So, I've never been good at estimating these things but I'd say we're anywhere from 55% to 65% of the way through with the story. I've got most of the plan written out and I pretty much know how it's gonna end along with a big ass epilogue. Anyway, enjoy.
Chapter Twenty-Two - Demon
The hilt of a blade smacked Dick across the face. Ninjas. God he hated fighting ninjas. He flipped backward, he's glad to have shed the weight of the Bat-Suit. It hindered his mobility. This way of fighting - he missed it. It felt natural.
He pulled himself from his thoughts, moving to the side as a blade narrowly missing a blade to his throat. He threw his foot full force into the woman's stomach. She slid back, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Why have you come to here?"
Dick flicked his eyes around, "You guys really only have one person guarding the entrance?"
She scoffed, "I could kill you at any time."
Dick chuckled, "You'd be surprised how many tell me that on a daily basis." He shook his head, holding his hands up in a truce, "I'm here to see Ra's."
She narrowed her eyes, gripping both hands tighter around her sword. She shifted her body weight as she studied the man that stood before her, "There are few who know how to seek out the Head of the Demon. Even fewer who dare come alone." she raised a bit, nodding slightly, "You are brave."
Dick shrugged, "Or foolish."
"They are often one and the same." she raised her body and approached him slowly, her blade still firmly gripped in her hand, "Why have you come seeking the Demon?"
"To talk." he stated simply, his hands still still raised in the air. He felt the lighter utility belt shift against his hips, under a layer of his clothes. He was a Bat. He always came prepared.
The woman's face shifted into an expression of disgust, "The Demon does not talk to the likes of cretin such as yourself."
"Like me?" Dick questioned, a bit of a smirk playing at his lips.
"Outsider." she snarled.
"Ever heard of Batman?" he questioned, raising a brow, though he already knew the answer.
She nodded quickly, "Of course. The Dark Knight is the only man to ever fight the great Ra's al Ghul and live to tell the tale."
"I'm the new one."
"Dark Knight?" she scoffed, "There is no 'new' Dark Knight. He is but one man and one man alone."
Dick chuckled, "Right. That's what I've heard." he shook his head, "Batman is missing. So, in his absence I've taken over the role."
She glared daggers at him, looking deeply into his eyes, "And who are you to claim this honor?"
Dick's smirk returned, "His trusty ward, red and yellow costume, I fight just like him, he taught me everything he knows." he rose a brow, "Ring any bells?"
Her eyes widened, "The Boy Wonder," she said breathlessly.
"Bingo."
She shook her head, "This cannot be." she said more to herself than to him, she looked up at Dick and away from her inner thoughts, "You must come with me immediately."
It was odd, being back here. This dimly lit cave, which smelled of sweat and guano. It hadn't been so long ago since they were here, only a few weeks, but it felt so much different. So much had happened, they weren't the same as they were. Kid Flash lead the team down the long staircase of the Bat-Cave. None of the Titans had spoken to them since they learned of his betrayal. He just wordlessly lead them to where they needed to go.
Hell, none of them had hardly spoken at all. A thick tension was in the air and none of them cared to acknowledge it. Barbra Gordon and Alfred were waiting for them, Barbra typing away at the Bat-Computer and Alfred just stood their nervously wringing his hands together.
"We're here." Kid Flash announced in a grim tone as they came close to the pair.
Cyborg looked around the cave, almost like it was the first time he'd seen it, "Never thought we'd be back here so soon." he mumbled to herself.
Raven stayed quiet. She hadn't let out a peep since she'd gotten often off the phone with Alfred. One betrayal right after another. Maybe the Titans were cursed. Maybe she was cursed.
Beast Boy's eyes nervously flickered over to her, switching from her face down to her stomach. She shot a look that said all that it need to. Don't. Beast Boy nodded and swallowed his fear down into his stomach, trying to ignore what his heart was telling him.
Starfire hadn't said anything either, not since they'd left the Tower. She had just started to come out of her shell, she had just started to get over Dick's actions. She had really liked Wally, Raven silently cursed the ginger speedster in her head.
"Thank Goodness for you all, Teen Titans." Alfred bowed his head slightly.
"Is that name really appropriate anymore?" Cyborg questioned, "Just Titans is fine." he dismissed, shaking his head. He took a deep breath, "We're here to help."
Barbra turned around in her chair, her eyes went soft as she spotted Raven, "Hi Raven."
Raven knew that look. Pity. She'd seen too much of it recently, she hated it, "You're part of all of this?" she questioned. She'd had her suspicions, but now she knew for sure.
Barbra shrugged, "Since I was fifteen." she turned back around to the massive screen, "Original Batgirl, not to brag."
"Is it just me or did she just get really hot?" Beast Boy leaned over and whispered to Cyborg. Their leader looked over at the changeling and just gently shook his head.
Cyborg stepped forward, standing on the other side of Barbra, looking up at the computer screen. "Whatcha got for us?"
"Gotham's under attack." Barbra stated simply.
Beast Boy couldn't help but roll his eyes, "What else is new?" he muttered to himself.
"It's Bane. He's one of the Arkham escapees and one of Batman's most notorious villains." Barbra explained, flipping through a few pictures of an overly large man in a Luchador mask with three tubes of green tubes of liquid going into the back of his neck and both shoulder blades. "Superhuman strength like you wouldn't believe, but don't let the muscles fool you - he's smart."
There was a pause of silence that overtook the group. Finally, Starfire spoke, "Is this not a job for the Batman?" Starfire asked the question that was on all of their minds.
"Master Bruce is still missing," Alfred explained, "and Master Dick is out of Gotham."
"Justice League?" Cyborg questioned as he stroked his chin. He remembered hearing about this Bane guy - he broke Batman's back. He outsmarted and then beat the Bat. Sure, Batman didn't have Superpowers like them, but damn that isn't easy to do. Cyborg had no idea how they were gonna beat this guy.
"Either off world or otherwise occupied." Barbra explained, "We wouldn't have brought you guys back here if we had any other option... after what happened last time." she grimaced.
Another silence overtook them as they all remembered the Hell they went through, except for Raven. Her brow was furrowed as she was deep in thought, "Where is Dick?" it was the first time she'd said his name aloud in weeks.
"Himalayas." Kid Flash was the only one to answer. The team all turned and looked at him - of course he would know. He was the spy, after all. His face darkened, "He's hunting."
He looked young - his body didn't look older than maybe mid thirties. He wall tall, a few inches taller than Dick. He wore baggy green pants with black boots that had a golden trim, he wore only a green cape with no shirt underneath. His body was well defined, not a measurement of fat anywhere on his body. Dick was not deceived, he knew the better - the man that stood before him was nearly seven hundred years old.
Nothing about this creature was natural. The woman he loved was a thousand times more human than this Demon. He felt the rage bubbling inside of him, a raging fire stirring inside of him. He bit his bottom lip until it bled, he had to do everything in his power to stop from lunging at him at the very instant he laid eyes upon him.
He was the leader of the League of Assassins. He was the Head of the Demon. He was the man that had violated the Bat-Family and everything it stood for. He was Ra's al Ghul.
Dick could smell the acidic bubbling of the green pool that lied only a few dozen feet behind Ra's. The Lazarus Pit. The very instrument of Ra's immortality.
The ninja that had lead him to this inner sanctum fell to her knees. Bowing down in respect to the Head of the Demon. The entire room was filled with women warriors of the League of Assassins, just like the one he'd faced earlier. A familiar woman in tight black clothing and slender figure lurked in the darkness, just beyond Dick's field of view.
"What have you brought before me?" His voice crawled down Dick's spine. He was an infection. He was a sickness. He despised him. Though he forced himself to show no emotion. If he did, the only one visible would be the raging anger that built with every breath the Demon took.
"He claims he is the new Dark Knight." the woman answered, still bowing.
Ra's face recoiled, "Are you a fool?" he scoffed, "This man is obviously not the Detective." he growled, his neon green eyes flared with a rage.
The familiar woman stepped out of the shadows, her eyes locked with Dick's for a small while before switching to her father. Talia al Ghul. Dick knew her and Bruce had history. She'd always claimed to love him, but in the end she would always side with her father.
She stepped in front of her father, the only person in the world who could disrespect him to such a degree. He might've been a cold hearted monster of a man, but he valued his daughter unlike anything else in this world, "He is the Boy Wonder, father." she explained, "The original." she quickly added, stepping back to his side.
Ra's face turned up into a twisted grin, "Ah, yes, my apologies. It has been a long time, Boy Wonder." he took a step forward, but Dick stood his ground, "You've grown."
Dick was silent, the two of them locked in a battle of intense vicious eye contact.
The Demon rose a brow, "Have you come here for a reason or simply to gawk?"
"Answer my question." Dick's voice boomed, his anger lying just below the surface, "Did you bring my br... Did you bring Jason Todd back to life."
Ra's frowned, "I knew this day would come, although I did not expect you." he sighed, shaking his head slightly, "The pit has many powers. Resurrection is but one of them."
Dick panted as his rage was just about ready to burst. He needed to hear him say it out loud.
"I thought..." Ra's paused, "I thought that if I gave the Detective what he wanted most - to repair his greatest failure. Then, perhaps he would take my place." he explained, "As Head of the Demon."
"Say. It." Dick spat.
Ra's stared at him head on, "I brought Jason Todd back from the dead." he confirmed, "The pit, it had a stronger effect on his mind than I'd originally thought."
Dick ripped his jacket away. All he could see was red. There was only one thing that mattered, "Ra's al Ghul." he announced, his potent rage dripping from his vicious voice, "Prepare to die."
A sound of a thousand swords unsheathing themselves could be heard. Ra's held a fist up and his army paused. A smile stretched across the Demon's face.
Bane was larger than he looked in the pictures. He was stronger than they'd thought. He threw the taxi cab with one arm, it hurdled toward Cyborg and Starfire. Kid Flash sped through and moved them out of the way. Cyborg, his expression deeply concentrated in the heat of the battle, nodded. Bane stepped forward, laughing at the team, "This is easier than a street fight with a drunkard." his voice boomed in his thick accent.
Starfire flew in for a swift attack, but Bane just smacked her away like a fly. Kid Flash zipped over to her aid, but she just rose to her feet with a Tamerian rage in her eyes.
"This is not the fight I was promised." Bane growled, looking between the Titans, "Where is the Batman?" he demanded.
"Any ideas?" Cyborg questioned to Barbra over his comms system.
"Give me a few minutes." Barbra answered back.
Beast Boy rolled his eyes as he sprinted toward Bane, "Oh yeah, because getting smacked around is like my favorite thing to do. Top three for sure." he remarked into his comm as his body morphed into a massive T-Rex. He opened his jaw with massive rows of teeth and tried to take a bite out of the Luchador, but Bane held Beast Boy's jaws open with retaliative ease.
Bane threw Beast Boy back in the direction of the other Titans, he morphed back into his normal form, allowing Starfire to catch him in her arms. He groaned as he rubbed his sore jaws, "Anyone else wanna give it a go?"
Raven floated overhead, her dark magics pulsating in her hands and eyes, "Yes." she said in a monotone voice as she neared Bane. Beast Boy swallowed hard as he nervously watched her.
Raven raised a massive piece of rubble from the destruction over her head and slammed it down on Bane. It wasn't long before he popped back up above it with a grin on his face, "Finally. A challenge."
Raven gritted her teeth, chanting under her breath as she lifted him up in the air. He waved his arms around he began to rise, but suddenly he got a look of grit and determination. He turned up at dial on his wrist, "Down." he commanded. More of the green liquid pumped into his body, he grew in size and his muscles expanded greatly. Raven dropped him, unable to sustain the weight.
He slammed down into the road, cracking the pavement beneath his weight.
Cyborg widened his eyes, "Wait..." he muttered to himself, but reaching up and pressing the comms in his ear, "What's that stuff the tubes?" he questioned as he began to piece everything together.
"That's VENOM." she replied quickly, "Its like a super steroid. Bane uses to gain mass and strength."
Cyborg smiled, "If we disconnected those tubes," Cyborg began.
"He'd be just a regular man." Kid Flash finished, coming to the same realization.
Beast Boy joined in the conversation, "We can't even touch him!" he exclaimed, "How are we gonna get those things?"
Cyborg's smile turned into an expression of complete and utter determination, "We work together." he declared, "We've been going at this as individuals. It's time we put our heads together."
All four of the Titans looked up at Cyborg. They all looked up to him. He was their leader.
He nodded his head, "Okay..." he began, "KF." Cyborg looked toward the speedster, "You and Star are the only ones fast enough to get those tubes out before he has time to react." The Tamerian and Second Fastest Man Alive looked at each other, nodding.
Cyborg turned to Beast Boy, "Gar - do what you do best. Loud and obnoxious."
Beast Boy smirked, "Aye aye."
Cyborg turned to lastly Raven, "Rae - I'm gonna need you to smack that sonuva bitch with everything you got."
She said nothing only smirked and nodded.
Cyborg took one last look at everyone before smiling wide, "Alright. Titans Go!"
Kid Flash grabbed onto Starfire's waist before speeding off out of the Luchador's sight. Cyborg changed his hand into a massive cannon, firing at Bane. He sidestepped each one of the shots, but wasn't excepting the three tons of crumbling building that fell on his head. He broke through the top, brushing the dust off of his shoulders. Beast Boy charged in as a ram and smacked his horns right into the gut of Bane.
Bane grabbed the changeling and threw him into a building. He panted heavily as he growled at them, "Surely this isn't the best you can do!" he roared.
"We weren't trying to hurt you." Cyborg smirked, "Just puttin' on a show."
Bane widened his eyes as he heard the crackled and pop of a speedster's lightning from behind him. He whipped around, but it was too late. He felt the green liquid leak from his body as he slowly shrunk, he tried to speak but before he could he was completely drained and fell unconscious against the sight of their battle.
Their swords clanged together with the ferocity of a man trying to avenge his little brother. Dick growled as he threw his shoulder into Ra's chest. The head of the Demon rolled back and looked stunned at the former Boy Wonder. He'd expected their battle to be a slaughter.
"He's trained you well." Ra's complimented as he defended against another barrage of attacks from the first Robin.
Dick kicked out the Head of the Demon's knee, causing him to go tumbling to the ground. Dick gritted his teeth as he stood over him, kicking him square in the nose. "I was the one he chose." He spoke in a low growl, "The original side-kick. Not because he needed help or enjoyed the company." he continued as he kicked him again, "But because he needed to know the world would be safe when he leaves it." Dick threw his sword to the side and wrapped his hands around Ra's throat.
Ra's smiled, blood smeared across the white teeth.
"Fear me!" Dick demanded, "The blood of the Bat courses through my veins!"
"Do it..." Ra's said weakly, "Do what your father never could. Kill me and all shall be yours." Ra's almost begged.
Talia placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Dick whipped his head around to see the pitiful look on her face, "Richard."
He paused, how did she know his name?
"You do not want this. Bruce would not want this."
Dick turned back to his hands wrapped around the throat of Ra's al Ghul, right below his bloodied face. Dick released his hold, the pinkish purple marks around his neck would bruise. He looked down at the blood stained palms of his hands. What had he done? Dick thought back to everything that had happened, everyone around him was gone. Bruce. The Titans. Raven.
"What have I done...?" he whispered to himself.
"Weakling..." Ra's muttered through his damaged throat.
Talia shot a glance at her father, "Be grateful for your life." she demanded. She turned back to Dick, her eyes were soft once more.
She hesitated a moment, "I need your help."