The Wilted Rose

Chapter 35: Progress

Island of Patch

10:59 PM

264 Days to the Fall

Y/n Pov

Stepping out of the bar with all the information we needed, I closed the door behind me and looked at Torchwick and Neo. Neo was doing a little better now that we were away from the drunks and I wasn't at risk of taking someone else's eye out with a shot glass. Torchwick was the first of us to speak. 

Torchwick: So she's north of here.

Neo: 'And there's a good chance she's there now. Being seen in town just a few hours ago and all.'

Y/n: It shouldn't take to long to get there. Lets get back to the airship.

I didn't want to waste any time. Chances were that Talia's assassin already knew we were coming. She would either set up a ambush or run. If she ran, then there wasn't anything I could do to catch her. More than likely she would run back to Nanda Parbat and straight to Talia. If she set a ambush, then I needed to go in first. Torchwick and Neo were capable, but I wasn't about to risk either. If I could successfully navigate whatever traps she lays out then guide them through it. 

Alternatively, I could take the Atlas approach and just fly straight there and jump with Neo. That would give up our surprise but there was always the chance that we don't have surprise to begin with. League assassins were tricky like that. More than likely, the case is we'd be better off taking a page from Ironwoods playbook. 

I continued to think on how best to do this the whole walk back to the airship. By the time we made it, I decided to take the Atlas approach. Good ole Ironwood should be shaking in his boots right about now. We entered the airship and I relayed the plan. 

Y/n: Alright, we're taking the direct approach. Torchwick, you fly us low over the land and Neo and I will jump down. Find a place to land while Neo and I take care of things. 

Torchwick: Wait a moment, why Neo? If she's dangerous enough to actually catch you in a trap, Neo shouldn't be fighting her!

Y/n: Because your the only one out of us that can reliably fly a airship. Don't worry, She'll have to go through me to get to Neo. 

Neo: 'Don't worry, I'll be ok.'

Torchwick didn't like it but he accepted it. I tapped him on the shoulder and nodded. Torchwick just sighed and went to the cockpit. I sat down and started to play with the crowbar again. Neo was jumping with anticipation. She had been in her share of fights so she knew how to let out excess energy. Thing is, she's never fought a League assassin. Hell, neither have I, but I have seen their work. Where as I'm instinctual and reckless, they're calculated and efficient. There was also my injuries to consider. I was doing good but this was starting to hurt like hell. 

I stayed stuck in my mind until Neo tapped me on the shoulder. She was smiling and doing the closest thing she could do to a giggle. It would have been cute had she not shown me her scroll. I stared in disbelief at what she was showing me. All that ran through my head was "Why....? Why would you do that...?"