13: A Legend [1]
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The horses breathed heavily as they galloped through the rough sands of the Arabian desert, their neighs and pants filling the air as we guided them forward. The sun was slowly sinking behind the hills, casting a warm glow across the landscape.
"Gahhh!" Ra's urged his horse with a shout, spurring it to pick up speed, and I followed suit on my own steed.
We had been journeying across the expansive sand plains for the entire day. After my heartfelt conversation with Talia, I had returned to my room to rest, only to be awakened by Ra's.
Evidently, he felt the need to conduct a rite of passage to impart the specialised skills he had acquired over centuries to his successor—which happens to be me. And so, here we were, riding under the scorching heat toward a destination unknown to me.
As the evening progressed, shades of grey overtook the sky, and the stars emerged one by one, dotting the expanse above. The moon had ascended, casting a silvery glow over the landscape.
After a time, the surroundings began to shift. At first, there were scattered remnants of what appeared to be a past civilization—weathered wooden logs scattered throughout the undulating sand dunes. But gradually, a larger structure came into view on the distant horizon.
As we drew closer, the sight revealed itself to be an entire ghost town built around a small oasis, a relic of times gone by.
The town stood abandoned, a testament to its former inhabitants. The structures, though now in ruins, still retained a haunting beauty but time had worn away some of its grandeur.
I dismounted from my horse as Ra's pulled his steed to a stop, his gaze sweeping over the structures with a mix of nostalgia, disappointment, and anger.
While I surveyed the various standing edifices, one structure caught my attention. It stood taller than the rest, resembling a watchtower or minaret. Arabic carvings adorned its sides, etched with a sense of urgency rather than precision. These carvings seemed brittle, as if they were hurriedly crafted, likely with a dagger or sword instead of a refined tool.
As I examined the carvings, I traced the words with my fingers:
'Yati al shaytan nihayatana, lidhunub alsultan, lan man aijtaz tariqah almawt hu alnihayatu.'
'The demon brought ruin, for the sins of the Sultan, for whoever crosses his path, death shall be the end.'
"Is this it?" I inquired, earning a glance from Ra's. His eyes shifted to the words on the tower, a smirk forming on his lips as he noticed them.
"Yes, this is where I lost my wife, where I took up my sword and found my purpose." Ra's declared, his arms outstretched as he basked in the moonlight. "This is where I was reborn."
"You carved this?" I asked, gesturing towards the engravings.
"No." Ra's sighed, shaking his head. He then walked toward his horse. My attention was momentarily drawn to the goat still mounted on the horse's back, its movements paralyzed by one of Ra's pressure points.
Ra's dismounted, pressing his fingers against the goat's neck. In an instant, life returned to the creature. It scrambled to its feet and quickly fled from us, disappearing into the desert.
"Should I catch it?" I asked, my skepticism evident. I wasn't sure whether this was part of my training or some other purpose.
Ra's chuckled, shaking his head. "No, Bruce, that's for a friend."
"A friend?" I started to ask, but before I could finish, a shadow raced past me. My gaze shot skyward, where I spotted the silhouette of a bird.
As the goat vanished into the desert, the bird of prey descended with a piercing screech. Its feathers were a deep crimson, its beak measuring about ten inches, and its talons resembled those of a cat, while its wings spanned over ten feet. The bird swooped down on the goat, snapping its neck with a swift twist, before eagerly tearing into its prey.
"Is that a Haast's eagle?" I blinked in amazement.
"Yes." Ra's confirmed. We watched as the magnificent creature devoured its meal, its primal nature on full display.
"I thought they went extinct 500 years ago." I mused, drawing from my knowledge as Bruce.
"Clearly they didn't." Ra's chuckled, indicating the bird.
"Naija! Hact!" Ra's called out suddenly. The bird paused in its feast, looking up with a quizzical expression. Its eyes narrowed as it regarded us, before it launched itself toward us, descending like a missile to land next to Ra's.
The bird drew closer, bobbing its head and emitting an odd, almost chicken-like noise. Ra's affectionately patted its head and offered it a piece of meat jerky.
"Naija! Flaak!" Ra's commanded next. This time, the eagle swiftly returned to its prey, snatching it with its claws before flying off to its nest atop the tower.
While I marvelled at the immense size of the bird, Ra unstrapped the swords from his horse. The metallic clinks snapped me out of my reverie, pulling my focus back to the task at hand.
"An authentic assassin excels in stealth." Ra's began, tossing me a sword. "To inhabit the shadows, become one with them, and ultimately master the art of remaining unseen."
Ra's proceeded to remove his shirt, letting it fall to the sand. I followed suit, discarding my jacket and positioning myself opposite him. With swords raised, we faced each other.
Stepping into the shadow cast by the tower, Ra's vanished in the blink of an eye. My heart raced as I readied my sword, prepared to block any sudden strike. An eerie sensation prickled the back of my neck, alerting me to a presence behind me.
Reacting swiftly, I spun around and raised my blade, intercepting his sword with a clash that sent sparks flying.
"A warrior masters his weapon not solely through skill, but by understanding its usage and ceaselessly refining it to perfection, no matter how improbable it may seem." Ra's stated as he pushed me back. I retreated a step, holding my ground.
With a swift strike, I aimed for his neck, but he deflected it effortlessly. As our swords clashed, I gained a deeper appreciation for why Ra's was considered one of Batman's most formidable adversaries. His movements were rapid, precise, and carried the weight of centuries of experience.
Nevertheless, I stood my ground, refusing to yield. Our spar was intense, an unyielding clash of wills and abilities. Though the struggle was demanding, I was determined not to back down.
The long night reverberated with the clash of blades and the scent of bodies pushed beyond human limits.
The moon waxed and waned behind the dunes, yet the dance of swords endured.
The shadows deepened as the sky transitioned to red, and the sun emerged from the east.
Ra's al Ghul and I reached an impasse, blades lowered, our eyes locked. Shoulders slouched, sweat traced our forms.
"You've done admirably, Bruce." Ra's acknowledged, discarding his sword and moving towards his horse. I sighed, collapsing onto the sand, my legs giving way under the weight of mental and physical fatigue.
Ra's sipped from a water pouch before tossing it my way. Taking a drink, I observed the old man settling beside me. We both gazed at the ascending sun.
"When you had your revenge, what did you feel?" I asked a question that had been nagging in my mind ever since I stepped foot in this ruins.
In Ra's, I recognized a kindred spirit. Both of us had lost those we loved to cruel twists of fate, and both had pursued vengeance against the perpetrators. I had managed to move forward, preoccupied with survival during war. Ra's, however, had years—perhaps centuries—at his disposal. I yearned to understand the toll it took on him.
"I sat right there." Ra's sighed, gesturing to a spot among the ruins. "With a smile on my face, I gazed down at the Sultan's lifeless form beneath my feet. Whoever claimed revenge doesn't satisfy clearly didn't savour it long enough. Every moment was precious as I watched him lose all he held dear—his empire, his son, his riches. I ensured his every trace in history vanished, erasing even the memory of his existence."
"But the vendetta was short-lived. As years passed, and I traversed the world, I witnessed blood, desolation and death."
"And that led you to take a stance against humanity?" I inquired about his philosophy.
"No." He contradicted, surprising me. "I've witnessed both the light and the dark. Humanity is inclined toward good. Yet, a handful of greedy individuals drive a wedge, turning the masses into docile sheep. They manipulate divisions—with something as simple as skin colour, differences—because they know that united, the common people would break their control and undermine their profit. My struggle is against them."
"Bruce, if you make yourself more than just a man. If you devote yourself to an ideal and if they can't stop you then you'll become something else entirely."
"A terrorist?" I sarcastically quipped, prompting a chuckle from Ra's, which he swiftly morphed into a smirk.
"A legend."
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A/N: I had a 2 star review by Kyran_Ambrosius, who said that my story was not making sense as how could someone just defeat Bruce Wayne in a battle [Regards to Chapter 6] where Theo defeats Bruce.
I don't have a negative response to him as I feel I may have to give a genuine reply for that as many readers might feel the same way.
First of all my fic is an AU. As Bruce Wayne was never trained by Ra's al ghul in the comics except Batman Begins movie.
And second of all, Theo was a survivor of a nuclear war, he has seen his fair shair of horrors in the battlefield and done things he needed to do to survive, which you will get a glimpse in the next chapter.
Third, Theo is strong in his own sense, if I have to say how skilled and strong he was back in his world, I would compare him with Deadshot.
And Finally, This Bruce was still in his training period when Theo took over, so he was not that field experienced as he is in the comics.
And Yes, Theo did absorb Bruce's skills and knowledge while Bruce's memories are separated in his mind, the memories would be like a first person movie rather than experiences.
Throw your powerstone at me like I'm gay in Saudi Arabia.
Comment your thoughts.
Have a good day.
Love ya.