Shiva laughed.
A beautiful, terrifying laugh.
"You mistake dominance for mercy, child."
Shiva attacked one last time.
Every nerve in her body screamed.
Her techniques peaked.
Her killer instinct sharpened.
Damian inhaled—
Sun Breathing.
His aura brightened like a blade pulled from a forge.
He moved.
One step.
One strike.
Not a punch
Not a kick.
A gentle palm to Shiva's sternum.
A technique she herself invented.
Shiva froze.
She fell back one step.
And kneeled.
Not from pain.
From acknowledgment.
Shiva's Words — The Highest Honor
She looked up at him from the ground.
Her voice was quiet.
"Damian… Young Lord…
You are no longer my student."
Damian blinked.
"You beat me," she continued.
"You outread me.
Outmoved me.
Outgrew me."
A pause.
"From today on…
Talia stepped forward from the shadows, proud and slightly afraid.
Damian lowered his gaze.
"…Why?"
Shiva stood, eyes sharp like blades.
"Because I cannot teach someone who is already a monster greater than myself."
She turned away.
"But remember this, Damian Wayne…"
She glanced over her shoulder.
"…you walk a thin line.
The same line all monsters walk.
I only hope…"
Her voice softened.
"…you choose to be a good one."
Damian remained silent.
Inside, the system chimed:
[Duel Completed — Skill Mastery Increased]
[Sun Breathing Adaptation: 62%]
But he ignored it.
He simply looked at Shiva with respect
Talia Warns Damian: "Batman Is Getting Close to You."
The moment Lady Shiva ended her duel with Damian, word spread through the League like wildfire.
The Young Lord defeated Shiva.
At age nine.
But while the assassins whispere,revered, and feared him…
one person was not impressed.
One person was worried.
Talia al Ghul.
And that night, she came to speak to her son
Talia Watches Damian Sleep — And Feels Fear
The moonlight poured into Damian's chamber.
He slept cross-legged, meditating even in dreams, breathing calmly, faint traces of Sun Breathing glowing under his skin.
Talia watched him silently.
Strong.
Disciplined.
Focused.
Too focused.
Too much like his father when he was young…
and something far more dangerous when he's older.
She touched his hair gently.
"Damian… my son. You are no longer something the League can hide."
Damian's eyes opened instantly.
Not startled.
Just awake.
"Mother."
Talia sat beside him.
"We need to talk."
Batman is getting close to you."
Damian blinked once.
"…What do you mean?"
Talia folded her hands, posture elegant but tense.
"Two weeks ago, you infiltrated Gotham during the biotech fundraiser. You stole weapons under Black Mask's nose."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And you fought a squad of his mercenaries… too efficiently."
Damian didn't react.
The memory was nothing special to him.
But Talia continued:
"Black Mask released footage.
Shadows leaping like fire.
Movements impossible to track.
Heat signatures inconsistent with any known metahuman."
Damian stayed silent.
Talia leaned closer.
"Your father saw the footage."
Damian's heart beat once—slow, controlled—but harder.
Bruce Wayne.
Batman.
What did he say?" Damian asked.
Talia's lips tightened.
"He analyzed your technique.
He isolated your breathing patterns.