Or both! I'm amenable to that! Although he could also go in and out on that large river whose mouth comes from the south of the country. Unless other people have need for a pirate/smuggler I suppose. Though it would depend on if it's a long-term hire regardless. Anyways so far it sounds like a plan.
That's a very interesting offer. I'll have to consider it, though if so we'll have to figure out what use exactly the rebellion will have for a man of his numerous talents and the pirates under his command.
@Byrd Man, Detective Chimp is accepted. Post him in the characters tab when you're ready.
Byrd, I know we don't know each other well if at all, but if you'd do me the dubious honor of at some point having Detective Chimp team up with Batman to solve mysteries, it'd make my day.
@Dblade26,@GreenGrenade,@Vandy would any of you take an objection to me adding Helena Bertinelli/Huntress as an ally of Dick's? Naturally I can concede the character if someone expresses interest in her.
I'm fine with it. I've got plenty of NPC possibilities to play with.
Bruce Wayne was born in the squalor and desperation of Gotham City's Park Row, otherwise known as 'Crime Alley'. The son of back-alley doctor Thomas Wayne and his wife and assistant Martha, Bruce grew up watching his parents tend to the wounded and downtrodden of Gotham who either couldn't afford medical care or couldn't risk going to a hospital because of the police or the mob, though in Gotham the two were often the same thing. Despite his harsh surroundings, young Bruce Wayne had a kind and compassionate heart reinforced by his parents teachings and example. Together they were one of many small lights of hope in an often very dark and unforgiving city, and Bruce Wayne lived in a small island of peace if not prosperity.
But this relative peace couldn't last forever and eventually the reality of the Wayne family's situation caught up with them. One winter day when Bruce was eight, a wounded witness to a brutal killing orchestrated by Carmine Falcone's mafia family and covered up by the police began knocking on doors in Crime Alley, begging for help. Any ordinary Gotham citizen would have ignored the man or turned him away but Thomas and Martha let him in and began treating his wounds. The man's survival was a threat to the city's corrupt power structure, so it wasn't long before the Falcone family noticed that the number of bodies at the sight of their latest hit didn't quite add up the way it should. Their response came just a few nights later, when hitman Joe Chill arrived on the doorstep of the Wayne Family's little apartment. Young Bruce was hidden under the bed while Thomas Wayne tried to negotiate with the man who had come to kill his patient, but when it became clear that the Waynes both knew too much and weren't willing to keep quiet while a man was killed, Joe Chill turned on them as well. Bruce fled from the scene in terror and wound up taking shelter in an abandoned wreck of a building with only roosting bats for company. From then on that night was forever burned into his mind and he belonged to the streets of Gotham.
Slowly, Bruce learned to survive as just another of Gotham's homeless kids, turning to begging, picking pockets and burglary to survive day-to-day, dodging police, mob toughs and bigger thieves as he did. At night he would return to the bat roost and dream of vengeance on every last person responsible for his parents' deaths, though exactly how to achieve these goals was a mystery to him. It was only after a year of living like this that an improbable twist of fate gave him a chance to make his dreams a reality after all. Specifically, fate came in the form of an obviously wealthy man dressed in a fancy suit and tie who was willing to walk through the roughest and filthiest streets of Gotham alone and completely without fear. Bruce figured that whoever this chump was, he was obviously the biggest kind of sucker, so naturally he attempted to lift his wallet. It was only then that Bruce learned what it meant to slip his hand into the pocket of Ra's Al Ghul. He found himself seized in an iron grip while a surprisingly amused voice demanded an explanation of him. He had none except that he was only doing what he had to do to live. Unusually, this seemed to do the trick as instead of being brought to the authorities or killed immediately as he expected he was brought to a penthouse overlooking the city and rented by Ra's, who gave him food and asked for his full story. When he was finished, Ra's seemed to contemplate for a moment then miraculously, he offered nine-year-old Bruce Wayne the one thing he wanted most: a chance at revenge. Thus began Bruce Wayne's life as a member of the League of Assassins.
Bruce was put to the test by League instructors for a full year, and though he was made to endure challenges mental, physical and spiritual that should have broken any child, his drive for vengeance prompted him to not just survive but absolutely thrive throughout his initial training. He was taught the basics of stealth and combat, forced through survival training in some of the harshest terrain on earth ranging from windswept deserts to ravenous jungles all while being hardened against more pain and suffering than Gotham's streets had ever given him. After the end of that year, Bruce Wayne was now a full-fledged member of the League of Assassins and remembering his days in the abandoned bat roost he chose to be reborn under the name Al Xu'ffasch, the Bat. Furthermore, both Bruce's instructors and Ra's al Ghul were so pleased with his determination and progress that he had the honor of being partially tutored by Ra's himself. He soon found that both the hardships and the training he had endured as a candidate for initiation were as nothing compared to the exacting standards of Ra's himself.
Under Ra's and other tutors brought in to instruct him, Bruce learned not only the arts of combat, quiet killing and deception vital to an assassin, but also scientific and academic subjects including economics, numerous languages, physics, chemistry, biology, mechanical and electrical engineering and more. These lessons he absorbed even more rapidly than the first year's worth, showing a hidden genius and a penchant for sacrifice and hard-work that surprised even his League instructors. With each passing year Ra's tutored Bruce Wayne personally more and more often, until it became apparent to both Bruce and the League as a whole that the former street urchin was being considered as a potential heir to The Demon's Head and his organization. This prompted a number of assassination attempts which Ra's made no effort to stop, though he certainly seemed to approve when Bruce survived the first few attacks on his life. In fact the more subtle poisonings, sleeping suffocations and outright physical assaults Al Xu'ffasch overcame, the closer Ra's Al Ghul seemed to take him under his tutelage. By the time he was nineteen, Al Xu'ffasch was considered all but unkillable and only foolhardy students needing lessons in humiliation and those whose ambitions outweighed their common sense still made attempts on his life. More importantly, he was unquestioningly Ra's Al Ghul's favored student and heir apparent and had even begun courting Ra's daughter Talia with impunity. However, even after nearly ten years of life among the League of Assassins and all that Ra's had given him there was still doubt in the heart of the man who had once been Bruce Wayne. Despite his burning need for revenge, he sometimes wondered if the life of an assassin was what his parents would have wanted for him.
The answer to that question came on the anniversary of his joining with the League. Ra's brought him into a hidden side-room with a prisoner at its center and without any further preamble, demanded Bruce kill the helpless man. When Bruce inquired as to what the prisoner's crimes were, he was bluntly told there were none, that the man was as innocent as could be. It was entirely a test to see if he could bare to stain his hands with the blood of innocents if that was what it took to create a better world. Despite having killed before in self-defense during his training and attempts on his life Bruce found the idea of killing an innocent revolting. In that moment all he could think about was that without realizing it, he was becoming no better than the man who killed his parents. He refused, insisting that there must be a better way, one that didn't involve needlessly taking lives, hopefully one that involved killing no one at all. He resolved then and there that he would prove to Ra's that they could change the world for the better without taking life, that even his revenge would come without killing. Naturally, Ra's found the idea ridiculous, but after much convincing consented to allow his favored heir to go out into the world and 'try and prove his ludicrous theory', confident that eventually he would come crawling back humbled at his failure to meaningfully influence the world. Thus Al Xu'ffasch left the League of Assassins behind with no small amount of League funds for his experiment. For five more years he travelled the world and further trained himself, learning even more of martial arts than the league had taught him as well as many more scientific subjects including criminology, forensics and other investigative techniques. Moreover, he used the lessons he had learned from Ra's and the resources granted him by the League of Assassins to establish Wayne Enterprises, which quickly became a multibillion dollar company with assets in nearly every imaginable business sector.
At the age of twenty-four Bruce Wayne returned to Gotham not as an unknown orphan but as the city's prodigal son, a child of reclusive but generous billionaire philanthropists and heir to a fortune and company that would make King Midas green with envy and all of the history and paperwork to back up his claims. In addition to his philanthropic work and the jobs and innovations Wayne Enterprises provided to the people with Gotham as its' headquarters, Bruce decided to take his crusade to the streets personally while enacting his long delayed revenge. Taking inspiration from his name amongst the League of Assassins and his experiences as a child, Bruce adopted the persona of The Batman and used his physical prowess, assassin techniques and the scientific gadgetry his immense intellect and wealth gave him access to in order to strike fear into Gotham's criminal element. No one was safe from The Batman's war on crime from the pettiest thugs to the most powerful mafia dons and politicians. Though Bruce upheld his promise never to kill, he cemented his status as a shadowy figure of Gotham's underworld with pain, violence and terror for all those who hurt the innocent. Bruce's war on injustice became more complicated along the way, as mishaps and Batman's unusual presence in the city contributed to a strange new wave of 'super-villainy' of which The Joker was only the first and he even took on a young ward from tragic circumstances not unlike his own. Furthermore in his quest to improve and protect the world as a whole Bruce has come up against allies and enemies of immense superhuman power, and the world as a whole has become a lot more complicated. Nevertheless after nearly six years of work as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, the one-time heir to the League of Assassins is finally beginning to feel like he has found a way to make a difference and that his parents' deaths and legacy will be more than repaid.
Attributes:
Abilities
Peak Human Conditioning-Though he is by no means superhuman, Batman has achieved and maintains a level of physical fitness and ability that can only be described as the peak of unassisted human potential. His strength, reflexes, stamina, agility and durability and senses are all trained to the peak of baseline human possibility.
Genius Intellect-Batman has a naturally extremely keen mind and a gift for perfect memorization and rapid analysis. He is a true polymath and an expert on an extremely wide array of subjects with both equivalents of and actual doctorates in many areas of study ranging from medical science to economics to aeronautic engineering and more. He also has a wide array of interests including the study of mythology, exobiology and advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and cybernetics to name a few. Even outside of academic realms he has an exhaustively tactical mind and prefers to have already out-thought any opponent in any encounter provided he has the means and opportunities to do so.
Unbreakable Will-According to Bruce himself the sheer force and power of his will is his only true 'superpower' and is his most important asset in life beyond the training, intelligence and gadgets. It was this force of will that got him through the trauma of his parents' deaths, the hardships of the streets of Gotham and the torment of training by the League of Assassins. More importantly it allowed him to reject Ra's Al Ghul's teachings and attempt to find his own path that stayed true to the ideals his parents raised him to believe in.
Skills
Brilliant Detective-A combination of his vast resources, razor sharp intellect and numerous skills make Batman an excellent investigator to the point that several different sources have dubbed him "The World's Greatest Detective". He is highly skilled at numerous branches of forensics as well as criminal psychology, interrogation and intimidation techniques and numerous other disciplines that aid him in his criminal investigations.
Master of Stealth-After a childhood as a petty thief in Gotham City and a life raised among and trained by some of the world's foremost assassins, Batman is a master of stealth, infiltration and misdirection. Stealth, theatrics and surprise are key elements of his one man war on crime and injustice.
Master Martial Artist-In addition to receiving over a decade's worth of training from the League of Assassins and being personally tutored in fighting arts by some of the best the League had to offer including Ra's Al Ghul himself, Batman has traveled the world on his own and learned a variety of fighting arts beyond those practiced by the League. He has mastered over 127 styles of martial arts both armed and unarmed, as well as the more obscure aspects of pressure points offered by various martial arts, combining them into his own versatile fighting style.
Master of Disguise-Both as part of his lifetime of training from the League of Assassins and as part of his own studies, Batman has become a master of disguise, both maintaining several of his own alternate identities in Gotham and beyond and occasionally doing on the spot identities and impersonations
Skilled Linguist-Through intensive studies across the world Bruce Wayne has mastered an incredibly wide variety of languages including numerous dialects of Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Thai, French, German, Greek, Latin and more.
Marksmanship-Though Bruce's history and training with the League means he detests guns on principle he's a highly skilled marksman both in terms of archery and more importantly thrown weapons, especially his batarangs. He has trained in the use of such weapons since he was first inducted into the League of Shadows and has only grown more accurate in subsequent years.
Acrobatics: Due to his early past as a thief and his training with the League and beyond Batman is a highly skilled acrobat and parkour practitioner, often using his skills to quickly navigate the rooftops of Gotham as he pursues criminals or otherwise move about an area in ways his enemies have trouble keeping track of.
Master Escape Artist-Batman is an extremely skilled Escape Artist and Escapologist, and years of being put into life-threatening and confining situations by super-villains and Mafia toughs who thought he'd look nice in cement shoes have only improved his skills. Straitjackets, handcuffs and the average nemesis death-trap are child's play to him by now.
Survival and Tracking-Through his early training with the League of Assassins and his personal studies since then Bruce Wayne has become an expert in tracking and survival techniques in a wide variety of terrains ranging from urban, to desert to jungle and arctic environments.
Highly Capable Businessman-Bruce Wayne has studied Business Management, Financial Analysis and both Macro and Micro economics since he was a child with the League of Assassins, and was able to turn Wayne Enterprises into a global economic power on par with if not surpassing LexCorp.
Equipment Though Batman is constantly attempting to invent or acquire new tools for his war on crime, there are a few in his arsenal that he uses most frequently. They are:
The Batsuit: The Batsuit is an extremely lightweight but durable suit of personal body armor tailored to both defend and disguise Batman in his crusade against injustice while striking fear into the hearts of his enemies. It is made primarily of a cutting edge para-aramid weave designed to be bullet, electricity, heat and impact resistant while still allowing for a great deal of maneuverability. The cowl of the suit is not only designed to give Batman his distinct look but also to be further resistant to impacts and bullets while the enlongated earpieces allow for a commlink and wireless receiver to the Batcave. After encounters with superman trace amounts of lead were added to its' makeup to prevent invasive examinations va 'x-ray vision' and similar things which had the added benefit of increasing the striking power of headbutts. The lenses of the cowl are designed not only to protect the eyes and hide Batman from retina scanning recognition but also to feed into and work with an analytical software of the Batcomputer primarily used for crime scene investigations. The gloves are hardened at the knuckles to increase punching power without losing dexterity and scalloped to allow for catching blades and if necessary close-range slicing. The palms of the gloves are also linked to a small electrical system primarily used in conjunction with the memory-cloth cape but also capable of delivering debilitating shocks to foes. The wrists of the gloves are hollowed to allow for storage. The boots have been treated to lessen impacts from high falls, protect from foot injury and provide a better spring-action for acrobatics and chases as well as allow for greater power when kicking. Finally, the cape is made from a high-tech memory cloth allowing it to snap into a set of bat-shaped wings for limited gliding when a specific amount of electrical current is applied, though it is also designed to be somewhat flame and shock resistant.
Utility Belt-Perhaps Batman's most famous tool, his utility belt houses a number of compartments that typically contain collapsible batarangs of various types, smoke pellets, adhesive plastic explosives and remote detonators, multiple high tension cables and a grappling hook pistol plus the small motor for operating the same, carefully stored corrosives, minature adhesive tracking beacons, lockpicking tools and grenades with payloads designed to stun, freeze, immobilize or momentarily blind though its contents often changes depending on Batman's needs. The belt itself is bio-metrically locked and can emit tear gas or electric shocks if someone other than Bruce attempts to wear it or open its' compartments. The belt also links to the batcomputer wirelessly in conjunction with the suit and is capable of sending Batman's life signs to the Batcave or calling any one of Batman's vehicles to him in times of need.
Batarangs-Though Batman doesn't refer to them as such, the "Batarangs" are his most often used weapon. Though the typical Batarang is usually a collapsible shuriken or boomerang, they are known to have variations that include micro-explosives, instant-freezing agents similar to those used by Mr.Freeze, electrical shocks similar to a taser, remote guidance systems and even debilitating sonic emitters. Batman is capable of throwing all of them with extreme accuracy despite their differences in weight and size.
Bat-Wing, Batboat and Batmobile-All three are highly specialized vehicles Batman uses for transport when walking to a destination is unfeasible. The Batmobile is as much experimental high-performance car as tank, able to maneuver through the sometimes twisted streets of Gotham with disturbingly good handling as well as endure repeated shots from a rocket propelled grenade and continue functioning with minimal damage. The Bat-wing is part long distance stealth aircraft and part jet-fighter, a Vertical Takeoff and Landing vehicle capable of operating at both high and low altitudes. The Bat-boat operates much like a speed-boat on the surface but is also capable of becoming a submarine capable of at least reaching the bottom of Gotham Harbor for several hours at a time. All three are equipped with grappling hooks and non-lethal countermeasures of various kinds as well as state-of-the-art automatic piloting mechanisms linked up to Wayne Enterprises satellites.
Stomping Grounds:
Gotham City: One of the top three most corrupt cities in America and generally considered pretty high on any given 'worst places to live' lists worth their salt. Gotham has been improving bit by bit over the years since Batman's arrival and the expansion of Wayne Enterprises and some parts of it are actually livable for people who can't afford their own security forces. That said, it's still a wretched hive of scum and villainy in many ways, with those willing to stand up to a culture of corruption and the occasional rampaging theme-murderer being few and far between. Just a few of the individual locations in and around Gotham City include: Park Row-Also known as Crime Alley, this is both the former worst area in Gotham city and the site of Bruce's parents death. Since returning to the city his dual efforts as Bruce Wayne and Batman have improved it somewhat and now a memorial to the tragic deaths of 'philanthropists' Thomas and Martha Wayne now stands on the former site of Bruce's dilapidated childhood home. Despite his efforts quality of life is just this side of tolerable and crime is still frequent for the residents that remain.
The Narrows-A portion of Gotham that became even worse than Park Row over the years, the Narrows is still recovering from the Joker's terrible mass killings and terror nearly five years ago. Wayne Enterprises is dedicated to rebuilding the area, but the psychological scars left on The Narrows' residents are slower in repairing and many of them have since turned to crime in the wake of the Joker's devastation.
Wayne Manor-A stately mansion now said to belong to the Wayne Family for generations but run down in Bruce's absence, in actuality Bruce bought and refurbished the old estate that had lain empty for some time and used it and the caves underneath as his headquarters for his war on crime and retrofitted it with state of the art security systems and secret entrances as well as falsified storied family history in just about every room along tasteful if expensive furniture and decorations.
The Batcave-Batman's lair and primary headquarters in his war on crime, the Batcave was built from the existing underground caverns and tunnels underneath Wayne Manor. It has of course been significantly built up and houses not only a full armory of gadgets and fleets of vehicles for land, air and sea but also Bruce's all important Bat-Computer. In addition, it houses state-of-the-art training facilities and labs for gadget building, investigative sciences and chemical analysis. The Batcave also links up to various tunnels and secret entrances/exits throughout Gotham along with water and sky entrances. More recently the Batcave has also become a museum of sorts commemorating Batman's accomplishments and battles, storing trophies and technology of encounters with his various rogues and allies. Batman has also set up a number of smaller emergency Batcaves hidden throughout Gotham that contain spare suits, utility belts, gadgets and vehicles.
The Docks and Waterfront-Gotham's harbor and seaside area is home to innumerable shipping warehouses, fisheries, boats both recreational and commercial and a number of abandoned buildings as well. More than a few criminals have used them as a hideout and before Batman was a reality it was a key spot for much of the criminal activity of the city. Even now among the labyrinths of huge metallic shipping crates, piers and old buildings, people of ill intent hide from the Batman's sight.
Wayne Tower-The Headquarters of Wayne Enterprises, meeting place for its' board of directors and general nerve center for its' operations. Ever since Wayne Enterprises began its' operations to restore and improve the city, the Tower has become a symbol of hope and optimism for Gotham's future.
Wayne R&D-The building that houses the research and development branch for the Waynetech division of Bruce's financial empire, from which he borrows the technology for many of his gadgets and vehicles. Headed by Lucius Fox, here they work on everything from Aerospace technology to weaponry to telecommunications in several labs throughout the building. Headed by Lucius Fox, Waynetech R&D helps Batman in more ways than they could possibly suspect.
People of Note: Who’s in your character’s life? Here you should list notable NPCs, be them friends, allies or enemies.
Organizations
Gotham City Police Department-One of the most corrupt police departments in the country, the GCPD is still barely less than one-hundred percent corrupt, and even that much is mainly thanks to the combined efforts of Batman and Commissioner Gordon's Major Crimes Unit.
Wayne Enterprises- Bruce Wayne's multi-billion dollar multinational conglomerate that has its' fingers in every industry from shipping and real estate to aerospace technology and weapons manufacturing. While it was initially funded through seed money from Ra's Al-Ghul Bruce has taken care to transform it into a completely independent entity both to fund his war on crime and provide jobs and charitable services for Gotham City and beyond.
The League of Assassins-The military of sorts of Ra's Al Ghul's criminal empire otherwise known as the Demon's Fang, the LoA is comprised of assassins and fanatics from around the world, most of whom are completely devoted to Ra's Al Ghul and his 'vision' of a better world purged of corruption and decay.
Supporting Cast
Commissioner James "Jim" W. Gordon- Batman's closest ally within the GCPD and the so-called "Last Good Man in Gotham", Jim Gordon is both the police commissioner and the direct head of his hand-selected Major Crimes Unit which was created to be incorruptible and handle even the strangest crimes throughout Gotham. Commissioner Gordon has given Batman tacit approval to operate in Gotham and the two are the main bulwarks and crime in the city. While Gordon doesn't always agree with Batman's methods, he understands that they are fully necessary and they get results.
Ubu-Bruce's faithful adviser, butler and bodyguard who is the latest in a long line of servants and bodyguards sharing the name Ubu. He is in fact a top-level member of the League of Assassins assigned as an assistant to Bruce as he carries out his endeavors, his family having served Ra's Al Ghul for centuries. Despite this, he has grown increasingly loyal to Bruce Wayne personally, especially after seeing the good that his efforts have done for the people of Gotham City. Apart from his hidden skills as an excellent assassin, he is also an extremely well trained butler, servant and cook.
Lucius Fox-The head of Waynetech R&D and one of Bruce's primary financial advisers and scientists, Lucius Fox has become fully aware of Bruce's identity as Batman though not of his previous ties to the League of Assassins. Fox is a brilliant research scientist and businessman in his own right and often deals with company matters when Bruce is otherwise occupied and together with the R&D department devises or suggests new gadgetry or vehicles on the rare occasions when a problem is beyond Bruce's scope.
Villains The Joker
Harley Quinn
Ra's Al-Ghul: The head of the League of Assassins and Bruce Wayne's erstwhile benefactor and teacher from a very young age. Though he initially financed and supported Bruce's 'experiment' with Gotham City, he himself believes in much harsher and more radical methods when it comes to 'improving' society and protecting the Earth itself. Whether he's truly a noble figure who's simply willing to do what's necessary for the world and has redeeming or honorable qualities or is an outright megalomaniac and monster is a matter of opinion. What does matter is that he seems to have kept alive for centuries and has as much in the way of skills, knowledge and resources as Batman, if not more.
Selina Kyle/Catwoman-A thief and cat burglar who steals from criminals and Gotham's wealthy elite with equal regularity who's crossed paths with Batman with surprising regularity over the years. The two have a rocky relationship at the best of times given their opposing views on her life of crime, though she's definitely among the most agreeable of all of Batman's rogues and certainly the least prone to harming other people and there's a certain romantic tension between them to consider.
Black Mask-Though formerly one of the more traditional criminal masterminds of Gotham's underworld, Roman Sidonis became far more when a horrific explosion fused a mask he was using for intimidation to his face. Now he and his masked cronies are at the top of the food chain as far as organized, non-super crime in Gotham goes, with an army of lawyers to make sure he stays out of prison and the budget to afford top mercenaries and training for his henchmen.
Two Face: formerly District Attorney Harvey Dent and an ally of Batman's crusade against crime until a horrible facial disfigurement either drove him insane or revealed a deeper hidden madness within him. Now he's the criminal Two-Face, his identity split between the ruthless mob boss side of his personality and the moral former district attorney with which one he decides to act upon being decided by the flip of a coin.
Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow
Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Waylon Jones/Killer Croc
Edward Nygma/The Riddler
Matt Hagen/Clayface
Victor Fries/Mr.Freeze
Kirk Langstrom/Man-Bat
Bane
Character Goals: I want to do a new take on Batman as a character as well as his training, background and motivations while still remaining as true as possible to the spirit and nature of the character. More than that I want to create new and exciting Batman stories and put new twists on old ones as part of a collaborative effort to make the best, most vibrant and fun DC Universe possible and collaborate with the other players as much as I possibly can to contribute to rich group stories and above all have fun with everyone.
Sample Post:
"Well, are you man enough to face your better?!"
It had been only a day since the young man once called Bruce Wayne had dared to defy the command of the man who had been his master, patron and only family for over a decade. One day since he had found it within himself to say that everything he had ever been taught was wrong, one day since he had decided to change the trajectory of his entire life for the sake principles he was only beginning to truly understand.
How much things can change in just one day.
For now, Ra's Al Ghul confronted him at the exit to the cavernous compound that had been their home for some time, a blade in each hand and one of them proffered to his former protege and ward. The two had rarely sparred directly and never with live blades, but now as he came so close to leaving for his new life the assassin known as Al Xu'ffasch began to wonder if he wasn't about to receive a delayed execution for yesterday's defiance. Still, if he was going to hold true to his beliefs there was only one response. He took up the offered sword.
"If you insist."
"Then fight for your life!"
The battle was on almost faster than the young man could step into a proper stance, Ra's opening with a series of fast but strong slashes that drove him back with their ferocity as he managed to bat each one aside just enough to avoid being cut open.
"When I met you Al Xu'ffasch, you were living in the gutter barely alive! I had already gone to see if there was even one thing in your city worth saving when I found that it had forced your thieving hands into my pockets! What makes you think you can save such a place?"
Thinking quickly the young Assassin rolled aside as a last slash came down and came to his feet with more distance between himself and his enraged master. Knowing that defending and evading forever would get him nowhere he lunged back into the fight and when the thrust was knocked aside almost contemptuously he lashed out with a knee to Ra's midsection that seemed to take the ancient man by surprise and stun him.
"I came from Gotham, I know it. There are still good people that are willing to do the right thing if they aren't powerless and afraid. I saw my parents make the city a better place every day without ever taking life."
Ra's moment of weakness didn't last long enough for a blow to the head to knock him out, instead his student suddenly found his wrist gripped as he was suddenly flipped onto his back, and only a lifetime of training let him keep hold of his sword through stars of pain and scramble aside in time to deflect what should have been a deathblow. He came back to his feet once more with sword at the ready, although now with his back to the stairs. This time as Ra's closed the distance and began attacking Bruce let each defense and counter flow naturally, focusing on keeping himself uninjured while slowly moving up the stairs to the outside.
"That may have been so, but in the end they were too weak and they died for that weakness."
"We aren't nearly so weak, and with the skills and resources you've given me I can do more than they ever could."
"You think that will be enough, or that the enemies you make won't kill you for trying?"
"With your full resources it could be done. We could protect the world without needing to kill!"
"And what of my daughter, Talia? Will you leave her behind Al Xu'ffasch? Sacrifice her for your grand principles?"
If that was an attempt to distract the younger man it worked, because at the same time they reached the top of the stairs he stumbled Ra's whipped his foot out from under him. In an instant the point of Ra's' sword was at his protege's throat.
"I do not believe you could possibly succeed..."
With his eyes closed in preparation for death he heard rather than saw the Ra's sword clatter to the rocks at their feet.
"But I do not believe I can change your mind either. Time and failure will do what I cannot, however. Rest until tomorrow, then go with my blessing. Ubu shall meet you in the nearest city with access to all I believe you shall require to carry out this ludicrous experiment. I have full confidence that once your childish idealism is wasted, you will return to us humbled, to take your proper place."
The now ex-assassin formerly known as Al Xu'ffasch could only stare in disbelief as The Demon's Head walked back inside. Seeing as he wasn't dead, he could certainly wait for one more day.
Because after just one more day, Bruce Wayne would begin his return to Gotham City
Captain Uni