The Dark Knight - Heir to the Demon #7

Given the short notice, it’s difficult for the League to muster everyone to the call, but eventually the League manages to assemble in Gotham. What catches all six of them off guard though is the reason I called them in. They all expected that I was hoping to use them to oppose Ra’s and his forces. It is a logical conclusion, but that’s not what I called upon them for.

 

They’re crowd control.

 

Given West’s reluctance to Jim’s warnings, the GCPD is unprepared for leading the evacuation of the city. So if it’s going to be successful we need more than just the police. We need the Justice League.

 

Superman: Bruce, I really think we have more pressing issues than crowd control given the threat made against Gotham.

 

Flash: Especially given the escalation caused by the deployment of the national guard. How long before they get here, Vic?

 

Cyborg: Last reports had the estimated time of arrival at just under two hours.

 

Superman: Not a huge window to evacuate a whole city.

 

Flash: Worried you’re too slow, Clark?

 

Superman: Just because you got lucky during our last race Barry, doesn’t mean you’ll get lucky again.

 

Flash: Is that a challenge?

 

Aquaman: Stop it, both of you. We don’t have time to indulge in your rivalry.

 

Green Lantern: It’s always a weird day when I agree with Arthur.

 

Wonder Woman: Perhaps a more reasonable strategy would be to anticipate where this Ra’s Al-Ghul will make his first move from, so we can halt this assault with a preemptive strike.

 

Aquaman: Diana does raise a valid point. Severing the head of this beast before it has a chance to take root would be the best course of action.

 

Flash: Not to mention it sounds like an easier job.

 

Green Lantern: Not up to the challenge, Barry?

 

Flash: What? No, I was just pointing out that it’d be a damn sight easier taking on a small unprepared army than it would be evacuating a whole city.

 

Cyborg: Not to mention it would avoid us potentially overstraining the Watchtower’s systems in the process.

 

Inevitably, they all come to the same conclusion. My decision is the foolish decision. Understandable given the circumstances.

 

On any other day, I’d be obliged to agree.

 

Why make more of a challenge for yourself when you can end a problem when it’s only in its infancy?

 

Thankfully, I have an appropriate answer to that question.

 

Batman: No. We press ahead in leading the evacuation of the city.

 

Green Lantern: I thought he was the supposed smart one here? Even I can tell you that’s the wrong move to make.

 

Batman: Usually yes, it would be. We’ve faced countless villains with ambitions of taking lives on a large scale. But in this case, we’re facing something different. This is a man who knows full well his capabilities as well as those of his opponents. If he suspects your involvement, he’ll go to ground again. Or worse still, he’ll have ways to combat you all.

 

Superman: We can take him.

 

Green Lantern: We’re the Justice League. We can take anyone.

 

Cyborg: Don’t tempt it. You know how well things work out when you say something like that.

 

Flash: Especially after that mess with Hades.

 

Wonder Woman: You mean Ares.

 

Aquaman: Not to mention Amazo.

 

Superman: Guys, this isn’t the time.

 

It’s funny really. Clark was always one of the most reluctant members to join the League following the conclusion of the Star incident, and yet to the public he’s the one who leads us. The reality of the situation couldn’t be further from the truth. There is no leader of the Justice League. At least, not one that the seven of us are aware of.

 

Some would say that’s crazy, for a team with such diverse abilities as ours you’d need some form of a command chain to stop the clashing of egos. It’s a valid point. But probably the main thing that’s kept the Justice League together for so long is its flexible command structure. Given the diversity of problems we encounter, it makes perfect sense why the structure would change accordingly. After all, someone such as Diana and Arthur are more adept at combating magic users than Barry and I. Just as Clark and Hal are more experienced in combating threats from space.

 

But every once in a while, one of us has to take charge and usually, whether he likes it or not, that’s Clark. Well….when it’s not me that is.

 

Batman: Thanks Clark. Look. This fight isn’t your fight. It’s my fight. Ra’s hasn’t come all this way for the Justice League, he came here for Bruce Wayne, and that’s exactly what I intend to give him.

 

Wonder Woman: You can’t fight him alone, Bruce. As you said, he has an army of followers at his command.

 

Batman: So do I.

 

Flash: A few birds don’t really count as an army Bruce.

 

Green Lantern: No matter who trained them.

 

Batman: Who says that’s all I have?

 

Wonder Woman: Sounds like you’ve been busy.

 

Cyborg: When you’ve actually stepped out of your cave that is.

 

Eventually, they relent and agree to focus on safely evacuating people from the city. It’s clear as day that they’re not content with this, hoping instead to do more as is there, I couldn’t be more honoured to call them my friends. But they cannot be a part of this. This my battle, and mine alone.

I’ve known it was coming for years. I didn’t know when, I didn’t know how. But I knew what, and that gives me an unusual advantage.

 

Often warring armies would rely upon the genius of their generals to lead them to victory. A similar situation is now presenting itself here between Ra’s and myself. The sole difference? We’re aware of each other’s methods to some degree or another. So then the question becomes what separates my tactics from his? The answer to that question is simple.

 

Home field advantage.

 

Not to mention the fact that whilst Ra’s’ tactics are unlikely to have changed given how he’s spent hundreds of years refining them, mine have evolved. Where Ra’s will rely on the Lazarus Pit’s restorative powers to keep him in prime physical condition, I shall be relying on the arsenal I carry in my belt, as well as the blade Hephaestus forged for me. I had also hoped to be able to use the sample of Lucifer I tasked Jason with retrieving, but it appears he won’t be back before Ra’s gets here, assuming he’s still alive. I hope he’s alright.

 

But I can’t worry about him right now.

 

The battle ahead will be difficult, and it needs my full attention. They’re counting on me. They need me, and I need them.

 

I can’t guarantee that any of us walk away from this unscathed.

 

I can’t even guarantee if anyone of us will walk away alive

 

As I active the war room protocol for my office, I walk outside to greet the team. To my surprise, there are two extras I didn’t expect. A man and a woman. The woman appears familiar for some reason.

 

It’s not until I look at the man that I realise why she seems familiar to me.

 

Batman: Jason?

 

It’s at that moment that it all becomes clear to me.

 

Whilst the odds are not in our favour, we have one advantage that Ra’s does not.

 

His army are simply soldiers. Loyalists. Servants.

 

Mine are family, and we will do anything to help one another.

 

Some come with all that you can muster, Ra’s.

Your fight isn’t just with me.

 

Your fight is with us.

 

All of us.

Done