I missed him. I missed how he would sit next to me. Always silent, but always a comforting presence. The only family I truly have left. My precious daughter was not able to return to me. Not even with the power of the pits did she find her way back. Only her son. My grandson. He was the only the one that came back to me, but not everything of him came back to me. Just his body and soul. His mind completely wiped off his past. At first, I had thought this was a gift given to me by some higher power. Considering that my daughter was not able to come back, the least I could have would be for my grandson to be given a second chance to be raised without memories of his father or his mother's transgressions, but with time I realized he was still affected by a past he did not remember. Anytime I would try to bring him to his mother's side, he would recoil from her. Flinching from her form. Her cruel actions still instilling that instinctive fear for him. I thought better than telling him about his father. What if he got the notion in his head to go back to him. To return to the father that had damaged our relationship so much, but I suppose in the end it did not matter.
Damian had taken his chance to abandon his rights to the league and instead chose to live amongst the filth. I would have allowed him to do so if he did not venture too close the Bat himself. I know the second that the detective saw him, the war would start again. And I was tired of this war. It had caused me so much more than what I was willing to give at the point. I had given up my wife's life. Sons. and when it came to my daughter turning on me and by her hand my grandson's life. I knew then that this war needed to be reevaluated. Something had gone wrong and there was no clear goal from here. I started the league of shadows to make sure that this world would have a bright future and had given it my very soul, but it cost the unwilling soul of my grandson. It was time to rethink what my next move will be. First, though, I must have Damian back by my side. I wish to know what it was that caused him to flee from me. From the life, he was meant for. This was my legacy and I was handing it over to him with all the training and skill I could give to him. And he turned away from it. Refused the power the position would give him and chose to live on the bottom of the worlds boot.
Regardless, I will have the final component of the game back beside me and will finally be able to figure out what to do next.
Stepping away from the still form I started my treck back up to the main hall of the base. The sound of waves and the scent of the sea greeted me as I finally made it outside. My men were already standing guard around the helicopter that had landed. They were starting to form a break in their line for me to see Deathstroke and his captive. My grandson.
"Packaged delivered," Deathstroke said as he unceremoniously tossed Damian to the ground about a foot away from me. The boy crumbled to the ground with his head down. His overgrown hair covering most of his face. His clothes were rumpled and dirtied. They would need to be discarded immediately.
"Your payment will be in your offshore account, as promised." I stepped forward and leaned down to grab a hold of Damian's arm. He flinched from the initial contact but did nothing else to stop me from hoisting him back up to his feet and standing in front of me. Taking in his state, I saw the blood the had crusted over and darkened his paled skin. The lack of a round face that had come to associate with his childish face. It had become lean and his stature as well had now reached my mid-chest, rather than how he was only at my waist before.
"Good, nice doing business." and with the blasted mercenary went back to the helicopter and started it up again. It was a relief seeing the man leave. I didn't want him near for the rest of this game. Within the next 12 hours, this base will be in the sea and with it, all of the failures that had occurred will be forgotten.
"Come Damian. It's time for goodbyes and preparations." I placed my hand on his shoulder and nudged him forward. He took a step forward and looked forward. Marching forward on my orders. Still such a good little soldier.
Jerold had talked and it was one of the many miracles we seemed to have gotten today. Once we had an idea of where to look first, we didn't need to sift through the hundreds of possible hideouts. After that, we found the base almost immediately. I could have hugged Tim for being able to pull that info from the kid, but I was too preoccupied getting ready for the fight about to happen.
Red Hood and Batman were already armed and waiting for me on the plane and once I was situated we all took off to the base. That was 30 minutes ago. I could already see the island. The plan was that we dive under the base and sneak in through an escape hatch for the excess water that spills on. We go in, I and Bruce go get Damian while Tim and Jason set charges around the base to take it down. That should send a message to Rha's about messing with us.
Then we take Damian back home and have him sit down and explain to him who we are and why we love him so much. And maybe get some ice cream.
"We're here. Get ready." Batman ordered and we all stood up. Ready to jump down.
I jumped first and landed with a small splash into the small moat. I ran ahead of the group and kept a lookout while the rest caught up. Together we ran through the tunnels. Keeping our presence hidden while we navigated the underground tunnels.
"Wait." Batman halted us. He pointed up to a hatch that was above our heads. Batman reached up and unhooked the hatched and peaked through. He held up 3 fingers. Telling us there were 3 guards up there. Batman swung his body up and I followed suit. I climbed through the beams and just like the old days, Batman and I dropped down on the three guards. Taking them out silently. Hood and Red Robin ran up to us. We looked between the hallways.
We needed to split up now. Batman pulled up the map on his holopad and pointed to the opposite side of a hallway. Indicating for Hood and red robin to move out. They nodded and took off to set the bombs up. Batman turned to me and we continued forward. Taking out guards that were unfortunate enough to get in our way. We needed to get an idea where they would be keeping Damian if we wanted to get off the base soon.
"Batman," I whispered. He paused and looked at me. "We need a better idea of where we are going." he nodded and motioned for me to go down a different hallway. We would split up to make this quicker. I nodded and took off down the hallway. There was hardly any guards down this way, and now that I thought about it, there were not nearly enough guards for a place that This would be.
I pressed my back against the wall and listened. This was too easy. Where was everyone? I hope we didn't go on bad information after all. I swear if don't go home today with a little brother in my arms, someone was going to pay.
I threw myself down another hallway and was greeted with a hallway littered with bodies of guards. The walls were torn apart and paint chipped and stained with blood. Oh god. What happened here?
Tiptoeing through the disaster, I saw a door ajar at the end of the hallway. I paused and sent a pulse indicator to Bruce of where I was. In case this turned out to more of a shit scene and I needed backup. On a brighter note, this explained where all the guards had gone. They were on the floor, and the walls, and the...ceiling? Jesus Christ.
Crouching down, I looked through the crack in the door and saw some kind of bright red glow that seemed to be moving around the room. I nudged the door open a bit with my foot. The room was just as destroyed as the hallway was.
"Hnnnggg…" The sound of grunting caught my ear. I nudged the door some more and saw Rha's was lying on the floor with what I could only guess was Talia on top of him. He teeth bared and snapping at his throat. The only thing keeping her from completing her current goal was the blade of a sword Rha's was pushing against her.
"Talia, stop this! For yours and your son's sake. Snap out of this!" Damian? I pushed against the door, slamming it against the wall. The crack of wood hitting wood caught both of their attention and Talia sprung up and dashed towards me. I took out my escrimas and aimed it at her head. Here comes some justified payback for all the shit she put this family through.
I slammed it against her skull and that should have put her down, but she just screamed at me and spun around again at me and swiped her hand at me. I dodged and rolled away from her.
"Talia! Stop!" Rha's pleads did not work on her. I took a step back and pulled myself up. I was ready for another frontal attack, she instead made a hard left on me and went for a closed door on the other side of the room that I hadn't noticed in my quick entry. She banged and racked her fingers down the door. The door took all the punishment, but it was starting to crumble under viciousness.
"Talia! You must stop!" Rha's yelled as he ran forward and tried to pry her away from the door. The red glow was strongest behind this door and I had another feeling that Damian was behind this door as well. Instincts told me to run in and just grab Damian, but with Rha's barely able to hold back Talia, she would come after us immediately. God damn it. Where is Bruce?
Ok, first thing first. Deal with Talia. I needed to put her down. Then Rha's.
Talia was now clawing at her father's face and Rha's was desperately trying to overpower her and flip her over to restrain her. I took my chance and turned my sticks on stun and swung them down as hard as I could on her again. This time both her and Rha's were hit with a bolt of electricity and were sent into a short shock where Talia went down. She fell to the ground, trying to take in the air, but her body refused to cooperate. Her body was shot and if she didn't snap out of her trance, her body would give out on her and she would die. Again.
Rha's was not doing much better. He had taken a knee, propping himself up with his sword at the same time trying to hold Talia up. He wasn't down for the count, but with any luck, Bruce would be stepping through that door anytime now and Damian will be in my arms. I left them and went to the locked door. Talia had done enough damage to it that all I had to do I lean my weight against it before it popped opened and the flood of red spilled out. The whole room was cast in the glow and it centered from this shard that was resting on Damian's chest. Damian was restrained by his wrist. Keeping him on a short leash to the floor. He was peacefully resting though. I went forward and started to pick the locks. The heat from the crystal though was overpowering and from the smell, it must have to burn into his skin at this point. I grabbed the shard, but it started to burn through my suite. I dropped it on the ground, being sure it was away from Damian.
I got him uncuffed and picked him up. He let out a sound distress and I felt my chest tighten from the small whimper. It was almost over. I promise.
I walked out of the room to see that Bruce was finally on scene and was watching Talia as she tried to get back up. She was reaching for us in the room. Or at least that's what it seemed like. I moved away from the room and towards Bruce, but she didn't even pay attention to us. She kept trying to move towards the room that still glowed red. The shard?
"Bruce," I called out to him, but he was already starting to move to the room. He went in and bent down to the shard, but he too dropped it from its heat. He bent down again and scooped it into a metal container. It didn't glow through, but it must have been making it hot because Bruce put it on his belt instead of holding it. Walking back towards us, Talia tried to crawl towards us, but the final blow was too much for what I now realize is her malnourished body. What have they been doing down to her here? Whatever it was, we had to leave.
"Batman, you don't understand. He needs to stay. This is where he belongs." Bruce didn't respond. Just indicating for me to hand him over to him. I hesitated but reasoned that I would be able to hold him on the way back home. I handed him carefully over, being sure not to jostle the burn on his chest. Bruce held Damian in his arms. Deftly shifting him to one arm and gently brushing his bangs out of his face. Bruce only took a moment for himself though. Already carrying our boy out of the room.
"This place will be sinking in less than 20 minutes." and with that Bruce was out of the room and steadily walking out of the base. It was time to go home.