To his right was Talia herself, a strikingly beautiful woman, with sharp features that were both alluring and intimidating. Her long black hair flowed like silk down her back, and her piercing green eyes seemed to bore into the soul of anyone who dared to meet her gaze. She was impeccably dressed, favoring dark colors that complemented her sleek and mysterious persona. Her signature outfit consisted of a black bodysuit that hugged her curves perfectly, with a high collar that accentuated her long neck. Over the bodysuit, she wore a dark leather jacket that reached down to her hips, completing the outfit with a touch of edge and sophistication.
Talia's boots were also made of black leather, reaching up to her thighs and ending in sharp, pointed tips. She wore a utility belt around her waist, holding various tools and weapons that she could use to defend herself in any situation. Despite her alluring appearance, there was an air of danger and unpredictability about Talia Al Ghul. She was a woman who had seen and experienced more than most could imagine, and it showed in the way she carried herself. Her beauty was only a fraction of her allure; it was her intelligence, her wit, and her cunning that made her a force to be reckoned with.
To his left was Lady Shiva, quite possibly the world's greatest martial artist. Within the League, Lady Shiva held a position of great power and respect, serving as a mentor and trainer to many of the organization's deadliest operatives. She was a woman of striking beauty as well, with sharp features that exuded strength and confidence. Her long, jet-black hair was often pulled back into a tight ponytail, revealing her chiseled cheekbones and piercing brown eyes. Her muscular physique was lean and toned, and she moved with a fluid grace that betrayed her lethal capabilities.
She often wore a black bodysuit, paired with a hooded cloak that concealed her identity and added an air of mystery to her presence. Her boots and gloves were made of durable, high-quality leather, and her belt was lined with throwing knives and other deadly weapons. Within the League of Assassins, Lady Shiva was a revered figure, respected and feared by all who knew her. She was a master of many forms of martial arts and was known to be one of the most skilled hand-to-hand combatants in the world. Despite her reputation as a ruthless and deadly warrior, Lady Shiva was also known to have a code of honor and to hold herself to a high standard of ethics. She was a complex and enigmatic figure, one whose motivations and loyalties were often shrouded in mystery.
Both Lady Shiva and Talia stood quietly as they observed some promising young males spar in the presence of Ra's. With his health dwindling, Ra's was in search of an heir to take over in his stead and marry his daughter so that his lineage could continue. However, not just anyone could do this, as Ra's had very high demands in terms of combat, wealth, and personality. But time wasn't on his side, so every now and then, Talia and Shiva would bring promising young males to him, hoping they could catch his eye. Afterwards, it would only be a matter of training them himself… he was that desperate.
However, at the moment, Ra's had little interest in what he was seeing and waved his hand to order them to stop. Lady Shiva then spoke in his stead with a voice of authority, "Enough! Leave the hall at once, you've all failed."
After she said this, Ra's stood up and left with his hands behind his back and the two women in tow. They were roaming the quiet halls of the building when suddenly a buzzing broke the silence. It came from Ra's personal communication device. Although technology was near non-existent in the compound, Ra's recognized its importance and thus made exceptions for some, especially his personal line, which less than ten people had.
He casually reached into his robe and retrieved it, thinking it had to be something important for him to be called directly. Upon answering, he immediately heard the familiar voice of Lex Luthor.
[Evening, Ra's, or whatever time it is wherever you've chosen to hide yourself.]
Ra's furrowed his brows, not trying to hide his displeasure at the call. Although very useful to him, Ra's didn't like Lex Luthor in the least and so he tried to hurry the call. "State your purpose in calling me."
[Always so quick to get to business. Anyway, I was calling to get the contract I placed on Arias Markovic terminated. You can, of course, keep the payment,] Lex revealed casually, but this seemed to make Ra's even angrier.
"My League is not a tool for your amusement, Lex. I will not stop and start contracts on your whims. The contract was clear; we will do what was paid to be done." Ra's felt disrespected by being asked such a thing, so naturally… he disagreed.
But Lex didn't back down. [You lose nothing, Ra's. This silly code of yours will only inhibit you. Besides, when you're gone, the League will need connections to stay afloat, won't it?]
"You dare threaten the Demon Head!?" Ra's yelled out in great anger, causing both Talia and Lady Shiva to furrow their brows. They knew not many would even think of making Ra's an enemy.
[I would never. I am simply pointing out facts. If I offended you, then allow me to pay the same fee I used to start the contract in order to terminate. Don't act like you don't make exceptions, Ra's…] Lex trailed off, but Ra's could more or less understand what Lex meant… and he didn't like it.
"Fine, but this will not happen again. Consider the contract terminated, and you can keep your money," Ra's dismissively said before ending the call instantly.
Even for someone like Ra's al Ghul, Lex had confidence in making him bend. It was far too easy, further proving the point that Arias was indeed not easy to deal with. But that was only because Lex was yet to figure out his secrets…
With the call ended, Ra's turned his head to Talia, who normally handled contracts in his stead, and spoke. "The contract on Arias Markovic has been terminated. Recall who you had sent before they do the job."
Ra's was about to continue walking away when Talia spoke, often pronouncing 'th' and 's' with a thick 'ze.' "About that, Father, two teams have already been sent before; both failed. I was considering discussing who to send later today."
The first thing to come to mind when Ra's heard this was, "Slade Wilson isn't someone the younger members can handle… at least not without numbers." He muttered, thinking they were stopped by Slade.
But then Talia spoke again. "Although we don't know how the first team was dealt with in Monaco, the latest team managed to approach the target alone in his office as Slade wasn't around, but they were bested in single combat against him."
A curious brow was raised by Ra's at that moment. "How skilled were the people you sent?" he paused and questioned.
To which Talia replied, "Three Elite."
A short pause then followed as Ra's remained in thought. "Interesting. Have someone monitor him. If possible, I want reports on him weekly. Something doesn't seem right."
Having said that, Ra's turned and continued walking. Talia simply bowed her head slightly before speaking. "As you wish, Father."