Robins Issue 4
Legacy Boys Part 4
By RoninReviews


The Trials of the League is treacherous and impossibly difficult even for the keenest warrior. It's sharpens every part of you to a fine point, if you survive it.

No one follows the same trial as the last person. It is different for everyone but always leaves the League of Assassins with two out comes, a dead person or a loyal warrior ready to serve the League. Only twice there has been an exception: Bruce Wayne and today, Dick Grayson. Never has there been another.

Dick leans in the dark, the water mulling around his kneecaps, he's let it slide. The chain he is cuffed to is also attached to a heavy brick, pulling him down into the water. He has to hold himself and the brick up or else he'll drown. This is a torture technique outlawed at the end of the Ming Dynasty due to its affect on human tendons. Those who don't die of stress are usually not able to walk or use muscles after due to the tearing of their tendons. The average time a person can be in the Sinking Vault before suffering irreparable damage is 12 hours. Dick Grayson has been there for 11.


Now
Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake stand before the precipice of a large dark hole. Cheers and shouts are heard from the crowd with, "SONS OF THE BAT", being chanted over and over. Each of the Robins stands bare chested looking into the abyss.

"Well then," Jason mumbles.

"Yep," Tim replies.

"Yeah well, um… yeah," Dick attempts.

An ancient robed man wearing black bandages over his eyes enters the floor standing before the crowd. Talia watches with a Royal approval over her face. The old man raises his hands to persuade the crowd to calm down. He begins to speak in a low croaky voice.

"Ras Al Ghul did not die for nothing, brother and sisters," exclaimed the old man. "Ra's Al Ghul died for the new age that he fought so very hard for. But was struck down by his student, the one known as Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight of America."

The crowd boo and hiss aggressively.

"But today is not a day of revenge or hatred," the old man continued. "Today is a day of... forgiveness. Before you stand the sons of our greatest nemesis ready and waiting to be taken into our Guild, into our fold. Each of them is ready to start a new as brothers and sisters of the League of Assassins. They are to be taken and forged in the fires of our sacred trials and reborn. We are a powerful people, but also a benevolent one. We take our enemies and forge them into allies."

The crowd cheer. Aggressively.

"Hoo boy," Tim murmurs.

"Yep," Dick replies.

"I wonder what Damian's doing. How come he doesn't have to do this #*&%?" Jason grunts.

"Because he's Talia's son, idiot? You think she'd let her, 'New Alexander' be straight up murdered?" Tim hisses.

"Oh yeah. I forgot! Silly me! Duh!" Jason sarcastically replies.

WHAM! THACK! THAM! KRACK! Back and forth across his soft face, like a lead paintbrush that only uses deep purple and red. His face crumpled up like a scrunched up bag of crisps and without the valour, Damian Wayne, bleeds from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears, like a river.

The Heretic stands before him, ever the nightmare of Damian's existence, a walking symbol of everything wrong in his life, a Macabre Frankenstein Brother. The thin paintbrush voice of a calm river enters the room like a shiv being plunged into an inmate's arteries.

"That'll be all, Son."

The Heretic lumbers off as Talia walks over to her son. She presses her hand against his bruised face.

"I do apologise for that, my son. It just needed to have you rattled a little before we start your inauguration as my Loyal Son again. The Bat has filled your head with silly things and I want them out my darling."

Damian strains to open his mouth but can't make a sound. Talia turns to see the robed old man entering the room.

"High Priest Mazham, please attend to my son. His mind is infected."

The board that Damian is chained to moves down so he is now lying flat on his back. The Priest shuffles over to a cupboard filled with old bottles and jars. He takes one that has a strange looking butterfly in it and puts it on a desk. He daintily takes the lid off and slowly puts his hand inside. Instead of flying away the butterfly stops and slowly crawls onto the Priest's hand, across his pointy nails and bony fingers.

He takes the butterfly over to Damian. He sprinkles a golden powder over Damian's face, which he winces at and tries to move his neck in protest, but can barely find the strength. Suddenly the Priest takes Damian by the lower jaw and yanks it open; Damian lets out a shrill noise as the butterfly flies into his mouth and down his throat. He can feel it all

The way

Down.

Lady Shiva knives rattle up the side of the over turned table as shielding David Cain from death. He holds the table up with both hands as it is about to come clattering down on him. He hears nothing for a second except the clattering of bowls and dishes before SNAK! Right through the table comes an excellently placed blow from a Dadao sword, nearly missing Cain's rib cage.

He takes the opportunity. He lunges forwards and throws the table to the ground hoping to crush Shiva with the sudden attack. SLAM! The table falls and David is temporarily stunned by the force of the fall. He gets up quickly only to see Lady Shiva coming straight at him with her Dadao raised above her head. David is quick and goes for his guns, he just gets her in his sights before- SWING! BLAM! BLAM! SNIK SNINK!

Lady Shiva walks out of the room, cleaning blood off her sword as she goes.

"This ends tonight."

The Robins stand on the precise looking to the abyss. The crowds chant louder and louder. Talia Al Ghul enters the scene from her balcony and with a swift movement lights a match across the side of a stone and drops it onto a large torch to signify the start of the trials.

"Okay, so now what?" Tim asks.

"I uh..." Dick murmurs.

"I think we need to jump," Jason replies.

The crowd begin to shout, "JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!" over and over again.

"Okay then. Have you guys figured out an escape plan yet?"

"Uh… no," Tim replies.

"Nah. I wanna see what's down there," Jason says.

"Alright then," Dick says.

The Robins each take a few steps back before leaping into the deep chasm of darkness.


NEXT: THE TRAILS OF THE ASSASIN. LADY SHIVA VS THE LEAGUE OF ASSASSINS. DAMIAN AL GHUL!