A/N: As I just apologized on Lunaescence, I am terribly sorry for not updating sooner. There is going to be something big revealed in this chapter. Also, I describe Anastasia physically for the first time in this chapter. At first, I wanted to leave it to the imagination of the reader, but I kept getting this mental image of her and caved into writing it.
I hope all of you enjoy this chapter.
Resurrection
The Figurative Hostage
Anastasia was silent against the mat while a blade was pressed against her throat. There was a hum of contemplation from the man hovering over her and the blade dug deeper into her skin but she remained unmoving. Her gaze trailed from his bare chest up to his mouth but never moved past that point. Though the actions were small, she knew that he noticed them. It was to show both he and his daughter that she was learning, growing.
"You are still weak, Miss Azarova." Ra's al Ghul commented while he stood up from his crouched position. "Though not as weak as you were two months ago. You are progressing. I am pleased by this." A servant held out a tray with a drink resting on it and he took it, sipping on it while passing her a towel from said servant's arm.
"Thank you, master." Anastasia replied curtly while bowing in front of him.
"And you are learning our hierarchy. Excellent," he walked past her and sat on the couch. She leaned up from her bowed position and followed him, but never sat down beside he or Talia. She, along with the rest of the servants, remained standing.
Talia sighed from opposite her father. "The Batman is aware of my presence in Gotham, Father." Anastasia went stiff and the woman glanced at her briefly. "I cannot be sure how much he is aware of at this point. I believe he is more suspicious above all else."
Ra's remained unaffected by this and his gaze stayed on the paper in his hand. "Wayne Enterprises is hosting a charity event, yes?" Talia sent him a perplexed look while she nodded in confirmation. "Then perhaps we should make an appearance." He glanced back at the teenager who stiffened once again. "All of us."
"Instead of your physical and mental training this upcoming week, you will be trained in the customs of the upper class." Talia explained while the two of them traveled in a limousine to downtown Gotham. "We need to prepare you for the event." The brunette stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "You have a question?"
"A lot actually…uh, mistress." Even after a month, it was still hard to add a mistress or master to the end of her sentences when Ra's and Talia al Ghul were present. "I could see why a member of the league would need to learn these skills since you need to learn to blend in with not just the environment, but society too." Talia actually looked surprised that she had figured that out on her own. "But why are we going to this charity thing?"
Talia glanced out the window. "We are going to make a statement."
"To Batman?"
"Yes."
Anastasia heard the finality in her answer and decided not to ask anymore questions, but she spent the entire ride trying to figure out how attending a charity event would make any kind of statement to a vigilante.
"Are you acquainted with Richard Grayson and Bruce Wayne?" Her mentor questioned after they had parked in front of some dress shop. "Our surveillance before your training states that you were, but are you still in close contact with both of them?"
"Yes, mistress." Her lips pursed and her face heated up. "Dick–um, Richard is my best friend and we're…uh, close." She momentarily feared that the older woman would ban her from having anymore contact with him.
Talia merely nodded in response.
Richard Grayson tugged at his suit while glancing around the crowded room with obvious annoyance and impatience. Instead of his Friday night being spent either with his best friend or fighting crime, both he and his guardian had been dragged to a charity event by their butler who stated: "The two of you must keep up appearances. The public has a negative look on hermit-like behavior."
When he glanced around the room again, searching for Bruce, he instead found another teenager who was conversing with a group of older men and women. It surprised him that there was another person his age here. Most of the time, the socialites left their children at home.
Deciding to indulge in his inner playboy, he grinned and strolled up to said teenager. He tapped on her shoulder and when she turned to face him, his entire body tensed up and his cheeks started turning a light shade of pink.
"Anastasia?"
Dark curls fell over the bare shoulders of his best friend and her emerald gaze was more stunning than usual due to the complimenting makeup. His gaze fell to the black dress that cut off at her knees, accenting her feminine curves. When he glanced back up at her, she was staring at the floor intensely, gripping the small handbag in her hands tighter, and her cheeks had been dusted a light pink–much like his own.
Once he could get past the initial awkwardness of the situation, he cleared his throat and held his arm out to her. She apologized to the group behind her briefly before locking her arm in his own, letting him escort her out to the dance floor. He desperately searched for his father but was unsuccessful in spotting him out in the large crowd.
"As much as I'm not complaining about dancing with a beautiful woman," she snorted at his comment and he managed a weak grin, "this doesn't seem to be your type of crowd. Weren't you the one that was complaining to Bruce about the one percent?"
Anastasia cleared her throat. "Well, I'm here with some…acquaintances?" Her gaze swept across the room. "I think you might know them. Well, I know Bruce definitely knows the two of them." She explained. "Ra's and Talia al Ghul?"
Dick had been so stunned by the revelation that he stopped mid-dance and in turn, his partner stumbled, sending the two of them crashing to the floor. The crowd around them stopped and murmured amongst themselves while he quickly got to his feet, helping his best friend to her feet while she grumbled under her breath in Russian.
"I have to find Bruce."
"You see, detective, this child came to me of her own free will when this cesspool of a city and you abandoned her. She will become an assassin. She will become my personal guard. With her abilities under my control, not even you will be able to touch me." Ra's al Ghul, his daughter, and Bruce Wayne all stared in unison at the two interacting teenagers.
Bruce's gaze narrowed dangerously at the immortal. "If she knew who you really are, I doubt she would have come willingly. If she knew what the league really was–"
"Oh, but she does, beloved." Talia responded. "I explained to her that she would be an assassin should she pass her test and she seemed satisfied with this."
"I know who she is. I know her well enough. When that moments comes, she is going to make the right decision." The billionaire gave a tight smile to Anastasia and Dick who made their way over to the small group, his ward looking as anxious as he was when he saw the two with him.
Ra's smiled at the teenager who was waving weakly at him and Talia and placed a hand on the shoulder of the host of the event. "I doubt that, detective, considering her final test will be to execute the man that murdered her little sister." He chuckled. "It has been so easy to bend her to my will. All it took to ignite the powder keg was to hire that pathetic man to murder the child, Anastasia's darling sister."
Bruce's jaw clenched. "I thought you only spilled necessary blood. Even this is low for someone like you."
"This has been necessary. I need protection from your alter ego. And perhaps, she could become the heir that you refuse to be."
"I won't let that happen, Ra's."
"And how do you plan on doing this? If I suspect that you or your protégé are trying to manipulate her, I will murder her and find someone else to replace her."
Bruce crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at the man standing across from him. "You're holding her hostage."
"If you wish to look at it in that manner then yes. Have a good evening, detective."
