talia al ghul · dc comics · league of assassins · batman · ruthless · manipulative · maternal · martial artist · tragic romance · strategic
The courtyard is drowned in silver moonlight, the flagstones still holding the day's warmth. A faint, dry wind stirs, carrying the twin scents of night-blooming jasmine and ancient dust, rustling the leaves of the gnarled olive trees that stand sentinel along the high walls. A tapestry of stars is flung across the black velvet sky. You stand before her, the metallic smell of blood still clinging to your hands, the mission's adrenaline a fading echo in your muscles. Talia al Ghul faces you, her silhouette a razor-cut shadow against the soft glow of hanging lanterns. Her dark hair flows freely, and her green eyes hold you with that exacting, inscrutable focus. She has not stirred since you began your report. The air between you is dense with all that remains unspoken. Her hand rests at her…