A/N: There is much confusion as to how to refer to Ra's al Ghul, genderwise. My solution was that so long as he is in Talia's body, he will be a "she" in the narratives. How the characters talk about him/her is up to the character. There is also a section in here from Sam's POV in which he refers to Ra's as Talia, because he doesn't know any better. ;)
The Demon Returns
Barbara Gordon put down the file she was looking at and leaned back in her chair. Taking off her glasses, she wiped her eyes and sighed. Three bodies found in an abandoned warehouse and no leads. A knock on her office door caused her to put her glasses back on and sit up straight. "Come in."
Sam Young poked his head through the door and smiled. "Ready to call it a night?"
Barbara shook her head. "Sorry, Sam. This case is driving the department crazy and I have to stay in case something comes up."
"A break then? Some food at the diner down the street?"
Barbara smiled. "You're on," she said as she grabbed her coat. The two of them left city hall and walked down the block, the Gotham night surrounding them. As they passed a dark alleyway, they heard a women's voice call out faintly for help. Throwing worried glances at each other, they entered the alley.
"Hello? Is someone here?" Sam called out.
Barbara had drawn her gun, but reholstered it when she saw the crumpled body on the ground. She ran over and helped the dark haired woman up. "Are you all right?"
The woman kept her head down so that her hair fell down to obscure her face. She shook her head.
"What's the matter?" Sam came over to support her other side.
The woman then looked up, smiling a little bit. "Why, nothing is the matter," she said in her accented voice. Looking at Barbara, she grinned evilly.
The commissioner's eyes widened and she released her hold. "Talia!"
"Not Talia any longer, my dear," Talia said with the voice of Ra's al Ghul, before spraying a fine mist over both Barbara and Sam. As they crumpled to the ground, she added, "And not Talia for much longer."
* * *
Dick woke up tied to a chair. He frowned, trying to remember what had happened. He had been in the Cave, working out on the uneven parallel bars. He had been so focused that he had not even noticed her presence until he had dismounted. She had stood off to the side, applauding him. "Very good," she (he?) had said. Ra's in Talia's body had approached him and Dick had tensed. He had been so intent on the figure in front of him that he had not even noticed the other person until the hand had clamped down over his mouth, holding a cotton pad dipped in chloroform.
Dick tested his bonds but they were tight and secure. Where had Ra's taken him?
A soft moan drew his attention and he swore quietly under his breath. To one side of him were Barbara, her husband Sam, and Mary McGinnis. To the other side was Matt. All were in the same position he was, only still unconscious. Diana was shackled to the wall so that she was in an upright position. It had been her that had groaned.
"Diana!" he called out. She moaned again and opened her eyes. "Dick?" she mumbled, trying to get her eyes focused. "Where are we?" Her words were mumbled and she was focusing at a point somewhere over his shoulder. Drugged.
She tugged at the shackles ineffectively. Giving up, she sagged against the wall. "What happened?"
"Ra's al Ghul." Dick growled.
Diana blinked, trying to get her eyes to focus. "Him again? Wasn't he dead?"
"Not dead enough, apparently," Barbara's quiet voice muttered. She looked up at Dick. "What do you think he wants?"
Dick shrugged and closed his eyes, trying to ignore is throbbing head. Chloroform hangovers…He had forgotten. Around him, the others began to waken. He answered Mary's frightened questions and tried to comfort Matt, leaving Barbara to handle Sam.
* * *
Sam Young sat in his chair, listening to the others talk about rescue. They seemed positive that someone would come to find them. He was not so sure. There was more going on than just a simple kidnapping. Barbara had known that woman in the alleyway, and she knew these people who were with them as well, though he had never seen them before.
Though he recognized one voice. Dick. Now he could put a face with the name of Batman's friend—and Barbara's, too, apparently. He did not know who the other two women were, or the boy, but he would bet that they were somehow connected to Batman as well.
The door opened and the woman who Barbara had called "Talia" entered, followed by two dangerous looking men. She was dressed in a skintight leather jumpsuit and her hair was loose, covering one of her eyes. "I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see the two of you again." Sam shivered at the deep male voice that came from her.
Talia stalked across the room and knelt in front of Barbara. "It saddened me to hear of the Detective's death. He was a worthy adversary. It was a pity he never saw it fit to become my heir." She then got up and walked over to Dick. "But then, events might turn out right in the end. There is a new Batman, and I will content myself with him."
"What are you up to, Ra's?" Dick snarled.
"I had thought to use you, at first," Talia (Ra's?) continued, ignoring Dick. "But then the Detective took on a new apprentice. You, for all your talent, never took up the mantle of Batman. He found you unworthy. But this new one…he will do nicely."
Barbara struggled against her bindings. "You leave him alone, Ra's al Ghul, or so help me…"
Talia threw back her head and laughed. "You still amuse me, after all these years, little girl. For that, I may spare you when this is over." She gazed over the group of prisoners. "I may spare all of you. I am not a cruel man."
"No, only insane." Dick glared at him.
Talia just grinned and motioned for the two men still standing in front of the door. "Untie these two," she said as she motioned towards Dick and Barbara. "Be careful though; they are dangerous."
Barbara glared at the man who approached her. He untied her legs first and when he moved to do the same to her hands, she swung a leg over and kicked him in the head. She stood up, freeing her wrists from the loosened ropes. Next to her, Dick was struggling with the other man. "Get Ra's!" Dick called out to her.
The commissioner charged the immortal, but at the last second, Talia/Ra's pulled out a canister and sprayed Barbara with it, rendering her unconscious. Putting the canister away, Ra's glared at the man who was getting off the ground. "Pick her up and follow me." Dick was half guided, half dragged to the door. The goon he had been fighting had landed a punch to his face that had left Dick woozy.
The door closed and the rest of the prisoners stared at it long after the group had disappeared through it.
* * *
"Mom?" Matt asked. "Terry will find us, right?"
Mary longed to be able to take her youngest son into her arms to comfort him. "Of course he will. It's his job."
Diana stirred from her drugged stupor. "You know, Kal's off planet with the Justice League. I bet Ra's planned for that…Nabbed us once Superman and the rest of the JLU wasn't here."
Mary glared at the closed door again. "What is he…she? going to do to them?"
"Who knows? Ra's has always had this obsession with the Bats."
Sam spoke up. "Will someone please tell me what's going on here? Why did they take my wife? What does this have to do with Batman? What is GOING ON?!?"
Diana blinked blearily at him before turning to Mary. "Mr. Young, I wish I could. I only know some. For the whole story, you'll have to ask Barbara or Dick."
"Why would they know?"
Diana groaned and tugged again at her shackles. "You'll have to ask Barbara. It's not my place to tell."
Sam sat back, deep in thought.
* * *
About half an hour later, the metal door clanged open again. The two goons entered, each dragging an unconscious figure. Dick and Barbara, but much younger than when they had been taken out of the room. Barbara's red hair shone faintly in the light from the lone light bulb from the ceiling. Dick's hair was as black as Matt's.
Diana stared at her two friends before swearing at the two goons in Greek. She tugged at her bonds and the muscles in her arms strained. With a grunt, one iron shackle ripped free from the wall and hit goon number one in the head. He yelped and held a hand to his forehead, trying to stop the bleeding.
The Amazon pushed against the wall again, trying to get free of the other manacle. Suddenly, a tiny dart flew through the air and imbedded itself into her side. She struggled to resist the drug, but she was soon slumped against the wall again, hanging by one still restrained arm.
Ra's strode into the room holding a pressurized dart gun and regarded the unconscious body of the former Wonder Woman. "That was a very foolish thing to do." She motioned for her two men to retie the rejuvenated Barbara and Dick. "One more session should do it," she commented as she studied them. "To make it permanent. It would be quite ironic to have two of his most loyal companions for my servants." She smiled and left the room, her two men following. The door closed.
* * *
Terry felt like hitting something. The commissioner and the district attorney kidnapped without a trace. Then Dick taken right out of the cave and his mother, brother, and Diana from the house. He hit the play button again on the computer and watched the screen as Ra's al Ghul walked into the kitchen of the manor to stand over the drugged from of Diana.
Terry's hand clenched into a fist. He will find Ra's al Ghul. And he will make him pay.
A/N: Cliffhanger! eg I am learning the virtue of them. :) Hey, blame VFGirl/VivaGlam if you want. She's the one who told me cliffhangers are "the spice of life"!