2: Origin [2]

"Your perseverance and endurance is commendable." The man walked ahead while the black figures moved back giving him the way.

'Stay calm, he is trying to intimidate you.' I blinked as I heard a voice from the back of my head.

"Not many have overcome the sea of sands and had strength left to live, while your body is ready to give up, your mind is still pushing you, I admire your will." He stood before me with his black eyes locked into mine.

"I am truly anticipating our talk once you wake up." His lips slowly curled up into a fatherly smile.

"Wake up?" I muttered partially with my eyes narrowed at his words but before I received a reply, I sensed an attack coming from my right side.

It was a simple knife hand chop that I could have deflected or dodged if I was able to move my body but I couldn't feel anything below my neck.

The man was precise with his aim, he gave a sharp blow to the neck area just above the shoulder blades.

My legs gave out and the corner of my eyes began to get foggy. I was waiting for the impact with the floor but it never came as I felt two arms wrap around my shoulders and support my body from the sides.

"Rest well, Wayne." Those were the last words I heard before I drowned into the darkness.

I don't remember for how long I was falling into this black void of darkness, like a quick sand it kept pulling me in until I landed on a formless floor.

I looked around the empty space of nothingness, I couldn't see anything other than myself, it felt like I was in a vacuum of sorts because I couldn't hear either.

*Blup*

Or that's what I thought until I heard the sound of a drop of water. I stood still waiting for it to appear once more and it came, I walked towards the direction hoping to reach the source but this time a rain came pouring down.

The whole world around me changed into a moving portrait of black and white, I blinked in surprise as I found myself in front of a dark alley.

A lighting struck the building at the end of the path, the bright flash of light revealed three figures hidden in the dark, my eyes widened as the whole world got colors.

The figure of a kid was mourning as he held the body of his parents in his tiny hands and his face was covered in the blood of his mother, he kept calling her but she was not waking up.

I bit my lips trying to suppress the smile blooming in my face, I knew this scene, I have watched it multiple times in multiple different forms and I knew very well what's about to happen next and just as I predicted, a middle aged man came rushing towards the little boy followed by a bunch of police officers.

The world of black and white swirled into a single point and opened up once again but this time I was in a different location.

I was standing in a room surrounded by a lot of antiques and in the center of it all I saw the boy sparring against the middle-aged guy, the old one kept deflecting the punches thrown by the kid until he was panting for air.

The boy clenched his fist and turned around in a swift of fury and the scene changed once again, the boy was in his early teenage when he left the mansion and began a global sojourn.

I saw his journey from a kid to a young adult and everything he did through that time was train and train and train to become the best at every possible skill one can learn and all those memories compiled together came to an end as he finally stepped into the ruins of a temple, the same one I found myself moments ago.

"Uhmm." My eyes slowly twitched open and I found myself under an extravagant roof, definitely not a place I was familiar with.

I hopped out of the bed and stood up, the room was a bit too large for one person. I looked around the chamber analyzing every object around me while memorizing each step I took.

It was not something I naturally do but it's a trait of Bruce.

I walked up to a wall and pushed open a window, a gentle breeze of fresh air flowed in while I gazed at the layered structures built underground.

Bruce had to search through the deserts of the Arabian peninsula to find the sacred city of the league of assassins and he had to fight the sand storms and starvation along the way.

I pushed myself back and roamed through the room trying to find any hidden bugs but I was unable to.

I stopped looking after a few minutes and stood before a mirror checking my injuries, a stroke of bandages ran around my gut and my arms.

I peer deeper into the mirror as I etch every detail of my new face and body into my mind, this feeling is extremely weird, to be on someone's body and a fictional character at that, it makes me question about my existence but I don't want to make this experience any more confusing than it already is.

"Wake up." My ears perked up by the voice of an male, it came behind the door, followed by a streak of knocks.

I opened the door and saw a young man, probably the same age as Bruce, he had medium length blonde hair, his clothes were different from the other members, it was white, he had a frown on his face with arms crossed across below his chest, his eyes went up and down before landing on my face while giving a judging look.

"Father is waiting, get dressed." He grunted rolling his eyes, he leaned against the door.

I put on the black shirt lying on the bed and headed back, he gestured to follow him and I did so without a response.

He was leading me into a long hallway that was connected with different parts of this rock castle, I made sure to remember every turn we took while memorizing all the types of rooms we passed by.

He finally stopped before a wooden door and knocked on it twice, before opening it. I tilted my head to get a good look at the insides but I couldn't see it clearly.

The room was very dim with only candle lights on the corners and in the very middle, a figure resided on the floor with a table in front, there was a steaming hot cup and a kettle next to him.

The figure slowly tilted his head front and the face of Ra al Ghul came into light, he was a caucasian with brown hair and two white stripes on the side, a mustache that reminded Yosemite Sam but little shorter, his presence seemed to command a feeling of respect and fear into others.

"I hope you have rested well Bruce." Ra's voice was stern and calm at the same time, it meant he had the perfect control over his breathing and tone of sound.

"I have." I replied calmly.

'Look around you and analyze the situation.'

The Bruce part of my mind whispered in the back of my head.

I calmed my breathing and let my senses take over, my hearing became clear, so did my perception, even the slightest change of sound was perfectly clear to my ears, I found two silhouettes on the corner of the room, hiding within the shadows.

"Good, take a seat." He pointed to the other side of the table, I didn't make him wait and silently walked forward to take the seat.

"Dusan, you may leave."

"Yes father." The young man gritted his teeth and bowed slightly before leaving the room with his fist clenched.

"Bruce Wayne." I shifted my view from the door to Ra.

'Don't take your eyes off him.'

"I am very pleased to have you here." Ra expressed his words with a smile but I knew or to be exact the Bruce part of me knew it was nothing but a facade.

"To master the ways of the shadow, where else to go than here and who's better to learn them from rather than the king of assassins himself?" I smirked.

"You are passionate, your words speak the truth, let's see if my judgment is still fine." Ra muttered the last part to himself but in the quiet surrounding, I could hear it and he knew I could.

"I'm merely driven by will." I replied.

"Of course you are, a boy from the capital of crime, you have been chasing the skills of every field, pushing yourself for something bigger, you could have lived your life as a wealthy youngman but you sacrificed it all, for what?" Ra asked, his eyes narrowing sharply.

'Vengeance.'

"Vengeance." I smirked.

He was silent, letting a moment pass as he stared into my eyes, his hawk gaze peering into them.

"Hatred is a good motivator." Ra finally spoke as he took a sip of the tea and I mirrored his timing. "But it should be a veil masking your true intent, let it cloud you more than necessary and you will be left blind."

"I understand." I plainly stated while gulping down the last of my cup.

"I hope you do." He kept his cup down gently with a stern glare shot my way. "For men have lost empires in pursuit of revenge."

Ra took a breath and spoke again.

"My methods would be strict and far crueler than anything you ever went through, I'm not a man of passion, I don't play favorites, I am a man of results, if you don't prove to be worth my time I won't waste another moment with you, are you sure, you are ready?"

I mused over his words without showing a hint of emotion, the Bruce Ra's talking about is in the back of my head as nothing more than memory and an irritating voice, I'm not him and I never want to end up like him.

"I am." I did a light bow to him, out of respect.

"Let's start then." He flicked his fingers and the figures hiding in the shadows jumped out, their katanas pointing towards me and their stance said they were ready to go for my head.

I hopped up from the seat with both my arms up in guard while keeping both my opponents in check.

Ra slowly stood up, dusting off his hakama and with his hands tied around the back, he walked towards the door without saying anything and right as he was about to leave, his steps halted and he turned back.

"I trust you for a good show."

- - - - -

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