Clouds so dark they blacken the sky. Thunder so loud that it shakes the very heavens. Lightning so bright, that it illuminates the world. And in this storm, a clash of blades was heard.
Until it was replaced by the sound of flesh being penetrated by a blade.
Two silhouettes are seen, a man standing tall and a woman hunched over with a blade in her stomach. Lightning flashes, showing that it was Ra's Al Ghul stabbing Lady Shiva.
Blood dripping from her mouth as she pants heavily, she looks up at her lord and master. "W-Why?"
"I do not ask for your forgiveness, nor do I ask for understanding. All I ask is that the next life is kinder to you, my dear Lady Shiva."
Ra's Al Ghul then pulls his sword out of Lady Shiva's body, the beauty falling to her knees as her breathing slows. Ra's then kicks her off the cliff, looking down to see her fall into the raging waters below. As far as Ra's was concerned, Lady Shiva, his greatest Assassin, was dead.
However, farther down the river, where the water was still raging, a hand shot out of the water and grabbed the land. Lady Shiva then dragged herself out of the river, a new fire burning in her eyes.
Two years have passed since Lady Shiva was betrayed by Ra's Al Ghul.
Following a lead on the League of Shadows, possibly to Talia's, not Ra's, but Talia's newest hideout in Dubai, Bruce is socializing with some of the most prominent figures in Asia: politicians, tycoons, barons, and even the occasional actor. As he's walking around, he sees someone he never expected to see: Lady Shiva in a beautiful yet formal Chinese dress.
He walks up to the beauty and tries to smooth-talk her, but that's only to keep up appearances since she is talking to who most people think is an oil tycoon, but Bruce and Shiva both know he's actually a prominent human trafficker, as well as Batman's target as Talia's suspected henchman.
Bruce offers Shiva a drink and a more private conversation, and she accepts. The two walk into a remote corner of the hall with a nice table, sit, and SLIGHTLY drop their facades to talk to one another. After all, Shiva found out who Bruce really was quite some time ago.
It was easy for Shiva to tell Bruce was Batman since they both trained under the same master many years ago.
"So, mind telling me why you're here, Shiva," Bruce asks as he sips some tea.
"Possibly for the same reason as you, Bruce."
"I doubt that. You and I are in a different line of work, after all."
"Is it all that different?" Bruce, with his cup to his lips, stared at Shiva before making a cutting motion across his neck with his free hand. Shiva giggled. "True. You know, you would have been a worthy partner had you continued your training to its fullest. My first every partner."
"I DID finish my training, Shiva."
"You finished the arts of self-defense and incapacitation. If only you didn't have that code of yours. You would have been the perfect assassin. I doubt even Japanese Shinobi would have been able to compare. What a waste."
"I will never kill, Shiva."
"Admirable... to misguided. I assure you, Bruce, one day, you will see the folly of your code. It could be that foe of yours on Gotham, Ra's somewhere in the world. . . Or maybe even me."
Bruce's grip on his glass tightened. Something that Shiva noticed. "Did I touch a nerve?"
Bruce looked away.
"Mm, that's right. When we trained together, you were the only one truly brave enough to challenge me, despite being arguably the weakest student. Though, you were able to make me fight with my entire body instead of one finger," Shiva giggled. She sighed. "You should have stayed."
"The Master himself said I had learned all that I had needed from him. There were other teachers I needed to seek. I am grateful to the Master, but I needed other teachers in order to truly complete Batman. It seems to have been successful. After all, even you have lost to me."
Shiva smiled. It was not malicious or forced, but genuine. "Indeed," she said as she took a sip of her drink.
She and Bruce then glanced when they both noticed the informant leave.
"It was good seeing you again, Bruce," Shiva said as she and Bruce stood up at the same time. "However, I doubt our next meeting will be as... cordial as this one."
"I wouldn't doubt it," Bruce said. "Still... it was good to see you again, Shiva."
The two then walked away from each other to vanish into the crowd.
Later, the informant was driven to the hotel he was staying at, being taken into the underground parking lot. It was mostly empty due to the informant using his connections to buy the entire hotel, making sure only he and his cronies were in the entire building. He also thought Lady Talia would like to have a base of operations should she ever appear.
As soon as he got out of the parked car, the lights flickered.
"What's wrong with the lights," he asked.
"I do not know, sir," his driver said.
The tycoon looked angry before looking at his approaching guards, moving his hand to signal them to surround him, which they did. "Someone's here. Kill them."
"Yes, sir."
The guards were looking around when one of them saw a shadow zip by, the man shooting in the direction.
"Check it out," the tycoon said.
"Yes, sir," the guard said as he carefully walked over to the area. When he was getting closer, the lights began to flicker.
The tycoon was watching him the entire time. Then, during the blink of the flickers, the guard was gone. "WHAT?!"
"We're missing another!"
The tycoon looked to see that another of his guards was gone.
Some were getting scared now.
"Is it him?"
"No. He should be in America. Why would he be all the way in Dubai?"
"He's been seen all around the world. He was in Hong Kong last year. Why wouldn't he- THERE!"
The men shot in that direction, but they saw nothing there.
Then, the lights went out.
"HUWACK!"
The lights came back on. The tycoon and the guards wondered what the strange sound was before they saw what caused it. One of their own... had his throat slit open. He garbled a bit before falling to the ground, dead.
The tycoon glared at the corpse. "It's not him." He then snarled. "TALIA! 'ANT ALEAHIRATU (YOU BITCH)! I WAS LOYAL TO YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!"
"Sir, we need to get inside the building! There are only two of us! We can't handle so much as one League of Assassins member, let alone Talia Al Ghoul!"
The tycoon growled. "Fine! Make sure security is at-" The lights went out. "Allaena (Fuck)."
A guard screamed in terror while another gagged. When the lights went back on, one of his last guards was missing while the other was dead.
The tycoon grabbed the dead guard's gun and aimed. "SHOW YOURSELF, TALIA! I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!"
"Unfortunately for you..." The tycoon looked behind him to see a beautiful Chinese woman. "I'm not Talia."
"LADY SHIVA!" Before he could react, Shiva used pressure point techniques to stiffen the man. "Can't... move!"
"This will finish it," Talia said as she reeled back her arm, her fingers ready to impale the man.
When she thrust her arm, it was caught by none other than Batman himself. "That's enough, Shiva."
Shiva stared at Batman before looking at her caught arm. "You know, not one of my students, past or present, has been able to do this. It has been said that catching an arrow is much easier than one of my strikes. Though, that's not very impressive for you. It may be more akin to catching a bullet."
Batman just stared at Lady Shiva.
She looked at the informant. "You can't stop his end, Batman."
"He doesn't need to die, Shiva."
"Really? A human trafficker who forces himself on his victims and sells them to god knows what is deserving of life?"
"That isn't our call to make. He must stand trial for his crimes and allow justice to prevail."
Shiva laughed. "Oh, Batman, if you think your justice system is corrupt in America, then you know NOTHING of Dubai. Of ASIA. This man has more money than Duabi's current prime minister, meaning he's more powerful than the literal leader of the nation. With his money, he could escape your precious justice system and still live comfortably not only here, but most of Asia. He could even pin his crimes on someone lesser than him and get an innocent man thrown in prison or executed. Are you prepared for such consequences," Shiva asks as she looks at Batman with her beautiful yet cold, green eyes.
Batman just stared at her silently.
"Besides, as I said, he's marked for death."
"Then call off your League."
Shiva sighed. "It's not just my League of Shadows, Batman. Once Talia hears about this, she'll send her assassins to 'silence' him."
"What," the informant grunted.
"You should have learned this lesson long ago, Batman. Not even you can save everyone. Even as we speak, an innocent is being murdered, and the guilty are walking away freely without so much as a needle's tip of grief. Evil thrives while good dies. It's up to men like you to support good... and women like me to kill evil."
"You don't need to kill, Shiva."
"Yes, I do. Unlike you, my hands are stained red. I have killed countless people, innocent and guilty alike, all for the sake of The Demon's Head. Yet he rewards my loyalty... by trying to kill me. Thinking I was too much of a threat and would one day become too powerful for him to control." Shiva giggled. "Ironic how his prophecy came to light, and it's all his fault. Had he been just, he would have had the World's Deadliest Woman as a loyal servant. Instead, she is one of his greatest threats and the founder of the League of Assassins's greatest rival, the League of Shadows. I founded the Shadows to eradicate the Assassins by any means necessary: political power, military might, financial superiority, and of course, the intellectual front. Killing this man will be quite the blow to Talia and her father."
"You... bitch," the man strained.
"I'm sorry, Shiva, but I can't let you kill someone. Least of all right in front of me."
Shiva sighed. "Then you'd better deal with me soon. After all, my little paralysis technique is going to wear off in three, two-"
Batman punches the man across the jaw, and a loud pop is heard, showing that the man's jaw has been dislocated, but that isn't important. What was important is seeing the man's eyes roll into the back of his head before he fell to his knees then face first onto the ground, butt sticking up in the air as drool leaked out of his mouth, the man obviously unconscious.
"Hm. Impressive. He'll be out for at least three days," Shiva said.
"And you will be out for just as long a time."
Shiva smiled while giving Batman a seductive look. "Are you planning on arresting me, Bruce?"
"You have more than enough warrants as Lady Shiva for me to do just that, Sandra."
"Mm, I suppose I do."
Lady Shiva then performed a palm strike that sent Batman skidding back from the beautiful assassin, the hero growling as he saw his opponent take her stance.
"You know I won't make this easy for you, don't you, Wǒ de bǎobèi xuéshēng (my precious student)."
Batman took his stance. "I'm well aware of that, Sifu."
Batman and Shiva charged at each other, Shiva jumping to perform a triple air kick, which Batman was able to block. Shiva knew he would, which is why her final kick was used to stab the point of her shoe into a small joint in Batman's suit, sticking her onto the hero.
Before Batman could do anything, Shiva landed a kick across Batman's face, landing on her foot as Batman stumbled back. She then used her foot to jump toward Batman, landing on his shoulders, her knees clenching onto the sides of his head like a vice. She then used her own momentum to head toward the ground, perform a handstand, hold Batman high into the air, and then try to slam him onto the ground.
However, Batman was able to slam his feet onto the ground, ruining Shiva's tactic and absorbing most of the force.
Batman then jumped and spun midair, Shiva spinning with him before he placed his hand on her back and slammed the beauty face-first into the ground before backflipping away from his former teacher.
Shiva quickly spun around to jump onto her feet, taking another stance as she stared at her former student with a serious expression, only taking a quick moment to wipe the blood off her nose.
The two paced around the garage, not taking their eyes off the other, looking for an opening in the other's defense.
When none could be seen, Batman threw three Batarangs at Shiva, but she used her hands to easily deflect the first two before catching the final one and spinning it like it was a knife before taking a blade stance.
Batman took out another Batarang, the warriors charging at each other before their weapons clashed. They then began to duel, the clash of the Batarangs causing sparks to fly before Bruce's fist clashed with Sandra's leg, the two jumping away from one another to get their bearings.
Bruce stared at Sandra, looking for anything that could be useful. He then saw something. A bead of sweat rolled down her right temple, as well as the beauty took a deep breath to calm herself.
She was actually trying in this fight.
It was a small victory, but a victory Bruce gladly took. There was once a time when Shiva was leagues above him in skill. Where all she could need was one finger to beat him. Now, he was her equal in skill. The fact that he began to sweat at the same time as his former sifu was proof of this.
"Well done, Batman. You've certainly improved since the days you came to me for rehabilitation."
"I still owe a debt to you for that, Lady Shiva. You helped me recover my spirit and brought me back to fighting condition."
"I would have been even more prideful had I helped you reach your peak. Very few can say that they are still growing. You should feel honored," Shiva said with a smile.
"Coming from you, it is both an honor and a privilege worth being proud of."
Shiva gave a small chuckle before she and Batman charged at each other, Batarangs clanging against each other before their last clash actually shattered the weapons.
The two then showed off their martial arts prowess, their kicks and punches basically blurred. Then, the two punched each other's fists, making them skid away from the other before taking their stances.
"Wing Chun. I never taught you that," Shiva said.
"As I said, I've had other teachers."
"And they have taught you well. You could be a Sifu yourself."
"I technically am."
"Ah, your proteges. I have fought them all. They all have potential, but still have much to learn, much like yourself. The lessons I could instill in them. I doubt even Ra's and his Assassins could be able to stand against them once they've completed my training."
"Tempting, but they don't need to learn killing techniques."
"Oh, Batman, you have so much to learn yourself. You may regret not learning more fatal skills."
The two then charged at each other, Shiva trying to stab Batman with her fingers, aiming for his eyes, but Batman was able to deflect her strike and try for a palm strike aimed at the sternum.
However, Shiva bent back and grabbed Batman's wrist, performing a perfect judo throw that would have slammed Batman into the ground. But like before, Batman landed on his feet.
Except, this time, Shiva was hoping for that, slamming her palm right onto Batman's face, specifically on his nose, slamming him into the ground. She smirked when she heard and felt the crunch of the hero's nose.
However, she wasn't expecting Bruce's knee to slam into her face, nearly breaking her own nose, but making her release Batman.
Batman then jumped to his feet before cartwheeling away from Shiva, glaring at her as blood streamed down his suit. He then reached for his nose and fixed it, a sickening crunch being heard before he took his stance.
Shiva glared back at Batman, placed her thumb on the side of her nose, and blew out the blood in her uncovered nostril before taking her stance.
Both were visually damaged, yet neither one was ready to submit. What's more, though neither one would say so out loud, especially not to the other, and you couldn't tell by the look on their faces, but. . .
They were enjoying their match.
Batman's fist clashed against Shiva's leg, the two forces pushing each other back before Shiva slipped out, Batman stumbling into Shiva's palm strike, the blow hitting Batman right on the chin, his head shooting skyward.
With his neck fully exposed, even with the batsuit covering it, Shiva was more than sure enough her fingers could pierce through deep enough to at least cause enough of a throat injury to stun Batman. It would give her more than enough time to strike certain pressure points to render even her favorite student unconscious.
However, just as her fingers were about to reach their mark, Batman caught her wrist and twisted Shiva into a back armlock.
Shiva tried to perform a high hick, but Batman was able to catch her leg, lift her, then slam her onto the ground.
Batman bent back in time to avoid Shiva's kick, her bladed heel barely missing his chin before Batman jumped away.
When Shiva spun back onto her feet, she and Batman ran to one another, clashing with enough force to make a shock wave that blew throughout the garage, showing just how insanely powerful the martial art masters were.
The two stared intently at each other, Shiva's palm pushing back against Batman's fist in their clash.
"You're doing even better than I predicted," Shiva said with a proud smirk.
"Did you really expect any less from me," Batman said in his stoic manner.
The two were pushing each other back, trying to overpower the other, until Shiva looked behind Batman.
Her slack in strength, the expression she had, and the audible gasp let Bruce know something had happened. Shiva may be a master assassin, but she would never use such a tactic during a fight, especially not during a fight she was enjoying. Following both his instinct and his judgment, Bruce looked behind him.
There the informant was, a sword stuck through him as if he were a pig, a pool of blood forming around him.
The martial artists looked at one another before they walked up to the corpse, both analyzing the sword.
"The League of Assassins," Batman said.
"So she's here, is she? Well, I suppose she did my job for me, so I should be somewhat thankful," Shiva said as she pushed some of her hair out of her face and wiped off the stray blood on her lip.
"I wouldn't be so thankful," Batman said.
"Oh, I know. There's no point in hiding," Shiva called. "All of you might as well just attack the both of us and get it over with."
As soon as Shiva said that, multiple smoke bombs went off, the smoke surrounding Batman and Lady Shiva, the two now actually back-to-back, prepared to fight alongside each other.
Female assassins then lunged out of the smoke, swords at the ready, as they charged at the duo.
"Talia's elite guard," Batman said as he used his gauntlet to shatter a sword and punch the owner in the face hard enough to knock her out.
"The women Talia personally trained," Shiva said as she used her bare hand to shatter a sword. She then smacked the owner's jaw, punched her liver, kicked her knee to make her buckle, and used an upper palm strike to make her airborne, before finishing her combo with a corkscrew punch that sent the woman flying back in the smoke. That entire combination was at least three seconds long, five at the most.
"Even among the Assassins, they're supposed to be the best of the best. Hopefully, they can prove entertaining," Shiva said.
"Don't kill them," Batman said as he dodged an assassin's swings before finding the opening that allowed him to easily take her down.
"Fortunately for you, Batman, they're more valuable to me alive than dead right now," Shiva said as she clapped the woman's ears, making her scream in agony before Shiva stuck her in the chest, the assassin standing still for a bit before falling unconsciously to the ground. "I want them to give their precious mistress a message."
"Which is," Batman asked as he caught a swing and lodged the blade into the ground before slamming the woman's head into the hilt, burying the sword deeper in before it rendered her unconscious.
Shiva decided to humiliate the last assassin by putting her hands behind her back. The assassin took that personally before she roared as she charged at Shiva. Shiva then kicked her in the chin. Before the girl could realize what had just happened, Shiva proceeded to kick her head multiple times, her leg looking like a blur before she finished it with an axe kick that smashed the girl's head into the concrete.
Shiva then moved her head back and caught a shuriken. She glanced at the assassin who threw it, the woman looked scared and ready to run before Shiva threw it at her. The weapon stabbed the girl in the leg just above her kneecap, making her fall to one knee. When she looked back up, she saw a green Chinese dress. She then looked up to see Shiva looking down at her with a cold gaze.
"Give your mistress this message: Every day my League of Shadows grows in both numbers and power. It will not be too long before my students and I will be ready to crush you and your father's precious legacy. And do remember your Elite Gaurd. Remember that I could have killed them if I so pleased. Even with their great skill and superior numbers, they were no match for me. One day, possibly soon, possibly late, but absolutely inevitable- I will CRUSH the League of Assassins, and there is nothing you nor your father can do to stop it. Do you understand, girl?"
The guard only glared at Shiva. She soon began to groan as Shiva used the tip of her foot to slowly yet softly push the blade deeper into the woman's leg.
"I asked you a question, little fish."
"Yes. I will relay your message to Lady Talia," the guard groaned.
"Good girl," Shiva said as she turned her back and walked away. "Do try not to die so soon, child."
The guard glared at Shiva before she yanked the shuriken out of her leg, hissing in pain before taking aim.
"You'd better think your next move wisely and carefully, girl."
The ninja was about to throw the star before Shiva's words dawned on her. She then exchanged the shuriken for a knife before she thought about it. Even now, looking at Shiva, she could tell that the woman would absolutely destroy her. So, the ninja swallowed her pride and took out smoke pellets instead, vanishing with the rest of her defeated comrades.
"Wise choice," Shiva said with a beautiful yet sassy smile.
Batman and Shiva walked up to the dead man, Batman sighing while Shiva looked indifferent.
"I never even got information out of him."
"The whereabouts of his victims? I already saved them."
"What?"
"More accurately, my League did. Most have already been returned to their families."
Batman looked serious. "What do you mean by most?"
Shiva looked up at the hero. "Some were mentally destroyed. Too broken to be returned to their families in their current condition. Some may never recover."
"And what do you plan to do with them, Shiva?"
"What the Assassins do with such victims. Mold them."
"You're recruiting them?"
"Of course," Sandra said as she took a few steps away from Bruce. "There is no medicine, modern or ancient, that can heal a shattered mind. Only one such cure exists for such a condition. You know it all too well, Bruce."
"Purpose."
"Indeed. Discipline, drive, desire; all of that mixed together forms purpose. And that purpose can heal the very soul of one who had their minds stolen from them or their spirits shattered. It was difficult, but I was able to rebuild your spirit, was I not."
"And I may never be able to repay you for that, Shiva. Still, I can't agree with you turning victims into killers."
"Then would you rather they remain as they are? Broken shells no different from breathing dolls?"
"I would rather they receive help."
"Like how your rogues receive help in your infamous Gotham Asylum? How many people have actually received healing and help from that cursed place? How many of your foes see it more as a second home instead of a place of healing? In fact, weren't some of your most dangerous enemies CREATED in the walls of that prison?"
"It isn't a prison."
"THEN WHAT IS IT, BRUCE?! HARVEY DENT, BASIL CARLO, JOKER; HOW MANY OF YOUR INSANE FOES HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN TREATED PROPERLY?! BEEN HELPED?! BEEN MADE INTO FUNCTIONING MEMBERS OF YOUR PRECIOUS GOTHAM CITY INSTEAD OF INSANE, MURDEROUS MONSTERS BENT ON DESTROYING YOUR CITY?! AND WHAT THEN?! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOTHAM FINALLY FALLS?! WILL THEY JUST STOP, OR WILL THEY HEAD TO METROPOLIS!? COAST CITY! STAR CITY! BOSTON! NEW YORK! JUST ONE, ONE OF YOUR FOES IS ENOUGH TO DESTROY AN ENTIRE CITY, IF NOT THE WHOLE COUNTRY OF AMERICA, AND YOU BELIEVE A FAILED SYSTEM CAN CURE THAT?!"
"AND WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?! JUST KILL THEM?! MURDER THEM?! BUTCHER THEM AS RA'S WOULD?! LIKE YOU WOULD?! I ALREADY FAILED HARVEY BY NOT BEING ABLE TO PROTECT HIM. IT'S ONE OF MY GREATEST FAILURES THAT HE BECAME TWO-FACE, BUT YOU WANT ME TO PUT HIM DOWN LIKE A WILD DOG WHEN HE CAN BE SAVED?! NO! I ONCE SAW JOKER FREE OF THE CHEMICALS THAT MADE HIM! HE WAS A GOOD MAN, BUT THE TOXINS IN HIS BLOOD FORCED THE GOOD MAN I SAW BACK AND ALLOWED JOKER TO TAKE OVER! WHAT'S MORE, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN JOKER ACTUALLY SAVED ME! THERE IS STILL A GOOD MAN IN JOKER, AND I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL I SAVE HIM!"
Shiva then grabbed Batman by his chest before yanking him close to her, the two glaring into the other's eyes, green eyes looking up into blue eyes. Then, Shiva sighed. "When are you going to understand, Bruce? When will you realize that not everyone can be saved? That not everyone SHOULD be saved, not even by you."
". . . I will never stop trying. I will die before I stop. And I probably will. Even when someone is trying to kill me, I would try to save them."
". . . Even if I was the one trying to kill you?"
"ESPECIALLY you."
Shiva stared into Batman's eyes before sighing, releasing him. "You know what I despise most about this conversation?"
"What?"
"I can't help but respect it. You have an incredibly strong will, Bruce. One that would have led you down the path of what could have truly been the perfect warrior. You would have surpassed me long ago if you went down the warrior's path... instead of the guardian's."
"Guardian?"
"The Protector. The Savior. The Judge... but not the Executioner. You will fight and fight, yet refuse to take a life. There aren't many who have the will, the stubbornness... or maybe the stupidity needed to spare your enemy. Bruce, I still stand by my words, one day, you will regret your code. One day, you may face a foe that even you will want to kill. That you will convince even yourself need to be slain. And when that day comes... I truly hope you make the correct choice," she said as she walked away.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to my room. I still have business in Dubai, just as you do."
"I can't let you find Talia, Sandra."
Shiva looked back and smiled at Batman. "Afraid I'll kill her, Bruce?" Batman didn't answer. Shiva's smile went away. "Or... are you afraid something will happen to me?" Batman looked away.
Shiva stared at him before looking forward. "Bruce. . . What happens in the future will happen. In the end, everyone will perish. If my meeting with Talia will cause my death, then so be it."
As soon as Shiva took another step, she felt her wrist being grabbed. It was a firm grip, but also gentle. She looked to see it was Batman's hand and looked up to see his shadowed face.
She smiled as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll try to survive, at least. After all, I have a reputation as the World's Deadliest Woman to uphold." He didn't let go... until Shiva kissed his exposed face, not on his lips, but next to his mouth, surprising him. "I knew, Bruce. I knew how you looked at me when we both trained under O-Sensei. Your eyes held both admiration... and desire for me. Even now, dimmed it may be, I still see the spark of attraction for me in those eyes. Don't let your feelings for me cloud your judgment, Batman. After all, though we were allies mere minutes ago, minutes earlier, we were adversaries. We may cross blades in our next encounter," she said as she walked away. "Be ready for whatever comes next, my favorite student," she said before dropping a smoke bomb, disappearing before it cleared.
Batman then gripped his fists. "I'm always ready, Lady Shiva."
Later, in the hotel, Bruce Wayne was waiting for an elevator. He was standing right in front of the one that reached him, waiting for the doors to open. When they did, he heard heels clicking behind him.
"Care to join me," Bruce went with a smile as he looked behind him.
"Oh, how kind of you," Sandra said with a smile.
Bruce and Sandra road the elevator, the two silent as they wait, Sandra looking out the window to look at Dubai while Bruce checks on his company through his cell phone.
"You weren't surprised at all to see me, Bruce."
"I already knew we were staying at the same hotel, Sandra. Just needed to do some extra research after I saw you."
"Hm." She looked at the elevator buttons and giggled. "You didn't choose my floor."
"No. I thought I would invite you for a cup of tea."
"Karak Chai?"
"The only kind to have in Dubai."
The elevator doors opened, and Bruce and Sandra walked to his room. Bruce, of course, opened it, letting Sandra walk in.
"Hm. Nice. I suppose they would give the best room to the internationally famous billionaire, Bruce Wayne of Wayne Enterprises." She then walked to the window, looking down at Dubai from the high hotel. "It's suffocating, isn't it? Pretending to be so much higher above them. Acting like you're someone else when you'd rather be in some dingy motel or an abandoned building. It's funny how much easier it is to hide in the shadows of the city rather than in a highly secured hotel."
"You really do understand, don't you," Bruce asked Sandra as he stood next to her.
"I'm an assassin, Bruce. Not only that, but I'm the Grand Master of the League of Shadows... and the Empress of Diyu."
"The most powerful crime lord in China, you mean."
"In all of Asia," Sandra corrected. "Yes, I have to make public appearances, as a charity chairwoman, a CEO of a pharmaceutical company that only exists as a cover, and one of the best martial arts masters in all the world." Sandra giggled. "I've even hosted silly little tournaments. Seeing mere children try their hands at Kung Fu. Some had potential, but they merely scratched the surface of it. The Karate Tournaments were even cuter. Muy Tai tournaments had some potential, though."
"Sandra, you wouldn't," Bruce began.
"No. Ra's would. But not me," she said as she turned and walked toward the table with the tea Bruce prepared. She sat down, staring at the steaming cup. "Yes, I have brought children into my League, but they were orphans. Children who lost their parents or were abandoned. I gave them a home and a place to learn."
"And a chance to become your soldiers," Batman said as he sat down across from Sandra.
"You take the yin with the yang, Bruce," Sandra said as she lifted her tea, inhaling the aroma. "It's well brewed. The leaves are perfectly fermented and the ginger is fresh." Sandra inhaled once more. "Oh. And you added more cinnamon than most would. Interesting choice. Now then." Sandra sipped her tea, not making a sound, drinking it as an elegant noblewoman would. Bruce couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked at that moment. She placed the cup down with a satisfied smile. "It's delicious. Your teacher should be proud of you."
Bruce chuckled. "I'm sure Alfred would be," Bruce said as he took a sip himself. "Hm, still can't compare to him, though."
Sandra stared at Bruce before looking out the window. "You can still continue your training, you know. Learn what's left to be taught."
"I don't need those techniques, Sandra."
"Not to use, Bruce, but to defend against. I might not be able to make you into the assassin, no, the WARRIOR I know you can become, but I can at least make sure you're the GAUDRIAN you can be. Learning the techniques isn't just about using them, but defending against them."
Bruce looked down at his tea, the steam rising up to his face. "You're still being my Sifu, even after all these years."
"One never stops being a teacher, Bruce. . . Just as one never stops being a father."
Bruce sighed sadly. "Father. I don't think I deserve to be called that. I'm proud of what Dick became, but Jason? I failed him. It was Dick and Barbara who brought him back to the family, not me."
"That isn't true, Bruce. Yes, Jason is abrasive, but he still loves you as a son would his father. You brought him back from Ra's clutches and made him the protector you knew he could be."
Bruce chuckled. "Honestly, I would think you would WANT Jason to be what he was before his recovery."
Sandra shook her head. "What he did, he did out of rage. From being lost in the fog of his own mind. From being molded by that damned Lazarus Pit. Yes, he was a fine assassin, but he was going down the path of the monster. We are many things, Bruce, but we are not monsters. We can be feared as them, be seen as them, and of course, we can fight them, but we must NEVER become them. Taking a life does harm the soul, I won't deny that, but as long as we still have just a shred of our humanity, a glimmer of our soul, even a small spark of what makes us human... then we are not monsters."
Bruce stared at his tea before looking Sandra right in the eye. "The lives you've taken... do they ever haunt you?"
Sandra looked down. "There was once a time... where I would have said no."
"Once?"
"Maybe... maybe having you as a student was more effective than I could have possibly known. After all, if one with a soul such as yours, with such clear and strong eyes, can look at me with such desire and longing... should I really continue to roam the world with such a cold and closed-off heart?" She tightened her grip on her cup, accidentally creating a small crack, despite how much she was restraining herself. "To continue to have a heart like HIS?"
"Sandra, you're NOTHING like Ra's." She looked up at Bruce, not taking her eyes off his... as he reached out and placed his hand over hers. "If you were, you wouldn't have spared Talia's guard. You wouldn't have been so kind to those victims. You wouldn't have opened up to me as you have just now."
"And how do you know I haven't been lying to you the entire time? What makes you so sure that all of my words haven't been fabrications to manipulate you?"
"Because... no one with eyes as beautiful as yours could tell such a lie."
Sandra's eyes widened, her beautiful green eyes even more visible, before she sighed and shook her head, smiling at Bruce. "So, this is the infamous playboy billionaire I've heard so much about?"
"I take it you're not impressed," Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow and smile.
"Not in the least," Sandra answered with a smile.
That got a light laugh from both of them. When the laughter stopped, they stared into the other's eyes, before both leaned in and kissed. It was a short and quick kiss but a kiss all the same.
They stared into each other's eyes once more... before kissing once more, deeper and more passionately than before.
It didn't take long for clothes to be on the floor, Bruce over Sandra as they were nude in the bed, Sandra with her arms around Bruce, ready for a night of passion.
The lights went out, replaced by passionate moans and pants of pleasure with the rhythmic sound of the bed, only the light of the moon and the city of Dubai to be seen.
A/N: My newest story. After watching Batman: Soul of the Dragon and rewatching clips of her from Young Justice, I fell in love with Lady Shiva. Felt she was SEVERELY underrated. So, I decided to fix that. I welcome you all to Earth-749, A.K.A. World's Most Dangerous.