The mahogany door was opened Ras al Ghul, analyzed his visitors calmly. The male, Soul, wore a purple vest and a grey long-sleeved shirt. A mask that resembled a skull that hid his eyes behind purple lenses. Right next to him was his girlfriend under the name Myalo. Her features were covered by a pastel pink gas mask with blue detailing. A clear contrast to her surroundings, that wouldn't have been efficient, but Myalo rarely appeared in public. Therefore, Ras could consider that as a rare honor.
The situation was simple, the head of the League of Shadows owed an explanation to Cerberus. Cerberus, contrary to what most people believed, was what the three heads ofthe Observers (an organization that sold information), were called together. Separately, they were known as Soul, Myalo, and Hnegg.
But before Ras was able to begin discussing the topic at hand, the window was broken by a dark figure crashing into it. The guests did nothing to prevent the angered vigilante from pinning down their host.
"What did you do to Jason?" Batman demanded he was standing on top of the old immortal. "Act like you don't know what I'm talking about, and I'll dislocate the shoulder. That's just to start."
"If you haven't disabled the roof sensors, my guards will be here in under a minute."
"Batman, stop. He is right" Soul intervened right after Ras had spoken. The older man knew the reason why, after all, without him, none of the three could get what they wanted: for him to explain what exactly was the story behind Jason's resurrection.
"I'm willing to tell you" added Ras helpfully. "...but it'll be more expedient if you hand me the communicator in my pocket...and I call off my men."
Soon, said object was floating next to his face. He knew this had been Myalo, using her psychokinesis. Ras did as he promised, "Commander, this is Ra's Al Ghul. Stand down. I will be entertaining a new guest in my study."
And by some miracle, the dark knight allowed the man to stand up, looking at the pair suspiciously. This would have amused the immortal assassin if he hadn't been in the room with three potential and powerful threats.
"Now, it seems all of you came for the same thing" stated Ras looking at everyone in the room. "I must admit, it was a mistake battling any of you. And I wish for us to ally ourselves, a truce if you will"
"Tell us" Of course the dark knight would be the one impatient, after all, he was the only one in this place that Ras was sure had a connection to, formerly dead, Jason Peter Todd.
"Do you remember when we last became embattled Batman?"
"You were planning to blow up banks."
"Accurate, if inelegant." Was his pointed reply "I was in the midst of toppling the economy of Europe...but you were on to me."
"No, we were," said the only female. Ras tried his best not to raise an eyebrow. After all, her voice was actually that of the Vocaloid Rin Kagamine. Intelligent to use a voice bank and make it harder to decipher her true persona. "I sent Batman the warning..."
"I see...so you are Cerberus," said Batman seriously.
"In a way, I am. Cerberus isn't one, but three. You may call me Myalo. Soul is the second who holds the title of Cerberus. Now that I have explained that part. Ras, you certainly did not strike me as the type to act before analyzing the pushback. Why would you hire the joker for a mere distraction? There once was a time when I could honestly think of you as a warrior of the mind. The wisest thing someone can do is admit their mistake and change opinions when the facts are proven wrong…"
Ras watched Soul place a calming hand on Myalo's shoulder. The petite girl relaxed under his touch. The old immortal frowned, the female had just called him, in polite terms, an idiot. And, looking back, he knew why she was. After all, Jason's death hadn't been what he wanted or planned, a hard lesson to learn, never use the Joker as a distraction.
"I apologize. It was a miscalculation...He was paid extremely well for what was intended to be a wild-goose chase." Ras' gaze fell on Myalo, he couldn't see through those white lenses on her mask, but he felt the powerful glare. It sent shivers down his spine, even his own mind got its senses poked and prodded. When was the last time he felt this overwhelming need to say the truth or the consequence would be worse than death? "Then he murdered the boy. That was not by design. I'm afraid I overestimated my ability to control the Joker..."
"No shit Sherlock" mumbled Soul, his voice a deep echo. His gloved hand gently stroked Myalo's purple hair, to keep her from doing anything. "Underestimating seems to be your default"
"It grieved me, to be a party to something so brutal." Ras truly lamented it, but it still made those in the room even more tense, and angrier, and he knew it. He had to be careful, or he wouldn't be able to lead the shadows anymore. One more word and he could end up a puppet to Cerberus.
"You've never shied away from drawing blood." Stated Batman.
"True, but always with purpose. Always with greater goals." Justified the immortal pacing around the room to be able to look at all of them directly. "This was simply an unnecessary casualty."
"So, as penance, you just wanna have a truce or alliance?" Soul sounded slightly incredulous.
"You tried to rectify your idiotic mishap by using the Lazarus pit..." Myalo's words no longer measured "You made him be alive again and this made him go crazy...feral"
"I am aware, I also know you have a problem in your home. The kingdom you protect is being harmed by the very thing I returned to you..." he looked back at the individuals in the room, only to find them gone, and a card with a three-headed dog on the floor.
Inside a note was written in Helvetica font:
The observers accept the League of Shadows as allies. Information for information, money for adjustments.
- Cerberus
Ras smiled slightly, but said nothing, knowing this could serve a purpose in the future.