"Lex Luthor?"
Ra's al Ghul repeated the name thoughtfully.
He was familiar with the Luthor family. As one of the wealthiest and most influential families in America, their reputation extended far beyond the business world.
"His father is Lionel Luthor?"
he asked Talia.
"Yes."
"I crossed paths with Lionel years ago. He is a man driven by ambition, much like Julius Caesar."
Ra's gave an evaluation that was neither praise nor criticism.
"But Caesar's downfall came from those closest to him. A ruler should fear betrayal from within far more than attacks from the outside."
Talia listened in silence, offering no opinion.
After a brief pause, Ra's shifted the conversation.
"What is your assessment of Homelander?"
Talia hesitated before answering.
"He is a dangerous enemy."
She disliked admitting it, but honesty served no purpose if it ignored reality.
"He is unlike anyone we have faced before. The scale of his power changes everything."
"Correct."
Ra's nodded.
"Our enemy has surpassed our previous expectations. However, every problem has a solution."
A thoughtful expression crossed his face.
"Keep a close watch on Lex Luthor, but do not approach him directly. Any unnecessary contact may alert him."
The centerpiece of his current plan rested on Lex Luthor.
"There is something else."
Talia gathered her thoughts before speaking.
"The Lazarus Pit beneath Gotham has been destroyed."
The League's primary Lazarus Pit was hidden in Nanda Parbat, but another had existed beneath Gotham City for decades. Most of the Lazarus Pits around the world had been eliminated by Ra's himself, yet the Gotham site had remained as a contingency.
For years, the Court of Owls had secretly utilized the corrupted waters beneath Gotham to preserve their Talons. Those waters originated from the Lazarus Pit itself.
The moment he heard the news, Ra's expression darkened.
"Very few people knew about that resurrection spring," he said quietly. "Besides myself, one of them was Gotham's Joker."
Talia's eyes narrowed slightly.
The revelation surprised her.
The Joker was infamous throughout Gotham as an unpredictable madman. She had never imagined her father maintained any connection to someone so unstable.
"Years ago, during several operations in Europe, Joker provided assistance when our interests aligned."
Ra's calmly explained.
"It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. I knew he could never be trusted, but he gained access to valuable information through me, including knowledge of the Lazarus Pit."
"You believe Joker is responsible?"
Talia asked.
"Possibly."
Ra's folded his hands behind his back.
"The more irrational a person appears, the harder it becomes to predict their motives."
Talia remained silent for several seconds.
"I'll investigate it personally."
"Good."
Ra's studied his daughter.
"You should rest as well."
Talia inclined her head and left the chamber.
After departing from her father's quarters, she made her way to an open stone platform overlooking the mountains.
Nanda Parbat stretched across the surrounding peaks, hidden among towering cliffs and ancient valleys. Monasteries, fortresses, and training halls stood scattered throughout the landscape, blending centuries of tradition with the League's modern resources.
Below, a large training courtyard buzzed with activity.
Rows of assassins dressed in black practiced synchronized combat drills. Their movements were precise and disciplined, every strike delivered with lethal intent.
At the center of the training grounds stood a small boy no older than six.
Despite his young age, Damian possessed sharp features, dark hair, and an intensity that seemed far beyond his years. Yet at the moment, he was standing motionless, completely distracted.
Talia dropped from the platform and landed beside him.
"Damian."
Her voice carried immediate disapproval.
"Why are you daydreaming?"
Without warning, she launched a punch toward his face.
Bang!
Damian barely reacted before the strike knocked him backward.
A sweeping kick followed immediately.
His small body left the ground before crashing heavily onto the training floor.
"Focus."
Talia's tone hardened.
"I don't know what has been distracting you lately, but hesitation during training becomes death in battle. A wandering mind gives your enemy an opening."
Damian climbed to his feet while brushing dust from his clothes.
"You mean enemies like Superman or Homelander, Mother?"
Talia frowned.
"What are you implying?"
"I'm saying everyone keeps telling me I'm destined for some great purpose."
Damian shrugged.
"Lead the League. Save the world. Conquer the world. Fight impossible enemies. None of it sounds appealing."
His rebellious streak surfaced openly.
"I have plans of my own."
"And what plans are those?"
Talia asked.
Damian hesitated.
They would probably sound ridiculous to anyone else.
After years of training, he still struggled with techniques that veteran assassins performed effortlessly. Yet strangely enough, he never worried about it.
His mother constantly told him he would become the most powerful man on Earth.
Personally, Damian found that difficult to believe.
He couldn't fly like Superman.
He couldn't tear through steel with his bare hands.
That hardly sounded like the future ruler of the world.
Many of the League's warriors could defeat him without effort.
Maybe being a superhero would be easier.
Superman seemed to spend most of his time helping people and stopping criminals. Compared to endless training sessions, that life looked considerably more enjoyable.
Or perhaps becoming a writer would be better.
Damian loved reading whenever he could escape his lessons. Unlike most children, he avoided fairy tales and adventure stories. Instead, he devoured darker novels, especially the bestselling works written by Adrian.
In short, he hated nearly every aspect of his current lifestyle.
"What incredible plan could possibly be occupying your thoughts?"
Talia asked.
"Never mind."
Damian waved dismissively.
"You wouldn't be interested."
Talia released a long sigh.
For all the League's resources, raising a child remained one challenge she had never mastered.
Damian was not her biological son in the traditional sense.
Determined to create the perfect heir, she had secretly acquired Batman's genetic material and used advanced artificial gestation technology to bring Damian into existence.
From birth, he had been groomed as the future leader of the League of Assassins.
Combat training.
Strategy.
History.
Languages.
Discipline.
Every day followed a relentless schedule.
Yet none of it had prepared Talia for motherhood itself.
She had studied parenting guides, consulted experts, and relied on instinct whenever knowledge failed her.
Even so, Damian tested her patience in ways no enemy ever had.
Sometimes she found the situation absurd.
A woman raised within a secret organization dedicated to reshaping the world now spent much of her time arguing with a stubborn six-year-old.
The irony was impossible to ignore.
A faint smile touched her lips.
Her thoughts drifted toward Batman.
No one had seen him for a long time.
Rumors claimed he was dead.
Others believed he was hiding, waiting for an opportunity to challenge Homelander.
No matter which story proved true, uncertainty lingered.
Although her personal feelings toward Batman were complicated, Damian's existence inevitably tied them together.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Talia focused on the present.
Regardless of Batman's fate, her path remained unchanged.
The League would continue.
And Damian would inherit it.
"Do not neglect the meditation techniques your instructors taught you," she said.
Her expression became serious.
"Nanda Parbat is unlike any place on Earth. For centuries, monks and mystics have trained here, strengthening both mind and spirit. If you dedicate yourself fully, you will gain abilities few people can even comprehend."
Damian resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
More lectures.
More responsibilities.
More reminders of the future everyone else had chosen for him.
He was only a child.
Shouldn't children spend their days playing, making friends, and enjoying life?
Instead, every hour seemed devoted to training, study, or discipline.
No freedom.
No normal childhood.
No real family life.
As Talia continued speaking, a bold thought suddenly surfaced in Damian's mind.
Maybe...
He should run away from home.
===
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