Due Respect For Al-Sah-Him

John Didn't Appreciate Sarab Taking Liberties With His Position, The Hydra Were Separate From League Chain of Command, No Horseman, Except Him, Had The Authority To Issue An Order To A Hydra. John Led The Hydra, But In Ra's Name, Sarab Had No Such Right. So When He Came Before Sarab, He Punched Him In The Face. "Consider That You First, Last, and Only Warning Sarab, You Claim A Authority You've No Right To Take. Under What Authority Do You Claim To Command My Hydra?" Says John. "I Claimed Because I Have Received Concerns Of Your Loyalty From Al-Sah-Him." Says Sarab. "My Loyalty Is Being Questioned By Some Green BRAT!?" Says John Incensed. "It Is!" Says Al-Sah-Him. "You Bastard! You Think Because Ra's Chose You As His Appointed Successor, That It Gives You Cause To Question The Demons Shadow Operative's Loyalty!? You Will Never Have My Loyalty For This!!! By League Law, I Can Demand A Trial By Combat, So You Could Find Me In Nanda Parbat When Your Ready." Says John. "Unfortunately, I Don't Challenge Cowards and Traitors, So Just One More Thing, Recognition Code: Lazarus Demonic Brimstone, Hydra Is Disbanded Effectively Immediately. You'll Never My People!" John Says As He Disbands The Hydra.

"You Know That If You Leave, You Shall Be Considered A Rogue Element." Says Sarab. "I'm Not The Traitor Here, Sarab. Your Friend Here Is." Says Shadow, As He Drops A Smoke Bomb and Leaves. Taking His Leave, Shadow Grabs Everything Not Nailed Down and Sets The Building To Blow. Intending To Take The Traitorous Sarab and Al-Sah-Him Before He Leaves. Before He Departs, Shadow Finds Leech, Vulture, and Beatle Waiting For Him. "Has Al-Sah-Him Sent For My Head Already?" Asks Shadow As He Holds His Sword Hilt, Before Pushing It Up Slightly By The Guard. "No, You Were The One To Give Us A Chance, To Prove To Ra's We Had Worth, You Gave All Of Us That Chance, and We Swore An Oath, To Follow The True Ra's al Ghul Unto ****." Says Vulture, As The Hydra Come Behind The Three, and Kneel In Fealty. "Long Live The True Ra's Al Ghul." Says The Entire Hydra. "There Is One Ra's al Ghul, and She Kneels Before No One." Says Shadow, As He Leads His Men Out Before The Building Blows.

Shadow and The Hydra Stood Before Team Arrow. "Did My Father Decide To Send You After Me After All?" Asks Nyssa. "Lazarus Demonic Brimstone." Says Shadow. "You Disbanded Your Hunters? My Father Would Never Allow It!" Says Nyssa. "Al-Sah-Him, He Has No Loyalty To The League, and We Will Not Follow A False Ra's, If Your Father Insists On Keeping Al-Sah-Him As Heir To The Demon, Then We Are Left With Only One Choice, To Serve The True Ra's Al Ghul, and She Kneels Before No One." Says Shadow As The Hydra Kneel. "You Would Follow Me? A Woman? Even After My Trickery?" Asks Nyssa. "I Never Stopped Caring For You Nyssa. Your Betrayals Hurt Yes, But I Would Rather See You Than Al-Sah-Him As The Next Ra's." Says An Emotionally Conflicted Shadow. "This Is All Well and Good, But Why Should We Trust Anything You Say?" Asks The Man Called Diggle. "How'd You Like My Sword Through Your Ribs?" Asks Shadow. "Enough, I Accept Your Fealty, and That Of The Hydra. But My Father Cannot Know The Extent Of Your Intent, For That, I Have One Mission For You." Says Nyssa. "We Live To Serve Ra's al Ghul." Says Shadow. "Come With Me, Shadow, I Believe We Never Finished Our Conversation, Did We?" Asks Nyssa. A Dark and Pained Look Crosses Shadow's Features, Before He Answers. "Yes, My Liege." Says Shadow As Nyssa Leads Him Away.

Shadow and Nyssa, Difficult As Things Were For and Between Them, The Passion, The Lust, Even The Love Was Still There. Together, They Were Something Special, Apart They Were Nothing. So This Was Was Why They Spent One Final Night Together, Before Shadow Departed On His Mission.

Shadow Stood Beside Ra's al Ghul As Al-Sah-Him Stood Before Them. "Shadow Has Informed Me Of Your Challenges Al-Sah-Him, Including His Disbandment Of The Hydra Hunters. Shadow Has Served At My Side Since He Was Barely An Adult, His Loyalty Is Never To Be Questioned, Is That Understood?" Asks Ra's. "Understood." Says Al-Sah-Him. "Shadow's Loyalty Is Without Question, Because He Has Dedicated His Service To Rooting Out Disloyalty Within The League. In A Sense, He Is Like A Son To Me, He Could Have Been, Had You Not Become My Heir." Says Ra's. "I Don't Follow." Says Al-Sah-Him. "Lady Nyssa and I Were Together, Before Ta-er al-Sahfer Arrived. When She Did, I Felt A Deep Resentment, Hatred Even, But Mostly At Myself, For Allowing The Dishonor To Occur At All." Says Shadow. "It Is For This Reason, His Service Even After He Began To Doubt, That His Status Is Indisputable." Says Ra's. "I Think I Understand." Says Al-Sah-Him. "Good, For Where Sarab Is Needed For Your Ascension, It Will Be Shadow Who Keeps You Guarded Against Dishonor and Disloyalty." Says Ra's.

"My Liege, I Can See I Am No Longer Needed, So With Your Permission, Allow Me To Personally Ensure That Lady Nyssa Is Properly Prevented From Leaving. I Will Not Fail You Again." Says Shadow. "By All Means, My Daughter Must Be Anxious For Her Upcoming Wedding, Keep Her Company Shadow." Says Ra's. "As You Decree, My Liege." Says Shadow As He Departs and Is Followed By Leech and Vulture. "Is She Protected?" Asks Shadow. "Yes, The Others Have Been Informed Of Their Duty, and Await Your Word." Says Vulture. "Very Well, Keep An Eye On Sarab and Al-Sah-Him, Let Them Know They're Being Observed, But Keep Them Aware Of Only One Group." Says Shadow. "Yes, Commander." Says Leech. Shadow Arrives At Nyssa's Chambers and Enters Without Incident. "I've Been Waiting For You, My Love." Says Nyssa.

Shadow and Nyssa Had Spent Ten Minutes Silently Kissing, Before Parting. "My Father Wishes For Me To Marry Al-Sah-Him, To Bear His Child, But I Am Already With Child. Your Child." Says Nyssa With Absolute Certainty. "So You Knew He Would **** This On You? That Night Of Passion Was What? A Petty Vengeance?" Asks Shadow. "Not Entirely, When Sara Died I Wanted Nothing But Vengeance, When You Told Me How You Still Cared For Me, I Felt My Heart Begin To Heal. I Think It Healed Because I Still Have Feelings For You." Says Nyssa. "Then Leave With Me, We Know The League's Ways Better Than Anybody, With Our Abilities, Al-Sah-Him, Your Father, Sarab, None Of Them Would Be Able To Find Us." Says Shadow Pleadingly. "You'd Willingly Defy The League To Be With Me?" Asks Nyssa. "What Has Resentment and Animosity Ever Gotten Me Nys? I Always Wound Up Caring For You." Says A Realistic Shadow. "I Am Tempted My Love, But I Cannot Agree To Risk Our Future and That Of Our Unborn Child." Says Nyssa. "I Know, But It Was Worth Asking You To Try." Says Shadow.

A Guard Enters. "Commander, Al-Sah-Him Demands Your Presence." Says The Guard. "Very Well, Tell Him I Will Make A Final Certainty Of The Preventive Measures, Before Coming For Him." Says Shadow. "Yes, Commander." Says The Guard As He Leaves. "I'll Be In Touch." Says Shadow As He Kisses Nyssa One Final Time. As He Leaves He Finds Sarab Waiting For Him. "Follow Me, Al-Sah-Him Will Not Wait." Says Sarab. "Don't Push Your Luck Sarab." Says Shadow.

Shadow Sat In Front Of A Fire With Al-Sah-Him. "I Know Your Relationship With Nyssa Is Not Yet Finished, I Also Know Your Not Really Loyal To Me Or To Ra's. What I Want To Know, Is If I Can Truly Trust You?" Asks Al-Sah-Him. "So Long As Your Promise Never To Harm Nyssa, My Sword Is Yours." Says Shadow. "Very Well, My Loyalty Is Also A Ruse." Says Al-Sah-Him After A Few Moments Hesitation. "I Suspected, Your Hard To Read, But Your Also Easy To Understand. Your Sister, She's Everything To You, What Ra's Did.....He Knew You'd Do Anything To Save Her. But I Understood You'd Seek A Means To Get Out. I Assume Mr. Merlyn Is In On It?" Says Shadow. " Yes, I Am." says Merlyn. "Why Tell Me? Come To Think Of It, Why Even Consider Telling Me At All?" Asks Shadow. "Because We Know How Much Nyssa Means To You." Says Malcom. "Don't You Dare Use That Against Me Traitor, Or I'll Make Sure Your Dead and Burned." Says Shadow Defensively. "Easy, We Just Need Your Help, In Exchange, You Can Have Nyssa." Says Al-Sah-Him. "Well, I Should Tell You, Nyssa Has Been Declared Ra's al Ghul By My Men and I, When The Time Comes, They Shall Follow Her, No One Else." Says Shadow. "What About You? No Desire To Take Over From Ra's?" Asks Malcom. "And Do What? I'm Tired Of War, Assassins, and Everything In Between, I Want To Be Able To Leave, Find a Place To Live, and Most Of All, A Place To Raise A Family With Nyssa." Says Shadow. "I Will Speak With Ra's, Tell Him How Empty and Broken I Feel, and Ask For My Release. Do What You Want, I'll Have No Part In It, On Either Side." Says Shadow, As He Leaves.

Ra's Studied Shadow's Expression. "You Truly Wish To Leave The League?" Asks Ra's. "I Know I Swore An Oath, But I Am Tired, Years Of Pain, Suffering and Constant Exceeding Of Breaking Points and Reforging Has Left Me With Little Else To Give For You, For The World, For The League. I Feel The Best I Can Do Now, Would Be To Leave, Start A Family, and Entrust My Duties To Them Once They're Of Age." Says Shadow. "Very Well, Shadow, In Light Of Your Confession, I Hereby Release You From All Blood and Sworn Oaths TO Ra's al Ghul and The League Of Assassins, This Release Is Held Together By Your Continued Adherence To The Leagues Code and Your Promise To Never Betray League Secrets. You May Keep Your Arms and Armor, As A Token Of My Respect For You and Your Years Of Service To The League Of Assassins." Says Ra's. "Thank You, My Liege, I Doubt I'll Need Them, But Appreciate Your Gifts Over The Years Nonetheless." Says Shadow. "Go In Piece, Shadow." Says Ra's. "You As Well, Master." Says Shadow As He Departs.