Chapter 7: A Poisonous Plan

The golden doors creaked open slowly, revealing the Demon's secret compartments. The soles of the assassin's boots echoed on the tile floors as she crossed the cavernous room to a barren stone wall on the opposite side. She ran her gloved hand on the surface of the stone, then pressed a single inconspicuous brick in the center. A small panel of rocks shifted to reveal a circular golden plate with a rectangular opening.The assassin reached behind her back and unsheathed a gleaming silver blade. Placing both hands on the grip, she thrust the sword through the opening and turned it counter-clockwise until the disk gave a sharp click. The entire wall shook as it slid backward, exposing a dimly lit staircase leading down into the shadowed depths of the chamber.Quickly, the woman descended the stairs into a massive stone amphitheater lit by a glowing green pool in the center of the room. A single shadowed figure stood above the pool on a dais and was peering down into its depths.The assassin silently approached the figure and took a knee, bowing her head as a sign of respect."Forgive me for disturbing you, Mistress Al Ghūl.""You are forgiven," Talia replied calmly. "Tell me what you have found, Zafirah.""I tracked the Fallen Son from a restaurant in Bristol to the Botanical Gardens."Talia shook her head in surprise. "The Botanical Gardens? Since when is Jason Todd interested in rare flowers? It seems he's gotten soft in recent years. What was he doing there?""He was with a woman. They stayed in the gardens for just over an hour before walking to an apartment complex in Chinatown."Talia turned, intrigued. "How does he know this woman?""I believe they are lovers, ma'am."Talia laughed. "Interesting. I shouldn't be surprised...considering who raised him. It seems he inherited Bruce's weakness for women. Such distractions have made him vulnerable and foolish. Why else would he make an amateur mistake like this?""He could be taunting us, Mistress...hoping we will make the first move.""Well...perhaps it's time we prove him right," she mused. "After all...he didn't think he could ignore us forever, did he?""Should I coordinate an ambush?"Talia shook her head. "He'll see it coming... and kill every last one of your Ghuls if given the chance. Our forces in Gotham are stretched thin as it is. I can't afford to lose good fighters.""Then...if I may, Mistress...why not let him go?" Zafirah asked hesitantly. "We need every last warrior we can spare. The rebels took heavy losses in the siege at Eth Alth'eban, but the war is far from over. We need to maintain our foothold in Gotham by protecting the final Lazarus Pit. Otherwise, we will not be able to revive the Demon."Talia paced around the ring of the pool, dangerously close to its edge. "My message was perfectly clear. No one betrays the League of Assasins without suffering the consequences. You know the rule!""Yes, Mistress..." Zafirah relented."How can we possibly expect the League to survive if we do not uphold our sacred laws?" Talia continued angrily. "It is our job to cleanse the corruption infecting these streets. How can we do that if we cannot cleanse the corruption in our own ranks? Jason Todd deserted his mission. He knows what happens next. He can either be the hunter...or the prey.""Is that why you have summoned him, Mistress?"She nodded. "My father and I have been searching for a new leader to rule the League of Assasins for hundreds of years. Many have died in their quest to complete the demon trials. Batman was the only one ever to survive them. When he refused to succeed my father and take his place at my side, our search for an heir continued. I knew that we needed to find someone like him...a man just as powerful and logical...but also someone who wasn't afraid to take a life in service of the greater good. Jason Todd was the one.""What about your son, Mistress?"Talia sighed. "I should never have taken him to his father. Damian has become as misguided as Bruce's other pupils. He still has the killer instinct I gave him, but his eagerness to please his father makes him question his judgment. He believes in Batman's mission too much for his own good...and I cannot trust him yet. Jason had so much anger to be manipulated. Under my guidance, he changed from a boy living in Batman's shadow to a man fighting for justice on his own terms. It was a shame to see him surrender his mission and return to his family."Zafirah nodded as her eyes drifted to the mesmerizing Lazarus pool. "What would you like me to do, Mistress?"Talia's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. She withdrew her sword from its sheath at her side and playfully stirred the tip in the Lazarus, causing the blade to glow bright green. She brought it back up to her face and admired it. "What did you say the girl's name was?""I didn't, ma'am.""Well then...?""Scarlett Vesper.""And you swear the two are romantically involved?"Zafirah nodded. "They left the gardens holding hands. He spent the night at the location in Chinatown and departed late the following morning. I kept a close watch on the woman. She returned to that apartment multiple times throughout the day. It's clearly her home. ""Very well then," Talia replied determinedly. "Here are your orders. Watch the girl closely. Learn everything you can about her. Who she is, where she's from, where she works, and when she returns home. We need to catch her unaware...and without Jason interfering. I doubt she knows the truth about him, which is to our advantage. Once she is alone, send your troops to abduct her...unharmed if possible. Do what you will to the apartment before you leave. I want him angry...it will give him the motivation he needs."Talia turned to face Zafirah. Her amber eyes burned like a wicked fire as she smiled and looked at her glowing green blade. "I'll ensure our guest is comfortable during her stay here. And when Jason inevitably comes to save her...I'll be waiting."