Intoxicating Desires | T. Al Ghul ✔

[24]

Talia dreaded meeting up with the Demon Head ever since Ra's had doubted her and Veruna's relationship. A barrier had come between them and though earlier, she could have willingly died for Ra's, things had changed by then.

She had realized that no matter what she did and no matter how much she proved her worth, her father would never be able to trust her. He didn't trust her, nor Dusan nor Nyssa.

So it didn't matter if she stopped proving herself every now and then to him.

"I heard you handled everything much better in our strongholds," his voice reached her and she nodded, listening to him, "you will be dealing with these matters from now on in my place. I feel like it is time for you to handle that responsibility."

It seemed that he was pleased by that outcome so that was one less thing for her to worry about. "I will do my best."

"And then I also heard you encountered Batman in Gotham?"

"I did. I made a deal with him not to interfere in any of the League's matters and we will not hurt any innocents in his city," she told him.

"Is that all?"

She looked up, her emerald eyes staring into his identical irises, "should there be more?"

"I have trained that man," he proudly exclaimed and the revelation took Talia by slight surprise, "though back then I hadn't known he would use this training to become a vigilante."

"He has a very different moral ground from ours," she remarked, "but I hadn't known he was trained by you. If that's so then you must know who he is?"

"I believe he had been using a fake identity but after that, he vanished and I couldn't track him again. It wasn't until I saw the Batman fight for myself that I recalled it was him."

"Oh," she remembered the promise of not telling Bruce's identity to anyone, not even to her father so she didn't say more.

Sensing that flicker in her eyes, Ra's asked, "do you know who he is?"

"He might be using a fake identity with me too," she shrugged, effortlessly lying to him, "he's an interesting case nevertheless. A favorable ally yet a formidable foe."

Ra's could have seen through that lie but didn't because he felt Talia always tried her very best to stay in his good books so she wouldn't possibly hide anything from him. "And I suppose you asked him to be an ally instead."

"It's not that easy Father, he might have agreed to a truce but he won't agree to support us."

"Perhaps he could agree to support you if only you played your cards right," the old man remarked but didn't elaborate further, knowing full well that she had gotten his point.

Talia took in a deep breath to compose herself, "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"He is a man loyal to his city and his mission, he won't be swayed by such frivolous things."

"What frivolous things?" Ra's shrugged nonchalantly, "a woman is said to be one of the most dangerous beings on Earth."

"Is that why you don't trust me?" There was a slight edge to her tone and Ra's paused, not expecting to hear that.

He looked straight into her eyes, feeling a fire burning within, "I trust you, child. What makes you think I don't?"

"Everything," she replied, her words slightly gritted, "you don't trust any of us. Not me, nor Dusan and not Nyssa."

"If I didn't you wouldn't be here in this base," his words held a clear warning, referring to the fact that Dusan and Nyssa were no longer living at Nanda Parbat either. "Perhaps you have been listening to Dusan too much for your own good. You shouldn't."