Necromancer | Daughter of Batman

Chapter XIV

This particular night of Batman endeavors was disastrous. Dr. Langstrom, a scientist Batman had been investigating for some time turned up missing, with nothing but a League of Assassins star left behind.

Just an hour later, he received a call from an injured Nightwing, calling for help with a boy who claimed to be his son. As he sat at the bat computer, he pondered over the condition of the man his son attempted to murder. He was in no condition to talk, in fact, he remained in critical condition. The right hand man of the one responsible for the death of Ra's Al Ghul was out of commission, leaving the Bat Family back at square one. Deathstroke was a new threat to them, and a new threat to Kimberly and Connor. As he worried, he listened carefully to Dick and Alfred's conversation, while the latter stitched up Nightwing's superficial cuts.

"Really ticks me off after all those lectures he gave me about using protection." Dick scoffed, but quickly flinched at the pain of his wounds.

"Are you alright, Master Dick? I'm almost finished." Alfred looked up at him.

"I took the cut. I can take the stitch." Dick smiled confidently.

"Maybe you need more anesthetic." The young boy called from the balcony.

"And maybe you need to go fuck yourself!" Dick snarled back.

"Maybe you should remember who the blood son is!"

"Enough!" Bruce shouted over the two. "Ubu is out of commission thanks to you."

"He doesn't deserve to be alive!" The boy retreated down the stairs and stood behind Bruce, who sat quietly at the bat computer.

Bruce stood up sharply and tossed the sliding chair to the other end of the cave, stopping at Dick's feet. Dick chuckled in response, recognizing this level of anger from Bruce. "Uh-oh..."

"Do you know what you were tonight?! You weren't a warrior, you weren't a soldier. You were a child!" Bruce clenched his fists.

"If it hadn't been for him, I—"

"If it hadn't been for Dick you'd have gone too far!"

The boy scoffed and turned away. "It's easier my way!"

"It has nothing to do with easy." Bruce held firm in his argument. "It's about doing what's right because it's right and that's the only reason you need!"

"It seemed right to me!"

"That's the problem." Bruce stepped toward the Batmobile and lifted the star into his hand. "Heads up." He tossed it directly at the boy's head, but he caught it with ease just before it struck.

"A League of Assassins star." The boy observed.

"It was found in a warehouse belonging to a scientist called Langstrom. Seems there's a connection between Ra's and Deathstroke." Batman looked toward Dick.

"Then we need to find out what it is." The boy stated eagerly.

"No. I do. You're staying here." Bruce placed his hands on his hips. "It's bad enough you've given yourself away and let them know we're onto them. But you're letting vengeance guide your actions."

"You've never felt vengeful?" The boy clenched his fists and stepped forward.

Bruce sighed. "Every day. Your people took my daughter away, and took everything from her. But here I am..." He scoffed. "Taking care of Ra's Al Ghul's prodigy. You have to keep your center. You can't fight crime by becoming a criminal."

Soon enough, quiet footsteps echoed throughout the cave. The boy turned toward the noise, revealing a petite, underweight, teenage girl with sunken eyes. The boy stepped back in shock at the sight of his elder sister. She seemed equally taken by surprise at the resemblance he bore to her father.