers.

"Jason," Tim warned. "Put the guns down. You'll give us away."

I just yawned, stepping away from the trees and into the clearing. "You know, I've never liked stealth operations much."

Tim palmed his forehead and groaned. "God, Bruce is gonna kill me."

I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled, "Hey, assholes! Where you hiding at, huh? Come out and say hi!"

There was a flash of black robes, and I extended my pistols at arms length.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

And suddenly we were three ninjas down.

"Well, good thing I never liked Damian much anyway," Tim muttered, joining me by side and extending his bo staff. "'Cause he is not gonna make it out alive now."

-----------------------------------------
Damian's P.O.V:

I heard gunshots and couldn't stop the small smile forming on my lips.

Bruce was here. 

Or more precisely, Todd was.

We were surrounded by a number of assassins. They were all holding weapons, mostly katanas and other blades. The main concern was the few holding crossbows and shurikens. Those were long-range weapons and were harder to avoid injury from.

"Conner, take the ones of the left, I'll take the right, and Damian, you take the middle?" Sasha suggested, seeming unsure even with her own words.

Conner shared a glance with the both of us. "Are we really doing this? And in your condition, Sasha?"

I swallowed. "No, she's right. This is the only way. Leave the rest to me, I have a plan."

They both nodded and stepped back so that we were in a triangle position.

"On three," Sasha whispered, scanning the opposing ninjas.

I gripped the hilt of my katana tighter, readying myself. The assassins were on edge, waiting for us to strike first. I recognized a couple of them, some being the ones that mother had assigned to be on my "squad" only hours earlier.

"One," Sasha began.

Conner shuffled into a combat stance beside me.

"Two."

I flexed my wrist, twirling the katana.

"Three."

And before I knew it, we were charging at the first wave of assassins at maximum speed.

Sasha headed for the first one and leaped into the air, hooking both legs around the ninja's neck and twisting her body to the ground, executing a perfect flying neck scissor take-down. The assassin went sprawling to the floor.

I was momentarily shocked.

So much for being injured.

"Holy shit," Conner breathed from beside me. "She's so cool."

I mean, he wasn't wrong.

Snapping back to reality, I drove my sword into the chest of the closest assassin, yanking it out rapidly and using that momentum to slam my elbow into a second one's chin.

I flipped, dodged and weaved around the following attacks, sending a harsh kick to a ninja's chest and shattering his ribs. Another one came at me full-speed, so I sliced his hand off and used the momentum of his run to grip both his sleeves and deliver a hip throw that sent him slamming into the ground.

Bang.

This time the gunshot was loud and extremely near. I whipped my head to the side and watched as the body of an assassin toppled to the floor, leaving a clearing behind them where Todd stood, dressed in his red hood uniform, smoke trailing from his pistol.

"What's up, little D," he grinned, rolling to the floor and twirling out of the way of three shurikens.

A flash of red emerged beside me. Drake was here, too, it seemed, in his Red Robin suit. He ducked to the floor and swept his staff under the legs of three assassins.

"We're getting you out of here before Jason makes an even bigger mess of things," he shouted over the carnage.

Todd just laughed. "Whatever do you mean, Timmy?" and sent a sequence of violent hits to a ninja, sending him toward me so I could slice his throat open with one swipe.

"This is why you're my favorite brother," Todd said, chucking me a pistol.

I caught it, spun and aimed it at an assassin tackling Sasha to the floor.

A flash of light. Bang.

"Yep," Todd nodded, slapping me on the back. "Definitely my favorite."

Sasha freed herself from the headlock and gasped for air. I dropped the pistol to the floor, my mind racing as I realized what I'd just done.

It had been almost four years since I'd used a gun.

Correction: since I'd used a gun to kill.

I glanced around at that moment, officially taking in the scenery around me. Everything reeked of blood and death. Broken bodies were splayed across the floor, crimson stained weapons at their feet. 

It all looked so... foreign now. I hadn't witnessed this much violence in a while. Sure, Gotham might have been fucked up, but it wasn't this fucked up.

This was different. This was evil.

A tidal wave of wind sent me stumbling back. I pulled my arm to my face, shielding myself from the blast of air. The Batwing lowered itself into a hovering position above me, casting a dark shadow over the blood bath of assassins.

"Let's get out of here," Todd shouted over the noise. I headed toward Sasha and helped her to her feet. She looked even worse than before -- she'd need some serious stitching up on the ride home.

The bottom of the jet opened up and a retracting set of steps lowered out. Todd hopped on and pulled Conner and Drake up.

"I think I broke something," Sasha slurred, jaw clenching as she winced in agony. She clutched onto my arm as I attempted to take one step with her.

She fell forward, grunting painfully, "No, stop."

This wasn't good.

"We're nearly there," I said, trying to lift her again. But she couldn't walk and i knew it

"Fuck, it hurts... I'm sorry, I can't... I can't..." She was mumbling, bending over her stomach and crying out.

Conner wasn't fully up the steps yet. He covered his face from the wind and yelled, "Hey, you two!" He called, waving his hands in panic.

"Hurry up! She's coming!"

Wait... she?

Oh, no.

"Oh, beloved!" A voice that could only be linked to Talia called out from behind me.

dudes this chapter was originally PACKED with action omg i had to split it up i wrote like 5000 words in only a couple hours. dw i have more in store for the final chapter but i hope u guys enjoyed this i put a lot of effort into getting it right.

also we need a ship name. i'm thinking shamian or dasha. which ones better? or someone come up with a good one cause i'm so shit at this

xx