Second Assault on Arkham (Part Two)

It seems he still has some feelings for Talia. Being a good man isn't easy. Thea could only reply in Chinese, "I understand, I will take care of her." They didn't delve into who exactly "her" referred to.

For this assault on Arkham, Thea reduced the number of regular arrows she carried and brought along many high-tech arrows. Last time, whether dealing with Azrael or Talia, it proved that her archery skills were only effective against ordinary people. Lack of strength would naturally lead to problems with speed, no matter how accurate her aim was.

If she still wanted to excel with conventional archery, she would have to increase her strength. Thea realized that she wasn't much different from the future Green Arrow in terms of archery skills. The key point was the thickness of their arms; strength was the foundation of all physical confrontations. Ah, being an archer wasn't easy.

This time, she didn't intend to bring her Glider, nor did she wear the cumbersome Anti-G suit. Instead, she wore a red-hooded cloak, slung her sword across her waist, and carried a quiver on her back. With her infrared goggles on, she set off. 

However, when she arrived at the gates of Arkham, she regretted it. She should have brought the Glider!

Because everyone noticed that the gate of Arkham, which had been bombed last time, had been repaired. The area in front of the gate was crowded with people, all silent. Leading the group were several prominent figures from Gotham.

Talia sat perched on the five-meter-high gate of the asylum. She wore the same dark green windbreaker as before, hood up, weapons slung at her waist, a quiver on her back, and a longbow in her hand.

Why would they dare to come out today? Weren't they afraid of being bombed to death? Ah, Thea quickly realized the reason. Talia must have received news of Bruce's return. Knowing that her former lover wouldn't dare use missiles, she had gathered a large group of people to face them.

Thea sincerely regretted it. If she had known, she would have brought her Glider to show off. But now, it was too late to think about it. She lowered her head and instructed Lyla, "Quickly call in the armed helicopters. If we're overwhelmed, they can cover our retreat."

The other side dared to come out in such a grand manner; they must have something to rely on. She needed to stay cautious.

Talia saw that both sides had arrived. She pushed off with her left hand on the gate, exerted force with her waist and legs, executed a beautiful front flip, and landed on the ground. She walked out of her group, standing at the forefront, her gaze fixed on Thea's side.

Has she been the one planning everything behind the scenes? It was possible. Talia was intelligent and had her own followers. Thea observed the chaotic mix of Penguin's men and Professor Pyg's crew, all standing obediently in the back, which further confirmed her judgment.

She had intended for Commissioner Gordon to continue pretending to be the leader. But Selina had already taken the lead and walked out.

Today, Selina was fully armed. She had three daggers hidden under her tight black leather jacket, held a long whip in her hand, and had a baton slung at her waist. But upon seeing Talia, she had finally found a way to express her recent dissatisfaction.

Thea welcomed their one-on-one duel. Their strengths were comparable. Talia's combat skills were scientifically honed, resulting in consistent performance. Selina, on the other hand, had her ups and downs. But when she fought in anger, who knew if her inner fire would ignite, leading to a counterattack.

Thea couldn't help but admire Batman's foresight, his words lingering in her mind as the two women geared up for battle. Her mission was clear: ensure their survival. With a wry smile on her face, she pulled out an arrow and nocked it, ready to provide support when needed.

However, to everyone's surprise, things took a major turn. Talia pointed at Selina as she stepped forward and said, "Between you and me, it's personal."

Then she pointed at Thea, who was watching from the sidelines. "Between me and her, it's business!"

Selina couldn't quite grasp her own feelings at the moment. She had witnessed Bruce pulling Thea aside for a private conversation earlier. Although she didn't understand Chinese, after years of being lovers, she could still read his intentions.

He also had feelings for Talia. So, where did that leave her? They had feelings and had a child together, and it seemed like they were more suitable for each other than she was. Selina had initially planned to confront Talia alone, willing to gamble everything and trust fate to determine the outcome. Whether victory or defeat, she saw this confrontation as a resolution to the matter at hand.

But when she summoned the courage, she found that Talia didn't step up to fight. Instead, she used the excuse of personal and business matters, which shattered Selina's psychological defenses, extinguishing her drive to fight. If it was business, then fine, let them proceed.

Thea felt like her glasses were about to fall off. Watching Selina briskly return after their supposed confrontation, she wondered what was going on. They had agreed to face off, and she was ready to provide support. What was the meaning of this?

But before she could figure out what to do next, Talia's next words hit her like a thunderbolt.

"Sister, come out. This battle should be ours."

Talia stared at Thea intently, removing her hood to reveal her brown-black hair.

Who was she talking to? Thea looked around, but neither Nyssa al Ghul nor anyone resembling her was nearby. Yet, after two seconds, she realized that everyone on the battlefield was watching her.

Was she referring to me? Was she her sister? No way! How could she be her sister?

Thea's mind raced with thoughts. Could it be possible that she was also the daughter of the Leader of the League of Assassins? Her real mother couldn't have been acquainted with Ra's al Ghul. Despite social network research suggesting it wouldn't take more than six people to connect her mother to Ra's al Ghul, the distance between them seemed too vast.

Shaking off her wild thoughts, Thea realized she had misunderstood. She assessed her appearance, realizing she was about the same age as Nyssa and had similar dark brown hair. Nyssa liked to wear outfits with a mix of red and black, coincidentally matching Selina's combat suit, which was also red. Moreover, she was skilled in League of Assassins techniques.

Thinking of Nyssa, Thea blurted out, "I'm not Nyssa." But as soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it. How could outsiders know that name?

Talia smiled faintly. "Father didn't come out with you, did he? Is this your trial? Sent to capture me, the traitor, and Father remains as ruthless as ever."

Thea felt even more bewildered upon hearing this. Yes, Nyssa was indeed on her trial journey now, and the timeline coincidentally aligned. But she was headed to Lian Yu, not Gotham.