The Demon

  "They will hear the rumors anew... a dark power rising in the East. The demon in his dark tower. The one who prepares to tear it all asunder and rebuild it in his own image. As he has always done. And as he always will."     Closed RP blog for Ra's al Ghul for The Aftermath RPG.

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

❛ why did you bring me here ? ❜ (Nyssa)

[Flashback thread]

It had been a long time since he’d so much as thought of this home, despite it being part of the League’s assets for nearly two centuries, now.  Ever since Amina had left, he had not bothered to return to the estate–though the groundskeepers seemed to have continued doing their jobs rather well, all things considered.  It still looked ready for that life to be walked back into, even though that would never again be possible.

He wasn’t here for sentiment, he was here for a book he’d left behind all those ages ago that was now to be of use.  And yet.

“Your mother loved this place, once.  Do you remember it?”  

@ofdemonsandarrows​

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

“ because i’m a masochist ”

The woman had come to him.  Tracked him down in the midst of his grocery shopping, actually, and despite the assassins that always lingered at the periphery of his presence, she’d seemingly had no reservations about approaching.   

He, of course, had done his own research upon his resurrection.  Found out who his biggest potential allies--and threats--were to be while he was stuck here in the United States.  Daisy Johnson was a good face to know on several fronts; not least because she was the director of a far-reaching agency that would see him behind bars in seconds, given the opportunity.  

Fortunately, he was not that easy to apprehend.  

Her response to the question of why she would bother approaching him alone earned a bark of laughter and an amused arch of his brow.  

“I’ve found, Director, that many who say that simply haven’t felt real pain.  I’d be more than happy to show you what it feels like.”  

@daisycjohnson

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

“ i’m so glad that’s over let’s go eat taco bell ”

“I’m sorry, go eat what?”  

Ra’s didn’t expect that everyone who came through the museum would appreciate his tours.  He didn’t even expect most people to–modern society seemed to care little for the lessons of history, despite all they ought to learn from it.  

But for someone to be so flagrantly rude as to say they were glad it was over to one of their compatriots, and then to suggest such typically terrible choice in cuisine, to boot, was a step beyond even the normal rudeness wrought by disinterest and wandering attention.  

“If you seek an early grave, there are much faster ways to go about it than clogging your veins with that.”

@notrobertdrake

[phantomemes]

sentences from the youtube series  ,  buzzfeed unsolved .  primarily taken from season 5′s supernatural investigations .

“ it doesn’t matter because you’re dead ”

“ it’s not impressive  ,  no one’s impressed ”

“ the spot of your death is now a lovely gift shop ”

“ as god as my witness  ,  he snapped him in half ”

“ i seriously want you to throw something right at my face ”

“ you can live in the cave ”

“ i’m a big fan of your name ”

“ the fact that you steal  ,  that’s really funny to me ”

“ that’s the greatest thing to steal  :  a man’s joy ”

“ because i’m a masochist ”

“ i’m going to regret this ”

“ i’ve lost the ability to feel ”

“ they’re gonna fucking murder you ”

“ the way you shushed me was quite rude ”

“ cowards  ,  all of you ”

“ i’m strange and off putting ”

“ i should not feel confident in the face of any man ”

“ here you are  ,  smiling in the face of the devil ”

“ i hate bats ”

“ bats sometimes carry rabies and that’s a thing i’m afraid of ”

“ not today devil birds  ,  not today ”

“ i think i’m blacking out right now ”

“ i don’t think i’m going to remember this moment ”

“ i think i’m gonna cry ”

“ i keep forgetting there’s ghosts in here ”

“ if you know me and my debilitating fear of bears  ,  this is my worst nightmare ”

“ i’m standing on an altar alone ”

“ maybe you’ll wake up in the middle of the night and eat your cat ”

“ i’m so glad that’s over let’s go eat taco bell ”

“ were you making horse noises ? ”

“ in case any of you needed a reminder this place is a twisting nightmare ”

“ there’s a good chance i’m gonna fart in here ”

“ well this is horrifying ”

“ let’s do each other a favor and not show ourselves to each other ”

“ if you could do me a big solid and not do anything that would be sublime ”

“ this is just as horrifying as i thought it would be ”

“ you talk to hide from the silence ”

“ do i look like the kind of man who could give advice ? ”

“ several bad choices have lead me to this moment ”

“ let’s play look at the ceiling tiles !  1 , 2 , 3 , 4 … ”

“ i just wanna know if you think they have belly buttons ”

“ i did meet some of the most insufferable people but they also met me ”

“ if it sounds like a duck and walks like a duck ”

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

@al-ghuul @romcnsionis @masterofmagnetism

[made-to-rule]

@al-ghuul​

While Loki felt that no one was as qualified as himself to bring Midgard to its knees, he knew there were others who strived for the same thing. Many mortals who wished to gain power and infamy were pathetic, small-time criminals who were not worth the breath spent in speaking to them. But there were some among the Midgardians who perhaps could be potential allies–or merely tools–that Loki could use to further his own gains. 

Through some clandestine investigating, Loki had heard whispers of an organization which operated in the shadows, seeking to bring about change for the planet. That was something which was sorely needed, and though Loki had a feeling that his idea of changing Midgard and this group’s leader’s idea might not be quite the same, he nevertheless thought it would be worthwhile to seek the man out. He was not easy to find, and quite well-guarded, but Loki could give the impression of being very unassuming when he put his mind to it. So when he sought out this man, Ra’s al Ghul, he came in without flaunting his power in any way, dressed in a suit rather than his Asgardian raiment. “I wish to speak with your leader,” he told the guards, “I have a proposition which I hope he will find beneficial.”

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

Even in the suit rather than the cape and armor that the whole world recognizes from the broadcasts of the Incident, Loki was recognized by the assassins stationed outside of Ra’s apartment within moments.  His face had practically been ingrained into the collective memories of everyone on the planet, after the attack on New York.  Being in the very city he’d attacked just years before certainly didn’t hurt in jogging their memories, and for a moment, all hands twitched towards their blades.

But level heads prevailed--after all, Loki wasn’t the only villain that ever came to pay Ra’s a visit. One of the men slipped into the apartment to notify their master, and then returned to show Loki in to see him.  

“Do you know that we have a joke, of sorts, here on Earth that you inadvertently told?” Ra’s asked, as he rose to his feet from the sofa.  “There’s a line Hollywood gives extraterrestrials in all the cliche films--’take me to your leader.’  Most amusing that you said nearly the same.”  

“My men say you have a proposition.  I must say I’m curious--what would the God of Mischief desire from me and my League?” 

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

blueroboticbitch‌:

He was so very much like her father. The same righteousness in their words, the same poetry on his lips as he spoke of his cause. Her father called it duty, he called it purpose, but in the end it was a calling they had chosen. She sensed the same power in him, that quality that set him apart from other people, smaller people. They were separate, and by definition, alone atop the peak. 

Even the door he opened led to almost the same place her father had taken her. Thanos children were trained in his domain, in darkness and shadow. They slept and bled upon the rocks, and the warmth of the galaxy did not reach them. The walls here were concrete and steel, a shining metal, and the air smelled thick with sweet-smelling smoke, but the feeling was the same. Isolated. Controlled. A place where pain shaped a person’s destiny.

Nebula might have hesitated except for that touch upon her arm. For all the similarities to her father, there was one key difference. This man, Ra’s, saw her. He looked upon her and did not see something to re-shape, to mutilate and torture for his own experiments. He saw the potential within her already, and he offered not to change her – but to teach her.

There was so much she wished to learn. 

“They revere you,” she noted as they made their way through the training area. The disciples – for that was what they were without question – could not help but stare and Nebula did not blame them. She had been fighting the urge to stare at him herself. A few eyes even gazed curiously at her. Perhaps they were wondering what she had done to prove herself, to gain the privilege of walking so close to the undeniable master. Nebula let her disguise fall entirely, revealing the blue and silver and purple metal that encased her instead of skin. Her eyes darkened entirely, and her hair vanished, revealing the one strip of gold she still held onto. Nebula’s fingers brushed against it, wondering what Stark would think of a place like this. But just as quickly, she pulled her fingers away and pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

This Stark was not the one she had survived with. He was not her friend, just as the Gamora of this universe was not her sister. She was as alone in this universe as she had ever been. Perhaps more so – until she met Ra’s. 

She stopped, arms crossed across her chest. Jaw set with determination, a fire burning in her dark eyes. “Where do we begin?” she asked, a demand softened by the presence of so many whom she sensed would spring into action over the slightest disrespect towards Ra’s. “You have brought me here for more than just a tour.”

She was quiet next to him, as he led her through the chamber, though he could see her eyes roaming the room with a wary sort of familiarity--as if she was seeing another place, superimposed on this one.  He did not know what she had done, before this.  And to an extent, it didn’t matter.  The training his assassins underwent was meant to ground them in the present.  To keep their pasts from plaguing them, trailing at their feet like shadows and coming out of nowhere to invade the mind when focus was most necessary.  

The past could be shaped into a weapon, but you still had to learn how to wield it.  

His touch to her elbow seemed to ground her, draw her back.  “They do,” he agrees--no point in false modesty, not in this.  “They consider me to have given them new life--in some cases, quite literally.  As I said, these students are my most loyal.  There is nothing they would not do, if I asked it of them.”  

He was used to their staring, and had thoroughly expected them to stare at her as well.  He had not expected her to give them a proper reason to, her skin turning cold and purple and hard beneath his touch, her hair disappearing, eyes returning to the black she’d let him catch a glimpse of at the gala.  . 

Murmurs of concern erupted from the assassins behind him, and he heard the fight still, even despite his orders, as the men paused to look.  “Yes.  I have.  I brought you here because I thought that you might be something special.  I see now that is true in more ways than one.  And I appreciate your interest in starting to train.  But it is important for you to understand the mission, first.  My training comes with a commitment.  I will help you move on from your past, I will shape you into a better fighter--but in return, I require service.  And you should know the cause to which you would commit yourself. ‘Ajils.”

Immediately, the assassins gathered at his feet, and Ra’s folded his hands behind his back as he begins to speak, voice slipping into the steady cadence of a teacher, a storyteller.  “I created the League many centuries ago to help the world maintain balance.  As a species, we’ve an unfortunate predilection to self-destruction.  Power breeds complacency, corruption, and my League is intended to keep a steady hand on the balance of power.  But in recent centuries, that mission has been forced to adjust in focus--humanity’s activities have stopped affecting simply our own civilizations and begun to threaten the planet itself, and all life upon it.  In nature, when a species’ growth threatens its ecosystem, we cull the weak of the population to ensure the survival of the rest.”

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

ofdemonsandarrows‌:

“My capability of inventing a lie is not the issue” she didn’t keep secrets from Sara and keeping something like this from her wouldn’t feel right. “I… will consider your offer, for now, I am tired and would appreciate it if you would leave” staying awake for this long had already been a struggle.

Gods above.  What had he done to deserve such foolishly stubborn children?

“Fine.  But be aware that my offer will not stand indefinitely.  I suggest you come to a decision quickly, daughter.  For Sara’s sake.”  He picked back up the clipboard he’d come in with, rolled his shoulders as he shifted back into the persona expected beyond the hospital room’s closed door.  

“Do try to recover swiftly.”

[phantomemes]

starters  /  prompts taken from hieu minh nguyen’s work ,  not here .  feel free to change pronouns  /  tenses as necessary .

  ❛  it seems important to mention all the things that went wrong  ❜

  ❛  don’t ask if i’m a ghost  ❜

  ❛  i fled and did not return  ❜

  ❛  i cannot love you  ,  if i love you  ,  i will die  ❜

  ❛  for years i chose death  ❜

  ❛  i belong to my mother’s fear  ❜

  ❛  what do you do with tenderness when all you expect is fury ?  ❜

  ❛  he looks like he will keep you safe  ❜

  ❛  any love i find will be treason  ❜

  ❛  why did you bring me here ?  ❜

  ❛  i count the hornets that escape their mouths  ❜

  ❛  i only ask for your laughter  ❜

  ❛  look at me in the old way in this new light  ❜

  ❛  sometimes i wake up and my body does not follow  ❜

  ❛  it wasn’t the same without you  ❜

  ❛  i’m still trying to figure out what it means to stay  ❜

  ❛  it’s all very predictable  ❜

  ❛  how can i love something that isn’t ruined ?  ❜

  ❛  like all agony  ,  there are pleasant moments  ❜

  ❛  i want to be better at lying  ❜

  ❛  i’m afraid if i say it out loud i will cast a curse  ❜

  ❛  some men don’t know they’re hungry until they eat  ❜

  ❛  some spells take years to cast  ❜

  ❛  there are rules you have to follow if you want to survive  ❜

  ❛  i know you’re not supposed to smile back  ❜

  ❛  madness  ,  too  ,  can be cumulative  ❜

  ❛  trying to forget is not the same as leaving  ❜

  ❛  i really should get a sense of humor  ❜

  ❛  i understand no one  ❜

  ❛  i cannot stop him from disappearing  ❜

  ❛  her body was a dress i hung for motivation  ❜

  ❛  you were once and perhaps continue to be the myth you tell to scare yourself  ❜

  ❛  there are countless ways to justify company  ❜

  ❛  you are predictable in your longing  ❜

  ❛  i don’t want to explain a thing  ❜

  ❛  i knew if i just asked him to leave he would have  ❜

  ❛  there are countless ways to open a carcass  ❜

  ❛  all i’ve ever wanted to be was useful  ❜

  ❛  there’s still time to be saved  ❜

  ❛  shut up  ;  i know the story  ,  or at least the lesson  ❜

  ❛  you wont find it  ;  you won’t find whatever you’re looking for  ❜

  ❛  i could get away with being clumsy with knives  ❜

  ❛  i want to study the mechanics of leaving  ❜

  ❛  any adjective can be true if you cry hard enough  ❜

  ❛  i see little futures in the distance but none belong  ❜

  ❛  i am beginning to forget what i expect from the world i always knew  ❜

  ❛  you can’t think of regret as a town you move too when grief snores too loud  ❜

  ❛  in death we belong to everyone  ❜

  ❛  i want to return to my old body  ❜

  ❛  i think the life i want is the life i have  ,  but how can i be sure ?  ❜

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

@al-ghuul @romcnsionis @masterofmagnetism

[hearthecanarycry-deactivated202]

{ @al-ghuul​ }

It took some time, but she finally tracked him down. Maybe that should have been her warning. A being like Ra’s al Ghul managed to stay alive for centuries with more than just some special water pits… he was smart. So, he knew she was coming. She’d barely made it to the warehouse before she was ambushed by some of his assassins. Thankfully, they just put a sack over her head instead of removing her head.

They finally removed the sack and Dinah glared at the nearest of the assassin, muttering a not so quiet ‘asshole’ under her breath. The stoic ninja didn’t deign to respond. “Come on out, Ra’s! Or Demon’s Head or whatever bullshit mystical title you’ve taken to overcompensate for what you’re lacking!”

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

“My, my.  People really do seem to be failing to teach their daughters manners these days.  You and your sister both ought to learn some respect for your elders,” Ra’s drawled as he stepped out of the shadows, waving for his assassins to give the young woman a bit of space. 

“Ra’s will do just fine, for the time being, regardless of what my daughter would have you believe.  What is it that you want, Miss Lance?”

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

ofdemonsandarrows‌:

“No” Nyssa replied, shaking her head. “In this universe you are, unfortunately, my father” the assassin told him. She wondered briefly if he was here was her father in another universe? Some part of her hoped he was and that he wouldn’t come back, though she also wouldn’t wish her father on any universe. 

Her father?  She did not look especially like Sora, though he could see bits of himself reflected in certain aspects of her features, if he looked carefully.  “And your father left the Demon in your care?  What of himself?”  

He had a feeling there was much more to the story than the tiny scraps he’d been given. 

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

kunlunsironfist‌:

Colleen was going to kill him. Or Ward would, or Sharon, or maybe Tony. It probably didn’t matter who, but the important thing was that someone was going to kill Danny, and he’d probably deserve it. Because this? This had been what Ward would undoubtedly refer to as the level of stupid that only Danny fucking Rand can achieve. 

He wasn’t healed yet, and it was obvious. His leg wasn’t in a cast anymore, but the boot that had replaced it wasn’t much less restrictive. Technically speaking, he knew he should still be on crutches, too, but it didn’t hurt to walk without them and that seemed a good enough reason to leave them behind. Despite what Ward would probably claim later, Danny hadn’t gone looking for a fight. He’d just been happening by when he came across a group of men with a terrified young woman shoved up against a wall, and Danny had never been one to walk away while someone was in trouble. 

So he’d intervened. And, had he been entirely healed, it wouldn’t have been an issue. He would have taken the men down without issue, would have finished the fight in seconds, but that wasn’t the case. The men had, of course, recognized Danny’s weak point the second he stepped into the fight. How could they not? The boot on his leg acted as a glowing neon sign writing it across the sky. One of them had gone for his injured leg straight away, kicking it out from under him in a way that made spots dance along the edge of his vision and by the time he came back to himself he was on the ground with kicks coming at him from all angles. 

But the girl got away. That was the important thing, the thing Danny kept in the forefront of his mind until the men were tired of kicking him and he was alone in the alley laying on the concrete. He groaned, closing his eyes as he tried to assess the damage. Yeah. Colleen was going to kill him.

Someone approached, and Danny’s eyes snapped open immediately and he tensed. But the couple coming up to him now were a far cry from the men who’d left him here, and he relaxed minutely as they approached. “I’m okay,” Danny said, shifting so he was propped up on his elbows and wincing slightly at every movement. “Until my girlfriend finds out about this, anyways.” The joke fell a little flat, probably because everything hurt, but at least he was trying. 

Sora snorted from further down the alley, and even Ra’s couldn’t keep an amused smile off his lips despite the man’s state.  “I imagine so, yes.  It’s somewhat easier to be a knight in shining armor, one should think, when your armor is not a cast around a broken bone.”  

He reached out to take the man by the bicep, pulling him up into a fully upright position against the brick.  “You are very fortunate they did not engage you with weapons, in this state.”  Otherwise they would probably be dealing with a corpse rather than a man who looked like he’d much rather be one.   

Sora returned to his side, satisfied that the alleyway was clear, and pursed her lips slightly as she looked down at Danny.  “We need somewhere cleaner, if you’d like us to help patch you up.  We are not familiar with this city--where would you like us to take you?  Is there a medical facility you would prefer?”  Between her and Ra’s there was no question they’d be able to support him wherever he needed to go.  

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

ofdemonsandarrows‌:

“How unfortunate he did not set off the one which will destroy the entire city” Nyssa commented dryly, though it was more unfortunate her father hadn’t gone himself to the city, she hadn’t expected him to but it would have saved her much time and trouble. 

“It is not irrelevant as Taer al-Asfer will never agree to take the cure if she knows how I acquired it” the was no point in making a deal with her father if Sara didn’t take the cure, then it would all be for nothing and she’d just handed control of Eth Alth’Eban back to her father. 

Ra’s let out a growl of frustration, slipping the elixir back into his pocket.  “I trust you are more than capable, daughter, of inventing a story that she will find palatable.  That is none of my concern.  You wanted the elixir.  I am willing to give it to you.  How you convince her to take it, or whether you slip it to her without her knowing, is beyond my knowledge or care.”

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

thecanaryxlance‌:

“And I don’t need yours” maybe she did when he was in charge of the League in order to, y’know, survive, fortunately those days were over. She didn’t need to watch what she said around him anymore, of course there was always the chance she’d piss him off and he’d try to kill her but she wasn’t too worried, not as long as he wanted something from Nyssa.

“I doubt you’d want to meet them, you might have added strength from the pits but it wouldn’t help you much against my team” of course they weren’t exactly killers, except maybe Mick, but Ra’s didn’t need to know that. “Tell you what, you stay away from me and Nyssa and we’ll stay out of your way.”

Her team, whoever they were, didn’t scare him in the slightest.  He’d dealt with countless people of formidable skill and strength over the centuries.  He could deal with a few more.  “Once I have what I want back from your wife, I’ll be happy to never spare a thought to either of you ever again.”  

[deadbxrd]

         Hearing mumbled complaints from his replacement ‘brother’ over digital trails had the dead bird in a bit of a predicament. He had his own personal grudge with the immortal demon’s head, but that was more Timber’s territory to deal with anyways. Though, that didn’t mean he couldn’t get his fair share of fun in himself. Setting up a bit of a perch, Jason had all his own lookout gear to get set to work. An assassin hiding in plain sight was entirely believable, it was just a matter of finding him… or having him find himself. The optics in his helmet scanned passing crowd over passing crowd, pulling out his sighted rifle every time he thought he saw someone familiar… But he was never too sure.

          After about the tenth suspect, he rolled over onto his back to stare at the sky, a groan escaping with a modified tint through the helm’s internal disguising system. “Who’d ‘ve thought some thousand year old asshole was so hard to find?” Guess the next step was to… climb down the nearby fire escape and hold the replacement hostage. That would get his attention. 

          Oh, did he forget to mention? His sniper perch was on the top of his apartment complex. Keep your friends close~

                                                                                                    [ @al-ghuul​ ]

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

Ra’s was no idiot, nor was he complacent.  He’d been made aware of Jason’s return to New York almost as soon as the young man had set foot across the city limits.  He had never especially liked Jason Todd, found him to be amongst the most irritating of the sidekicks Bruce Wayne had collected over the years, but he certainly wasn’t going to underestimate the boy.  Especially after Talia had resurrected the young man with the Lazarus Pit and trained him herself.  His youngest daughter was nothing but a pain in the neck almost all the time, but she was a formidable combatant, he would freely admit.  Which meant that Todd now had the training of not only Batman, but his own daughter.

Most inconvenient.

So he’d taken extra care to try and avoid drawing attention in his civilian identity.  And once he’d found out about Jason’s none-too-friendly relationship with Drake, stationed some assassins to keep an eye on Tim’s apartment complex, just in case. 

He gets the call less than three days after Jason’s presence in New York is confirmed.  

Fortunately, Jason has been considerate enough to leave the front door unlocked for his obvious trap, and yet Ra’s enters regardless, eyes flicking between Tim and Jason.  

“You know, I’m considering taking a page from Batman’s playbook.  I daresay a signal in the sky would make it much easier for the two of you to get in touch than trying to create a crisis.” 

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

Open Starter

[akajustjessicajones]

al-ghuul‌:

She was trying to put on a brave face, trying to keep the bravado–the arrogance–that had been on display just moments ago when she was flashing her little badge around like some little piece of shiny plastic was going to save her.  But as he stepped into her space, her posture became something small, something apprehensive.  Her breath seemed to come shorter, her muscles gone tense, and the satisfaction was practically rolling off of Ra’s.  

And then something seemed to snap in the young woman, and her hand was suddenly curled around his throat, the superhuman strength he’d observed earlier allowing her to even lift so that he could just barely keep some weight on the balls of his feet rather than in her hand entirely.  Surprise flitted across his expression for the briefest of moments before he started laughing, despite the difficulty drawing air into his lungs.

“ Funny,” he wheezes.  “Last time I was held like this, I died.  And here I am.”  He kept his palm open, and the fire in his gaze suddenly seemed that much brighter as he slammed his hand forward into her stomach.  Her strength may have been greater than his in combat–but he had given no indication of his own inhuman strength lent by centuries of use of the Lazarus Pit.  She couldn’t have seen it coming. 

The grasp on his throat released, and he stepped back despite the urge to punish her for her insolence.  Not here.  Not on camera.  

She would pay through other ways.  He leans down to whisper against her ear as she tried to recover from the blow.  “I wouldn’t be so sure he has.”  She seemed to be trying to convince herself more than him that the agents she had just shamelessly thrown in front of her were going to be just fine.  And then he’s stepping out of reach, letting the security team get between the two of them just in time for the police to arrive.  

He slipped easily back into the role of the innocent curator, rubbing his throat.  “Oh, officers, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Do it, do it, do it. A terrible voice was whispering in her mind. She knew exactly who it was. Do it with a smile, Jessie… She clenched her jaw, breathing heavily, fighting down that urge. One twist and this would all be over. No – no it would be just starting. She knew that now, she knew that death wasn’t an ending for anyone but the body on the ground. It would take something from her, a piece of her that she would never get back, it would hurt –

Like a sucker-punch to the gut. 

Jessica cried out and doubled-over, hands falling as she stumbled backward. That was no ordinary hit, there was an explosion of pain in her stomach. It knocked the wind out of her, left her gasping for air. She wrapped her arms around herself, squeezed her eyes shut. “Screw – you,” she hissed through gritted teeth.

It was all she had time to say. No time to ask him what the hell he meant – his words about dying. That gleam in his eyes that looked like actual flames, so real it felt like they could’ve ignited her skin. Because then she was being dragged up, hauled backwards roughly, and Jessica didn’t fight it. She could tell it was the officers, even if her vision was still blurry  around the edges. These were normal people. They didn’t deserve what she could do. 

They dragged her off, out of the building, and into the back of a cruiser. Handcuffs she could’ve broken in a second were slapped on her wrist, but she didn’t. At least she could say that ‘resisting arrest’ wouldn’t be on the list of charges. But still – she was in a hell of a mess this time. 

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

ofdemonsandarrows‌:

Alternate universes, it wasn’t something Nyssa had any experience with, Sara had briefly mentioned a Dinah from another earth but other than that she didn’t know much about it. She had been informed of what was happening, or some extent of it, which was why when she saw her father with a woman she had never seen before, she followed him to figure out if it was him or one from one of those alternate universes. When he left the woman’s side and he didn’t recognize her when she joined him she got her answer. He also seemed different than her father in some ways though she couldn’t exactly put her finger on how he was different. 

“I am Ra’s al Ghul” she replied to his question, wanting to see his reaction to the name.

The laugh is immediate, Nyssa treated with an arched brow and bemused expression.  “Really?  Are you meant to be me, then?”  

The Demon, back in his world, was his nation’s secret police, those who monitored for signs of revolution or treason and ensured such plans never came to fruition.  One doesn’t keep control of a country for centuries by playing entirely nicely, though he liked to think he did a good job of keeping his people fed, safe, and largely content.  

“That doesn’t answer why you’re following me.  I assume you thought me to be someone from your world.  Who?”  

[al-ghuul-aftermatha]

In a world where most people didn’t seem to recognize himself or Sora, the sensation of being watched was a distinct sort of ice sliding down his spine.  Someone knew him--or thought they did--and was clearly intent on keeping their eyes on him from a distance.  A brief glance around hadn’t revealed their tail, so he had gently excused himself from Sora’s side to try and draw the person out.  If they were interested in his wife rather than himself, that would become apparent if no one joined him within a few minutes, and Sora was quite capable of holding her own, especially in a crowd where their tail seemed reluctant to approach.

His instincts were, as almost always, right.  Within a few minutes of his slipping off, he was joined by a young woman.  She was entirely unfamiliar to him-Ra’s couldn’t recall anyone who looked like her back in their world, and certainly no one with cause to follow him, unless it was some random subject from his home world who had simply recognized their leader.  But he was clearly familiar to her, and this woman did not look pleased to see him.  An enemy of some sort, then--either of himself or of this world’s version of himself.  

The latter would be preferable--less likely to end in blood and more likely to end in answers.

“Who are you?  And why are you following me?”

@ofdemonsandarrows​