37: Aftermath

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Chapter 37 Aftermath.

(General P.O.V)

The boom tube opened up into a darkened room.

A white haired, one eyed man and a Raven haired woman rushed out.

Talia hit the ground just as red streaks of energy ran rampant inside the hotel room. She took cover behind the bed just before the room begun smoking. The sheets caught on fire as the boom tube portal collapsed.

She didn't waste time in making her move. Her body vaulted over the bed, weapons glinting in the low light.

Deathstroke was already up, his one usable hand, diverting the stab of the small blade in Talia's hand. He sidestepped a knee to the groin, but could do little to avoid the leg sweep.

He hit the ground and rolled, escaping the knife that tore into the mat on the ground. Talia snarled, throwing a punch to connected with Deathstroke's cheek. Then the dagger was placed under his chin.

"You promised partnership!"

He growled out.

"We could never be partners! I promised you a seat at my table! And you failed me."

Talia was quick to interject.

"I had no idea of the boy's presence, Talia. I tried..."

Deathstroke begun only to be cut off by her.

"Your job was to not try...it was to frame Turner and keep Leviathan's involvement with the Light's mission secret! And now that Bruce knows, he'll investigate. The mole will report back and the Light will find out. And that cannot happen before we are ready!"

She pushed the blade against his skin.

Deathstroke begun laughing.

"If you wanted to kill me, you've already missed your chance."

Talia felt something hard poke her on the ribs. She snorted, moving away, revealing the gun in his hand.

"If I wanted to kill you, Slade, You'd be buried in the snows of Siberia."

She got up, walking towards the bathroom.

"Always gotta remind me of that contract."

Deathstroke shook his head, rubbing the cut on his neck.

"I'm taking a shower." The daughter of the Demon's Head threw over her shoulder.

"Peek and you're dead."

She warned.

(General P.O.V)

There was no indication he was up.

His eyes remained closed, his breath even and his body prone. He took note of his surroundings. The air on his skin was damp and cold. There was the distant sound of rocking waters and...hushed conversation.

He smelled the air. A slight sewage and ocean scent. His mind ran through the different locations in Gotham. There was a tarp under him. Below that was a hard cold pavement.

The Gotham tunnels.

"I know you're awake."

A deep but young voice said with a note of humor.

Tiger's eyes opened. A purple flame softly burned next to his head. Past the fire, was a young black man with silver hair, body covered by a long fur coat. He was sitting on a rock. Something budged from the hip underneath his coat.

He occasionally stroked the flames with a small rusted rebar.

Next to him on his left was a fully cloaked figure. The only thing that stood out to Bronze Tiger, was that the figure was vaguely female.

"You saved me. Why?"

The mercenary asked, holding a hand over his bandaged torso. Nothing seemed to be broken but he had no true way of knowing without a good meditation exercise. He still had his claws though, a foolish mistake for anyone who knew he could turn a blade of grass into a weapon.

"The name's Davian." The young man introduced himself then pointed at female figure.

"That's Raven."

The figure made no reaction.

"As to why I rescued you, well...let's call it a favor that shall be repaid in the future."

Davian explained while getting up.

Bronze Tiger narrowed his eyes.

"We fought. What makes you think I will honor that deal?"

"I know who you are. Bronze Tiger, a Merc for hire but you're also a honorable man."

Davian breathed out, his breath slightly fogging. Raven got to her feet as well.

"Whether you honor it or not, I don't regret taking the chance."

Davian shrugged, walking towards Raven.

The latter chanted in a low tone, her palms lighting up with a dark energy. Darkness pooled under them.

"See you whenever, Bronze Tiger."

Davian saluted as they disappeared.

(Elsewhere)

"Your boldness knows no limit, boy."

Ra's spoke into the darkness.

"Sneaking into this island uninvited is a death sentence. I could make my shadows stalk you day and night until you're dead."

He said, staring at the swirling red liquid in his cup.

"You would lose more. My death is...very expensive."

The Dark Knight said, almost materializing from the darkness.

Ra's placed down the goblet, grabbing the hilt of his sword and unsheathing it. He pointed the tip at Batman's neck.

"Should we test that fact?"

A brief silence fell between them as they faced each other.

"Your move detective."

Ra's told him.

Batman pushed the blade away with a finger.

"I did not come here to fight. It's about Talia."

He replied.

Ra's lowered his sword, turning back to the shrine before him. One with a few bouquet of flowers framing a very old painting of a woman. She was beautiful. No one knew who the painting was of. Not even Talia.

Ra's bowed his head towards the painting while lighting a few candles below it. Batman wordlessly waited as the Demon's Head completed his ceremony.

"My daughter is very much like her grandmother. Persistent and willful."

He finally said, turning away from the painting.

"How has she defied me now?"

He questioned, walking out of the chamber.

"An attack. One made on my manor. My people. She crossed a line."

Batman growled out, following after the leader of the League of Shadows.

"I see." Ra's told him, his hands clasped behind him as they passed two guards, standing before a doorway.

"However, I fail to understand how this concerns me."

"It does. There are certain rules that should not be broken. She violated the agreement by targeting my home. It concerns you because you understand better than most what we are capable of."

Batman ended his statement by stopping infront of the entrance to the courtyard.

"Oh yes." Ra's nodded.

"You and your group of... superheroes."

He mocked.

Shadows appeared all around the two. Batman looked around him fearlessly.

"Yes. Me and my group of men and women who can each take on 20 of your men in a fight."

The Dark Knight affirmed.

"You want a war...let them think that you can you harm their loved ones."

Ra's Al Ghul and Batman watched each other. All their meetings were like this. A check and balance.

"I suppose I have had enough taste of wars."

Ra's conceded, snapping a finger. The League of Shadows' Ninjas disappeared.

"Tell me what you're really here for. You hardly need me to find my daughter. You're a detective. The Detective. So what is it that you really want?"

The Demon's Head asked.

Batman's back straightened.

"Jim Gordon's body. I know he's alive. And I also know where he is. Here."

Ra's merely smiled.

(Elsewhere)

"It's done sir! We have his location."

A young man, probably around 17 told the army official.

"Excellent, Ullyses. With him I can test my Batmen project. He is the opportunity we have been waiting for."

Colonel Kane smiled as he watched a replay of a clip of Davian tearing up the surroundings in his hollowfied state.

"Do not forget one thing Kane, I want him alive."

Amanda Waller stepped into the room as if she owned it.

Ullyses, the genius computer expert stared at Colonel Kane in confusion.

"Colonel..."

He started only for the Colonel to cut in.

"Amanda Waller. You must have really done your best to let the Top Brass include you into the program."

Colonel Kane snidely commented.

Amanda threw the folder in her hands at the table between them. Colonel Kane made an annoyed grunt, flipping through the file.

"It's called cooperation, Kane. Your Batman initiative and my Task Force X are very similar."

She told him.

Kane held up a picture.

"You can't be serious. Leonard Snart..."

He grabbed another picture,

"Michael Merlyn...Bloodshot..."

Amanda smiled.

"We both serve our country, Kane. You do it with dedicated men and women while I tap into another resource, useful convicts."

She shamelessly said.

"What if we combined both?"

(Davian's P.O.V)

There was a chill in the air. Winter was coming. It was crazy to think that it had only been a few weeks and I was already so deep into the shit that was DC's schemes.

Raven shifted in her sleep. She was laid out on the couch, one of only two furniture in the cramped room. The other being the chair I was sitting on, Chesha Neko on my lap. The room itself was a storage unit near Chinatown that Raven confusingly enough...just happened to possess a key of.

I let out a breath of frustration, meditating wasn't as fun as I thought it was going to be. After using my Shikai in a real fight with real supervillains, I had realized there was much more I could do with Reiryoku.

Zanjutsu was immediately out until I found a good teacher.

'You have a tell...you blink before you move.'

Deathstroke's voice sounded out in my mind, reminding me that I hadn't won the fight exactly.

The second the ceiling came down on us, I didn't waste time escaping. Chase was right in convincing me to retreat and face Batman on my own terms. He and I still had a lot of unfinished business.

But that's besides the point. Zanjutsu was out, so was Shunpo (hoho) this was a hide out after all, there wasn't room to move. Hakuda was not my strongest suite but I could handle myself. What I finally settled on was Kido.

Or rather, Reiryoku manipulation. And boy was it hard.