Batman: Knight of the Hunt

Issue 3

Assassins

Its dark, and Batman is falling again.

Plummeting in empty space, dropping into infinity. His descent halts abruptly, he's gripped in Bane's powerful hands. He can see the black and white mask looming over him – staring, taunting. He can hear the muffled sounds of combat in the distance. Everything seems to slow down as Bane lifts him up overhead, then slams him downward with an echoing roar. His back crashes into Bane's knee. Searing pain shoots throughout his entire body. He wants to scream, but no sound comes from his throat. He's simply falling again, spinning and spiraling like a broken doll with no control over his own body.

At that instant, his eyes open. The black and white mask of Bane is gone, and instead he sees a different face, this one hidden by a dark, oversized hood and a solid-color, dark mask. Though the dim morning light makes it impossible to distinguish any definite features, Batman recognizes the signature get-up of the League of Assassins. The Assassin's hand is reaching toward him, as if to wake him.

Batman reacts instantly, his hand shooting up to catch the Assassin by the shoulder. His other hand locks around the man's elbow. He sits up quickly, rolling his weight forward and flipping the man onto his back. The whole maneuver only takes an instant. In the next instant, the Assassin's foot hooks around Batman's ankle. The Dark Knight is once again flat on his back. He's either still half-asleep, or the Assassin's reflexes are as good as his own.

As soon as he hits the ground, he rolls to the side, just missing a descending strike from a recurve bow. He's back on his feet, stance low and hands up. the archer adopts the same pose. With a moment to think, Batman notices Bane standing off to the side, gun drawn and eyes on the two combatants. There are other figures Batman can sense at the corner of his vision, but they make no movement.

No movement, that is, until a teenager in a red suit with black accents steps forward. Batman notices the black bat-symbol on his chest even before he looks up to see the unmasked face of Jason Todd.

Robin steps between the two fighters. "Batman, this is –"

"Al-Sahim," Batman interrupts.

The archer pushes back his hood and removes his mask, revealing the stern features of Starling City billionaire Oliver Queen. "I left the League, just like you did before me."

Still suspicious, Batman watches the three remaining figures step forward. "And what about them?"

He recognizes two of the newcomers. The first figure, dressed all in black with the requisite hood and body armor, was his mentor in the League before Ra's al Ghul took him under his wing personally. David Cain and his brother Arthur were the best the Assassins had to offer, with the exception of Ra's himself and his daughters.

Another possible exception might be the other man watching Batman and the archer stoically. His face covered by a two-tone orange and black helmet, and equipped with matching armor, Deathstroke the Terminator stands with his arms crossed, a sword resting within easy reach at his waist, and an assault rifle slung over his shoulder.

The third figure is a woman Batman doesn't recognize. Oriental, with jet black hair framing a white mask, gray armor with a red sash, and a katana in her hand. She looks dangerous enough, but there's some invisible element that sets her apart from the four Assassins.

"I go by Green Arrow now," the archer continues. As the sunlight increases gradually, Batman notices the archer's costume is green, rather than League black. Green Arrow introduces the others. "I think you know David Cain and Slade Wilson. And this –" he points to the woman – "is Katana. She's not League."