Supremedalekdunn
The Dark Knight - Heir to the Demon #14
I shouldn’t be surprised. I shouldn’t have been caught off guard. I should have known better.
Ra’s has never been known to respect his opponents, and I’m no exception.
But for him to have exhumed my father simply to mock me, even I didn't think he was capable of going so far. How foolish I now appear. If nothing else though this justifies the means I will be forced to use to combat the League. They will not hold back, and neither will I.
Alfred: Master Bruce, I’ve just received word from the other teams…
Batman: Don’t tell me. There are more bodies.
Alfred: I’m afraid so.
Batman: And they’re?
Alfred: We don’t know yet. I’ll start analysing them all now.
Batman: Thanks, Alfred.
If they’ve gone to the effort of exhuming my father, it’s all be certain that one of the bodies at the other towers will be my mother. The other two are slightly harder to discern, I suspect they’ll possibly use Uncle Marcus’ body as one but it’s difficult to tell given how he was also a member of the League himself. Usually, the League respects its members, present and former, but it’s difficult to know these days just where Ra’s is willing to draw the line at.
If I know him as well as I claim to, one of those bodies will be Marcus Wayne.
The candidate for the fourth body however? I can’t think of anyone closely connected to me that he could use.
Come on Bruce, you have to move on. Unless you shut it down, the gas this tower is emitting with soon cover all of Gotham killing all those left at GCPD and Gotham General. It’s the last thing your father would want to happen.
Rather than wait for Alfred to confirm my own suspicions, I make my way into the tower with my blade ready. I doubt that was the only surprise Ra’s will have left me. My entrance into the tower is simple enough, no surprises. It’s not until I enter the hallway leading towards the staircase that I encounter the ones tasked with guarding the tower from me.
Swordsman 1: The great one said you’d come here.
Swordsman 2: The great one’s wisdom sees all.
Batman: Which of you dug up that body outside?
Swordsman 1: You mean your father, deserter?
Batman: Answer me!
Swordsman 2: Who knows?
Just why I’m so focused on who it was that disturbed my father’s grave is a mystery to me. It’s likely I just want somewhere to direct the anger I’m suppressing for what they’ve done to him. No Bruce, this is exactly what he wants you to do. He wants you to get angry so that you’ll be blinded by rage.
We all make stupid mistakes when we allow hatred to dictate our actions.
As I take a moment to gather my composure, the two guards call out hoping to frustrate me into making amateur moves.
Swordsman 1: The Demon’s time as at hand.
Swordsman 2: The dead rising from their graves is simply the beginning.
Swordsman 1: Then comes the eradication of the vermin that are unfit to live in this world.
Swordsman 1: The tired, the sick, the weak. All will be purged.
Swordsman 2: In the name of the Demon.
Swordsman 1: Then, once all those that were foolish enough to follow you have be destroyed, deserter.
Swordsman 2: The Demon’s heir will strike you down, and complete his ascension.
Batman: Over my dead body.
Swordsman 1: That can quickly be arranged.
I position my blade ready to take a defensive stance on a moments notice. They’ve both held neutral stances with their katanas for the entire conversation, no doubt waiting to see whether I will engage them with an attacking move or choose to play defensive. Given the uncertainty as to what their strengths are, the wiser option is to choose defensive at first in the hopes of having them reveal their preferences. It’s always easier to target someone’s weaknesses when you know their strengths as you know what not to force them to.
Judging from what I can make out of their physical builds, it’s likely both of these men will favour strength over agility, no doubt the reason Ra’s assigned them to this tower confident that I would be the one to try and shut it down.
Alfred: Master Bruce, I have results of the bodies at the other towers and I think you’ll want to….
Before Alfred can finish, I disable my communicator. If my encounter with two of the League’s operatives at Talia’s residence is anything to go by, I cannot allow myself to be distracted.
Much to my surprise, as I take my defensive stance anticipating both of them to make the first move, they instead also choose a defensive stance. Most unusual. No doubt they want to bait me into being the first one to attack. Clearly they have some sort of plan in mind for dealing with me quickly. After all, an offensive action over this distance will create several potential openings for them to land a killing blow, assuming that they’re skilled enough to deliver one that is.
The other likely option that it’s their attempt to limit the amount of space I have to manoeuvre by drawing me in close. Both are viable possibilities and whilst it’s not ideal to play how they want, I feel confident in my ability to counteract their moves regardless of which strategy they choose to impose.
Swordsman 1: Nothing to say, deserte……
With that, before he can complete his sentence or do anything else, I make my move.
This is for my father you monsters.
The Dark Knight - Heir to the Demon #14
I shouldn’t be surprised. I shouldn’t have been caught off guard. I should have known better.
Ra’s has never been known to respect his opponents, and I’m no exception.
But for him to have exhumed my father simply to mock me, even I didn't think he was capable of going so far. How foolish I now appear. If nothing else though this justifies the means I will be forced to use to combat the League. They will not hold back, and neither will I.
Alfred: Master Bruce, I’ve just received word from the other teams…
Batman: Don’t tell me. There are more bodies.
Alfred: I’m afraid so.
Batman: And they’re?
Alfred: We don’t know yet. I’ll start analysing them all now.
Batman: Thanks, Alfred.
If they’ve gone to the effort of exhuming my father, it’s all be certain that one of the bodies at the other towers will be my mother. The other two are slightly harder to discern, I suspect they’ll possibly use Uncle Marcus’ body as one but it’s difficult to tell given how he was also a member of the League himself. Usually, the League respects its members, present and former, but it’s difficult to know these days just where Ra’s is willing to draw the line at.
If I know him as well as I claim to, one of those bodies will be Marcus Wayne.
The candidate for the fourth body however? I can’t think of anyone closely connected to me that he could use.
Come on Bruce, you have to move on. Unless you shut it down, the gas this tower is emitting with soon cover all of Gotham killing all those left at GCPD and Gotham General. It’s the last thing your father would want to happen.
Rather than wait for Alfred to confirm my own suspicions, I make my way into the tower with my blade ready. I doubt that was the only surprise Ra’s will have left me. My entrance into the tower is simple enough, no surprises. It’s not until I enter the hallway leading towards the staircase that I encounter the ones tasked with guarding the tower from me.
Swordsman 1: The great one said you’d come here.
Swordsman 2: The great one’s wisdom sees all.
Batman: Which of you dug up that body outside?
Swordsman 1: You mean your father, deserter?
Batman: Answer me!
Swordsman 2: Who knows?
Just why I’m so focused on who it was that disturbed my father’s grave is a mystery to me. It’s likely I just want somewhere to direct the anger I’m suppressing for what they’ve done to him. No Bruce, this is exactly what he wants you to do. He wants you to get angry so that you’ll be blinded by rage.
We all make stupid mistakes when we allow hatred to dictate our actions.
As I take a moment to gather my composure, the two guards call out hoping to frustrate me into making amateur moves.
Swordsman 1: The Demon’s time as at hand.
Swordsman 2: The dead rising from their graves is simply the beginning.
Swordsman 1: Then comes the eradication of the vermin that are unfit to live in this world.
Swordsman 1: The tired, the sick, the weak. All will be purged.
Swordsman 2: In the name of the Demon.
Swordsman 1: Then, once all those that were foolish enough to follow you have be destroyed, deserter.
Swordsman 2: The Demon’s heir will strike you down, and complete his ascension.
Batman: Over my dead body.
Swordsman 1: That can quickly be arranged.
I position my blade ready to take a defensive stance on a moments notice. They’ve both held neutral stances with their katanas for the entire conversation, no doubt waiting to see whether I will engage them with an attacking move or choose to play defensive. Given the uncertainty as to what their strengths are, the wiser option is to choose defensive at first in the hopes of having them reveal their preferences. It’s always easier to target someone’s weaknesses when you know their strengths as you know what not to force them to.
Judging from what I can make out of their physical builds, it’s likely both of these men will favour strength over agility, no doubt the reason Ra’s assigned them to this tower confident that I would be the one to try and shut it down.
Alfred: Master Bruce, I have results of the bodies at the other towers and I think you’ll want to….
Before Alfred can finish, I disable my communicator. If my encounter with two of the League’s operatives at Talia’s residence is anything to go by, I cannot allow myself to be distracted.
Much to my surprise, as I take my defensive stance anticipating both of them to make the first move, they instead also choose a defensive stance. Most unusual. No doubt they want to bait me into being the first one to attack. Clearly they have some sort of plan in mind for dealing with me quickly. After all, an offensive action over this distance will create several potential openings for them to land a killing blow, assuming that they’re skilled enough to deliver one that is.
The other likely option that it’s their attempt to limit the amount of space I have to manoeuvre by drawing me in close. Both are viable possibilities and whilst it’s not ideal to play how they want, I feel confident in my ability to counteract their moves regardless of which strategy they choose to impose.
Swordsman 1: Nothing to say, deserte……
With that, before he can complete his sentence or do anything else, I make my move.
This is for my father you monsters.