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Chapter 294: The Resurgent League of Shadows
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Crane straightened his back slightly, then quickly relaxed. The bespectacled leader ultimately gave a helpless smile.
"Sandra, you should leave. I can't help you now."
"Are you trying to betray us?" Sandra's expression turned icy.
Crane chuckled softly. "Betrayal? No, you abandoned me first. Back in Gotham City, when Ra's al Ghul was defeated by Batman, everyone thought he died in the train explosion. Even I thought so."
"Among the numerous mid-to-high-ranking members of the League of Shadows, not a single one paid me any mind. I was left to fend for myself. In your eyes, there is only Ra's al Ghul; why would you ever care about a nobody like me?"
"It was only when I took a risk and followed Tony, learning the secrets of the springs of resurrection from the Court of Owls, that I knew. Ra's al Ghul wouldn't die. As long as the springs of resurrection exist, he can't die."
"I had a miserable time in Gotham City. I never received any news from you, yet I always held out hope, waiting for the day the League would remember me and summon me back."
Crane let out a grim laugh, the vocal cords in his throat rubbing tightly together, producing a sneer completely different from his usual voice. He tapped on the desktop, fearlessly meeting the gaze of Sandra—the one and only Lady Shiva, paramount in the world of assassins.
Within his pair of clear eyes was a thick layer of mockery.
Killing intent emanated from Sandra as she warned, enunciating each word, "Have you considered the consequences?"
"Are you threatening me, Lady Shiva? Threatening the... Chief Administrator of A.R.G.U.S.? A subordinate of the Sorcerer Supreme?" Crane laughed out loud and shot to his feet. Through his glasses, his eyes, glinting with a cold light, bore into hers.
Lady Shiva, a top assassin in the League of Shadows, an absolute high-ranking member. In the past, the humble Scarecrow had never even had the chance to meet her. But now that he held a high position, the once-unreachable figure had come to him on her own initiative.
What was this? Esteem?
No, it was intimidation.
Beneath her beautiful face, Sandra suppressed her rage and said in a low voice, "Crane, no need to be so agitated. The League was truly in chaos during that time, we couldn't attend to..."
Crane sneered. More than a year had passed between the defeat of Ra's al Ghul and Tony getting him out of prison. Did they not even have the ability to send a single person to inform him?
"Just say it, Sandra. What do you really want from me?" Crane leaned back comfortably in his chair, asking fearlessly.
In the next room, over a hundred undead warriors were already on standby. No matter how strong Lady Shiva was, she was still just an ordinary human skilled in combat and killing. She was no match for these super soldiers injected with the serum.
A hundred against one. They'd win no matter how they fought.
Besides, he, Crane, hadn't been idle all these years. His entire body was armed with all sorts of deadly chemical toxins.
"The plan to destroy Gotham City will proceed. As a traitor to the League, Batman must also die. We need your help. This is also an order from Ra's al Ghul," Sandra said.
"I will not help you destroy Gotham City. That is not something A.R.G.U.S. should be doing. Give it up," Crane replied, unmoved. "I know what you want to say, but A.R.G.U.S. is not my A.R.G.U.S. As I've told you, I only serve as the Executive Officer. The true owner is Tony."
Crane slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Believe me, if A.R.G.U.S. were to intervene in something like this without Tony's orders, Tony would kill people. He's never been the type of good boy who doesn't fight back when struck."
"He might even take his anger out on the League of Shadows. With his power, he could easily give the League a complete bloodbath. A hundred springs of resurrection wouldn't be enough for you all."
"If I were to go behind his back to help you, it would not only mean that I betrayed him, but that the entirety of A.R.G.U.S. betrayed him—but many people joined A.R.G.U.S. because of the Machinist, because of Tony, the new Sorcerer Supreme. You think too highly of me."
Sandra asked, unwilling to accept this, "What if Ra's al Ghul forces you to return?"
"Then A.R.G.U.S. will declare war on the League of Shadows," Crane stated forcefully.
Sandra fell silent.
This was terrible news. They had completely lost Scarecrow. Reality told her that if she pushed any further, the behemoth that was A.R.G.U.S. would genuinely take action. They were never a charitable organization.
They were a supernatural agency. They killed people.
Their terrifying scale would be enough to crush the League of Shadows.
Lady Shiva slowly stood up. Without another word, she pushed open the door and left.
She returned empty-handed.
Crane, that small-time figure from the past, had grown to a point where even they felt a little helpless against him.
Sandra rode the elevator down, looking at the layers of capable personnel and the elite soldiers who watched her with cold gazes. She sighed, feeling a sense of powerlessness.
Outside, a light rain had begun to fall. Like any ordinary passerby, Lady Shiva silently opened an umbrella and walked along the street, taking in the bustling scenery of New York City.
In her eyes, however, it was filled with sin.
She walked past several streets and came to a corner, speaking to an ordinary-looking man waiting there. "The talks failed. Crane is no longer one of us."
The man's expression changed slightly. He made a throat-slitting gesture. "Should I go and..."
"No need. The main objective now is to purge Gotham City. The matter with Crane and A.R.G.U.S. will be dealt with later. I will explain the situation to Ra's al Ghul."
Sandra looked up at the misty sky and strolled into the rain, slowly disappearing into the endless stream of people.
For a top assassin, concealing oneself was the most basic of skills.
From behind her came a low scream, seemingly made just loud enough for her sensitive ears to catch. Sandra's pace remained steady, not changing in the slightest.
In her heart, her evaluation of the outwardly gentle Crane's ruthlessness rose to a new level.
"Ah, the cowardly Scarecrow. Even after becoming the Executive Officer of A.R.G.U.S., he can't change his fundamental nature. Eliminating even the slightest possibility of an accident? Isn't he being overly cautious? Is this his direct way of warning the League of Shadows, a response to my attempt at intimidation?"
The League's contact had been eliminated.
But it didn't matter. The League of Shadows had more than just that one unlucky fellow stationed in New York.
Sandra smiled as she waved off a salesman who stepped forward to block her path. With a charming smile on her face, she ambled on through the rain.
Raindrops pattered against her umbrella, creating a dull sound.
This renowned top assassin of the Underworld contemplated the plan for Gotham City.
This time, Gotham City would be destroyed. Batman would die. No one could stop them.
With all the elites of the League of Shadows deployed, a mere Batman could not possibly stand in their way.
Just like Europe ravaged by the Black Death in history, just like London burned to the ground, Gotham City, too, would not escape its destiny of destruction.
(end of chapter)
2022-10-19 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Crane straightened his back slightly, then quickly relaxed. The bespectacled leader ultimately gave a helpless smile.
"Sandra, you should leave. I can't help you now."
"Are you trying to betray us?" Sandra's expression turned icy.
Crane chuckled softly. "Betrayal? No, you abandoned me first. Back in Gotham City, when Ra's al Ghul was defeated by Batman, everyone thought he died in the train explosion. Even I thought so."
"Among the numerous mid-to-high-ranking members of the League of Shadows, not a single one paid me any mind. I was left to fend for myself. In your eyes, there is only Ra's al Ghul; why would you ever care about a nobody like me?"
"It was only when I took a risk and followed Tony, learning the secrets of the springs of resurrection from the Court of Owls, that I knew. Ra's al Ghul wouldn't die. As long as the springs of resurrection exist, he can't die."
"I had a miserable time in Gotham City. I never received any news from you, yet I always held out hope, waiting for the day the League would remember me and summon me back."
Crane let out a grim laugh, the vocal cords in his throat rubbing tightly together, producing a sneer completely different from his usual voice. He tapped on the desktop, fearlessly meeting the gaze of Sandra—the one and only Lady Shiva, paramount in the world of assassins.
Within his pair of clear eyes was a thick layer of mockery.
Killing intent emanated from Sandra as she warned, enunciating each word, "Have you considered the consequences?"
"Are you threatening me, Lady Shiva? Threatening the... Chief Administrator of A.R.G.U.S.? A subordinate of the Sorcerer Supreme?" Crane laughed out loud and shot to his feet. Through his glasses, his eyes, glinting with a cold light, bore into hers.
Lady Shiva, a top assassin in the League of Shadows, an absolute high-ranking member. In the past, the humble Scarecrow had never even had the chance to meet her. But now that he held a high position, the once-unreachable figure had come to him on her own initiative.
What was this? Esteem?
No, it was intimidation.
Beneath her beautiful face, Sandra suppressed her rage and said in a low voice, "Crane, no need to be so agitated. The League was truly in chaos during that time, we couldn't attend to..."
Crane sneered. More than a year had passed between the defeat of Ra's al Ghul and Tony getting him out of prison. Did they not even have the ability to send a single person to inform him?
"Just say it, Sandra. What do you really want from me?" Crane leaned back comfortably in his chair, asking fearlessly.
In the next room, over a hundred undead warriors were already on standby. No matter how strong Lady Shiva was, she was still just an ordinary human skilled in combat and killing. She was no match for these super soldiers injected with the serum.
A hundred against one. They'd win no matter how they fought.
Besides, he, Crane, hadn't been idle all these years. His entire body was armed with all sorts of deadly chemical toxins.
"The plan to destroy Gotham City will proceed. As a traitor to the League, Batman must also die. We need your help. This is also an order from Ra's al Ghul," Sandra said.
"I will not help you destroy Gotham City. That is not something A.R.G.U.S. should be doing. Give it up," Crane replied, unmoved. "I know what you want to say, but A.R.G.U.S. is not my A.R.G.U.S. As I've told you, I only serve as the Executive Officer. The true owner is Tony."
Crane slowly took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Believe me, if A.R.G.U.S. were to intervene in something like this without Tony's orders, Tony would kill people. He's never been the type of good boy who doesn't fight back when struck."
"He might even take his anger out on the League of Shadows. With his power, he could easily give the League a complete bloodbath. A hundred springs of resurrection wouldn't be enough for you all."
"If I were to go behind his back to help you, it would not only mean that I betrayed him, but that the entirety of A.R.G.U.S. betrayed him—but many people joined A.R.G.U.S. because of the Machinist, because of Tony, the new Sorcerer Supreme. You think too highly of me."
Sandra asked, unwilling to accept this, "What if Ra's al Ghul forces you to return?"
"Then A.R.G.U.S. will declare war on the League of Shadows," Crane stated forcefully.
Sandra fell silent.
This was terrible news. They had completely lost Scarecrow. Reality told her that if she pushed any further, the behemoth that was A.R.G.U.S. would genuinely take action. They were never a charitable organization.
They were a supernatural agency. They killed people.
Their terrifying scale would be enough to crush the League of Shadows.
Lady Shiva slowly stood up. Without another word, she pushed open the door and left.
She returned empty-handed.
Crane, that small-time figure from the past, had grown to a point where even they felt a little helpless against him.
Sandra rode the elevator down, looking at the layers of capable personnel and the elite soldiers who watched her with cold gazes. She sighed, feeling a sense of powerlessness.
Outside, a light rain had begun to fall. Like any ordinary passerby, Lady Shiva silently opened an umbrella and walked along the street, taking in the bustling scenery of New York City.
In her eyes, however, it was filled with sin.
She walked past several streets and came to a corner, speaking to an ordinary-looking man waiting there. "The talks failed. Crane is no longer one of us."
The man's expression changed slightly. He made a throat-slitting gesture. "Should I go and..."
"No need. The main objective now is to purge Gotham City. The matter with Crane and A.R.G.U.S. will be dealt with later. I will explain the situation to Ra's al Ghul."
Sandra looked up at the misty sky and strolled into the rain, slowly disappearing into the endless stream of people.
For a top assassin, concealing oneself was the most basic of skills.
From behind her came a low scream, seemingly made just loud enough for her sensitive ears to catch. Sandra's pace remained steady, not changing in the slightest.
In her heart, her evaluation of the outwardly gentle Crane's ruthlessness rose to a new level.
"Ah, the cowardly Scarecrow. Even after becoming the Executive Officer of A.R.G.U.S., he can't change his fundamental nature. Eliminating even the slightest possibility of an accident? Isn't he being overly cautious? Is this his direct way of warning the League of Shadows, a response to my attempt at intimidation?"
The League's contact had been eliminated.
But it didn't matter. The League of Shadows had more than just that one unlucky fellow stationed in New York.
Sandra smiled as she waved off a salesman who stepped forward to block her path. With a charming smile on her face, she ambled on through the rain.
Raindrops pattered against her umbrella, creating a dull sound.
This renowned top assassin of the Underworld contemplated the plan for Gotham City.
This time, Gotham City would be destroyed. Batman would die. No one could stop them.
With all the elites of the League of Shadows deployed, a mere Batman could not possibly stand in their way.
Just like Europe ravaged by the Black Death in history, just like London burned to the ground, Gotham City, too, would not escape its destiny of destruction.
(end of chapter)
