Many Years Ago…

The little girl clutched her book bag strap while standing outside the orphanage a tall and imposing man stood next to her. She couldn't have been more than maybe seven or eight but she didn't have the eyes of a child. Then again, her childhood wasn't really a childhood her father saw to that.

"Do you know what I expect of you?" The man standing next to her asked.

"Yes of course. I am to keep an eye on the boy and make sure he fulfills his destiny. I am to protect him at the expense of my own life." She spoke without emotion or tone like she just recited a line she'd be instructed to memorize.

"That's my girl." He smiled "You are a true prodigy if only you had been born a boy you could have been my true heir. You have learned and mastered skills that most struggle decades to even contemplate. You have much to be proud of however and this my daughter is most important." He placed his hand on her shoulder she felt chills knowing in this grip and from his position he could snuff her out with little to no effort "Never forget who you are. My beautiful morning dawn."

Gotham Present Day…

"Oh, this is good." Selina smiled gorging on her hot dog.

"I'm glad you like it." Tabitha smiled watching her prospective protégé eat.

"So what exactly do you have in mind? I mean do you want to start a gang or something? I mean I figure with all the stuff we plan on stealing you have something in mind?" Selina asked trying to get an idea of what was going on in Tabitha's mind.

"To be honest my reasons for staying in Gotham they… weren't entirely as transparent as you'd expect." Tabitha said as she turned to watch a father and his daughter Selina could tell the image made Tabitha sad "My biggest regret is that for so long I've been trying to please someone and to do that I-" Tabitha stopped and Selina noticed a tear fall from her eye, "I wasn't honest with Butch or Theo. My biggest regret is the lie I've been forced to live but that's over now. From now on I'm living my life on my terms. Screw the old man."

"What old man?" Selina was starting to get confused.

"How much do you know about the interworking's of this city? My father he often was very keen on reminding me how he sired me for the sole purpose of guarding Theo and that I was to protect his heir. Then Theo died and my father punished me by forcing me to live among the criminals of this city but I was happy with Butch he was my what father would call a lumbering oaf but he was sweet I liked him and don't tell anyone I said this but I enjoyed cuddling with him in the morning something I never really did but the way he'd hold me made me feel safe and he was just so sweet. That's important Selina that a guy is sweet. Never forget that and never let a blonde get in your way." Tabitha started confusing Selina it was hard to tell where the conversation was going.

"You mean Barbara? The only other blonde we both know is your niece and…"

Just like that Tabitha nodded finally remembering Selina helped stop the sacrifice Theo and the Order of Saint Dumas had planned "Oh now I remember you were there to help save the Wayne kid."

"I thought you might be mad about that?" Selina asked clearly worried about Tabitha's reaction.

"Well… I did leave Theo to die. My father was angry but I couldn't let Silver…" Tabitha stopped to stare at her food it was clear she was sad about something "Did you know your father Selina?"

"No."

"You may be lucky mine he's got the biggest ego and its surpassed only by his…" She stopped again her sadness now becoming more obvious "his anger. When my father gets mad Selina well saying that whole cities burn would be an understatement. He raised me from birth to be an assassin and when I was a little girl he assigned me to Theo I was to pose as this orphan girl that was adopted into his family and I was supposed to stay close him you couldn't imagine what it was like keeping that secret for all these years. I loved him more like a husband than a brother but-" Tabitha started to cry it was strange for Selina seeing someone with her reputation get emotional "Theo was just so much like my father in the end and I couldn't let that happen to Silver. I couldn't let her live, in fear like I do."

"I thought you were afraid of Penguin?"

Tabitha laughed "Please Oswald is an insect compared to my father and the cruelty Oswald would inflict on me would be a love tap compared to the horrors my father has unleashed in his very long life. Trust me Penguin is a talker where as my father just does and when my father does people are left on their knees begging and groveling for mercy but they receive none I'd take Oswald's wrath over my father's any day. I was sixteen when I started looking at colleges. I had the highest grades in my class I could have gone to Harvard even but Father, he… he made me stay and wait for Theo's return to be the perfect daughter for the Galavan Family and the perfect soldier for Theo's grand rise. Then Theo died and my father focused on the Son of Gotham."

Selina shook her head in disbelief "Wait your father is behind everything in Gotham why are you telling me all this?"

"He should have treated me like a daughter Selina." Tabitha began muttering to herself now just looking at the families walking by the window to the restaurant "I could have been somebody in this world but no I was made to sacrifice everything for my father's crazy dream. He even tricked me like that Grandmaster tricked Bruce something I'll tell you about later and I was tricked into being put under his hypnotic control. I believed and felt like I was acting on my own will but it was Father's voice in my head nothing more he did that to me after I pleaded to be allowed to graduate years earlier than I was supposed to and why? He did that so I wouldn't outshine Theo and so that I wouldn't stray as his protector. However bit by bit I broke free and the final push I needed was to kill Barbara. I wasn't supposed to kill her I was supposed to spare her and help postion her to take control but she killed Butch and I got so-" Tabitha slammed her fist on the table making Selina jump "I got so mad. I finally broke free I'd broken free temporarily but never completely and now I want to show my bastard of a father what I can do."

"Okay… what does that have to do with moving up?"

Tabitha shook her head "I don't care about power Selina. I want you to help me gain power but only as a tool. My father has done many-" Tabitha struggled to continue "things to me. The worst part is when he tells me how talented I am how smart I am but then is quick to remind me!" Tabitha stopped taking a deep breath "He's quick to remind me that because I'm a woman I can't be his heir so I want you to help me climb to the top yes we will gain power Selina but not for the sake of power my father has imparted many life lessons to me and he was keen on teaching me that power is just a sword, a mighty sword but just a sword. So, we are going to get the lives and recognition we deserve and I will finally prove to my father that I am worthy to be his heir and I am going to have so much fun tearing his empire away from him I will relish watching the look on his face as a woman takes what he has squandered. Before you tell me you are with me though Selina I need to tell you my greatest secret but once I tell you my secret once I tell you my name you will not be able to turn back do you understand?"

Selina started to speak "I do-" Tabitha then put her fingers on the girl's lips silencing her.

"Think before you speak. Do not make a promise of loyalty to me thoughtlessly. I have lost everything because of my father I lost my freedom, my future, the two men I loved Theo and Butch both died as casualties to the ripple effect of my father's ambitions. If I had my free will sooner I could have prevented Butch's death but now all I'm left with is myself I was going to run but then you walked in and I think it's fate. So do not make an oath to me thoughtlessly because I have no intention of being Tabitha Galavan any longer from now on I am me I will answer to my true name. Which I will tell you if you swear loyalty to me. Do you understand the severity of what I am asking of you?" Tabitha asked now revealing a whole knew side to herself it was clear that losing Butch and killing Barbara had freed something inside of her she seemed herself yet now was more driven and she had an anger Selina never saw before an anger driven by pain and hurt maybe even love.

Selina took a deep breath knowing whatever new side of Tabitha this was she meant every word "Alright I'm with you all the way. Tell me your name."

Tabitha smiled she grabbed a napkin and pen "As I grew older to remind myself of who I am I would make the name the Galavan's gave into something like an anagram. You take my name you remove some of the letters and then you rearrange them to get-" After she finished she handed the napkin to Selina "Now you know my real name Selina."

TABITHA GALAVAN

T-A-B-I-T-H-A G-A-L-A-V-A-N

T A I A L

TALIA

"Huh so your name is Talia?" Selina asked not really understanding what it meant but one day she would.

"Yes I am Talia al Ghul, daughter of the demon and I plan to make you Selina every bit as strong as my father wants Bruce Wayne to be. Now how badly do you want to know everything I know about what's really going on in Gotham?" Talia asked smiling as she leaned in.

"Are you kidding tell me everything Tab- I mean Talia." Selina smiled eagerly.