"So let me get this straight," Raven started summing up in a disbelieving tone, "you want to hook my spine to a bunch of creepy machines that are likely to make me a cripple or fry my brain and that without any guaranty that Oracle will
be walking again," she finished almost angrily. Batman didn't even nod. "You're crazy! I'm out of here, Bat-brains!" Raven cried out in an uncharacteristic display of fury.
"Raven, wait!" Nightwing stopped her from storming out of the Bat-Cave by holding her by the waist. "Don't leave, please. I'm sure we can come up with something more reasonable," Dick tried to reason only to have Raven break off his grasp and facing him.
"Don't you see? He's trying to manipulate you. Again!" she argued angrily. "Me and eventually Barbara are
your women, not his guinea pigs."
"You're right, Rae. I won't let him use the two of you like this. Not if you don't want to," he promised. "We'll find another way. In fact, I have an idea," Dick was now addressing Bruce. "Since we're already trying to get rid of Ra's once and for all, we could
use his Lazarus Pits."
"Are you sure Barbara has the mental discipline to overcome the side-effects of the Lazarus Pits?" Batman questioned his son.
"Of course she has," Nightwing argued.
"If you say so..."
"Would either of you like to take bets on how long we have to live?" Lex Luthor bellowed angrily. Hope and Mercy looked at each other with worry. They were concerned that their boss was loosing his mind, along with his several billions-worth empire.
"You don't have to worry about your lifespan shortening for now, Luthor," a voice sounded from behind them. Lex turned furiously with a weapon in his hand to face the intruder, but someone caught his wrist and unarmed him. Glancing to his sides, Lex noticed
that Hope and Mercy were in an equally bad position. "Please, there is no need for violence," the same voice announced. Lex finally recognized it as Ra's al Ghul's.
"You!" Lex started angrily. "This is all your fault! I've lost everything because of you!"
"I assure you, Luthor, I am not responsible of your demise. The Detective takes all the credit for it," the Demon's Head explained, as he signaled his men to release Luthor and his bodyguards. "It seems my former heir has finally decided to put an end to our
feud. As for you, well... Batman made sure LexCorp was caught in the crossfire."
"Batman, that damn sneaky rodent, I should have known," Lex seethed under his breathe. "I suppose your presence here - and the fact you spared our lives - means you are looking for a partnership," he addressed Ra's.
"Indeed. I know that you still possess many technological resources. I want us to put our forces in common. This alliance is necessary if we are to wage war against the Detective," Ra's suggested.
"And his lackeys from the Justice League," Lex added.
"Yes. And I already have the perfect weapon to strike at the Dark Knight's heart. Don't I, Talia?" Ra's asked to the agent that had disarmed Lex earlier.
"Of course, Father," she agreed as she removed her mask to reveal her beautiful features. "How are you doing Mr Luthor," she asked in her usual accent. Her tone was both teasing and conspiratorial, which angered Hope and Mercy. The two bodyguards didn't like
it when other women flirted with their boss. Especially when it was a woman Lex actually liked.
"Oh, I'm doing just fine, Talia," he responded with a large grin. "Very, very fine actually."