Story Author's Notes:
This plot bunny attacked me years ago when I was beyond frustrated with the character portrayal on Arrow. The Arrowverse is not the DCU. I know this, but that doesn't mean I like all the decisions the Arrow writers made. This is not a Revenge Fic. I'm not here to bad mouth what choices were made... just that I wouldn't have made them. I update as the muse attacks, but each part will be a complete story in my AU. If I start posting, I will complete that part.
Part 04 is the fourth part of my AU. The three friends have complete League training. They are Shadow Warriors. It's time to start hunting evil with the training they have acquired. First assignment: Shadowspire.
One of the MAIN things I did with this AU is change the timelines and altered the past. My vision of these characters. I didn't feel the need to cripple them right at the start of the story (like the Arrowverse did). Read parts 1-3 for main differences. Part X outlines the character and organization differences. It is updated before each new story is posted.
For reference:
1) League names are used frequently. al Sah-him for Oliver. al Aldire for Laurel. Yad Alqadar or Alqadar for Tommy. In this story, they are fully invested in the League.
2) Oliver has the Ruya. The sight. This is one way for me to introduce fourth wall information.
3) The League is MASSIVELY different from both the Arrowverse and DCU. I did a ton of world building on the League culture. Read Part X if you want more information.
Original Posting: 2024/08/12
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
ARROW REDESIGNED 04: HUNTING - SHADOWSPIRE
Chapter 1: Assignment
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
Speech Notes:
"Normal," – Spoken in English.
Normal= – Spoken in a foreign language. I will note which language is in the text. I.e., he said in Russian.
-Normal- – Mental speech or telepathy. Used to converse with the Nexus.
Italics – Thoughts. POV is the character named in that paragraph.
"Italics" – Audio broadcast. Radio speech or television. Indicates person not physically present talking.
Underline – Written. Text messages, computer messages, signs, reports, and paper notes. Instead of underlining long paragraphs, I underlined the first sentence. Assume that the whole thing is written.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON HEADQUARTERS: TIBET, NANDA PARBAT – THRONE ROOM: 27 DEC 2013
The small group left the plane in the airfield behind them and slowly made their way toward the fortress in the distance; Nanda Parbat. al Qirsh led the group with Saqat. Another from the Demon's Spine.
"Alqadar, Samita, find the Qas," Qirsh ordered. "Inform them of my need to meet with the Demon's Head."
"Yes, Fasir," they replied before the two ran off ahead of Qirsh and his group.
Qirsh smiled. They have been good apprentices this solar cycle. He was pleased with their progress. He looked forward to his private meeting with Ra's al Ghul to report their training progress.
"Who is Qas?" Kiri asked as the three-year-old took his hand.
Qirsh accepted the hand of the small child. She was the youngest of the children rescued. He smiled back at her. "The Qas, little Kiri, is our priest class," he told her. "They care for our children… like you and your cousins."
"Are they nice?" Kiri asked with big doe eyes.
"I think they are," Qirsh replied. "I was not raised in the Creche. I am like Pomare," he said as he pointed to the sad man with the group of children. Pomare was a potential recruit. He was brought to be evaluated by Ra's al Ghul. "I came here as an adult."
"Oh," Kiri replied. "Then Pomi isn't going to stay with us anymore?" she asked, using the nickname she had given the sad man. Pomare had helped the Qas at the Demon's Spine care for the six orphaned children while he recovered from his head injury.
"No, little Kiri," Qirsh replied. "While it has been wonderful having you and your cousins with us, the Creche is better. You will have other children to play with. It is time for Pomare to see if he can join our people."
"We won't be separated, will we?" Moana asked with some hesitation. The 15-year-old boy felt all the responsibility of his tribe on his shoulders. He was the oldest of the remaining tribe members; The six orphaned children.
Qirsh remembered the pain he felt when he read the report from Yad Alqadar. Alqadar had tracked the death cult across several islands. He finally ended them, but an entire tribe had been killed before he found them. The cult found a remote Māori tribe and systematically slaughtered all but the six hidden children. Alqadar rescued the children and ended the cult.
The outside world would separate the children. The children knew that and were terrified of losing the last of their family. The last of their tribe. These children had lost their entire family and culture to the cult. They only had each other left.
Alqadar presented the solution of taking the group to the Creche. One of his fellow trainees had been raised in the Creche; a solution that had not occurred to Qirsh. He decided to present the option to Ra's al Ghul. It would hopefully reduce the trauma these children had faced.
"The decision will rest with our leader," Qirsh replied to the older boy. "Just be honest and respectful with him. He is fair. He will listen to you."
"But… I'm just a child," Moana replied with a whine.
"You are responsible for your cousins. Your age does not matter," Qirsh replied. "He will listen."
The boy sighed. "I just want us to stay together," he said sadly. "We have already lost so much."
"You will do fine," Qirsh reassured the boy as they approached the fortress. Qirsh could see Qas Dusan with his apprentices. "Qas Dusan," he greeted with a head nod. "I have a request for Ra's al Ghul. These young ones require a home. Young Moana will speak for them. There are six children in total."
"Then the seventh is a new member for evaluation?" Dusan asked as he observed them with a blank face.
"Yes," Qirsh replied. "The evaluation can wait until the decision about the children has been made. Pomare was assisting our Qas in caring for the children."
"I see," Dusan replied. Yes, if the evaluation goes badly, the children should not see their caregiver killed before their eyes. "Ra's al Ghul is waiting for you." Dusan motioned to the Fortress behind him. The apprentices led them into the Fortress.
Qirsh followed the apprentices through the maze of hallways to the Throne Room. Ra's al Ghul was seated on his simple chair slightly above the chamber's main floor. He was flanked by two guards, Critical Majahid. Qirsh's two apprentices split at the door of the Throne Room door and knelt respectfully at the entrance.
Qirsh strode forward and stopped ten paces before the throne. He bowed before Ra's al Ghul. "My Liege," Qirsh greeted Ra's. "Thank you for taking the time to see me." Qirsh could hear the small group of children come to a stop behind him.
"I am always happy to make the time for you, My Fasir," Ra's replied with a polite nod. He was curious about the group that the Demon's Spine had brought before him. It was standard procedure to present the newest recruits upon arrival. However, children were not allowed to join the League. Qas Dusan stayed in the back. He identified the recruit for evaluation behind the children.
Qirsh stood and placed his hands behind his back. "The Spine had a successful hunt that ended a death cult. The Qayid rescued this group of six children. However, the rest of their Māori tribe was slaughtered. The young Moana wants to keep this group of children together. The outside world will separate them. He will present his case to you," Qirsh said respectfully.
Ra's al Ghul's eyes widened. The League did not take in children. They had room for their own, but the world was full of orphans. The League couldn't take them all. This was a new form of thinking. I will have to read the report of the Qayid that had made this recommendation. That this Qayid could sway their Fasir spoke well for their leadership and persuasive abilities. Definitely one to watch. "Interesting," Ra's replied. He stood up and walked over to the children and examined them. "Which of you would be Moana?" he asked with curiosity.
A skinny boy of about 15 stood toward the back. "I am, Sir," Moana replied. Then he swallowed loudly.
Ra's suppressed a smirk. The boy was nervous. It spoke well of his upbringing. "My Fasir says that you want to keep the children together. Is this the case?" he asked evenly in a gentle tone. No need to spook the boy.
"Yes, Sir," Moana replied. "My cousins… We saw our kin killed. We need to stay together. We are family. All we have left." The boy protectively picked up his youngest cousin, and placed her on his hip. Little Kiri wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I see," Ra's replied. The boy cares deeply for his young cousins. He takes responsibility for them seriously. "You do not believe the outside world will keep you together?" he asked the boy. He doubted that any government would keep the children together. Six children were too great a burden to place in a single foster home. The best situation they could hope for was an orphanage. There they would only be separated by age group, not location.
"No, Sir," Moana replied with a shake of his head. "They don't like us. The whites. They would separate us and then try to make us like them." The boy sighed. "We are Māori, but… our tribe is gone now. I… I'm the oldest. I don't know the traditions. The dances. The stories." The boy started to cry silently for his lost culture. He kept a brave face as his tears fell down his face.
Ra's nodded. "You have lost your people," he told the boy with dignity. "But you have not lost your family." He smiled at the boy. "Introduce me to your cousins," he told Moana.
Moana blinked the tears away. "This is Kiri," Moana introduced the three-year-old. Then he pointed to a 10-year-old girl, "Roimata." He pointed next to an eight-year-old girl, "Aroha." The two boys, six and five, "Rangi and Whetu."
Ra's smiled at the children. "I am pleased to meet you, Moana, Kiri, Roimata, Aroha, Rangi, and Whetu. I want to welcome you to our family." He motioned to Dusan. "This is Qas Dusan. He will take you to the Creche. All our children are cared for in one place. Our family will become your family."
Dusan bowed to Ra's. "Ra's," he replied respectfully. Then he turned to the children. "Come children. I will get you settled." He herded the children out the door of the Throne Room.
Ra's returned to the chair and sat while the children left. Qirsh immediately knelt. This last part was an evaluation. It depended on Pomare, but Qirsh would give the man the visible clues he needed to be accepted. It was a test of his perceptiveness and his willingness to take direction.
"Ra's," Qirsh started. "This is Pomare. His vessel was attacked by pirates while at sea. The pirates thought they had killed him. They killed his wife and daughter. We found the boat adrift and nursed him back to health. His head wound was less severe than it looked. He seeks entry into the family."
Ra's al Ghul quirked his eyebrow at the phrasing Qirsh used. He still doesn't name the League in the walls of Nanda Parbat. Why? Is he unsure of this recruit? "Why do you want to join us?" he asked Pomare. He had noted that the man had not knelt when Qirsh had. The man had remained standing. Qirsh has shown him proper behavior. Is it disrespect? Many cultures in the Spine value the gesture. Does he not know that he has insulted me? That other cultures would instantly identify it as disrespect? He is failing to follow the guidance from my Fasir. It is a poor start to his application.
"I… want to get revenge," Pomare spat out. "I know that it will not be easy. I know that I may not go back to the islands, but… I need to seek justice."
Ra's stood up and walked over to where Pomare was standing. "Justice…" he said slowly as he examined the man. Revenge is the man's stated goal yet he claims it is justice. Pomare was still standing. He looked Pomare directly in the eye. Pomare did not look away. No humility. Insulting in many cultures. A direct challenge in others. "Justice for your wife? Justice for your daughter?" he asked, trying to get a feel for the man's mental state.
"Exactly," Pomare replied angrily. His eyes flashed with his rage. Ra's noted the gleam of fanaticism in his eyes.
"Ah," Ra's replied. He took two steps away from Pomare. He drew his sword and thrust it into Pomare's chest. "Do not seek revenge and call it justice," Ra's quoted. "Revenge is not justice. I deny you entry into our family."
Ra's yanked the sword out of Pomare's chest. Blood spilled out of Pomare's mouth and he fell to his knees with his hands grasping at the gaping hole in his chest. Then he relaxed and fell over dead.
Ra's looked over to the apprentices. "Clean this up and go rest," he told them.
They both jumped up. "It will be done." Alqadar and Samita stepped forward to take hold of the body and removed it from the Throne Room.
"Fasir," Ra's turned to Qirsh, "Let us retire to my office for your report."
"Of course, My Liege," Qirsh replied as he stood. He followed Ra's from the Throne Room to a more private office.
Once in the private office, Ra's sat in a more comfortable chair at a desk containing his computer. Several stacks of paper were arranged in different places. He motioned to Qirsh to sit in one of the other chairs.
Ra's smiled at Qirsh. "The Spine always makes an interesting splash when they arrive, Qirsh," he said with a grin.
Qirsh chuckled. "Yes," he agreed. "I usually blame Zandia, but this time… I don't know." He shook his head. "It has been an interesting six months." He pulled out the paper reports he had for Ra's on the apprentices. "First, my apprentices. al Samita and Yad Alqadar."
"You don't want to start with the Solstice Visions?" Ra's asked in surprise. He had seen the reports of those visions, but his Fasir usually brought forth additional requests at this time.
"Surprisingly, no," Qirsh replied with a smirk. "The Solstice Visions were straightforward this time. I am sure you have already seen the report from the Ravens about our Zandia visit."
"Hum," Ra's replied. "Easy visions is a nice change and Zandia is usually a problem. This time is not different."
"I agree," Qirsh said. "al Samita," he said with the tone of summarizing her report. "I assigned her as Majahid for her initial evaluation. After two weeks, I saw no reason to change that classification. She was assigned to al Asim as her mentor for remaining six months. His final report," he said as he passed a report to Ra's. "He passed her to Eadi."
"I will review the report," Ra's nodded. He placed the report on one of his stacks.
"Yad Alqadar," Qirsh continued. "I assigned him as Majahid for his initial evaluation. After three days, I changed that classification to Qayid. That boy is gifted. I assigned al Fayr as his mentor. This is her final report. She passed him as Eadi and Journeyman Qayid."
"Interesting," Ra's said as he took the report and started to flip through it. "Three days, you said?" he asked. It was a very rapid time to decide that the boy was better placed as a Qayid.
"Yes," Qirsh replied. "The boy has an agile mind. He thinks outside of the usual scenarios and options. He presents his orders in a meaningful way. They seem less like commands and more like recommendations. Yet none challenge him on them. I sent him to Zandia with our scout team. His insight found proof about the Cult of Blood are attempting to expand outside of Zandia again. He is the Qayid who recommended the children to the League."
Ra's looked up from the report. "I had wondered which Qayid made the recommendation. It is a good one for those circumstances," he replied. A skilled leader who motivates, rather than force compliance. A very good addition to the League.
"I agree," Qirsh said. "I would not have thought of the League. I would have resigned myself to separating the children and allowing the tribe to end. This is better for the children," he said.
"It also gives the League six future Shadow Warriors," Ra's added thoughtfully. "A most beneficial solution."
"It is," Qirsh agreed.
"Good," Ra's replied. "You are the first Fasir to arrive as this solar cycle ends. The others should arrive in the next two days. I will meet with all of you in three days to work out logistics. Rest from you long trip."
"It will be done, My Liege," Qirsh replied softly as he rose and bowed to Ra's. He exited the small private office to find quarters. He needed to take a bath and get some sleep. His luggage should have been unloaded from the plane by now.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON HEADQUARTERS: TIBET, NANDA PARBAT: 27 DEC 2013
The Demon's Venom arrived by plane in the middle of the night. Tayir Alfiniq and al Sah-him witnessed Dalia's evaluation before being sent to rest. Dalia was approved and sent to the Recruit Quarters. His meeting with al Hamsa was brief, mainly consisting of report presentations. Ra's could see that al Hamsa was too tired from the long flight to provide a detailed summary, so he sent him to rest. They planned to review his reports the following day.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON HEADQUARTERS: TIBET, NANDA PARBAT – THRONE ROOM: 28 DEC 2013
The next evaluation was set with the arrival of the Demon's Claw in the afternoon. Dam Dhib had brought a young woman from Turkey forward.
"My Liege," Dam Dhib greeted Ra's as he knelt before his chair.
"My Fasir," Ra's returned. He noted that the young woman immediately knelt a pace behind and to the left of Dam Dhib. She is humble then and more willing to follow the direction of my Fasir. "What brings you before us today?" he asked Dam Dhib.
"This young woman would like to join the League, My Liege," Dam Dhib replied. "She feels that her family has betrayed her. That she is alone."
"Interesting," Ra's replied as he watched the woman. He stood and walked to the young woman, standing before her. The woman was in Arabic dress, modest and conciliatory. "I can see that you were raised in an Islamic family. How may I address you?" he asked the young woman.
The young woman continued to look at the ground. "You may address me as Aisha, My Liege," Aisha replied as she took the prompt of his address from Dam Dhib.
"Aisha," Ra's repeated. He was pleased that she had taken that additional que from his Fasir. "Why do you want to join the League?" he asked.
"I am alone, My Liege," Aisha replied with sorrow. "I have nothing."
"You are alone now. How did you come to be alone?" Ra's asked as he tried to get a read on her mental state.
"I… cared for a young man…" Aisha replied. "My father did not approve. He had the young man's family arrested and killed by the government… I…" Tears started to stream down her face.
"Do you want to seek revenge for the death of your young man?" Ra's asked her. Too many recruits sought revenge. It was difficult to find worthy recruits for the League.
Aisha looked horrified. "No, My Liege," she said suddenly. "I just disagree with my father. A religion should not matter that much. It should not warrant the death of a man and their family. That is wrong. My father was wrong. I could not stay there with his betrayal."
"I see," Ra's said in approval. "You seek solace and acceptance, not revenge. You may join the League. All religions hold truth. It is our actions that are evil or not." He nodded to the Fasir. "Fasir, show Aisha to the Recruit Quarters. I will await your in my private office."
"It will be done, My Liege," Dam Dhib replied. He stood and gently led the young woman out of the throne room, followed by his apprentices.
"I don't have an evaluation, My Liege," al Khafifa said with a smile from the back of the Throne Room. She stood alone. She had already dismissed her apprentices to their quarters.
Ra's returned the smile. "Then come to my office while we wait for Dam Dhib," he replied. "It is good to see you, Khafifa."
"It is good to be here, Ra's," Khafifa replied as she joined him.
Ra's settled once again into his comfortable desk chair while motioning to one of the other chairs in the room. Khafifa settled into a chair opposite of Ra's. She pulled out her Apprentice reports, Solstice Visions, and a Demon's Fang request.
"A Fang request?" Ra's asked in surprise. The Horn seldom used the Demon's Fang. Most of their threats were simpler.
"Yes, My Liege," Khafifa replied. "As you are aware, the Horn developed Trojan Viruses. These viruses eased League infiltration to software systems. They bypassed encryption and virus detection systems."
"I am," Ra's replied. "I was impressed with this development. The upload capabilities alone make it invaluable. I have fielded it to all branches. All hubs are using it and manage keyword searches. Hasub in all branches are busy attempting to screen the mass of data that has already been identified."
Khafifa smiled. "Indeed," she replied. "After those Viruses were developed, I sent a team to infiltrate Bialya to install it on their systems. We succeeded. The Fang Request resulted from what we found in Queen Bee's operations."
"Then her public image is a lie," Ra's replied sadly. He hoped that Bialya was coming out of the darkness incurred by their Royality. That they were finally returning to balance with the death of the last of that Royal line.
"Public image is usually a lie in my part of the world," Khafifa replied sadly.
"What about your Visions?" Ra's asked as Dam Dhib quietly snuck into the office and sat down in another chair.
"I think that all of my visions are manageable except one. I will need to borrow a mage from the Venom for that one," Khafifa said resignedly. "I need a large illusion. Several acres. My mages are not that skilled in illusions. Not for one that large."
"I am sure al Hamsa will let you borrow one of his," Ra's smiled.
"al Dafdae," Khafifa started in a happier tone. "I assigned her as Majahid for her initial evaluation. She has a very agile mind, but no direction. I did not change her classification. She was assigned to Fadi as her mentor. Fadi passed her to Eadi. He made a recommendation to change her classification to Demon Support if she desired."
"Demon Support?" Ra's asked. "Was she injured during her field training?" he asked. He couldn't recall hearing about an incident where an Apprentice received a crippling injury. Two were injured, but not badly.
"No," Khafifa replied. "She showed keen interest in the healing arts. She was Creche raised."
"I see," Ra's replied. "Did she declare that she wanted to change classification?" he asked.
"No," Khafifa replied. "She was overwhelmed with options. I think that with her interest and her agile mind we can show her a direction that allows her to develop her talents for the League."
"Creche raised," Ra's said softly. "I will bring that up with the Qas. The young ones may not know they can change their classification. Most Eadi know after they have completed their first assignment. The Qas may assume that the Creshe raised already know. I will also make sure that Dafdae chooses before her final assignment is given."
"Thank you, My Liege," Khafifa replied. "al Aldire. I assigned her as Hasub. She was assigned al Mai as her mentor. It was Aldire who developed the Trojan Viruses. I sent her to Chicago to further develop her robotic and cybernetic skills. Though she is far more skilled at computers than robotics. Mai passed her as Eadi and Journeyman Hasub. She has advanced computer skill, with detailed experience in technology and robotics."
"It was an apprentice that developed the Viruses?" Ra's asked in surprise. The world changes too fast. The young ones are keeping the League at pace with the rest of the world.
"Yes, My Liege," Khafifa replied. "She was distracted in the last few months. The viruses were developed that first month."
"Distraction," Dam Dhib replied in consideration. "Distraction could be caused by lack of focus. Since it happened in her later apprentice months, it could indicate a Soul Bond," he said as he added to the conversation. "Separation from a Bonded will cause a person to lose focus like that during apprentice training. The loss of a Bonded usually resolves itself within a few months."
"I was reading about a Soul Bond on another Apprentice. From al Hamsa," Ra's replied. "I'll read it again. Dam Dhib, what have you to report?" Ra's asked with a smile. Dam Dhib's headquarters was not too far away. They conversed more frequently than the other Fasir's because of their proximity. This meeting only summarized the apprentice reports.
"Apprentice reports," Dam Dhib said with a smile. "Eadatan. I assigned him as Majahid for his initial evaluation. He was assigned to al Fahd as his mentor. He is passed to Eadi. This is his final report. The boy is quite skilled with large-caliber weapons. He may mature enough for Qayid training later."
"al Sahalia," Dam Dhib continued. "I assigned him as Majahid for his initial evaluation. I did not see any reason to change that classification. He was assigned to Duha as his mentor. This is her final report. He was passed to Eadi."
Ra's nodded. "Good," he said. "I will review the reports. We will all meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss the needs of your Branches. Let me know how many Shadow Warriors you want to move around. Take the day to rest."
"Have a good day, My Liege," Khafifa said as she stood and bowed.
"It will be done," Dam Dhib replied as he stood and bowed.
They both left the office. Ra's turned back to the reports and he began to read about the apprentices.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON HEADQUARTERS: TIBET, NANDA PARBAT – TRAINEE QUARTERS, TRIO: 3 JAN 2014
al Aldire opened the door to the trainee quarters she shared with al Sah-him and Alqadar. She drank in the sight of the two of them as they changed for evening meal. She strode into the room and smirked at the two of them as they stared in surprise at her return.
"Gentlemen," Aldire remarked with a smirk. "I prefer you shirtless."
"Aldire," Sah-him breathed out like a prayer. He strode forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I've missed you."
Alqadar shook off his shock long enough to follow Sah-him. As soon as Sah-him released her, he hugged her. "It has not been the same without you," he told her in his hug.
"We are together now," Aldire reassured him. She smiled at them both. "Let's catch up over dinner. I feel like I haven't seen either of you in forever. I feel whole again."
"We were just heading there," Alqadar replied. He finished closing his shirt and waited for Sah-him to do the same before headed to the dining area.
They collected their meals and sat at the end of one of the common tables. Aldire smiled at the two men as they both dug into their meals. She missed the familiarity of their presence. It was comforting to be with them again.
"Now, tell me what kind of trouble you two got into these last six months," Aldire demanded with a coy smile.
"What makes you think we got into any trouble?" Alqadar asked her smugly.
"Please," Aldire said, rolling her eyes. "It's the two of you. You can't help yourselves."
"That's not true!" Alqadar retorted with a smile.
"Based on history, it is very true," Aldire said with a grin.
"I can see where she is coming from," Sah-him interrupted. "She has always been a calming influence on us… However, she is forgetting one very important fact," he said to Alqadar sagely. "We weren't together." Then Sah-him turned a grin back at Aldire. "I can't cause trouble if my partner-in-crime is missing… can I?" he asked innocently.
"That's a good point," Alqadar replied in agreement. "Besides, we were too busy to get into trouble."
"Point," Sah-him replied with a gesture. "What were you learning about?" he asked Alqadar.
"Everything," Alqadar replied dramatically. "I needed to know what everyone could do in order to formulate a feasible plan of action. What do I have? What do I need? What can these skills do? How do I use these skills? What are their limitations? What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? EVERYTHING," he said with a dramatic sigh.
"Damn," Sah-him replied. "I thought learning about the Ruya was hard, but that's only one skill… not all of them."
"Ruya?" Aldire asked curiously.
"My sight," Sah-him replied with a shrug. "The ghost-sensing thing."
"Oh, then you are a trained Wahy," Alqadar replied with a grin. "That makes sense. I only worked with the Wahy once in the Spine. I wasn't leading that hunt."
"I didn't work with our Wahy at all," Aldire replied with a shake of her head. "We did ask for one to evaluate one of our targets, but they hunted alone. We left before they arrived. Even in Bialya, we didn't use a Wahy."
"Yeah," Sah-him replied pensively. "My mentor and I only went on one joint hunt. I'm pretty sure that most of our hunts didn't need both of us, but he was training me, so… you know… then I got injured. That sidelined me for that last month."
"You got injured?" Aldire asked with concern. She scanned him up and down and didn't notice anything. She wondered what she missed when he was shirtless.
"Not badly," Sah-him defended. "I got shot in the arm and leg. The rounds hit my armor joints. They were more grazes than hits. I'm mostly recovered now," Sah-him replied. "I spent most of that time talking to Dalia. We rescued her from a drug lord. Sanchez was using her for her magic. He did a number on her head. I got her thinking straighter."
"He must have been like Ivo," Aldire said with some anger. "A convincing and twisted sort of evil."
"Yeah," Sah-him replied in agreement. "Less insane and more criminal paranoid, but still evil and dead."
"Good," Aldire said. "She can begin to heal."
"Definitely," Alqadar replied. "I don't like the use of magic in a criminal enterprise. I came across a man in Tanzania who used a magical cloak to give him luck in his thefts. The man wasn't evil, just bad. We gave his magical cloak back to the tribe. He's suffering from the bad luck curse now."
"I didn't see any magic in my part of the world," Aldire replied. "Queen Bee is evil. What she was doing to her people in Bialya was just wrong."
"Some evils you can only replace with death," Sah-him agreed, thinking about his experience with Batman. "Not everyone can return to balance. I'm lucky that I can see a person's aura. I can see how influenced by evil they are. Some people… some are too far gone."
"How do we know?" Alqadar asked pensively. "We can't see their auras. How are we supposed to determine if they are too far gone or not?" He was curious, but he knew that most Shadow Warriors didn't have that benefit. Death was a final thing. How did we know if someone could return to balance or not?
"That's a good question," Sah-him replied. "You watched the actions of Ivo and the pirate crew for six months. What do you think? Did they deserve to return to balance? Would they return to balance if given the opportunity?" he asked pointedly. He wanted them to have a concrete example to use.
Alqadar stopped to think. "No," he replied thoughtfully. "Even if you freed everyone on the Amazo, Ivo would have found more victims and continued his experiments. If you killed Ivo, his pirates would continue to victimize people on the seas. Death eliminated future victims," he said as he summarized his evaluation of Ivo.
"I feel the same way about Fyers," Sah-him agreed. "Some of his mercenaries could have been saved, but… my Ruya was not trained then… It upsets me that Batman can fail so spectacularly, and still criticize the League for replacing evil with death. Batman is failing the future victims of his criminals."
"Batman?" Alqadar asked in surprise. "When did you meet Batman?"
"I didn't meet him," Sah-him replied. "Not really. I saw him. He was on one of my hunts."
"He was?" Aldire asked. "He should have been in the Horn. What was he doing in the Venom?" she asked.
"He was tracking a death cult," Sah-him replied. "Our hunt was in Haiti. The death cult had abducted some Gothamites. Batman was there to rescue them. Our hunt was to eliminate the cult. We didn't know they had new abductees."
"What happened?" Aldire asked, curiously. Sah-him was visibly upset about what he had seen of Batman. Batman's actions had led to some of his anger and frustration. She was curious as to how Batman could invoke that reaction. She understood fear. Batman was supposed to be a formidable opponent that inspired fear. She wasn't surprised that he would criticize the League. But how did he fail?
"My mentor and I found the death cult and the victims. We created a plan to reduce the cult numbers from thirty to just a few that we could take out," Sah-him recounted the tale. "We were going to knock them out. The last cult members arrived with the ransom and then Batman attacked… all of them… the crowd of thirty."
Sah-him paused as he reigned in his anger at how Batman disrupted their plan with his ill-conceived attack. How his attack led to the poisoning of the victims. How he failed the victims he was sent to save.
"Batman was far more skilled in combat than any of the cult members. He could have easily killed, disabled, or crippled them, but he didn't. He intentionally took the least damaging shots. He didn't try to thin their numbers. He went out of his way to save the cult members from dying by accident from falling into the fire pit," Sah-him spat out. "He did this while they were trying to kill him. It was a foolish waste of his focus. Their actions proved their intent."
Sah-him took a calming breath. "We darted the ones he knocked down. They stayed down," Sah-him said sullenly. "Batman finally freed the victims… the Drakes… only to let them drink the poison the damn death cult had left for them. We would never have risked them like that. We would have knocked them out and carried them out of the fire pit. Of all the…"
"What… what happened to the Drakes?" Aldire said in shock. "I… My grandparents were Gotham Drakes…"
"I'm sorry," Sah-him replied softly. "Janet Drake succumbed to the poison on the way to the hospital. Jack Drake is in a coma from the poison. The doctors' hope that he will eventually awaken, but they feel that the poison may have affected his nervous system. He will likely be crippled if he wakes. I think their son, Timothy, has been taken in by a family friend. I checked on them when we got back to the Fort."
"Oh God! They were family. My… my Gotham family," Aldire replied. "My poor cousin."
"What happened to the death cult?" Alqadar asked quietly as he held Aldire in her grief.
"Batman raced off with the Drakes," Sah-him replied as he resumed his story. "He left the death cult knocked out. As far as he knows, they are alive to continue their evil, but my mentor and I made sure that they will not. Of the thirty men, only three were beyond redemption. Those three were killed to cleanse the land. The rest were left to return to balance without the influence of the source of evil. Their defeat and the symbols we left at the fire pit will encourage them to move back to balance."
"You saved more than me," Alqadar replied. "You only had to kill three in your death cult. I had to kill all ten. They had killed an entire Māori tribe over a month."
"A tribe is over a hundred people," Sah-him told him in shock. The Venom had many people living in small tribes. "You did what you needed to do. Who could say that any of those ten were redeemable after that?" he asked Alqadar. "Did they have a leader? Or were they all involved?" he asked.
Alqadar sighed. "All were involved. There was no definitive leader, but I would prefer to have someone tell me that they are not," he replied. He shook his head to clear it of the images of the dead tribe.
"Everyone makes choices," Sah-him replied. "Those choices define our intent. Batman's father was a physician… a doctor. Batman made a choice to never take a life to honor his father. His intent is good, but I spoke with his father… His father's spirit… He asked my mentor and I to remove the cancer that is poisoning the body because his son refused to do it."
"What?" Alqadar asked. "You saw his father's ghost? You can talk to other ghosts?" she clarified.
"Yes," Sah-him said. "His father's spirit understood that as a doctor, you create damage to prevent death. He saw the criminals as the infected part of the community. A cancer. A disease. They had to be cut out or treated to save the community. In his way, his father disapproved of Batman's oath. He loves his son and looks out for him, but he doesn't approve."
"The death of the body," Aldire said pensively. "The community. Balance. That makes sense. A physician may have to break a bone to set it properly. They cause pain to ensure the body heals properly. Cut out cancer. Kill evil."
"Batman is not doing proper healing," Alqadar agreed. "He is placing a bandage on an open cancerous wound. He is splinting a broken leg crookedly. I get it. There is no ideal way to stop the evil in Gotham. Not without killing. Half those criminals are insane."
"My mentor said that the League doesn't operate in Gotham," Sah-him replied. "Batman was once considered as potential heir for Ra's al Ghul, but he refused to join the League. That was why we remained unseen at the death cult. We assisted and completed our work after Batman left. He said that the League provided what assistance it could to Gotham, but otherwise left it for Batman to deal with."
Aldire's eyes flashed. "It's his fault!" she raged. "My kin were killed and crippled because of his weak morals… His failures."
"All we can do is strive to do better," Sah-him told her.
"You're right," Aldire replied as she settled her anger. "I just… I want to punch him in the face."
"Considering how guilty he feels over his failure, he probably wouldn't even try to block the punch," Sah-him replied.
"I'm glad he feels some guilt over his failure," Aldire replied with a huff. "Even if he can't see how he enables evil criminals to harm future victims."
They finished their meals and moved their discussion into their room. Sah-him took the lull in the conversation and directed it in a new direction.
"I had a discussion with my Qas while I was at the Venom… about being soul-bonded," Sah-him started. "I was having a hard time. I was distracted. I needed the guidance of the Qas to cope."
"You were distracted too?" Alqadar asked suddenly. "I didn't talk to my Qas."
"Yes," Sah-him replied. "I didn't know who else to go to."
"I was distracted as well," Aldire replied. "I had a hard time concentrating on coding. It was easier to spar or to hunt... I didn't think to talk to my Qas."
Sah-him chuckled. "My Qas recommended that I focus on just those things. Sparring and hunting," he replied to Aldire with a smile. "She said that the three of us have a Soul Bond."
"Because we were distracted?" Alqadar asked.
"No. More than just that," Sah-him replied. "We were unfocused because we were apart. A Soul Bond makes the partners stronger while they are together, but they lose focus when they are apart for a long time. They feel like parts of their soul are missing. That's how I felt about you both. I feel better with you near again."
"I do as well… We were less effective because we were unfocused?" Aldire asked curiously.
"Yes," Sah-him replied. "We can combat it. Focus on the hunt or the spar if we are apart for a long time, but we are more effective if we don't lose focus. If we are together."
"How long until we lose focus?" Alqadar asked as he tried to assess how it would affect his future leadership as a Qayid.
"A month or more," Sah-him replied. "I didn't notice the lack of focus until my second month away from you."
"That makes sense," Aldire nodded in agreement. "I was able to code and focus all through creating the viruses. I started to lose focus when we were doing surveillance hunts."
"I was too busy to notice. It seemed like I never had time to catch my breath," Alqadar replied as he thought about his apprenticeship. "Did the Qas say what caused a Soul Bond?" Alqadar asked curiously. "Because I have always felt like I need you both around. The university… that was a challenge with you across the country. I was relieved when Sah-him returned to Starling and joined you at UofSC. It made moving back easier."
"We talked about that. When it started," Sah-him replied. "I think it was when your mother died."
"But…" Alqadar looked stunned. "We were kids."
"I wasn't even there," Aldire added with a thoughtful face.
"Not at first," Sah-him said. "But it took both of us to help Alqadar. That's why both of us are bound to him."
"I did this to you," Alqadar said with a disgusted snort.
"No," Sah-him said, placing his hand on Alqadar's arm. "I wanted to help you, to be there for you. I made everyone recognize you. You didn't force me to do anything."
"Neither of us," Aldire added from her side. "We chose to be there for you – our choice. Isn't that what you told us after we were reunited… that it was your choice to come along?" she asked.
"Would you still choose this?" Alqadar asked. "To be tied to me?"
"Yes," Sah-him replied definitively. "A Soul Bond is a marriage made by the Source. I would still choose it. You mean too much to me."
"To me as well," Aldire added as she leaned forward and place a hand on Alqadar's shoulder. "Everything I did with Ivo was to keep YOU safe."
"M… Marriage?" Alqadar asked with wide-eyes.
"To both of us," Sah-him said with a smirk.
"Wow," Alqadar said stunned.
"Hey," Sah-him distracted him. "Marriage is a term in the outside world. It depends on cultural and legal definitions. However, the basis of a marriage is the union between two or more people. The outside world only recognizes sanctioned marriages. The League recognizes the bonding of souls."
"That's right," Aldire agreed. "A League marriage binds two souls together in the absence of a soul bond."
"What does that mean for us?" Alqadar asked thoughtfully. Did they have obligations or rights because they were soul bound?
"For us, it means that the League already considers us married," Sah-him replied. "The League will always try to assign us together. They will not try to keep us apart for any length of time. They understand when one of us is hurt, the other two will fly into a rage. That we will defend and protect each other. I consider you my mates; my partners."
"That doesn't seem so bad," Alqadar replied. He kind of understood it. He wanted to exact retribution on the person who hurt Sah-him. Luckily, that man was already dead.
"Sleep tonight," Aldire said with a yawn. She stripped down and settled on the bed mat.
Sah-him stripped down and settled next to Aldire. He wrapped his arm around Aldire. "Sleep. Alqadar will get the light. We will talk more tomorrow," Sah-him told her.
Alqadar gave her a gentle kiss on the lips before he got up to turn off the lights. He stripped down and covered the three of them with a blanket before drifting off to sleep.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
DEMON HEADQUARTERS: TIBET, NANDA PARBAT – THRONE ROOM: 3 JAN 2014
All the apprentices and the Fasir entered the Throne Room and positioned themselves before Ra's al Ghul. Each Fasir positioned their apprentices and then knelt behind them in a semi-circle around the throne. Several of the Qas stood behind the throne. The guards stood protectively at the back of the room.
"Apprentices, welcome," Ra's al Ghul greeted them warmly. He was very pleased with the reports he had received. As large as this group was, they all performed well. "This is the day you have been working towards. This is the day you become Shadow Warriors. You are all considered Eadi after today."
All the kneeling apprentices bowed to the ground with their heads touching the ground.
"You have all done well," Ra's continued. "You have sworn your life to the League. You wear your new names. Before I begin, I need to clarify some things with two of my apprentices…" Ra's leaned back in his seat. "al Dafdae."
Dafdae sprang forward from her kneeling position and came forward to kneel before Ra's. "Yes, my Liege," she replied.
"It has come to my attention that you were not properly informed in the Creche that you could change your assigned path if you so desired. You may wish to pursue the path of support," Ra's told her. "Your mentor noted your interest in the medical field. Would you like to change your path and pursue training in the medical field? This training would be most beneficial to the League."
"I… I think I would, My Liege," Dafdae replied with some hesitation.
"Good," Ra's replied. "You may return to your Fasir."
Dafdae jumped up and returned to her position in front of Khafifa.
"Tayir Alfiniq," Ra's al Ghul called.
Tayir Alfiniq startled in his kneeling position and then jumped up and knelt where Dafdae had. "Yes, My Liege," he replied in confusion.
"You have done well in your Barkih apprenticeship," Ra's started. "However, no Master Barkih currently resides outside of the Venom. Do you wish to continue your training in Barkih? Or perfect what you have learned in the other branches?" he asked.
"My Liege," Tayir replied cautiously. "My Barkih skills require developed control. I have learned some control, but it would be dangerous to pursue additional control outside the supervision of a Master Barkih. I believe it would be in the best interest of the League for me to continue my training."
"Very well," Ra's replied. "You may return to your Fasir."
Tayir jumped up and returned to kneel before Hamsa.
Ra's al Ghul turned to the assembled apprentices. "I have reviewed all your training reports and your apprentice reports. I have decided to leave the following apprentices on the Path of Majahid, the Fighters Path. al Sahalia, Eadatan, and al Samita."
The three apprentices moved from their places to kneel directly in front of Ra's.
"You can earn your Elite stripes with time. At seven years, you can change to the Haris Path," Ra's told them. "As Eadi, al Sahalia, you have been assigned to the Demon's Venom. Eadatan, you have been assigned to the Demon's Spine. al Samita, you have been assigned to the Demon's Horn. Take your places behind your new Fasir."
The three new Eadi bowed and then moved to kneel behind their Fasir.
"The Path of Barkih, the Mage's Path. Tayir Alfiniq," Ra's al Ghul said.
One of the Qas stepped forward with a new uniform shirt and handed it to Ra's. The shirt had an orange stripe on the shoulder. Tayir had moved back to kneel before Ra's.
"Remove your shirt," Ra's ordered Tayir. He then handed the shirt to Tayir. "You are promoted to Journeyman Barkih." Tayir placed it on and buttoned it up. "Tayir Alfiniq, you have been assigned back to the Demon's Venom to continue your training." Ra's smirked. "Take your place behind your Fasir."
"Yes, My Liege," Tayir said as he jumped up and quickly knelt behind Hamsa.
"The Path of Wahy, the Oracle's Path. al Sah-him," Ra's al Ghul said.
One of the Qas stepped forward with a new uniform shirt and handed it to Ra's. The shirt had a purple stripe on the shoulder. Sah-him had moved to kneel before Ra's.
"Remove your shirt," Ra's ordered Sah-him. He then handed the shirt to Sah-him. "You are promoted to Journeyman Wahy." Sah-him placed it on and buttoned it up. "al Sah-him, you have been assigned to the Demon's Claw." Ra's said. "Take your place behind your Fasir."
"The Path of Hasub, the Technological Path. al Aldire," Ra's al Ghul said.
One of the Qas stepped forward with a new uniform shirt and handed it to Ra's. The shirt had a blue stripe on the shoulder. Aldire had moved to kneel before Ra's.
"Remove your shirt," Ra's ordered Aldire. He then handed the shirt to Aldire. "You are promoted to Journeyman Hasub." Aldire placed it on and buttoned it up. "Aldire, you have been assigned to the Demon's Claw." Ra's said. "Take your place behind your Fasir."
"The Path of Qayid, the Command Path. Yad Alqadar," Ra's al Ghul said.
One of the Qas stepped forward with a new uniform shirt and handed it to Ra's. The shirt had a yellow stripe on the shoulder. Alqadar had moved to kneel before Ra's.
"Remove your shirt," Ra's ordered Alqadar. He then handed the shirt to Alqadar. "You are promoted to Journeyman Qayid." Alqadar placed it on and buttoned it up. "Yad Alqadar, you have been assigned to the Demon's Claw." Ra's said. "Take your place behind your Fasir."
"The Path of Saeid by way of Qayima, the Medical Support Path. al Dafdae," Ra's al Ghul said.
One of the Qas stepped forward with a new uniform shirt and handed it to Ra's. The shirt had a blue stripe down the front of the shirt. Dafdae had moved to kneel before Ra's.
"Remove your shirt," Ra's ordered Dafdae. He then handed the shirt to Dafdae. "You are transferred to Qayima." Dafdae placed it on and buttoned it up. "Dafdae, you have been assigned to the Demon's Horn. Your Fasir will assist you in enrolling in a medical school of your choice and ensuring your additional training." Ra's said. "Take your place behind your Fasir."
"You are all fully trained Shadow Warriors," Ra's al Ghul said as he clasped his hands behind his back. "You will reside in the League quarters. You are expected to offer your opinions on a hunt and assist in training others in the League as needed. We are a family. We support one another. Take care of your family," Ra's said in dismissal.
"It will be done," the group said in unison and then bowed to the ground before standing and leaving the Throne Room.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
USA, WA, STARLING CITY – TEMPEST OFFICE: 5 JAN 2014
Malcolm looked up as Councilman Kullens and Councilwoman Pollard stormed into his Tempest office. He used this office to keep his Tempest activities separate from his work at Merlyn Global. Even his bodyguard didn't know about his trips to this building or this office. As far as his bodyguard knew, he was at home.
"Malcolm, we have a problem," Kullens started with his face flushed.
Malcolm raised an eyebrow at the two of them. He was unaware of any upcoming city legislation that required Tempest's attention.
"Quality Reality has been lobbying our offices," Pollard started. "Nickel has acquired property outside of the Glades and he wants to impose the same restrictions we have on property in the Glades to his new lands."
"He wants to turn them into slums," Malcolm clarified with a tired sigh. He carefully restricted slum housing to the Glades to ensure they would fall and flatten their criminal residents when his device was finally ready. He didn't want to endanger anyone else in Starling. "Why?" he demanded.
"Nickel stated that he can turn a larger profit off those properties than the cheap lands in the Glades," Kullens replied. "He has already started operating several apartment buildings with the reduced restrictions. Crime is spreading into the downtown area. I have already received several complaints from businesses."
"As have I," Pollard agreed. "This was not a part of the plan. You need to stop him."
"I need to stop him?" Malcolm demanded of her as he glared at her.
Pollard wilted under his glare. "We… were hoping you could send your associate," she said softly in a whine.
"Then the answer is simple," Malcolm told them. "Deny the change in regulation. Send a city inspector to ensure the enforcement of the law on those properties. If Mr. Nickel doesn't back off, hire someone to remove him. I don't see why you need me to bother our associate."
Kullens and Pollard were a fascinating study of shock. "Us?" Pollard asked with her face going pale.
"Of course," Malcolm replied in frustration. "You have a copy of the list. It contains the names of several very qualified hit men. The Mexican is very good and known in international circles. If you want him to suffer, I would use Buchinsky or Cora. I doubt the Triad would assist if it isn't in their interest. We should have more than adequate funds in the Tempest account to finance any of these hitmen."
"You want us to…" Kullens tried to verbalize. He failed and went paler than Pollard.
"Of course," Malcolm replied. "Mr. Nickel is causing YOU problems. You need to eliminate him. We can't have someone attempt to spread crime and corruption outside of the Glades."
"Very well," Pollard finally replied. She swallowed loudly.
"Excellent, I look forward to seeing Mr. Nickel's demise on the nightly news soon," Malcolm replied in a jovial tone.
"Have… a good day," Kullens finally choked out.
Pollard only nodded and left the office with Kullens.
Once they were out of the room, Malcolm's face displayed his rage. How dare they? Do they expect him to handle every little problem? They are in TEMEST for God's sake. They have the damn list. They should just use it.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~