Red War

Part Two

-Dick's POV-

We all gathered inside of the Manor. The entire family sat around the large dining table. Alfred had prepared drinks to try to calm us all down. Especially Athena. He had suggested that she stop chugging the lattes down, but she continued to ask for them. 

I nervously glanced around the room, sipping on the green tea Alfred made for me. Bruce was pouring over the maps and plans he had drawn up. He mumbled out loud, but no one was really listening. I sat across the table from Athena. Watching her, I felt my stomach plummet. I had never seen her looked so scared. The entire time she had been at the Manor, her face was stark white. Her eyes stayed focused on a spot on the table. Her hands fidgeted and her lips were pressed in a tight line.

As soon as Athena had received the message last night, she had raced home, leaving me in the streets. I could sense the breakdown that was happening inside her. Athena had no fears except for one: Ra's Al Ghul. When I first met her, she had started to get over her submission towards her old mentor. Athena had finally started to stand up to him. It was a landmark for her to choose to stay in Gotham and avoiding killing Batman, like Ra's had wanted. 

And then, she left.

I now knew that it was against her will, but it was still a leap in the wrong direction. While she still hadn't told me exactly what had happened when she returned, I could tell something awful had occurred. That missing year and a half had broken her psyche, changing her. Athena was more scared than ever. A single threat from Ra's had sent her into a panic attack. Athena had shut down. She hadn't spoken the entire time she had been in Wayne Manor. 

It made me want to punch something and cry at the same time. Athena sat there, practically shaking. I had no idea what was happening inside her mind. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. All I knew was that I was worried.

"What do you think, Athena?" Bruce addressed her, but she wasn't looking. From what I could see, she was hyperventilating a little. "Athena," he repeated, "Athena!"

She jerked her head up. "I...I don't know," Athena stuttered, dropping her head into her hands. 

"We need your input," Bruce said, "you know Ra's the best."

Tim, who sat beside her, laid his hand on her arm. "We know this must be hard for you, Theeny. But I promise, we will make sure that you aren't taken from us again and Ra's will not lay a hand on you."

"Yeah! He won't even break through the front line!" Barbara cheered, flashing a smile at Athena. She finally looked up, but her face was a ghost. 

As Bruce and the rest of us -- minus Athena -- continued to talk out the plan, I started to feel a sense of confidence. Bruce had planned to pull out all the stops. The entire Batfamily was sitting at the table. Barbara, Tim, Stephanie, Kate, Cassie, and even Luke Fox, who had became the new Batwing during the anarchy that over swept Bludhaven and Gotham after Jason's attacks. We all gathered together to discuss who would protect where.

The plan so far: As the Assassins entered Gotham, Tim, Steph, and Luke would defend all entrances to Gotham. Tim would take the North and the West. Steph would take the South and the East. Luke was taking the skies. If they still managed to sneak through, Kate and Cassie were in charge of battling inside the inner center of Gotham. If they could get past that -- which I was doubtful that they would -- Barbara, Bruce, Athena, and I would take the rest of them. Anyone who had experienced the League of Assassins was bringing forth their knowledge. We revealed past weapons, fighting skills, and advantages and disadvantages we had all personally come across. Now that we were all solo acts, there weren't that many cross overs in information. Almost everyone had something different and important to offer up.