- sunday_reveries - Punishment -
"Hell is other people."
- Jean-Paul Sartre
Talia Ducard
Batman (Nolan)
485 words
The last person Deyan expected to see in one of the many training rooms within the fortress of the League of Shadows was Talia Ducard. She was dressed for combat but unarmed, knelt on the ground. He assumed she was lost in meditation. He began to step back, to leave her to her thoughts. However, before he could, she raised her head.
“Stay.” It was not a request. It was a command.
Deyan entered the room. “What is it?”
Talia rose, motioning for the door to be closed. When he obeyed, she regarded Deyan with a coldness that made him want to back away. He’d seen her train before, but he’d never seen her truly fight, never seen that look in her eyes.
Deyan drew his sword, and Talia smirked.
“Go ahead,” she murmured.
For a moment, Deyan drew himself up. He was being tested, he was sure. The new Ra’s Al Ghul saw his strength and had sent Talia to test his knowledge of combat, to prove his strength. If he could best her-or even draw-he would be rewarded. He swung his sword, and the woman deftly avoided it. She jolted forward then, elbowing him straight in the breastbone. His training clothes offered him no protection against the blow.
Before Deyan could recover, Talia made a roundhouse kick to his head, sending him down. Her eyes narrowed as he pulled himself up. It dawned on him just how serious this fight was.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked.
“Silence.”
He punched at her, and she grabbed his arm. Deyan saw her smirk and understood that she’d been waiting for him to strike. She moved quickly, twisting his arm back behind him. As Talia applied further pressure, he realized what she knew. She knew about that servant. His suspicion was confirmed when she kneed him in the back before slamming her hand against his arm. It gave a loud crack that seemed to satisfy her.
She released him and let him turn around.
“Look, I can-”
Talia’s hidden stiletto was out, and it slashed his cheek. Bruce had told her to avoid any permanent injuries, but a small scar-a mark that she was watching-was nothing. While he was trying to stop the blood flow, she kicked his knee. His leg gave way, and he fell to his knees. Before he could recover himself, Talia brought her knee against his jaw opposite the cut she’d made. She heard the bone crack and watched him go down.
She stood beside him, peering down, for a moment.
“I am leaving for a short time. Let me make this clear, Deyan- If word reaches me that you have so much slapped a servant in my absence? I will do far, far worse, and I will allow no one to interfere.” With one final, imperious look down at him, she turned and left.
- Jean-Paul Sartre
Talia Ducard
Batman (Nolan)
485 words
The last person Deyan expected to see in one of the many training rooms within the fortress of the League of Shadows was Talia Ducard. She was dressed for combat but unarmed, knelt on the ground. He assumed she was lost in meditation. He began to step back, to leave her to her thoughts. However, before he could, she raised her head.
“Stay.” It was not a request. It was a command.
Deyan entered the room. “What is it?”
Talia rose, motioning for the door to be closed. When he obeyed, she regarded Deyan with a coldness that made him want to back away. He’d seen her train before, but he’d never seen her truly fight, never seen that look in her eyes.
Deyan drew his sword, and Talia smirked.
“Go ahead,” she murmured.
For a moment, Deyan drew himself up. He was being tested, he was sure. The new Ra’s Al Ghul saw his strength and had sent Talia to test his knowledge of combat, to prove his strength. If he could best her-or even draw-he would be rewarded. He swung his sword, and the woman deftly avoided it. She jolted forward then, elbowing him straight in the breastbone. His training clothes offered him no protection against the blow.
Before Deyan could recover, Talia made a roundhouse kick to his head, sending him down. Her eyes narrowed as he pulled himself up. It dawned on him just how serious this fight was.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked.
“Silence.”
He punched at her, and she grabbed his arm. Deyan saw her smirk and understood that she’d been waiting for him to strike. She moved quickly, twisting his arm back behind him. As Talia applied further pressure, he realized what she knew. She knew about that servant. His suspicion was confirmed when she kneed him in the back before slamming her hand against his arm. It gave a loud crack that seemed to satisfy her.
She released him and let him turn around.
“Look, I can-”
Talia’s hidden stiletto was out, and it slashed his cheek. Bruce had told her to avoid any permanent injuries, but a small scar-a mark that she was watching-was nothing. While he was trying to stop the blood flow, she kicked his knee. His leg gave way, and he fell to his knees. Before he could recover himself, Talia brought her knee against his jaw opposite the cut she’d made. She heard the bone crack and watched him go down.
She stood beside him, peering down, for a moment.
“I am leaving for a short time. Let me make this clear, Deyan- If word reaches me that you have so much slapped a servant in my absence? I will do far, far worse, and I will allow no one to interfere.” With one final, imperious look down at him, she turned and left.