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THE HIMALAYAS, LEAGUE OF SHADOWS TEMPLE
Drake Lance
“Channel it! Focus Drake!” Nyssa shouts as we move fast, continuing to sparring. We attempt to hit each other with the bo staff but we fail to land hits on each other. We dodge all the attacks until I hit her in an open spot that I’ve been blind to all these months. I move as fast as her, dodging her attacks, and hit her again in a new spot. I’m doing it.
I then hit Nyssa in the leg and sweep my leg under her and she falls to the floor. Before she gets up I put the end of my stick towards her face and I stand there as I’ve finally proved myself. Nyssa lays in the ground starring up at me and smiles at me.
“You’re ready.” Nyssa says and I take the bo staff out of her face and give her a hand. She takes my hand and I lift her up from the floor as she’s proud of me. “I taught you well.” She tells me and I smile at her lightly as it has taken time, months. My city is in great danger, and I need to hurry.
“So what now?” I ask as I don’t want to lose time anymore. Slade standing in the side watches us as he’s taken her down too before me. He learned fast but he did something to her that I caught and I’m keeping my mouth shut about it.
“Follow me.” Nyssa walks away from me and walks towards the inside of the temple. Slade and I follow her as we head into her office. I shut the door behind us as she goes to her shelf, pulling out an ancient tube. She opens the tube, pulling out a giant rolled up map, and unwraps it on her desk.
“You couldn’t show me this on Google maps?” I ask in a serious tone and she ignores me as she lays it flat for me, so we can both see it. “What is this?” I walk up to her desk starring at an old ancient map of what looks like a path to a mountain range.
“The path to the Dragon is through a cave by this temple that leads up to the realm of the Dragon.” She says and we both stare at her finger as they point at the cave. “Sara and I will lead you both to the cave, but it is up to you two to walk through the cave and find the realm.”
“How many people have done it before?” Slade asks and that’s not my worry right now. We’ve both done the training to get up the mountain, I’m sure we’ll survive it.
“Many people have gone through it.” Nyssa tells Slade but she leaves something out. Slade squints his eyes at her noticing it as well and she hesitates. “If you’re wondering who’s survived it, then your answer is only my father.” Nyssa says and I get nervous and Slade holds my hand knowing we got this.
“We can do it.” Slade says to Nyssa and I hold Slade’s hand tighter as he’s right. We can, and we will.
“Whatever it takes.” I look up at Slade and Slade smiles at me and I give him a light smile.
“Then we leave tomorrow in the morning. Pack for cold weather, the path is not merciful.” Nyssa says as she dismisses us and Slade and I walk out together. I walk away from Slade heading to my room to pack and I begin to think about all the things that have lead up to this moment in my life. I’m going to be a Dragon.
I walk into my room getting into my underwear, changing from the ninja outfit that Nyssa has me wear to something more comfortable. As I go through my dressing drawer I hear my room door open and I quickly look behind me seeing Slade walking in, then seeing me. He quickly shuts the door embarrassed by walking in on me half naked.
“Sorry!” Slade says out loud and I get embarrassed as well. I quickly find black sweatpants and a black shirt and put them both on. I walk towards the door and open it to find Slade leaning against the wall across my door as he covers his eyes with his hand.
“I thought people knock.” I say inviting him and he walks into the room. I close the door behind him and he sits on the bed. “What’s up?” I ask him as I walk towards him, sitting right next to him on the bed.
Slade sits on my bed and I stare at him as he looks like he’s about to confess something. He chuckles nervously and then looks at me with his eye patch and one eye going to say something. I stare at him back waiting for him to talk but he doesn’t.
“I didn’t think we’d ever see each other again.” Slade says in a soft voice and I agree with him on that. I felt the same exact way, I thought it be years till our paths would cross again.
“I know.” I respond back in a soft voice. “I’m glad you’re here.” I tell him as I lay my hand on his hand. The man that got away. Slade takes my hand holding it and I feel complete again. The same way I felt with David. I look down at our hands and I feel Slade’s other hand caress my cheek bringing me up to look at him.
“I’m sorry I left.” Slade apologizes as we finally talk about the situation between us. These last months, we’ve never had time to talk to each other about it, we simply ignored it and moved on. Except, I never moved on about the way I felt with Slade. “Maybe things would’ve been different.” Slade says and they would’ve. I could’ve hid Slade with me in Star City, gave him protection from The Justice League.
Slade was there for me when nobody was, he rescued me and together we became better people. I always thank Ollie for showing me how to love, but it has been difficult. There have been times with Ollie where we don’t speak to each other, times where Ollie feels distant and I can only blame myself for the trauma he’s going through.
“I wish me and Will left Star City that day with you.” I say regretting the choice I made to stay back in Star City. The city of pain and regrets. I should’ve left when Ollie had gotten better, before I got attached to the role of loving him again. I’ve loved many men in this life, three men to be exact. David, Ollie and Slade and they all hurt differently.
“I wished I’d stay with my favorite boy.” Slade says and I chuckle as he makes a bright smile. I lay my head on Slade’s shoulder and Slade wraps his arm around me. I become comforted by him and his presence and I smell the woody aroma of his cologne. Slade kisses my forehead beginning to unwrap himself from me realizing that he’s making a mistake. “We have a big day tomorrow, maybe you should get some rest.” Slade says getting up from the bed and walking away from me, leaving me on the bed alone.
“Stay.” I say in a soft voice and he looks at me being tempted to do so.
“What about Ollie?” Slade says questioning my commitment to Ollie. “He’s my friend, I can’t do him wrong like this.” Slade says and he’s right but he’s not.
“Just for the last night. As friends.” I say reassuring him that I am committed to Ollie. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. Slade looks at me deciding his choice in his mind debating whether it’s a good idea to sleep in the same bed as me. “I’ll even put the stupid pillow in the middle if that makes you feel better.” I say and he nods taking the offer as that is the condition of this.
We both lay down in the bed, and I place the pillow in the middle as the protective barrier of my marriage. The boundary between friends and more than friends.
Slade lays down quietly and I do too as we both stare at the ceiling together. I don’t hear anything from him and I begin to imagine of what life could’ve been like if he’d stayed with me. I’m sure he’s doing the same, reevaluating his choices.
“I’m having a daughter.” I say out loud to start something and I hear him gasp. I look over at him and he smiles.
“Wow.” He says shocked with joy in his voice and I smile lightly. “Is she gonna have a canary cry like you?” Slade says with a chuckle and I laugh.
“I guess we’ll have to find out.” I respond to him. “Maybe you can be her godfather. You know you’d make a pretty cool uncle.” I tell him so I can keep him around in my life for as long as I can. He’s family.
“I’ll add that to my resume.” He says playing with me and I smile. “Uncle Slade… I like the ring of that.”
“After all this is done, I thinking of hanging up the jacket. What do you think?” I ask him for his honest opinion.
“You won’t miss it?” Slade says as I think I might.
“I think I’ll miss the thrill of it all but I want to experience a normal life for once.” I tell him and he looks at me as I look at the ceiling imagining the life. “Coming to my home with groceries, playing with my daughter outside together. Cooking her pancakes in the morning, seeing Ollie come home in the afternoon from work. Us two putting our daughter to sleep.” I fantasize about it as that fantasy will be coming true soon.
“Sounds like you have it all sorted out.” Slade tells me and I chuckle. It gets quiet between us and I begin to get drowsy falling asleep on the pillow between me and Slade. I feel Slade do the same and I feel his hand brush through my hair like old times, and I’m comforted by it like a dog would. “Goodnight.” He whispers planting a kiss on my forehead and I hear him leave the room.
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