Is there even any point of me saying it this time?
You've heard it over and over, so I won't make any excuses.
Just know I really am sorry this time.
Either way, here's your chapter. Hopefully you'll get another tomorrow, then another after that like the old days.
Enjoy!
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"You're not as great as I thought you'd be."
[Laurel Lance tests you. Your next actions will have her form an image of Ainz]
In the Throne Room, a few assassins stood behind a kneeled Laurel Lance, Nyssa standing silently beside her.
Derek listened to Laurel mock him, saying nothing as he simply stared.
'Laurel Lance. The only person who deserves as much hate as Iris West.'
Perhaps even more. To Derek, Iris was somewhat of a decent character during the early seasons of The Flash, only declining later in the story.
However…
'Laurel sucked since day one.'
At least the writers had the decency to scrap her as the love interest to Oliver after season 1 and even had her die in season 4, something that Flash watchers didn't get the luxury of witnessing with Iris.
'You had one job, Savitar.'
Derek inwardly shook his head.
'But jokes aside, I knew she'd be coming, I just didn't think it would be this early. She isn't supposed to arrive for another few months. I guess Malcolm sped things up.'
"Ra's would make his stature and power evident the second you met him, with just a stare no less."
Laurel added.
It didn't take a genius to know one shouldn't run their mouth in front of someone like the Demon's Head.
However, Laurel knew what she was doing.
Whether she'd simply become gutsy after being the Black Canary for a few months or she was merely testing the waters, she made sure her eyes never strayed away from Ainz.
In doing so, she realised her statements were completely false.
Ainz exuded a calm and composed aura. Yet at first glance, he made one seem as though he was out of reach, completely untouchable.
His mysteriousness coupled with this made one think twice about engaging in a physical confrontation with him.
Not to mention the intimidating Gorilla laying beside him which she tried her best to ignore despite him stroking it like a pet dog.
"Aren't you going to say…"
[Bloodlust]
-VUA!!!
"KHRM!!!"
Laurel's back straightened as her body stiffened, and her eyes widened as they remained glued to the figure.
It was as if all life and colour were sucked out of the surroundings, prompting the green behind the darkness of the figure's cloak to shine brightly like headlights, glaring as his figure grew to completely tower Laurel.
She began to drool as her heart threatened to leap out of her chest, so much so that she'd started to suffocate due to forgetting to breathe.
-SHUUU
In the next second, everything returned to normal as Laurel let out a "GAH!" of relief, and dropped to the ground face-first in exhaustion.
He breathed heavily, not caring that she was breathing in copious amounts of dust from the ground, her hair lying in a wild mess on her face.
'He's learnt to direct it contrary to the widespread disaster it was last time…how interesting.'
Nyssa mused, her body facing Laurel but her eyes shifted to take a peek at Ainz.
"I see you staring. Impressed?" Ainz commented, prompting Nyssa to unconsciously dart her eyes back to Laurel.
"I was just making sure I didn't need to brace myself. We wouldn't want a repeat of last time."
"Why not? I quite liked how things ended up."
As Ainz said this, Nyssa pursed her lips upon remembering the position she ultimately found herself in.
Whether it was to tease her or not, she now couldn't ignore the memory of her hand on his bare torso, both their chests pressed together as her cold blade in his grip caressed down her lower back…or was that his hand?
[Nyssa Al Ghul rejects her intrusive thoughts]
[Your understanding of Nyssa Al Ghul increases]
"You…"
[Laurel Lance fears you]
The two turned back to the struggling Laurel as she weakly pushed off against the ground, looking up to find Ainz crouched before her, unaware of when he'd even moved.
"Would you like to try that again?" Ainz asked in a flat tone, hiding his slight amusement at the sight before him.
Laurel tried her best to regain her composure, and while she couldn't quite shake the feeling of dread that seemed to have fused into her cells every time she looked at Ainz, she returned to her kneeling position, wiping the saliva off her face as he breathed in slowly.
"Malcolm Merlyn sent me a message. He said the Lazarus Pit can bring my sister back to life."
Silence descended as she spoke these words.
While the assassins behind Laurel were never in a position to speak without being addressed, even they couldn't help but think the notion was ridiculous.
As for Nyssa, her previous stoic expression returned, unclear if it was forced or not.
But Derek could tell that this wasn't the first time Laurel presented her with this idea.
'Bingo, there it is.'
Derek was waiting for it. That was Laurel's ultimate goal. Though in the show she brought along Thea so the latter could convince her father for the use of the pit.
"Your sister, Sara Lance."
Laurel looked up, staring for a second in surprise, soon nodding.
Despite only a few seconds passing, hours and days were passing in Derek's mind.
His brain raced like a computer, calculating every possible outcome and which would benefit him the most.
Of course, whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to bring back Sara.
She was a core member of this world's soon-to-be Justice League and even helped prevent this timeline's ruin as a member and leader of the Legends.
Hell, she was even a paragon during Crisis.
However, what was important wasn't whether or not he'd bring her back, but instead how he'd do so.
Additionally, he had to constantly keep something on his mind with every decision he made.
[You have created a new Plotline]
"What's in it for me?"
But before that, he couldn't help but wonder if she came here to simply beg.
"What do you want?"
"I'm not sure. There is very little someone like you can offer someone like me."
Laurel pursed her lips, replying confidently in the next second.
"An alliance. We were the ones to take down the League and Ra's. We bested all of you. You won't have to worry about us if you comply with our needs."
Laurel's eyes narrowed as she peered at Nyssa while saying this, the latter glaring down at her with cold eyes, scoffing in the next second.
"Oh, please. We both know you don't have any position within your team to make such claims."
This was true. In fact, no one knew Laurel was even here right now because she knew that they, more specifically Oliver, would reject the idea.
"Don't I? The Arrow loved me at one point. Despite us drifting apart, he still listens to me. He'll hear me out." Laurel turned to Ainz at the last second since he was the one she was trying to convince.
"Not good enough. I have no intention of meddling with The Arrow or Starling City, and if I do, I'm sure I can hold my own."
Desperation mixed with urgency boiled within Laurel as she witnessed the unmoving Ainz shrug.
"Information."
"I already have plenty of that."
"My services."
"I have people who can do everything you can and better."
Laurel carried on for a few times, however, Ainz would quickly reply, ultimately suggesting he had no use for whatever she could offer.
'Hell, she's so useless that I'd simply be wasting my Attribute Collection on her if I chose to draw.'
Finally, Laurel paused, unsure of what else she could say.
"I'll give you a chance. What do you think Nyssa?"
Nyssa turned to Ainz in surprise as Laurel furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. They both paused and as if to snap her out of her trance, Ainz turned to her, meeting her gaze.
And in the next second, Nyssa regained her composure as she turned to Laurel.
"I reject the idea."
Laurel gritted her teeth.
"I thought you loved my sister. You of all people should want this just as much as I do."
"I do. However, I also know the toll the Pit can take on those who bathe in it. And considering Sara has been dead for months now, even I don't know the consequences of doing this"
"All I know is that, yes, she'll return, however, she won't be the same Sara we once knew. Nothing but an empty and soulless shell that wouldn't hesitate to kill you or me."
Laurel didn't flinch at this as if she was aware of everything Nyssa was saying.
"I don't care. I'll be damned if I don't at least try."
Upon saying this, Nyssa's expression scrunched in annoyance mixed with a hint of disgust.
"You're selfish."
"You…"
"Well, you heard her."
All eyes once again turned to Ainz as he cut Laurel off. But as he did, both Laurel and Nyssa stared at him with different yet similar expressions.
"Sara Lance shall not be revived."
Laurel's heart dropped, the colour in her eyes fading as she froze.
[Laurel Lance loses hope]
Meanwhile, the confusion in Nyssa deepened as she stared at Ainz.
[Many thoughts regarding your actions race through Nyssa's mind]
"I'm not done. I won't kill you despite you giving me every reason to do so."
"Not only will I allow you to go back home, but if you can somehow return with a way to forgo the side effects of the Lazarus Pit on your sister, you may do as you please."
Laurel's eyes widened as she looked up, her heart leaping.
[Laurel Lance regains a ray of hope]
However, her eye twitched in the next second as she spoke.
"What do you want?" She asked, prompting Ainz to walk forward, kneeling before her.
"You'll owe me."
As Derek said, there wasn't much she could do for him.
However, it wasn't what she was going to do that he was after.
"And don't worry, I'm sure your friend Oliver Queen will be able to help. In fact, I'm sure that he will."
Laurel's eyes widened upon hearing this.
'He…knew all along?'
Suddenly, she felt like an open book, naked as if Ainz saw through her.
'With this, I can reach a whole new level…'
It wasn't Laurel nor was it Oliver that Derek was truly after.
In the show, when Sara was brought back to life, because she had been dead for so long, the damage done to her soul was so great that it completely shattered.
All that was left was a walking corpse overcome with bloodlust.
But there was one way.
When all hope was lost, Oliver called a friend.
It was him, this one man who ventured into hell to personally retrieve Sara's soul.
It was this man that Derek was after. Or rather, what he could do.
What he was capable of.
'This is how I'll become…more…Magic!'
Though they couldn't see it, a large was plastered on Derek's face.
'Where are you, John Constantine?!'
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I don't have any right to ask for it, do I?
Maybe tomorrow...
SIKE! GIMME THOSE POWERSTONESS!!!!
also...there's the Patreon link...cause I'm a scumbag...
patreon.com/SonderNow