Chapter 10

"I must applaud you for your efforts, detective."

"You've gone too far, Ra's."

Ra's looked at Batgirl, and said "She was only meant to bring you here. Talia put her on the conveyer belt over there."

"But father, that would…"

"Do it."

Talia picked up Batgirl, who struggled against her binds, Batgirl wanted deeply to tell Batman to forget about her and just stop Ra's, Talia, placed Batgirl laying down on the conveyer belt.

"MMPH! MMPH!"

"Let her go, Ra's. She has nothing to do with this."

"She will be either your key to salvation or your ultimate defeat in our little game, detective."

"Murder is not a game."

"Become my heir, detective, I'll let the girl live. If you don't, she'll die."

Batman looked at the conveyer belt that Batgirl was put on. He noticed that Batgirl would be cut into pieces if she reached the end, but there was a long way to go before that.

"I can defeat you and save her at the same time. I've turned down your offer before, and I'll do it again, Ra's."

"Very well detective." Ra's pressed a button on his chair, and two swords popped out in front of Batman, Ra's walked over and took one, he motioned for Batman to take the other, he did so. The conveyer belt begun to send Batgirl to her doom, who was struggling and letting out muffled shouts all at the same time. Batman and Ra's clashed swords, Batman let out a kick to Ra's stomach, he fell to the ground. Ra's got up and attacked Batman with a fury of sword swipes, Batman blocked them all, Ra's gave a kick to the stomach, and advanced on Batman, it looked as if it was over, but with a quick trip, Ra's was on the ground and Batman was back on his feet, he pointed the sword to Ra's throat, but Ra's pulled out the switch.

"If I die, so does this planet, detective."

Batman stopped in horror.

"Thanks to you detective, this world shall die and true peace will reign, all because of you detective. But you have a choice, detective, you can save the world or lose the closest thing you have to a daughter."

Batgirl was nearing the shredders, she was screaming to no end. Batman was faced with the biggest dilemma of his life, if he should save Batgirl, the world shall perish, if he saved the world he would lose the closest thing he had to a daughter.

'Make your choice detective."

Talia watched somewhat nervous. Batman thought the situation intently, but then he remembered, the device could only be triggered if someone at Wayne Enterprises activated it. Batman ran towards the conveyer belt, stopped it and saved Batgirl in the nick of time.

"You've made your choice detective." Ra's said as he pressed the button, but he found it clicked uselessly.

"What is this? What have you done detective?"

"Do you think I would just let it fall into the wrong hands, there's a computer that could activate it, but we never armed it."

"But how was I able to make those waves detective?"

"That it can do on its own, but it's only a minor worry."

"I see, detective, I've underestimated you once again."  

"Ra's, do you believe your intentions are noble?"

"Why yes, I do."

"Killing innocent people, creating a barren lifeless world, is THAT what you kill meaningful?!" Batman let out at Ra's with all anger he could muster. "You nearly killed Batgirl. Now Ra's, you'll die, you won't cheat it one more time."

Ra's smiled at this.

"Ah, detective, I know you could never kill an enemy, no matter how much you detest them. Face it detective; despite your attempts to rebuild your family, they can never fill the void of your parents."

Batgirl's eyes glared with the anger.

"What would you do if you ever met the man who killed your parents, detective? Would you kill him or bring him to justice?"

Batman didn't say anything; he stood there with rage, ready to pounce on Ra's. Then he did, he charged with all his might, but then Ra's knocked the sword out of his hand, and Ra's sword went through Batman's arm.

Batgirl and Talia's went wide with shock. Batgirl wanted to free herself from her ropes and go help Batman, but she just wasn't strong enough.

"Br----no!" she shouted through her gag.

"Father, why…."

"It was either him or me, goodbye detective."

Ra's prepared to deliver the death blow, but Batman was quick to react, and head butted Ra's, knocking him back. Ra's hit the wall, he failed to see that another sword had been placed there, it fell, impaled Ra's in the stomach, Ra's fell to the ground, Ubu had managed to get himself untied came into the room, Talia ran over to her father, Ubu ran over as well.

"Is he…?" began Talia.

"No, we must take him to the Lazarus Pit; it's now the only thing that can save him."

"I see." Talia turned to Batman.

"Untie her, we have no more use for her, get out of here I shall self-detonate our base. Until next time, beloved"

Talia, and Ubu, carrying Ra's disappeared into the shadows,  Batman ran over to Batgirl, picked her up with her one hand, at first she let out a few muffled yells of surprised, but resigned. Batman ran towards the exit, hoping that Ra's men would evacuate as well. He got in the Batboat, turned on the engine, set it to auto-pilot. Batman set Batgirl on his lap, took the gag off and threw it in the back seat, and began untying her hands.

"Bruce, thanks." she said.

Batman untied the ropes around her waist; Batgirl proceeded to untying the ropes around her thighs and ankles herself.

Batgirl looked at Batman, unable to think of anything to say.

"Bruce, I…"

"There's no need to say anything else."

"Well, I tell you what for the next few days I'm going to relax. I've been washed ashore by a huge wave, been bound and gagged a few times, had to roam Ra's island butt naked, and then had to wait to be rescued by you."

Batman pressed a switch on the control panel and said;

"Alfred, get an examination table ready for Batgirl."

"Right away, sir."

"Bruce, why do I need to…?"


"Because I said so, you've been through a lot of we're going to make sure you'll be alright."

Later, at the Batcave, Barbara was lying down on a table; naked while Alfred checked her health stats.  Bruce looked on at the side of her bed, with his shirt off and his arm taped up.

"As far as I can tell Ms. Gordon, you'll make a full recovery. If you'll excuse me, I believe I have other duties"

As Alfred left the room, Barbara looked to Bruce.

"Bruce, what Ra's said about your new family, us. Do you really think that?"

Bruce narrowed his eyes and said "To be honest Barbara, I don't know. That one night, the night I heard that gunshot, it nearly destroyed me, corrupted me. All because of one man, I don't know what I'd do if I find that man. I have been trying to find myself a family, you, Tim, Alfred and Dick. But I may never feel the same. I feel someday the essence of Batman will take me completely."

Barbara said nothing, but grabbed his hand and said, "Don't worry Bruce, we'll never let that happen, you've got a family, and we'll never leave you."

Barbara smiled at Bruce, who couldn't resist smiling back.

The End