Talon chapter 2

Chapter 2 -

Harry preferred this life to his last one, so far at least, which was funny because he had already been hurt far more than the last, at least for the age that he was.

In his last life, he was little more than a servant and plaything for the Dursley family. A hideous group of people who took him in when they had no choice, punished him whenever they could for things he couldn't control or didn't understand and then acted as if he should be grateful for how they treated him. They deluded themselves into believing that they were the good guys and hurt Harry simply because they could.

In this life, he was hurt constantly, but never without purpose.

Since he was old enough to understand, he had been trained in the art of combat. Not just hand-to-hand, but also every type of weapon possible. Whenever he became proficient with one weapon, he was to start training with another. He wasn't allowed to simply be proficient in fighting; his mind was also being trained. Whenever he wasn't learning about fighting, he was learning science and maths and different languages and whatever other subjects his family and/or trainers decided he needed to know. The load he had been given would be challenging to any adult, let alone a child his age, but he welcomed it gladly. His last life had been cut short, and much of it had already been lost on pleasing imbeciles like the Dursleys. In this life, he would be as strong as he could, so that when the next person tries to take this life from him, he'd take theirs.

"Stay focused," His mother admonished, swinging a katana at his head. Such a practice was common for him now; he had learnt a long time ago that his mother wouldn't be going for killing blows, but she wasn't above hurting him a little if she thought it would benefit his training.

Harry blocked with his longsword before trying to stab at her hands. She parried his attack and the two continued. As part of his training, he was to be proficient in as many weapons as possible. As of right now, he was focusing on swords. They were far more fun for him than the last weapon he had trained in, the 'tonfa'. He and his mother continued striking at each other, blocking and parrying the other's attacks. He knew she was holding back against him; she had trained all of her life, and he was only six.

Age didn't seem to be much of a deterrent in his family. At the age of four, his grandfather had him climb up mountains by himself. He had fallen and twisted his ankle, yet he managed to make it to the top anyway. It seemed to Harry that he would never be born to what would be considered a 'normal' family. In his last life, he was the half-blood child of a wizard and a witch. In this life, he was born as Hadrian Al Ghul, the son of Talia Al Ghul and the grandson of the Demon, AKA Ra's Al Ghul.

His grandfather was the head of an organisation that went by a few different names, the two primary ones being 'The League of Shadows' or 'The League of Assassins.' Nobody had seen fit to tell him the finer details of what exactly it was that they did, but it didn't take a genius to work out what it was if it had the name 'Assassin' in it. Though from the looks of things, they seemingly weren't your typical assassins. Apparently, his grandfather had once refused a very well-paying contract due to it having disastrous consequences for several nearby villages. With that being said, they did still take on contracts. Something Harry wasn't really happy about. After basically fighting in a war, he knew the value of life. He was aware that sometimes there wasn't any other option, but he'd never take a life if he could help it.

(.)

"Father, you wished to see me?" Talia asked as she entered her father's personal library.

The room was fitted with a crimson carpet, the walls were covered in shelves from the floor to the ceiling, each filled with books and scrolls. At the end of the room was a large, ornate desk, sitting below a small circular window. Sitting at the desk was her father, who was currently staring at a scroll. Standing opposite him was her sister, Nyssa, a dark-haired woman with lightly tanned skin. Talia walked over and stopped next to her sister. The two sisters stared at each other for a moment and nodded at each other before turning their attention back to their father, who had finally put the scroll down.

"I wish to know just how far along my grandson is in his training," Ra's said, staring up at the pair of them.

"He's adapting quickly, soaking up the knowledge we're imparting to him like a sponge," Talia answered at once.

"His tutors all have complimentary things to say about him," Nysaa added in agreement. "Weapons, hand-to-hand, basic schooling, he's learning at an impressive pace, for one so young."

"That is good to hear," Ra's said with a pleased sigh.

"Indeed, but Father, do you not fear we are pushing him too far and too fast?" Talia couldn't help but ask. "Talented that he is, he is still just a boy."

"No, he is not," Ra's disagreed. "He is my heir. He is destined for more than the paltry lives of the rest of the world. Let their children play and rot their brains on whatever their parents deem sufficient enough to keep their little minds distracted. Hadraian is destined for more. Once he has completed our mission together, he'll be free to live the rest of his life as he sees fit."

"Shouldn't he get that choice?" Nyssa cut in. "None of us has ever asked him what he wants, Father."

"He's a child, he'll do as instructed." Ra's replied dismissively. "He knows nothing of the world. He doesn't know what he wants. Once he and I complete my vision, he'll thank me for it, as he will thank the two of you for keeping him on the path to greatness. Have Wilson be part of his training."

"Is that wise, Father?" Talia frowned deeply. "I-"

"This is not a democracy." Ra's cut her off coldly. "Do as I command." Talia stared hard at her father, who stared back just as hard.

"As you wish," She gritted out. "We'll arrange for Wilson to assist in his training."

"He is one of our best, Daughter," Ra's replied. "I'm sure there won't be any problems."

(.)

'He should have been mine,' Slade thought bitterly as he blocked a sword thrust that had been aimed at his eye. He parried the next attack and countered with one of his own, which Harry parried before thrusting again.

Slade Wilson, a former soldier and one of the best in the league, couldn't help but repeat those words in his head as he sparred with the child in front of him. After leaving the military, he had been lost and had been searching for a purpose when he stumbled upon the League. They took him in and gave him a new purpose. It didn't take long before he rose through the ranks; he had always been naturally skilled at fighting, and eventually he became the right hand of none other than the leader of the league itself, Ra's Al Ghul.

He knew that Ra's was looking for an heir, and Slade was more than happy to put himself up for the position. He had done his best to prove his worth, his loyalty and his skills. He wanted the position of power that came with it; he wanted the respect and loyalty that the head of the demon possessed. Not to mention the particular method of becoming Ra's Al Ghul's heir was rather attractive. To become the heir, he would have to marry Ra's eldest daughter, Talia, who was perhaps the most beautiful woman Slade had ever had the pleasure of seeing. There was an age difference between them; obviously, his own hair was now grey, as was his beard. But he was still sure that he was the best choice for her.

But apparently she had chosen another, as had her father. Talia had spent a night with someone, perhaps more than once. She became pregnant, but who was the father?

The Batman.

The Bat of Gotham, a vigilante in a city of shit. A city so crime-ridden and horrible that you might as well just burn the thing down and start from scratch, an opinion shared by most of the League. But Ra's wouldn't move against it; the city was under the protection of the Batman, and Ra's wanted that man to be his heir. He insisted on it even after the Bat refused. It boiled Slade's blood to think about the fact that a man, not even of the League, would take the position he had worked for, the one that he had bled for, fought and killed for.

Slade parried a thrust and shot back with a thrust of his own, staring down at the child who narrowly dodged a sword to the shoulder. Slade was holding back, of course, but still, the child was far too impressive for someone his age. The boy in front of him had inherited his mother's eyes for sure, but that face, how much of it was his father's?

"Keep your sword up," Slade said, taking a step back. "Always stay behind your blade, boy." He said, raising his own sword and pointing the tip at the child.

"As you wish," Harry said before tossing the sword at Slade. Slade dodged the sword and turned back to the boy to admonish him, only to see him holding a small knife to Slade's stomach. "So, I win now, right?"

"Hmm," Slade let out an amused huff. "It's supposed to be a sword lesson, but I'll allow it. Nice trick, but guess what, from now on, I won't underestimate you."

"A good lesson," A female voice said. The pair turned to see Talia enter the room. Harry lowered his knife, and Slade his sword; both gave her a respectful nod. "Wilson, any luck on your mission?" She asked him.

"No," Slade said with a small growl, not a fan of failing any mission, especially one as important as this.

A rebel group had popped up within the league, one that had attacked the league several times already with various degrees of success. Apparently, they intended to destroy the Lazarus pit that Ra's used to keep him from death. One was already gone, and Ra's had made sure that the rest were well protected. He had Slade and Nyssa both work on trying to find the group, yet there was no success from either of them.

"Hmm," Talia nodded as if expecting the answer. "Hadrian, it's time for dinner. Clean up and let's go."

"Yes, Mother," Harry nodded at once before packing away his equipment.

"You know," Slade said in a quiet voice as he walked up to Talia. "That kid of yours is quite something. There are few people I've seen with as much potential as him."

"Of course," Smirked Talia, with no short amount of pride in her voice.

"But he needs guidance," Slade continued, staring down at the woman whose head just barely reached his neck. "A mother's love is powerful, sure, but perhaps he might need a father's touch. An active one." He said, suggestively staring at her, her blank face gave no indication on how she felt about the matter, nor did she answer as Harry stopped next to her. She gave him a simple nod before turning and walking away, Harry following after her.

Slade stared at her as she left, along with the child who followed her. Drinking in every detail he could about her perfect figure, her beautiful hair. Imagining himself being the one who would get to hold her. Dreaming of the day that the child would be his.

(.)

"Hello, Hadrian," Nyssa said as she entered Harry's room.

In the left corner of the room, opposite the door, was a fairly large bed, next to it was a large desk which stood just beneath the large window of the room, complete with a mirror and had several books stacked on top. Between the desk and the bed was a golden perch where Harry's owl, Hedwig, was perched. Not much was known about the beautiful owl; all that was clear was that it was above the average intelligence of an owl and was extremely loyal to Harry. Nyssa knew that her father, along with many others in the league, believed it to be an omen, though from whom was debated, along with whether it was a positive or negative omen. In the right corner was a large wardrobe built into the floor and wall, stretching all the way up to the ceiling. The floor was covered in a soft red carpet, and a few free sections of the walls were decorated with various weapons, as your typical assassin boy would.

Speaking of, Harry was currently in the centre of the room, performing a handstand. The boy had taken to his lessons well, and his body and mind were far beyond those of his age. Nysaa wouldn't claim to be an expert in raising children, but she was pretty sure that they weren't supposed to learn twenty-four/seven. Yet that was what Hadrian appeared to be doing, though the odd thing was that he did it without complaint. He had never once protested, never once said he was tired or hungry. He took the lessons, learnt from them and then studied on his own when he wasn't sleeping or eating. And when he wasn't studying, he was exercising. Not the behaviour of a typical six-year-old.

"Aunty Nyssa," He said respectfully while staying in his handstand position, wearing nothing but a pair of trousers. His body, slim and low fat, looked like it was permanently coiled, as if he were to spring into action at any moment.

"Hadrian," She greeted him. "How was your day?" She asked.

"Average," He said as he righted himself and stood up on his feet. "And yours?" She almost smiled at the genuine interest coming from him.

"Uneventful," She said as she closed the door behind her and walked into his room. She sat at his bed, giving a small nod to Hedwig. Nyssa was sure that the owl nodded back. "I have come here because I am concerned about you, Hadrian." She admitted.

"Have any of my teachers complained about me?" Hadrian frowned.

"No, you're as excellent as ever, but I am worried about your workload." She explained patiently.

"Mother and Grandfather haven't complained about it," Hadrian pointed out, crossing his arms.

"I am not them," She replied in a calm tone. "They both expect great things from you, as do I, not just because of whose child you are, but also what you have shown. However, I also remember that you are still a child and need something of a childhood."

"So I can be just another ordinary cog in society's machine?" Hadrian frowned.

"That's your grandfather talking," She pointed out.

"Doesn't mean I can't agree," Hadrian pointed out. "I'm not like the rest of them. I can't be, I won't be." He said firmly.

"If you're sure," She said with a small sigh. "Still, I do worry for you, Hadrian. You need to have some fun in your life; you'll go crazy if you spend your life doing nothing but training and studying."

"Well, perhaps when you take over, I can ease up a bit." Hadrian shrugged.

"When I take over?" She looked at him questioningly. "Whatever do you mean?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Don't be too harsh on yourself. I believe your little rebellion has much potential." He stated matter-of-factly, causing Nyssa to suck in a deep breath as she froze.

The League of Assassins had been united under the banner of her father for hundreds of years, until recently. A small rebellion had started within the league, not for the first time, but this was the first time in a long time where it hadn't been destroyed nearly instantly. Members of the league were now doubting the loyalty of their brothers and sisters. Ra's Al Ghul had personally tasked Nyssa herself and Slade with finding the leader of this rebellion and bringing them under control, not really realising that it was his own daughter who had not only started the rebellion, but was also leading the entire thing. With great difficulty, she had managed to throw Slade off her tracks, and she was currently making plans to frame someone else for leading the league. There were a few less-than-pleasant individuals she had access to, like the men responsible for that grooming gang in the next village over; the right blackmail, threats, mis-truths and lies could get them to be scapegoats.

The reason she had started the rebellion in the first place was that she was not as blinded to the truth as the others. Most followed her father because they believed in him with a fanatical devotion, treating him as if he were more than a mere human; to many of them, he was a god.

But she knew better.

The man might have truly been one of the best of mankind at one point, but he wasn't any longer. He was now callous and cruel, uncaring of the 'little people' and more focused on the picture as a whole. He allowed anyone into his league, including rapists and murderers. Her sister had grown up with the man all of her life, and she was a devoted daughter. Nyssa tried to be at first, but she couldn't ignore the problems that came with her father. Like his insistence on using the Lazarus pit, she could tell that the constant use of it had warped his mind. But the man wouldn't hear of destroying it. She often wondered what her father was like a few hundred years ago; was he a kinder man? Was he the exact same? She didn't know. All she knew was that she couldn't put her support behind a man who intended to level a city.

And that was his intent, as she had found out. He planned to convince Hadrian's father, 'The Batman', to become his heir. Once he did so, he would have him prove his loyalty by destroying Gotham City and starting over. At least that was the plan before Hadrian had been born, and now Ra's was grooming him to take over and complete the mission instead of his father. Ra's had believed the city to be so infected with evil that it wasn't worth saving. But the thing was, he could save it. Putting the right members of the league in the right places with the right missions, and you could root out the city's corruption, allowing it to recover and eventually change itself into a functioning city. It wouldn't be easy, nor would it be quick, but it was possible. And if anyone had time for it, then it was definitely the near-immortal that was her father. But he didn't think it was worth it. He didn't see all the innocent men, women, children and babes of the city as worth the effort. She liked to hope that it was because of the pit messing with her father's head, but she wasn't sure anymore. The man wasn't completely evil, but he was far from good.

She had finally started forming her rebellion shortly after Hadrian was born. She remembered picking him up shortly after he was born. A great happiness filled her as she became an aunt, but part of her also became horrified and filled with a great pain as she realised soon that this child, her family, would be another pawn in her father's game. She had been proven right when the child was sent to train as soon as he was old enough to understand what he was being told. The boy wasn't even granted a single day to relax; he was made to constantly study and train. His mother loved him, obviously, but she was blinded by her devotion to their father, their father who saw Hadrian as nothing more than his next pawn.

"How...how did you find out?!" She whispered, looking around the room.

"Don't worry, there are no recording devices in my room, I checked." He assured her. "Repeatedly."

"Why would you do that?" She couldn't help but ask; that didn't seem to be the sort of thing a child would think of.

"Why wouldn't you?" Hadrian asked genuinely. "Anyway, yeah, I know about your little rebellion."

"Yes, we established that, but how?" She asked again, this time calmer than before.

"You got your spies, I got mine," Hadrian grinned at Hedwig.

"The owl told you?" Nyssa said slowly, starting to wonder if Hadrian was messing with her.

"She is a very intelligent owl," Hadrian said proudly. Nyssa's concern about her sanity was not helped when Hedwig nodded while puffing out her chest. "Anyway, I want in."

"I'm sorry, what?" She asked. "What did you say?"

"I want in," Hadrian repeated. "Your rebellion, I want to assist you."

"You want to..." She trailed off, taking a moment to register what she had just been told. "And just how do you plan to do that?"

"Information, I am my grandfather's heir; he tells me stuff," Hadrian explained. "For example, he is sending Wilson to check the safehouse by the docks because he suspects that the rebellion is using it, which I am going to assume you are." He said, noting the way she stiffened.

"Did my father put you up to this?" She asked calmly.

"Nope, this isn't some plan to feed you false information. Wilson's been instructed to go there and check. But it is possible that he tries to do it early since he really wants to impress Grandfather. Either way, if you have anything or anyone there, I'd advise getting them out as soon as possible."

"And just why do you want to join me, Hadrian?" She raised an eyebrow. "What do you get out of this?"

"First, I get to help my favourite aunt," He said as if that was obvious.

"I'm your only aunt," She pointed out.

"Details," He said with a dismissive wave. "Besides, Grandfather can't keep using that pit of his, and he won't stop using it. I don't want to kill him, I don't want to hurt him even. But he's not a good man, not anymore. He needs to be stopped, and that pit needs to be destroyed, along wth all the others he has scattered around the globe. I know he has one in Mexico, another in Paris, one in Moscow, and one in Germany as well. He made that one during the Second World War, I believe. Those are only the ones I know about for sure. I'm pretty positive he has more hidden somewhere."

"He does," She confirmed. She had known most of those. But the one in Mexico wasn't one she had heard about. "Grandfather told you this?"

"Some things he told me, some things I find out for myself." Hadrian shrugged. "I propose an information exchange, you keep me up to date on all your goings on, and I inform you of any valuable information I happen to stumble upon. Are we in agreement?" He asked his Aunt, who was staring at him with a calculating expression on her face, as if this was the first time she had ever seen him.

"You are not an ordinary child, are you?" She asked, sounding somewhat saddened by the fact. Harry shook his head before responding in an almost apologetic voice.

"I never was,"