Ra's al Ghul was the very definition of a busy man. His crusade against evil took up most of his time, and as a result, he did have much leisure time to waste by relaxing. He prided himself on his ability to work hard without many breaks, and often made his soldiers do the same. However, one could only push themselves so far before they begin to yearn for a simpler life. No, Ra's knew that he could not abandon his empire, but still the hardships of his life began to make him weary, even with the enhancements of the Lazarus Pits. He was able to ignore these desires for the most part, but after he observed Bruce Wayne's ability to switch between the life of a vigilante and a civilian, curiosity took its hold and he decided to conduct an experiment.

Being the thorough man he was, hours of extensive research were put into finding the perfect activity. He could, of course, simply rest in his living chambers, but he knew that he would find no joy in remaining still for so long when there were things to be done. He decided to use the internet in his search, which suggested many activities that could be used for amusement rather than relaxation. The movie theatres were quickly eliminated from his list, as well as anything sport related. The cinema would only lull him to sleep, and sports would defeat the purpose of his experiment. Why would he spend his time running around throwing a ball if he had the finest gym the world has ever seen?

Eventually the list was narrowed down to one activity: buying a ticket to attend at a circus. Ra's had to admit that he was intrigued by the idea of a group of people showing off their skills in silly acts. Perhaps he might be able to study the more efficient talents and integrate their moves into his fighting style. Well, he wasn't entirely leaving his work behind, but that was the only thing he was willing to participate in.

Without a word to Talia or any of his guards, Ra's left his home in the mountains and made his way to Gotham City where Haley's Circus was going to perform at next. He had specifically chosen that circus in hopes that he would see the detective there, and that he could try to convince him to be his heir. Ra's was a persistent man and did not like to take no for an answer. Wayne would see it his way soon enough, he was sure.

"One ticket please," he said politely to the woman working in the booth.

"Just one? Okay, here you go!" The girl beamed at him and slid the ticket though the slot. "Have a nice night!"

He gave her a small smile return, hiding his unease of being surrounded by so many civilians. He couldn't remember the last time he was in the midst of ordinary people.

Giving his ticket to the man waiting the entrance of the tent, Ra's stepped inside the colorful area and made his way to the stands. The awaiting audience members were already engaged in cheerful chitchat, too excited to wait for the show to begin. The loud chatter was only reduced to whispering when the lights dimmed, and a spotlight fell onto a man in the ring.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Haley's circus!" He greeted, earning himself a cry of approval. "I'd like to thank you all for joining us in Gotham City. We received a large donation today from Mr. Bruce Wayne, but I'm sad to say he couldn't make it here today. I'm sure he is with us in spirit!" The audience cheered again, and he grinned. "I'm sure you're all getting impatient, so I won't delay the show any longer! Here is our first act!"

As the people surrounding him roared in glee, Ra's felt a bit of disappointed. Fate decided that he and the detective were to go to the same event tonight, but Wayne must have caught word of his arrival and chose to not go. Why did he have to be so difficult? They were after the same thing: a world without evil. The detective wished to achieve that goal without taking any lives, something that was simply impossible. Ra's attempted to make him see the error in his views, but the younger man could not be swayed.

Now in a bitter mood, Ra's barely paid the performers any attention, zoning in and out as many inane tricks were shown. None of them were able to catch his attention and the idea of finding something unique for battle was quickly discarded. There was nothing of interest here.

"-Flying Graysons!"

The crowd went absolutely wild, and Ra's sat up in his seat. Spectators were now at the edges of the stands, watching the three figures on the trapeze platforms with such focus that Ra's found himself drawn to them. Perhaps there was something interesting about this after all?

Seconds later, he decided that the quadruple flip was more than just a little interesting. In fact, everything the acrobats did was phenomenal! The way the figures twisted and flipped in the air had him completely entranced. They had to have been the best trapeze artists in the world! Even the youngest Grayson, a mere boy, had no issue in keeping up with their flowing movements.

"That could incorporate a kick," he thought as he watched the child let go of the bar and fly through the air. "An enemy hit with such an attack would definitely be incapacitated. It's a shame that I lack the build of an acrobat. Perhaps Talia can-"

SNAP!

The ropes supporting the female Grayson broke, and she began to fall. A scream sounded from Ra's left but he ignored it, clutching the edge of his seat tightly. There was a collective sigh of relief when the older male Grayson swung to her rescue and grabbed her by a wrist.

There was another snapping noise, and they both fell. A second later, a sickening crunch echoed throughout the tent.

And then everything fell into chaos.

Children screamed and cried, women shrieked, men averted their eyes, and several circus members sprinted towards their fallen comrades. Ra's simply remained still where he sat, a cloud of grief consuming him. This was a simple civilian setting, and still two lives extinguished. Two young, talented people were taken away from the world in a matter of mere seconds. This was a reminder that fate was cruel even to those who have done nothing wrong. What a waste of potential...

Ra's saw the grief stricken face of the ringleader, and decided to be kind and give him his condolences. After all, rumor has it that Haley's Circus was closer than family, and the loss of two members must have taken its toll on their hearts. He might even double whatever amount of money the detective donated to the group out of the sympathy he felt towards them. Nodding at his decision, Ra's stood and exited the stands to enter the main ring. The guard who blocked the entrance to the ring was no where to be seen, and as a result it took no effort to enter.

He began to walk towards Haley when a blur of red and black darted past him towards the exit. Ra's caught a glimpse of a tear streaked face and raven hair before the child disappeared, and the man stopped in his tracks. He had almost forgotten about the Grayson child. Such a tragic loss probably scarred him for life, and at such a young age too. No one should have to experience such a gruesome event.

"Did anyone see where Dick went?" Haley called out suddenly as police officers began to secure the area. "Dick?! Dick, where are you?"

Ra's turned around, eyeing where he last saw the boy, debating whether or not he should reveal where he went. No one who witnessed the death of their parents would want to be questioned by the police right away, or immediately shipped off to CPS. No, he would want to let himself grieve in peace. However, Ra's was concerned that the boy would make a rash decision in his grief hazed mind, and he would hate to see the loss of yet another talented individual. The solution was to go to him himself, and provide him with silent company until he was ready to face the world again.

Before he could be spotted, Ra's took his leave. Outside, there were several people calling for the missing child, all within the circus grounds. Obviously, Grayson would not choose to remain in the same place that his parents died. No, he went somewhere else, but where? Forestry surrounded the circus attractions, and Ra's sighed as he realized that the child was likely hiding somewhere in the woods. It wouldn't be very difficult to find him, but it would take some time, and Ra's was certain that if he was gone any longer, then his guard would panic and do something that they would regret.

So instead of taking his time, he sprinted.

Silent as a ninja, Ra's raced through the woods, avoiding tree branches and roots as he went. His ears listened for breathing and movement, and his eyes flickered from one side to another as he tried to spot the colorful costume he remembered the child wore. Finally, a snapping twig caught his attention, and he came to a stop. Ah, yes, there was the telling sound of crying to his right. He followed the noise, pausing once the boy's shaking form came into sight. Grayson was sitting on the cold ground, knees drawn to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs. Quiet sobs emitted from the boy, and Ra's felt his gaze soften. "Child..."

Grayson turned around with a sniffle, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. "W-who are you?"

"I am Ra's al Ghul, but I give you permission to simply refer to me as Ra's."

"Okay..." he bit his lip. "I'm Richard Grayson, but I go by Dick."

Ra's nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you, though I wish we were not introduced due to such tragic circumstances."

Blue eyes fell to study the earth below them. "So you saw what h-happened?" he whispered, hiccuping.

"Yes. I am sorry for your loss, dear child."

Fresh tears fell onto the boy's face, and covered his mouth to quiet another sob. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that they're g-gone, and-" his voice hitched, and closed his eyes tightly. "And now I'll n-never see them again..."

He had no idea what compelled him to do so, but Ra's found himself standing in front of Grayson, resting both hands on the boy's shoulders in an act of comfort. "You have nothing to apologize for, child. Absolutely nothing. Do not apologize for feeling the way you do; while they have the ability to cripple you if you rely on them too often, your emotions often make you stronger."

Grayson's lip quivered as he nodded. "O-okay. Thank you."

"You are most welcome." He noticed the child was not only shaking from crying, but goosebumps had appeared on his arms from the chilly air. Frowning, Ra's stepped back and removed his coat before handing it to him. "Put this on. I doubt you wish to catch an illness from this weather."

Confusion on his face, Grayson hesitantly accepted the clothing and slowly slipped his arms into the sleeves. Once the garment was zipped up, his shivering slowly deceased. "It's warm," the boy said, wrapping his arms around himself. "...Ra's, what's going to happen now? Don't the police take away kids who don't have parents?" His eyes were wide with terror, and Ra's felt a pang of sympathy.

"Child Protective Services will come and pick you up. Do you have any other known family members besides your parents?" Grayson shook his head. "Then you will put into the system and will remain with CPS until a suitable family takes you in."

"But... can't I stay with the circus?" He asked quietly.

"I'm afraid not. From what I understand, CPS does not believe that a traveling circus is a suitable place for a child to live. Sorry, but it looks as though you will be stuck in Gotham for some time."

Grayson's flinched. "No, I can't stay in Gotham! If I do, they'll find me and kill me too!"

Kill? Was this an example of a child's active imagination, or was there something Ra's missed? "It was an accident that your parents fell, was it not?"

"N-no." The boy curled his hands into fist, a flash of anger cutting through the face of sadness. "I heard some people talking to Pop Haley, and they sounded like they were threatening him. They said that since he wouldn't comply with what they wanted, then something bad would happen! I just know that they're why my parents... fell."

Murder. Some idiotic men disregarded the law against spilling blood and left an innocent boy on his own in such a dangerous city! Sure, Ra's killed innocents before, but he only did so when there was no alternative path he could take, and it was always with purpose. These men only slaughtered the acrobats because they did not get what they wanted, and through a childish fit to try to show their nonexistent dominance over the Circus.

They were dead. Anyone who was tied to the Graysons murders would be slayed by his hand, he would make sure of that.

"Dick?! Dick, are you out here?!" A voice called out from not too far away.

Grayson turned his head towards the sound of the voice. "I guess I have to go soon," he whispered, eyes downcast.

Ra's paused. This boy was perfectly fit, and while he was no fighter just yet, his acrobatic forms could be twisted into attacks. But would a child such as this one be emotionally stable enough to perform the tasks that an assassin must? Or was he already brainwashed by society to believe it was wrong?

"Why am I thinking about this?" He thought to himself in confusion. "There is no place for this child in my crusade."

And then it hit him. There was a place for Grayson, if the boy accepted his role.

Thinking fast, Ra's knelt on the ground and rested his hands on the boys shoulders once again. "Child, I have something I wish to ask of you. If you could make the people responsible for your parents' demise pay, would you do so?"

Grayson blinked at him slowly, eyebrows knit together without understanding. "Like put them in prison?"

"No, not prison."

Realization suddenly sparked in those blue orbs, and his mouth fell open. "You mean to kill them?! I can't do that! My mom said that killing is wrong."

"And you're mother was correct, at least for the most part." He tightened his grip on his shoulders. "Innocents should not die if it can be helped, but what about those who have committed terrible crimes like the one committed tonight? Would you say those individuals still deserve to contaminate the Earth with their existence so that they may continue to murder those who do not deserve it?"

"I..." His lip trembled. "I don't know," he said quietly. "My parents never talked about that."

"Do not focus on your parents' opinions alone. For you to make this decision, your opinion must be yours and yours alone."

"... Those men killed them, and I'll never see them again," Grayson said slowly. "And my parents never did anything wrong. They didn't deserve t-that." He lowered his head and fought back a sob. "I-I want them to pay for what they've done so that they won't hurt anyone else."

A smile finally formed on Ra's face. "Then I can assist you with that."

"... How?"

"I can make you disappear, Richard Grayson. You will vanish from the face of the Earth until you are ready to return as your parents' avenger. I shall train you, and gift you with all of my knowledge and skills that I can possibly share."

"...I'm not supposed to go anywhere with strangers."

Ra's actually laughed at that. "I suppose your parents have taught you well then. You are correct, leaving with a stranger to an unknown location will lead to tragedy in most cases. However, I do not mean to bring you any harm."

Grayson bit his lip indecisively. "I don't know..."

"Hm. Perhaps this will ease your troubles." Ra's quickly searched out any hidden weapons, handing the child anything he came across. When he was done, Grayson had three daggers of varying sizes along with a pistol. "You now wield every potential item I can possibly use against you."

The boy stared at the weapons in total awe. "I didn't even notice these things on you! They didn't stick out or anything? How?!" He stared down at his armful of harmful items awkwardly, as though he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. "Well if you're really strong, can't you hurt me without any of these?" One of the daggers fell to the ground and he grimaced. "And I can't use these to defend myself, I can barely hold them without messing up!"

"Smart lad." Ra's nodded in approval. "You are correct, I am fully able to bring harm to you even without the use of weapons, but if I wanted to, wouldn't I have done so already?" The sound of footsteps approached them, and he stiffened. "I apologize, but you must make your decision quickly."

Grayson knelt down and picked up the fallen knife, examining the design on its scabbard. "... So after I avenge my parents, then what happens to me? What would I do next?"

"You must make that decision on your own, when the time comes." A twig snapped not too far away from them, and he lowered his voice. "We are out of time. What is your decision?"

"I..." Grayson traced the etchings on the scabbard with his thumb, eyes frantically darting from one spot to another. All of a sudden, the child straightened his back with a look of determination on his face, and Ra's knew his answer before he even spoke. "I will go with you."

To say that he was pleased would be a huge understatement. "Excellent. Now it is time to disappear."

"How?"

"Climb onto my back and remain as silent as possible." Ra's said, turning around so that the boy could hesitantly wrap his small arms around his neck. "The first thing I will show you is how a member of the League of Shadows uses the darkness to their advantage."

Without much warning, Ra's stood up tall and darted into the forest. Grayson let out a surprised squeak but managed to silence it by using one of his hands to cover his mouth. Ra's felt his lips twitch upwards at that, though he had no idea why.

He also had no clue to why he chose to replace Wayne as his heir with this boy he had just met, but he had a strong feeling that Grayson would turn out to be a force to be reckoned with.

xXx

AN: So I apparently have an issue with writing stories? I keep coming up with new ideas and I can't help myself from turning them into new fics. I have way too many stories right now, and updates are probably going to be a pain in the ass, but I am more than willing to continue all of my stories. So don't assume that my other stories will be forgotten, because they definitely won't!

I realized sometime during the month that a lot of people totally disregard the fact that Ra's al Ghul, like it or not, is kind of a good guy. His main goal is to rid the Earth of all crime, which is good, but it's just the way he goes about achieving this goal that's wrong. I'm pretty sure Ra's was alright to begin with, but the Lazarus Pits must have messed him up so bad that his lost sight of what he was actually after.

But meh, that's just my opinion. Think what you will.