After a few months of being there both Jasmine and Bruce had confessed about the guilt they both felt over the deaths of their parents. Jasmine was alone looking out at the mountains when Ducard walked up behind her.

"And do you still feel responsible for your parents' death?" he asked her

"Like Bruce my anger outweighs my guilt, but their murderer can only be killed by my brother." She replied

"Come." he said guiding her back inside to meet with Bruce.

"You both have learned to bury you guilt with anger. I will teach you to confront it and face the truth. You know how to fight six men. We can teach you to engage 600. You know how to disappear. We can teach you to become truly invisible."

"Invisible?" Bruce asked

"Appear!" commanded Ducard

Two men dropped from above.

"The ninja understands that invisibility is a matter of patience and agility. Ninjitsu employs explosive powders." said Ducard throwing a little at their feet

"As weapons?" Jasmine asked

"Or distractions. Theatricality and deception are powerful agents. You must become more than just a person in the mind of your opponent." He replied as Bruce tried some of the powder himself.

Ducard had begun training both of them to wield swords and put them through the gauntlet. The sword training took place on a frozen lake a few miles away from the house. Jasmine always went after Bruce so she stood to the side and watched the fight. Ducard attacked first and Bruce lost his footing and slid on one knee.

"Always mind your surroundings." said Ducard

Bruce came up swinging and they exchanged several blows before Ducard walked a small ways away.

"Your parents' death was not your fault." he told Bruce. Bruce came at him again he locked Bruce's sword in his arm guard and pushed forward. "It was your father's."

After that Bruce attacked him with pure anger he lost both his footing and his sword. Bruce got up and came at Ducard with his fists and arm guards but Ducard managed to flip him on his back.

"Anger does not change the fact that your father failed to act." Said Ducard

"The man had a gun." said Bruce breathlessly

"Would that stop you?" Ducard asked letting him go

"I've had training." said Bruce getting up

"The training is nothing!" said Ducard turning back to Bruce and attacking, "Will is everything!"

As Bruce got to his feet Ducard stopped attacking.

"The will to act."

Bruce came at him again but ducked to avoid the sword. He slid to his knees and flipped on his back when he reached his sword bringing it up in time to block Ducard. Bruce kicked his legs out from under him and got to his feet pointing his sword at Ducard.

"Yield." Said Bruce

"You haven't beaten me. You have sacrificed sure footing for a killing stroke." said Ducard as he tapped the ice at Bruce's feet causing Bruce to fall through.

Jasmine ran over to help get Bruce out of the water. Together they pulled him up and over to the snow. Ducard got a fire going as Jasmine Tried to help Bruce get warm. She pulled off her big coat and her shirt and grabbed Bruce around the waist.

"Put your arms through the sleeves in my coat." she told him

As it got darker Ducard pulled a couple of blankets out of his bag. Jasmine turned so that her back was to Bruce's chest and took one of the blankets. Ducard put the other around Bruce's shoulders as Jasmine covered herself as the sat around the fire.

"You are stronger than your father Bruce." he said

"You didn't know my father." Bruce told him

"But I know the rage that drives you. That impossible anger strangling the grief, until the memory of your loved one is just poison in your veins. And one day, you catch yourself wishing that the person you loved had never existed so you'd be spared your pain." Said Ducard looking lost in a memory.

Both Bruce and Jasmine looked up with pain in their eyes. Having understood his last statement.

"I wasn't always here in the mountains. Once, I had a wife. My great love. She was taken from me. Like you I was forced to learn there are those with out decency who must be fought without hesitation, without pity. Your anger gives you both great power But if you let it, it will destroy you as it almost did me."

"What stopped it?" Jasmine asked quietly

"Vengeance."

"That's no help to me." Said Bruce

"Why Bruce? Why could you not avenge your parents?" Ducard asked

"The chance was taken from me. After 14 years in prison he was granted another trial in exchange for information on the crime lord he had shared a cell with. The judge agreed to make the trial public but when I had the chance it was taken from me by a woman working for Falcone. He was shot and killed five feet from me." said Bruce

They slept outside that night and went back to the manor first thing in the morning. It was Jasmine's turn to run the gauntlet and she made it through only falling once. That night Jasmine and Bruce were alone for the first time in a while.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" Bruce asked drawing Jasmine into his arms

"How about just spending some time alone?" Jasmine said wrapping her arms around his neck

"That sounds good to me." said Bruce leaning forward and kissing her neck

Jasmine started pulling Bruce backwards toward the bed. When her knees hit the edge she fell back dragging Bruce on top of her. This was their first time together and Bruce was determined to make it special. As they lay together Bruce reached under his pillow and grabbed a box.

"I know that we haven't been together all that long but I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He asked opening the box and showing her the ring.

"Bruce." she gasped looking at the ring. She looked up into eyes and kissed him before saying, "Yes."

Bruce took the ring out of the box and slowly slid it on her finger. They fell asleep in each other's arms that night feeling more content then either had in a long time.


Over the next few weeks their training continued until Ducard felt they were ready to be tested. Jasmine was the first to go and Bruce was not allowed to be there. She dressed in her all black outfit and stood in front of Ducard as he crushed the blue flower she had arrived with.

"You've traveled the world to understand the criminal mind and conquer your fears. But a criminal is not complicated. And what you really fear is inside yourself. You fear your own power. You fear your anger the drive to do great or terrible things. Now you must journey inwards. You are ready." He said handing her a bowl with steam coming out. "Breathe."

Jasmine bent her head to the bowl and inhaled.

"Breathe. Breathe in your fears. Face them. To conquer fear, you must become fear. You must bask in the fear of others. And people fear most what they cannot see."

Jasmine pulled her face mask on as others crowded around Ducard. She moved slowly toward them.

"You have to become a terrible thought." came Ducard's voice as everyone in front of her drew their swords and made a path in front of her. "A wraith." Jasmine drew hers and moved forward slowly.

"You have to become an idea!" shouted Ducard as he came at her. He vanished when the others changed their position. "Feel terror cloud your senses. Feel its power to distort. To control."

The walls of the room seemed to vibrate as she glanced around.

"And know this power can be yours." The men around her shifted again to show a box which seemed to vibrate like the walls. "Embrace your worst fear."

Jasmine opened the box and jumped back as a dementor cam floating out. Her eyes widened as she stumbled back grabbing for her wand.

"Expecto patronum!" She shouted pointing her wand at the thing. When it stumbled back she new that it wasn't a dementor but just a boggart. "Riddikulus!" She said flicking her wand at it. The boggart vanished in a puff of smoke.

She turned back to the men only to be attack by Ducard. She ducked and rolled managing to avoid being cut on the arm but he still got her right leg. Jasmine got back to her feet and looked at her leg. She then cut the legs of some of the others and then joined the ranks as Ducard walked around looking for her she heard him behind her.

"You cannot leave any sign."

She turned and had her sword at his neck. Looking in his eyes she said, "I haven't." They both looked up at the sound of clapping.

"Good. Very good." Ra's al Ghul was standing at the balcony. "Come up and join me in watching the next one."

Jasmine moved up to the balcony and watched as Bruce went through the same thing she had. After he was done they along with Ducard were standing in front of Ra's al Ghul.

"You have done well with your fight training but you have done even better with your healing training. We have need of a healer here. Do you accept?" Ducard asked Jasmine

"Yes. I prefer it to fighting." she said with a smile

"Good." he said before addressing both of them.

"We have purged your fears." Ducard was again translating for him. "You are ready to lead these men. You are ready to become members of the League of Shadows."

Both Bruce and Jasmine gave Ra's al Ghul a small bow.

"But first you must demonstrate your commitment to justice." Said Ducard before shouting a command.

One of the men brought a prisoner forward and made him kneel at Bruce's feet. Ducard held out his sword to Bruce.

"No." Said Bruce understanding that they wanted him to kill the man. "I'm no executioner."

"Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share." said Ducard

"That's why it is so important. It separates us from them."

"You want to fight criminals. This man is a murderer."

"This man should be tried." said Bruce

"By whom? Corrupt bureaucrats? Criminal's mock societies laws. You know this better than most."

"You cannot lead these men unless you are prepared to do what is necessary to defeat evil." said Ra's al Ghul

"And where would I be leading these men?" Bruce asked

"Gotham. As Gotham's favored son you will be ideally placed to strike at the heart of criminality."

"How?"

"Gotham's time has come. Like Constantinople or Rome before it the city has become a breeding ground for suffering and injustice. It is beyond saving and must be allowed to die. This is the most important function of the League of Shadows. It is one we have preformed for centuries. Gotham must be destroyed." said Ra's

"You can't believe in this." Bruce said to Ducard

"Ra's al Ghul rescued us from the darkest corners of our own hearts. What he asks in return is the courage to do what is necessary." he stated

"We will go back to Gotham and I will fight men like this but I will not become and executioner." Bruce said glancing back down at the man at his feet.

"Bruce, please. For your own sake, there is no turning back." whispered Ducard

Bruce looked back down at the sword and then back up at Ra's al Ghul. He gave a shallow nod and took the sword. He rested it on the neck of the man before bringing it back up in preparation of the killing stroke. He swung the sword back down and hit the rod that was resting in the fire pit in front of them.

"What are you doing?" said Ducard

"What's necessary my friend." said Bruce

Ducard looked up as things started to explode on the next level. Bruce used his distraction to knock him unconscious. Jasmine moved to engage some of the men while Bruce took on Ra's al Ghul. The next five minutes were complete chaos as the house started to burn down around them. Jasmine saw Bruce lift Ducard and ran after him. They jumped out of the window as the level they were on exploded.

Jasmine and Bruce both landed on their back but Ducard was on his front sliding toward a cliff edge. Bruce slid down and caught him and used his arm guard to prevent them both from going over. He pulled Ducard back to safety and with Jasmine's help managed to get him back up the slope. Bruce carried him back down the mountain until the reached the little village they had passed on their way up. They left him in the hut if the healer who promised to tell him that Bruce saved his life.

Together the two of them made it back down the mountain. When they got to the nearest city Bruce and a call then the two of them retired to a bedroom for some well earned sleep.


If you want to see a picture of the engagment ring go to my profile