Shadow Of The Nightshade

Meeting Him.

×××

I was about to jump.

Thinking back I realized that this was quite possibly the easiest thing I had to do today. It was my job, I followed orders—and killed the occasional politician.

The fact that I was about to jump out of a plane calmed me in a way you wouldn't understand. Once I went drown there was no going back, I would probably never see the training halls of Nanda Parbat ever again.

And if I manage to survive it all I'll be free.

It wasn't the fall that scared me. I had been trained to tackle everything without question, so it wasn't a real hassle. I obey, I jump.

I was scared of what would happen after I began training with whoever I was being handed over too.

If the League felt that they couldn't handle me, then what did that say about my new owner? I was terrified but showing that would have meant death.

I kept my face expressionless, like I couldn't feel the freezing air whipping against my cheeks as I stared down into the night sky, the lit buildings below me seeming like fireflies dancing in the dark.

If Talia knew what I thought about this whole exchanging it would only make things worse. Then again, what could be worse than not being wanted?

Something about the look on her face made me think that she felt sorry for me. Why? She had always hated me and she had never cared.

Why was she escorting me to Gotham if she wasn't even coming along? I was absolutely certain that Ra's had expected me to go alone.

Then why?

I turned to look at her, desperately in need of an answer, and she stood behind me patiently as though waiting for something.

Of course I still need to jump...

But she seemed to want something else.

I started at my bandaged hand and flexed my stiffening fingers, my mind suddenly filled with hesitation as I met her eyes.

What do you want? I asked myself as though I expected her reply to magically float into my head.

'Talia..?' Finally, I decided to speak and I watched surprise flit through her eyes for a brief second, her lips curved upwards in a ghost of a smile.

'Yes, Shadow.' Talia answered back, her voice equally as quiet as mine. 'What is it?'

'Why are you doing this?' I fiddled with my fingers some more, then again with the strap of my parachute. I really wanted to know... She was the one person who hated me the most in the League... So why?

'I may never see you again.'

Blinking, I stared at her blankly, and I was sure that my confusion was written evidently on my face because her expression hardened as she turned away.

'Just try to stay alive.' She eventually sighed and walked back to her seat, a myriad of unsaid words hanging in the suddenly suffocating atmosphere.

'Okay...' I replied, my chest feeling strangely empty and at the same time very heavy as I held back the rest of my sentence. I didn't even know what to say anymore.