The Other Demon

Monster

Demetria's P.O.V.:

Dick and I arrive first with the Batmobile coming in right behind us. Dick parks the motorcycle right next to Batmobile, kicking out the kickstand and getting off. I slide off of the motorcycle, right behind Dick, walking to the front of the cave. We stand in front of the computer, waiting for Father and Damian to get out of the vehicle. Jumping out of the vehicle, Damian makes his way over to us while Father jumps out and hauls Langstrom out of the back seat. 

"Pull out a chair," Father gruffs out, carrying an unconscious Langstrom on his shoulder.

Dick goes to the other side of the cave and drags a wooden chair to us. Setting the chair, a few feet in front of Damian and I, Father gently places Langstrom on the chair.

"How do we know when he'll wake up?" I ask looking at Father and then at Langstrom.

"He should be awake by now," Father says looking at the scientist, "all he needs is a little nudge." He walks over and stands in front of the scientist. 

We gather around the man with Dick to Father's right side and Damian and I to his left. Father reaches for the burlap bag around his head and yanks it with force, startling Langstrom awake. By nudge, you meant, scare him to death. I say to myself.

"Where am I?" Langstrom asks looking at the four of us in fear.

"Just start talking," Father says.

Langstrom stares at Father in fear but complies anyway. "Ra's wanted me to splice animal DNA human using advanced mutagens. He would provide volunteers for me to work on."

"Obviously, you took him up on it," Father says.

"I knew it would mean prison if anyone discovered I was up to my old experiments," he says. "But how do you say no to Ra's al Ghul?" His eyes held plea, telling us that he had no other choice.

Damian and I look to each other, knowing that feeling. Knowing that feeling of not being able to say 'no' to the one and only, Ra's Al Ghul.

"He wanted to you to make the ultimate warriors," Dick says. I feel him glance over to us. He knows that we're trained assassins, born to become the best. Born to become the ultimate warriors.

"Yes," Langstrom says looking at Dick. He turns his attention back to Father and says, "Ra's called it—"

"Operation Air Strike," I interject. 

Langstrom nods his head. Now I know why those formulas and equations looked so familiar. I remember Grandfather doing some research and experiments. I just happen to be there at the same time and was able to catch a glimpse of the notes. I would occasionally read over his research and experiments because it was intriguing. He said it was to make the world a better place, and I believed him.

"How do you know that?" Dick asks me.

"Later," I tell him. "Continue, Dr. Langstrom."

"No military could withstand an army of flying super-powered ninjas using sonar in the dead of night."

"But Deathstroke took over," Dick points out.

"I kept working on it, making improvements. If I completely finished it, I didn't know what he might do."

"Where's your family?" Father asks.

"I don't know," he says sadly, "he let me speak to them once, briefly. My daughter mentioned something about snow." He closes his eye, thinking hard. "Uh, two mountain peaks that she said looked like cat ears."

Damian and I look at each other and nod. We know where they are.

"Interlaken, Grandfather's compound," Damian says.