Talia replied, "I may be a liar sometimes, but some of it are the truth, and I never go back on my word when it is needed.", before checking her watch, "Let's move. Your Alfred and Waylon will join us shortly.", as her men jostled and prodded the family on to follow Talia, leaving the airport, taking a way up and through, not exactly a trail or path, but it's like off the beaten path into the unknown, with a wide, impossible looking pass of the most incredible mountains the family has ever seen.
"Certainly don't see those in Gotham...", Bruce whispered, his mind going back to a trip he remembered when he was little when Thomas took them to the Rockies.
"Pity this isn't a vacation... I would love to go skiing.", Poppy grumbled as they followed their captors along; making sure not to do anything that would risk endangering any of them.
Perhaps about 30 minutes in, a strange sound of a wolf howl and a cat yowl altogether was heard, and Talia held up her hand, making the men stop the family, and she did the same signal, with a response of an owl hoot and a strange dog yelp/whistle from the distance, and then out from the distant scattering of trees and cliffs, a group of more assassins came out, surrounding Alfred and Waylon.
Waylon looked like he was colder than anyone else, even if he's wearing a fur coat and boots like Alfred too yet when his eyes widened, seeing Poppy, he became warmer by having a relieved smile as he called out, "Poppy!".
He was about to move and run when Alfred grasped his shoulder, and Waylon exhaled, remembering the same threat from the group leader, and Waylon barely held back from baring his teeth in anger, but kept behaving as he followed the group down to Talia's group, and then with nods and signals, Talia and her partner's assassins let go of their captives, and Poppy ran to Waylon with a sob, "Waylon!", as Martha and Bruce ran to check on Alfred.
Waylon swept her up, kissing her all over, not caring about who's watching, "Oh, Poppy, thank god you're okay and alive!", as Poppy returned the same, hugging him fiercely, "I was so worried about you, Wally...", tears flying.
"It's okay, Poppy, I'm here...I'm right here...", Waylon replied to reassure her, using his Croc form's eyesight and smell to check over his girlfriend as he put her down, relieved to see no bruises, no cuts or injuries, smelling her faint lavender scent, and then his eyes dilated in anger as he smelled blood, assuming that someone hurt her, his girlfriend, his female!
As if Poppy had foreseen this, she grabbed Waylon's cheeks in her hands to make him look at her directly, "No, Waylon, they didn't hurt me...It's...I'm finally becoming a woman...", with embarrassment and humiliation yet part of her is relieved to see that her boyfriend is protective, and she knew she needed to stop him immediately before he jumped to conclusions, or she would lose him at those captors' hands...
Waylon's eyes widened as they slowly turned back to normal, yet he felt his Croc instincts becoming delighted and slightly aroused, realizing that his female is becoming fertile, primed to bear him hatchlings!
Waylon slammed his Croc instincts back as he knew furiously that even if Poppy is finally becoming a woman, she's still too young, and besides, he isn't going back on his promise, determined to wait, as he turned off his Croc sense of smell, calming down, even if he's now blushing and understanding, replying, "I'm sure there are plenty of blankets wherever we are going, and you are going to be okay, Poppy...I won't leave you; I swear...Just double checking, they didn't hurt you?".
"No... they've threatened but they haven't harmed any of us... made sure not to give them excuses.", Poppy told him as he nodded.
"Yeah... ran the risk of that when they nabbed us in Louisiana. And as we learned; they're the ones that took your father's coffin as well as Mama's and Jane's.", Waylon said as she nodded.
"Talia said the same thing.", Poppy motioned over to Talia. "Lied about who she was to Mom to get closer to be able to capture... I just don't know how she knows like... everything...".
Waylon sighed, "Beats me, but all of this, this must have been weeks of planning, maybe a few months of spying...", and Poppy replied quietly, "Bruce thinks that it had been years of spying and planning...".
Waylon looked thoughtful, nodding and as he was about to say something else, Talia called out, "You can continue the reunion once we're at the base, so unless you want to stay here in the freezing cold, abandoned and lost, now get moving!", while she and her partner traded subtle looks, having seen the flash of anger and animalistic instinct with Poppy close to Waylon, having another thing to report to Talia's father and their leader/master.
Poppy and Waylon joined the others quickly, huddled by the army of assassins, looking at Alfred in concern, "Are you alright, Alfred?", and Alfred replied, "I'm fine, Poppy, like I have told your mother and Bruce, I can manage this with care as long as they don't rush too much of us.".
"Don't try to push yourself, Alfred...", Martha advised as he sighed. "I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice if they don't give us one... I'm guessing we're in a bit of a rush.", Alfred huddled himself a bit closer as he was trying to keep warm.
Martha replied, "Bruce, be on the right of him, Waylon, take the left...We will block the wind and the cold as best we can, even if he's wearing the furriest coat and boots out of us all.", wrapping an arm around Poppy, being in front as the boys nodded, taking their ordered places on either side of Alfred, and so, the family stepped into place, following Talia, her partner and the few assassins in front, with the rest around them.
It was almost another hour marching through the fierce weather and snow before finally, they could just make out what clearly was their destination. "Is that a temple?", Poppy whispered as the group came to a stop.
"Doesn't look like any I'm familiar with.", Bruce admitted. "The structure does have a Buddhist resemblance, but it feels... off... ", with a frown as he looked at it with a detective's eye.
Martha felt Kel's mental voice, "That stuff is hardcore...It's like I'm back to normal, but something in that drug is stopping us to change, to hulk out, even if I'm really upset and worried about our family as captives...The anger is there too, but it's like only attitude and temper problems...".
Martha mentally replied to her mate, "We will figure this out, Kel...We will flush this out of us, and they won't know what's coming.", feeling her nod as she vocally replied quietly to her family, "You're not the only one, Bruce...Just stay close.".
The family didn't argue with Martha as Talia clicked something on her watch, and the family widened their eyes as the ground shook beneath them, and then suddenly, the ground gave away, revealing as an elevator platform, bringing the group below, and then Talia snapped her fingers, and before the family knew it, complete black bags covered their heads, forbidding them to even know which way to go or know how to get out, as there would have been a number of tunnels or something else spreading out under the false-looking and off-feeling Buddhist temple once the platform elevator reaches the bottom as far as they knew.
Poppy realized that the temple was just a facade, maybe still real in a way in case if a lost person found the place, and the platform elevator would be swept of evidence and covered with fresh snow before going up, which makes any chance of deep rescue impossible, not that regular people come up this way often, but it's something Poppy very vaguely respects as their captors are truly dangerous.
"How we are doing on scents?", Martha mentally asked Kel. "Be nice to have a trail to lead us out since we can't see now.", hoping that Kel got something.
"Looks like they cover their bases well here too... same scents going everywhere. Wouldn't be too much help with directions if we made our escape.", Kel told her.
Martha mentally sighed, "So, the only chances of escape is finding sunlight that touches, and vents...Poppy is the smallest one out of all of us...But she would be alone...".
"She's pretty strong, Martha... more than we think at times... if she had to be alone, she would make it, I'm sure of it. Though, let's hope it doesn't come to th-", Kel's reassuring mental voice suddenly stopped as Martha felt a sharp kick to the back of her legs and found herself down on her knees. The rest of the family had the same happen to them before their masks were suddenly removed and they found themselves in an inner sanctum where they could see in the distance what looked like an altar and bunch of spiritual candles and pots with a lone figure kneeling in front of it.
Martha saw now more assassins in every corner and place, like in the railings of more floors up, in the shadows, and such, and they are all standing with swords on their belts and who knows what else. Talia is bowing and kneeling, along with her partner who was in charge of Alfred and Waylon.
The silence was astounding as the family was confused and afraid yet watching the lone figure taking time that seemed like forever before they stood up and turned around. Martha felt Kel shiver in her mind as she felt similar, seeing an emotionless, stoic, and strong, elderly man making a canvass with his dark eyes over the family, the room, and then on Talia and her partner.
"I trust you and Ranbir hadn't much trouble, daughter?", the man spoke in a deep, sophisticated, and cold voice, with a hand gesture to them to stand up, and speak.
"Not in the slightest, father...", Talia said. "It was easy to incapacitate her when her guard was done. As for her children, there was some slight difficulties at finding the right place to make our move, but we found it and took them with little difficulty.".
"And you, Ranbir?", the man asked next, and Ranbir replied, "Caught them when they had tunnel vision, sir. The gifted boy got restrained easily when the old man was held by me.".
The man nodded, "Very good. Bring my prize monk in.", and a few moments, a hidden door opened, and more assassins came out, bringing into a scared, dirty, submissive bald monk that is not even in good shape to escape, perhaps slightly less elderly than Talia's father.
The monk bowed his head, whispering submissively which echoed in the inner sanctum, "Here to obey, Lord Ra' al Ghul.", and as the family realized that this was the rumored and dangerous leader and master of the League of Assassins, Ra spoke, "Look up and see if we have brought the right ones like you have seen in your visions, and do not lie as you well know that I do not take to liars easily.".
"It is...", the monk said. "Are you sure? I want you to take a good long look to make sure of it...", Ra's tone got more aggressive.
"It is... I swear it...", the monk whispered. "Please...", Martha spoke up. "He... he is right... we're the ones you're looking for... don't harm him...".
Ra looked sharply at Martha, "Did I ask you to speak?", and Martha held silent as Talia replied, "They are of the world who knows no honor, Father. It's up to them to learn that with your wish, sir.".
"You have proven a point, daughter. Very well, the first lesson is never speak up until spoken to, with permission, as you have clearly seen. Now, you must be Mrs. Martha Wayne. I now ask you; how can you be certain of what my prize monk has said?", Ra asked sternly.
Martha exhaled, staying down as she spoke firmly, "Desperate people wants to live, and to do so, they speak the truth. Gotham is not just dark, but there's light too. May I ask your permission for us to know how you mean by visions? We truly covered our paper, electronic, and physical tracks, thanks to many means of protecting ourselves.".
"It's simple... Dorji has a truly remarkable ability amongst the monks of Bhutan... the ability to see into the past and the future; of anyone he truly puts his mind to.", Ra said.
"Of course, the future can always change, so his future predictions may be errored; but whenever it comes to the past, he is absolutely perfect and can see some of the darkest secrets of anyone.", Talia added.
Martha widened her eyes, exhaling sharply as she realized the realization that Dorji...he had seen the past 10 years and so if Ra was right, and looked at Ra who replied, "Speak.", and Martha spoke, "Was it important events or every moment?", praying that Dorji wasn't pushed to be a pervert of sorts with his visions.
"Only... only if it serves a purpose...", Dorji admitted. So more than likely, if it was more risqué secrets like sleeping with someone then he probably saw something of those grounds. But with her and her family, it might have just been as simple as simply witnessing the day Kel was truly born when the She-Hulk took her first breaths in the world when Joe Chill killed Thomas and tried to kill her.
Ra nodded, "He's correct of that...We heard stories and rumors of the She-Hulk from our Asian gangs and such in your beloved city, and of course, then came reports of great injuries such as concussions, broken limbs, and even occasional unfortunate accidents of being unable to violate women and men ever again. I simply had to know about you, and so I discovered the beginning of the green amazon vigilante's origins on that dark night through Dorji and learned of other great events that included her. Then came Talia's reports over the past two months...and became most disappointed to hear that you gave the She-Hulk a name, taming her, to make her conscious of her choices, and becoming a vigilante of all things to get rid of the corruption of humanity.".
"Oh, I hate that you can't let me out, Martha... talk to this bastard face to face...", Kel mentally growled as Martha closed her eyes, mentally replying to her as she caressed Kel's cheek momentarily, "As much as I would love to do that for you, Kel; we're still under the influence of that stuff Talia gave us. And even if you could come out, I think that would be a terrible idea at this moment. We even try anything; they might harm any of the others to make sure we comply...".
"You can't let him talk about me like that though, Martha!", Kel argued. Martha mentally replied, "Oh, trust me, I have some words to say.", and then opened her eyes which is slightly glowing yet normal.
She looked at Ra sharply, "Do not insult Kel like that. She is honorable where I say with most beloved respect and love for her, which is saying something when you don't even honor the wishes of my deceased family to be left alone and took them here! She isn't a killer, and she is devoted to our family deeply! Your daughter says that death is respected by all of this League of yours, but I still don't see why, only how, when, where, what, from the robbery of our Thomas and Alfred's Caroline and Jane, and our kidnapping, in your daughter's and your answers thus far!".
"Go, Martha! Way to go, my little beautiful alpha, my love!", Kel's mental voice laughed as she whooped, encouraging her as Martha heard the little whispered murmurs of awe from her family.
Martha then saw Ranbir near her quickly pull out a blade and then place it right against her throat, "You would be wise to keep your tongue more... careful, when speaking to The Demon's Head...".
"Ranbir!", Ra shouted. "Do not harm her! Not even a little bit! Not until she fulfills her purpose to use.". Ranbir, almost as quickly as he pulled it out, sheathed it. "As you wish, my lord...", he said as he respectfully backed away.
Martha held up a hand to show her family that she's alright, faintly hearing Kel mentally checking her mate over, and gave a relieved mental sigh as she saw nothing, not even a minor blade scratch, as Ra looked at Martha, "Yes, it's true that we all respect death for it's a part of how the universe works. As you have pointed out, we indeed have given answers to most of the important questions except for the question of why. Well, Dorji here had a few future visions, one a bit different to the next, and well, we have chosen the most profitable future vision that we liked with all the clues he has given us which is this family of yours including you, or rather, the She-Hulk working for the League of Assassins with leverage, which meant something to make you stay. A week from this day, on your dear daughter's birthday aka Halloween, on the day where the spirit world and the mortal world are the thinnest at their borders, we are to bring back not just Thomas, but also Caroline and little Jane, to live again.".