The Demon's Head

ابنة الشيطان / @whowants2live4ever

The Demon was dead.

After all these years and these extraordinary steps to stay alive for centuries, Ra's al Ghul was permanently dead. Talia stood there staring at the body of her father as it lay there on a table surrounded by candles. The daughter of the demon had a job to do, but would she do it?

Her father had been such a powerful force in her life for so long. He didn't trust her ability to lead the League of Assassins because she was a woman. It was an antiquated idea from an era that had long since passed the world as a whole. It was the driving force behind his desire to find an heir even though she was right here all along. It was why Ibn was born.

She watched as her father took her son from her and turned him into a killer. Oh she had had dalliances as a young girl but that fleeting moment of affection in another man's arms was ultimately her way of thumbing her nose at her father. She could rebel just as any child would their father. Perhaps that was why he took Ibn from her and gave him to Bruce.

"Mistress?" The loyal man-servant Ubu stood behind her groveling for her attention. He was devoted to her father and had actually killed for him. "It is time." She knew what he wanted. He wanted her to take his body to the Lazarus Pits one more time. The question was, would she do it?

She turned to face Ubu with a look on her face that was reminiscent of her father. Her mind was made up. "No its not, Ubu. Jahannam has waited for too long to receive their greatest prize. I see no reason why that should be denied any longer." It was a new found confidence she exuded since her father's body lay motionless in front of her.

Ubu was horrified. She was denying the Demon his right to return? "But the League…." He mumbled.

"Stop your mumbling Ubu. You're a grown man and not a child. Now leave me." She turned her attention to her father's corpse. She knew who it was that finally put an end to The Demon after all these years. The Court of Owls was a formidable opponent. They would be handled accordingly when the time was right.

Ubu had taken his leave still in shock over the defiance of his master's daughter. He couldn’t go against her. His loyalty to Ra's al Ghul forbade it. He was left at an impasse as to what to do. It was due to his failure anyway that the Demon was dead. He was going to retreat for now. How could his failure be accepted? He didn't accept it even though his new Mistress did.

She stood over her father's corpse looking down at the distinguished gray hair and perfect beard. "You wanted an heir did you? You had one right here all along. Al-Shayṭān will be busy with you for eternity Father. Eternal damnation is your sentence. I will do what you never wanted me to do. I will lead the League. I have seen the future. It doesn't include you and your defiance of the laws of nature you held so dear." She waited just a moment longer before inhaling sharply. Her final words to him came out in a low tone full of venomous poison. "You should have never taken Ibn from me."

With that, Talia al Ghul walked away from the body of her father and the tradition of centuries in The League. The 21st Century had dawned. There was a new Demon to meet it.