A/N: So it's been over six months since I've so much as thought about writing anything. I'm sorry that I didn't post anything sooner to let y'all know that I'm fine (which I am). Thank you for your patience through this. I'm gonna try and get back into this, because you guys are the best and you deserve it. I will admit that this isn't the best thing I've ever written, but, like I said before, it's been over six months since I've written anything, so I hope you'll understand my brevity.

To those who stuck around, thank you. And to those who are just joining, welcome aboard. Here's Chapter 43 of Roles Reversed. Hope you enjoy!

Parley

Tension ran high amongst the Assassins. Training sessions turned more brutal than normal, several fights broke out.

A parley, a discussion between opposing sides of a conflict, had been requested.

Obviously it was a trap. Ra's knew it was a trap, every assassin in the building knew it was a trap, and the Court knew that they knew that.

Yet, they were going to spring it anyways.

Blood had been shed; the war had already begun as far as the League was concerned. This meeting would end in more blood, one way or another.

All day, the assassins trained hard, prepared for the upcoming battle. Bruce, equipped with his new sword, dueled dozens of different opponents. He was disarmed almost every time. The Sword of Sin felt wrong in his hand, but Ra's told him to pick up the blade and try again.

Jean seemed to be having similar issues, although he wasn't disarmed nearly as many times as Bruce was. Jean had been holding a sword since he could walk. Bruce preferred his fists, and maybe the occasional knife.

Late in the afternoon, Bruce asked Ra's, "Do you have a plan?"

Ra's laughed out loud. "Yes, Mr. Kyle. I know you do not think much of me, but I do have a plan. And, if you and Mr. Valley follow it, you will survive."

"Do you care to enlighten us on your master plan now?" Jean asked sarcastically. Apparently dying and being brought back to life had given him a sense of humor. At least one good thing came out of all this…

Ra's shook his head. "In time, yes, I will."

"And what time is that?" Bruce asked. Ra's walked off and he turned to Jean, nodding at his blistered hand. "Your sword sucks, too?"

Jean nodded, stretching his sore muscles. "Yup. I can't tell what's wrong with it…"

"It's just wrong," Bruce finished. He examined the twin blades closely. Besides the differently colored gemstones, they were identical. And yet, they gave off completely different auras. He had half a mind to ask Jean to switch with him before anyone would notice, but Talia walked up.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked Bruce in a very matter-of-fact way.

Bruce scoffed. "What am I supposed to do? They have Selina."

"Yes, and my father has you," she stated.

"Thank you, Talia, I hadn't noticed," Bruce remarked. "But right now this is my best option."

"Okay, but what are you going to do once we get inside?"

Bruce shook his head. "Honestly I haven't thought that far ahead, yet."

It was a lie. If all went to plan, like it probably would not, he was going to get lost in the chaos, find Selina, and get as far from Gotham as possible.

She sighed, glancing between Jean and him. She glanced over her shoulder, and then muttered, "When we attack, stay close to me. Both of you."

Jean arched his brow. "So we're making the first move?"

Talia shook her head. "Not exactly, no. Just watch me and try not to die, okay?"

They both nodded, and she walked off towards her chamber.

"So," Jean started once she was out of earshot, "what's your plan to get Selina out?"

Bruce smirked. "Simple. I convince Kathryn and Ra's to get over it and we all walk away happy."

Jean let out a low chuckle. "Good luck with that, mate."


Selina looked at herself in the tall mirror in her room. A long, indistinguishable black dress, black heels, and her owl mask. Her normally chaotic hair was straightened and pulled back behind her ears. She looked like a completely different person.

That was probably the idea.

The League was coming to parley.

It was a trap, obviously, and yet the Assassins had agreed to the meeting anyways. There would almost certainly be bloodshed, yet Kathryn and the other members of the Court had assured her that there was nothing to worry about. All she had to do was follow the plan, and Bruce would be spared.

If not…

Damn Bruce, always getting her into unnecessary trouble.

She left for six months and he managed to get himself into a secret society that was the eternal enemy of the exact other secret society she had been trying to infiltrate.

Alfred rapped his knuckles on the door. "You alright, Miss Wayne?" he asked.

She took a shaky breath. "I just want it all to be over."

He nodded. "I know, but we don't have to be here much longer. After tonight…" He sighed heavily. There was no guarantee that this would be over by tonight. They both knew it. "All we can do is hope, Miss Wayne."

She stared at her own reflection sadly. "I'm about out of hope."

"Chin up," he chided. "After all, even if things do go horribly tonight, I'll be right behind you."

Selina let a small smile escape her, but it quickly faded.

"You're worried about that Kyle boy, aren't ya?" Alfred asked, circling around to sit across from her at the vanity. She nodded. "Well, don't be. I have a feeling Mr. Kyle can fend for himself, don't you?"

She glanced out the window. "Of course. But…this isn't Sonny Gilzean or Penguin. It's just that…I just feel…"

Helpless.

Helpless, little Selina, the billionaire orphan who watched her parents die and did nothing but watch and scream.

That's all she was, a scared kid.

Then, Bruce had walked into her life…

He'd made her feel strong. He had supported her when she was weak. He had nearly died for her. And she would gladly die for him.

So what could possibly stand in her way?

She took a deep breath and stood up straight. "The meeting will start soon," she stated. "We should go."

Alfred nodded warily. "Very well, Miss Wayne."

She started off down the hallways, head held high.

It was her job to go along with the plan, it was her best chance at protecting him.

However, if things went wrong, she would not stand by and watch as another person she loved died.

Not again.

Never again.


Bruce pulled on his hood and slid the Sword of Sin into his scabbard. When he looked at the mirror, he saw a completely different person. He was tall and strong, clad in light armor and a cape and hood, a mask covering his lower face with only his eyes peeking out from under the cowl.

He was identical to all the other assassins preparing for the parley with the Court.

That was the idea of course. If the Court couldn't tell who was who, then they couldn't target any assassin individually.

He scoffed. Why were they even springing this trap? Obviously the fighting had to start sometime, but it wasn't like Ra's to take such a huge risk.

Walking straight into the home of his arch-nemesis didn't seem like him.

There had to be something bigger going on, some reason that Ra's would agree to a meeting so foolhardily.

There was a rap at the door, and Jean and Talia were standing there. Besides the different weapons they were sporting, Jean with the Sword of Salvation and Talia with her twin daggers, they were dressed identically to him.

"It's time," Talia said gravely.

Bruce glanced at his alarm clock. 11:40. They were going to meet the Court in twenty minutes.

His stomach started turning over. "Great," he muttered. "I'll be there in a minute."

Talia nodded and left, but Jean stayed at the door.

"It's gonna be alright, mate," he stated, although he seemed unsure about it. "Just stick to the plan and we'll be fine." Bruce said nothing. "Are you honestly worried that Ra's al Ghul doesn't have a plan?"

Bruce shook his head. "No, I'm worried that he does." He stared at the handle of his sword. The yellow gemstone that marked it as different from its twin brother seemed to be glowing dimly. He glanced at Jean's sword, the Sword of Salvation, and its handle. The blue gemstone that decorated it also seemed to be glowing, just a tiny bit less than Bruce's. He drew his sword and examined it. "And I have a bad feeling that his plan has something to do with these."

"What do you think he's planning?" Jean asked.

Bruce shrugged. "I have no idea."

Jean sighed. Bruce was lying of course, but he'd let it slide for now. There was no point in pressuring him. "We should go," Jean muttered.

Bruce nodded, and they walked out of his chamber, possibly for the last time.

They joined the battalion of assassins Ra's was bringing to the meeting. They lined up in rows, about 100 strong in entirety. It was a fearsome, highly-trained group, but Bruce knew it wouldn't be enough if fighting broke out.

Ra's stood atop a podium, and silence fell over the small army. "My friends, blood has been shed. The Court of Owls, our sworn enemy, has killed two of our own, breaking our century-long peace. Tonight, we will be exacting our revenge upon the Owls, once and for all." The crowd shouted in approval. "However, we must be patient," Ra's chided. "The Talon are formidable enemies. Nevertheless, if we strike as one, we will emerge victorious!"

The army roared.

Together they marched out of their lair into the tunnels connecting it to the sewer system. From there, they broke off into teams of ten, ascending ladders and staircases at different locations. As soon as they reached street level, they would ascend buildings to the rooftops, and swiftly make their way to the meeting location. Bruce was in a group with Jean. Talia, on the other hand, was leading her own group, a few blocks down from them. They ran in a semi-circle pattern, allowing for the widest area of vision in case of an ambush.

As a unit, Bruce, Jean, and eight other assassins crossed Gotham.

The meeting place, the Court of Owls' lair, loomed in the distance, coming closer and closer until Bruce could see the individual roman numerals circling the clock's face.

The Gotham Clocktower, one of the only remaining original buildings in the city, looked like a place out of time. Surrounding it were sleek and modern apartment complexes, corporate office towers, and the newly renovated City Hall. Meanwhile, the clock tower was built out of brick and mortar, constructed mostly by hand.

It seemed like a place the Court of Owls would call home, yet, given the air of power surrounding them, never a place they'd be caught dead in.

They reached the base of the tower at 11:58. The streets were completely deserted. The last few groups arrived, completely surrounding the clock tower. The doors were open, inviting the assassins inside.

The teams waited silently, watching for Ra's move.

Bruce watched the clock tick over to 11:59.


Selina sat painfully upright in her chair, staring intently at the grandfather clock positioned above Kathryn's chair. 11:59. Her hands were shaking with anticipation, so she clasped them together in her lap. The seconds ticked by like hours. The city outside was deadly quiet, the streets far too empty to be natural.

It seemed all of Gotham could feel the tension brewing up within it.

The long hand passed by the 6, halfway there.

She glanced around the table. All the members of the Court were in attendance, filling up the entire table besides the singular seat at the opposite end from Kathryn, presumably left for Ra's, the leader of the Assassins. Surrounding them were a few dozen Talon, hidden in the rafters and darkest corners of the room. You could only tell they were there if you looked directly at them, and even then they were difficult to spot.

Selina was sat 6 chairs down the right side from Kathryn. With the masks covering everyone's faces, and similar clothing being worn throughout, it was difficult to tell who was who.

That was the point, after all.

She was jarred from her thoughts by the clocktower chiming midnight. Each ring made her stomach twist. The confidence she had built up within herself crumbled.

After they passed, dead silence ensued.

Thirty seconds had passed when the footsteps began. Dozens of people approached the meeting room through the long, twisting hallways surrounding it.

Thirty more seconds, and the League of Assassins, escorted by a single Talon, appeared at the entrance of the room. Clad in hooded cloaks and lower facial coverings, they were practically indistinguishable from one another.

She was starting to sense a pattern.

There was one assassin, however, who was not wearing his hood or mask. He was tall and tan, with dark hair and a chiseled jaw. He was obviously older, seemingly in his 50s or maybe even early 60s, yet he had an aura of strength about him that made him seem younger. Unlike the rest of the Assassins, this man openly carried no weapon.

It was obvious to Selina that this man was Ra's al Ghul, the Demon's Head.

The Assassins filled the room as Ra's took the seat across from Kathryn. They were probably a hundred or so strong, easily outnumbering the Talon hidden throughout the room.

The doors were closed behind them, and the room fell into silence once more.

Selina searched the small mob for Bruce, but found nothing.

After another minute or so of dead quiet, Kathryn quietly stated, "You're late."

Ra's cracked a small grin. "You have my deepest apologies, Kathryn," he remarked, maintaining lightness in his voice. "Nevertheless, here we are."

She nodded. "Here we are."

"Well, it has been quite some time since we've met like this. How have you been?" he questioned, giving the conversation an air of two old friends talking after a long time apart. "How's running Gotham?"

She shrugged. "More difficult recently, but nothing the Court cannot handle."

Ra's nodded, his eyes flickering directly at Selina for a moment. Her heart dropped in her chest. "Of course not," he remarked, almost gently.

"And how have you been, Ra's?" Kathryn questioned. "Have you decided on your successor, yet?"

He smiled. "Yes, I have," he stated, quickly putting an end to the topic. "Kathryn, have I introduced you to my daughter?" She shook her head, and Ra's turned towards the Assassins, beckoning one out of the second row. She removed her hood and mask, revealing a beautiful girl of about Selina's age with long, dark hair, tan skin, and a pair of twin daggers tucked away in her belt. "This is Talia," Ra's told Kathryn. Talia bowed, and then put her mask and hood back on before stepping back into the crowd.

"You have a beautiful daughter," Kathryn commented, adding, "She resembles her mother, greatly."

There was a flicker of anger behind Ra's' eyes, but he quickly quelled it. "Thank you, Kathryn. Now, I'm afraid we must move on to business, don't you agree?"

She nodded. "Yes, I think it appropriate, especially after you came all this way…after all this time."

Ra's put on a weak smile. "Well, given that you murdered Jean-Paul Valley and Bruce Kyle, two of my best soldiers, in cold blood; you didn't give me much choice, did you, Kathryn?"

The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fireplace. No one breathed.

Selina's heart stopped beating altogether.

No, it couldn't be true. He was lying. He had to be.

She frantically searched the crowd again, her hands squeezing each other tighter and tighter as she looked for Bruce.

Grief, a feeling she hadn't experienced since that alleyway, began to wash over her.

She wanted to scream, to insist that it wasn't true, that Bruce was alive.

She turned her gaze to Kathryn, rage building up inside of her.

Kathryn met her stare, seemingly unfazed by both Ra's' accusation and Selina's reaction.

Coolly and calmly, Kathryn stated, "That is simply not true, Ra's."

Ra's cocked an eyebrow. "Is that so? Then, please explain why I had to burden two corpses with my curse."

Selina was confused and angry, if she had been carrying her knife, it would've been shoved through Kathryn's chest already.

Kathryn said that she hadn't killed Bruce or Jean, yet Ra's had the corpses. She didn't know who to believe.

Her thought process was interrupted by Kathryn stating, "You did so because of what that boy took from me. I called this meeting with the hope that you would return it, so that further blood might not be shed."

"So you admit to killing them?" Ra's questioned.

Kathryn tilted her head slightly. "Yes and no."

Ra's scoffed. "Would you like to clarify?"

Kathryn nodded. "I ordered the death of Jean-Paul Valley. We caught him attempting to steal something very important to us, and pursued him so that we might retrieve what he had stolen. Unfortunately, he left us no other option than death…" She took a deep breath. "As for Mr. Kyle, no, we did not kill him. In fact, I was unaware that he was still working with you, after what you tried to make him do…"

Silence again.

"You know everything, don't you, Kathryn?" Ra's stated coldly.

She nodded. "Naturally."

"Well then you should know that 'your property' was stolen from us centuries ago," Ra's accused. "Crystallized water from the Lazarus Pit." He laughed. "All these years and you still have yet to unlock its secrets."

Kathryn sat up slightly straighter. "A cure to death is not something that should be possessed by one man, especially not someone like you."

Ra's barked out a bitter laugh. "You know nothing."

Kathryn didn't like that. "Is that so?" she asked, leaning forward in her wheelchair. "Then, tell me, Ra's, what is it like to die?"

Ra's' eyes darkened. "I could show you, if you would like."

Selina had felt the tension in the room grow and grow. Now, the leader of the League of Assassins had just threatened Kathryn. The entire room waited tensely for her next move, but she said nothing for quite some time.

Finally, she muttered, "Ra's, I have invited you into my home to resolve this dispute before it results in the further loss of life."

"And there is your problem, Kathryn," Ra's stated. "You fear death, we embrace it."

Kathryn sighed, and slowly leaned back in her chair. "Then who am I to stand between you and your patron?"

It all happened so fast.

There was a sudden crashing sound, and, within a moment, the floor beneath the assassins dropped out. Those who managed to stay up reached for their weapons, but were quickly ended by the Talon. The fresh corpses were shoved down into the opening, and then, just as suddenly as the hole had appeared, the floor closed back up.

No one at the table moved a muscle.

Selina wanted to scream.

Kathryn simply sighed, and then told one of the Talon, "You know what to do." He nodded and disappeared into the shadows.

After several silent moments, Kathryn sighed and stretched. "Well, thank you all for attending our literal gathering," she said to the masked men and women sat around the table. A few chuckles broke out amongst them.

Selina sat unnaturally still, trying to process all that had occurred in the last twenty seconds.

"Our Talon should take care of the trash below," Kathryn stated. "All those, of course, exempting Mr. Kyle and Mr. Paul-Valley."

Selina felt every pair of eyes turn on her. She couldn't speak.

"Do not worry, Miss Wayne," Kathryn purred. "All is going according to plan."

A/N: And so the conflict between the Court of Owls and the League of Assassins begins.

It feels good to be back. No promises as to when the next one will be out. This year has been nuts. Honestly it was all of your support and messages that brought me back, otherwise I probably would've abandoned this project for good, so thank you for motivating me to continue on the story I started so long ago.

Thanks for reading and ciao for now!

Next Time: A Night in the Labyrinth of Light