6: The War Within [1]

"Gahhhh!!"

I grumbled in annoyance as I tightened my grip around the barbaric creature's throat from behind.

He or she wheezed, desperately trying to escape my hold, but I held on tighter until it finally went limp and passed out.

Its tattered rags draped over my bare chest, blood oozing from the various bite and claw marks, while my legs trembled with pain. Yet, I stood still, fueled by the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I knew that taking a breath or relaxing now would mean game over.

My blood-red eyes scanned the sparks of fire still burning and the final drop of oil aflame as I pushed the unconscious body down the pyramid.

With each thud of the body rolling down the stairs, I held my bleeding scarred chest, catching my breath for a moment.

Finally, it landed on the floor, and I fixed my eyes on it, waiting in case it miraculously rose again, but it seemed like it was truly defeated.

Scanning the arena, I searched for any more threats, but most of them were burnt to a crisp, groaning in pain, or knocked out cold. None had the strength left to stand.

I took in a breath, and suddenly my legs gave out, the pain of the scars hitting me all at once. Kneeling, I clutched my knuckles against the floor and let out a blood-curdling roar of victory, mixed with pain and pride.

"ARGHHHHHHH!!!"

The dome transformed my scream into an echoing chorus of demonic cries, causing the few cannibals still alive to recoil in terror. The hierarchy of power had been established.

That's right, you sons of bitches, fear me.

Leaning against the wall of the altar, the tiredness of the long battle caught up with me.

If I was right, and I was pretty sure I was, I had been fighting in this pit for 12 hours straight, facing 126 enemies. Not to brag, but that's definitely some kind of record in my book.

My eyelids drooped, and I began to lose feeling in my body. I seriously needed to consider working with Ra if this is how I'm going to spend the rest of the year.

Just as I was about to doze off, I heard footsteps approaching, and my eyes immediately shot open. I pushed myself up with a lot of strain.

Scanning the arena, I tried to find the direction the footsteps were coming from. Soon, I spotted silhouettes climbing over the structure.

"The will of a lion and the strength of a tiger make the best hunter." I blinked as I heard Ra's voice, and my body automatically relaxed.

"You have proved yourself, Wayne." He announced proudly with a smirk.

"Next time she pushes me into a pit." I said, pointing at Sandra standing beside him, "I'm dragging her in."

She smirked at my comment and shook her head.

"You still got some fight in you. You really are becoming more and more impressive." she said with a gentle smile, glancing behind me. "And it looks like I wasn't the only one witnessing your battle."

"You need to rest now." Ra said, applauding slightly.

"I'm fine." I grumbled, biting my inner cheeks.

"A real warrior should know when his body is at its limit, Bruce. Being stubborn in a situation like this won't be considered brave but rather stupid." Ra advised, stepping forward. "Talia, help him to his room."

My gaze shifted to the slender figure standing behind him. She stepped out of the darkness, and the minimal rays of light caressed her tanned skin. Her smooth black hair danced around as she walked closer, and her shining green eyes locked onto mine.

She was dressed in white cloth, matching Sandra's red that hugged her curves perfectly, and she appeared to be around the same age as my current self and Talia was simply gorgeous.

She approached, reached for my arms, and held my shoulders in case I fell back.

"Your fight must have been exhausting, Mr.Wayne." Talia said in a smooth and clear tone, lowering her voice to a level that wouldn't bother me. "You were an absolute spectacle."

I didn't bother to reply. I was too exhausted to say anything. Before I knew it, my eyes closed, and my consciousness slipped into the dreamland.

…..

As I regained consciousness, my eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing a dimly lit cave.

The distant sound of bats' wings echoed overhead, adding an eerie atmosphere to the place. As I surveyed my surroundings, I noticed the grand scale of the cave, with its stalactites and stalagmites creating eerie shadows.

The strangest part was that my injuries, which had been so severe just moments ago, seemed to have vanished completely. I glanced down at myself and blinked in confusion as I found myself dressed in a standard military uniform.

"You killed people."

I blinked, recognizing the voice that had been haunting my thoughts. I turned to see a silhouette of a young man emerging from the shadows.

"Oh, please, Bruce, in what ways were they people?" I retorted with a smirk, already knowing where this conversation was headed.

The silhouette stepped into the light, revealing a face that mirrored my own. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans, a different attire from my military uniform.

His eyes showed weariness with heavy bags beneath them, and his lips formed a scowl as he glared at me.

"They were suffering, and you could have handled them without resorting to killing, yet you let them burn." He growled with intensity.

I scoffed, shaking my head as I took a step forward. Suddenly, the whole place turned green, and green water started rising from the ground. I sighed, realising where my real body must be at this moment. Time was running out, and I had only a few minutes.

Bruce seemed somewhat confused by the green liquid, but he didn't dwell on it for long. He and I both knew how this confrontation would play out.

"You have no idea about the horrors I've witnessed and the things I've done." I said, stepping closer with each word. "For fuck's sake, I was the one responsible for humanity's extinction. For years, I thought you wanted to become Batman to save Gotham, but it turns out you're just a man-child unable to grow up or handle the loss of his parents."

Bruce's steps halted at the mention of his parents. His eyes narrowed to the ground as the green liquid rose to our ankles. He slowly clenched his fists and looked up.

"Handle the loss? Like you did with Nancy?" He shot back.

I, too, came to a stop at the mention of Nancy's name. It had been years since I'd heard that name, but the memories came rushing back. I couldn't help but grin, reminiscing about the old days when I was just a young boy trying to live a happy life. And now, here we were.

"Actually, yes." I smiled, closing the distance between us. "I had my revenge, and you didn't. The killer of your parents is still free and breathing, while mine is long dead and decaying."

Bruce gritted his teeth, taking a step forward. We now stood a foot apart, both waiting for the right moment.

"How can you be at peace with yourself, knowing you gave a 12-year-old girl the biggest trauma of her life?" He asked.

"Biggest?" I scoffed. "Please, don't give me that much credit. Her traumas were far worse when she realised she had to be a breeding machine, when she was enslaved by a bunch of mercenaries. Hahaha!"

My chuckle turned into a full-blown laughter.

"Hahahaha! I gave her a trauma, sure, but it's a small price for my goal." I said, looking at him like he was a naive puppy.

"Oh, Bruce, you can't even imagine the dark times I've lived through. You lost your parents, and so did I. At least you had Alfred to look after you, but what did you do? You pushed him away when he was trying his best to help you. I had no one. I had no home, no family, nothing. But I never gave up. Until my final breath, I fought for what I believed was right, and I died for it."

I took a deep breath, reminiscing about the horrific scenes I witnessed as a soldier.

"There are no good guys, Bruce, no bad guys, no black, no white, just shades of grey everywhere. Some are just dark enough to be noticeable, and I can see it because I lived through every shade of it."

Bruce sighed, raising his hand as golden sparkles erupted around it, forming a gauntlet that perfectly fit his arm.

"You're a good soldier, Theo, but I have to stop you." He said.

I sighed at his words, looking down as the green water rose up to our knees. I shook my head and raised my hand as green particles floated over it, forming a katana in my grip.

"For Gotham needs a hero, and that's not you." He stated.

"Shall we?" I asked, twirling the blade in my hands. He responded by smashing his gauntlets together, creating sparks.

"For Batman." I muttered.

"For Batman." He whispered back.

"Arghhhhh!!"

- - - - -

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