When he opened his eyes, Batman saw a familiar face.
"We need to stop meeting this way, my beloved."
"Talia."
He struggled to move, but he was chained to a chair. With a little effort, he could escape, so he planned to stall for a while. until he noticed the look of worry on her face.
"Don't waste your energy, you are going to need it for what's coming."
"What is Ra's planning now? And how does it relate to the Light?"
She didn't seem surprised at the mention of the criminal group.
"As I said, you'd better focus on what's coming if you want a chance of walking out of here alive."
She marched to the door and looked back once, then she left.
A minute later, the door opened again and an old man entered with 10 more people dressed as ninjas.
The League of Shadows had captured him and they were planning something. He still had his suit and his mask on.
But his belt and batarangs were missing, and he only had his hands and legs to get out of this situation.
He was still working on removing his restraints when they used handles attached to the chair to move him.
The group marched until they arrived at an arena, which had a square platform in the middle. Above it, there were coliseum-like audience stands filled with members of the League of Shadows.
On the stage, Ra's Al Ghoul was standing with his arms crossed.
"Get up."
Batman stayed seated, the metal rattling as he moved.
Ra's was unimpressed and spoke again.
"We both know, you are not restrained by those chains more than I am."
Batman waited a second and got up, letting the restraints fall to the ground.
"Ra's, this doesn't look like your style. Are you going to face me like this?"
The sound of people talking and the ambience of a spectacle weren't exactly the League of Shadows' way of doing things.
"No, detective, I'm not going to fight you and this whole charade was requested by your opponent; it seems she is eager to show up the superiority of her skills."
Before Batman could ask who that person was, a door opened on the other side of the arena and a blonde woman entered the stage.
She was dressed in a pink sporty outfit more suited to go on a jog than to have a battle against a superhero, 18 stretched a little and spotted him.
She jumped and landed in front of Ra's. She looked at the other person in the ring and she was disappointed. She hoped it would be someone like the Superman she fought before; now, she was looking at a regular human dressed in some black carnival outfit.
"Are you serious about this old man?"
"It is the perfect opponent for what you asked for, trust me, he is a martial artist of the highest order, if you want to test pure martial skills, he is the one to beat."
She still looked unconvinced, but she shrugged and walked to her side of the arena.
Meanwhile, Batman was calculating his options. Going against 18 was suicide; it was like fighting a bloodlusted Superman with no kryptonite or any other plan.
Maybe if he had a chance to prepare, or at least he was in Gotham, he would have a chance; however, here, he was surrounded by enemies and with no tools or resources.
She was fast and strong and a single hit was enough to kill him without even trying.
Ra's smiled for the first time since he arrived.
"Calm down, detective, this is not a hopeless situation; we introduced a few special rules to allow you a chance to win."
18 interrupted and spoke.
"In my dimension, there was this big event called the World Martial Arts Tournament. We will be borrowing the rules. First, we only use hands and feet, no weapons allowed; second, if you fall unconscious, surrender, or fall from the ring, you lose; third, we are not allowed to kill."
She then raised her hand, showing 2 fingers.
"I also added 2 additional rules for myself: I will reduce my power level to that of a regular person and I won't use ki attacks. That should be enough to make it fair for an insect like you."
Ra's spoke again.
"This is the deal: you will compete with her and if you win, we'll let you go, but if she wins, we will kill you and send your corpse to your beloved Gotham City."
The people on the stands were stomping their feet as they observed the show.
Having no other choice, Batman agreed to fight and Ra's left, walking to a viewing room high above the arena.
18 was watching the hero; he didn't look like much, still, she would give it a try. After all, she killed 12 people, learning how to hold back, knowing that, she didn't want to waste the effort.
A big man rang a gong signaling the start and she exploded forward. Her speed was at the peak of a human's limit, yet her enemy didn't panic and blocked her first barrage of punches.
Batman was trying to analyze her combat style first; he knew for sure he wouldn't be able to knock her out, so he would need her to surrender or force her out if he hoped to win.
In less than a minute, he was assaulted by a rain of punches and kicks. She was precise and calculating, trying to overwhelm him, while he had to constantly retreat to avoid getting hit.
She should be open to counterattack, but every time he tried, she blocked or dodged effortlessly.
Fights in her world were a close-quarters slugfest of brutal and quick attacks; the only reason to look for distance was to prepare a big technique. Unless the enemy was ready to get hit as well, she wasn't going to be touched by any direct attacks.
Batman was retreating while blocking and dodging, then it happened, one kick landed on his stomach, he flinched at the power behind it and he crossed his arms in front of his face to block an uppercut.
18 kept the pressure, with a round house kick that Batman barely avoided by bending backwards.
She jumped with her leg high and stomped, aiming for his head. Batman rolled out of the way and before he could catch his breath, another punch came aimed at his head.
He understood just how terrifying the android was, even while holding back to a human level; she didn't get tired, she didn't need to pause or breathe, she could continuously attack until eventually the defender would make a mistake out of exhaustion.
If he wanted to win, he needed to go on the offensive.
Seeing a punch aiming high, he took the chance and grabbed her arm, performing a shoulder throw; however, 18 was ready and she jumped using the force of the throw to spin in the air and land on her feet, turning and dashing back to attack.
Batman was surprised by her reaction, but he had managed to accomplish his objective of gaining enough room to prepare and when she came running at him, he used his cape to obstruct her vision. She stopped for a moment and he kicked her in the face.
The hit didn't cause any damage, but it forced her back a little and that gave him an opening. He swiped her feet with his leg and she fell to the ground.
18 rolled on her back and got up with a jump. Bruce watched the Android and she was smiling.
"Ok, maybe you are a decent practice dummy after all."
Batman decided to use the pause to catch his breath and talk.
"Why are you working for Ra's Al Ghoul?"
That wiped the smile from her face.
"For?"
Annoyance was clear in her voice as she answered.
"I don't work for anyone; these guys are here to get me what I want."
"And you wanted me specifically, or did Ra's suggest it?"
"What are you getting at?"
"He has access to many of the best martial arts masters in the world, but he looked for me, his enemy, who just recently stopped his plans."
"What are you saying? Are you suggesting that he wants me to kill you, because he could have done it himself while you were out earlier today?"
"That isn't Ra's style; he will look you in the eyes as he kills you. I'm trapped here, so he expects me to lose and then kill me, or even if I somehow win, he will kill me himself. You are acting as his tool."
Her eyes narrowed and she disappeared, like a blur. She was next to him in a millisecond and she grabbed him by the neck.
"Shut up already. If you actually win, I'll personally make sure you get out of here alive." She paused and frowned. "But if you lose, I'll break your neck and leave your body where no one will ever find it."
She let go and returned to her previous position, allowing Bruce to get back on his feet, which was good for him as he now could take a breath before continuing the battle.
Once she saw him stand and nod, she exploded forward again. She jumped and launched a drop kick. Batman dodged and now he was more aggressive in his approach. He swiped her leg, making her fall, although she used her hands to push herself up and did a few flips to get some distance.
Batman followed and aimed a front kick at her stomach as she landed, sending her a few extra feet towards the edge of the ring.
Noticing his intentions, 18 didn't panic as she planted her feet on the ground and blocked the roundhouse kick aimed at her face.
She moved forward with a boxing stand sending several jabs at him. Again, she pushed her advantage, without stopping and leaving no openings for a counterattack, she threw punch after punch.
That's when she noticed her opening. As Batman was pushed back, he left his ribs unprotected and she took advantage, landing a devastating right hook on his side.
The sound made some of the people watching recoil, knowing how much it must have hurt, then they saw it.
While 18 was smiling, she got punched right in the face. Batman had actually taken the hit on purpose, taking the pain and moving his arm back to hit her with all his strength.
Of course, a human hand had no chance of damaging the android's body, despite her dropping her ki level to a regular peak human level, but the surprise blow left her disoriented for an instant.
That was enough for her opponent to grab her by the shirt and let himself fall to the floor, so when his back touched the ground, he put his leg on her stomach using the momentum to launch her body towards the outside of the arena.
A move fast enough that it left her astonished, she landed on her feet just shy of falling from the ring and she realized Batman was running full speed at her.
He jumped and she got ready for a flying kick or a punch. She responded with a high kick, aiming at his head. Bruce reacted by letting gravity take over, lowering his body, making her leg miss the target as he grabbed her other leg and lifted her, forcing her to fall together and landing outside the stage.
18 blinked as she looked at the ceiling.
(He got me.)
Those were moves nobody in her world would use. In her level of fighting, the mindset was to destroy the enemy with overwhelming offense; this was a move aimed at just subduing.
Here, it was different; she had begun to understand the philosophy of martial arts: maximum damage with minimum effort. Her explosive attacks and rushed movements meant to overwhelm would be exploited by a skilled warrior; that is why she is constantly getting caught off guard.
She lost, but she smiled, because she had gained a new perspective about herself and she could feel herself becoming stronger and more skilled.
Batman, meanwhile, was kneeling on the floor nearby, holding his ribs that were definitely broken, as he was panting heavily and sweating profusely.
The encounter didn't last long. Normally, Bruce wouldn't have any problems keeping his stamina; he had chased criminals and fought for hours before, although he would be tired, he wouldn't struggle to breathe.
This was different, because he couldn't pace himself, he had to constantly move, block, dodge, react to every move without pause, every attack devastating and so fast he needed to be in constant focus not to get instantly knocked out.
It was the difference between running a marathon while going at your own pace and sprinting with everything you got. As long as you handle your breathing and don't overspend your energy, you can continue to run for hours, but trying to keep top speed, you can at most run for 30 seconds to a minute.
He was exhausted; it had been a while since he was so tired after a single bout.
Taking advantage of this, the guards grabbed him by the arms and lifted him; he wasn't able to resist. Before he could recover, he was shot by several darts; this time, they were different. Instead of losing consciousness, his body went limp.
He could see Ra's walking towards him.
"A valiant effort, detective, but a tie is not a victory and only victory could free you."
He took the sword from his waist, getting ready to finish the job.
"Who said it was a tie?"
18 got up slowly and dusted herself off.
She stepped in front of the group. Ra's was annoyed that she was contradicting him, yet he explained.
"You both fell off the ring, meaning you both lost."
18 responded with her usual sarcastic tone.
"I explained the rules and yet you didn't understand anything. Well, I'll tell you again, the one who lost was me."
His irritation was getting worse as he responded.
"Child, this is my arena and I saw what happened. You both fell and so he didn't win."
"I landed first, you see, my hands touched the ground, while he followed a second later. According to the rules of the world martial arts tournament, he is the winner. I won't repeat this; let him go free."
The air trembled as she spoke. She was dead serius and if he refused, she would attack.
Even with as many members of the league as he had with him, he wouldn't survive a battle with the android, leaving him with no other options.
"As you wish."
They knocked Batman unconscious and got ready to leave until 18 spoke again.
"I'll do it, I don't trust you."
She floated and grabbed the dark knight by the arm. As she was flying away, she turned.
"Another thing, if you ever call me a child again, I'll rip your arms and legs from your body and throw you into the ocean."
With that said, she flew away, leaving Ra's Al Ghoul fuming. He went to his office and made a call.
The phone connect and a bald man in a suit answered with a business smile.
"To what do I owe the honor of a call from the demon's head?"
"Luthor, how is the creation of the devices going? How long before we have a way to stop and control the android?"
Luthor's smile froze.
"You are the second member of the Light that asked me that, I'll tell you the same I told Klarion." His tone became very annoyed, "we have everything we need except the last piece, we are testing every material we have and we still haven't found a substitute for the necessary component, now I hope that you don't do the same as the chaos lord, he calls me at least 3 times a day to ask about it, it is getting tiresome."
Ra's understood his frustration, having just dealt with Klarion not too long ago.
"The League of Shadows is opening its library and treasury to you. We have a lot of very unique materials and knowledge that may be useful. Know that you have our full support for this endeavor."
Luthor leaned on his chair as he spoke next.
"I thought I already had it."
Ra's didn't respond to the comment and ended the call, which made Luthor laugh a little. He had the full support of two members of the Light for his project. Klarion was already sending magical objects and now Ra's was about to contribute stuff that many probably don't even know existed.
Now it was a matter of time before he could capture the android and then he would be one step closer of accomplish all his goals.
He sat down and continued working on his computer, now in a much better mood.
As Luthor was celebrating his certain victory, 18 was flying while carrying Batman like a potato sack.
She wasn't actually sure where she should leave him, so she kept flying around. As annoying as it was, she had actually promised him his safety if he won and for some reason, she didn't even think of letting him drop and be finished with the boring task.
Ever since she arrived in this world and got attacked by the martians, it felt like a fog was slowly dissipating from her mind. She couldn't help but think about that Lasso and how she responded to the question about her motives.
(I need to find out what that old bastard left in my head and remove it, my actions are my own and if there is even a single chance of that not being the case...)
While thinking about it, she saw something in the distance, a light shooting into the sky, leaving a symbol in the clouds.
She recognized the logo, checking Batman to make sure and the one on his chest indeed matched the one in the sky.
On the roof of the G.C.P building, Gordon was talking with Robin as he looked worried.
"Tell me the truth, where is he?"
"I already told you, he is on a mission with the league."
"Don't take me for a fool; it's been 3 days since my people saw him getting carried away by ninjas."
"He escaped and is now chasing them."
Gordon was still unconvinced, but before he could express his doubts, someone landed on the roof and he went pale.
Robin noticed and turned to find 18 sitting on an air-conditioning unit with Batman on the floor in front of her.
The police chief put his hand on his holster, even knowing how useless his gun would be in this situation; he did it more to calm down than to actually do something. He needed to feel that he could do something, even if it was pointless.
Robin was already sending a signal to the others to request reinforcements; now, he needed to distract her.
Still seeing his father figure lying on the ground without moving, he was about to snap.
18 smirked and said.
"He is not dead."
"What did you do to him?"
"Nothing much, we had a friendly spar and I brought him back home. Do you want to spar with me next?"
Even while casually sitting there, Robin felt suffocated by her presence, so when she got up and kicked Batman towards him, he wasn't able to react.
Gordon caught the body of the Dark Knight as it came flying at him.
"There, I deliver him alive, tell him I kept my word and also..."
Her smile changed, it was still the same type of sarcastic and mocking smirk, but this time there was something else, maybe it was an alucination but Robin for an instant felt some warm on her eyes.
"Thank you for the practice and I look forward to our next match."
That said, she flew away, leaving 3 people who didn't know just how much those words would haunt them in the future.
{chapter image.}