The Decision

~~~~~~~~~~~

Heretic scowled at a skeleton of the girl he knew. Eyes empty and cold, body tense with an air of malice. She feet glided across the dim training room.

It pained him to watch.

Silently approaching her opponent, the twin daggers in her hands floated upwards. Then one parted, flowing down yet angled up. Her form exact, she spun out of the way as a heavy sword swung passed her.

Her see raised to circle her body, an elbows ducking into her side protectively as she leaned into a lunge.

Before the man could react, her outstretched bladed into tender skin, and he released the sword. He winced at the clatter while Daire remained focused.

Switching hands, the one protecting her darted out, catching the man's shirt. Her other arm saved her balance when she swooped her leg out, foot catching his ankle and pulling it out from under him.

A load grunt echoed in the room, followed by the sword scratching the floor when she kicked it far from her opponent's reach.

Daire stood tall above the helpers man, both blades ready to either strike or defend at a moments notice.

"Now, Daire," a sharp voice ordered.

Heretic forced himself to keep his glare on the match, and not the woman beside him.

His chest tightened with mixed emotions.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Alfred had the controls.

"Activating panic room protocol," the robotic voice called. In the manor, the doors and windows were covered by large metal plates. Nothing more could get in; but that also meant they couldn't get out.

Before they were trapped in the room with the talons, the duo raced to the other room as the metal door lowered. They both made it through, and the talons were on the other side. However, within seconds, the talons were prying at the door. Their inability to feel pain and inhuman strength allowing them to tear it open.

The duo raced for the grandfather clock, jumping out of the way when some of the talons through knives at them from the second loft-like story the room had to reach the higher bookshelves.

Batman used his grappling hook to make up the distance to them. He quick went to work at disarming and disabling them (even if he knew the effects wouldn't last).

Below them, Alfred raced to one of Batman's fighting robot machines. He rushed to the controls, hurriedly typing away to finish it. There wasn't much left to do, but he didn't have the chance to take his time.

Upstairs, Nightwing neared the grandfather clock, only to be stabbed in his back, arms, and legs. The talons pulled on the ropes attached to their blades, dragging the injured Nightwing across the carpeted floor.

Batman came to his rescue as one talon raised a decorative axe (it was still sharp and a hard enough blow- even if blunt- could seriously hurt or kill him). Batman took the talon out with an explosive, as he had been slowly doing.

The other talons dragged Nightwing closer, but Batman threw a bat-a-rang, cut the ropes. A few more Bat-a-rangs disabled those talons, and Batman helped Nightwing to the elevator.

He pushed the button to send his adopted son to safety, not entering the elevator.

"Bruce, no," Nightwing gasped, the electric door closing before Nightwing could protest furthermore.

"End of the line, Bruce. Or should I say Batman?" the one human talon taunted, entering the room.

"Where's Damian?"

"He belongs to me now. Little bird gave you up. We know all your dirty secrets."

"You used him. Manipulated him."

"If I did, you're the one who made it so damn easy. But not as easy as this is going to be." Talon ran forward, the other talons following. Batman quickly pushed Talon aside, throwing bat- bombs into the flesh of the dead talons. He jumped through an uncovered window, activating the bombs with the push of a button.

But more chased after him.

Even though he used more of his explosives, they kept coming.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

At the same time, young Robin struggled to get out of the mostly filled container he was trapped in. Since banging on the glass didn't work, he went for the openings letting in the gushing liquid chemicals. He tried to slow it, to no avail. Finally he sucked in his last breath, going under to pick his way through the container. He managed to get a panel loose and out. He reached through the hole, ripping one of the tubes letting in the chemicals. He reached out blindly, unhooking half of the container.

He struggled to hold his breath, his lungs burning as he scouted out the second hook. When he found it, released its hold, he went falling.

The glass shattered upon the hard landing, and Robin could finally breath. He sucked in heavy, deep breaths of the bitter air, desperate for anything he could get. He coughed up some of the chemicals he inhaled, but stood up ready to carry on. A little near drowning wasn't going to stop him.

Seeing the dials observing the temperature of the containers, he got an idea.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Too many of those things to fight without help," Batman admitted, walking up to Nightwing in the Batcave. Nightwing sat at the edge of the Batcomputer, tending to his wounds. " Progress report, Alfred."

From the monitor of the Batcomputer, Alfred reported, "Soon, I hope."

"Soon may not be good enough."

As he finished his complaint, parts of the ceiling came crashing down, and the talons dropped in.

Great, another round with the freaks.

Suddenly, Alfred received a transmission.

"Pennyworth, this is Damian."

"Master Damian? Where are you? How-?"

"No questions, just listen. The Talons can't function in subzero cold."

The fight with the talons seemed never-ending. Still, Nightwing held his own pretty well considering his fresh wounds.

"Alfred."

"A few final adjustments, sir. You see, I've received some pertinent information from Master-"

"Open the damn doors," he barked.

The doors protecting Alfred opened, and Batman stopped at the entrance to take a few more talons out by blowing them up.

What a great stress reliever, as stressful and tense as the situation was.

As the doors closed, he stepped back, blocking the talons from coming in. One reached for him, the large doors cutting the talon's arm off.

"You would have made a good Talon," Talon told Nightwing. And it was like he knew. . .

Talon raced forward, and while Nightwing was good, he was injured and slow. Talon took him down quickly. Nightwing managed to stay alive, constantly moving.

Robin finally made it to the mansion, seeing the disarray the once spotless halls were in. He ran passed it all, making his way to the safe that held the sai Talon gave him and his sister. He knew the Passover, easily opening it. He took only his.

Finally, the fighting machine was ready. It powered up quickly.

"Now, I'm only gonna say this once, you sons of bitches. Get the hell out of my cave." In the suit, Batman was stronger. Alfred stayed near him, shotgun in hand. He used it well.

"We've got to get to that utility core, Master Bruce."

He climbed onto the machine while Bruce made the trip down. Free of restrictions, Alfred unlocked the utility core, setting the temperature to freezing and the power to full blast.

Talon pinned Nightwing by his shoulders with knives, immediately taking off to check on his talons.

Frozen. They were frozen.

No. He can't lose!

Thinking quick, he powered on the Batmobile and turned on the guns. As the suit took damage, Talon rammed the vehicle into the robotic frame. In the suit, Batman fell over and was unable to get up.

Talon forced his bruised body forward.

"Game over."

But Batman wasn't done.

He unlocked the door, throwing Talon back. He climbed out, still pissed.

Cowl half destroyed, he ripped the remainder of it off.

"You and the Court tried to take control of my city and destroy my home. But worst of all, you messed with my kid. So this is gonna hurt, and I'm gonna enjoy it."

The fight between Bruce and Talon started. Both were skilled, injured, and persistent. They exchanged blow after blow, neither slowing down.

Talon's gloves pushed out small blades from the knuckles. Batman quickly broke one off, finishing the attack with a punch to Talon's face. But Talon just smirked, then Bruce felt it.

The other hand plunged the blade into his side.

With a groan, Talon removed the blade and Bruce fell.

"I've taken your boy." He kicked Bruce while he was down and stabbed him in the back. "And now-"

"No." Robin came down from above, landing between his father and Talon. Sai in hand, he poised for a fight.

"Damian, listen to me, he's not worth it," Talon tried while the boy checked on his father. "Let him go. Let him die."

"Like you let your father die?" It was clear from his tone, Robin had chosen his side; his father; the Batman.

"Stupid boy." He attacked Robin, getting him away from Batman and putting him down. While Robin recovered, he walked over to the father and lifted him up, prepared to kill. "Damian, he'll never let you go. For us to be free, he has to die. The Wayne fortune will be ours. The Owls, they'll never find us. Tell him goodbye, Damian."

Robin let out cries with each blow, jumping onto his shoulders and pounding away. Talon dropped Batman, but Robin continued his assault.

"You filthy ingrate! Everything I've done was for you, and this is how you repay me? Then so be it." He pulled out a knife, done with the boy he had given up everything for.

But Robin was the one who held the sai to his throat, one move away from ending it all.

"You could never replace Batman. He's my father."

Bruce lifted his head, watching.

He knew he lost, but he could get one last victory, no matter how minor.

He grabbed Damian's wrist, said, "Don't doubt your instincts," and forced the boy's hand to push the knife through his throat.

"Aah! No," he cried.

He looked down at his hand, where Talon's pocket watch had been placed. Disgusted, he threw it down.

Adrenaline waning rapidly, he fell to his knees.

"Are you all right?" his father asked, helping him up. Damian didn't know what to do. "I'm proud of you." Or how to feel. He had waited to hear those words for so long, but now he didn't want them. Almost hated them."Welcome home."

"No," Damian pulled away. Before, all he wanted was his father's love and affection. But now he was so confused. So so confused. "I could have killed him. Maybe I should have. But you were in my head. You wouldn't let me. You, Talia, Ra's, even Daire, you're all in here. But where am I? How can I ever be the son you need me to be when I don't even know who I am? I have to go."

"Damian. There's a school-"

"In Switzerland," Damian remembered. "Yeah, you told me about it".

"No!" he amended. "No. This is a monastery in the Himalayas. I stayed there years ago when I was lost, troubled. And the monks helped me in ways that proved to be very-"

"I don't need any help!" He watched his fathers face fall and quickly added, "But maybe I will later on." He stepped forward, enveloping his father into the hug he had longed for so long. "I've got some packing to do."

Determined and head strong as always, Damian made his way up the stairs, not looking back.

Body sore and bloody, Bruce refused to take his eyes off his son until Damian disappeared into the elevator. He listened to the whirl of the cables, the jerky stop. He knew Damian would be opening the grandfather clock, would be closing it behind him. He could picture his son, head held high, face closer to the edge of hurt than neutral, heading toward his room.

"Master Bruce." Alfred made his presence known. He hurried to the man's side, letting the exhausted body give. Alfred glanced up at the stairs Bruce was still staring at. "Master Damian?"

"He's made his choice."

Without another word, Alfred lead Bruce to the medical bay in the Batcave and tended to the many wounds Bruce and Dick received in the fight with the Court of Owls.

But, at last, that was now behind them.