Chapter 12: Let Battle Commence

"So you finally made it," a woman's sultry voice spoke from the shadows.Jason ripped his gaze away from Scarlett and saw Talia standing triumphantly on the dais, sword in hand. A smirk tainted her lips as she descended the stairs with threatening grace."I was worried my invitation at Port Adams went unnoticed. I believe it is common courtesy to RSVP to such occasions, no? Especially when you're the guest of honor.""I'm not one for courtesy," Jason spat as he made his way down the stairs. "By the way...we ran into your welcoming committee in the hallway.""Oh?" she muttered curiously. "I take it they did a frightful job, seeing as your reinforcements are still here."She tilted her head to look at the rest of Jason's family, who were gathered at the top of the stairs. Her amber eyes rested on Bruce, and her smug smile widened."Hello Beloved..." she whispered. "How is our son...my father's last heir?"Bruce gave her a steely glare. "Better off without you."She shook her head in dismay. "After everything Jason has done to you Bruce, why do you continue to protect him? He is a murderer. Isn't that against your moral code? Isn't that why you abandoned me and my mission? Our mission?""He's my son," Bruce replied. "It's my fault he is the way he is. I wasn't there for him when he needed me. It's time I repay that debt.""I figured since you invited me to your little party," Jason interjected. "I'd bring a few friends. To apologize for the inconvenience, I got you a little hostess gift."Jason tossed the wounded Zafirah down the remaining stairs. She cried in agony and landed roughly at Talia's feet. Talia sighed and crouched in front of her first mate with a pathetic look on her face. Zafirah shamefully lifted her head to meet Talia's eyes."Forgive me...Mistress...," she pleaded with a groan.Talia brushed a stray lock of midnight hair from Zafirah's face. "No forgiveness is necessary, my sister. You have earned a reprieve..."Talia slipped her sword out from behind her back and plunged it into Zafirah's chest. Zafirah gasped at the sudden contact and blood began to pour from the open wound. She breathed out slowly and her head fell to the side, eyes closed. "A reprieve from your miserable life," Talia concluded before she kicked Zafirah's lifeless body aside. She wiped off the bloody sword on her leather pant leg. "You were told many years ago, Jason," she continued bitterly. "Any assassin who fails to execute his target is a shame upon the League and must be eliminated...like poor Zafirah here.""I don't understand what the fuck you want from me!" Jason yelled. "Rā's is still alive, you have hundreds of supporters, and I'm just a kid with an attitude problem and guns! What is it about me that's so goddammed special to you?!""Do you think I gave you that mask and those guns just so you could use them on the insignificant scum who walk these streets? Do you think I trained you myself just so you could return to a family that never loved you? I treated you like my own son.""I see how you treat your son. I'm better off, trust me," Jason returned sarcastically."I placed my faith and my trust in you because I believed you had a higher purpose in this life, and you threw it all away! You made me a disgrace in my father's eyes...and for that...you shall pay with your life!"Talia snapped her fingers and assassins darted out of every dark corner of the room. 5...10...20...30 all stood with their blades pointed toward the group."You have your orders, my sisters! None leave the temple alive! Except for Red Hood..."Talia glared at him and crouched into a fighter's stance. "He's mine..."The army began to race up the stairs. Bruce turned to the group and shouted over the thunderous footsteps."There are too many! We need to split them up! Dick and Selina, lead some of them upstairs!"The pair took off with ten assassins charging after them. Bruce, Jason, and Tim lunged off the stairs and into the pit, knocking six more to the ground. Jason stood up and locked eyes with his former mentor. He whipped out a pistol and shot for her head but she flipped off the dais, dodging it. With one hand she grasped her sword and swung at his neck. Jason flipped backward, caught himself on his hands, and attempted to sweep her leg. She spun around and collided her heeled boot with his chest, making him stumble."Bravo Jason," she said with a witty air. "You still know how to put up a fight..."...Dick and Selina reached the top floor, the assassins hot on their tail."Should we split up?!" Dick asked, catching his breath."No! I don't trust myself or you with five trained assassins each! We need to team up!"The two screeched to a halt and turned back to face their assailants. Catwoman cracked her whip across one's face, leaving a bloody gash. Nightwing swept under another's feet, plunging his electric staff into her back and rendering her unconscious. He and Selina went back to back, analyzing the room. The eight remaining ninjas surrounded them, blades ready to strike."Dick...we might need another one of those electric blasts!" Selina yelled nervously."It won't be strong enough! I have to overcharge the staffs...but I'll need a second!""Then I'll give you one!""You fight well, warriors," one assassin hissed at the pair. "But your efforts are in vain!""I don't think so!" Catwoman taunted, swinging her whip and cracking it across their faces, blinding them. Nightwing attached his two Escrima sticks, creating one long staff. He pressed a small, almost invisible button and the staff began to illuminate, casting the whole room in a blinding blue light. "Catwoman, I can do it...but you'll get electrocuted! My suit's insulated! Yours isn't!""Then I'll improvise!"Catwoman ran toward Nightwing, bringing the assassins closer. She jumped onto Dick's back and vaulted into the air while he raised his staff and plunged it into the stone floor. A blast of pure electricity exploded like a bomb across the length of the room. The warriors were thrown backward, their bodies hitting the walls and steam pipes before falling to the floor. Selina landed gracefully, smiling at Dick."Nice work, Circus Boy! Let's go help the others!"..."This one's for you!" Red Robin shouted, holding a struggling assassin in a headlock. With a hefty throw, he launched her into the air while Batman sent a flying kick into her ribs. "I really hope that's all of them," Tim panted as he wiped the sweat from his forehead."There's still one left," Bruce said as he gazed up at the dais, where Jason and Talia were still intercepting each other's attacks. Tim rushed to help, but Bruce grabbed him by the cape and held him back."No, Tim. You're outmatched, even with Jason's help."Dick and Selina came barreling down the steps and back over to the team. "Thought you guys might have died up there," Tim joked."What, and miss the party?' Nightwing laughed as he clapped his brother on the back."What about those two?!" Selina asked, pointing at Jason and Talia."This ends now," Bruce growled as he gazed around the room. His eyes landed on Scarlett, still lying unconscious on the stone. Beneath her was the fuming green liquid. Bruce lifted his head and his eyes locked onto the generator hanging above the Lazarus Pit."I have a plan.""Of course you do," Selina sighed with a knowing grin."While Talia's distracted, we need to get Scarlett out of here and above ground. If you have time, bring her to Alfred back at the manor. She needs medical attention.""What are you going to do?" Dick asked."I have to destroy this pit. The League needs to be removed from Gotham once and for all."The others nodded and ran over to the stone tablet. Selina extended her metal claws and sawed away at the ropes around Scarlett's ankles while the boys took their batarangs and cut the hand restraints."I'll carry her, just open the doors for me," Dick said, gently lifting Scarlett into his arms.While they hurried up the stairs, Bruce turned on his cowl's detective mode and scanned the generator. The metal walls were digitally removed and the central power source was highlighted in yellow."With enough electricity, the generator can be overpowered. Once it strikes the Lazarus, it could cause a powerful enough explosion to cave in the chamber," Bruce analyzed.He reached for the right side of his utility belt and unholstered his remote electrical shock device."This isn't going to be enough," he sighed. He extended his left arm and turned on the small video camera projector."Oracle, do you read?"Static emerged on the screen for a few seconds before Barbara's face appeared with Alfred standing behind."Master Bruce, you're alive! Thank heavens!" the butler exclaimed with relief."We lost comms with you for a minute," Barbara said worriedly. "Did you find Scarlett?""Yes. Dick, Tim, and Selina are bringing her to the surface. Unfortunately, we have another problem. I need to destroy the Lazarus pit while Jason has Talia distracted. We can't risk the League returning to revive Rā's. The electrical generator used to activate the Lazarus compounds is in this chamber. It needs to be overpowered to destroy it, but I need you to re-route power from the city's grid. You'll need to hack into the municipal system.""On it!" Barbara began to tap away at the keyboard, but Alfred placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Master Bruce, you do realize if that generator strikes the Lazarus, it could destroy the entire tunnel system! You and Master Todd will never make it out alive, and while I personally do not admire Miss Al Ghūl after what she has done, you and I both know she doesn't deserve to die.""I'll find a way."Without another word, Bruce closed the video camera and grappled up into the generator. He pulled the metal backing off of the device to expose the power core."Oracle, has the power been re-routed?""Yes, but Alfred's right. You'll never have enough time to get out. Please...don't sacrifice yourself for this. We need you...Gotham needs you.""The shock from my electrical charge device will cause the generator to overheat. At that point, reduce the power by twenty percent. That should allow us enough time to escape the blast radius.""Okay...but be careful."Bruce grabbed the shock device and prepared to shoot the control box...but a scream of agony coming from below caused him to drop the gun....Talia swung her sword at Jason's head. He bent back at the knees and dodged, reaching for the gun strapped to his leg. Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his right thigh and he collapsed on the ground, screaming. He struggled to lift his head to look at the wound. Stuck straight through his right thigh was Talia's sword. The healing compounds from the Lazarus on the blade caused the torn skin and tissue to seal itself tighter around it, increasing the pain. The chemicals stung like acid and made his blood bubble from the open wound.Talia kneeled down by Jason's head and pressed her arm across his throat. "You know Jason...you've proven yourself to be a great warrior. It's a shame you fought for the wrong side."She reached down and slowly pulled out the sword, savoring Jason's agonized screams. "I had such great things planned for you, but instead you decided to become Batman's lowly sidekick again."Jason turned his head and his eyes darted to Bruce, nestled above him in the wires of the generator. Bruce motioned to Jason's hand, where the shock device lay only a few inches away. Jason inclined his head, signaling Bruce. While Talia raved on, he slowly outstretched his hand, making as little movement as possible. He repressed a relieved sigh as his fingers wrapped around the grip."At least you met a warrior's end," Talia said, sword ready to strike."I've got news for you, bitch. I'm no one's sidekick."He fired the device, sending a ball of electricity into the core. "I'm Red Hood," he growled.Talia whipped around and her smirk fell to the floor. The machine hummed as it came to life. Bruce lept from the generator to the base of the stairs as Jason pushed a horrified Talia to the floor and staggered toward to the exit."No! You fools! What have you done?!" Talia wailed. She tried to run to the base of the machine, but sparks rained down from the destroyed core and blocked her path. "Talia!" Bruce shouted. "We have to go! Now!""Don't you see?! My father will die without it!""Fuck this!" Jason bellowed from the entrance of the spiral staircase. "Leave her here! She deserves to die!"The hum of the machine grew louder and louder with every passing second. The roar of thunder from above the surface boomed in the chamber as the electricity wound itself like a snake around the tip of the generator."You're wrong, Talia!" Bruce retaliated. "It's killing him! You need to leave!"She continued to stare at the pit. "Talia!!"She locked her jaw in frustration as tears rolled down her cheeks. She grabbed her sword and ran to the staircase. She threw one last glance at the pool before turning toward the exit...only to be met by the barrel of Jason's gun."Not so fast..."