Sour Candy | T. Drake ✔

[41] Moment Of Truth

Damian sighed, taking out the parchment from the envelope he had just received in the mail. The letter was in Arabic but did not bear the League's seal and when he read it, he realized the reason.

Udit, his former trainer and a prominent warrior of the League had written to him and informed him about Aleama's very near escape from death. Damian knew Aleama very well as she had looked after him when he was a child too and reading that Talia herself had given the order for her to be killed made him uneasy.

He knew he had to let Bruce know the truth about the successor to the League as well as the woman who was supposed to come to Gotham in a few days. But first, he decided to tell it to Cassandra.

Cass was in her room when Damian knocked on the door and was let in shortly after.

"You okay, brother?" She asked, noticing the frown lines on his forehead.

"We have to tell Father about Mona," he replied, "I just got this letter from Udit Hakman, he used to be my trainer back in the days I was still part of the League."

"Oh," she took the letter from him and her dark irises skimmed over it, able to understand a few bits and pieces of the foreign language.

"He says Mona is in danger and Mother is getting rid of anyone who tries to help her out. This means either she is thinking about using Mona in some plan of hers or she has already planned out something that would risk her life. She ordered her governess to be killed as well when she tried to warn Mona but Udit helped her escape and she's probably coming here."

"So if she is coming here, that means we will have to tell Bruce beforehand," Cass mumbled, a thoughtful look sweeping over her face, "is that so?"

"Yes," Damian replied vaguely but his emerald eyes flickered intensely as if pondering over something else.

She read that expression and asked, "what are you thinking?"

"I can't let Mona die for something she isn't responsible for," he spoke up, "if what Udit says is true and Mother really is using Mona then the girl knows absolutely nothing... She's walking to her death herself."

Cassandra recalled their meeting with Talia and her brow furrowed because she knew even though the woman was lethal and could not be expected to soften towards anyone, especially not the daughter of her sister who had betrayed her, still Cass had noticed a very faint layer of affection in the woman towards Mona.

She didn't know whether she was right about it or not but she felt that even though Talia was very good at hiding her feelings and expressions, there was a slight trace that she cared for Mona.

"But your trainer could have been mistaken," she spoke up, "maybe Talia just wants Mona to be safe and is trying to push people away who might take her away from her."

"And why would she do that?"

"I don't know," she shook her head, "I felt something that day. Maybe she does care for Mona."

"Preposterous," Damian mumbled, "I know her very well. All she cares about is controlling the League on her own."

Cassandra did not object to that remark, instead, she added, "maybe we should go tell Bruce."

"Right now?"

She nodded, handing him back the letter, "yes."

***

Tim was standing outside Bruce's study with his laptop and files in hand as he had to discuss a project Wayne Tech was recently working on. He was about to go in but stopped, hearing voices from inside.