×××
I had set a trap in my room after memorizing where every single broken piece of glass from the vase was, I couldn't afford to laze around in my room waiting for some person to show up. Besides, Slade was back.
×××
The Hideout
04/01/2007
{Shadow}
Once again I was back in the training room with Slade. It had been three days since my room had been vandalized and the assassin hadn't returned. Maybe—just maybe—they weren't as professional as I thought.
I shifted my thoughts back to the present. Slade was currently working me through jojutsu and bojutsu.
'Again.' He ordered, and I stood up stiffly and repeated the set of movements one more time.
I held back a groan when I finished and bit back my complaints. I had been practicing this same technique for the past three hours and had already memorized the movements.
A part of me realized that in the short time I had been Slade's apprentice I had grown to sound like a spoiled brat. The old me wouldn't be whining. I berated myself.
And so, without further ado I went through the motions again.
'Again.'
'Again.'
'Again.'
Finally the Bo staff fell out of my grasp and I was left trying to get it back when he nodded for me to stop.
'You have perfected the technique. Have a ten minute break.'
I nodded silently and grabbed my water bottle off the floor.
Slade had been working me like a slave ever since he came back two days ago—not that it bothered me—I liked being pushed to my limit.
I had breezed through my Taekwando and Savate, up next was Capoeira.
I had dabbled in that for a while along with others that weren't in the normal training regimen of The League of Shadows.
Dunking the rest of the water on my head, I shook it off and let out a breath, thankful for the cool liquid as it ran down my spine and took away my body's heat.
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combined elements of dance, acrobatics and music—it is sometimes referred to as a game. I practiced it for a while, but it didn't fit well into my schedule.
My break now deemed over, Slade walked into the training circle and motioned for my to join him. I happily obliged.
'Begin.' He commanded, and I obeyed.
I flipped off my feet and held my body up with a handstand.
Moving my hands rapidly I spun three times, pivoting my body on my right hand as I threw a kick at his skull. As expected he dodged, getting on his own hands.
We continued this dangerous dance for over thirty minutes, until a rhythm started forming in my head. Imaginary music played in the background as I worked up a plan, sweat dripping from my hair as I swept my hands over the coarse floor.
Capoeira was a dangerous martial art disguised as a dance, the key to staying safe was constant movement. He moved a step forward, I moved a step backwards.
Then finally, a bang.
I replayed that hit over and over again, I had hit him. Slade stayed rooted to a spot for a second too long and now we have a dented wall.
Slade stood up groggily and came at me again, he was no longer doing the Capoeira. But I was. He ran towards me and I flipped away, landing on my feet this time around.
To dodge the punch now heading for my face, I leaned back with one hand on the floor, throwing my leg up at his face. He caught it and threw me at a nearby wall.
That was close. Pressing my palms against the wall, I pushed myself back towards him and took in his stance.
Karate.
Changing into a kata of my own, I was put on the defensive and forced to block all his attacks.
Even though I couldn't find a way to retaliate, I could see the true path his attacks would take no matter how close they seemed to be to hitting me. I wasn't a black belt in Karate for nothing.
He aimed a punch for my stomach. I dodged and dashed behind him, about to elbow him in the back when he turned and grabbed my hand. He started to fling me away again.
Mid air, I kicked out my legs and unbalanced him, making him relinquish his hold on my arm.
I succeeded in breaking away from him.
Slade rushed at me, immediately attacking any area I left unprotected. As I strived to protect myself I noticed that I was finding it hard to keep up.
He directed an uppercut at my jaw and I caught it. In retaliation, he aimed a kick for the side of my head, I blocked it with my left arm.
I expected him to throw another punch, but he surprised me with a flying knee kick to my head. I released his limbs and flipped over him, narrowly avoiding the knockout blow.
Muay Thai.
He started with Capoeira, moved on to Judo then to Karate. Judo again, now Muay Thai.
That's it, I can't be on the defensive anymore, time to turn things around.
I grabbed the punch he aimed for my head, wrapping both hands around his hand and quickly changing my stance to that of Judo. Hurriedly, I threw him to the ground.
Smirking, I walked towards him. Now he is the one that's going to be on the defensive, how sweet.
He stood up slowly and I made my move. I switched to Capoeira, delivering a power kick to his side and sending him into the air. I heard something crack and unconsciously smiled before jumping up after him.
I flipped—once, twice, thrice—and struck out my right leg, hitting him with full force on the chest.
Crack.
I jumped back and winced at the sound of impact, my eyes widening at the sight of the small crater occupied by Slade on the floor.
As I was about to walk to him, the hissing of taught rope and a muffled yelp coming from the hallway distracted me from my thoughts. My rat had been caught.
Finally, I almost thought that—
Sensing something coming at me fast, I put my left foot behind my right and leaned to the side.
Slade staggered past me, his closed fist still outstretched in the form of a punch, just inches away from my face.
I looked Slade in the eye and took in his condition. Blood dripped down his forehead and smeared his face with the red from his veins. I knew that I had broken some ribs, bruised some bones, given him a few lacerations and a whole lot of hurt, yet here he was regenerating.
Cheater!
'Excuse me.' Slowly, I turned into the hallway, and when he made no move to stop me so I ran the heck out of there.
That guy could be terrifying sometimes.
×××
I closed the door of my room and stared at the masked figure suspended horizontally in front of me. Walking towards the contraption I had set up and chuckling quite evilly, I pulled off the mask of the individual.
'Carter.' I gasped and stepped back. Why was I not surprised? 'It was you?'
'Mmmh, hmm, um.'
Huh? My gaze landed on the gag in his mouth, then to the rope connecting it the ceiling. Of course, how could I forget?
I took out a three knives from my boot and tossed them at the five ropes attaching him to the roof.
He fell down on the hardwood floor with a loud groan, removing the gag from his mouth as he spoke. 'Was that necessary?'
I glared at him, speaking in a low tone as I eyed him warily. 'You tell me.'
'Shadow...I-'
I cut him off, glancing at the door then back to him. 'What do you want?'
He followed my gaze, probably not wanting to face Slade. 'The League thinks you have something that belongs to them.'
'Which is?' I asked slowly and tried to keep calm. He was really testing my patience right now.
My hand itched for a knife.
'Ehh...' He spoke up and scratched the back of his head. 'I don't really know.'
'So how am I supposed to know?' I asked again, putting a hand on my hip.
'You took it from...the library.' He pointed out, licking his lips nervously.
I internally sighed, the picture of a wordless book coming to mind.
Mumbling some made-up profanities under my breath, I dug through my backpack. My eyes set on the book, I pulled out the pen and tucked it away in my sleeve. I could just steal the book back after they had it for a while.
I chucked it at him. 'You wanted it, there... You have it.'
He grabbed it and put it in his satchel, saluting me once before dissolving into the shadows.
'Assassins.' I muttered under my breath, the name of the profession synonymous a curse
×××
Nanda Parbat
04/01/2007
'This is it!' Talia Al Ghul tried to reign in her rage as she flipped through the empty pages of the book and shot to her feet.
'No direction to where she hid the sword or the amulet....Just empty pages.' She said.
'Talia.' Ra's Al Ghul spoke calmly. 'It was a rumor, nothing but a legend, calm down.'
'Father, the book was also a rumor...Yet we found it.'
'Rumors are rumors, dear.' He said, twirling the wine in his goblet.
'What should we do with the book?' Talia sighed, sitting back in her chair.
'We give it back to the girl.'
'Shadow.' Talia said, narrowing her eyes. 'She is the one who too it in the first place, I say we—'
'We would have never known about the book if it wasn't for her, it is her property, not ours.'
Talia bowed her head. 'Yes father.'
×××
'Carter!'
'Yes, m-mm, my lad-'
'Return this to Shadow.' Talia said, shoving the book into his grasp.
'Are...Are you sure?' He asked, gulping in fear at the thought of confronting Shadow again.
She narrowed her eyes at him. 'Yes. I'm sure.'
And with that she walked away, leaving Carter alone in silence as he questioned his life choices up till now.
After all that trouble, I'll be going back. Carter thought, shaking his head. This was going to be a long night.
×××
The Hideout
05/01/2007
{Shadow}
I slept peacefully and woke up the next morning to find my book back on the dresser next to me. I smiled.
That would have been the picture perfect ending for some sappy fairytale story if I lived in one. But guess what, LIFE AIN'T A FAIRYTALE.
And in my life there was a lot of blood and suffering.
'Ow, ow.' Carter groaned in pain as I pressed the knife deeper into the skin of his neck, making him to shut up.
'What are you doing here?!' I growled angrily.
Now let me tell you what happened a few minutes ago.
I was sitting on my bed wondering what was so important about the book that contained my memories and what assassins would want with it. Slade had not called me back, so I had nothing to do.
I was completely bored out of my mind, that is until I heard a soft thud and mumbling that sounded like, 'Let's get this over with.'
Instinctively I took a knife out from under my pillow and waited until I saw a pair of feet stepping out from the shadows near my window.
Moving fast, I sprinted towards the figure. Spinning so that I was facing it's back, I pressed the knife on it's neck. I felt it's Adam's apple against my blade, so I knew it was a male. Good to know.
I was getting tired of people breaking into my room.
'Who are you?' I asked, a dangerous edge to my tone.
'It's.... It's me.' The voice said, panicked.
I corecognize that voice anywhere. Carter.
Butt what was he doing here again.
'Ow, ow.' Carter groaned.
'What are you doing here!' Shoving him forward, I withdrew the knife.
'I came to return this.' He said hurriedly, pulling out the book.
When he saw I made no move towards it, he continued speaking, clearing his throat.
'The League had no use for it.' He chuckled awkwardly. 'It was basically empty.'
I stepped forward. 'What do you mean by empty?' I thought I had unlocked it.
'Umm, void, blank, you know. Empty.' He said, shuffling in a full circle around me until then he was gone, disappearing into another shadowy corner and leaving the book behind.
I bent down to pick it up, and giving in to my curiosity I opened the book. The words were still there.
It was like this that I went to bed questioning the book I had called The Nightshade and cursing assassins everywhere, while wishing my life was just as simple as a fairytale.
×××
Okay, this is officially the end of part one!
I'm glad I had the time to rewrite, edit and repost this.
Thanks for reading and remember to vote and comment.
❤