Chapter 17

Dawn was soon to approach. Bruce could already see the shades of fuchsia and gold spread across the sky like massive darts, cutting across the dark sky. He'd been pacing the room in his robes, over and over, wearing down the floor beneath him - evaluating his next move, and debating his every decision. Talia was sound asleep where he'd left her, like an angel curled up under the covers. Every time he looked at her he knew he'd messed up. He hadn't planned on getting involved with her. He hadn't intended to form any attachments for anyone in this place. This made it all the harder to leave. The daughter of the Demon himself had offered to help him escape, what better chance could he have been afforded? But he had to muddle the waters because he'd let his emotions overcome him. He bashed a fist into a wall to quell his disappointment in himself.

"B... Beloved?" Talia arose to the sound.

"I'm sorry for waking you," he apologised, stepping back as he loosened his fists.

She lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the glow in the sky. "It's dawn. You have to go."

"I - " he dropped his head in shame. "I may not be leaving."

"Why not?"

"What we did last night... it's not right that I leave you like this."

She wrapped the sheet around her chest and sat up. "Does that mean you'd agree to marry me?"

He wiped a hand over his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair. Thomas Wayne had always taught him to be responsible for his own actions, and to see things through to the bitter end. Marrying Talia would also mean getting permanently chained to the League, to Ra's Al Ghul, and the Court of Owls - the very people responsible for his parents' death. It wasn't a part of his plan, but not doing so would only betray the memory of his own father - too late for regrets. "Yeah, I will."

For a few moments the two of them sat in silence, pondering their potential future together. And after sometime came a, "No."

Bruce looked at Talia questioningly.

"No," she said again. "I know you feel some kind of pity for me. I don't need your pity."

"I don't.."

She cut him off. "Yesterday, I offered to help you escape, my mind has not changed."

"Talia," he moved to her side and took her hand. "I - I know this isn't ideal, but I will learn to enjoy the thought of marrying you, and... of being your father's heir. I just need a bit of time to adjust to the idea."

"No," she continued, her expression even more certain than before. She got up, and began putting on the garments she had on the day before."You will leave here, beloved, with my help. You will go back to Gotham City, and you will be free of the control of my father."

When he was just about to make his case, she interjected, "This is my decision. Since I was a child, my father has never allowed me to make any major decisions on my own. Let this be my first. Give me this opportunity to make a choice for myself."

Bruce studied her closely, hesitated, and only when he knew for sure that she was certain of the choice that she was about to make, agreed.

There was a sense of relief on her face. She turned a cheek to him, and pointed at it. "Now I need you to hit me hard so we can sell this to Father," she instructed.

He took a while to consider how he'd approach her instruction, struggled to do as she'd asked, and finally found that he couldn't possibly. "I can't bring myself to hurt you," he admitted. "Isn't there another way?"

Talia smiled reassuringly at him and nodded - then she walked over to an empty wall, and with a heave, smashed her forehead into it. She did it again.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered with a wince, feeling her every blow as though it was done to him.

She held up a hand to silence his concerns. "This is my choice, beloved. Don't blame yourself." Then she put her hand onto the side of her throat and dug in with her nails, causing skin to peel, and welts of blood to form.

When that was done, she walked to a steel chest that had a silk draping over it, pulled out a key from a hidden pocket in her garments, and opened the chest. Within it were two pairs of winter clothing; snow shoes, thick woolen gloves, scarves, ski masks, and even a compass. She pulled out one set, together with the compass, and handed it to him. "Put this on," she instructed. "Do it quickly."

He received the folded garments, and began to put them on - even as he kept his eye on the other set in the box. "What if you were to come with me? Join me in Gotham. You could be free to make all of your own decisions. I swear I will make sure that you're protected."

"But my place is here, beloved," she replied without hesitation. "I may not always agree with Father making the decisions for me, but he is Ra's Al Ghul, and my duty is to serve him. I do it gladly."

"Except now," he reminded her.

"Except now," she agreed. "But I intend to make this the one and only time I disobey him."

"I don't suppose you're open to changing your mind?" he asked. He didn't think she would, but he had to admire the amount of loyalty she had to her deranged father. It was blind loyalty, but loyalty nonetheless.

"I'm not, beloved," she chuckled, slightly amused at his insistence. Moving quickly about the room, she busied herself removing the silk curtains from the balcony, and knitting them together with the sheets on the bed. "All I ask is you promise me one thing," she said in the midst of all this.

"What is it?"

"That you never tell a soul about my father, about me, or about the League of Shadows. No one must know of us or our existence." She looked directly at him, searching for a verification of assurance in his response. "Do it for me."

During the time he spent alone, Bruce had made a mental list of people he knew who would be interested to find out all about the secret compound in Nanda Parbat, and all that was done in it. When he shut his eyes, he imagined over and over again, how he would explain to them how he'd spent the five months in captivity, and all about Lady Shiva, Ra's Al Ghul and everyone else he'd met on that mountain top. But as much as he had his speeches all written in his head, ready to go - he felt the debt he owed to Talia should motivate him to cancel all of those plans. After that day, he would owe her not just his life, but his freedom as well. "I'll do that for you, Talia. Only for you. But I can't figure out how I'd explain my lengthy absence to anyone who asks?"

"First," she said, as she secured the make-shift rope to the base of an iron railing at the balcony. "Your absence hasn't become widely known as of yet, due to the clone who's been instructed to take your place since you've arrived here. Second, you must not allow the small pool of people who have just found out about your disappearance, to make this public knowledge. Make up an excuse - indict the Court of Owls if you have to. Be creative."

It was odd to hear her mention the Court of Owls, and suggest that he throw them under the bus in such a manner. For all intents and purposes, he'd assumed that they were allies and had been working very closely together. At the same time, it reminded him of a question that he'd meant to ask that he hadn't found the opportunity for. "Talia, there's been something that's been bugging me for a while now, I hope that you can help me get this clarified, once and for all - was it your father who called for the hit on Thomas and Martha Wayne?"

Talia tugged on the rope firmly and stood up to look at him straight in the eyes. "No, it was the Court who ordered it. It is to my knowledge that your father, Thomas Wayne, discovered some secrets they meant to keep hidden, and this cost him his life. It was, however, due to this tragedy that eventually put you on Father's radar. And years later, he would seek you out as the one written about in the prophecies - the one that had appeared in his dream. His association with the Court only begins and ends with him requesting for you to be delivered to him, and the clone to take your place."

"Ironic isn't it," stated Bruce coldly, just thinking about how he'd been moved about without any consent, like he was commodity. "That the principle your father preaches about eliminating oppression has been so easily compromised by his association with people who make a living out of oppressing the poor in order to prop themselves up."

"Unfortunately, in order to fix a broken system, one must be prepared to get one's hands dirty. Father had to do what has been done in order to save you."

Bruce raised a brow. "Save me?" It seemed like a poor choice of words. Kidnapping had rarely anything to do with saving the victim.

"To provide you the skills needed for you to survive the catastrophic event that is to come - so that you can in turn, rise up to save Gotham. Otherwise the city will be lost just as it was in 1728, except this time, it will be worse."

"And both you and your father are certain of this fate?" Talia's certainty only sealed his own acceptance of Dr. Welkin's theory.

"With unwavering certainty. My father never gets a prediction wrong."

"Does the Court know what is to happen to Gotham?" he asked, doubting that someone as wealthy as Kathryn would be too happy about such a prophecy.

Talia smiled widely like she knew something that the Court might not. "They know enough."

"Something that I still can't understand. What does your father hope to achieve from all of this?"

"He means for you to serve the League's purposes when you rise to rule over the new Gotham. I'm confident that you may still choose to do so, on your own accord."

"I'm sorry," Bruce looked away. "But I can neither see myself ruling Gotham, nor bending the knee to the League of Shadows. Whatever this prophecy is about - it's wrong."

She put a hand on his chin and pulled it slowly towards her. "Time will tell, beloved. You say that you are, but I don't think you're done with us yet."

"We'll have to see about that. Perhaps someday I'll come back for you," he said with a smile, wrapping his arms around Talia to embrace her with a kiss. She leaned into him, just for a bit, though her kiss ended a little more abruptly than he'd anticipated - as though there was some measure of finality to it.

He watched her curiously as she took the time to gather her thoughts before speaking, "One final thing, beloved. The moment you make it down to the glacier, head into the woods and keep south on your compass, do not deviate. Listen for the sounds of the Ganga river - it will eventually lead you to the border between Tibet and India. Tell the authorities that you'll find there that you're American and ask to be sent to the embassy."

Bruce turned around to see that the half-domed sun was already beginning its climb, time was getting scarce, and he didn't want to have to fight a dozen members of the League in order to get free. "Thank you Talia... for everything." He gratefully clasped her hands in his.

"Goodbye, beloved. I won't soon forget you."

He gazed into her bright brown eyes for the final time, "Nor I, you, Talia Al Ghul."