Congrats to _Stxdia_ and AStarhasRisen for working out who the woman is (via inbox, not comment xD) in Ven's dreams and an honourable mention to Samashobaki for literally being right on the edge of the answer yet so far from it xD

~

If I was nervous before, I can't think of a word to describe now.

Lazarus eyes stare at me, alight with a small smirk. It reminds me somewhat of Damian and Talia, in the way they conduct themselves.

"It's an honour to meet you," he smiles, clicking his fingers. A door opens and two people I can only describe as servile enter. "I believe this cuisine is fit to your taste."

Two delectable looking trays, decorated with emerald and blood-red gems, are placed on the table in front of me. They look like they're worth more than my apartment.

One servant lifts the cloches, a steaming meal I recognise as a vegan delicacy sits before me.

My eyes flicker up to him.

"You say finally, yet you seem to know me well," I state calmly. I'm no fool; my life is on the line, but this means he's been watching me.

"My grandson quite literally gushed to my daughter about you. Including your shared views," he says, leaning forward and lifting a dainty set of cutlery.

I don't say anything. And I'm definitely not eating.

"What are your thoughts on my grandson, if I may ask?"

Okay, okay. Does he hate him? Does he like him? Will what I say offend him? 

I have to talk. If I don't he might get bored.

"He's a good boy. Very fierce. Knows what he wants. Extremely bold," I say stiffly. He smiles without looking at me. 

I glance around the tiny room we're in. It smells like nothing. There's nothing to look at but him. Even the temperature feels like it's not there, but I seem to be sweating anyway.

"Why am I here?" I ask, without thinking of the consequences. He seems unfazed by the question.

"You trained with the warriors of Red Dust, I believe?"

I'm taken aback by the random question. Yes, the League of Assassins and the Warriors of Red Dust have never got along, but I haven't been with them for years.

"I did. I became our leader's right hand. A valued member."

"I see... And in your time, was there any plot by the Warriors to take over the League?"

Wait, what?

"That's what this is about?" I ask incredulously. I expected it to be a wicked plot.
"Some radical that-"

"So it's true," Ra's interrupts, eyes finally flickering to me. 

"No," I say, looking him dead in the eye. Where in the hell did this confidence come from? "A warrior, right hand to our leader Estelle Thrall, urged for an attempt at a takeover. Estelle decided against it. When the right hand could not get what she wanted, she left."

Ra's seems intrigued by the information, which actually makes me feel a little bit better. If his plan was to kill me, why did they bandage my up?

Of course that could be a farce. Maybe they want me to believe that so when their time to strike comes my guard will be down.

"I'm not going to kill you," he suddenly says, out of the blue. Oh, he reads minds?

"No," I agree, feeling a little calmer. I don't let my guard down. "But you did not just bring me here to ask me about threats and rumours."

Nervously, I move my hands from my lap, to rest on the arms of the chair. Ra's looks at me with an expression that makes my skin crawl.

"Will you walk with me, Miss Meadow?" He asks, setting down the cutlery in his hands. My nerves spike. Where does he want to go?

He's already standing up, moving away from his chair. I glance at the servant that appears out of nowhere to clear the table.

Ra's looms over me from the side, a smile gracing his expression. It's not of happiness of politeness, but perhaps interest.

He holds a wrinkled, frail hand out to me. His nails are sharp and long, like claws. It nearly makes me draw away from him and refuse to go anywhere.

But I like my head being on my shoulders.

Wincing at the chill of his fingers, I place my hand in his, getting to my feet. Once again thank god I didn't wear a skirt today. Though I should do without the heels.

Once I'm up Ra's turns and slips his arm through mine. It sends violently cold chills down my spine, as he begins leading us to the door.

"Have you been told about the goal of the League of Assassins?" He asks, leading me into a hallway that looks ancient. It seems to be made of rock, as if we are underground. It's lit up by torches mounted on the wall.

"If I remember correctly, your goal is to rid the world of places where crime has come to rule. For example, Gotham. I cleaned up part of the mess you left behind when you tried last time."

I'm an idiot. Why would I say that?

Ra's glances at me from the corner of his eye. I try to treat it like I'm in court; when that side glance comes from the opposing lawyer, instead of a madman at the helm of a dangerous circle.

We reach what looks to me like a cliff. That brings the slightest panic up in me.

What I do notice is a green light. It seems to fill the area beyond the cliff, cast on the walls. It's eerie and reminds me of some sort of swamp.

"In a way our goals are the same," he comments calmly.

"With different ways of achieving them."

My automatic lawyer-reactions are going to get me killed one day.

In the distance, my trained ears hear the approach of an assassin. I turn to look back at the hallway, as does Ra's. I know he notices I sensed the approach. He seems impressed.

The cloaked figure walks before Ra's and gets to his knees respectfully. He says in a polite tone words I recognise as Arabic, before being dismissed. 

He doesn't even glance at me. I watch as he leaves, seeing the sigil of the League on his shoulder. The shape brings a memory to mind.

A trap. A scorpion in a box set to kill me.

The Demon's Head has my attention again.

"You are very intriguing," he says, as he stops walking. He turns towards me. Things race through my mind, about what he may want me to do. I can only look at him.

"Why am I here?" I find the courage to say strongly. It sounds like a demand.

Ra's has a cruel smile, but something tells me that the cruelty is not meant for me. Slowly, he paces towards the entrance to the enclosed 'cliff'.

"I believe there are only two reasons in this world anyone does anything," he tells me. What? "Love and fear."

Love and fear...well there's no lie in that.

"The League destroy's the evil in this world out of fear that it will rule. You destroy evil out of love for those who suffer the most from it."

My confidence is made of desire to keep my life and therefor.

"Fear manifests until it the fearing become the feared. Love mutates into disdain and superiority. We're never safe so long as both exist against each other."

Ra's gives me a knowing, impressed smile. It feels genuine, but I know better. He sees a potential he can use for his own gain.

He holds his hand out to me from where he stands, at the cliff. I look at it wearily, before pacing forward. I cautiously move me hand to his, but he move to grab my face.

It's the sort of grip you'd expect a shrill, prim mother to have on her child's face as she tells him off. His fingers curl beneath my chin, raising my face. I dare not move, though I minutely prepare a defensive strategy.

"Such beauty," he murmurs, eyes flickering to what feels like every detail of my face. "Flawless."

A mewling dame may blush and smile under these words, but I hear their undertone. A lust, not for me, but for power.

He is going to use me for something.

"The fear and love must co-exist in harmony," he says, releasing me.

Okay, so he wants to work together? My fear it of a different kind now. He may not want to kill me, but perhaps he does have some dark plan that involves my position as DA.

I need to know. I take a deep breath.

"If you wish to peacefully co-exist, why would you send a plated scorpion to my office to poison me?" I ask him.

For the first time in this meeting, Ra's seems lost for words. His face flickers a flame of confusion and surprise, as he stares down at the bottom of the cliff, which I can't see.

Then he looks at me.

"I do not use poison to kill. Poison is-"

"-A woman's weapon."

The voice is random, but not unfamiliar. It echoes down the hallway like a breeze. Ra's looks unfazed, but does move his arm in front of me and push me back, towards the edge of the cliff.

My senses reach breaking point. I dare not look over my shoulder.

"Then again, you've never had need of it until now," Ra's says, as Talia and around ten other assassins flood into the small room we are in.

They look ready to fight.

"You know of my plan and how it involves our new friend. You dare betray me?" He says sternly. A few of the assassins with Talia back off, especially when Ra's reaches for the sword on his belt.

Talia doesn't waver. She looks at me with eyes of venom and threat. She wants to kill me, no doubt about that. Because Dami likes me better? Because Jason is with me? Because her father wants to work with me?

Or something else entirely?

"DA Meadow," Ra's says without looking at me. "Your saviours are at my gates, here for you." The assassin must have told him that. So he expects me to just stroll out of his fortress and straight into Jason's arms? Just like that?

Few problems there. So long as Talia wants to fight I have no way out.

No way except...

"We will be seeing each other again," he looks t me, finally. He smiles.

Before driving his elbow into my collar bone, sending me stumbling back. I don't scream, simply from the shock of it as I feel the ground disappear from beneath my feet.

I am so sick of being kidnapped.

I glance over my shoulder, desperate to find if Ra's had a plan and means for pushing me. Immediately the answer to several questions rush at me as fast as the ground

The Lazarus Pit. 

The only thing worst to land in is the ground. It's going to hurt; it doesn't even occur to me to hold my breath when I contact the surface.

Disgusting! The first thought in my mind as I plummet into its depths are what the fuck is in here, before I also remember that dead people have swam in this pool, including my boyfriend.

It gets in my mouth and nostrils and I gag after swallowing some, squeezing my eyes closed and feeling around for the surface.

At the same time, I hardly notice a tingle that spreads over my skin. It goes from graceful to intense, like a fire burning on me, particularly the injuries from the bombing.

Get out. Get out! 

Finally I feel my hand brush the air as I thrash around. I get inside my own head and calm myself down, before completely stilling, bringing myself to the top.

I gasp as I finally get my head above surface, looking around and seeing two more assassins run down and draw their swords.

All I have to do is get rid of them, get out and I'll be home.

Everything seems healed. I swim to the other side of the pit and pull myself out. I need to get up before those assassins get too close.

Once I'm on my feet, I feel stronger. I take one second to get a proper look at the sparkling lazarus waters. They glisten like fake glitter, the green shades of swamp and emerald swirling.

I wish I had my gun.

"How do you want to do this?" I ask, catching my breath. I take a fighting stance as they draw their swords.

"Lady Talia wishes for your death," one says, emotionlessly. I tighten my fists.

"Guess you better try and grant it," I say. Their blades are curved, but I can do this. I've fought against worst odds.

Get into your power, Venus. Use it. 

Two clangs of metal blades echo through the cave. I release a nervous breath as both assassins are knocked sideways, full force.

Beep beep beep. 

The assassins move for me again but the blades embedded in their upper arms suddenly burst with a grey smoke. I take the initiative to stop breathing. 

Both drop to the floor in a heap.

I almost shout Bruce over the pit, to Batman. I abandon the idea and begin running around the pit toward him.

"Are you alright?" He asks, rough voice sounding more comforting than it ever has. I reach him and double over, placing my hands on my knees.

I'm safe.

...Hopefully.