Chapter 85: Negotiations
Upon their arrival to Tibet, the Justice League had quickly traveled to one of the villages at the base of the Himalayas — the one closest to the main entrance of Nanda Parbat, and the one closest to the alleged sightings of Malcolm Merlyn. They settled in at a cozy inn, splitting up between three rooms, and then settled into Oliver and Laurel's room for one last overview of the plan.
"Are you sure we can't come with you?" Jefferson asked, more than a little uncomfortable with the idea of splitting up.
Kara shook her head. "The League does not like outsiders. And while we technically fall under that prerogative, our previous records mean that Ra's will not reject an audience with us, or kill us after it's over, as long as it is just us. But if he were to find out that we told others of the League's existence…" She let the question hang in the air, allowing everyone else to fill in the blanks for themselves.
"But with no weapons either?" That did not sound wise.
"No visible weapons," Oliver corrected him, flicking down his sleeve to reveal rows of fletchettes. Barry and Kara mirrored him, revealing knives that hid on their person as well.
Mari crossed her arms. "I'm with Jefferson. This doesn't sound right. What if he decides to reject your plea and kill you instead? You'll need backup to fight your way out."
"He won't kill us," Barry said confidently. "We're too useful to him right now. We might have bungled up with Merlyn, but that's the only failure we have on our record, and if you four catch him then it's easily remedied. That being said, we may have to hand Merlyn off to him for League justice in exchange."
"The public aren't going to like that," Laurel pointed out.
"Amanda will just fake his death and make it sound extra painful so it seems like he got his justice served," Oliver said, though there was a tinge of bitterness to his words. While he knew Merlyn would suffer either way, he'd rather the bastard rot in prison for the rest of his life with everything he worked for in shambles. Sure, Ra's would torture him, but he'd still die, and death, Oliver had come to learn, was simply just release from the mortal plane. It would be freedom from the suffering Merlyn so richly deserved.
"So you three will go to Nanda Parbat and request Ra's' help in eliminating Talia and the League of Shadows, while the rest of us search the vicinity for Merlyn," J'onn summed up for everyone. Upon nods of assent, he sighed. "Very well then. Let's get to work."
While the former assassins started their ascent up the Himalayas, everyone else started the search for Merlyn. Jefferson and Mari posed as couple of tourists, trying to experience what life was like when one actually lived at the Himalayas. J'onn had transformed into one of the locals, and was skulking around the more exclusive areas to see if Merlyn was hidden there.
Laurel, meanwhile, posed as a researcher, taking measure of the mountain itself for an exclusive research project that she couldn't divulge publicly. Of course, there was no research project, but it provided ample cover in case anyone asked questions. Her actual job was to see if Merlyn had skipped out on civilization entirely and had himself somewhere in the wild, near the base of the mountain. Perhaps in a hidden cave of some sort.
Quite frankly, Laurel thought it was a bit of a long shot, but still went with it anyway. With the recent revelations about Merlyn, particularly the part about him being a former member of the League of Assassins, she was forced to admit that the idea wasn't entirely circumspect. She had seen the scars on Oliver's body, and knew that Merlyn had gone under similar training to endure such pain. He was made of hardier stock than the rich and powerful CEO the world knew him to be. It was entirely possible he could survive life in the wilds here if he was desperate enough.
As Laurel ruminated her thoughts, something odd caught her eye. Movement. Merlyn, perhaps? She turned her head and saw… Tommy?
She shook her head and when she looked again the vision was gone. Was that really Tommy? Tommy had been gone from Starling City for the past three months, and no one knew where he went. Oliver and Laurel, however, had hoped he would return home eventually. Why was he here? Was he really here? She remembered her talk about him being at risk for Ra's al Ghul's twisted version of justice, and a pit formed in her stomach, but she squashed it out. It was just lingering worry over Oliver's words.
It probably wasn't Tommy. Just a hallucination of some kind, perhaps due to the cold.
They had taken one of the quicker paths to the fortress, which allowed them to be spotted earlier. Thankfully, the sentry had been one of Oliver's students — he had recognized them immediately, and upon their request for an audience with Ra's, had guided them up the path with little protest.
Upon their arrival to the main entrance, they were met with stares. While there were probably a small number of newly-inducted assassins and even more recruits, the vast majority of the current occupants of Nanda Parbat were contemporaries and even students of the three of them. Even with the recent invasion, it was very unlikely that number had dropped. Ra's al Ghul had notoriously high standards and was very strict about them. The death of a League assassin, even a minor one, was a rare event.
Yet, an even more rare event was an assassin released from their vow, let alone three of the most gifted assassins to have ever graced Nanda Parbat's halls. And even rarer than that, was a return of such an assassin to this ancient land. Those who were not aware of Oliver, Barry, and Kara's identities were quickly informed, and they were met with more than one gaze of subdued awe. Ra's tried his best to suppress the emotions of his assassins, but emotion was an integral part of the human condition. He was rarely ever completely successful.
The sentry left them at the entrance to the main atrium, where Nyssa awaited them. Unlike during her time in Starling City, here she made no reaction to their presence, aside from the slightest hint of worry in her eyes. She cared for them, yes, but this was Nanda Parbat, the headquarters of the League of Assassins. Here, she could not be their friend Nyssa Raatko. No, here she was Nyssa al Ghul, Heir to the Demon. If she showed even a hint of weakness, it would bode ill for her own eventual reign as the Demon's Head.
"He's been waiting for you," she told them, before turning away, silently ordering them to follow her. They did so without question.
Upon entering the atrium and spotting Ra's facing away from them and gazing down at the Lazarus Pit, Nyssa moved to stand to his right, hands clasped in front of her stomach and eyes looking straight ahead. Her three guests, meanwhile, fell to one knee — Oliver in the center, Barry to his right and Kara to his left. All three also bowed their heads in a deferential manner, not daring to so much as even breathe. This was their master, the man who made them what they were today. They knew their place.
"I am glad to know that the last two years have not made you rusty on proper etiquette," Ra's' deep voice rolled over them in a calm and neutral manner. "Stand."
The three of them complied with the order, careful not to look at him directly and make eye contact. It was important they gave him his due respect. It would be the only way to get his help with Talia.
"Why have you returned?" Ra's asked. There was no curiosity or urgency in his tone, but they knew it was not a question. It was a demand.
"There was recently an attempt on a friend of mine two days hence, master," Barry explained, speaking with no emotion. It was as if none of them had ever left Nanda Parbat. "The assailant was dressed in League garb."
"And so you come here for an explanation?"
"No, master. We know you did not send the assassin. He was weak and incompetent, unable to complete a well-planned assassination on a moderately dangerous target, even when she was completely unaware of his presence. In addition to that, when I subdued him, he killed himself with cyanide instead of a vial of League poison."
"A feint," Ra's concluded, "Sent so you would blame us. An attempt to instigate a war between the League of Assassins and the Justice League. I assume you already have an idea of who is responsible."
"Yes, master," Kara spoke up. "Talia."
Immediately, the air grew colder. Talia was a name rarely whispered in Nanda Parbat, for fear of angering the Demon's Head. His errant daughter had always been a sore spot for him, even if he rarely ever showed it. "Explain."
"As you are no doubt aware," Oliver began, "Al Sa-Her recently escaped from his prison transport with the help of unknown mercenaries. While we were able to locate and capture them, Al Sa-Her was not present with them and their leader committed suicide before we could interrogate him. However, recent reports have indicated that he's been sighted near the vicinity of Nanda Parbat."
Ra's' eyes narrowed. "You believe Talia is hiding him within my own land?"
"If anyone could, master, it would be her," Oliver said, knowing he was risking sounding insolent. "For that reason, we request your help in subduing Talia and wiping out the League of Shadows."
"And why should I do that?" Ra's demanded coldly. "Al Sa-Her was your responsibility. I left his fate in your hands because I was assured that you, my best assassins, would deal with him properly. Instead, you handed him off to the incompetent authorities of your country and acted surprised when my daughter so easily ripped him away from their clutches. If anything, I should strike all three of you down right now for becoming so soft."
"Master—"
"Do not bother, Al Sah-him. It is you I am disappointed in the most. Saraab has always had her compassion, as much as she tried to hide it, and Al Sa'iqa is as arrogant as he is brilliant. But you, Al Sah-him, you were always the most pragmatic of all three of you. More than that, you more than anyone else had reason to see justice to Al Sa-Her done, and you squandered it for the sake of public opinion. Why should I help you, when you wasted your original chance so foolishly?"
"Because we can help you locate Talia's mole within the League."
Silence once again invaded the halls. This time not even Nyssa could mask the surprise she felt. Kara was the same, and even Ra's raised his eyebrows at the statement. Only Barry remained unperturbed; no doubt he had reached the same conclusion as Oliver.
"You believe Talia managed to embed a spy here?"
Oliver flared his nostrils, but showed no anger. "It is the only thing that makes sense, master. The assassination attempt required information that only the League of Assassins and A.R.G.U.S. had, and A.R.G.U.S. has far more to lose by killing her than the League does. And as we have established before, the League cannot be responsible either because, while the assassin sent was aware of Al Sa'iqa's true identity, and had movements similar to that of the League, he was far too sloppy and unskilled to be a true member. That leaves the Shadows as those responsible, and the only way they could have such information in their grasp is if they had a spy. And while Talia could have had a spy in A.R.G.U.S…"
"… she has far more to gain by embedding a spy here, at Nanda Parbat," Ra's finished gravely, before smirking. "As cunning and clever as ever, Al Sah-him. I am glad that you haven't grown completely soft."
Oliver nodded once but said nothing more.
"Tell me, why did you not use force to try and commit us to your cause?"
"Because we respect you, master," Kara claimed, "And because we know it wouldn't work."
Ra's hummed. "I see. You're aware of our precautions, then?"
"We've always been aware, master. We know you keep a cache of Kryptonite for your own use, we know about the meta-dampeners—"
"And the red sun-lamp generators, I presume?"
Immediately, everyone fell into ready stances at the sound of that unfamiliar voice. It could not be one of Ra's' assassins — none of his soldiers would ever be so foolish as to interrupt him while he was in the midst of an audience.
At the entrance of the atrium, a Middle Eastern woman with more than a passing resemblance to Nyssa appeared, carrying a bloodied sword. She was trailed by several assassins, each wearing all-black versions of the League's uniform. Immediately, all three superheroes realized her identity.
Talia al Ghul.
Before they could even think to engage, more forces poured out from other parts of the atrium. From the secret passageways built into Nanda Parbat over the many thousands of years, passageways that had been lost over the course of time. It was said, by those that knew her, that Talia had spent much of her youth trying discover all the secrets of the ancient fortress. None were sure if she succeeded, but if anything else, she had made quite a bit of progress.
A standoff ensued, as all five of Talia's enemies closed in on each other, preparing for chaos to erupt. Ra's already had his sword, as had Nyssa, while Barry had taken out two knives and was holding them at the ready. Kara had taken out a knife of her own, while Oliver rolled up his sleeves, revealing the fletchettes he had worn on his person.
"Hello father, sister," Talia spoke with dark amusement. "Aren't you going to welcome me home?"
Laurel sighed as she filed into the inn, more than a little downtrodden. Despite her efforts, she had not been able to locate anything pointing to Merlyn's location. It seemed he had not made himself scarce in the wilderness after all. Or, if he did, he had been good enough in covering his tracks that Laurel had been unable to locate him.
She spotted Jefferson and Mari sequestered in a corner of the lobby, with another unfamiliar person that she assumed was J'onn. It would raise more than one question if a local was too chummy with what were clearly tourists. Laurel quickly went to join them, noticing the similarly disappointed looks on their faces.
"No luck either?" she asked knowingly, sitting down next to J'onn. The others shook their heads.
"Are we even sure he's still here?" Jefferson asked quietly, careful not to attract any outward attention. "If I were him, I'd just keep moving, never staying in one place for too long. The guy is one of the most wanted men on the planet right now. No place in the world is safe for him."
"Maybe," Laurel conceded, "But this is a hard place to hide in. He's a white man among Tibetans, and the weather alone would slow him down, force him to find shelter for the particularly bad storms. If he was sighted here only a day ago, then he couldn't have gotten far, especially with the… place in the mountain so close by." Oliver had warned them not to mention Nanda Parbat in public. "He would have to move far more slowly and carefully in order to not attract their attention either."
"Well, if that's the case then he's doing a really good job," Mari grumbled unhappily. "Nobody we've spoken to has seen him hide or heard of him."
Laurel opened her mouth to suggest a new strategy, only for the lights to go out and blanket the entire building in darkness. Shocked cries rang out, only to be abruptly silenced, followed by the sound of dropping bodies. When the light finally came to, the Leaguers were shocked to find that everyone else in the lobby were now laid out on the floor, completely prone and with darts sticking out of their necks.
They quickly went into fighting stances, especially when four others dropped from the ceiling. One look had them tensing even further. During the mission briefing, their teammates had shown them images of the uniforms for both the League of Assassins and the League of Shadows. However, they were also warned of the possibility of subterfuge, and to stay on their guard for both just in case.
"Who are you?" Laurel demanded, preparing herself for battle.
The assassin in the front tilted their head, then removed their headdress. It was a young woman of Italian descent, with long black hair. Laurel couldn't help but freeze slightly — she knew who this woman was. After all, her father had dominated Starling City's news for years until he was killed soon after Oliver's return to the city by the Hood.
"Helena Bertinelli?"
"Helena Bertinelli is dead. My name is Walesyadh, or Huntress if that is too difficult for you to pronounce," the former mafia princess claimed. "You are Ta-er Al Safir, the Canary, student of Nyssa al Ghul, Heir to the Demon."
Laurel dropped her stance in shock, and she could sense the others behind her doing the same.
"I am sorry for our entrance, but there is no more time to waste. We need your help."
"What for?" Laurel asked, voice breathy and scared. If assassins were asking for their help, it couldn't be for anything good.
Huntress looked at her dead in the eye. "Nanda Parbat is under attack. And if you want your friends to live, all of you must come with me to help save it."
After over seventy chapters, Helena has finally returned to the story, and boy did she do it with the splash. We're reaching the climax of Act II everyone, and next chapter Talia's plan will finally be explained.
On the plus side, I'm finally getting a hang of writing for this story again. This chapter was much meatier than what I've been writing for the last few, and I'm so happy. I'm finally getting out of my rut!
In another news, I haven't seen Justice League Dark: Apokalips War yet, but I spoiled myself, and now I'm glad I didn't. Quick warning everyone - this is a depressing movie. It is not for the faint of heart.
Please comment or review, flames will be ignored, constructive criticism welcome, and don't forget to update the TV Tropes page!