Chapter Text
The sharp sound of metal against metal was deafening. Kicking another assassin away she made her way, inch by inch closer to the center of the battle.
Convincing Bruce and the rest of the Batfamily was surprisingly easy. Bruce understood the danger Ra’s posed, to everyone. His mental state becoming more unstable by the day.
Jason and Damian easily agreed to help her. As did Tim and Cassandra, knowing the danger the league posed.
Grayson was the most difficult to convince. But that wasn’t her responsibility, and judging by the presence of Nightwing, Bruce was successful in convincing him.
In fact, the only Bats not present were BlueBird, Spoiler, and Signal. They had been left behind to protect Gotham, and to a lesser extent, they were left behind because Bruce worried for them. The three of them were very skilled, as Talia had observed, but nowhere near the level of facing the League of Assassins.
Which brought her back to the matter at hand. A giant battle, in the heart of the league compound in Nanda Parbat. Robin and Nightwing were back to back each facing about 5 assassins each. Batman had about 10 assassins surrounding him, though they were quickly dropping like flies. She had lost sight of Batwoman early on, though she could identify her general position based on the gunshots. Oracle was back on the plane hidden in the outskirts of the compound. Along with the additional 100 assassins loyal to Talia, fighting on her behalf.
And, in the very center of the battle, Black Bat, Red Robin, and Red Hood fighting Ra’s. So far away, she couldn’t exactly tell who was winning, but she hoped that the trio could overpower him, or at least keep him busy enough for her or Batman to get to him.
-
By the time she realized what had happened, she was already running. She didn’t waste her time fighting any of the people in her way, she let them take their shots as she passed, and kept running. Most of the assassins had been taken out or killed anyway.
She got there in time to catch him as he fell.
Cassandra and Tim kept fighting, and soon Batman and Nightwing joined them.
But she didn’t move. She stayed on the ground, cradling her boy in a way she hadn’t since he was dipped in the pit.
Eventually, they managed to bring her father to the ground. But it all felt muffled, like cotton in her ears. She felt a presence on the other side of him and looked up to find Batman, holding his hand.
Silence fell over the courtyard, with Ra’s finally restrained, the focus of the family fell on Jason, lying in her arms.
“Jason, Jason stay awake,” Bruce whispered to his son, patting his face, trying to keep the boy’s unfocused eyes open.
Jason’s attention turned to him. “‘id we get ‘im?” He slurred.
“Yes, yes we got him, but you have to stay awake,” Bruce assured.
“Cool…” Jason sighed, smiling up at them before letting his eyes slip closed.
Talia felt the second he died, the moment his last breath passed through his lips. In that horrifying moment, his body went slack in her hold.
She placed a soft kiss on his temple and settled him on the ground. She stood up smoothly and walked over to where Tim and Cassandra had bound Ra’s in ropes, and her assassins had surrounded him with orders to take him out if he made a move. She slipped a shuriken out of her sleeve and whipped it at her father, the blade embedding itself in his eye, the force of the throw causing him to fall backward.
She turned to the assassin closest to her. “Burn his body as soon as possible. Every assassin shall pledge their loyalty to me or face death.”
The assassin bowed and she began to give out orders. As she did so, with no threat in sight the family was free to gather around the body and mourn for the fallen son.
They stayed that way for what felt like hours before she finally ordered for Jason’s body to be prepared for transport.
When the first assassin approached to begin preparing, Nightwing all but snarled at her. “What are you doing?”
“Miss Talia has ordered- “
He ignored whatever she was going to say and turned his attention to Talia, scowling at her.
“You cannot stay here and allow yourselves to wallow in grief. Preparations need to be made. He needs to be buried.” She explained. His anger did not subside, but eventually, Bruce nodded.
“She’s right, we… we need to get him home. Inform his teammates.” He said, his voice flat and empty. With a little bit of coaxing, they moved away and allowed some attendants to move his body onto a stretcher, and began to walk towards where the Batplane was parked.
-
Watching his brother’s body be taken away, he stood up and walked to where his mother was standing, giving out orders.
He stood next to her for a moment, and, in a brief pause in activity, he stole a hug from her.
-
The ride back to Gotham was suffocating. Bruce was driving, with Barbra in the cockpit with him. Tim sat next to Kate, her arm around his shoulders, Talia and Damian sat across from them in a similar position. Dick sat on the floor, his back against the wall and his head in his hands. Cass was at the very back, curled up next to Jason’s body, her head on his shoulder and his hand in hers. Along with them, Talia had gained Bruce’s permission to bring five shadows with her, to help move the body, and when they returned to the cave to help treat various injuries. He had agreed only because he was so out of it that he didn’t even really realize what she had asked.
They arrived many hours later in Gotham, with Harper, Stephanie, Duke, and Alfred waiting for them.
-
Talia spent hours waiting, bidding her time. Waiting for the right moment. She had a few sleeper agents outside the city, that she called in. But in total she only had about fifteen shadows, and if they caught on they would not be enough. She had to be patient.
She was good at patience.
And eventually, she had her chance.
People had begun to head home, or up to their rooms in the manor. Bruce even offered to let her stay the night if she so wished. She declined and said she would leave in a few hours for one of her Gotham apartments before heading home.
Once the cave was empty and the manor began to sleep, Talia began to move.
-
Bruce wandered down to the cave, unable to sleep. He knew it wouldn’t help. Knew it was probably going to make him feel worse. But all he really wanted was to hold his son’s hand. Even as the rigor mortise set in.
He entered the cave and wandered over to the medical area, where they had left him. Moving the curtain aside, a cold horror washed over him.
Jason was gone.
-
Everyone was called back immediately.
Dick’s cold rage was suffocating.
Almost immediately everyone realized who was missing. Though no one wanted to be the one to point it out in front of Damian.
Barbra pulled up the security feed and they watched as Talia and her men carried Jason out of the cave.
“Find her.”
“On it.” Tim and Barbra both started to search the CCTV.
Eventually, Barbra found her. “She’s… at the Gotham Cemetery. They’re burying him.”
The Bat’s jumped into action, Tim, Duke, Stephanie, Harper, and Dick taking their bikes, and Bruce, Damian and Cass all loading into the Batmobile. All of them had suited up in record time.
They got there quickly, breaking multiple traffic laws. It was a bit ominous, seeing the Batfamily out during the day.
-
The rumble of engines alerted her to their presence. She checked her watch, mentally calculating how long she had to stall them. 5 minutes. She just needs to keep them busy for 5 minutes.
“TALIA!” Batman bellowed from across the graveyard. Any mourners that had been there quickly vacated. She had chosen to bury him in a secluded corner, it didn’t have to be pretty, just quick and discreet.
5
“Hold then off. Don’t hurt them too badly.” The assassins around d her nodded at her orders. And moved to fight the Bats.
Shadows dropped from the trees and jumped out from behind headstones.
4
Most of the bats had already exhausted themselves in the battle at Nanda Parbat and hadn’t had time to recover, some of them still injured.
They were weak, exhausted, and in mourning.
She was going to fix the last one.
3
Batman, however, was a man of single-minded focus. He was mowing down Shadows, rapidly gaining ground.
2
She kneeled atop his grave, rolling up her sleeves and tying up her hair.
1
Her watch chimed and she plunged her hands into the loose dirt.
She felt Batman’s presence coming closer to her. She ignored him and kept searching.
He wasn’t buried six feet down. It was a relatively shallow grave, for this very purpose. She just had to find…
She flinched as a hand grabbed hers under the dirt. She pulled.
Jason Todd broke the surface, crawling out of his second grave, and into his mother’s arms.
The fighting around them stopped, and all eyes focused on Jason. She put her forehead to his. “It worked,” he whispered.
“Did you doubt me, Habibi?” She asked, a smile gracing her face.
“Never.”
“What the fuck!?”
Talia would guess that was Stephanie, saying what they were all thinking.
She turned her head to see them all staring at her and Jason. The Shadows had begun to clean up any mess they had made while fighting.
Two Shadows quickly made their way over and helped Jason stand, brushing the dirt off him, one handing him a bottle of water. He nodded his thanks. They began to fill the hole with dirt and Talia and Jason walked over to where the rest of the family was gathered.
Bruce stepped forward first, reaching a hand out towards Jason. “Jaylad?”
“Surprise?” Jason smiled, all teeth and hesitation.
He was immediately wrapped up in his father's armored arms. “Jay…”
Once he finally released his son, after an extended hug, his siblings crowded him, hugs were exchanged and tears were shed.
Bruce turned his attention to Talia. “How?”
“I’m a little unclear myself.” She said. “Jason insisted that if he were to die again, before he completed his goals, that he was to be buried in Gotham soil, to be brought back.”
“That doesn’t make this any clearer.”
“Jason was born of Gotham, of her shadows and dirt, of her storms and sweltering summers. She loves him. Once he’s ready to go, we’ll give him a burial at sea, as per his request.”
Bruce didn’t really understand any of what Talia said, and he would ask Jason about it later, but for now, he was okay with just standing beside Talia, watching their children smile and laugh.