Chapter Twenty One

In the security control room of the ancient tomb, a screen displayed a short Asian man with a goatee facing off with two costumed teens. Luckily for them, none of the security personnel had noticed the conflict between the two parties just yet, due to the distraction created by the Super-team on the other side of the island. However long they were able to be unnoticed was an entirely different matter.

"Who are you?!" Terry heard Angela demand with steel in her voice.

Chuckling the man withdrew a long katana from his back and watched them with amusement not saying a word. His head was shaven bald and he wore a ninja gi with only a waist pouch on his side, presumably filled with throwing stars and poisons.

"This guy is Kyodai Ken, he was once the star pupil of the Yoru school in Japan, and he was one of the top martial artists in all of the country. The only thing that could match his skill in martial arts was his total lack of morality. On a night approximately fifty years ago, Kyodai attempted to steal the school of Yoru's prized possession. Deemed the name of 'Yoru Sword of light' it had been placed in a shrine for all to aspire to live up to its legend. When Kyodai Ken attempted its theft, he was confronted by a certain Bat vigilante. Master Yoru herself halted the fight between these two opponents, reclaimed the sword and expelled Kyodai from the dojo. Kyodai's pain was so great that he swore vengeance against the school, his own country, and even Batman. Kyodai then began to contract himself as an assassin for hire. The Bat-computer has many incidents involving Kyodai Ken after those events but suffice to say, this wayward ninja must have latched on to the League of Shadows since then. He obviously has had access to a Lazarus Pit otherwise he would be in his eighties at this moment, instead of his early twenties." Terry said surprising the other two occupants in the room.

"How exactly do you know so much about him? I mean, that was fifty years ago!" Angela said confused.

"My training," Terry said simply.

He wanted to keep the information he gave in front of Kyodai Ken brief, but in all actuality, it wasn't just his training that helped him recognize the rogue ninja assassin. The Bat-suit's hud had a facial recognition program attached to the suit that helped him identify enemies that he or Wayne had encountered before. It was very handy in situations like this, although he hadn't gotten to use it on higher class villains, primarily on common street thugs and Jokerz.

"Very good. Your master has taught you well but I must say… you two should just surrender. Batman in his prime had a hard time defeating me. You two have no chance." His confident smile had slipped when Terry was able to identify him so accurately earlier but at some point, during their conversation, he had regained it once more.

Apparently, that was enough talking for the ninja as he launched an attack aimed at Angela. Three throwing stars were expertly sent at the young Robin at a tricky angle, if she was an average person she would have been pierced through almost instantaneously. Unfortunately for him, Angela was far from normal though.

A slight crinkle to her brow later a wall of red energy projected itself between her and the projectiles and small explosions shook the barrier.

"It looks like he is taking a page out of your book, Batman," Angela said eyeing the quick-moving ninja with weariness.

"Evidently." Terry said speculating the battle as well before asking, "Do you need assistance?"

Quirking her lips into a slight smile she asked him, "How much do you know about the realm that is known here as Azarath?"

"I'd say not much but that would be a lie… I actually know nothing." Terry replied far too casually for someone that was dealing with an expert that was wielding a sword in front of him.

Dodging a swipe from the blade, Angela performed a cart wheeled while simultaneously Kicking Kyodai hard in the side of the face. The hit seemed to daze the rogue ninja long enough for her to continue the conversation with her partner.

"Well, it's in a different dimension. It was also where I was born. People in this realm call it Azarath, but in all actuality, it doesn't have a name that we call it as Earth people do." Angela had to pause again to block a punch coming at her, then she reversed the force Kyodai sent at her and flipped him into the wall.

Getting back to her feet she continued where she had left off, "Azarath is actually an ancient city founded by an Elder named Aza. There are actually three major cities where I come from, Azarath, Metrion, and Zinthos. Each city in that realm has beings that are similar to humans along with many other races. I was raised in the city Zinthos, it is much like Gotham, overwhelmed with crime and crooked politicians and my city is almost just as corrupt. When my father and mother went to that realm to live, they soon started back to their old hobbies."

Again, she had to pause to block a few more strikes from the assassin, then finally she managed to get a hit that knocked the man out smoothly.

Turning back to Batman she met his eyes, then spoke, "The point is, for every day of my life my city was protected by two superheroes my realm has ever known… The Nightwing and Raven. This year, my father let me join him but I have trained every day since I was twelve to do this. So, the answer to your question is… No. But thank you though."

Smirking at her introduction, Terry replied, "Well, Robin of Zinthos. It's nice to have you along for the ride."

---

There were two reasons that Dick had decided to stay behind and assist with the distraction on Infinity Island instead of tagging along with Batman and Robin. One: As good as the A.I.'s were for tactical guidance without assistance in battle situations, they were still just machines. He didn't want to run the risk that their weapons would be turned on his allies in a horrible turn of events. Two: He really wanted his daughter and the new Batman to be a team like he was with Bruce. As much as he was hurt all those years ago, his time being Robin with Bruce was one of the best times of his life. He would often look back on his youth with fondness and he wanted Angela to experience something similar.

That didn't mean he didn't have his own plan to find Bruce, but he wasn't planning on tagging along on her adventure either.

The Bat-Jets were already started to run low on supplies and he decided that this was probably the best opportunity to allow the jets to take over since they couldn't cause too much damage any more to the 'Super-team' and he felt it was probably time to make his own way into the ancient shadow tomb.

Pressing a series of buttons on his console he set the jets up to automatically target the enemy when it was the most critical opportunities and initiated the Stealth Evac.

Bruce… The man was so many things to him at one point in his life… mentor, goal, betrayer, and father. He had already forgiven him for the mistake he had made so many years ago.

It had taken years for him to see the man as anything other than a bad memory, but it was Rachel that finally allowed him to see the light. She reminded him that Barbara had been working side by side with not only him for years but also with Bruce since they were freshmen in high school. The age difference between them all was only ten years. So, when they had graduated from college at the age of 26, Bruce was 36. It wasn't too out of the norm for the two to develop feelings for each other.

In all the years Dick had been more and more away from Gotham. First in Young Justice, then when the loss of too many friends drove him away from that team, he started the Titans. All the while, keeping his distance from his mentor and only occasionally meeting with Barbara.

Yes, Bruce had hurt him. There was a stain on their relationship that Bruce helped put there, but it was partially his fault for not trying to resolve it until this point. He just needed a chance to make things right.

Approaching the ancient tomb from the west side of the Island (A different direction from where Terry entered), he found an entrance down by way of the stairwell. He hated stairs, but that was what propelling was for he thought with a smile. Hooking a cable to the rail he jumped over the side free falling for about ten seconds before the harness caught him. For a while, Dick was worried that he would run out of cable before he reached the bottom, but luckily, his new suit seemed to have extra.

Opening the stairwell door an inch, Dick sent out a small nanite to scope out the area. There were two androids on either side of a glass wall with a single door and a security code to its right. Scanning inside, there were few tables with surgical instruments scattered around the area and several vials of blood with a malicious label.

Dick hated labs, even hospitals the sterile environment and unfeeling people. It just made him feel sick to his stomach.

Acting quickly, Dick pulled out a long-handled weapon from his back darted out of the doorway and before the two droids could act, he made a slashing motion to their necks. Soon the pair dropped down without a fight. The weapon had no blade, and would never harm someone with flesh. This blade was specifically meant for destroying technology… Therefore, it was perfect for androids.

Touching his palm to the computer, Dick's suit automatically started running a code-breaking algorithm. After a minute keypad flashed green and the door opened. At first glance, the room looked empty, but then he saw a short bald man wearing a lab coat. He was staring into one of the tubes. Dick stealthily crept up behind him and saw what he was looking at. It was a pod filled with blueish green liquid and inside was... "Conner?!" Dick said out loud surprising the lab tech inside the room.

---

For much of his elderly life, Bruce found himself asleep in more situations than he had ever really planned. He'd sit down after dinner and wake up an hour later from an unexpected nap. He'd plan on going somewhere and before he knew it, he was being woken up by Terry thirty minutes before he was supposed to be at that location. Bruce hated being old, it made him feel like a shadow of his former self. He also hated not being completely in control of himself and his surroundings.

But this time wasn't one of those elderly moments. He had been sedated. Which meant only one thing, Ra's was going to try doing the same thing he had done on Damien to him.

It wasn't unexpected. The man had clearly confessed his plans once already but still, Bruce was furious. The demon wasn't satisfied with killing his son but needed to do the same thing to him!

Blinking his eyes rapidly, Bruce looked around the room getting a good look at his surroundings for the first time since he woke up.

The room was so bright that Bruce instantly shut them once more in protest. Roiling liquid below him, his arms and legs strapped to a machine and the sound of rhythmic beeping from somewhere nearby him. He was familiar with this situation alright. He had woken up to similar situations too many times than he could count.

Unexpectedly, he felt the machine had started to move and he wasn't going towards the liquid as he had thought. Instead, he was moving further away. The confusion continued until he saw a dark-haired beauty show up in front of him and start to remove his restraints.

"What are you doing Talia?" Bruce asked his brow creasing.

"Beloved, it wasn't until you enlightened me that I figured it out," She said tear marks still marring her face. She looked haggard and worn since the last time he had seen her.

He didn't want to have concern for this woman, but the way she was looking now stirred something inside of him that still wanted to protect her. So, he asked, "Talia, what is it? What did you figure out?"

A silent wail escaped her lips as she met his eyes again, "The… the reason my father took our little boy… was because he did it to me first…" Tears welled up in her eyes again as she blinked them away before she continued again, "He occupied my body. Then lured Damian and…"

She didn't have to finish. He could put the pieces together at this point. Dammit. He used her, damaged her mind and killed their son. Maybe a monster was too mild of a word to describe Ra's.

Finally, after a few more moments she managed to release his arm and she began working on his other one. Apparently, Ra's was worried he might manage to escape and tied him down pretty thoroughly. While she started working on the restraints on his other side, he used his free hand to start to release his head from its binds.

A sharp cry and the feeling of Talia working on his binds abruptly stopped. Finally, the all too familiar sound of a body hitting the floor was brought to Bruce's senses. Managing to release his head a small amount Bruce witnessed a sight he never thought he would ever see.

Ra's Al Gul in the body of Damian Wayne, holding a bloody dagger standing over Talia. Her blood spilling out of a gaping wound from her throat… Dead.