Jade hummed as she watched the people prepare the food and alcohol for the Queen of Atlantis and her assistant. This was only her third time back here. But the game was already almost over. They were in the final quarter of the game. The Metros were up by six points against the Sharks. This was more of a show game because there were so many political figures in one place. Fortunately both the Metros and Luthor's privately owned team, the Sharks, both needed the publicity. The game was almost over and then she would switch out at the hotel to go and get some much needed rest. Being the good guy was exhausting.
She was lost in thought as she watched the food and drinks get grouped together. So when a man she did not recognize as any of the waiters she had seen that night she took a second to realize. But then she straightened up and frowned. "Hey-!"
But she cut herself off and dodged to the side as an arrow slammed into the shelf she was standing in front of. Standing across the room was Malcolm Merlyn already nocking another arrow onto the bowstring. His face was partially covered by a mask. She glanced at the kitchen staff and saw them falling unconscious one by one.
Jade's eyes widened as she picked up the scent of a sweet fruit in the air and held her breath as she reached for her weapon. But grabbing at nothing as she realized her gun had been snatched, she had not even noticed the lift. This was not just one person, this was a crew. She needed to warn Rico.
Jade dove away and hid behind an appliance as another arrow whistled through the air and hit the wall. She watched as the fake waiter walked out of the kitchen and pressed her communication earpiece. But as she pressed it she just heard static come out. They were being jammed as well.
"Come on out Cheshire…" She heard Merlyn speak as he moved around the room. "Soon enough the Queen will be dead and there is nothing you can do about it." He informed her. "The crew our employer put together is not one someone so low on the totem pole these days can even mess with."
Cheshire frowned and moved down and low. Reaching up and grabbing some kitchen knives as she moved, she already had a pair of knives on her but more would not hurt her chances. She barely dodged another arrow as it deflected off a metal fridge. As she got to the other side of the room where another door was, a pair of gunmen in black kevlar and black masks walked in.
They walked in right next to her and were just as surprised as she was. That was clear enough when one of them squeaked in surprise and hastily turned his weapon toward her. She grabbed the top of the submachine gun and moved around him so he was between her and Merlyn.
There was a quiet twanging noise followed by Merlyn cursing as an arrow sunk into the gunman she was hiding behind's chest. He began choking on his own blood as the other gun man dropped his submachine gun and pulled out his sidearm instead.
But Jade sunk one of the kitchen knives into the gunman's throat and hid behind him as well. The gunman grasped at his throat as Merlyn cursed and fired another arrow just as Jade threw the other kitchen knife she threw. The arrow slammed into the gunman's chest. But the knife she threw cut through his bowstring.
Although he ducked behind a counter a moment later and Jade heard a clicking noise. She looked over the dying gunman's shoulder at the arrow and saw it was blinking with a light and was a bit bulker than it should be.
Boom!
She blinked and groaned as she pulled herself up from the stairwell the gunman had entered into the kitchen from. She was mostly uninjured. The arrow had blown up and thrown her back. Covering her in blood and guts of the gunman as well as a few cuts but nothing critical.
All though she coughed up air as she pulled herself up and looked back into the kitchen to see Merlyn was still restringing his bow. Giving Jade some time. She could finish him off. But she could still pick up that fruity sweet scent in the air again. She sighed and moved to what remained of the gunman's torso. She grabbed a breathing device off his torso and then ran up the stairs. She had to warn Rico.
As she ran up the stairs she heard the now familiar tighten of a bow string and did a duck roll. Barely getting out of the way as another arrow slammed into the wall. She looked up the stairs and saw another bowman and was confused.
"Hold it Cheshire! Where is Merlyn!? I know he is here!" Green Arrow, or rather Oliver Queen as he was now publicly known, demanded as Jade assessed her situation as she started breathing through the mask.
She pointed down the stairs and started running up to the next level. "Kitchen, now move it vigilante." She demanded and had to lean back and dodge another arrow. But then she planted a foot on a railing and jumped up the rest of the way. Slipping right past Oliver. "You are out of touch with your head Ollie."
She dashed out the door but grunted in pain as an arrow slammed into her shoulder. As soon as she was out of the stairwell the fruit sweet scent disappeared and she saw the employees of the stadium and a few VIPs turn to her in surprise.
She spit out the breathing device and vaulted over the railing right by a pair of older people. "Clear the boxes, gunmen and other assassins managed to sneak in!" She called out as she landed on the lower floor with a grunt. She spotted some people standing near the door that would lead to the kitchen. Probably curious about the explosion.
She ran toward where Rico and Queen Mera were located. She quickly yanked the arrow in her shoulder out. Snapping the shaft first before pulling it out. Then as she ran she spotted Rico in the distance or at least she thought that might be Rico. He was fighting the waiter she saw earlier along with another well-known mercenary that did assassination work.
She pulled out her knife and threw it at another assassin that looked like was trying to get around to Rico without him seeing. She then blinked in surprise as Rico did something at the same time.