A Heavenly Nightmare

I do not own any characters except for Malak.

The story and original characters belong to DC.

M for Mature: Hallucinating, violent scenes ahead, as well as some minor sexual content.

Chapter 2: Endure

When the man had been brought to the compound, he was retrofitted a breathing mask to help keep the pain he endured while in the hole away. The mask had built in cartridges of pain killers in aerosol form. Slowly over time, a balance was found and he began to function properly.

The man's training had been excruciating, but he quickly rose among the ranks of his fellow initiates, for he had found his purpose once again.

The man he knew as Ra's Al Ghul, but to the League of Shadows, he was The Demon's Head, had saved his life by pulling him out of the hell hole. He was the father of the girl—now named Talia—he had saved almost 15 years ago. His fury had settled, the guilt dissipated after he was reunited with Talia, and even grew close to her.

She never knew his name, for he had abandoned it in the prison when he was rescued. Talia renamed him Zirar, which meant "fierce warrior". She said it was fitting for him and he accepted it proudly.

But it was one day, when Ra's had called for him, that everything changed.

"How long has it been my friend?"

"10 years Sir."

"10 years..." Ra's reflected with reverence. "Almost half your life, correct?"

He nodded.

"I will tell you that I will be forever grateful for you selflessly saving my daughter."

"Thank—"

"But, I can't have "one who brings harm" in my ranks. Especially so close to my daughter."

Zirar was confused. "I'm sorry?" He would never imagine harming Talia.

"I have someone I wish you to meet. Do you know of the purple flowers we use for our weapon?"

"I do."

"We will need to gather more as our new recruits come."

"Understood. Where can I find them?"

Ra's walked to the desk, opened a small chest, and plucked out a weathered map.

"Follow this. Let the fire of Chaos rise...Find her. And answer her one question."

"Who? What question?"

"You will see."

As he climbed the treacherous snowy mountains, he came upon a frozen lake. The air was calm, the sun was soft in the sky. It had taken him 10 days to reach the summit.

How was such a delicate flower supposed to grow up here?

A blinking light came from the other side of the lake. He glanced at the map once more, and was instantly relieved when the chart depicted a jewel shining in the mountain side. As he grew closer, he saw a small opening to a cave. As he climbed inside, he opened his pack and brought out a flashlight.

The pathway wound back and forth, both narrow and large caverns as he passed through them. It was pleasantly warm inside, as he shredded his wintery layers of clothes.

"Hello?"

Nothing but echoes of his own voice answered him, and he came upon a deep aquatic pool at what looked like the end of the cave's journey. Glancing around, he growled loudly. "Fuck!"

No flowers, no woman. Nothing...

He noticed a smooth slab of rock at the edge of the water. It almost looked like a kneeling pad for prayer. As he glanced closer, there was something etched into the stone:

Say her name.

He panicked. Ra's never mentioned her name. All he gave him was—

He pulled the map back out and searched. There was no clue on either side. Nothing written besides the trail up the mountain. The shining rock—

He passed the light of the flashlight over the drawing of the jewel in the mountain. There was something there. Placing the torch under the bottom side, the light shown through the delicate paper, and he saw the watermark and the hidden message.

She will be revealed in the absence of light.

"The fuck does that mean?"

Then it hit him. He knelt down into the smooth rock, turned off the flashlight, and he waited in absolute dark. From underneath the water, a soft blue light glowed. Another also shined through from the other side of the pool into what looked like another walkway.

When he looked closer, he saw the lights were aquatic bioluminescent plants, but they grew in a specific pattern. And that pattern, was a name.

MALAK AL MAWETH

As he read it out loud, the plants went dark suddenly, as if a light had been switched off. Quickly retrieving his flashlight, he panned it around.

"Hello?"

As he stood up, the chill of panic rose up his spine. The kind one felt when they weren't alone anymore, and whom—or what—ever it was, was not friendly.

He prepped himself for a fight.

"You should not have come." A feminine astral voice echoed. He panned the light around, trying to find her.

"I was sent by The Demon's Head to find you."

"Ra's has tricked you, Zirar." She knew his name.

"How?"

"He sent you here to die."

"Why would he do that? I saved his daughter."

"Even a gratitude debt such as that cannot hold back the guilt he feels."

"What guilt? Show yourself."

A woman that was just shorter than him, appeared in front of him. Her hair was reddish purple haze, semi wavy as it dangled out of the hood she wore. Her eyes were chestnut brown. When he lowered the light, he swore her face changed to almost a skeletal one.

"I am the one you seek. My name is Malak."

"I was told you have the flowers we need, and a question as well."

She smiled her seemingly marred lips. "Yes. I do."

"What is it?"

She held up a flower, the purple flower, which seemingly glowed in the dark.

"What is it you fear most?"

As she held it out to him it was clear: he was meant to take the flower. Weary of its way consumption, he glanced at her.

"What will this do to me?"

She smiled softly. "Have you not seen it's effect on your comrades?"

"I've only heard stories."

"It shows us our darkest nightmares. Our worst fears." Malak then glanced at his mask. "Do you accept this gift to embrace chaos in its raw form?"

"I do." He said with no hesitation.

She smiled, crushed the flower in her hand. When she opened her hand it was a powder, and gently she blew it into his face.

The walls of reality collapsed. Tremors vibrated his body. Malak shimmered in and out of his conscience. Suddenly, Talia blurred into view.

"Talia." He whimpered. "Why are you here?" Her gentle smile calmed his core.

"My friend, you are embracing your darkest moment." He felt her hands come down in him. Slowly down to his waist. She quickly and silently undid his pants, and climbed on top of him.

"Talia—Ahh..." His protest was cut off by her core enveloping his member. As she slowly rocked her hips, her moans became apparent, his massive hands gripped her hips, encouraging the friction of life between them. "Zirar...Become the light, ignite the fire in your soul—" Her face contorted into anguish as dark fluid flowed out of her mouth.

"What is happening?" But when he looked down, he saw his hands gripped a blade... that was plunged into her stomach. "No!"

He withdrew the knife as she fell to her side before him, her look of shock and betrayal froze on her face. He crumbled next to her.

"No no no. Please Talia!" Suddenly, she was pulled away by an invisible force.

"Stay strong." Talia's warped voice came through.

He startled awake, his breath heaving as best as it could. He glanced around the dark cave. He was alone.

Did this all happen in his head?

"I am here..." His head whipped to his right towards the voice. "You have overcome your fears."

"That...wasn't real?"

"Talia is very much alive." As he slowly shook off the effects of the flower, he looked at her. Her genuine smile put him at ease as she gently caressed his face, mask included.

"I would choose a new name for you."

"I'd accept it."

"Welcome to the new world, Bane. For you shall be the destroyer and rebuilder of worlds. Such as the a wild fire rises through a forest, it creates a new path for rebirth."

With that he gathered himself and carried out with him his new name: Bane.