Chapter 29: Ra's Al Ghul


Batman was gliding across the sky in Gotham city.

He landed in an alley where he saw two dead men wearing black skull masks.

Batman knelt down to them as he sent data to Alfred.

"Both killed with very precise shots from a a desert eagle sir."

"Who are they Alfred."

"Members of a his gang sir, facial recognition shows they have several collars for violent assaults, and were suspects for murder."

"If Black Mask's members were here, his operation can't be far."

Batman entered the nearby building and carefully moved throughout the inside.

He then burst out of the vent and landed in a room filled with large cells and cages.

Inside the cages and cells were a number of young women who were crying out in terror.

Batman approached one of the cells.

"Shh, it's alright you're safe now." Batman said before he noticed several corpses around him.

Each of the corpses had a black mask and a gun in hand.

"Most were killed by gunshots sir, however, some had their necks broken sir. Not too different from how you use to deal with criminals."

Batman went to the end of the room and saw a shattered window.

He looked out the window and saw Black Mask himself laying dead on the streets below him.

"Oh dear."

"Looks like Jeremiah ended up worse off than Roman."

Batman turned over to one of the human traffic victims.

"What happened here?"

She kept whimpering.

Batman took her hands.

"It's ok, no one can hurt you anymore."

The woman slowly turned to him.

"This guy burst in, we thought it was you. But this guy was different. he wore grey armor, had a red bat symbol on his chest. He had guns, shot most of these men, others, he fought them like you would, only more violent, breaking their necks."

"What happened with the man running the operation?"

"He came to him last, the man in the black mask begged him to spare his life, said he'd leave Gotham and go anywhere. The man just said, he could go to hell and threw him out the window."

"Is there anything else about him you can tell me?"

"Wait, I remember, he wore a mask like you. Only his wasn't shaped like a bat's, and it was red."

"GCPD is on its way sir." Alfred said.


Bruce was at Wayne Enterprises going over financial records for Wayne Enterprises.

When he finished, he heard a knock on the door.

"Mr. Wayne."

"Lucius."

"I have the information you asked for Mr. Wayne."

Bruce got up and walked over to the wall, revealing a scanner.

He placed his eye in front of it as a door opened and the two walked inside.

A hidden lab like room was inside the door and Lucius put a flash drive inside the computer.

The two men looked at a screen as several images showed up.

"Our boys examined the rounds in some of the bodies, they were coated in botulinum toxin."

"That's the deadliest poison in the world."

"And a favorite of the League of Assassins if I'm correct Mr. Wayne."

Bruce looked closer at the bullets.

"Whoever he was, he used guns, the league doesn't use guns."

"The injuries on the bodies were consistent with techniques used by the League sir, but that's not all."

"Not all?"

Lucius gave a troubled look.

"Sir, the fighting style from the injuries is also consistent with yours."

Batman's eyes squinted.

"That's concerning, especially considering he had a bat symbol on his armor."


Later that night Batman was standing over two more dead bodies.

"The same weapon sir, and two more violent criminals" Alfred said.

"These men were part of a drug cartel, the Juarez cartel."

"Quite a nasty drug cartel sir, I do believe they were your next targets before this other vigilante showed up."

"They're operating out of an under construction building."

Batman fired his bat claw up and pulled himself high into the air.

He then glided across the air before he saw the under construction building.

Batman heard a series of gunshots and screams from inside the building.

Batman landed and looked around to see dead cartel members all over the place and stacks of drugs on fire.

Batman kept searching until he saw two dead hispanic men wearing suits, and boots with metal skulls on them.

The two men were clearly twins and one had two guns while the other had an axe.

The two men had bullet proof vests on, but the rounds went through them.

He then heard someone crying in terror in Spanish.

Batman then saw him, an older hispanic man with a shaking hand getting his neck snapped.

Standing over him was a younger man, wearing dark gray and red military like fiber armor, much like batman's.

On his belt were two desert eagles, and on his chest a red batman symbol.

On his head was a red mask with what looked like a skull.

The man turned to Batman and stared at him for almost a minute before he fired a grapple onto another building.

Batman sprinted at him and fired his own grapple.

He pulled himself up to the same rooftop and pursued the man in red.

The man was very fast and very agile, moving across the rooftops faster than Batman could keep up.

Batman hurled two electrified Baterangs at the man only for him to whip out his pistols and shoot them apart with two clean shots.

Batman dove into cover , but the man didn't seem interested in fighting Batman.

When he came out, the man was gone.

"Alfred, he got away."

Bruce was looking over images of the man on the Batcomputer

"Who is he?"

"I think a likely candidate is the league of assassins sir."

"Alfred this man fights like me, he didn't try to fight me, and he wore a Bat Symbol on his armor."

Bruce was very troubled by what was going on. Another vigilante coming into Gotham, donning his symbol, fighting like him, and killing criminals without mercy. All of this , plus Superman's death made Bruce feel overwhelmed.

"Sir, perhaps you would benefit from some break time."

"This man has modeled himself after me Alfred. League of Assassins or not, he's connected to me."

Batman looked closer at the picture.

"I will find out who he is."


Elsewhere in another location, a young woman with red hair was in a wheelchair moving across her apartment.

As she moved past a window there was a flash of lightning and she thought she saw someone outside the window.

She turned her head, but saw no one.

She then heard the phone ring and rolled her chair over and answered it.

"Hey Bruce."

"Barbara are you ok?"

She took a deep breath.

"I'm doing fine." She said in a less than optimistic voice.

"Barbara have you heard about this new vigilante."

"The one who kills, yeah my dad's told me about him. They already gave him a name, Red Hood."

"Barbara, I may need you're help soon. I'm going after room and I need to analyze everything he's doing."

She took another deep breath.

"Alright, you've got Oracle."

"Barbra I don't need to be there for me to hear you're troubled."

Barbara didn't respond.

"Barbara what's bothering you?"

"Bruce, ever since you stopped giving those criminals what they deserved."

"Barbara I stopped because it wasn't right."

"Bruce I don't even know what's right anymore. Ever since what the clown did to Jason, what he did to me."

"Barbara we can't sink down to their level, you know this."

"I know after Jason was murdered you finally had the guts to five those animals what they deserved. Now since you joined that League, you don't." Barbara said before hanging up the phone.

As she rolled back across her apartment , a hand was placed on the outside of her window.


The next night, Batman was moving over a building, all night he had been tracking dead bodies all over gotham.

"The trail leads here sir."

"Best projections point to it Bruce." Oracle said.

Batman readied some explosives on the ceiling.

They went off as he glided down and landed on the floor.

In front of him was the man in the red mask with four men hanging from meat hooks.

The man turned and saw him.

"This ends now, don't even try to run." Batman said.

The man raised his pistols.

"Alright then , Bruce." He said with a voice disguiser.

Batman's eyes widened as Alfred and Barbara also looked shocked.

"Come and get me." Red Hood said as he raised his pistols.

Bruce threw down a smoke grenade as Red hood unleashed several bullets.

Bruce launched himself into the rafters as Red Hood used his helmet's thermal vision.

"I see you." he said before unleashing several more bullets into the air.

Bruce hurled a flashbang down, but red Hood dove away and unleashed several more bullets.

Bruce grappled across the rafters before hurling two more Batterangs that Red Hood shot down.

"That won't work on me.".

"Bruce I've counted his shots, he has to reload soon, he's done it already, you have two seconds before one is reloaded." Barbara said

Bruce hurled three Baterangs that Red hood shot down and then reloaded before Bruce heard another Baterang that exploded and knocked him back.

Bruce glided down, slamming his foot into Red Hood's chest, making him drop his guns.

The two then began a fierce Melee, exchanging fast and powerful strikes only for their opponent to block or redirect the other's attacks.

Alfred and Barbara watched intensely as the fight continued.

Despite Red Hood's prowess, Batman was clearly the better fighter, landing several strikes and eventually having Red Hood in vice.

"Who are you! Why are you wearing my symbol!?"

"I'm what you're meant to be, what you refuse to be." Red Hood said before slamming his foot into Batman's face.

As Batman moved back Red Hood tried to strike him again, but Batman blocked both of his strikes before smashing his fist across the helmet, cracking it.

Red Hood came at Batman again, exchanging series of strikes before Batman grabbed his arm and slammed his fist into Red Hood's face again.

The helmet was knocked off and Red Hood backed up before slowly revealing his face.

Batman's eyes widened and his mouth dropped.

Barbara and Alfred felt their hearts stop when they saw the face.

His blue eyes, his shaved black hair, a series of scars on his face, plus a brand mark in the shape of a J.

Red Hood gave Bruce and intense look before sprinting away.

"Bruce."

"Sir." Batman tightened his grip.

The Batmobile screeched as it stopped in front of a cemetery.

Batman leapt out and charged over to a grave.

He violently began digging until he reached the casket and forced it open.

His heart sank as he saw the casket was empty.

He dropped the shovel as he sat up against the grave holding his head.

"Sir, sir."

"The body's gone Alfred."

"Then."

"It was him, it was Jason."

Bruce was sitting in the Batcave staring at the image of Jason's face almost religiously.

He heard someone come up behind him.

"Sir."

Bruce didn't respond.

"Sir you shouldn't take this in alone."

"He's alive Alfred, Jason's alive."

"Sir you need to calmly take this in."

"Jason's alive Alfred! He's alive! I need to find him!" Bruce screamed as he got up and almost pressed his head against the screen.

"I need to find the right hint, clue, something to find him!"

"Beloved."

Bruce turned and saw Talia standing there with Damian in her arms.

She approached Bruce with a sincere expression.

"Beloved, you need to let those who love you come in."

"Talia, I need to. I need to." Bruce said before he started breaking down in tears.

Alfred took Damian as Talia held Bruce in her arms.

"I know what Todd meant to you beloved, what he still does. He's your son, I can't imagine what you're going through my beloved, but you can't go through it like this."

As hours passed, Bruce got a better hold on himself.

"Sir, Master Todd was sighted."

"Where?"

"Arkham Asylum."


Red Hood locked the door to the room they were in as he slowly approached a man who was hand cuffed to the ceiling and dangled.

Red Hood took out a syringe and jabbed it into the man.

The man's neck began to snap back into place as he started laughing hysterically.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh thank you, I've been holding that laugh in for a long time now." The man started before Red Hood grabbed his face and began beating him without mercy.

He beat the man's face, body, ripped out teeth, broke bones.

"Ha ha ha ha! You're having as much fun with me as old Batsy did, I wonder if this will end the same?"

Red Hood grabbed the man's face.

"You're going to die, tonight clown. But before you do, I want you to see my face." Red Hood said as he removed his mask.

"What? You're suppose to be dead."

Jason smashed his gun into the Joker's face.

"So, you're here for revenge Robin."

Jason smashed his face across the Joker's face.

"I'm Red Hood. I'm a bringer of Justice, a destroyer of crime, a bringer of punishment"

"Your name is Jason, Jason Peter Todd."

They turned to see Batman enter the room.

"Well look who's here, long time no see Ba." The Joker started before Jason knocked him unconscious.

"Bruce."

"Jason, this isn't you. You're Robin, not this monster."

"You're wrong Bruce, the boy you knew is still dead. He died when you let this clown kill him."

"Jason, I did everything I could to find you. You don't know what happened to me, after he kill."

"I saw you're handy work on the Joker, and the others. Impressive, you still couldn't break that one rule."

"Jason let me help you."

"Help me? You can't help me Bruce! You couldn't help me then , you can't help me now!"

"Jason, who made you like this? How are you alive?" Bruce said before he felt something hit his exposed neck.

"Master Wayne." Alfred said as Bruce's vision grew blurry.

He quickly injected himself with antidote, but it didn't stop him from falling to one knee and feeling weak.

"Ha ha ha, he's not your boy anymore, detective."

Batman looked up and saw Ra's Al Ghul step up in front of him.

"Ra's."

Ra's looked terrible, worse than Bruce had ever seen him before. He looked old, weak, sick.

"What's wrong detective? Surprised to see me in such a condition. The lazarus pit, i've used it so much it's no longer working on me. I'm deteriorating rapidly, Damian was my last hope for an heir to the league, but you stole him from me."

"Damian's my son."

"And my grandson. But with you're league friends around, I'll never get him. You stole my future from me, so I stole your other son from you."

"You used the pit to bring back Jason."

"The pit's effect made him more open to my re-education, teaching him the truth about justice."

"You did this to him, you made him a monster."

Ra's grabbed Batman and hold him in place.

"I made him into something greater than he ever was under you." He held Batman forward and pulled off his mask.

"End him, now. Sever your ties to your past and prove your loyalty to me." Ra's said as Jason came forward and raised his right pistol at Bruce's face.

Bruce looked into Jason's eyes as Jason hesitated.

He saw himself as a young boy approaching the Batmobile before he heard someone behind him.

He turned to see Batman standing there.

He saw himself in the bat cave training with Bruce.

He saw himself on the streets fighting crime beside Bruce, Barbara, Dick.

Ra's saw Jason hesitating.

"What are you waiting for?"

Bruce kept looking into Jason's eyes.

"Jason, I'm sorry."

Ra's saw a single tear come down from Jason's eye.

"Do it!" He screamed before Bruce heard a gunshot.

Ra's fell to the ground holding his side.

Bruce saw Jason come over and take a ring off Ra's hand.

He looked down at Bruce one more time before leaving the room.

Bruce felt the effects of the poison wear off before he rose up and saw Ra's bleeding out.

"Sir, sir are you alright."

"I'm fine Alfred."

"And master Todd."

"...He's gone." Moments later the door burst open as several Arkham guards came in.

They lowered their guns when they saw Batman.

"Wha the hell happened here?"

Batman picked up Ra's in his arms.

He looked over at the Joker who was no longer paralyzed.

He hesitated before looking over.

"You have an escaped prisoner." Batman said as he left.


Elsewhere Barbara was in her apartment, she had drank two glasses of voka trying to cope with what she saw.

Jason was alive, how was that even possible. What did it mean.

She then heard the door open and she nearly fainted when she saw who it was.

"Barbara." he said coming over to her and knelt in front of her.

"I never thought I'd see you're face again."

"Jason...How is this possible, what happened?" Barbara said almost tearing up.

"It doesn't matter Barbara, I'm here, but more than that I've seen the light. I know you want to see it too." Jason said taking her hand.

"Let me show you."

Several minutes later James Gordon walked towards the apartment and opened the door.

"Barbara I got that book you asked for." He said before he saw Barbara's chair flipped sideways and empty.

He dropped the book.

"Barbara!"


Elsewhere in the Batcave, Bruce was in front of a table with Ra's who was moaning in pain.

Alfred stood beside him.

"Jason?"

"He's gone."

"Will you look for him?"

"Eventually, Jason need to find himself before I find him."

Talia walked in.

"You said it was important beloved." Talia started before she saw Ra's and her eyes widened.

She went over.

"Jason shot him."

Ra's looked up at Talia who stared intensely down at him.

"Daughter."

"Talia, I know he wasn't a good father, but he's not going to make it. This is your last chance to find peace with him."

Talia left and came back with Damian in her arms.

"Damian." Ra's said reaching out to his grandson.

Talia gave a heavy look.

"You are a terrible father, and a monster. But you're still my father, and I forgive you." Talia said.

Ra's gave a somewhat relieved look before he passed.

Bruce looked at Talia who took a deep breath before closing her father's eyes.

"Where do you want him buried?" Bruce asked.

Talia took Damian from Alfred and waked away.

"Burry him, burn him, I don't care." She said.

Alfred went over to the computer.

"Sir we just received a message from commissioner Gordon, he says Barbara has been kidnapped."


Miles away in another location, Jason stood in front of a large pit of green liquid.

Behind him were two members of the league of assassins.

The two were chanting as Jason stood with his helmet taken off.

Moments later a naked woman came out of the pit and walked up to Jason.

He smiled at her as she put her arms around him.

"How does it feel to walk again."

"It feels like I've been reborn." Barbara said putting one of her hands on Jason's cheeks.

"I know the feeling my love." He said before the two kissed.

When Barbara withdrew two female league members placed a robe around Barbara.

Barbara felt like she had never felt before, she truly felt reborn.

She and Jason held hands as they walked to a massive chamber.

Jason held up his right hand which now had a ring on it.

"Kneel before Ra's Ah Ghul!" He shouted as thousands of assassins in the room and in the area outside the massive chamber all knelt and bowered their hands.