章 13: Chapter Thirteen

Wiping the blood off of her lips, Lashina's face twisted in unadulterated glee as she watched 'Princess' Diana fly towards the wreckage of Bruce's ship. Meeting her halfway in her route with a frenzied attack Lashina kept her away from Diana's target with delight for several minutes.

Acting quickly Diana blocked most of Lashina's wild attacks with her arm guards but was still caught on the upper arm by the woman's razor-sharp nails. Letting a small gasp of pain escape her lips, Diana narrowed her eyes at Lashina with rage building at the woman's interference. Noticing the frustration in her enemy's eyes, Lashina chuckled and agged her on with a small lift to her lips.

'It's past time I get serious!' Diana decided as she withdrew a bronze blade from her back hip. The blade was a well-crafted short sword, Diana had maintained the weapon well over the years and its polish seemed to glisten in the dim moonlight. It was bright as a piece of the sun that somehow landed in the godlike woman's hands.

Even Lashina was mildly impressed, but still, she wasn't overly worried about Amazon's attacks. Lashina still had her Motherbox as a backup, it would only take a mere few moments for her to return to Planet Darkseid if 'Wonder Woman' wanted to follow her there... Well, she couldn't be happier if that were to happen.

"You've taken my friend. Now, you'll tell me where I can find him!" Diana declared sounding like the queen she was. All thoughts of meeting Clark had left her mind as she hoped the worst hadn't happened to her friend.

---

Gravity had no hold on Kara as she floated above the building unburdened by anything around her… or that's how it seemed to everyone else around her. Beautiful platinum blond hair twirled around her small body in the light breeze of the night, but the anger on her face was unfiltered and pure.

For five years, she had watched her planet slowly be destroyed, millions killed before her eyes and there was nothing, she could ever do to stop it... But now, some behemoth of a woman thought she could step on her? Literally, stepped on her?! After all, she had been through to get to this point?

"No! There will be no bowing down today or ever!" Kara yelled as she hovered higher into the air. The pressure around her was palpable as she launched herself at the woman in red. Flying faster than most eyes were able to see, Kara punched Stompa directly in the face with her full force. Sending the larger woman careening into Granny and her other associate Mad Harriet and like a bowling ball, she sent all three of them down in a heap.

Terry's eyes went wide at the sight of the flying blonde for several moments. He could only think one thing as Kara trashed the women that had been such a huge threat just a few moments before... "Wow!"

He had seen many amazing people take down their enemies with flair and quick action. Bruce and the Jokez during the time he first started this entire business, Diana during his training and even he himself had been known to kick some serious butt when he needed to... but this girl 'Kara' was something else altogether she seemed... Super.

Perhaps it was because he expected her to be just a normal person and judging by that beating, she had received earlier he could hardly believe she'd ever stand again.

His mouth was hanging open as he stood on the sidelines of the fight, he only snapped out of his daze when Kara finished her fight and floated down beside him triumphantly.

Smirking she asked, "What? have you never seen a girl kick butt before?

Shaking his head, he smiled for the first time that night and replied, "Actually you might be surprised." His cryptic reply seemed almost predictable at this point.

---

After a hard-won battle, Lashina was tied up with the 'Lasso of Truth' while Diana searched the flaming wreckage for any signs of Bruce's body. Being the love child of a brave and selfless warrior and a god made Diana's natural instincts tell her to lop the head off of the smirking woman in green and sort out the rest... but she couldn't Bruce might still be alive.

She didn't want to change anything as she sifted through every corner of the wreckage. Finally, she found the main terminal that housed the ship's data banks and though it was slightly damaged by the explosion, it was still mostly intact.

She knew Bruce was a diligent and clever man and he probably already set the data to be automatically sent back to his cave, but just in case she wanted the hard device as back up.

Turning around she eyed the subdued prisoner, Diana needed answers... and this was one person she knew that had a few. Diana knew she wasn't the interrogator of the team sure she could get answers eventually, but not like Bruce could. On their team, they had always left getting quick and decisive answers to Batman or...

Pulling out her old JL communicator she pressed a few buttons and waited as the line connected.

---

The Watchtower IV had been in the works for some time, today was its christening much to the Question's dismay. Not that he didn't want the new workstation or feel that it wasn't a necessary place to have for the Earth's protection. It was just these new 'Leaguers' were not much like their original counterparts. Yes, they were still heroes in their own right and not some pretenders, but they had made their own way that was slightly different than how the League worked before. They acted more entitled, less like public servants, it was just so far removed from their original purpose that most days he wished he could take his old bones and leave it all behind.

Sticking a cigarette in his lips he inhaled deeply, he stared blankly at the ceiling and wished some of his old teammates were still around. The cigarette was electronic, not like the tobacco filled 'death sticks' he craved so much these days. He cursed the man that created such a horrible thing... alas, it was the only thing he could have now after cancer.

Not that his disguise would show it, but he was already a very old man. Charles or 'Charlie' for short Victor Szasz, was once an investigative reporter when he encountered stories he couldn't investigate by normal, legal means, he donned a special mask that made it appear that he had no face. As the Question, he investigated corruption in the face of all danger.

When he started this gig, he thought it'd be cool to leave a blank "calling card," which, when touched, emitted a smoky question mark. It was dramatic and had a flair... It was also very pointless.

Charlie nearly died from cancer when he was in his thirties, he was told the cause was from smoking too many cigarettes. Though that might have been the case, it seemed unlikely in his opinion. Regardless of these facts, his 'in the field' days were over. He still had other abilities that served the League well enough.

So here he found himself, old, alone and wishing he could have made different decisions that lead him to this point in his life.

Suddenly he received a notification from a small device in his pocket. Pulling it out, his blank face didn't show the surprise he felt as he spotted the caller's name... "Wonder Woman?"

Suddenly a small amount of excitement coursed through his body as he answered the call.

"What is it?" attempting to make it sound like he wasn't as excited as he felt.

---

Amongst the nearly completed temple, Talia looked around at all they had built in the past five years. Remembering how difficult it had been. The onslaught of devastating occurrences started with the death of her father, Ra's Al Ghul. Murdered out of spite by Slade Wilson, his previous apprentice? Slade became jealous of Damian Wayne, Talia's son and Ra's Al Ghul's grandson, who became his pride, new apprentice and new successor.

Slade attacked the League of Assassins with an army of assassins and an airstrike that was catastrophic and destroyed the majority of the temple and most of the assassins. The league put up an admirable fight, however, her father had a plan.

A plan that 'temporarily' took her son away from her.

Talia pressed her hands together in frustration as she watched the still form of her previous lover being strapped down on a table being prepped for his submerging. She felt it was only right for her son's father to sacrifice himself to save their son's life. Bruce had lived his life and thought it hurt her to know that the man she once loved was soon to be no more... at least he would still live on in their son.

Soon she would be able to hear her son's voice again... she will do anything to make sure that happens.

---

Bruce had always walked the thin line of darkness. He was balanced on a tightrope of good and evil regardless of what some may have believed, it wasn't as easy as he made it all seem. There were times that he wanted to kill. He never crossed that line, even at the worst of times, when people died it hadn't been by his own hand but theirs.

When Tim Drake was abducted by the Joker, it was one of the days he truly wished he could kill.

But he didn't.

Bruce wished everything always worked out for the best... Though, it rarely did.

In Bruce's view; people made the best of what was handed to them and if you do some good along the way... Good. If not then try harder next time.

He had ruined the family he had built... The one everyone bragged about, the envy of gods. He was once a proud man, but time had taken everything from him.

It was one of the best days of his dull life when he agreed to take on Terry McGinnis as his successor of the Batman name. It was the only thing he still felt pride in his dark dull life and he decided to share that identity with a young man he felt very proud to know.

But the kid had more to learn... A task he wished he could have helped with but he knew he might not ever get that chance to do such a thing. Bruce opened his eyes to look down at the roiling green magma that had been dubbed the name Lazarus Pit.

Not much is known about the substance below him but he knew it wasn't a pleasant experience. Ra's Al Ghul was one of his worst enemies and yet he eventually became an extended family with the man.

Damian was a child he could relate with. They had the same temperament and often had the same outlook on the world, but much like himself, they walked the line between good and evil. When Damian went too far too many times, he had to separate himself from his offspring in more than one way.

It had been ten years since he last saw the younger man but he never expected to see him like this. With the all too familiar white hair growing on his temples.

Like his grandfather's... Precisely like his grandfather's. This man wasn't Damian Wayne the boy though lacking in restraint at times was still a good man... A man Bruce was proud of calling his son, though they had little common ground anymore.

No, this was Ra's Al Ghul.

The murderer of Bruce Wayne's son.

The man he was going to kill.