Chapter 4: Meta Brawl pt. I

Word Count : 7041

It was a calm and quiet day in Star City. The streets were bustling with people, each going on their own errands while cars zoomed past in the traffic. But this serene picture was shattered with an explosion at the local bank. Said bank was in the process of getting pilfered by a group of five robbers.

"Come on! Hurry it up, will ya!" one of them called out irritably to his fellow robbers, obviously being in a hurry.

"What's the rush? We still got another five minutes before any police forces show up," another of the robbers, a big fellow with bulging muscles, countered as he shoveled down stacks of money in a bag.

"It ain't the cops I'm worrying about, it's that Robin Hood wannabe and his sidekick that I'm worried about. This is their turf after all, and if we don't start legging it, they'll be all over our asses before we even know it," the first one stated while constantly glancing at the doorway. That seemed to have spurred most of them to work faster, but the big one was still not concerned in the least.

"Well I say bring it on, I'd love a chance to beat those two up," he muttered. It seemed though like someone had granted his wish, as when one of the robbers moved to exit the building he got knocked back by an impact arrow to the face. Poor guy was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

"You know, most criminals would have been running by now, but if you're so eager for a trashing then I'm up for it," the unmistakably jovial voice of Green Arrow announced as he and his sidekick Speedy entered the bank, both with bows drawn. While three of the robbers appeared a bit intimated by the presence of two heroes, the muscled one only grinned a feral grin at the pair.

"Let's rumble," that was the only warning the pair of archers received before the man charged them head on. A pair of arrows were launched at him, but they just bounced off him. Close combat was quickly joined as a punch came right at Speedy, who ducked under it before Green Arrow was forced to backpedal to avoid a kick. Speedy aimed a blow with his bow at the robber's head, but he caught it and ripped it out of his hands. A backhanded slap sent the kid flying back before the robber charged Green Arrow, wielding Speedy's bow like a club.

Green Arrow ducked under the first swing, sidestepped the second, dodged the third and tried to block the fourth. He was knocked back by the sheer strength behind the blow and slammed into a wall. While disoriented, he still had enough sense to duck under a blow aimed for his head. And before his attacker could strike again, Green Arrow brought out an electric arrow and slammed it into his guts. The robber was forced back, howling in pain from the high voltages of electricity surging through him.

Seeing as his opponent was temporarily distracted, Green Arrow cast a quick glance over his shoulder at the wall where the robber had punched. There was a fist shaped dent in it with spider web cracks spreading around it. 'Okay, definitively packing more strength than the average human,' Green Arrow mentally noted to himself. And as he turned his attention back to the attacker, he found that he had started battling Speedy. For while the robber had been distracted by Green Arrow, Speedy had taken the chance to recover. But not wanting to risk hitting his mentor, no matter how he sometimes wished to do just that, he had engaged the walking mass of muscle in close combat.

He ducked under a fist, sidestepped a kick, countered with a blow from his bow, stepped back as his blow was deflected by a forearm, sidestepped a mad rush, tried to get a kick in at his knees, missed with the kick and ended up getting an elbow to the face. The force behind the blow sent him reeling back with a rapidly spinning vision. Speedy almost ended up bulldozed by his opponent, if not Green Arrow had stepped in with a well-placed electric arrow that sent high voltages of electricity coursing through the Meta human's body. If he felt any pain from that, he did an astounding job of suppressing it. For all Green Arrow got was a few twitches in his muscles before the brute was on the move again.

However, it seemed like some manner of common sense finally managed to reign in his rampancy, as he made a mad dash towards the exit. At first confused by this behavior, Green Arrow quickly came to the realization that the other robbers had slipped away in the tumult, aside from the unfortunate guy who had been knocked out at the beginning. Criminal code; any man who falls behind, is left behind. But Green Arrow was not about to throw in the towel just yet as he was off in pursuit, arrow notched on his bow in preparation. Sadly, he was too late, as he exited the bank just in time to watch a blue van speed away.

"Freeze it," the unmistakable voice of Batman suddenly commanded, and everything froze up, as if time itself had stopped.

"Backtrack it," Batman ordered again, and everything suddenly started playing back. Only when they were back inside the bank with the Meta did Batman order it to stop again. Seated around the conference table aboard the Watchtower, the members of the Justice League watched the recorded footage of the scuffle that had transpired a few days earlier.

"This armed robbery is only the latest in a string of violet bank robberies spanning across the country. New York, Metropolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and even Gotham have already been hit by this gang, and they're showing no signs of stopping," Batman continued. Captain Marvel suddenly raised his hand, as if he was a student in class asking for permission to speak.

"Uhm… do we know anything about them? Like who they are, where they're hiding or what their next target is?" he asked in curiosity. Green arrow was the one who spoke up next.

"We managed to capture one of their numbers, but he's been uncooperative so far and hasn't given us anything of value," looks of disappointment spread across the leaguers. This meant they were fishing in the dark, and it was never fun.

"However," Batman's voice drew everyone's attention. "I was able to trace his civilian name and map out his habits. It turns out he was a regular visitor to the underground fighting tournament known as Meta Brawl," looks of recognition spread across those who knew about it, while looks of confusion dominated among those ignorant of that name.

"Meta Brawl?" Captain Marvel quickly became the spokesman for those who were ignorant with that question. This time, it was Superman who answered.

"Meta Brawl is an illegal fight club that pits Meta humans against each other. Only rule, they fight until the other stays down. We've tried to shut them down for years, but Roulette, the owner, has several high ranking politicians in her pocket. She can't be touched unless she's caught red-handed breaking the law," he supplemented helpfully. He received the faintest of nods from Batman before he addressed the assembled heroes again.

"Given the super strength of one of the robbers, we believe that he might be a regular fighter there. It's not much, but it's our only lead so far. We'll need someone to go inside and investigate," here, he paused to let his eyes wander over each hero in turn. "Is there any volunteer?" and there came the million dollar question. Of course there were volunteers present, every hero present in this room was a volunteer. Had been from the moment they put on the cape and cowl and went out fighting crime. But that was not what Batman was asking. No, what he really asked was "Who is best suited to remain incognito?".

For let us be honest here, does someone like Superman, dressed up in red and blue spandex with his underwear on the outside, fit into the subtle category? The answer is a simple no. not every hero works best when blending in among the crowds in order to get close to their target. Heroes like Superman, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman were more fitted to confront an opponent head on and in plain view to be seen.

"I'll do it," Black Canary suddenly announced from her seat. A small nod was all the indication she received that she had been heard.

"You should probably bring someone along as back-up," Batman added. When going into the lion's den, it was always better to be safe than sorry. At this, a mysterious smile grazed her lips.

"Don't worry about that. I already have a person in mind on that account,"

Los Angeles was one of the few cities that lacked a costumed vigilante to safeguard its people. But then again, crime rates were hardly on a notorious level, given how the city also lacked any costumed villains running around. It just had the average day cops chasing after the average day criminals. But all that had changed a week ago, when the Justice League had appointed a new guardian for the city; the displaced soldier Keled, or as his now called himself, Krieg.

Anyone else would have been flattered by the apparent faith that was placed on them by the Justice League in being given their own city to defend, but Krieg knew better. Crime rates were low and there were no true national threats here that needed League responses. By placing Krieg in charge of protecting an entire city, the Justice League had essentially created an easy way to keep tabs on him. If crime rates were to drop, they would know he was active in the city. If they were to grow high again, they would know that he was up to something different.

While Krieg would have gladly taken the chance to rile up those xeno-loving blasphemers, as always, duty came before grudges. So he had wasted no time in going to work. For his first target, he had completely ignored the everyday muggings that happened all around the city, knowing it was a waste of time and energy trying to chase them all down. Instead, he went for whatever elements of organized crime he could find; drug cartels, mafia, street gangs, they were all fair game to him.

It was in service to this task that we find Krieg in the middle of a brawl in an alley during the darkest hours of the night. These simple-minded thugs were part of a local gang shaking up local stores for protection money, and Krieg was determined to put a stop to them. Already seven of these oafs littered the ground, unconscious or in extreme pain from broken bones. As Krieg blocked a fist from another thug and retaliated with a blow that hopefully shattered his jaw, he silently lamented over how restricted his struggle was. Batman had made it clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Krieg was prohibited from ever taking a life, no matter how much they deserved it.

'Short-minded fools, the lot of them,' he thought darkly as he grabbed the head of another thug and head-butted him to the point that his nose was practically nonexistent before throwing him straight into another attacking thug. But even when he knew that Batman's ways were highly ineffective, he could do nothing about it. Batman was his superior officer, and his word was law. It pained Krieg, but he had to do what the Justice League wanted him to do.

'Still can't believe that humanity actually allows the Justice League to exist in their midst,' another thug tried to attack him with a knuckle brass, but Krieg easily grasped his arm and broke it by the elbow. His screams of pain were quickly silenced as his head was slammed into a concrete wall before he was dropped to the ground like deadweight. That left three still standing, and they looked less eager than their earlier comrades to rush Krieg. 'Cowardly weaklings,' though it seemed like one of them still had a shred of courage as he drew a pocket knife and charged Krieg.

This one however was a bit more skillful than the rest, as he managed to slip past Krieg's defenses and drive the knife into his shoulder. He was rewarded for his success with a knee to the crotch and a devastating blow to the head that knocked him out could. 'And I had my uniform cleaned and repaired yesterday,' he silently complained to himself as he pulled out the knife from his shoulder and threw it aside. The last two looked like they were considering a tactical retreat, but Krieg never gave them a chance to flee as he charged them.

He rammed the first one with enough force to knock the wind out of him and sent him falling flat on is back. The other one took the chance to get behind Krieg and land a fist on his unprotected back. He never so much as grunted from the blow as he spun around with a fist straight to the thug's face. Then another to the chest, to the stomach, to the face again and finally a kick in the crotch. There was no finesse or technique behind Krieg's style of fighting; it was crude, brutal and merciless with all of its focus being directed into attacking and never defending. Just the way the Death Korps always fought.

What he did not notice was that the one he had knocked over earlier had already recovered and grabbed a steel pipe with the intent of bashing his skull in. Krieg did not notice the danger until it was too late to do anything but bring his arms up in a defensive gesture. But the anticipated blow never landed as someone came in with a spinning kick that sent him flying into the wall, out like a candle. This someone was a slim female figure with blonde hair, leather jacket and fishnet stockings. It was also someone who Krieg easily recognized.

"Black Canary," he acknowledged with a small nod. Black Canary did not return the gesture, instead faced him with her hands placed on her hips.

"You missed one. Had I not been here to help, you would have suffered severe injuries or maybe even died," she reprimanded him. She may have sounded harsh, but she was trying to help Krieg. Brainwashed and genocidal background aside, he was still just a kid. And Black Canary would be damned if she was going to allow someone so young to die.

"A mistake on my part. I will strive to avoid repeating it again," Krieg answered dully. A small smile split Black Canary's face. Here was one reason why she liked Krieg, he could easily admit mistakes and that he needed help. She knew a fair number of people, *cough*Speedy*cough*, who would just brush off any offered help with a stiff "I had it all under control".

"Anyway, I have a mission, and I'd like you to come along," she revealed, unknowingly putting Krieg in a dilemma. He did not want anything to do with the Justice League, preferring to operate alone, or at the very least with humans. Canary would at first glance appear human, but her scream was a curse no human could have, meaning she was a mutant. So naturally, if he had a choice in the matter, he would never go along. And therein laid the problem, for he was uncertain if he had been given an order or not.

Another fault with many of the Justice League, was their confusing way of giving orders. Other than Batman, who was always clear on the matter, most of the others he had had the great misfortune of working alongside with often asked him if he could do something. Being asked, it was something he was unfamiliar with. Sure, he knew how to ask for permission from superior officers, but never had a superior officer asked him something. It had always been clear directives. Do this, do that, no questions asked. 'I miss my simple life in the army,'

"Is that an order, or a request?" he inquired, silently praying that it was the latter.

"If you're going to put it like that. Then yes, it is an order," Black Canary stated firmly. Now Krieg at least had clear directives. Complete the mission handed to him, no matter the costs.

"Very well. I await your command," he said monotonously. Black Canary furrowed her eyebrows at him. There was one aspect of him she had trouble with. He always saw himself as a soldier, and never as a person. Sadly, there was not much she could do about that but hope that something would come along to help him.

"First things first, we need to take care of that stab wound," Black Canary ordered while pointing to Krieg's still bleeding shoulder. Krieg raised no objections as he followed after Black Canary.

It was two full hours later that the pair entered the target building, both decked out in full gear. Krieg wasted no time in letting his eyes scan the massive fighting club, analyzing every guard within his line of sight and assessing their threat level. Most looked like the usual beefed up brutes that were highly popular among the scums of the world. In other words, minimal threat. Loud cheers suddenly shook the building as in the ring below, one of the contestants had been vanquished.

Distaste swelled up in Krieg at the sight of all of these pompous fools baying for blood. They were supposed to be the dutiful role models that would inspire the people to live under the protection of their government, yet here they were endorsing this brutish and illegal fighting tournament. And for what? To be entertained by the blood spilt by these thugs while making a quick buck on the sidelines. A foul taste rose into his throat as Krieg came to realize just how similar these corrupt people were to the old aristocracy back home. Those that had plunged his beloved homeworld into a nuclear cataclysm and doomed its people to a 500 year long civil war.

Faced with the sickening familiarity, Krieg's cold mind began to wonder just how many of these imbeciles would have to die before they realized how spoiled they have become. Which ones among the thousands of spectators might even now be having delusions of grandeur for the simple reason that they were born with power? Who among these people was even now plotting to usurp more power for themselves, heedless of the price others would be paying? Would it not be better to kill them all now, and save this world from what happened to Krieg?

Krieg was not even aware of how much time floated by why his mind explored those dark possibilities, but someone else had as a hand was placed on his shoulder and gave it a gentle shake. With his mind still trapped in the past, Krieg instinctively stepped away and reached for a nonexistent sidearm. But as his face snapped back to glare at whomever had touched him, he was meant with the concerned look of Black Canary, and his mind instantly returned to the present time. His tense muscles relaxed and he straightened out from the fighting stance he had unknowingly slipped into, but Black Canary still looked concerned.

"What happened there? You spaced out on me, and then nearly attacked me," Black Canary inquired. She already had a good guess as to what it was. Such reactions often happened to those who had experienced something terrible, and was then reminded of that incident years later. Krieg for his part felt like a fool. He had allowed himself to get distracted and had nearly attacked his commander. That was unforgivable, even if said commander was a filthy mutant. He needed to forget the crimes of his ancestors for the moment, they were a distraction in this mission.

"Just a few unpleasant memories," he responded coldly. He could have easily lied, but that was never a skill he had learned. He had been taught to speak the truth or not speak at all.

"You want to talk about it?" Black Canary asked in what Krieg assumed to be a gentle voice. His answer was as adamant as its delivery was swift.

"No," without even waiting for a reply, he moved deeper into the club. His eyes were on constant alert for anything that might appear suspicious enough to warrant investigation, which so happened to be about everything around him. To his left, a few rows higher than him, an elderly man was discreetly talking into his cellphone while taking great care not to be overheard. A few rows lower, he saw money exchanging hands between two men while their eyes never left the cage below. Just to his right, a young woman was fawning over her apparent male companion while shooting discreet glances at a shady individual who was watching the couple like an Inquisitor watching a suspected heretic.

This whole place reeked of corruption and intrigue, and Krieg would have suffocated in its stench if he had not been wearing his beloved gasmask. Personally, Krieg could not help but wonder why the Justice League was wasting time tracking down a group of measly robbers when they had a whole den of disgusting filth to clean up right under their noses. Yet another sign of weakness for the list Krieg kept in his mind.

"We should split up, cover more ground. We'll meet back at the entrance in an hour," Black Canary ordered. A short nod to assure her he had registered the order and then he was gone. A small sense of relief came over him knowing he did not have to be around her for another hour. And hopefully they would have completed the mission by then and he could go back to Los Angeles. But even as he began his search, he knew the chances of that happening were slim to none.

This place was bursting with corrupted filth of all kinds and flavors. Finding their targets in here, without even knowing how they looked, would be like trying to find one specific Ork in a full-blown Waaagh. Nevertheless, he had a mission, and he would complete it, even if he would have to tear the whole building apart to find them.

"Find anything?" Black Canary asked as she and Krieg stood at the exits, watching as yet another fighter was dragged out of the cage knocked out while the winner was basking in the cheers and applause thrown at him from the crowd.

"Negative. No sign of our targets and no one present have proven to be cooperative on the subject, meaning they either do not know or will not tell us," Krieg reported without ever taking his eyes off the cage below. 'What a waste, these fighters could have been excellent soldiers in the army, yet they waste their talents away on this,' he thought with disdain. Canary was silent for a while, contemplating their next move no doubt.

"Any suggestions?" she suddenly asked him. He was caught completely by surprise. Did she just ask for his opinion? What kind of commander asks his soldiers on what to do? The commander is supposed to have the clear view on the battlefield, he is supposed to issue orders to the soldiers, not the other way around. Still, she wanted his opinion? She would get it.

"We call in reinforcement, round up everyone present and hand them over for prosecution," he commented absentmindedly, receiving an incredulous look from his commander.

"We can't do that! We don't know if they're all even guilty!" she protested on that. For the first time since they had regrouped, Krieg turned his blank mask towards her, most likely looking her right in the eyes from behind that gasmask.

"Do you honestly believe that even a single one of these traitors is truly innocent? They are all the same, rotting examples of what humanity should strive to vanquish, and deserve nothing less than a traitor's end," he countered coldly, with such finality to it that arguing was obviously pointless with him. A tired sigh escaped from Black Canary before she had a chance to stop it.

"Regardless, we can't do such a thing without proof to back us up," she admonished him. Krieg did not say anything further on the matter.

"We'll do one more sweep, just in case. Search in any place you might have missed or overlooked," she added before striding away. Behind his mask, Krieg raised an eyebrow.

"Every place?" he asked for clarification as his eyes were drawn back to the cage where a new contester had entered to fight tonight's champion, some idiot named Pain. Black Canary temporarily stopped to turn her attention briefly back to Krieg.

"Yes, every place," and with that, she disappeared into the crowd. Krieg did not seem to notice, as his eyes were still glued on the pair fighting in the cage. Wordlessly, he suddenly set himself in motion, heading towards a specific destination. 'Time to do some in-depth scrutinizing,' he eventually left the cheers behind him as he entered a hallway on the hunt for a specific individual he had run into earlier. He did not have to look very far, as the man was just ahead of him, talking in his cellphone. Krieg swiftly strode up to him just as he turned a pair of surprised eyes at him, having obviously heard his approach.

"Can I help you?" he asked in curiosity. The man was appearance wise the epitome of distrustfulness; crooked nose, mouth trapped between a smile and a sneer, slicked back hair and weasel-like eyes.

"As a matter of fact, you can," Krieg answered cryptically.

Black Canary meanwhile had no luck whatsoever. If anything, people almost seemed to be more reluctant to talk than during her first sweep. Another half hour was wasted asking around and looking for anyone that might appear to fit the bill of a robber. Down in the cage, the ruling champion entered yet again, fists raised in the air as if he had already won the upcoming match. Personally, Black Canary could not help but feel a slight twinge of sympathy for whoever was going up against that sadistic man.

"Here he is, the undisputed champion of the evening! The bringer of agony, the man who sends grown men whimpering to the floor! The on and only, Pain!" Roulette announced over the loudspeakers while her face was projected on the humongous screens hanging above the cage.

Sadly, even though Black Canary would have relished the chance to beat him up a bit, his Meta human powers did not match up with the robber she was looking for. The robber was supposed to have super strength, and this man only had the power to induce pain into any living thing he touched. The exact levels of pain were a bit unclear, but by observing the looks of pure agony that warped each victim's face, she would wager it was not something to laugh about.

"Pain may have been cruising through his opponents so far, ladies and gentlemen, but will his victory streak hold out against the next contestant of the evening!" the enthusiastic voice of Roulette announced continued. Smoke suddenly covered the other entrance as whoever the new contestant was approached. 'Laying it thick on the dramatic, huh?' Black Canary thought dryly.

"The soldier with no fear, the one-man army, the embodiment of war itself!" Roulette rambled on, deliberately building up suspense in the crowd as the contester entered the cage, still partially hidden by the smoke. Losing any further interest in the fight, Black Canary turned her back to it and went in search of Krieg, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's hear it for Krieg!" but promptly turned back around in astonishment at the announcement. Hoping fervently that it was just a mere coincidence that the fighter and her partner shared the same name, she was sorely disappointed in that regard as her eyes landed on the now unmistakable form of Krieg. 'What the hell is that kid doing?!'

Down in the cage itself, Pain observed his newest opponent smugly. Sure, he looked intimidating in that army getup, but there was no way that sorry excuse of a fighter could ever hope of matching him. He held the power of pain itself in his hands, he could topple the mightiest of opponents with but a mere touch. He was invincible here.

"You might as well give up while you're still conscious. It will save you a hospital trip," he taunted. But if he hoped to get a rise out of Krieg, he was to be utterly denied. For Krieg never so much as twitched from his words, content to watch the corrupted mutant he had been handed the honor of beating. Pain did not take being ignored lightly as he glared at the still form of Krieg.

"Hey! You even listening to me?" he demanded furiously. No one ignored him, he was the star of Meta Brawl. Everyone should be in awe at his accomplishments.

"I am listening, I am just not paying attention to your words," Krieg calmly countered. Pain was never given a chance to retort, as Roulette shouted "FIGHT!" and the battle was on. Given the reputation Pain had set for himself, he had expected his opponent to keep his distance, try to avoid being touched by his hands and stick to ranged attacks. He most certainly had not expected his opponent to rush him head-on.

Krieg rammed his opponent head first and smashed him straight into the cage bars. While it certainly hurt like hell for Pain, he was quick to retaliate by firmly grabbing hold of Krieg's shoulders. 'Gotcha!' he thought triumphantly as he let the full fury of his power wash over Krieg and dig its way into his nerve threads. He had at that point expected his opponent to crumble to the floor in pain or beg for mercy, his personal favorite. Krieg did neither, he just let it loose with a rain of blows with his fists into Pain's guts. While still fiercely holding on to Krieg, Pain felt like his insides were getting pummeled to jelly from the endless stream of punched battering them, and they never seemed to lose strength. 'What the fuck, is he immune to pain?!'

That was as far away from the truth as one could get, for Krieg did indeed feel the pain. It felt like someone had doused every spore of his being with burning Promethium, and he just powered on through. Like he had been trained, he ignored the pain, ignored the physical demands of his body to just give in and collapse. Pain was only temporary, he knew he would live through it, even if it felt like he would not. All that mattered was defeating Pain, everything else was second. In the end, it came down to who could endure pain the longest. And ironically, it seemed like Pain was the first one to give as he broke free and staggered away from Krieg. He was for the first time worried about the outcome. His pain inducing touch had always been his trump card, but this new opponent seemed impervious to it. Worse, he packed a nasty punch as Pain felt like doubling over. Krieg meanwhile was observing the wobbly Pain with dispassionate eyes. 'As I suspected, he relies completely on his powers to carry the fight, and lacks any form of endurance or noteworthy fighting skill,'

Confident on his newfound advantage, Krieg charged Pain again, heedless of the agony he was undoubtedly about to experience again. As expected, Pain tried to use the same technique of grabbing hold of Krieg and let his power try to subdue him. Krieg never even bothered to defend himself here as he focused all his strength and focus on Pain, attacking almost like a berserker. A constant rain of fists, kicks, elbows and head-butts descended upon Pain remorselessly. And with each hit, it became harder for him to remain standing. At last, Krieg came at him from below with a powerful uppercut that sent him sailing into the air. Gravity however quickly made its claim on the body noticeable as he slammed back on the floor, thoroughly knocked out of the fight.

A deathly silence descended over the crowd, not so much as a peep being heard. This state of awe lasted for about five seconds, then it was shattered by an eruption of cheers. Behind his gasmask, Krieg's lips made the faintest of efforts in forming a barely noticed sneer. Once again, disgust swelled up within him as he watched these bloated people applaud his fight. But that disgust was direct in equal measure at himself as it was against the crowd. He had willfully provided entertainment for these disgusting pigs, and that stung in his soul. Nevertheless, personal sacrifices were always a necessity to complete the mission. He cast a quick glance at the still unmoving form of Pain, the only sign that he was still alive was the steady rise and fall of his chest.

"Be thankful that Batman's orders prevents me from purging the world of your disgusting kind," he whispered quietly, too quietly for anyone to hear him. Not wanting to stand and be gaped at any further than necessary, Krieg made his way out of the cage towards the locker rooms. About halfway there, in an out of sight area, he was intercepted by Black Canary. And if the manner in which her hands were placed on her hips and those sharp eyes held a certain fury Krieg could not discern were an indication, she was not overly pleased by his performance. His guess was proven right the moment he stepped within arm's distance of her, for he was promptly grabbed by the arm and dragged to a more secluded spot. Krieg never even tried to fight back and let himself be led. The moment Black Canary felt that no one would overhear them, the lecture began.

"What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" she all but screeched in outrage, at least keeping her voice down some levels. Krieg, as always, showed the usual apathy towards her rage.

"Could have, but did not," he retorted dully. Obviously the usual method of lecture was not going to work on him, so Black Canary tried something else.

"What possessed you to do such a crazy thing anyway?" she questioned sternly.

"You told me to investigate all possible locations. Unfortunately most of the areas backstage are off-limits to anyone not under Roulette's employment. Thereby, the fastest way to gain access to those areas would be to temporarily seek employment here, and unfortunately the only thing they are looking for are fighters willing to provide entertainment," he explained monotonously. A tired sigh came out of Black Canary as she rubbed her eyes. As much as she hated the idea, she could not deny that it held merit to it. If there was going to be any further words exchanged between them, it was put on hold when a lanky man came running towards them. the same one Krieg had spoken to earlier.

"Krieg, there you are! Just wanted to congratulate you on your performance," he announced excitedly with the biggest grin possible stretched across his face. "I must admit, neither Roulette nor me had any high hopes for you when you came and demanded a fight, but you sure as hell blew all those doubts away. I mean, the crowd loves you, and you're making us more money than ever expected!" he went on with his ramble, obviously not even noticing that Krieg was all but unmoved by his praise. "Anyway, here's your earning for tonight. Come back tomorrow and you'll make even more. Time and address are in the envelope," with that said, he handed Krieg an envelope containing the aforementioned objects before he sprinted back the way he came.

"Might I advise that we return to the Hall of Justice and report our progress to Batman?" Krieg suggested, to which Black Canary gave a short nod before leading the way towards the exit.

Well, that had certainly been an unexpected treat. Normally, these fights were hardly the most entertaining for someone of his caliber, but since there had been a lack of activity for him these past few days, he had made the decision to indulge himself with watching some senseless violence. Now he wondered whether it had been fate or just a mere coincidence that he had beheld. For what were the odds of them running into each other again in such a manner? Sure, he knew who the Justice was searching for here, but he had definitively not expected him to be sent, given how their last encounter had ended.

Yet here he was, fighting in Meta Brawl of all places. Of course, he suspected the real reason was to gain inside observations in the hopes of capturing their target. Even so, Krieg was truly an interesting individual, in more ways than one.

He had potential, that much was certain. Sure, his fighting style was more than a bit rough, but he displayed a level of improvisation. Yet it was not that which had caught his interest, it was the boy's mindset in the fight. He had been relentless against his enemy, shown a level of ferociousness that few heroes dared to use. He had also heard the tale of how Krieg had forced Sportsmaster to retreat without dealing out a single fist strike, by threatening to blow them all up. Now that took a deep commitment to a cause that one could not help but admire.

Who knew, the boy might prove to be useful for him. Alas, this had all been gleamed by observation from afar, and it had only been one match. As stated earlier, the boy had potential, but he felt that a more thorough test was in order to truly gauge that potential. And when he said test, he most certainly did not refer to the pathetic excuses for villains that participated in these Meta Brawls. No, he felt that Krieg deserved a more… personal evaluation. It was for this reason that he currently stood outside Roulette's office. Without even knocking, he opened the door and stepped in. He found Roulette in the midst of some paperwork, and she was not overly happy to be interrupted.

"Get out! I'm busy here, and don't have time for…" of course, her little temper tantrum came to an abrupt end when she saw just who was standing at her door. He could not help but feel a certain satisfaction in how most of the color drained from her face and she began stumbling over her own words in a frantic bid to apologize. 'The perks of having a reputation as dark as mine,'

"I saw the fight with your newest addition. Quite a performance, don't you agree?" he asked politely. Roulette at that point looked like a sheep cornered by a wolf, dreading when the inevitable bite would come.

"Yes, he was quite a surprise," she answered. He had to at least give the woman credit, she said that whole sentence without stammering. Deciding to make her squirm some more in her seat, he began to casually stroll around in her office, as if inspecting the various decorations. He never even looked at her, giving off the feeling that he had lost interest in her. But he could see out of the corner of his eye how she nervously fidgeted in her seat. She obviously wanted to know his reason for coming here, but dared not be the first to speak. A cruel smirk formed underneath the mask he was wearing. He always did find enjoyment in toying with people like her.

"Is the boy expected to be back?" he finally asked with his back turned to her, to an onlooker apparently inspecting a framed diploma hanging on the wall. It was a clear sign of that he was in control of the situation, not her. It infuriated Roulette, but there was nothing she could do. If the man had wanted to, he could have killed her before she even knew what hit her.

"Yes, I expect him to be back tomorrow evening," she answered, doing her best to sound strong and confident. She failed at both. 'At least I didn't stammer,'

"I would like to fight him," he finally announced, still denying her the dignity of facing her. The request caught her completely by surprise. Him, fighting Krieg? Such an event would be a million dollar cash cow!

"What's your sudden interest in fighting him?" she asked him. It may not have been the smartest action to do, but she could not just contain her curiosity. She was rewarded with the man finally turning to face her, though she wished that he had not done so as a murderous glare came right at her.

"That is my business, and does not concern you," he warned her. She was walking on thin ice here now, and there was no one around to drag her out of the water if it gave away. "Now I suggest you make the necessary arrangements," it was an order, not a request. It galled her to be pushed around like that, but survival came before pride.

"O-of course, Deathstroke. I'll see to it," she answered. It seemed to satisfy Deathstroke as he walked out of the office. The moment the door closed behind him, Roulette slumped into her seat in exhaustion. 'I need a drink,'