Summary:Batman and Robin arrive just as Leviathan as she's attacked, and Talia breaks the news of Damian's grandfather's death to him. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Two Weeks Ago.
New Orleans, LA.
Singer awoke with a start, and gave a sharp cry of panic. It alerted the others, and when Belladonna arrived in the den, Singer was already shaking from the image she had seen. "There's a great threat coming." she whispered in a shaky voice. "It wound across the sands. It carries no friendship behind it's smile. Only death.. only your death…" she whispered to Belladonna, her blind eyes wide in panic.
Three days ago..
Batman had gotten word through his contacts that a hit was taken out on Catwoman. While that had been dealt with in a meeting with Talia al'Ghul, things were still on high alert. Bruce had made his soldiers - his family - start patrolling as teams of two. And in the city, a new figure arrived. The car, from Louisiana, had been ditched at the nearest tow yard - it's plates, registration, and former owner all crushed in the dead of night.
Tonight.
It hunts.
Batman may have taken on just a little bit more of a watch than what would be considered normal for Talia al'Ghul. The Bat shadowed her movements, seeing who she was meeting with. Where she was going. Tracking. Tracing. Gathering information. She made an offer. And he had to accept to protect someone else.
But that doesn't mean he's looking for a loophole. Tonight, while Talia is out, the Bat follows her. Her son is nearby, because Damian was on his list to patrol with. While he'd probably had changed his patrol route or not come near his mother, he knew at some point there was going to be a decision to be made. And Damian should be allowed to make it himself.
The night was full. Business meetings, acquisitions, making friends in high places. Doctors, lawyers, all held at the high end restaurant that had no name, but a lamp outside with a waiting line that dwindled down as did the fire that the lamp itself brewed in the area. There was maybe one person who remained out in the cold, who was soon accepted into the echelons of the restaurant, just after Talia stepped outside to shake hands with the last of the lawyers she met with. She was vetting them out. As they were her.
She takes in the smell of the night islands air, her hands shifting within her pockets as she retrieves a bundled stick. A lighter was flicked, and the thick bundles of sticks were lit and soon waved about her person as she walked. Was it a signal?
No.
Just an act of cleansing oneself as her father had taught her; sage. The smell was potent and delicious, and it put her at ease. Mindsets needed to be changed, the walk back to her high-rise hotel would help as well…
It had been some time since Damian had officially become the new Boy Wonder, Robin. However, he often tried perhaps the hardest out of the family to go with his Father out on patrol, though understood that his father had many 'children' (AKA, the Bat Family) that vied for his attentions. Price of having a partner.
Nevertheless, Damian is indeed nearby. Nearby and following. Damian was always someone who was trained well, both by Bat and Shadow, and he put his training to good use. He was in his full regalia as Robin, with of course his own modifications that makes him more like a League-turned vigilante kind of Robin.
Though it would still take Robin a bit of time to get there.
Leviathan is the type that draws in attention. Both good and bad. What the father and son are to her, that is to be determined still. As Talia steps out to cleanse the air, there might have been the slightest of turns of Bruce's lips in a smirk. Apparently he's not the only one that had issues with lawyers. Especially the ones she was vetting. Some of them were known for less savory types. And it would seem that Batman was just going to watch her tonight without making a move upon her.
Then the shadows to her left move. About fifty feet down, there's a shift. It could have easily been blamed on the wind, but there's no wind tonight that is strong enough. A flicker of what looks like the movement of a curtain, and then gone again.
Batman, surprisingly, didn't notice the motion. Or at least is making no move towards it. The form melds and moves, closing the distance upon Talia, a slight glimmer of a blade being drawn from a dark sheathe.
"Votre fin viendra de l'ombre." the voice from the black clad form says in perfect French as it moves to strike at Talia. With her only armament being the sage in her hands.
Talia closes her eyes, her shoulders slumping, holding the burning stick in front of her as her jaw visibly works within her mouth.
Could she actually hear the approach from behind her? Hear the footsteps? Feel the change within the island air that's constant and always threatening? %rFor as the voice hits the air, the glint of light caught from the post that was close by, the stick of sage lifts as Talia takes a breath, turning upon booted heels in a flourish that sends the tails of her pea-coat astray. She blows hard upon the stick, the fluid within her mouth causing the flames to shoot out towards the attacker.
Clearly she always hid something in her teeth, just for these moments!
Robin continues to approach Batman's location, to which Batman may yet realize that someone is approaching behind him. How the Bat reacts and what he does about it is entirely up to him, but Robin approaches. He's not close enough to see whats happening down below, not for a few seconds longer.
He is oblivious to the fact that his mother is below, and apparently being attacked by assailants. Could be an assassin thing, test your members by pitting them up against a master. But either way, he's here.
And he's in for a shock.
The burnging sage and smoke is flung towards the assassin, then Talia is spewing forth flame. Clutching at his face, the assassin gives a sharp cry of pain, but he's pushing through it, giving a hard swipe of the blade towards the woman that is his target. He's committed to the action now, and stopping him would probably involve killing him.
Batman finally catches sight of the flame - but Robin is springing into action before he can. There's no chiding, no yelling. The larger shadow yanks out his grapple gun to fire at the building nearby to get a grip so that he may swing over. He's not within batarang range himself to be effective - so for the moment it's the mother.. and her son that is closing the distance.
The sage was dropped to the side as she backs away, her arms kept loose and ready to attack or defend if need be. The fire was distraction enough for her to gain distance, skirting back a few paces, bending at the front knee to watch and prepare, to counter the move.
The swipe of the blade causes her to turn with it, catching the arm of her coat to slice through, usually they say to run if someone has a knife, but at this, Talia steps forward at the right time when his arm was closest to his body, her hands lashing out to extend knuckle to issue a hard jab towards the attackers eyes.
Leaping off the perch that Robin had joined the Dark Knight upon, Robin did not say a word to his father when he saw who was down there. Instead, he simply pulls out his grappling hook and fires it off into the knight, which clings to an appropriate ledge so he can swing down.
His intention?
To kick Talia's attacker hard in the head with a swinging kick, using the grappling hook to just add to his momentum. Call it a hopefully good attempt at a decent disfunctional family reunion.
Batman wasn't going to say anything. Call it kismet, call it luck, call it karma that brought the pair of them close to Talia's location. Or call it an overly watchful bat keeping an eye on a threat to his city. Bruce lands on the balcony near the assassin and Talia - just as Damian makes his rather dynamic entrance.
Talia's counterattack to the assassin is effective, but he is yanking out a blade that was hidden inside of his wrist, a quick thrust to the woman's side as she pulls him in close. It may not be a lethal strike, but if it hits home, it will draw the Leviathan's blood.
Thrown off balance, the arm twisted, the assassin barely has time to respond when Robin's foot slams into the side of his head. Sent stumbling back, he hits the railing of the side of the balcony and goes over.
Bruce responds immediately. Racing to the side of the railing, he yanks out his grapple gun to fire at the assassin to catch him. The line launches, fired straight and true, only for the assassin to turn and twist in midair, lashing out with a knife to knock the grapple away and continues to plummet, appearing to accept death by the fall from capture. He disappears into the darkness, continuing his silent plummet.
The jab to the eyes was successful, focused on that and that only, the assassins' head rears back right when she was about to go for the throat. The jab to her side takes her off guard, the jab itself deep, which causes her to flinch and stagger back whilst gripping her side. A flesh wound yes, one that bleeds and has her bewildered, even more so when 'Robin' comes into play.
She backs away considerably, and soon Batman was there, which causes her to inwardly smirk. But the unexpected pain of the jab causes her to double, but not hinder any rescue attempt to the would-be assassin. If they catch him, she wants answers. And then, and only then, will they die.
AAAAAAND there goes th assailant. Though Damian did not mean to send him towards the plummet that would no doubt send the assailant to a possible death, He rises to his full height all the same. If the criminal does not want to be saved, then it is a suicide, not a murder. Either way, Damian turns his head to 'Leviathan' and Damian narrows his eyes.
"Mother."
Thats all he says, his hood remains over his head, his hand reaches for the hilt of his sword. Damian had a great deal of love for his mother, but he knows her ways are questionable…wrong. But she gave him life, gave him training. Purpose.
He doesn't move from where he is, instead watching her in case she tries to escape.
Batman's lenses narrow as he peers into the darkness. Was the assassin dead? It's a little hard to tell from here. There will be a search for a body later. As Batman turns to face Talia, she doubles over, and his movement is percise, catching the dusky woman in his arms and supporting her easily as she leans into him. His lips pull into a thin line as he moves to lift her. "She's been injured." And he's pretty sure that she doesn't want him calling an ambulance.
"We need to get her to her apartment. It's not far." He looks down at her for a moment. "You're going to be fine." he tells her. Well, orders her. She's not allowed to die. But bleed on his costume? Totally allowed. He lifts Talia easily, his hand moving to press and hold down the wound on her side as he waits for Damian to clear the way so they can get her back to her place.
"Son." She manages to say, attempting to right herself until Batman steps to herself. All she needed to do was stand up straight, take a breath, and everything would have been great. But his insistence, the way he scooped her up nearly reminded her of old times, and it made her slightly perturbed.
"Goddamn it." She manages to get out, feet from the ground, arm huddled against her side and not around his shoulder to hold. In fact, this was a little bit embarrassing, being caught unaware and actually injured, in front of her son none the less. It didn't really matter who attended to her, sons father or not, there was no dignity to be retained in this moment.
So she relents, even though there was a slight little scowl on her face. "You realize this is not necessary." She growls low.
Damian eventually draws his sword, holding the weapon in reverse-hand as his father assists his mother in moving. "Understood." Robin then turns on his heel and prepares to fight against any other assailants that would block their path. Though Damian has in fact not dulled his blade at all, the weapon being incredibly sharp, he's become extremely proficient at using it for non-lethal purposes, such as stabbing in a way as to not hit any vital organs or chance the death of the victim.
But he knows that whoever sent this attack was not dumb enough to only send one. Damian moves quickly, putting his training to good use.
The Dynamic Duo Plus Mom was back at it again.
"Would you rather I drop you on your ass?" comes the response from the Bat that holds Talia in place. She may be sulky, but his thoughts aren't on the last time he carried her like this. Instead it's on getting her treated. The lenses narrow dangerously at Talia, and with Damian leading the way, it seems that there was only one attack tonight. Even if it failed.
Assuming that Talia would not want to be carried through the lobby and onto the elevator like this, however, Batman at least has the decency to use the grapple lines to get Talia to her own apartment. There doesn't seem to be anyone in the dark waiting for them there - except any servants that Talia may have with her.
Entry was easiest with those two at her side. She kept her mouth shut the entire time, still mentally kicking herself and replaying the fight over and over. There was not much fuss, the room was empty, no one to yell at or clear out, save for the direction of where the medical supplies could be..
And then, Bruce is out onto the balcony, after a quiet request to give them both some time. Talia removed her heels to toss them to the side, sitting with her knees apart, elbows resting upon them with a tired expression. "It's good to see you." She comments, finally looking up towards her 'son'. "I see your carrying your duties faithfully."
Damian eventually catches back up with the parents after doing a short perimeter sweep. How did he do it so fast? Gadgets make everything go significantly faster, especially if you're a member of the world's population that has no superpower.
He looks Talia in the eyes then. He hesitates, but he speaks softly. "It is good to see you too, mother. In good health. For am oment, I had feared that someone had finally caught up to you."
A glance towards Bruce, who hangs out onto the balcony, and then back to her son. Hopefully, the man remains unaware.
She slowly stands, her hands soon placed behind her back, hoping to retain that stony exterior but allowing her features to speak volumes. She truly does love him, even if she's threatened his life. What parent hasn't?
"You mustn't worry about me. Even in the face of danger, know our legacy, and know that I'll forever be alright if it calls for it." He would know what she means, thankfully she's yet to use it. "I admire your form." She says with a gentle smile, "You have grown since you've been with your father. You move with intent. Purpose. And I am proud."
Damian sheathes his sword casually, before he looks at Talia when she speaks. He narrows his eyes for a moment…he's never enjoyed the idea of Immortality. Part of what gives life its meaning is a finite existence; that there is a time when it will run out.
Then she compliments him on his form and…expresses her pride in him.
She'll notice it, Bruce probably will too if he's watching, but Damian stands up a little taller, chin a little higher when he hears those words. He's always kept a tight leash on his emotions, like his mother and father before him, but its clear those words hit home.
"Thank you, Mother. But what are you doing here in New York?"
"You haven't told him." Those words are from the balcony. Apparently having completed securing the balcony to make sure they weren't followed, Bruce pulls the curtains closed before removing his cowl and his hand moves to his side to take out the small medical kit he carries with him. "On your back." he orders Talia as he moves to start to pull back the clothing over the wound in order to take care of her injury.
But what it was she hasn't shared yet? Bruce hasn't said anything yet either. His lips are set in a thin line as he lifts a glance towards his son, before his eyes return to trying to treat the mother. Though in those eyes is a mote of sympathy. In a way - she did end up getting Bruce here to share the grim tidings after all.
Talia remains straightened, she does notice it. And like most mothers who would offer a hug, there was none. But the idea of it, which shows by the way she relaxes and allows her arms to drop to her sides. Defenseless.
Talia opens her lips to speak until Bruce interrupts, her jaw clenching tightly, though her eyes do not turn stoned. Instead, she lets out a breath, her fingers curling beneath her ruined top, carefully peeling her shirt away from the wound which by now has dried a little and coagulated. But now flowing free.
It's okay, she's wearing a bra.
It takes her a moment to collect herself, finally settling down upon the couch to turn and stretch herself out. Her eyes remain placed to the ceiling, though.. shockingly enough.. they begin to water.
"The man you knew as Ra's al-Ghul.. your Grandfather, is dead."
"You didn't tell me what?" Damian questions his family almost immediately when Bruce drops the bomb that he's been left out of the loop. Clearly irritated, but also worried, Damian steps forward. Despite how his mother presents herself, he does not offer to hug her. Now he's more worried that something has happened in the family that he should be made aware of.
Then he's told.
Ra's al Ghul…dead? Impossible. He was the best of them. "Grandfather is…dead?" Damian looks legitimately shocked. "How? I thought with how many times he's come back that he couldn't be killed. By who's hand was he undone?"
"Your father was many things, Damian. But he was not immortal to time." That is what Bruce has gathered from it all. But he'll let Talia describe it better. Now that the wound is exposed and bleeding, Bruce takes out what looks like a large turkey baster filled with pellets. After cleaning the wound with a sterile gaze, he presses the plunger against the wound and injects the tiny sponges into the wound to coagulate it.
Once that's done, Bruce works on cleaning the area around the wound to sterilize it and then covers it with a gauze pouch. He's got a lot of training in this. "Nothing major was hit, Talia. You should recover. I would not recommend strenous activity for a week. The sponges will fall out when you're healed."
"Yes." Is all Talia could say. Did she offer up any details? No.
But it was clear that what she said and what she believed about her father was not a ruse. As Bruce speaks and works on her, she uses that as a means to not really answer the question. Shockingly enough, it was something that Bruce himself did not ask of her either. Perhaps, that is the true reason for her to come to New York.
Revenge.
A solid grunt emits from her as she draws her hand up to curl into a fist. It was then pushed into her mouth as she bites hard upon her index finger, drawing thin trails of blood to the surface. Once she was patched up, she slowly sits up, her hand pressed against her abdomen to offer Bruce a nod in thanks.
"It was his time."
And that's all she offers.