23

Cheshire's stance was poised, her sais gleaming under the rooftop's dim light. Catwoman rolled her shoulders, cracking her knuckles before slipping into a low, ready position.

"Let's make this quick," Cheshire purred. "I have other places to be."

Selina smirked. "I'll try not to take it personally."

Then they lunged.

Cheshire was fast—inhumanly so. Her attacks came in a blur of motion, her sais slashing through the air with pinpoint accuracy. Selina barely dodged, twisting her body at the last second to avoid being impaled. She retaliated with a sharp kick to Cheshire's side, but the assassin twisted with the impact, rolling into a graceful backflip.

Selina pressed forward, using her superior agility to weave around Cheshire's strikes. She grabbed a nearby pipe, swinging around it to deliver a brutal kick. Cheshire countered, blocking with her forearm before slipping under Selina's extended leg and slicing at her midsection. Selina barely managed to twist away, but the tip of the sai grazed her suit, cutting a thin line into the fabric.

They moved like dancers, exchanging blows in perfect synchronization. Selina threw a handful of throwing spikes, forcing Cheshire to dodge. The assassin retaliated by flinging a pair of poisoned shurikens. Selina swatted one away with her whip, but the other nicked her shoulder.

"Damn," Selina muttered, feeling the burn of jellyfish poison seeping into her bloodstream. She needed to end this fast.

Cheshire capitalized on the distraction, rushing forward and slamming her knee into Selina's stomach. Selina gasped as the impact drove the air from her lungs. She stumbled back, and Cheshire flipped over her, wrapping her legs around Selina's neck and twisting her into a brutal throw. Catwoman hit the rooftop hard, her vision swimming.

"Sloppy," Cheshire teased, standing over her. "I expected better."

Before she could strike the finishing blow, a sharp gust of wind filled the air. Batwoman descended, her cape billowing behind her as she landed with a precise roll. Flux wasn't far behind, his parachute slowing his descent before he landed a few feet away.

Cheshire clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Really? You brought friends?"

"Sorry," Selina coughed, pushing herself up. "Didn't realize we were doing solo matches."

Cheshire sighed and twirled her sai. "Lucky for me, I brought friends too."

From the shadows, two figures emerged.

The first was Nosferata, a sinister-looking woman with pale, almost ghostly skin. Bat-like ears protruded from her head, and large leathery wings unfurled from her back. She wore a sleek black dress adorned with gold jewelry that glowed faintly under the moonlight. Her eyes gleamed with predatory amusement.

The second was Hook, a muscular Caucasian man with white hair and a gleaming metal hook replacing his left hand. He wore bandages around his torso and left hand, and a green jacket with blue cargo pants and black boots.

Without hesitation, Nosferata launched herself at Batwoman, her wings flapping powerfully as she snatched the vigilante up into the sky. Batwoman barely had time to react before she was yanked off the rooftop, the cityscape blurring below her.

Flux watched in shock as Batwoman struggled mid-air.

Batwoman gritted her teeth and shot her grappling hook, the line wrapping around Nosferata's leg. The assassin hissed in irritation, trying to shake her off, but Batwoman held firm, swinging herself up to deliver a sharp kick to Nosferata's ribs. The two women struggled in the sky, locked in a deadly aerial battle.

Meanwhile, Selina and Cheshire resumed their fight, both women moving with renewed intensity. Claws met blades, each strike more vicious than the last.

Flux turned his attention to Hook, cracking his knuckles as he took a step forward.

"You sure you can take that one?" Selina called between dodging Cheshire's strikes.

Flux smirked. "I got this. The student has surpassed the master already."

'Nova, the same as usual.'

//That would be unwise. He is coming with the intention to kill.//

Joseph could almost feel the exasperation as Nova intoned monotonously in his head.

'Don't worry, I haven't lost once.'

Joseph took a deep breath, tightening his fists. 

Hook sneered, raising his weaponized hand. "Let's see what you've got, kid."

Flux readied himself, muscles tensed. 

Flux and Hook circled each other on the rooftop, their eyes locked in a silent challenge. The moonlight gleamed off Hook's namesake weapon, the curved steel reflecting a deadly glint. The assassin smirked, rolling his shoulders before lunging forward with shocking speed.

Flux barely dodged, twisting his body just in time to avoid the lethal arc of the hook. He countered with a sharp punch aimed at Hook's ribs, but the assassin sidestepped smoothly, catching Flux's wrist with his free hand and twisting it violently. Joseph gritted his teeth against the pain and rolled with the momentum, flipping over Hook's arm and using his suit's enhanced grip to latch onto the rooftop wall.

Hook scowled. "Wall-crawler, huh?"

Joseph smirked. "Yeah, it's a neat trick."

Hook didn't give him time to gloat. He rushed forward again, swinging the hook in a vicious arc. Flux pushed off the wall, using the extra leverage to somersault over his opponent, narrowly avoiding a deep gash across his chest. He landed smoothly, but Hook was relentless, pressing the attack with precise strikes that forced Flux onto the defensive.

The assassin's movements were fluid, each attack seamlessly transitioning into the next. He was a brawler, but an experienced one—every punch, every swing of his hook had intention behind it. Joseph could feel the strength behind those blows, even when he managed to block them. His enhanced healing kept the pain at bay.

Hook feinted left before pivoting, swinging his hook upward in a brutal uppercut. Flux barely managed to dodge, but the tip of the hook grazed his jaw, drawing blood. He stumbled back, wiping the crimson streak away with his sleeve.

"Not bad," Hook admitted, rolling his neck. "But you're just a kid playing dress-up."

Flux exhaled sharply. "Yeah? Let's see if you can keep up."

This time, Flux attacked first. He dashed forward, feinting a right hook before ducking low and sweeping Hook's legs. The assassin jumped over the attempt, but Flux anticipated it, using his wall-climbing ability to run up the side of a nearby vent. He pushed off at the last second, flipping behind Hook and landing a devastating kick to his back.

Hook stumbled forward, but recovered quickly, spinning around and slashing the hook toward Flux's midsection. Joseph twisted his body just in time, the blade cutting through the fabric of his suit but missing flesh. He retaliated with a sharp elbow to Hook's ribs, followed by a brutal knee to the gut.

Hook coughed, staggering back a step before his eyes flashed with something close to amusement. "Alright, kid," he grinned, wiping his mouth. "Now we're talking."

Flux didn't have time to respond before Hook charged again, their battle raging on as the chaos around them intensified.

Meanwhile, Nosferata was high above the rooftop, her bat-like wings flapping as she swung Batwoman like a pendulum. With a powerful heave, she hurled Batwoman downward, sending her crashing into Catwoman and Cheshire. The three women tumbled through the glass skylight, shards raining down as they disappeared into the shadows below.

Joseph's heart skipped a beat. He didn't know if Selina was okay.

His gaze snapped back to Hook, his playful edge vanishing. "Nova, help me. Let's finish this quick."

//Okay, sir. Strength enhanced by 100%.//

His movements became twice as fast and his reflexes razor-sharp as Nova's nanites reinforced his muscles. Hook barely had time to register the change before Joseph was on him, striking with overwhelming speed. A flurry of blows landed—punches, elbows, knees—each one precise, brutal, and unstoppable. Hook tried to swing his weapon, but Joseph caught his wrist, twisted it hard, and delivered a final blow to his temple.

Hook collapsed, unconscious before he hit the ground.

Joseph barely spared him a glance. He was already running toward the skylight, praying that Selina was okay.