Intoxicating Desires | T. Al Ghul ✔

[38]

The news of Batman's Robin being killed by the Joker in the aftermath of the chaos he was wreaking in Bosnia reached Nanda Parbat as well.

Both Ra's and Talia were in the throne room when the messenger brought the terrible news and it landed on them as a shock. Talia was aware that her father was using Joker to distract Batman but she hadn't expected things would turn out that worse.

On the other hand, Ra's also hadn't wanted a young innocent life to be taken in the aftermath. But he was more shocked to see Talia's reaction who had reached the messenger, taking him by the throat.

"Which Robin?"

"I... I don't know. There's only one Robin, I am just telling you what I found out from the Assassins in Bosnia. He's dead."

"You are lying," her emerald irises pierced through the man's fearful eyes as he cowered.

"Mistress, I am not. Batman's Robin has been killed by the Joker. He will be leaving Bosnia with a coffin, not a partner... His flight is in two days to clear up all procedures."

"Talia," Ra's called out to her to make her step back but she was blazing in anger.

"He shouldn't have died! How dare the Joker kill him!"

"Talia," Ra's had to leave the throne himself and approached her, dismissing the messenger, "let him go and look at me."

"He shouldn't have died..." She had let go of the messenger but her blazing eyes turned upon her father, "if I had any idea that this would happen, I would have objected to it on day one. Joker was supposed to distract not kill!"

"Calm down, child," he told her, ordering the other people to leave. Turning to the Assassin who was the last to leave he added, "send Veruna."

He did not know why Talia was so furious at the death of Batman's Robin. He too didn't want that to happen because his intentions were never to take Batman's son and partner away from him but Talia's extreme reaction was beyond his understanding.

What he didn't know was that she was thinking Richard had gotten killed by the Joker.

In all the times she had visited Gotham, an unlikely friendship had formed between her and the eldest Wayne boy. She had become fond of him and hearing that Batman's Robin had been killed made her think that it was Richard who had met a terrible end due to them.

She didn't even consider that it could be Jason instead, her thoughts swarming with guilt for the first time. She felt that young and vivacious Richard Grayson had died and it was their fault for hiring the Joker in the first place.

Veruna came to the throne room and got worried to see Talia in an unstable state. She quickly rushed to her lady upon getting the nod of approval from the Demon Head and took her hand in hers.

"My Lady, are you alright?"

"No... Please take me to my room, Vera," her voice shook but before leaving, she turned to face Ra's, "Father, you have to rectify this. He shouldn't have died. He must not..."

Ra's brow furrowed as if thinking about it then he nodded, "rest assured, child, I will rectify this. You are right, this wasn't supposed to happen and I will make things right."

Veruna took Talia away and after she was gone, Ra's called for his men. They had two days to rectify that error. So he ordered them to swap Robin's corpse with a doll crafted to look exactly like him and then bring the boy to Nanda Parbat.

Ra's Al Ghul had heard that the Lazarus Pit had the ability to bring people back from the dead but he hadn't tested it for himself. However, with Robin's death, he was given the chance to see for himself whether that rumor about the Pit was true or not.

If it was true then Robin would be resurrected and the mistake of him dying at Joker's hands would be rectified.

He hadn't seen Talia react so abruptly to anyone's death either so he felt the boy was in some way or form important to her too. If he succeeded in resurrecting the young vigilante, he would be killing two birds with one stone.

He would rectify the error made in his plans and might have leverage over his daughter too in the form of Robin. He could use the resurrected soldier to the League's advantage as well as his own.

***

Bruce Wayne had left Gotham with a bright and ambitious seventeen year old Jason Todd by his side but he returned with a coffin instead, bearing the last remains of his trusted soldier. And while Batman had lost his Robin, Bruce Wayne had lost his son, the loss of which was unredeemable.

The Wayne family was struck down with grief and Richard, who had come to Gotham in hopes of meeting his younger brother and spending quality time with him, was instead met by the horrifying news broken on to him by Alfred.

Bruce had not spoken a word to anyone ever since his return. His features were evidence of a mixture of emotions that had never before been too easily visible; grief, sorrow, remorse, and guilt. All the lines etched on his face made him appear as an aging man who had lost one of the greatest treasures of his life.

And no doubt Jason had been a treasure to him despite the differences they had had; a boy he had trained himself and brought to the right path, a young soldier who was going to carry his legacy but now, a martyr who had lost his life, fighting in the crusade Bruce or rather the Batman was responsible for.

Jason's funeral was not a very public affair because none of them were ready to deal with the press' unbearably intrusive questions regarding the tragedy that befell the young boy.

It was simply disclosed that Bruce and Jason were involved in a severe accident in Bosnia and Jason couldn't survive it.

It was very early in the morning and the Chapel held only those select few people who had come to pay their final respects to Jason. The chilly air engulfed them and the sun's rays were faint, softly filtering through the heavy rain clouds that hung constantly over Gotham.

The coffin was placed in the center but none of them had yet approached it, as if reluctant to see the bright young boy they had known being reduced to a mere corpse.

The service began and after its conclusion, they were allowed to see Jason for the last time before the lid of the coffin would finally be closed forever. A bouquet of white roses was placed on the crossed hands of the corpse.

At last, the lid of the coffin was closed hiding Jason from view, and then shortly after, it was taken to the cemetery to be buried six feet under.

None of the people in attendance were aware that the corpse inside that coffin lowered into the grave wasn't Jason but a doll that looked exactly like him. Ra's Al Ghul had succeeded to get the bodies swapped and right then the real corpse of Jason Todd was in Nanda Parbat.

In order to redeem his mistake and fix things up with Batman as well, Ra's Al Ghul had decided to take things into his own hands. His men had smuggled Jason's dead body out from the coffin at the airport of Bosnia before Bruce could leave for Gotham and had swapped it with a life-size doll, tailored to match Jason's appearance.

And as the Demon Head paced the throne room at his base, he knew the corpse was about to be taken to the Lazarus Pit where he intended to check if the pit could resurrect the boy or not.

"Master," he turned at the voice and saw the man he had tasked with preparing the pit, "the preparations are all done."

"I am coming," he replied, ordering a servant to send word to Talia as well to join him down at the Lazarus Pit.

***