The two of them nodded as Ra waved his hand. "Escort them back to their cells.", he said as the man that led them moved in front of them to lead them back.
It was a few minutes before the trio arrived back in the cell chamber but noticed that Poppy and Waylon are missing. "They're still here...", the man escorting them said. "Just in private if I heard right, before you quickly jump to conclusions.".
"Not like we could do much anyway...", Bruce said. "For now at least...", he mentally thought. The trio went back to their cells after their cuffs got off, and they settled in, wincing yet slightly amused by the muffled sounds of Poppy and Waylon in private, clearly in their closed, private bathroom in the back of their cell.
It was about 15 minutes later before Waylon came out, drying his body with a towel with the shorts on, seeing the trio back, and replied, "She's in the shower. And no, we avoided temptation as much as we could while we needed it badly, especially me...Is it done? Is he greatly injured, or dead?", having took the shower first as it was easier and quicker for him. His Croc instincts are pretty satisfied for now with all the pleasure and release.
"Dead.", Bruce said. "I shudder to think what the alternative would've been if he had killed Talia.", with a grimace. "You really think that Ra wouldn't just simply revive his daughter like she did with him?", Alfred asked. "Could've easily killed just killed Ranbir right after...".
Waylon replied, "Wait, did he revive the bastard?", with a glint of anger and fear in his eyes, knowing that Poppy would be devastated to hear that, and Martha shook her head, "No, no more Ranbir, ever. He practically ordered some of his men take the corpse out in the cold, to the valley as a meal to the hungry wolves, and Talia really did a number on him. It looked close here and there, but Talia won.", reassuring Waylon quickly.
Waylon gave a loud laugh-roar as he sat on the cot, as his Croc instincts was both celebrating yet upset that the rival male is stone dead while he never got the chance to strangle him, but in the end, he had to admit that an alpha female like Talia was the next best thing in almost a way he had to respect in killing off Ranbir.
Poppy came out of the bathroom a few seconds later with damp hair, in her flimsy nightdress, "Wally, please...That sound you made, is that what I think?", looking at Waylon with hope and tears in her eyes, and Waylon smiled widely, "Ranbir is dead, currently being dinner for some starving wolves out in the wild. They saw his death through and through.".
Poppy took a deep breath as Waylon rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry about the noise... that... that was the more animal side...", he said as she smiled. "It's alright... just; let's not go full animal or you'll have to sleep outside.", Poppy teased as he rolled his eyes.
"Can't believe you're able to crack jokes even after all this.", Waylon said. "It's the only way to really keep myself from going mad and sink into despair.", Poppy explained to him as she got next to him once more.
Waylon wrapped an arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder, sighing softly as Waylon replied, "I couldn't blame you right now...", and Poppy gave a small smile before glancing at the others, "What else?".
Bruce said, "That we got some extra time, and that we all gotta behave, since the Halloween thing is still on after tomorrow...But that's not the main thing...Mom would have said something if it was any of us, yet I doubt it is that either, but well, tomorrow, there is supposed to be a demonstration with Ra's machine, and he didn't reveal who it's going to be for the first go, since he isn't going to lose the She-Hulk if he can help it.", with a frown.
"Wouldn't be one of us, would it?", Waylon asked. "I mean, if I was like Ra, I might do that but that would pretty much be the end of things; you'd cut off the arrangement right then and there, Martha.".
Martha replied, "Believe me, I would, in a flash, as Kel and I would be as one to agree on that. But luckily, Ra is the kind of person who wants things to go smoothly and easily. I don't know if it's going to be Talia, or someone else.".
"Sadly, the only way to find out is basically when it comes...", Bruce said. "We're just going to have to wait...", with a sigh. "I don't know how much longer I can take it... I'll be honest.", Alfred admitted. "They've already broke us quite good...".
Waylon replied, "It's going to be okay, Dad...We will work through this together...After all, family sticks together.", with a reassuring smile, and Alfred exhaled, "You're right...And I can't abandon your mother and sister when we got a chance thanks to Ra's fortunate demonstration on our first day...I know your mother and sister's resurrection would be easier due to the less time she and Jane had in death compared to Thomas, but I pray that their souls connect with their bodies on Halloween, yet I can't help being a bit skeptical still.".
"I know, Dad...I feel the same too, but what choice do we have?", Waylon said, and Alfred nodded as he smiled a bit to see Poppy comforting Waylon, and Bruce replied, "We'd just have to keep to our routines.".
The others nodded, and so, the rest of the afternoon and the night passed with Alfred reciting recipes and talking about stories of England and such, Bruce practicing his martial arts, and Martha mentally talking with Kel while meditating, and Waylon finally coming back to human again after the drug faded, exercised by boxing as Poppy watched, advising him, not wanting to expose herself accidentally during her gymnastics routine, behaving through dinner, and lights out.
Within a few hours after lights out, Kel went to find extra parts, still not noticed, finally realizing that the assassins weren't much spirit-conscious, with Poppy and Bruce keeping to different hours to pretend using their cell bathrooms, hiding the grenades and parts discreetly while working here and there.
Morning came with lights on and breakfast, and seeing that Waylon and Poppy had behaved, they were given full sets of clothes, ending their punishment, much to Poppy's relief, and Waylon's half frustrated relief.
A couple hours later, their routines got interrupted by groups of the League to cuff and take each person out, with Waylon behaving for them to take Poppy and himself, seeing no visible threat on the assassins, yet knew they do have threatening weapons hidden, realizing that it's time for the reveal of the machine and to see who got chosen for the machine.
"How are you holding up?", Poppy whispered to Waylon. If there was anyone to have odds on who would be used for this machine as a test, it had to be Waylon, and the family knew it. They all were aware that Ra was not someone to be trusted at his word no matter what showing he had done so far since their imprisonment.
If things worked right, they would probably instantly drag Martha into the machine and get right to work, no matter what; they would be quick with making sure she wouldn't be able to change. "Alright; just... dreading what's coming, you know?", Waylon said.
Poppy whispered, "You know that I love you no matter what you are, human or Croc, with hair or bald, very tall or modestly tall, and I will always repeat it for you, Waylon Jones. You are strong...I'm sorry that we wasted time being cautious and all, but in this place, I wouldn't want our child to be conceived here, and I'd take a human child anytime over that envisioned child they want to steal from us, even if I'd love them either way. You...you focus to come back to me, to all of us, and if...if you die, even if it'd be hard, it's your choice, to be resurrected by Ra if he still thinks that you'd be of use, or stay away, alight?", referring to that day he focused on living and his memories through the pain when he got cured of that croc's disease, even if things changed within him.
"Poppy...", Waylon whispered as he leaned in to hold her close as they kept marching before they entered a large, dark chamber before the lights flipped on. At the heart of the room was a large machine that looked almost like a strange hodgepodge of equipment from different places and different times.
Some had the aesthetic of steampunk culture that Poppy had heard about; possibly something actually designed and built in the Victorian era which knowing from what they heard about Ra', he probably was the one who built it. The rest of the machine was similar in nature, elements spanning from differing times across the 20th century and obviously even some cutting-edge stuff from the present days.
"I think I recognize a bit of that.", Bruce spoke up. "Picked up something from GothCorp?". At the other end of the room, Talia turned around and smiled as she walked towards the machine.
"Good eye there, Bruce. Certainly my trip to Gotham wasn't only just to get close to your mother. I also had to do a little shopping...", Talia chuckled.
"Yeah, I think stealing is the better word.", Poppy said. "That sort of equipment GothCorp isn't exactly letting sell off the shelves. Can't imagine it was too difficult to get your hands on it though; you and your men seem to be a fairly well-oiled machine.".
"Indeed.", Talia nodded before she walked up to Bruce as he turned his head. "Oh, must you play so hard to get?", she whispered as she ran a finger gently against his cheek.
"You made the mistake of trying to befriend my mother instead of going out with me.", Bruce countered. "You might have had a better chance even after all this, that I might want to have anything to do with you.".
"As if you're in much of a position to resist...", Talia threatened in a mocking tone. "I could easily have from you what I would want... but surely you wouldn't want to die a virgin, now would you?". There was a pause. "Besides, it wouldn't be much fun for me if I had to 'force' it.".
"Even if you weren't going to do it that way... you better be careful if you actually had me in a bed... I know where you keep your knife.", Bruce side eyed her. Talia couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, my, Martha, you never told me that your son was quite the lady-killer... figuratively and if given the chance, I assume literally.".
Martha replied sharply, "I raised my son to be a respectable, well-rounded gentleman with his own morals, and he wouldn't go against his morals for you. He knows better than to go with a woman like you.".
Bruce replied, "And besides, my father isn't the type for business/convenience marriages. He, like Mother here, next to Mama, would want me to find my true love.", and Talia snorted, "Ha! True love is for dreamers and idiots!".
"Certainly explains a few things with you...", Waylon muttered under his breath. Talia was about to say something before Ra entered the room.
"Talia! Is everything ready?", Ra asked as he walked up to it. Talia quickly turned around and walked back over to him and the machine.
"About as ready as it's going to get; we made sure this thing is properly running. The results, on the other hand, would still be a mystery but the machine itself will function.", Talia replied firmly and quickly as she bowed for a moment there.
Ra smiled lightly, "Very good.", before turning around to face the family, "For centuries, it was occasionally easy to find parts, yet with wars and such, it got a bit harder and difficult, but now, finally, this is the culmination of my vision for the world. Bring him out!", snapping his fingers, looking past the family as they turned their heads around to look.
Everyone had their own ideas of who exactly Ra was bringing until the door opened with two men dragging Dorji in. It suddenly clicked for everyone followed by a sense of being sick to the stomach, considering that Dorji, who honestly was the last person any of them wanted to see anything bad happen, is to be used as a human guinea pig.
Dorji himself was half struggling, half giving up, conserving his strength, even if he looks more fragile and older in the eyes than he was when the family saw him on their first day, with Kel glancing at him the last few nights in her secret endeavors, knowing that he was very healthy for behaving and all, but still treated like a prisoner.
He was chanting and praying in Tibetan, with a mix of pleas in English, "Please, please, by the spirits of the world, I'm not ready for this!", and Ra snapped his hands loudly as Dorji went silent, looking up at Ra with fear and obedience.
"Hush, Dorji, that's enough out of you...You should be proud that you are chosen for this honor. Why, your powers would be greater with my glorious machine...Unless you want to trade your place for the Jones boy, or say, even the Wayne daughter?", Ra asked wryly, as he have thought a lot of last night for the alternatives besides Martha Wayne and Dorji, and he knows that Dorji hates seeing young people with potential get hurt over the decades as they are children in a way to the elderly Buddhist monk, being at least a decade or two older than Alfred in retrospect.
He was himself curious to see if the dormant genes of Poppy Wayne truly is waiting to activate with the gamma powers hidden, especially after he was admittedly surprised to find out that after going through the first time in her monthly bleeding and going into heat for the first time, being in close range with the Jones boy, the Wayne daughter has aged impossibly into a practically grown adult of 17 years old which is a power all by itself in a sense.
"No...", Dorji whispered as he looked down, resigned to his fate now. "Very good.", Ra snapped his finger as the men picked Dorji up off the floor and moved him to the machine, with Ra speaking, "As you will see... we need to test this machine, Mrs. Wayne, to make sure that we don't... damage you.".
Martha narrowed her eyes, "Dorji?! He hadn't done anything to you, he's a harmless monk, and this would kill him, even if he has the powers to see visions from the past and future!", and Ra replied, "I'd take that risk since I got a Pit to resurrect him anytime I want.", with a chuckle.
Martha and Kel are starting to agree that the Pit may be a miracle at times, but in the end, they both knew that the Pit has to be destroyed along with the organization and this pseudo-temple, as greedy people would force countless people to pay if they want to resurrect their loved ones when they just want to rest in peace and all, and of course, causing the world economics to go berserk, with mouths to feed and such.
Sure, it's one thing for some deceased people who would want to have more time again with their families, due to murder, disease or childbirth, but resurrecting dangerous people and all is another thing as it would, again, be very much devastating.
"Unless you want to put your daughter or future son-in-law in Dorji's place?", Ra added as Waylon clutched Poppy to his body protectively, fear and horror in their faces and bodies, knowing that Martha would say no, but there's still Ra and his men and Talia to overthrow Martha's protest if they want to.
Martha couldn't even bring herself to say anything at that moment as it would be a lose-lose situation. Either admitting that Dorji's life didn't matter to her, or willing to sacrifice her own daughter or future son-in-law. Her silence said all that needed to be said though. "As I thought.", Ra said before he turned and motioned with his hand, "Put him in.".
The two men put Dorji into the bed of the machine, cuffing him around the wrists and ankles, and rolled him closer into the machine's internal parts, with a mirrored bed opposite him, and Ra nodded to Talia who punched into the vitals controls and such, "Brain's good, heart's normal, all organs intact. He's all clear, at your command, Father.".
"Anything we should be worried about?", Ra asked as Talia shook her head. "Not that I know of right now... but I guess we'll know soon enough...", she said.
"Do it.", Ra nodded as Talia responded back with one of her own before she started the machine. Martha felt Alfred's hand on her shoulder as Bruce stood by her other side, holding her hand, as Waylon and Poppy nearby held each other as they watched...They didn't want to watch, but they knew Ra's men would force them to watch whether if they wanted to or not, and they prayed for Dorji as the chamber filled with the machine's sounds.