Talia explains

Leaning against the console was Talia al Ghul, her gorgeous mid-riff nearly snatching his gaze. "Prometheus…" Talia spoke his name with begrudging respect. "He stands next to Angel Breaker as a second to the Manhunter." Her voice lowered, her tone filled with ire and caution. "Prometheus, like the rest of Leviathan, seeks to dismantle the very foundations of justice. He views superheroes as symbols of inequality and disruption, believing they have tipped the scales in their favour. His purpose is to restore a twisted sense of equilibrium."

"He is a lot like Father." Damian spoke the words with contempt, like it was a travesty but one he needed to admit to himself. "Trained in every art, science, and field. The pinnacle of humanity. Those with meta powers fall to him like flies. It was up to us to defeat him, a task we failed."

"We ambushed him and nearly defeated him," Nightwing clarified. "Unfortunately, he got away. It was a matter of luck."

"I would argue it was skill," Damian contended.

Nightwing huffed and crossed his arms. "Damian, stop. If it was a matter of skill, then you and I together would have been enough. We weren't. Luck and circumstance. Today's battle was decided by those factors, nothing more."

Wanting to end the childish argument, Batman elaborated in their stead. "Prometheus possesses a mind honed to perfection but more importantly he can download the knowledge and physical skills of others directly into his brain via a compact disc in his helmet. His default disc includes the skills of thirty of the world's greatest martial artists."

"Myself, Batman, and Nightwing are included in said disk," Lady Shiva said. "On his own, Prometheus is a decent martial artist. A challenge to the little birds over there." At the sly insult, Damian sneered while Tim shifted his weight. "Combining that level of martial arts with an artificial intelligence, you can create a martial artist deadlier than myself. No matter what comes at Prometheus, he can calculate and deploy a variety of strategies and countermeasures. It seems he gifted Manhunter the very same AI. When I fought him, I noticed how unnatural his movements were. They were too precise for a human brain."

"Huh. What I wanna know is if there's a weakness?" Stephania pondered. "Being that overpowered has to have drawbacks."

"Agreed," Damian said.

'Prometheus, huh…'

Talk about information overload. The mysterious Angel Breaker and her prophetic sword, Manhunter who wasn't Mark Shaw, and now Prometheus? Aaron didn't know what to say or do except gesture to the cool cup of coffee next to Barbara Gordon. "May I?"

"Oh, uh, sure." Barbara handed it to him. He brought the drink to his lips. The redhead seemed mousy while watching him. "Is it good?" she asked.

"It's okay. It could use more sugar though." His tongue smacked against his gums. "You put a quarter cup of cream and sugar, right?"

"How'd you figure?"

"Coffee addict."

"Hey! Just like me!" Tim chipped in. "And it's another sign of an overworked office worker."

"Overworked?" Batman repeated. Once again, his eyes fell on Aaron and it made him skittish.

"No offence, Mr. Wayne," Aaron replied, wanting to address his boss (was he even his boss?) properly, "but that's just how office jobs are. You spend long hours and comb over paperwork–"

"Boring." Lady Shiva cut through his sentence with a single, commanding word. Grimacing, she gestured to Aaron then her daughter, "I have no interest in such menial talk. Cassandra, I suspect you feel the same. We should be out hunting for the Manhunter. You do wish to save this city, no? Protect the innocent? We cannot be wasting time."

Cassandra went upright like a spring board. She disagreed. Lady Shiva's penetrating eyes dug into her.

"Daughter," Lady Shiva began once more, exasperated, "you know these people–Batman–they hold you back. The two of us today were not enough but perhaps together we can be."

Cassandra's lips were sewed shut. She refused to engage her mother in a heated debate. Aaron was proud of her. She was headstrong and oftentimes let her emotions get the better of her. Not today.

"Lady Shiva, I have the utmost respect for you. However…" Talia approached the woman. Equal in height, stature, and physical conditioning, there was mutual respect between them. Lady Shiva lowered her chin and listened to the former heir of the al Ghuls. "...Manhunter, Prometheus, and our former student proved to be stronger than we could have possibly imagined. We need a plan."

"They are weakened," Lady Shiva shot back. "Right now is the best time as any."

"So are you. There is no advantage for either side. We must recuperate first. Plan. Then, we attack." Talia put a fist over her heart. "I promise you on my name: we will kill Angel Breaker. She will die for her travesties. But we must remain patient."

"Hmph." Lady Shiva put her arms under her bust. "What about the Penguin and David Cain?"

Like a shotgun with no recoil, Talia responded, "Abandon them. They have served their purpose."

"Mother." Damian growled and flinged himself off the gurney. "I knew it. I knew you were using them."

"Of course, my beloved son." Talia peered over her shoulder, at Damian, with a ghost of a smile. "The D.E.O would never get caught intermingling with such mindless fools."

"There will be repercussions," Damian warned.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not."

"You are trying to reestablish your power over the League of Assassins again. First by acting all buddy-buddy with Lady Shiva over there, the leader of the League of Shadows, now this alliance with us to track Angel Breaker." Damian paused for effect. "You wish to usurp her. To return to your throne."

Damian was right on the dot, apparently, because Talia began to applaud him. "Well done, my beloved son. Yes, that is correct. You are every bit the detective your father is."

"Silence." Damian snarled. "Mother, you have not changed one bit. I had hoped your role in the D.E.O had made you realize the error of your ways. It seems I was wrong."

"One day, you will understand," Talia countered, tender and cryptic. "But that is not today. For now, you need me, just as I need you. Isn't that right…Detective?"

The air thickened. Batman did not grace her with a response as Damian's wrath twisted and grew in silence. This situation was evolving into something far beyond his scope. Aaron sipped on his coffee. At least he was comfortable.