After going through all the content in this story I felt there was no way I could continue to justify a T rating. So I have upped the rating to M. Not because it's heavy on language or sexual content but because it is strong on bloody violence. Hope that's okay with everyone.
News of the attack made its way to all the news channels. Falcone's death alongside all his men, the death of the monster, and the one who killed the beast, Batgirl. For Barbara, knowing she took a life was eating her alive like a tick on a dog. Yes she was put in a kill or be killed situation, the monster was not going to stop until he killed her, but it's not like that monster was the first thing that tried to kill her. Joker, Black mask, hell even Harley had all tried to kill he at some point in her life and she had managed to subdue them without killing them. So why couldn't she had done the same with this beast?
"Don't continue to beat yourself up over this Ms. Gordon?"
"I killed a person Alfred!" Barbara yelled "Yes that thing was a monster but it was once human, it was a living thing."
"And you was put in a situation where you had no choice, there was no stopping that thing."
"Bruce has a code, and that code is never to kill, and I broke it. There could have been another way."
"Ms. Gordon has your father ever had to kill before?"
"What… What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
"As Police Commissioner your father has a duty to protect the citizens of Gotham same as you. And to uphold the law. Your father would never kill unless put in a situation where there was no other option. Your father's a great man, but there has been times that even he had to take a life in order to save others."
"And each time they tore him apart," Barbara countered. "He would come home each night for about a month and just stare at his bedroom wall with his lights off and just sob, knowing he broke a family apart each time he had to kill someone in the line of duty."
"But each time he knew he made the right decision no matter the consequence. So did you. That monster, he was going to kill again, and again. You made a choice, and like it or not you have to accept it and move on. Hugo is still out there making more of those things. You might not have been able to save that one, but you can save the others. And that starts by finding Hugo, and putting a end to this madness."
On another side of Gotham Robin and Catwoman was watching the report on the attack. As Robin watched and listened he knew Batgirl would not be ready for what was waiting for her. She needed their assistant, rather she admitted it or not.
"We got to let her in on Ra's," Robin replied.
"Why? So she can try to arrest both of us again?" Catwoman smarted off.
"Look, I know the two of you don't really trust each other, but if what you are saying is true than the only way to stop Ra's and Hugo from releasing that hellish army is working with Batgirl."
"And what makes you think she is even going to want to listen?"
"The League of Shadows, plus a army of blood thirsty monsters, she'll listen."
Barbara was back at her apartment thinking over what Alfred told her when she saw the Bat signal go off. She really wasn't in the mood to do any hero duty at this moment, she was still upset over the conclusion of her last battle. But she put on that cowl for a reason, and that reason was to protect Gotham in Batman's absent. And that Bat signal was the call signal for whenever the Bat was needed. So with a sigh she put on her cape and cowl and grappled over to the rooftop of GCPD to answer the call.
She expected to be greeted by her father, only to be taken by surprise to see Robin and Catwoman standing there.
"I know that you don't really trust us…" Robin started to reply.
"Look I'm not really in the mood to deal with a Robin Cosplayer and a fugitive right now." Batgirl interrupted disgusted. "So you've really caught me at a bad time."
"We've got news on Hugo," Robin continued. "We know hes working with someone."
Batgirl folded her arms and glared at Robin, letting him know that he had her attention.
Robin continued. "Hugo was hired by the League of Shadows. The head of the demons Ra's Al Ghul heard of his past experiments and hired him to destroy Gotham
"Past? He's done these things before in other cities?"
"And under different aliases which is why his records are all falsified. He always made his escape before the cops could arrest him but Ra's Al Ghul had the league track him down. They are here in Gotham, and I think I might know where to find them." Robin handed her a piece of paper with the address of the suspected location. "You don't have to do this alone. We are here to help."
Batgirl looked at the address for a second then turned to face Robin. "I won't be alone." Batgirl then jumped off the roof and glided away, leaving Robin and Catwoman confused.
"Well," Catwoman spoke up in sarcasm "That went well."
Jim was working late in his office again when he heard Batgirl work her way in.
"Batgirl? What are you doing here?" Jim asked.
"Ra's Al Ghul!"
"Come again?"
"Hugo Strange, the monsters, their all connected to Ra's Al Ghul. He hired Strange to create those things."
Jim paused then leaned back into his chair and rubbed his temple. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse. Ra's Al Ghul, the League of Shadows, they are the most dangerous terrorists on the planet. If they are the masterminds behind this…?"
"They are."
"Then we got to stop them immediately."
Jim wasted no time calling every GCPD officer on the force, due to Batman's many battles with Ra's Al Ghul they all knew how deadly the League of Shadows was, and they all prepared for them, many wearing riot gear to protect themselves as much as possible from the league's arsenal.
The GCPD was hoping to ambush them, but with none of them knowing Talia's connection, Talia was able to sneak off the morning before the raid and warn her father.
"They are coming!" Talia warned, Ra's back was turned to her, and he stared at the Lazarus pit as Talia warned him. "Commissioner Gordon knows about the league's involvement, and are coming for us."
Ra's kept his back to her, but turned his head to look at her. "Do they know of your involvement?"ui
"No father, my cover is still intact, for now."
"Good, keep it that way. When you arrive with the GCPD, keep up the act, make it believable, I will inform the rest of the league to go easy on you. I won't say the same for the rest of them. Keep up the good work my daughter."
Talia bowed to her father and walked away. When Talia was gone Ra's turned to one of his assassins, "Prepare the others, we are about to have some unwelcomed visitors."
"Are you sure this is the place?" Talia asked Batgirl as she led the officers to the location, a abandoned underground Subway station, that was once the main train station in Gotham but after years of wear and tear and poor maintenance had since been shutdown. This made it the perfect location for the league of assassins to do their biddings, as well as stay hidden.
"This is where my informant told me they were located."
"Your informant? The Robin?"
"I'm not the most trusting of him either right now but he wouldn't come to me with something like this unless he was sure about it."
"You better be right," Talia sighed, keeping in character the best she could. She wasn't happy that their cover had been blown to soon, but at the same time, if they could wipe out the GCPD and Batgirl at same time, there was no stopping them from destroying Gotham.
"Ready yourselves," Jim replied as everyone took out their weapons. "Permission to use lethal force, once we get inside all hell is going to break loose! We shut the league down Hugo will have no place to run and his operation will be shut down!"
"We're ready," Batgirl replied.
"Now!"
The GCPD marched in guns in hand and their fingers resting on the trigger. As they marched inside they saw Ra's with his back to them, his arms folded behind his back, his posture calm. Not that it mattered to Jim.
"It's over Ra's, on the ground!"
Ra's slowly turned to face the commissioner, a small smile on his face. "Good morning Commissioner, I must say that I am actually glad you are here."
"Save me the flattery, on the ground. Your little regime is finished."
Ra's just let out a chuckle, "Commissioner I don't know if you are aware of it but I have been alive for hundreds of years, I have evaded capture from the most heroic figures in history. And even if one did manage to kill me I have always came back thanks to pits like the one you see behind me. You think your little threat means anything to me? Even if you do kill me, the league and everything it stands for will continue without me. But right now I would worry about yourself right now.
Hundreds of assassins showed up in a puff of smoke and surrounded the officers and Batgirl.
"How did you…?"
"Oh Commissioner you think I would be caught off guard? I have eyes everywhere, the question is do you?" Ra's turned to his assassins, "Let's give our guests a welcome."
The assassins charged the GCPD, one swung her sword at Batgirl causing her to instantly dodge out of the way and grab her wrists, knocking the sword out of the assassins hand. She then landed a punch the assassins face knocking her out, before taking out three batarangs.
"What are you planning to do with those?" Talia asked as she fired her weapons at the assassins, making sure to either narrowly miss or give them just a flesh wound, to make it look real.
"Going to disarm as many as I can."
"You really think that will make them stand down?"
"No, but it will even the playing field a bit." She then chunked the bataranges at three assassins, hitting them in the wrists and knocking the swords out of their hands. She then lunged at the assassins tackling one to the ground and knocking her over the head hard enough to knock her out. She then turned to a male assassin and kicked him in the face, she then grabbed him and wrapped her arm around his neck, putting him in a headlock before she slammed him into the ground, she then delivered her foot into another male assassins chest before leaping in the air and landing her foot to his face.
She turned around and saw her father dealing with one assassin, unaware of the one sneaking up behind him with a sword. Taking out a batarange she throw the batarange at the female assassin, hitting her in the back and making her fall to the floor.
The noise behind him caught Jim's attention and he turned around to see the assassin laying on the floor.
"Thanks," Jim replied. Batgirl nodded but suddenly Jim pulled out his gun and fired behind Batgirl, striking a assassin that was coming at Batgirl from behind. Batgirl turned to see the assassin on the floor and nodded at Jim.
"We're even."
Batgirl saw Ra's watching the whole thing from a balcony, grappling up to his position she threw a fist at Ra's only for him to block it
"Oh please Barbara didn't you learn anything studying Bruce's techniques?"
Batgirl paused at the mention of her name.
"Yes Miss Gordon I know, the same way I know Bruce is Batman. I've been around for hundreds of years, you think I wouldn't pick up some detective skills on my own. Your father gets arrested for a crime he didn't commit and then you all of a sudden rise to the scene. To the public it might just seem like someone picking up in Batman's footsteps, but I know better. I knew it had to be someone close enough to Jim who would go to great lengths to prove his innocents, lengths Batman couldn't take because he was gone. That left only one person Miss Gordon, you!"
Batgirl screamed and delivered a kick to Ra's face. Ra's fell backwards and rubbed his bloody chin.
"You can't stop it Miss Gordon, it has already begun, Strange has his army complete."
"Where is he!?" Batgirl growled, picking Ra's up by the collar."
"Oh I'm sure you know where the place is considering it was once owned by your boss. You know the old tech lab on the south side of Gotham. You'll find your target their. Along with your best friend who he has hostage and will experiment on next.
"No!" Batgirl gasped. "Harley?"
"Oh yes, this is the cost of getting dragged into this lifestyle Miss Gordon! But lucky for you I am a honorable man, I'll even help you reach her in time." Ra's spoke into a earpiece to the other assassins. "Fall back."
Suddenly the league of shadows disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving the surviving GCPD officers confused.
"Clock's ticking Miss Gordon!" Suddenly Ra's dropped a smoke pellet of his own and disappeared.
Batgirl glided down to the floor level and marched towards the exits.
"Hugo's at the old Wayne Tech lab. I'm going after him."
"We're coming with you," Jim replied.
"No, Your focus needs to be tracking down the league. I'm going after Hugo."
"Who are you to tell the police what to do?" Talia replied sternly.
"Officer Tate!" Jim shot back, Talia instantly went quite as Jim turned toward Batgirl. "We will see what we can do." Only Batgirl was gone by the time Jim turned around. "Huh? She does that too."
Talia got a call from her father on her earpiece, Ra's talked soft enough so nobody could hear her.
"Follow her, it's time she meets the real you."
"I understand." Talia whispered back. Patting her pocket where a dagger laid hidden in it's sheath, Talia smiled to herself. This was a meeting she was dying to have.
Oh man next chapter is going to be a doozy, you are not going to want to miss it.