One Month #62

Author's note: we're slipping through the ranks people! Show me those power stones!

...

"This is concerning, kid..." Richard earnestly remarked after hearing my words, rubbing his chin in thought. "Under normal circumstances, I'd advise you to stop. Power always comes at a price, and the easier and faster it comes, the higher the price.." he added with a grimace as if speaking from experience.

"But I understand your circumstances aren't exactly normal, and I'm willing to trust your judgment and your impeccable survival instinct," he jokingly concluded as he smiled at me, offering Ebony and Ivory back to me.

"Impeccable survival instinct, huh? Why do I feel that's more of an insult than a compliment," I replied in mock exasperation as I took the pistols back and put them in my inventory.

"You can be a bit too cautious sometimes," Richard said, still smiling as he shook his head. "In any case, what have you been you up to while I was away?" he asked, changing the subject as he gestured to the side.

"I hear you've been making quite the name for yourself..." he concluded, trailing off at the end of his sentence as he paused, waiting for me to answer the question.

"More like what have I not been up to?" I replied as I scratched my head and began telling Richard about everything that happened so far, from my encounter with Croc shortly after he left to my most recent clash with the Intergang and Anarky.

Though I'd be spilling some of my secrets in front of Ben, I didn't mind since Richard vouched for him, and he already knew about me, so there was nothing I could do about it.

...

"I lost control two times. The first, I ended up killing the Russian mercenary and almost killed that werewolf in the second..." I said, having already explained everything to Richard while keeping the system-related parts to myself.

"So you really did kill that piece of shit?" Ben, who had been silently listening so far, remarked, not bothering to hide his impressed expression as he gave me a once over.

"You don't have to feel bad. The beast was a ruthless killing machine, and he probably killed more people than the dumb fuck could count," he added, shaking his head in dismissal. "No one will miss that guy, probably not even his mother," he concluded with a shrug.

"That's not the problem. I brought it up because I lost control; twice now," I replied with a grimace as I pushed my weight against the wall and let out a frustrated breath.

"I've never experienced anything like this before, and to make things worse, I didn't feel a single thing both times," I added as I looked down at my hands, opening and closing my palms.

"There is no use crying over spilled milk. However, we do need to do something about your anger and aggression..." Richard remarked, trailing off as he turned to Ben with a meaningful look.

"I might be able to help you there, since I owe you one, kid..." Ben remarked as he quickly offered to help, having understood the meaning behind Richard's look, much to my confusion as I had no idea what they were hinting to each other.

"You owe me one...?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I turned to Ben with a genuine look of confusion. It was my first time meeting the man, and I don't remember doing anything to get him in my debt.

"Yup, you just don't know it yet," Ben said with a weird chuckle, and I didn't like the sound of it, causing me to turn to Richard with a skeptical look.

"We'll get to that later," Richard said, bitterly smiling as he shook his head, which only deepened my confusion. "You see, Ben here had what you'd call anger management issues back in the day," he explained, gesturing to the dark-skinned man, who grinned with a shrug.

"It was so bad that he'd always kill whoever he fought, and it took many months of study under our teacher, O-sensei, for him to get his anger under control," Richard remarked in an exasperated tone.

"He definitely looks the type," I remarked as I turned to the menacing man, raising an eyebrow as he carelessly shrugged but didn't bother to refute my comment.

"He's something of an expert in the matter. I'm sure he'll be able to teach you to control your aggression in no time if you let him," Richard concluded, waving a hand to the side.

"If you're vouching for him..." I said, sighing after some thought. "But I still don't understand how he owes me one?" I asked as I turned back to Ben, but he didn't reply. It was Richard that did instead.

"Remember that lady friend of mine you met in the park?" Richard asked, and I immediately nodded. There's no way I'd forget that vicious look she gave me before she left.

"Her name is Sandra Wu-San, but she goes by Lady Shiva these days," Richard casually added, and I barely stopped my eyes from twitching at the mention of a familiar name.

The world's greatest martial artist, the mother of Cassandra Cain, one of the deadliest assassins on the planet, and do I even need to say more? Lady Shiva was Bad news, and that sums up her entire shtick.

"I'm already not liking where this is going, but keep going..." I blankly said, rubbing my forehead in frustration as I urged my teacher to keep talking.

"Well, Sandra has a daughter that she wants me to train. I refused, and she offered me a wager," Richard said, his tone growing progressively more embarrassed as he spoke, which was a first for my teacher.

"She'd wagered me that her daughter can beat you, and if she did, I'd have to take her as a student," he added, snorting in derision, and I had no idea of it was at the offer, Lady Shiva's daughter beating me, or what exactly.

"If her daughter lost, Sandra would give up, and that will be the end," he added, his tone growing helpless. "Again, I refused, but..." he remarked, turning to Ben with a complicated look.

Richard then proceeded to tell me about the offer Lady Shiva gave him, his relationship with her, and Ben, who turned out to be the Bronze tiger, another guy I wanted nothing to do with, but that's Murphy for you.

It was that kind of thing where the more you listened, the less you liked what you were hearing as the shit-pit only grew deeper with every word coming out of Richard's mouth.

"And here we are right now..." Richard somberly said after finishing his explanation. "Sandra said you should be ready for a fight in a month's time, though I don't know what she has in mind exactly," he concluded, shaking his head.

"I'm a bit confused. If Lady Shiva wanted you to train her daughter, why didn't she ask you to do that in exchange for the info?" I asked, scratching my head in genuine confusion as I gave my teacher a puzzled look.

"I asked her the same thing..." Richard replied with a shrug, snorting in bemusement. "She didn't give me an answer, but she's probably trying to prove her daughter is better than you or something along those lines.." he added, letting out a helpless sigh.

"I'm going to be honest here... I really don't like this, none of it, but..." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "You are my teacher. You've done a lot for me. If beating the Asian murder chick's daughter will help you, then I'll gladly do it," I concluded with a shrug, causing Richard's bitter smile to turn genuine as he sighed in relief.

Even though I'd have to fight Cassandra Cain, who will one day walk in her mother's footsteps to become one of the greatest martial artists, I couldn't back down. I owed Richard too much to refuse.

Cassandra, as the daughter of David and Lady Shiva, was probably the most talented human in martial arts. However, she would only reach her potential in the future under the mentorship of Batman.

She was probably still decently skilled enough to give me a run for my money, but she was a baseline human, and unless she could pull a Batman on me, I can't see myself losing. Not by a long shot.

I'd still face her with all my strength and not underestimate her. But the only reason I was reluctant to involve myself was Lady Shiva and David Cain since the latter hounded Cassandra like a hunting dog in the comics.

"That's good to hear, kid," Richard said as he patted me on the shoulder with a smile. "We have a month until the fight, and you can now channel Chi, so we'd have to pick up the pace in our training," he added, and I sighed as countless images of the beatings Richard gave me flashed in my mind.

"I'll be taking care of the physical training as usual, and Ben will teach you how to control and channel your anger..."

....

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