DC: My Name Is Not Billy Batson [New]

As Dane approached the wreckage of the plane, a cloud of poison gas erupted from a corner.

With a swift motion, he clasped his hands together, and the poisonous gas, swirled and condensed into a compact mass in his palm.

He held the gas in one hand as effortlessly as an NBA star palming a basketball.

"Honestly, I'm a bit surprised you're not dead. You don't seem like the type to have superpowers," Dane remarked casually.

Ra's al Ghul emerged slowly from the wreckage, battered but far from defeated. Though injured, his wounds were not fatal.

"The years I've lived through are an asset beyond your comprehension," Ra replied calmly.

Dane's eyes narrowed. "I don't think the people whose lives you've destroyed would share that sentiment."

Ra's face remained impassive. "The masses of the ignorant," he dismissed. "And someone like you—would you truly care about the thoughts of these mortals?"

Dane's expression grew serious. "I would. For example, I know there are many people who wish you dead. Some of them are good people, and some are bad.

But you don't bother to distinguish between them, do you? You just kill them all."

Ra's al Ghul held his ground, meeting Dane's gaze.

"For the sake of necessary justice—for the purity of the world—some sacrifices are worth it," Ra declared.

Dane let out a cold chuckle. "You can cling to your philosophy all you want, but it won't matter now. Your time is up. In the name of justice, I'll end this here."

"No!" Ra's al Ghul snarled, defiance. "I will not die today!"

Though he knew he was no match for Dane, Ra refused to go down without a fight. He pulled a small remote from his belt, revealing a single ominous button.

"Did you think the Lazarus Pit was all I brought with me?" he sneered, with grim satisfaction.

Dane sighed, visibly unimpressed. "You're predictable, Ra. I already know what you're planning."

Ra's smug expression faltered, his confidence into suspicion.

"You brought a tactical nuclear bomb," Dane continued. "It's Soviet-made, isn't it? You've got some powerful connections in Gotham to pull off something like this."

Ra's al Ghul froze, his triumph replaced by unease.

"How do you know that?" he asked warily.

Dane's smirk widened. "Because I sold it to you."

Ra's eyes widened in shock. "You—"

"Oh, and it's a dud," Dane added nonchalantly.

Ra's though, but before he could act, Dane In the blink of an eye, he was standing directly in front of Ra's al Ghul.

"Too slow," Dane said quietly, as if bored.

Ra's al Ghul instinctively attempted to press the button on the remote, but Dane's reflexes were far superior.

With crushing grip, Dane seized Ra's hand, shattering the bones with effortless.

Ra barely had time to process the pain before Dane raised his other hand,

When Ra's al Ghul looked down at his chest in disbelief. A long, black stinger——had pierced straight through him.

Ra let out a bitter laugh, his voice trembling. "I understand now... I see... but this isn't right. Your fight shouldn't be with me…"

The stinger pulsed with an otherworldly energy, radiating an undeniable aura of death.

Ra's al Ghul, who had cheated death countless times through the Lazarus Pit, recognized the feeling immediately.

This time, there would be no resurrection. As his body collapsed, Dane frowned. Despite defeating his opponent, his expression darkened.

Something was wrong. He hadn't received Ra's al Ghul's soul.

This "stinger" was the artifact Dane had recently created, which he had named "Kiss of Death."

It had only two effects: the first was that anyone pierced by it would die, even from the smallest cut. The second was that it would directly collect the soul of the deceased.

That's right—he is not only the god of death, but also the god of the underworld.

The Aztec god of death didn't have as many domains as other gods, but he had control over everything related to death. The disadvantage was that his powers were sparse, but the advantage was that they were comprehensive.

But now, Dane couldn't collect Ra's al Ghul's soul. Who would dare challenge him and steal a soul from him?

"You killed him?" Damian's voice wavered, a sense of unease creeping into his chest. He had just thrown Catwoman off, not caring about what Talia might do to her. But now, he had no intention of seeing his grandfather die.

Talia, however, didn't speak. She charged at Dane with a sword.

Dane didn't hesitate. he crushed her sword and knocked her back with a palm strike. Fortunately, he held back enough strength to avoid killing her—after all, she was Damian's mother. But she didn't seem as guilty as Ra's al Ghul.

Damian rushed to catch Talia as she fell. Looking up, he saw Dane walking toward the Lazarus Pit with Ra's al Ghul's corpse. The scene stunned him, and a ridiculous thought crossed his mind.

Could it be? Was Dane deliberately killing his grandfather just to test the Lazarus Pit's effects? Before he could think it through, he watched Dane throw Ra's al Ghul's body into the pool, the green light from the pit glowing eerily.

A few tense seconds passed, feeling like an eternity to Damian.

Finally, Ra's al Ghul's head broke the surface of the pool, gasping for air, as if he were a fish drowning and desperate for oxygen.

Damian couldn't contain his joy and was about to wake Talia to share the news when he overheard Dane muttering quietly to himself:

"Why don't I feel the soul returning? Want to try again?"

Dane's methods were always direct—. As if carrying out a simple task, he yanked Ra's al Ghul from the pool and delivered a blow to his kidney.

With the "Kiss of Death," Ra's al Ghul's life faded again.

Damian was speechless, his rage building. He wanted to stop Dane, but he could barely get the words out.

"What are you doing?!"

Dane paid no attention. Unlike other heroes, Dane didn't believe criminals—especially murderers—deserved human rights.

He threw Ra's al Ghul's body back into the Lazarus Pit, this time keeping his focus on the pool. As he did, Dane sensed something new. The pool seemed to open a portal to another world, and an unknown force surged toward Ra's al Ghul.

There was something evil about it—pure, overwhelming evil. Dane felt a dark realization dawning on him.

"Sure enough, the gift of fate had already marked the price. This Lazarus Pool is his bait."

Dane shook his head, realizing the truth: when Ra's al Ghul first immersed himself in the Lazarus Pit, his soul was no longer his own.

If Dane's suspicions were correct, the true master of the Lazarus Pit was dark entity born from the pure evil thoughts of living beings. This demon ruled the dark world and was a formidable contender for Lucifer's throne.

Though the dark entity wasn't yet on Lucifer's level, his plans for Earth had already begun. And Ra's al Ghul was one of his pawns.

Damian saw Ra's al Ghul emerge from the pool again, and a deep fear gripped him—he was terrified that Dane might continue experimenting with the demon.

Hastily, he ejected his web laucher and pulled Ra's al Ghul to his side.

Ra's al Ghul allowed it, offering no resistance this time. He had guessed Dane's true identity and had surrendered himself.

It was impossible for a man to disobey God. Dane no longer made any attempt to kill Ra's al Ghul—it seemed pointless.

If dark entity desired, he could resurrect Ra's al Ghul at any time. It was even possible to create a new Lazarus Pit beneath Ra's al Ghul's corpse.

So, Dane let him go. But he couldn't just say that outright, so he looked at Damian seriously.

"Damian, do you want to save his life?"

Damian nodded quickly, positioning himself protectively in front of Ra's al Ghul.

Dane bowed, his tone firm. "In that case, you must take responsibility for him. Take him where he belongs. If he goes on to do evil in the future, it's your fault. You understand me?"

Damian nodded again. As long as he could save his grandfather's life, he was willing to accept whatever responsibility it took.

Dane's said to Talia. "She's the same."

Talia's sins were less severe than Ra's al Ghul's, but she was still guilty and needed to be held accountable.

Damian nodded in agreement. Once everything was settled, Dane vanished in a flash—he was off to Wayne Manor to watch a show!

After he left, Damian let out a sigh of relief. He turned to look at his grandfather but didn't know what to say.

"Let's go, as he said, and take me where I should be," Ra's al Ghul said calmly.

At that moment, Ra's al Ghul seemed eerily composed. Damian wasn't sure how to comfort him, so he simply led the way in hush.

The direction they headed was toward Black Gate Prison. They had apparently forgotten about Catwoman at the chemical plant, or perhaps they hadn't forgotten, but simply chose to ignore her.

However, as they left, an unexpected figure appeared at the ACE chemical plant: Harleen Quinzel. She had managed to escape from the basement.