"Alex Reath, I understand," the man said slowly, clasping his hands behind his back. "I didn't think that it would come to this. Who would have thought…" he shook his head.
"So here we meet... The great and terrible Ra's al Ghul," I called my interlocutor by name, guessing who exactly was standing in front of me.
"I thought that you would be upstairs talking to the Dark Knight."
"I was there, but decided that seeing you was more important. You didn't expect to meet me here, did you? I ruined your plans?"
"Not at all," I chuckled, shrugging. "Before coming here, I thought through 146 possible scenarios. And some of them took into account the fact that we would meet. To say that I was not prepared is not entirely true."
"Despite your young age, Alex, you are quite smart," said the Demon, like a wise old man praising a smart youth. Well, that's actually true...
"You know that age is just a number. It doesn't determine a person's intelligence or outlook on life. Everything depends not on the years they've lived, but on the circumstances they've experienced," I replied, contradicting his words.
"You're wise beyond your years. You even managed to become the Detective's apprentice. Believe me, that's truly an achievement. I, of all people, should know that..."
"Please accept my sincere apologies for all the difficulties you have encountered due to the carelessness of the League of Shadows. I simply wanted to talk to you and peacefully convince you to join us. I had all the arguments for this... I don't know if I should blame Shiva now, but it was she who insisted that you first be prepared. I suppose I should have listened to my sixth sense, which has often pointed the right path in my countless wanderings, and simply met," the old man sighed sadly. "Now, we have become implacable enemies, and you harbor a deep grudge against me."
"What are you saying, absolutely not!" I shook my head, disagreeing with his words. "Our grievances have already been settled. I have received sufficient compensation," I lightly patted myself closer to my heart. "To be honest, I was even a little surprised by its size. Who knew you kept such wealth here?"
"And you took everything…"
"To tell the truth, initially I only wanted the Lazarus Pit," I explained my plan. "But after they shackled me, and what's even more disgusting, put a collar on me... I was very offended! Therefore, please forgive me for my actions."
"You understand that with your actions you brought the League of Shadows to the brink of the abyss," this time the head of the assassins said sternly.
"Ah, you've lived so many years, and you still haven't learned to lie. Although... Maybe it's me, I'm just excellent at recognizing lies. My nastiness is like a drop in the bucket for an elephant, in general, and it's not enough to shake the foundations of your ancient organization. As far as I know, Nanda Parbat is one of your main bases, that's why so much good was stored there. But there is also," I paused briefly and said, emphasizing each syllable, "'Et Alteban...' That's where the main forces of the League are located," I finished.
My words struck the long-lived Demon's calm face, instantly enveloping him in a halo of gloom. 'Et Al'eban was a sacred city created by Ra's al Ghul for the League of Assassins.
As I recall, it was located in the canyons of the Arabian Desert, a chain of secret caves. The city itself was underground and illuminated by an artificial device. A "magical sun" rested on the shoulders of a multi-meter statue of Ra's. Despite the artificial lighting, the city streets were lush with flowers and trees.
Life there was quite comfortable. Houses and buildings were built in the traditional Arabian style, and the residents made extensive use of modern technology. Therefore, it cannot be said that tyranny reigned in the city. Quite the contrary, this place resembled the utopia Ra's so strove for, wanting to plunge the world into chaos and then rebuild it anew. I myself wouldn't mind visiting this wonderful place, but the exact location of 'Et Alteban is unknown, and the city itself is protected by a magical screen from outsiders.
"I don't know how you learned about the secret city," the founder of the League said in a cold tone, but still without losing his composure. "But I don't think I should be so surprised. After all, you knew about the Detective's son, too and about Jason's resurrection…"
"These are all unfounded accusations," I threatened with a finger. "And besides, what do you have to complain about! Yes, I took a couple of souvenirs from you, so what? This is all simple compensation, nothing more. I'm not some kind of thief... Well, or rather, I am a thief, but I'm a good thief... Er, I said it somehow incorrectly. Anyway, you won't go broke! Well, as for the mystical vein... I think I'm not mistaken if I say that there is another Lazarus Pit in Alt'eban. You had several of them, right? Perhaps the one I took from you without asking has the best effect of all the life-giving pools, but it certainly won't be the end of your clan of assassins. You won't die, and thank God, what else do you want from me, I just don't understand," I muttered, turning my head to the side, offended, continuing to watch Ghoul out of the corner of my eye.
"Ah, the longer I talk to you, the more I am convinced that I should have just talked to you from the very beginning. Perhaps by now you would already be counted among the valiant ranks of the League of Shadows," noted Ra's al Ghul, in whose voice a note of regret was detected.
"It still would not have happened," I voiced my position. "It does not matter whether our conversation took place or not, I would have refused to join the League in any case."
"Why? You would have become great …"
"Yes, yes, of course," I interrupted him mid-sentence. "Ra's, you should understand this better than anyone."
"What?"
"Each of us is a person with a capital P, but there are two of us, and one of us is already shit."
"Are you saying that we simply would not have gotten along?"
"Naturally! I will never submit to another, just like you," I pointed a finger at him. "If I joined the League, sooner or later I would simply depose you from the throne, or die at your hand. Frankly, neither option suits me at all. So it turns out that it's more profitable for me to stay away from you!"
"Well, in that case, I suppose this conversation has come to an end," the old man said, pulling a katana from his bosom. "From now on, we are enemies, and the outcome of our meeting is perfectly clear."
I didn't wait for him to draw his sword and immediately rushed into the attack. Soul Eater appeared in my hand, and without a second's hesitation, I swung it straight at the League's chief assassin. The elderly warrior blocked my sword with the sheath of his blade and immediately drew cold, forged steel. I immediately disliked his weapon, and unconsciously took a couple of steps back.
The blade in his hand... Made of vibranium?! Damn, now I have to think about how a DC character got a sword forged from Marvel Universe material. Sure, I saw the Wakandan metal in his warehouse, safely delivered to my inventory, but I didn't think he'd used it anywhere yet.
Now I have to consider the resources of two combined multiverses and their possible connections. Things could get very complicated. At this rate, canon will start to fall apart. Screw it, I have a more pressing problem right now, namely, a centuries-old demon wielding a sword that absorbs vibrations.
Crossing blades, I felt a slight tremor. Strong, he's far superior to all my previous opponents. Despite his advanced age, the old man's physical strength is still very strong. His repeated immersion and hardening of his body in the planet's life sources is evident.
Of course, in terms of physical strength, he still lags behind me, but his strength is enough to cause me a ton of problems. After all, in addition to strength, he has centuries of combat experience, and that tips the scales in his favor. I looked at the cursed blade in my hand.
The Soul Eater lives up to its power; its strength is in no way inferior to a vibranium sword. A regular katana would have shattered long ago. I believe this is due to the magical power of the curse, enveloping the steel, making it indestructible.
Well, perhaps it's time to get down to business in earnest. I can't linger here any longer, otherwise Tatsu will simply kill me. And the state of my body is not encouraging. I'm a tough guy, sure, but after such a grueling adventure, even I need a little break. It's time to wrap this up and fly home...
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