Chapter Ten

Previously

Dick sat in silence as he thought about what he had just been through. The conversation with Eclipso had left him even more shaken then he had been which was saying quite a lot. What Eclipso had said about Dick doing what he had to do had struck a nerve. Dick was willing to do what had to be done but how many times would he tell himself that before this whole thing was over? What would he do when the things he had to do got more and more out of control? And also what the hell was he supposed to do about this sword? Eclipso was working some angle but Dick couldn't figure it out. That also left the question of who he trusted enough to bring with him if he even looked for the thing. Then Dick looked at Talia and thought briefly that she had gone against her father's wishes about the black diamond. Maybe… she would help him with this as well.

Ra's Hideout, Present

Dick exited the plane emitting an aura that clearly said leave me alone. Unfortunately for him Ra's Al Ghul didn't seem to care. The demons head took one look at Dick and gave him a cold stare.

"Follow me." He said and turned quickly, Not even pausing to see if Dick was following. Dick for his part only felt his anger increase at the treatment and stormed after Ra's, his entire body tense and ready to explode. Talia took one look at the rapidly departing pair and quickly moved after them. A calming presence might be needed very soon. Ra's pushed open a large set of doors and went down an even larger hallway, Cold air howling its way down the hall from the end of it which was wide open to the elements. Ra's stepped out into the snow and let out a content sigh, All of which Dick took in as he closed the distance. It almost wasn't even a conscious choice to take the swing at Ra's. Dick figured that was why he had been led out here. So he could vent his anger at everything going on around him and then Ra's could deliver an insufferable speech about expectations or something. Fuck that. Dick was going to fight until one of them was unconscious. The first punch went through the space where Ra's head had been and Dick quickly shifted forward into his next attack. Only he found he was flying through the air as Ra's snapped off a quick move that sent Dick tumbling backwards. He landed on his feet and before he could charge again he saw Ra's throw something at Dick's feet. Looking down he saw a curved sword, It was a piece of art if Dick was being honest.

"Pick it up." Ra's said in the same cold voice as he brandished his own sword, Shedding his robe so he was bare chested to the cold dusk air. Dick debated for a quick second before he picked up the sword and gave it an experimental swing. The thing was perfectly balanced. Dick looked up in time to see Ra's flow like quicksilver forward with thrust that would have taken Dick in the heart if not for his inhuman reaction speed. Dick brought up his sword for a parry and quickly found himself defending from almost every angle. He made a few attempts to attack the demon's head but the man never retreated, he simply moved to the side, never giving up the momentum he had. Dick's first slip earned him a shallow cut across the chest. Then one across his cheek and then another on his thigh. He earned a few more as Ra's moved through Dick's defenses like they weren't even there. After a full thirty seconds the fight ended with a quick twist of Ra's sword that sent Dick's sword flying and Dick to the ground. Ra's looked at him for a second before he sat cross legged next to Dick laying his sword across his lap. The cold look on his face melted a bit.

"I know you think I am evil. Perhaps I am. I have seen hundreds of years pass me by. Perhaps my morality that I think so right is outdated and barbaric. Perhaps I am rightly branded the demon's head, a monster." Ra's took a deep breath and looked at Dick who had managed to sit in a position that didn't strain his new wounds. Dick's face was an impassive mask that no emotion bled through.

"But why do I do what I do? The league is more then just killers for hire, it always has been. They have been my will that I use to enact change upon the world. A dagger in the right heart can save more lives then intervention by Superman himself. I have always known this and done what I felt was right. I do not shy away from the deaths I have ordered, I embrace them. Each of them was needed to bring balance to the world. Admittedly this balance is more a world in my own image but I am only human regardless of the longevity of my life. That is why I Act. To bring about a world I would be proud to live in." Ra's once again met Dick's eyes and found the face a little more open then the previous emotionless mask. Ra's gave a very honest and tired smile.

"That is what this whole league is about. The killing is simply a means to that end. If I must kill fifty to spare thousands should I? What about killing a thousand to save one man but that one man can cure cancer? Those are the choices I must weigh, why one can never simply swear off killing because it is sometimes the only way to ensure a better world." Ra's face became a bit colder again before he spoke.

"Giving one of the black diamonds back to the heroes was a move I personally support but it has made the light furious with me. I cannot afford to lose my status in the organization. The next mission you are sent on will be for the light and you must not fail. I am trusting you Grayson, Don't make me regret it." Ra's then stood up and shrugged back on his robe. Dick was in emotional overload but he managed to get question out.

"What, no threats to succeed?" He said but with a surprising lack of bitterness. Ra's looked at him and gave a small smile that did nothing tho hide the madness in his eyes.

"Grayson you preformed extremely well on the last mission by my own standards. I figure it's time we take off the shackles you have. How else can you rise to greatness?" And with that Ra's moved back towards the fortress. Dick just sat there watching the sunset over the mountains making the sky bleed a beautiful reddish orange. He heard her footsteps in the snow and felt her sit softly next to him. They both stared at the sunset for a few minutes. It was Talia who broke the silence first.

"My father has many sides to him. Many whisper that the Lazarus pit does things to a person's mind. Those same whispers claim that the man who first bathed in the lazarus pit was nothing like the man everyone knows as the demon's head. Everyone once in a while you can see glimpses of that man. One who believes in doing hard things for a better world. When I was a child I lived for those fleeting moments where I got the principled, honorable, man. His smilies could cut though the saddest day and his laugh was the ocean breeze on a cool day." Dick realized she had shed a few tears as she spoke and upon seeing this he felt his own eyes water. He clutched her hand and gave her as much comfort as he could give. Dick felt his own thoughts solidify and found his voice.

"I…I feel so unsteady…Like I'm walking a tight rope but it keeps shifting underneath me. I need to steady myself…I need to make a choice. No more phoning it in, I'll give this whole thing a serious shot." Dick stammered out and felt Talia's own hand squeeze his offering as much comfort as she could give. Dick felt raw after everything happening so fast, so many emotions. He couldn't even pretend to make sense of them all but as he felt her squeeze his hand he clearly identified one. He could feel the moment between them, both opening up and letting the other in…But the thought was chased quickly by guilt. No, he wouldn't do this. There where was to much going on in his head right now. He needed to clear his head and figure it all out before he made any choices like that. However he didn't stop himself from holding her hand all the way to their rooms where they separated, A look passing between them that acknowledged that something had changed.