A/N: I am desperately trying to update this on here but with updating in on Lunaescence, I keep forgetting about it on here. I have a link to my Lunaescence account on my account page if you would like to go there and read it.
Reviews are so much appreciated.
Oh, and a special shout out to QueenVamp and Sally Fantastic for being my only reviewers so far. Your reviews are so appreciated. Thank you~
[1]: Grandfather
[2]: "Grandfather...forgive me."
[3]: "Stop it now."
[4]: "I love you."
[5]: "And I love you."
[6]: Grandfather and grandmother
[7]: The snow/furry hats
Resurrection
The Training
Until the time of your final test, which, if you pass, will make you one of us, my daughter, Talia, will head your training. The Batman is aware of your presence and if you were to go missing, it would rouse his suspicions and he could possibly disrupt my plans for his so-called kingdom. Therefore, she will remain in Gotham and you will not use your abilities until you have become an assassin. The Batman must not know of her presence or your training. Severe punishment will be dealt if you are caught breaking these instructions. I will be stopping by at periodic points to analyze your progress. If I deem you unworthy to continue, you will be disposed of. Our existence must kept what it is: a secret.
Anastasia squinted at the apartment building before glancing back down at the piece of paper clutched in her hand, making sure that she had arrived at the right place and at the right time. It might have been the threat Ra's al Ghul had given her, but she was sure punctuality was a necessary for this whole situation.
When she walked inside the building, a duffle bag full of workout gear, the man at the front desk gave her a wary glance when she gave the alias Talia was using when asked who she wanted to see, but called the room. Being given the go ahead, she was shuffled into the elevator and instructed to go to the top floor.
The doors to the elevator opened and she was met with darkness. The windows had been covered with something to keep out as much light as possible and it worked. It was obviously some kind of test–maybe for Talia to get a scope of her skills–so she had no choice but to step out of the safety of the elevator and into the line of fire.
Anastasia paused and cupped her hands, letting a flame flicker to life in her palms. It lit up the room and she glanced around just in time to see a darkness-shrouded figure coming at her. Her arms automatically went up to protect herself and the flame died out while she was sent sprawling to the ground, her cheek throbbing from where she had been punched.
"If you cannot defend yourself even with your abilities then there is much work ahead of us." An accented voice commented.
The teenager couldn't agree more.
"Where have you been? Do you know how late it is? You have school tomorrow, don't you?" Anastasia was bombarded with questions as soon as she walked through the front door.
Her gaze narrowed in suspicion at her mother. "I've been at the library doing a little bit of homework. It isn't like you really care, though. Who was it, huh? A social worker or was it grandfather?"
The older woman fidgeted in nervousness. "Why can't I just want to talk to you? We haven't talked since…" She looked away for a moment and sniffled before glancing back at the ground. "Nikolai called and wanted to talk to you. It might be a little early in Moscow, but he said for you to go ahead and call as soon as you got back."
Anastasia shrugged and took the phone her mother clutched before walking back into her room. She dialed the number and held the phone against her ear, tapping her foot on the floor while she waited for the other end to pick up.
"My Anastasia," her grandfather greeted her.
"Good morning, ded." She replied with a smile. [1]
The old man sighed over the other end. "It would be so much better if my darling granddaughter was here to share it with me. Your poor grandmother has been under the weather as of late. Her grief still hangs in the air."
"Ded…prosti menya…" She whispered with a trembling lower lip. [2]
"Ostanovit' yego seychas. You should not take the blame for what happened to that child. That city…it does something to people. It is no place to raise children. You have the strongest blood in our lineage. You are a fighter. That poor child, she should have never been born." [3]
Tears stung at the corners of her eyes and she shook her head. "How can you say that about her? Karina kept me grounded, kept me from being…"
"When your mother was with child, she could not completely keep off the poison and it was predicted that your sister would not live. Then, the child was born early, and it was said she would die. As you know, this was not the case." He explained.
"Then that should prove Karina is–" she cringed, "was a fighter."
"No. Karina's life and death is proof that she was never meant for this world." A moment of tenseness passed between someone spoke in the background on the other end and he sighed. "Your grandmother is in need of me. We will talk later. Think of which school break would be best for you to come to Russia and visit with us."
Anastasia hadn't noticed she had been holding her breath until she let it out in a loud sigh. "Okay," she murmured. "Ya lyublyu tebya." [4]
"I ya lyublyu tebya." [5]
While she was vigorously searching through her textbook for the answers of the in-class assignment, something pressed against the middle of her thigh and she hissed in pain from the bruise there being prodded. She glanced over at Dick, who looked intently at her bruise before glancing up at her with a hard stare.
"What happened there?" He inquired though his tone said he already knew where it came from.
If Bruce had told his ward about her issues with home–which she doubted since he seemed like a man of his word–Dick's assumption would still be wrong considering this particular bruise had come from training with Talia. When it came to her father, her face was where he would focus on and it was usually only a single time because he could keep his family quiet, but not people who noticed bruises on children.
"There was some scuffle between some brothers I was babysitting and I got hit in the process." Anastasia shrugged before her gaze narrowed at him. "Pay attention to the work you're supposed to be doing."
"And what about you?" He retorted to which she raised a brow. "Why are you so intent on the school calendar anyway?"
She looked around the classroom that was starting to get louder with chatter. She moved her desk a little closer to his and showed him the school calendar where she drew circles around all the breaks. "I'm looking at the breaks we have. I'm still not used to the schedule here."
"Are you already that sick of me?" Dick feigned hurt and pouted.
"Listen here, princess," she rolled her eyes while smiling slightly, "I need to know because I'm going to Russia on one of them. I'll probably go during the winter break…or maybe spring break?" She hummed in thought.
"Your family can afford a trip–" the teenager stopped and she could have sworn she saw his cheeks darken. "Uh, I didn't mean to offend you–"
Anastasia shrugged and her smile widened. "No. I understand why you would be confused about it. Don't get all embarrassed or anything." She teased. "Ded is the head of a really big company–they dabble in a little bit of everything from what he's told me. Babushka wants to see me as much as possible and they pay for my occasional trips. Oh, ded and babushka are Russian for–" [6]
"Grandfather and grandmother," her lips pursed and he laughed. "Bruce is big on the whole being multilingual. Plus, it might not be Russian like certain people, but you should know that I'm part Romany and proud."
Anastasia blinked in surprise. "A gypsy? And they call me the trash," she teased while nudging his arm. "I'm just kidding. I like the exotic." She purred.
"And I like your vodka and bears and ushankas." [7]
"Well at least I have ideas for birthday presents now."
"It has only been two weeks, but you are improving quickly." Talia commented while escorting Anastasia over to the couch in her penthouse apartment. "I am pleased and I'm sure my father will be as well when I tell him of your progress."
"Surviving means adapting," the younger replied while accepting a cup of tea from a servant, "also, I've been told that I'm a fighter. I guess that's what's been helping me so far."
Talia absentmindedly sipped her tea and nodded before she placed it back on the tray the servant held. "My father tells me that you are a metahuman, but he didn't go into details about what your abilities are. I saw a glimpse of them. Explain them in detail to me." The brunette ordered.
Anastasia cleared her throat. "I can manipulate the basic elements–fire, water, air, and earth–and different…um, versions of them." Talia raised an eyebrow and the teenager wracked her brain for another explanation. "Metal has some earth in it. It might be diluted, but it's there. That's what I mean."
"You can do this with ease?"
"The basic elements are a lot easier than the diluted ones. And, to be honest, I could probably use a lot more practice with the basic elements, too."
"As my father said before, you are not to use your abilities–not while you are in Gotham. In the future, if you are accepted as a member of the league, then someone will train you to further these abilities–my father, most likely, since he has a vast knowledge. You should know, if you pass, you will become the bodyguard of my father and myself."
Anastasia's gaze narrowed. "Do you really think that the people in the league will appreciate me coming in and becoming your bodyguard even though I haven't been doing this that long?"
"Our underlings do not question our judgment. You should learn this, too." She paused and then continued. "You will be the first metahuman–should you pass–to be a part of the league. After a certain point, you will become an assassin, but you will have more power than the rest of us, even me."
"What about Ra's al Ghul?" Anastasia asked with her lips pursed. "Does he have any kind of powers?"
"No. Father has the Lazarus Pit. It is, essentially, a rejuvenating pool. It gives him eternal life. It is why he has lived over six-hundred years. In this time, he has gained knowledge and you could not defeat him were you to rise against us."
The teenager tried to take this all in while keeping her mouth from opening and gaping at the fact that a man was over six-hundred, but then she remembered that she was a metahuman–she needed to look up that word sometime–and was it really that hard for her to believe?
"What was it that brought you to my father? Rather, what did he see in you that made him offer you the deal to become an assassin of the league?"
"My baby sister was…murdered." Gaze moving to her lap, she clutched the cup of tea tighter. "And ever since then, I've been angry at this whole city because she's been killed and no one has done anything about it. No one cares. There's so much wrong with this city and Batman and Robin can only do so much about it."
"You are not going to become a vigilante." Talia explained with a hard stare. "You are to become an assassin. Do you understand this, Anastasia?"
"Yes, mistress."
Talia smirked–and it was very familiar to her father's, Anastasia noted. "You are learning. Good." She stood up from the couch. "When you talk about the future, you keep assuming that you will pass your final challenge."
"There's no assuming about it, mistress Talia. It's a definite."
