Harley Quinn Romance 3

Chapter 15: The Enemy

Batwoman's fists shook at her sides, not with anger but because it was taking everything she had to not burst out laughing. The idea of Batman leading a group of assassins seemed as possible as the sky turning green.

"You can't be serious," Batman growled.

"I know your reservations about killing, Detective," Ra's clarified. "But, you should know the League follows the orders of its master. Instruct them not to take a life, and they will not."

"An organization of killers will stop killing on command?" Batman questioned. "I find that hard to believe."

"You can believe him," added a new voice. Batman and Batwoman looked to see a raven-haired woman striding across the open floor to join the group. Flexible and layered leather armor of black and grey encased the woman's slender form, leaving only her head uncovered. Her blue eyes were almost unnatural in their brightness. "My father speaks the truth, Beloved."

"Beloved?" Batwoman asked, unable to keep the remark from being unleashed the moment she heard the woman's words.

"Talia al Ghul," the woman introduced herself to Batwoman. "My father and I knew Batman many years ago."

"I gathered that," Batwoman responded. "But, your father didn't call him Beloved."

"There was a time when Bruce and I were quite close," Talia said, casting a long glance at Batman. Batwoman stepped in the way to block her view.

"He flies with me now," Batwoman stated in a tone nearly sufficient to make ice form on the ground between them.

The corner of Talia's mouth twitched as if repressing a smile.

"The offer is genuine," Ra's said, drawing everyone's attention back to the discussion at hand. "This could be the way to truly end crime in Gotham."

"By killing criminals?" Batman retorted. "That isn't how I operate."

"Let us say you're in a war zone," Ra's offered. "There are two transports. One is loaded with civilians, and the other is full of soldiers. They come under enemy fire, and you only have the chance to save one of them. The soldiers are needed to win the war, and the civilians aren't. War sometimes means losing a few to save far more in the grand scheme. Your problem, Detective, is that you're still trying to save everyone, even those who are attempting to shoot down the transports. A war where only one side inflicts casualties is already lost. It is time you took control of your city."

"I'm not trying to rule Gotham," Batman argued. "I'm just trying to hold it together so it's people can learn to rule themselves."

"And how has that been working for you, Beloved?" Talia asked, her smile widening when Batwoman took a step closer, as if Talia believed herself invulnerable to anything Batwoman might try to do.

"How many criminals do you fight who are repeat offenders?" Talia went on, circling to her right to move closer to her father. "How many times have they tried to kill you? Do you really want to give them more chances?"

"Batman has the right to restrain the League from killing if that is his choice as leader," Ra's interrupted in a scolding tone directed at his daughter, his voice shifting to a more reasonable one as he turned to Batman. "When I had you framed, it wasn't simply to get you out of the way. I did it to show you how the persona of Batman can so easily be endangered. What if others decided to discredit you, or even expose your secret?"

"It that a threat, Ra's?" Batman rumbled.

"The threat comes from Gotham," Ra's replied, his manner unflustered. "Anyone can wear the cape and cowl, but you'd have to answer for it or defend yourself at the very least. How often would you be in prison or fleeing from the police before your effectiveness dwindles to nothing? The League could be your defense, allowing other Batmen to be seen, either to give you or Bruce Wayne an alibi when needed."

Batwoman had been listening to the conversation, but at this point an argument broke out in her head that drowned out the words being spoken around her. Different points of view pushed their way forward in her thoughts with reasons why their ideas were the most valid, shoving aside others that withered away to nothing. Some of them had such convincing reasoning, she couldn't deny their suggestions. In fact, she started considering Batman leading the League as not only possible, but may the sky could turn green.

"He's got a point," Batwoman spoke up, deciding to say what some of the voices in her head had been campaigning for.

"What?" Batman questioned her.

"Seriously," Batwoman insisted. "We can only cover so much of the city. How many criminals get away because there are only the two of us? If the League was under your control, we could throw a wider net."

"I will not command the League," Batman declared.

"Why not?" Batwoman pressed. "You got them to agree to leave Gotham, but they're probably still doing their assassin thing out there in the world. If you took command, you'd have highly trained operatives to aid the police in Gotham, and you could halt all League assassinations with a single word. Taking control of the League does the most good and prevents the most harm. Can you say it wouldn't?"

Batman hesitated, his eyes flicking between Batwoman and Ra's. Finally, he sighed.

"No," he admitted. "I can't say it wouldn't accomplish a great deal. I've just spent so long seeing the League of Assassins as a threat to Gotham, it feels wrong to let them in."

"Maybe it's the name," Batwoman suggested. "Since you aren't going to have them kill anymore, why don't you change the name too? Call them the Batmen, or the League of Shadows or something."

"It's an idea," Batman accepted.

"You know, Beloved, I didn't think you'd accept," Talia informed him. "But, I couldn't take the chance."

Talia's blade tore through the back of Ra's robes and emerged in a shard of glistening red from his chest. Ra's gasped in surprise, collapsing to the floor when Talia withdrew her sword.

"It's why I sent the assassins to kill you," Talia went on, lowering into a fighting stance. "The League of Assassins are killers, and we don't want to be anything less. You're not going to take my father's place. I am."