56 CHAPTER 52

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[David Lance POV]

After weeks of giving Batman's offer a lot of thought, I decided to accept much to Dinah's and Oliver's protests on the matter, who both fervently considered that it was best for me to learn by their side.

I honestly appreciated their worry, but no matter how I looked at this, this was an opportunity that was just too good to simply push aside just because of my record when it came to Batman.

Besides, I was very confident that I could take care of myself.

So, with their reluctant blessing, I found myself on a plane to Paris under an alias, where I would be trained under the world's best swordsman.

As the plane took off, I couldn't help but think about what exactly awaited me in the City of Lights, as well as Batman's parting words.

He had given me two weeks to defeat the swordsman in his own art, saying that if I failed, the training would stop there.

I was determined not to fail.

As the plane landed, I made my way through customs and into the city.

The first thing that struck me was the sheer amount of people everywhere. The streets were teeming with people walking, biking, and driving. The second thing was the architecture. The buildings were so tall and close together.

Eventually, after a bit of sightseeing, I made my way to the address that Batman had given me and found myself in front of a large luxurious building, where the world's best fencer was supposed to live.

Taking a deep breath, I rang the doorbell and waited.

A few moments later, the door opened, and I was greeted by a tall man with piercing blue eyes in his late fifties with graying hair and a mustache. He had a kind face, but there was something about his eyes that made me think he had seen a lot of violence in his lifetime, something that exuded an aura of confidence and power.

Smiling, the man introduced himself as Charles du Marchand before inviting me inside.

As I entered the building, I couldn't help but admire the opulence of the place. It was clear that the swordsman lived quite a comfortable life.

After a quick tour around the house, Charles led me to a large training room that was two levels below the street, where he then proceeded to give me a crash course on what I was to expect from his training before having me spar with him in order for him to get a general idea of where my skills were.

For a brief moment, we both sparred as I quickly came to realize why he was considered the best in the world. His moves were quick, precise, and carried a weight that only experience itself could bring to one's weapon.

As was to be expected, after a minute or two, Charles managed to deal the winning blow, where he congratulated me for lasting that long.

I smiled, not sure if he was patronizing me or not because, from my point of view, the spar had ended rather quickly.

However, before I could give that thought a second to settle in, Charles grinned before playfully smacking me on the back as he started to give me some tips on my form and how to improve my technique, which seeing what my task in Paris was, I dutifully took to heart.

"I expect great things from you, kid," Charles said in a thick French accent before putting me through a series of exercises.

And so, my real training began.

Each day, starting with my body going through a series of grueling exercises, both mental and physical, that even though I was leagues above a normal human in all physical manner, still pushed me to my very limits, all in order to become the best fencer possible.

Every morning, I would wake up before the sun came out, starting the day with a forty-mile run through the streets of Paris before having a quick breakfast and heading down to the training room, where I would spend hours practicing sword techniques and forms with Charles.

In between our sessions, Charles would stop to teach me about the history of fencing, going over the different styles from all over the world, as well as introducing me to some of his own personal philosophies on the matter.

I was starting to see why Batman had sent me here of all places.

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[Batman POV]

David, as I had foreseen, had taken my offer, and I was glad he had.

He has a lot of potential, as well as a lot of threats looming above him like vultures. He had to be ready to face what was to come, and I would make sure he was.

"Master Bruce, Black Canary is here," Alfred said as he came into the Batcave, with Black Canary coming behind him, wearing a worried expression.

"Thank you, Alfred. You can leave us," I said as I turned to face her.

"Why did you send my brother to Paris, Bruce?" Dinah asked with a piercing tone. From the get-go, I could tell she was both angry and worried about the entire situation.

"Paris is but the first step on his journey," I replied. "As to why I sent him there. Well, the reason is simple, to provide him with the best possible training."

"You could have trained him yourself," Dinah retorted. "Believe me, I'm happy you aren't training him personally, but still... Why sent him there?"

"I could have, yes," I agreed with a nod. "But he needs to be able to work and learn with other people, not just me. And in order for him to do that, he needs to expand his horizons."

"And you didn't think I could provide that for him?" Dinah asked, her tone softening a bit as she took a step closer.

"It's not that I don't think you could provide it, Dinah," I said as I shook my head. "It's that I know you would try to protect him, and in doing so, you would only hinder his training."

"I see," Dinah said with a nod, her expression thoughtful. "I suppose you are right, Bruce. I just... I worry about him, that's all."

"I understand your concerns, Dinah. But I can assure you that your brother is in capable hands. He's a very promising young man, and I have every confidence in his ability to succeed," I replied without missing a beat.

"I just wish I could be there with him," Dinah replied.

"I know," I replied.