Chapter 36: One True Heir, Part 1

Authors Note: Thank you all for your support and reviews once again. This is going to be a big final battle between Nyssa, Talia and Heretic. We find out who is really behind this war and who it is who really abducted Jake. This will be a long one, so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or the Justice League.

Shauna woke up with a pounding headache which soon healed thanks to her Adonis, but when she woke up, Nyssa and Talia were gone.

What really surprised her was when she saw Scarecrow, he was dead. His son had killed him when she was just a little girl. That was when she first met, Edward.

She looked up from the ground to see her mother standing above her. The older woman lowered her hand to her daughter in a helpful gesture. Shauna wanted to snap at her for choosing the wrong time to be a mother, but she swallowed her pride and accepted her hand.

"What happened," She asked. "Why aren't we tearing out our eyes and ears?"

"That would be your grandfather." Alexandra said as she nodded over to the old man sitting at the main computer. "Turns out he had a few capsules on the bat-belt and he filtered them through our air vents using the computer."

"Clever." Reaper coughed out. "But what happened in general, where is Ronin?"

"I'm here!" Everyone looked over to Ronin who was being examined by Apollo. She ran her hand scanners over his body and aside from some bruises there was no severe injuries.

Saika and Reaper walked over to their old friend when he started to get up from the medical. He narrowed his eyes at the couple.

"Don't treat me like a novice." Ronin snapped. Reaper held his hands up in defense and backed up as the warrior struggled to get off the table. "I have something to tell you all, where the siblings and that copy are, Scarecrow and even the real mastermind behind the war."

This was all getting more intriguing by the second. Shauna and her team approached her former mentor in stealth and listened to every word he had to say.

"I found one of Talia's men exiting the hospital the day that Jake was kidnapped." He started. "I followed him across Gotham when he was ambushed by Heretic and cut down by his magic sword. When he died, a woman appeared out of nowhere."

"A woman in a red dress?" Solar asked.

"Yes, she seems to be the one who supplied him with that sword."

"Why is that?" Ruvic asked.

"Because that sword absorbs souls with every life he takes." Everyone looked over at Grymm. "She gave that blade to Heretic, because with his bloodlust there would be no end to the amount of souls she could collect from him."

"She's right," Ronin said. "When they met, the first thing she did was raise her hand to the sword and a strange magic emitted from the blade and into her hand."

"What about Jake and Scarecrow and the rest of these assholes?" Shauna snapped, she was anxious at this point and wanted to find her brother as soon as possible.

"I was getting to that," Ronin said. "I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could see what they were doing. She opened up a portal, similar to the ones agents of Trigon use and I quickly followed them inside. When I was there I was in the middle of a meeting between Heretic, Omega, that man in the cloak and Scarecrow."

"Shit, so they are behind the war." Phoenix said.

"No, Ra's Al Ghul is."

Everyone felt a cold chill run down their spines, everyone who knew Ra's knew he was dead. Alexandra was informed that after Jayden had killed Ra's, he contaminated his blood with an altered dose of Adonis in order to prevent him from being resurrected by the Lazarus Pit. The only way to bring him back was by using some sort of dark magic, magic that could only come from Trigon.

There was more going on than the warriors realized. This went beyond a rivalry between siblings over leadership of a clan of forgotten warriors. This was about a dark god and his disciples.

"So, these mysterious strangers are involved with the League of Shadows?" Alexandra asked. "Interesting, Ra's must be very desperate."

"That would explain why, Scarecrow is alive as well." Reaper said.

"What about those two people that was with Scarecrow?" Shauna asked. "They looked familiar."

"Those two are known as Henry and Victoria Cobblepot." Ronin informed them. "They are the bastards of Oswald Cobblepot and they are sure as shit pissed at you and your brother."

"I'm almost surprised that weirdo even has children. Why would that woman want the help of a couple of nut jobs like those Cobblepot's?"

"I don't know, but it gets worse, I'm afraid." Ronin stated. "The woman is planning on moving Ra's soul into Jake's body and that is going to happen tonight at midnight in the catacombs of old Gotham."

"Midnight, that's only an hour from now!" Arctic shouted.

"That's why we have to move, now!" Ronin shouted before grabbing his gear and getting ready for war. Before Shauna could get ready, her mother had grabbed her by the hand and placed something in her palm. Shauna looked inside and she was surprised to see a ring. It was small and silver in the image of a demons head. It was simple, but she felt a heavy weight from the small trinket.

"What is this?" She asked.

"Your birthright."

(!)

Specter led the warriors to the old tunnel system of Wonder City. So far they were having no luck in finding Jake and from the looks of everything these tunnels haven't been explored in years.

Specter and Ronin were the best trackers in the Warriors, but they couldn't track down anyone without any trace. So, instead they would have to rely on their mystics to find, Jake.

Ruvic, Nemera and Grymm all in tuned with dark magic, bonded together and concentrated on anything in the area. The Lazarus Pit or Gymm's mother Lilith.

"Okay guys, focus." Ruvic said as he took his friends hands. The three of them linked hands and focused all of their energy together. They remained like this for a minute before the three of them picked up on a dark energy.

"There!" Grymm said. "In the center of the small town, there is a fountain just filled with that crap!"

"I feel it too," Ruvic said as he linked his mind up with the Gemini Twins. "Guys are you reading us?"

"Yes, the center of old Gotham." Shadow informed them. "We are moving in right now!"

"Leave Lilith to me!" Grymm snarled.

(!)

In the center of the Lazarus Pit, Jake was unconscious and surrounded by the waters of the Pit as Victoria knelt beside him, her cheek nuzzling his cheek.

"Hmm, are you sure we have to do this?" She sighed in lover's remorse. "He's so cute and heroic and you're going to replace him with Nosferatu over there?" He nodded over at a decaying, Ra's Al Ghul.

He was slouched on a small throne with a large slit running down the center of his chest from where his grandson had stabbed him. A red 'S' branded on his forehead was the only thing keeping him alive. Lilith placed a hand on the old man's shoulder and placed a gentle kiss on his head.

"Do not listen to her, my dear." She said in a soothing voice. "Once I transfer your soul into your great grandson you will feel the youth and power you have not felt in years."

"Just…hurry!" He growled in a whisper.

"Not yet, we just need to wait another ten minutes, until the full moon on the start of your Birthday, only then can you be reborn." Henry let out a scoff.

"You know those fools in the warriors will be here in a matter of minutes." He stated crudely. "We should have just ended them all right then and there."

"Calm yourself, child." Scarecrow voice whispered from behind Henry. The boy watched as the disfigured man limped his way around the pit. "With my new toxin they will be lost in their own nightmares for years to come."

"We would, if your toxin didn't suck so much."

Everyone looked up at the top of a nearby building to see Shadow and her warriors standing behind her. Ra's snarled at Crane's failure and ordered his men to kill them, but he stopped when he felt a sharp blade rest against his throat. He looked to his left and saw his own daughter holding the blade.

"You will release my grandson, now!" Talia sneered. "And after that you will forfeit the league of assassins to me."

Before anyone could respond, an arrow struck Ra's throne between father and daughter. The two looked ahead and both warriors felt anger when they were greeted by the presence of, Nyssa and Purple Archer.

"You will never have that legacy, it belongs to me!" She shouted. "You have had your chance and failed every time. This is my time to bring the League back into its prime!"

"And you are okay with that, Archer?" Damian snickered.

"I will not let her do as she pleases, but if she doesn't get the League then innocent blood will continue to spill." Archer grunted. "Even you have to see the sense in that."

"It's the only reason I am here, if my mother had other intentions then I would be the one to put the blade to her heart." Damian snickered.

"Damian…" Talia warned.

"You tried to replace me, mother." Damian snarled. "Don't try to sympathize with me after your warrior turned into a failure, oh I am sorry, another failure."

Heretic stepped before his creator and his bearer, drawing his magic sword.

"I will show you a failure and when I am through with you all I will take my League and use it to set this world on fire!" Heretic shouted as his blade glowed blue.

"Actually, none of you will ever have that right." Shadow interrupted in a smug tone. Everyone looked up at her, confused at what she was talking about. Ra's eyes were no longer as good as they were when he was alive, but he could see the ring on her right hand.

"The Demon's Band." He hissed.

"Yes, the one who wears this ring holds the right to lead the League." She said with authority. "My father killed the former head of the demon, making him the leader and before his death he made me the leader, therefore the league is mine."

"No!" Ra's snarled. He looked over to his men. "Kill her and bring me that ring!"

"You will all remain still, or you will suffer my wrath!" Shadow shouted as her veins glowed bright. Ra's men sheathed their blades and remained still, but it did not stop there. Soon, Talia and Nyssa's warriors sheathed their blades and looked towards their new leader.

"Sorry," Shadow giggled. "But these are my men now. This war stops now!"

Ra's was running out of time and patience at this point, so he made a bold move. He jumped up out of his throne and dove into the fountain next to, Jake.

"Lilith now is the time!" He shouted. "Cobblepot's, Crane, kill them!"

"With pleasure." The siblings chuckled.

Lilith was not going to let ancient codes and heritages keep her from doing her job. She raised her hands into the air and casted her magic upon the warriors accompanying Talia and Nyssa.

The sisters were shocked to see their men possessed and readied for battle.

Nyssa and Archer fought back their own men as Talia and Damian fended off their warriors as well. Shadow ordered her team to engage and save her brother. Black Mark and Vortex engaged in battle against Nyssa's men, being careful not to kill them.

The two made short work of them since Black Mark used her shield tattoos to cover herself in her armor and Vortex blew them away with her wind abilities. However, they had no such luck with Heretic.

His blade cut clean through Black Mark's armor, she went down and he easily overpowered, Vortex. Nightstrike leaped in and attacked Heretic. The two locked blades before Nightstrike nodded at Wolf to attack Heretic from behind.

He wrapped his arms around Heretic and sunk his teeth into his shoulders. Heretic let out a scream before grabbing Wolf by his big ears and throwing him over his shoulder and into Nightstrike. Both warriors fell back as Heretic grabbed his blade and leaped towards the two.

Gauntlet rushed in with his bow and blocked his attack.

"Remember me, asshole?" He chuckled before pulling back the bow string and firing a fire arrow at Heretic.

The arrow struck Heretic in his chest and knocked him back across the old town. Gauntlet nodded over at the Twins and they both used some nearby rebar to restrain the warrior in his place.

Solar and Arctic fought off the remaining warriors while Klaw and Skye rushed in to save Jake. The two were nearly there when Scarecrow appeared before the two and doused them both with his fear toxin.

"Don't worry it will only last until you kill your friends." Scarecrow chuckled.

The two started to scream and cry as their friends went over to help them. Solar reached out to grab Skye, but when his sister saw him, all she saw was a fiery demon reaching out with his demonic claw.

Skye panicked and fired a stream of lighting at him. Arctic leaped in and summoned an ice barrier between the two. Lighting and ice shards flew everywhere, before a large eagle flew in and swept the two off the ground with its giant talons.

The brothers were spinning out of control in the air as Klaw flew under Scarecrow's influence. Solar summoned a fire ball into the palm of his right hand and slammed it against Klaw's ankle.

Klaw let out a shriek and his grip released the two onto a nearby rooftop. The two landed hard, but they didn't have time to recover as Skye ran after them and blasted them with a gust of wind. It was Arctic's turn to counter the attack as he fired and ice blast at her hands.

The ice welded her hands together and canceled her blast. Solar rushed in and struck her across the face with the butt of his gun, knocking her out cold. Klaw flew back around and this time he transformed back into his human form, drawing his sword and his tomahawk.

He leaped in and brought his tomahawk down on Arctic, but he blocked with his ice blade. He didn't dare to use his death blade on his friend one tiny cut and he would be as good as dead.

Solar had both of his swords ready and he leaped in and attacked Klaw. Klaw swiped his sword at Solar, missing his face by a few inches. Solar brought his blade down on Klaw and the two locked blades.

Arctic took this opportunity to attack Klaw. Klaw threw his tomahawk at Arctic, but his friend deflected it with his sword before striking him in the back of the head knocking him out as well. Solar caught his friend before he fell and looked up at his brother.

"You think they will be okay?" He asked his brother.

"Maybe, but my glider won't." Arctic turned around and showed his brother the shredded back of his outfit. Solar let out a chuckle.

"Eh, we'll make you a new one." He shrugged.

Shadow and Grymm tried to make their way to Jake, but the Cobblepot kids made their job a bit difficult. Victoria drew her sword from her umbrella while Henry fired his flamethrower. Grymm deflected the flames with her magic, but it was only a distraction as the young boy pounced on the girl and tried to sink his teeth into her neck.

"What is wrong with you!?" Grymm shouted at the boy who was currently snapping his teeth at her neck. He didn't answer and he quickly balled his flipper into a fist and slammed it against her face.

Grymm gasped in pain before unleashing her power on the boy. He flew back in a red hue before collapsing on the ground, conscious but paralyzed. Grymm paid him no mind and she quickly turned her attention to Lilith.

The woman smiled and waved her over with her index finger, beckoning for her to come to her. Grymm, losing her temper, flew towards Lilith with as much magic as she could conjure into her fist.

Lilith shook her head in disappointment and with a simple wave of her hand she blasted her back with her magic. Lilith enjoyed the sight of her daughter's defeat, but it was short lived when she felt a chapped hand wrap around her ankle.

"Please…now!" Ra's begged, Lilith nodded and started to perform the ceremony.

Victoria swiped her sword at Shadow and she deflected the blade as best as she could, but with her speed and Joker trying to gain control, Shadow was not favoring in this fight.

"Sorry, love." Victoria giggled. "But your little brother will be my little birdie."

"With an eight hundred year old man possessing him," Joker giggled through Shadow's lips. "But hey, she is a gay girl who is engaged to a former sex slave so who is she to judge?"

"What?" Victoria asked.

Instead of answering, Shadow charged up a burst of energy and blasted Victoria in the chest. The girl fell to the ground unconscious and Shadow finally made her way to Jake, but she was too late.

Lilith had turned the pit from green to red as dark magic casted around them. Ruvic summoned his Wendigo and ordered it to stop the ritual, but it just started twitching and going out of control.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He shouted at his creation. The monster could only shriek in pain before returning to its master.

Shadow could only watch as the magic died down, leaving Ra's and Jake in an empty fountain. Shadow was afraid to see her brother's body rise up first. He didn't even struggle as he stood up. Ra's was treating this like a nap and he had just woken up ready to take on the world.

Jake looked over at Shadow and smiled.

"Hey, Shauna." He said so casually it almost made her break down into tears.

"You monster." He snarled.

"Hmm, oh no, no, no." He chuckled while waving his hands erratically. "Ra's is not inside of me, he is still in his body. The ritual failed."

"How is this possible?" Ra's whispered before slowly turning his head to Lilith. "You gave your word that this would work."

"It should have worked." Lilith said. She was genuinely confused. She had done this ritual twice and the results were always remarkable. "It was like there was an interference of some sort, but no one even came close to the fountain."

"Because, there is already a soul lingering inside of him."

Everyone tensed when they heard that voice, Ruvic especially.

The men from before had once again appeared out of nowhere, and they were now standing beside Lilith. Omega had the Cobblepot kids over each of his shoulders. The man himself, stood before Jake. His cane stomped on the ground before Jake and the gem on top glowed dimly.

"Sometimes, when someone loves someone so much a piece of them actually breaks off and attaches itself to the ones they love when they die." The man explained. "My father always said you were gifted, but even I had doubted that you were this talented."

"What?" Jake snapped. The orb on the man's cane glowed and Jake felt pain all throughout his body. "What's happening?"

"That day he died, Vandal Savage had absorbed his power granted to him from Trigon, but that was only his demon half, his human half broke off and latched on to you." The man stated. "That is why Al-Athar was born in that clone and this is why Cyrus couldn't find his soul, he has been here all along, Jayden's soul is within you, Jake."

This came to a shock to everyone who knew Jayden as well as Jake and Shadow. Jake couldn't believe this. Then again maybe he could. That would explain his powers and his recent change in behavior. Jayden had bonded with his son.

"Why do you want him, who the hell are you?" Jake grunted out. The man only snickered at his enemy's weakened state.

"I am a man who prefers to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven. I am the fire that will purge the world of sin and lead a new world into the light. I am Isaac Baron, the one true heir of Trigon!"

Isaac removed his sword from his cane and pointed the blade at Jake. Shadow readied herself to fight him, but Omega had used his heat vision to fend them off. Isaac looked up at Omega and nodded before turning back to Jake.

"Shadow, with your soul and your power I will become the god this world needs, unlock my restraints and purge this world as you always desired!"

The blade made its way closer to Jake's chest and he was helpless to stop, Isaac. It was over for him, no one could save him this time. Even though it was brief, Jake had learned everything about his great grandfather in that one moment.

He learned about his full proof plan in inheriting his body in order to murder Shauna and his mother, so he could inherit the company and rule Gotham. He learned about all the pain and misery he had suffered and caused in his long lifetime as head of the demon.

He also learned what a stubborn, rude and neglectful asshole his father was.

But what he had learned from his great grandfather was how his father never let his inner demons take control over his actions. He heard his father's voice call out to him for the first time in years.

"Sparrow!"

Jake's eyes glowed white as a sword appeared in his right hand. He swiped the blade across Isaac's sword causing the tyrant to fall back.

"You can boast your bullshit all you want." He grunted. "But there is no way you're using my father for your false god!"

Shadow and Ruvic leaped down next to him as did Solar, Arctic, Conduit, Gauntlet, Nemera and Archer.

Isaac could only laugh as he saw them all band together in a feeble attempt to stop him. He only held up two fingers.

"Two minutes is all I can spare."

To be continued…