Chapter - 1

Two swords clashed, in a violent symphony. Sparks flew, the metal of the wakizashi strained under the pressure put by both opponents. The feminine figure glared daggers at the young boy while the boy gazed in disinterest.

This was not working, Jade realized. No matter what she did – she was not able to overpower this boy. And that's what her opponent was – A little boy. Maybe the same age as her little sister.

She couldn't see his face. Thanks, to the ninja get-up – but he had the most striking green eyes. Nothing like she had ever seen. They were shiny emerald fires. His physique, if it could be called that – was nimble but far from developed.

Clearly, the boy hadn't entered his puberty yet. Jade grunted as she blocked another heavy blow aimed at her ribs. Her arms almost gave out under the strength of his strikes. Not only he was stronger but he was far more skilled than her. It became apparent to her than ever.

So, this is what an heir to the 'Head of the Demon' looks like, Jade shuddered. Another precise blow to her sternum, and a spinning low kick and she found her back landing with a thud on the wooden floors of the dojo. They creaked under her weight.

Jade blinked, only to realize her own sword's blade was not even an inch from her jugular. Kissing it. Her opponent's knee dug into her stomach. She let out a wince and colored. I didn't even see it, she thought.

It was all too quick. All her years of training under her father – loathsome as he was; and all she had to show for it was this! Being humiliated by a boy who still didn't have his pubes!

Jade dared to steal a glance at him. He was so still. His posture, his stance, his grip – all perfect. While she was struggling to take deep gulps of air. At least pretend that this was difficult for you… pretend that I was a challenge.

For someone this cruel with his swordplay, he had beautiful eyes. Enchanting.

"Again!" Ra's shouted from the side.

Swords clashed – and Jade knew she wasn't going to win this bout either.

Ra's al Ghul listened as the pair exchanged sword once again. After the loss of his eyes, his men, and his vitality to the unmitigated disaster of a ritual he performed. That's all he could do. Listen.

He listened to everything. The swords cutting through the air. The exertion of muscles, the breath of the combatants – everything. Six centuries of martial arts experience – taken to its very limit. He no longer required his eyes to see what was going on around him.

Jade Nguyen. She was good, very good, excellent even. Sports Master raised a very talented daughter. No doubt about it. She was only sixteen and already he could see her becoming one of the best ninjas he had ever trained. Talent was aplenty in her. From ninjutsu to taijutsu. From stealth to open combat – she had the talent. Not to mention, the right mentality to survive in their business.

Damian on the other hand… he was a monster. No other ways about it. An absolute demon. Twelve going on thirteen, and already his skill surpassed anything Ra's had ever seen from any of his apprentices. His list included people like David Cain, Katana, Eric Needham, Bane, Lady Shiva, Malcolm Merlyn… The Detective… the list was as vast as it was endless. Every last one of them brilliant. Every last one of them trained by him – personally.

However, Damian… his every strike, his every stance, his every technique – from breathing to walking to meditation was perfect. He didn't use the word lightly. Before Damian, he questioned the existence of such a thing. Perfection, Pfft. If humans were supposed to be perfect then there would be no need for his endless crusade.

Humans by definition were imperfect. Hence, they spent most of their life trying to achieve the pointless. Always failing, always falling short. That was human to the last strand of its DNA. Yet, they tried to achieve the impossible. While trying to do so they destroyed everything around them.

The point being – Damian made everyone else look inadequate. While others fought with their souls on line, he danced – forever graceful, forever perfect. In times like this Ra's wished he still had his eyes so that he could see. See, what perfection looked like.

Give any weapon in that boy's hand, and he mastered it in seconds while others took decades. This was not talent – it was something else. He was something else.

Ra's didn't remember a single instance where Damian had struggled with anything he had given. No matter the task. No matter the difficulty. Damian did it to utmost perfection.

Despite Ra's efforts in trying to increase the challenge every day – nothing seemed to faze him. Nothing seemed to challenge him. Ra's wondered whether the boy ever bled before, ever felt his body pushed to its very limits. Sadly, that was the crux of the problem.

Damian's own brilliance hindered his progress. His perfection denied him the chance for evolution. Since he had never been in a position where his life was on the line – he lacked the instinct of a warrior. A killer.

For all his skill, Damian was too kind. Kind to the point of being suicidal. The only chink in his armor of perfection. The only thing that made him look human. And the one thing which will definitely get him killed.

Another thud and wooden creak, and Ra's knew Jade was defeated again. He smelled the air, searching for the scent of blood only to be disappointed. The boy had refused to shed blood again. Too kind.

"That's enough for today." Ra's said, and the combatants ceased their actions immediately. Ra's heard Damian take a step back and sheath his sword. While, Jade was still on the on her back – taking heavy breaths as she cursed up a storm under her breath.

Jade thought Ra's didn't hear but he heard everything. Maybe it would've been kinder if Damian had made her bleed, Ra's thinks.

After a minute, Jade leaves the dojo without a greeting. Still muttering creative expletives on her end. This had become a routine at this point.

"Sit with me, Damian." Ra's said, after ascertaining that Jade had left them.

"Yes, Shishou." Damian replied, sitting in seiza.

Ra's nose crinkled when the smell of the tea being crushed under the whisk reached him. This was a routine too. Something they have been doing since Damian was four. It was the boy's idea and something Ra's had come to enjoy over the years.

Damian poured the tea into two cups, as it bubbled away. After final two whisks, he handed one cup to Ra's. Who took a sip and released a deep sigh. Feeling rejuvenated, as strength returned to his old bones. Perfect as always.

"I don't think she likes me, Shishou." Damian said.

"Does it bother you?" Ra's asked, "Because if it does my apprentice, only you are to blame for it."

"And how am I responsible for any of this?" Damian scrunched his eyebrows. "What have I ever done to receive such vitriol from her? She seems to make it a point to find faults in me just so she could hate me."

She didn't find any fault in you, that is why she hates you. Ra's shook his head, as Damian's lack of social skills were laid bare to him. The sad part, none of it was the boy's fault. It was all his.

"You humiliated her, Damian." He said. "Made her feel worthless. You let the fight continue when you could've ended it in seconds. You didn't even bother to make her bleed, why is that? Need I remind you that we are ninjas – not a circus act! We end the fight as quick as possible! By whatever means necessary!"

"What am I to do then?" Damian asked. "Kill her? Go for her jugular? Doesn't seem like a civilized response in a common spar. And need I remind you that we were using live swords! One wrong move and I might've crippled her for life!"

"And what's wrong with crippling her? Maiming her, making her bleed, and killing her for that matter?" Ra's asked, his tone frosty at best. "You do realize that given a chance Jade would've done the same to you! She would've never hesitated, not for a single instant! So, the real question is why do you?"

Damian didn't answer.

"She gave everything in this spar – didn't hold a single thing back." Ra's spoke, and Damian cringed under the judgemental tone. "Yet all you seem to do is hold back… that will get you killed one day."

"If I injure her too much then she wouldn't be able to fight tomorrow, and it's not like I can spar with you." Damian sighed. "I already have so few opportunities to exchange fists… as it is."

"You needn't remind me of my handicap." Ra's snorted. "And you are trying to avoid the problem."

"I'm sorry, Shishou." Damian blushed, "That was uncalled for."

"No offense taken." Ra's gave a curt reply. "And again, you are trying to avoid the problem. Why won't you kill, Damian?"

There was utter silence in the dojo except occasional sips of piping hot tea by Ra's al Ghul. Ra's listened, and he felt his apprentice's muscle tense under his scrutiny. However, he had no intention of letting Damian go – not today. This was a high time coming.

"Because I hate it."

Ra's raised a single eyebrow, "You hate it?" he asked, "Hardly the reason to not do it. I never asked you to like the act to begin with. There are many things people do even though they hate it."

"You know it's not the same." Damian mumbled.

"How so?" Ra's rubbed his chin. "Explain."

Damian frowned, he didn't see the need for any explanation. His master was smart enough to see his position on it. He explained it clear enough with his actions over the years. Clearly, they weren't enough.

"Killing is not like eating, breathing or running." Damian replied, choosing his words one at a time. "When you slip a sword between someone's ribs, you take everything a person is, and everything he will ever be. It's a vile thing to do, and the most dangerous part – it gets easier every damn time. Look, what it has done to you…"

"What has it done to me?" Ra's asked with an edge to his voice. "You better choose your next words carefully."

Damian didn't relent. This needed to stop, he was tired of his master's constant hound to murder something.

"I know what the league of assassin does," Damian replied. "It's quite obvious, and you've never been shy to talk about it. You have killed without any semblance of conscience for the last six centuries. How many did you kill!? Hundreds? Thousan—"

"Millions." Ra's replied, blunt like a hammer.

"And now here you are!" Damian cried. "All alone! Your own assassins rebelled against you! Your own children rebelled against you! You even lost your Lazarus Pit! And now you are here training some kid you picked up from the streets – waiting to die alone. You have nothing.

"And now you want me to kill! Then you will lose me too… and you will truly be blind." Damian tried to get his breathing under control, but he was too angry to get it right. His palms were sweaty, and he could feel the beads of sweat roll down from his forehead. Funny, he felt exhausted – and he didn't break a sweat in his spar.

He grits his teeth… deep breaths, he thought. I need to dump the bad ki, cleanse myself… and find my center.

All of the training went out the window, the second he heard a chuckle. Damian's head snapped towards his teacher who was now openly laughing. He didn't even think his master was capable of it. After all, he trained him as long as he could remember. He knew everything there was to know about his master – and now he was laughing at him. Cackling.

A deep fury stirred Damian's heart… the kind which makes one go numb. He didn't think he was capable of losing his cool like this either.

"What. Is. It?" Damian ground out, gritting his teeth.

Ra's al Ghul didn't answer. He was too busy laughing because this was ironic. Even now, Detective – even now, when I am so close to my end, you haunt me.

"Nothing." Ra's replied. "It's just that this is only the second time I've heard a reasoning which was so childish. I never expected something like that from you – then again, you are but a child. A naïve child who has never experienced the world for what it is."

"And whose fault is that!" Damian growled. The sheer nerve of the old man…

"Hush now," Ra's chided. "You have said your piece, and now let me say mine."

"Is that why you hold back?" asked Ra's al Ghul, "Because you fear ending up like me."

"You have no idea what will happen if I don't hold back…"

There was no arrogance in the statement, only self-assurance. Ra's mouth twitched, but then it turned in to one of horror. He felt something heavy press down his shoulders. Like the Greek Titan Atlas, the entire weight of the skies was thrust on top of him.

It felt as if hours had passed by, and then it lifted just as quick – like a snap of his fingers. Ra's was back in the real world. He was on his knees, panting or was it screaming – he wasn't sure. He could feel his body soaked in sweat, and his bones rattling like leaves in wind.

What happened? Did the boy manifest his intent to kill into the physical world? Ra's eyes widened in incredulity. Was that even humanly possible? This was the first time Damian had shown something out of normal. The first time Ra's felt him angry. All these years, not even once did the boy throw a tantrum like this.

For someone who doesn't want to kill, Damian had quite the killing intent. The dichotomy of it made Ra's smile.

"I see now…" Ra's spoke, taking a minute to get hold of himself.

Shame rolled of Damian like a wave. This wasn't right. This was the man who took care of him since the day he was born – clothed him, fed him, trained him, taught him how to read. And he lost his cool, the second he disagreed with the man. Ra's always knew how to press his nerves but he never lost his control like this. Never.

"Have you centered yourself?" asked Ra's, his body still shaking from the experience.

"Yes, I have." Replied Damian, trying his best not to stammer or let Ra's feel his shame. What's done is done, and there was no taking it back.

"Good," Ra's spoke. "I know that I am a pathetic sight now. I am no longer the fearsome warrior I once was. I am rendered blind. I am aging rapidly, and with no Lazarus Pit – I will die. That is inevitable and that day is not long now. But you and I are both aware that it wasn't because I killed rampantly.

"It was because I saved you," Ra's voice was heavy and Damian choked. "You are aware of it but you would rather turn away from the ugly truth. Something tells me that you also know that you are not some random kid I picked up but you would rather turn away from that truth too… because it would be too ugly. Being blind, and weak was the price I paid for trying to bring you back."

A swift motion and the teacup in Damian's hand shattered. "Don't pretend you did it out of the goodness of your heart or I might just hurl, grandfather!" Damian spoke, and the temperature of the room dropped.

"How much do you know?" Ra's sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"More than you think."

"I am not going to apologize," Ra's said, with his straight back. "Everything I did, everything I will ever do will be to save this world. Nothing more and nothing less."

"What you did was disgusting." Damian snarled, not even bothering to hide his averseness to the act. "You tried to play God, and the Universe punished you for your hubris. You played with forces which you couldn't even comprehend – and in return, they played with you."

"And you comprehend them?" Ra's retort was quick. The skepticism was clear as day for Damian to see.

"More than you would ever know." Damian shuddered.

"And what did you comprehend?" Ra's needled.

"That they can't be comprehended." Damian chuckled. It was a bitter thing – lacking in humor.

"Pretty morbid time to jest, Damian."

"I wasn't."

"I see…"

"Do you?" Damian asked. "Because if you did, we wouldn't be here."

Utter Silence.

"I still say I don't regret it." Replied Ra's al Ghul.

"Because you know not what you do."

"Bible?" Ra's grin was thick with amusement.

"Luke 23:24."

"I know which verse it is!"

"I just thought you could use some religion," Damian replied with a straight face. "Might even make you less of an arsehole. Who knows maybe even help you grow a conscience."

Ra's bristled under his apprentice's language. It seemed today was a day of surprises and stupidity.

"I tried to mold you into something I wanted. Thinking that you were but a blank canvas," Ra's spoke trying to curb a growing headache, only to fail. "But I realize now that you gained your awareness the second I did what I did. So, now all I can do is be frank with you."

"Should have done it on the first day, grandfather. These constant little manipulations lose their charm pretty quickly."

"Nevertheless," Ra's spoke, "I shall do it now."

Damian straightened his back and took three deep breaths. "I am ready, grandfather."

"Have you ever heard about the Attack of Mers-el-Kébir?" Ra's asked.

"No," Damian shook his head, "I am afraid not, and I thought you were going, to be frank?"

"It was a naval battle which was fought in the 1940's on the coast of French Algeria, right at the eve of World War Two. Northern and Western France had already fallen to the German occupation. Giving the Nazis total control of the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Making it easier for the Germans to project their power over the entire world."

"I see... but what does this have to do with me?"

"No, you don't see anything, my apprentice." Ra's scolded, his voice stern. "And that is precisely the problem."

Damian snorted, "Please carry on. Wish you did some of that storytelling when I was young."

Ra's continued, realizing the boy was trying to get under his skin.

"And the Germans would have easily taken advantage of their newfound superiority but there was one major hurdle to overcome before they could achieve that."

"They needed ships, didn't they?"

"Exactly!" replied Ra's, "And sadly Germans were masters of creating artillery but to create an armada that takes an amount of expertise and time they simply didn't have. But lo and behold! The French's of that time had the largest naval armada, certainly larger than the Brits, and even that of the Continent...

"And this presented a problem. The French navy was just returning after a mission, and if the Germans had gotten their hands on it then the entire free world would've been in danger to the violent Nazi propaganda. Considering most of France was already in control of the Germans – it would've been an easy thing.

"The late Winston Churchill realized that, and he did the only thing he could. He intercepted the naval convoy with his own Royal Navy and gave the French an ultimatum – they were to either surrender the navy or be perished."

"No…" Damian trailed off with growing horror.

"Yes," Ra's replied with a sardonic grin, "And the worst part, at the time the French and the Brits were allies. Very staunch allies. Like usual, the French pride surpassed common sense and they refused the demands of their allies so Churchill did the only thing he could and gave the order to sink the ships. It was simply too risky to not do it. The entire world depended on it.

"So, the Brits did the deed and it was over within hours and the entire French Armada kissed the seabed along with 1500 lives of brave but stupid Frenchmen. That's how Churchill saved the free world."

"Why tell me this?" Damian grit his teeth. "There was no need for this history lesson."

"So, that you can learn from it." Ra's replied, his tone somber like a graveyard. "You despise the fact that I tried to play God. You even detest the fact that I killed millions over the span of six centuries – because you refuse to see the obvious fact that I saved billions by doing it. Because admitting that would go against everything you stand for… isn't it? Since that wouldn't be very hero-like. You want to save everyone, don't you? Isn't that trying to play God? Something you claim to hate about me?" Ra's asked, mocking Damian though it lacked the scathing wit the man was known for.

"I-I…"

"You would rather turn away from the truth since it's downright hideous," Ra's snarled and Damian withered under the weight of it. "So, all I would ask from you is to never fear it and to never ever turn away from it – no matter the cost. Because the time is not far away when you will have to play God to millions…"

A chill went down Damian's spine, and his throat went dry, "Evil is evil, lesser, greater, middling – makes no difference. If I am to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all."

"And that in itself is a choice – don't you realize that?" Ra's replied, "And a very selfish one at that."

"H-How so?" Damian's voice cracked, "How could asking for justice ever be a selfish cause? How could my willingness to not kill an innocent ever be the wrong one?"

"In an imperfect world, it is. Unfortunately, that's the only one we've got." Ra's replied, his face turning haunted. "You would rather let the world crumble under the weight of your ideals then save it – if that's not hubris, I don't know what else is."

It was only a whisper, but Damian heard it clear anyway. That was the final nail in the so-called metaphorical coffin.

None spoke for minutes. Solemn silence hanged around the dojo like a guillotine.

"I must meditate on this." Damian said, getting up to move into his quarters.

"Take all the time you need," Ra's replied, "and don't you ever turn away from the truth. Remember, why do you breathe in this world – you at least owe me this much."

"I understand, Shishou."

"Your training is complete now, my son."

Damian missed a step, and his eyes widened – left incredulous by the sudden affection of Ra's al Ghul. He had never addressed him as a son before or by any familial relation for that matter. The shock reverberating through his entire being was so potent that he almost missed that his training was over now. Almost.

"Just like that?" Damian asked, and he wished he didn't sound like a boy. "All this time I was just your apprentice. Never a son. Never a family… what changed?"

"You always needed a teacher more than a father," Ra's said, his voice uncharacteristically soft, "but that's not the case anymore. You were always family, Damian. You were always my son in every sense."

Damian's back faced his grandfather, and he was glad for that. He didn't want him to sense how much it affected him even though Ra's must already know. The man was perceptive like that. "That sounds nice. I didn't know it would feel that good. Thanks, grandpa."

"You don't have to thank me for acknowledging what you already were." Ra's replied, trying not to sound melancholic, "If anything I should've done it sooner for your sake. You are already carrying a burden which will not lessen with time let this not be one of many."

"You can move out now if you want. You have no more reason to stay here anymore." Ra's said, "You will be thirteen in a month and you have yet to see anything this world has to offer."

"I will. In exactly six months, thirteen days, two hours, and four minutes."

Ra's grinned, "That's oddly specific."

"That's how long you've left to live." Damian replied, "Your cancer is spreading."

"So, you knew." Ra's asked, "Since when?"

"Last year."

"You knew from the very start." Ra's replied, "How?"

"You aren't as good as you think," Damien smiled, despite the situation – it wasn't often he caught the great Ra's al Ghul off guard. "I want to stay until the end. You deserve a proper rest."

"I wasn't aware you could calculate it to such accuracy.' Ra's replied, 'That is assuming if you are right."

"I actually calculated till the nearest pico-second," Damian's lips turned into a thin line. "And my calculations are always right. It's not even that difficult. I have to take the growth rate of the tumor and its capability to spread through lymph nodes in mind. Of course, there are other factors like the patient's age, and immunity but those are trivial."

"How much more can you do?" Ra's whispered.

"So much more. So much more…" If only you knew.

"I don't think I am going to make it till six months."

"I know," Damian replied, "When I calculated it, I didn't take human will into account… it complicates every equation."

"What is the constant you generally use for human will?"

"I assume it's infinite."

Ra's chuckled, "Human-will is hardly infinite… I myself am proof of that."

"Strange," Damian replied, "In my case, it always works."

"Pride truly is your magical flaw, son." Ra's warned, "Don't let it destroy you."

"I guess three months then," Damian replied, closing the door behind him. "By that time pain will be unbearable. I will go and crush some herbs to at least make it as painless as possible."

Ra's heard everything.

Breathe in…. Breathe out… Let the ki move from your stomach to your muscles… to your organs… to your heart… expand your senses… feel everything around you… from the air to the seas, from the flora to the fauna. Let your senses pass through them and let them pass through you… Become one with the world and the let the world be one with you. This was the Triple-Blossom Meditation.

Damian felt his Ki respond to his wishes, sitting in a lotus position. He felt his bones becoming denser. His organs more resilient, as the Ki passed through them. He wasn't even sure whether it was Ki anymore since there was so much of it in his body.

Everybody had a life force in them which when trained sufficiently can help in doing incredible martial feats. That was the Ki… every great martial artist could use it in some form. It was willpower given form. Every living creature no matter which planet, no matter which universe had it in some form.

However, Damian wasn't sure what he had could even be quantified. It was bottomless, like staring into the heart of a million exploding stars. Maybe it was even more than that because he had never seen the entirety of this power. Was this the result of the botched up ritual Ra's al Ghul did – in his moment of desperation?

Damian didn't dwell on it much longer. That was not the reason he ever meditated. He wasn't worried about the power which dwelled in him – infinity didn't scare him. After all, it was a localized phenomenon. One could turn over a stone and find infinity staring at them. Even time and space were nothing more than an extension of will – the mind.

That was what worried him, the mind. The being from which the power was stolen from, had a mind so complex, so vivid, and so vast that infinity itself became a single grain of sand – finite. He had no words to describe it… How could one ever hope to describe the indescribable?

The scary part – he understood this presence. This power which had pervaded his very being down to his very soul was forcing him to understand it.

Damian didn't think Ra's could ever comprehend the height of his stupidity, and what it had cost Damian. Every day this power threatened his individuality. He was one while this power was everything in the entire multiverse – maybe even beyond the multiverse.

But still, Damian didn't let this thing win. His willpower was greater than the infinity – unyielding and unbending even against the impossible.

He still remembered the first time this power took hold of him. He was dead – a stillborn infant. However, the mind behind the power was so strong that it willed him back to life.

Resurrection always has a price attached to it, and this one had a huge reparation. Some of it was paid by Ra's al Ghul. He lost his sight, as he heard every ninja still loyal to him get incinerated. He also lost his Lazarus Pit where he conducted the thrice-damned ritual.

But the cost of this stupidity didn't end there. The price of resurrection was paid by Ra's. However, that was not all he asked for… he wished for the limitless power to change the world.

This power wasn't meant for Damian, it was meant for Ra's al Ghul. It was what his master asked for, wished for. He would've even gotten it if only he had taken one thing into account.

The thing was, a being who had power like that to spare couldn't be controlled – it rebelled. Furious, that an ant-like Ra's would try to take control of him. Of him! So it rebelled and made its home in Damian denying Ra's in the process.

Breathe in…. Breathe out.

Damian exhaled, taking air through his nose, and releasing it from the mouth.

This power didn't bring him back from dead or gave him power because it wanted to – No, it simply did it to spite Ra's al Ghul.

It tried to take over everything Damian ever was, and everything Damian ever will be. Even as an infant he knew the terror of it, so he rebelled too. He didn't understand a thing, after all, he was an infant. He didn't have the awareness to understand anything but he still rebelled by everything he ever was and everything he will ever be.

He used the entity's very own power against it – used its vast mind and will to empower his own puny one. Damian remembered every life he lived before he was born in this place. Every choice he ever made, in the vast multiverse. Every damn thing! A moment ago, he was an infant – and then he wasn't.

Even after fighting that hard, this entity's power was too much… but then by some miracle, this godly being backed off. Thinking back on it, Damian was sure it was only amusement which stopped the thing from consuming his very being. Sheer fucking amusement!

Breathe in…. Breathe out.

Most of the lives he lived were unremarkable. In some, he was an engineer. In another a doctor, pilot, soldier and so on. Sometimes human, sometimes alien, sometimes even an animal. But there was one which stood out.

Breathe in…. Breathe out.

Emiya Shirou.

One of the countless other lives he lived. This was another problem. This previous life of Damian had a personality which overpowered every other one; sometimes even his own – downright consuming them. It seemed to eat the other ones with one single thought… save them, save all of them. Never stop, never rest… simply save them. No matter what the cost.

The desire was so strong that if Damian tried to hurt someone, it would whisper in his ear, you know this is wrong, this isn't right, this isn't justice…. This isn't what heroes do.

After a full decade of this back and forth, Damian wasn't sure where Shirou began and he ended. Their personality was intermixed to the point that even by intense meditation he couldn't separate it. He wondered who wanted to save the world was it Shirou or Damian?

Damian sighed, he was twelve and he was already dealing with issues on how to save the world. The sheer insanity of it sometimes gave him a pause. Him save the world? The boy who has never seen anything out of the mountains where he was born. How could someone who has never seen the world, or experienced it in any significant way save it? Certainly not how Shirou wanted!

Shirou had one single thought and desire that one day he could smile just like Kiritsugu after saving someone. His survivor's guilt on that terrible fire seemed to rule every decision he ever made. From the War to his personal life – what little he had on that. He wanted to save everyone. Period. No matter how disgusting the person was – he wanted to save them!

Him on the other hand, Damian was still figuring the kind of man he wanted to be. However, one thing was clear, he didn't want to end up like Shirou… what he did to himself was worse then what Ra's al Ghul did. That kind of selflessness was dangerous not to just him but to everyone around him.

The thing was no matter how much he denied. One fact would never change – that he was Shirou and he was Damian. They were one and the same.

Jade woke up at the crack of dawn, took a quick bath and headed straight towards the dojo. She had been doing this for the last two weeks, since the day she arrived here.

But today was different. Normally, when she arrived the Ra's and the boy would already be here but today only the boy was there, and he wasn't wearing a mask – for the very first time.

He was young just like she thought, still had baby fat on his cheeks. She must've looked at him for a minute, trying to take in all his features. Cute, she thought. He looked adorable in the little boyish way with his well-combed brunette hair and glistening green eyes. Those eyes…

"Good Morning, Miss Nguyen." Damian said.

Jade missed a step, "You can talk!?"

"Of course," Damian's lips twitched, "Did you think I was mute?"

"No," Jade replied, "If you were mute the conversation between you and Ra's would be nothing short of impossible. You know with him being blind and all."

"Yeah," Damian replied, "It would be quite something wouldn't it, Miss Nguyen?"

"Ugh!" Jade cried, "Stop calling me Miss Nguyen! And stop being so damn polite, you are weirding me out!" You sure as fuck weren't half as polite when you were handing my ass to me yesterday or the day before that or the day before before that!

"I must apologize." Damian replied. "What shall I call you then?"

"Just Jade would be fine."

"Hmm… I see, Jade." Damian replied, tasting the word and then he looked at her with sharp eyes as if he was stripping her to see her insides.

Jade shuddered under his child-like scrutiny, feeling like a lab rat undergoing vivisection, "Stop. Looking. At. Me. Like. That." She ground out, trying to return her own glare with equal vitriol.

"Does it displease you?" Damian asked, "I was only trying to get a good look."

"What were you looking at!?" Jade screamed in outrage, unconsciously covering her chest with her arms. She was wearing a kimono showing far more cleavage then she was comfortable with.

"Your body." Damian replied, with an obvious look.

Jade colored again, whether it was embarrassment or rage she couldn't decipher. "W-Why you? Just how old are you?" Even people her age weren't that forward! And she was sixteen!

"Will be thirteen in a month." Damian replied. "What does that have to with anything? I assure you my wisdom is not rendered meaningless by my age."

"Jesus, what kind of thirteen-year-old talks like that!" Jade cried, "And what wisdom! You're just a horny brat!"

"Horny?" Damian scrunched his brows. He was puzzled by the idea that she would think he was horny then like a light bulb – he got it. "Oh! You don't have to worry about that! You and I, that's impossible! I would never go for someone like you!"

Damian laughed, tears coming out of his eyes, amused by the very notion that Jade would think that.

Jade felt her patience snap. She struggled to stop herself from swinging her sword at Damian. The only thing preventing her was she already knew it would be an exercise in futility. Instead, she smiled through her gritting teeth, 'That's nice to know.'

"So, since now we've gotten that out of the way,' Damian snickered, 'We can talk about what matters."

"And what would that be?"

"The thing is your body is not suited for using a sword. At the least, not to its full extent."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Your body – it's too womanly."

"It is?" Jade's voice caught between somewhere being pleased, and annoyed.

"Yes," Damian replied, "You lack the upper body strength to really put weight behind your strikes, and your hips are too wide to learn most of the styles my master knows. Since they are specifically geared towards a male body type."

Hips too wide. Jade didn't listen to anything else. Hips too wide… Did he just say I'm fat!?

"At the least, we don't have to worry about your breasts," Damian continued unaware of the distress he was causing the poor woman, "They are small enough that they won't get in the way in a fight!"

Hips too wide… and breasts too small. Jade saw red, and it was pure unadulterated feminine fury.

In a quick draw, she took out her ninjato and took a swing. Damian, he simply caught the blade between his index and middle finger. He caught it! He fucking caught it!

"Like I said, not enough strength."

Jade growled, took another swing. Damian stepped back dodging by only an inch. She swung again, and he took another step.

For the next five minutes, Jade kept on swinging the sword in every style she knew only for Damian to keep on dodging by a single inch. She was using maximum effort to harm him and Damian was using minimal movement to glide out of the way. No wasted effort.

Why is this happening? Jade wondered. She had fought so many people before even sixteen some would consider her an expert when it came to combat. She was good. She was real good.

She had taken people like Deathstroke and Ravager head on, and survived to tell the tale. If that wasn't proof of her skill then she didn't know what else was – granted she had her father's help but still, it counted for something!

So how was she so outclassed against a boy who has never probably even killed someone before? Never felt the blood flow through his blade! How!?

It took looking at his face to realize how effortless this was to him, he danced gracefully around her relentless strikes like an albatross gliding through the skies! There was a nobility and grace to his movements which Jade realized she could never achieve even if she trained all her life.

"Rotate your hips, Jade." Damian said dodging another strike, "That is where the power comes from."

"Urgh! Shut up and stay still! And stop analyzing me!"

Jade took another swing at Damian's head leaving herself wide open. Damian didn't miss the chance. In a burst of speed, Jade thought superhuman. He got inside her guard and caught her sword arm in a vice grip – and he pressed down until she was on her knees and her sword hit the ground in a mighty clang.

Strong, Jade thought. So, strong!

Jade looked up at Damian with a snarl, defiance still strong in her veins. This was no longer about her assets… she didn't know what this was about anymore. Maybe she just wanted to vent her frustration out. She just really wanted to hurt him.

This entire thing reminded too much of the life she left behind in the Starling City. The sister she left behind. The paraplegic mother she left behind – the weakness and powerlessness she left behind. Because in her family it was every girl for herself.

If you wanted to eat, you better find food for yourself. If you wanted shelter better earn for yourself. If you wanted to survive amongst the dregs of the Starling City with your innocence intact better learn to fight for yourself. No matter the situation – it was always every girl for herself.

Jade realized that at the tender age of ten years. She saw the cruelty and unfairness of her world and realized the only way she could ever hope to survive was by attaining power. So, she did just that. Left her sister and her mother right there and then – and joined her father in the business.

No matter how much of a scumbag and general arsehole her father was. He was powerful and he controlled his own destiny, unlike her mother. For six continuous years, she joined in some of the most dangerous jobs with her father. Earning a reputation and notoriety for herself, gaining strength with each dangerous encounter.

Until stagnancy hit like a cinderblock. Because now her skills were as good as her father. The only thing which gave her old man the edge was his experience. So, to increase her skills she tried to find the head of the demon, the great Ra's al Ghul. The man who trained not only her father but some of the best assassins there ever was.

And she found him after six months and spending almost every penny she had only to learn that the man she sought was blind. But she still decided to learn under the man's tutelage. Arrogant, thinking that anything the Ra's would throw at her will be easily conquered.

He threw Damian at her.

Now, she was on her knees – humiliated once again. Still powerless.

She glared daggers at him, looking him straight in the eye. Realizing for the very first time how outclassed she was. Even after the ass-kicking she received the last two weeks she still believed herself stronger, more skilled.

But now reality had finally kicked in. She realized for the very first time that no matter how much she trained, no matter what tactic she used, what weapon she used – she would never surpass Damian. She finally met an opponent who she couldn't best despite all her effort. Meeting Damian was like dancing with the Devil.

And for the devil, he really had beautiful eyes. She couldn't look away from it even if she tried her darn best. Even if those eyes were as cold as ice right now, she simply couldn't look away.

Then like a snap of her fingers, the ice in them melted away to make way for spring. She was stunned by the softness in them. The vulnerability was naked for anyone to see. It was something she would've never shown even in her weakest movements. It was as if he understood her… she didn't know how that was even possible.

"I have displeased you again," Damian's voice cracked, "Haven't I? I assure you that wasn't my intention."

"Haven't anyone ever taught you how to talk to women?" Jade growled, "Heck have you ever talked to a lady before? Y-You can't just talk about their breasts and arse like its weather!"

"I admit I have never talked to a girl before," Damian's eyes lowered as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, "You are the first girl I have ever met."

"W-What?" Jade shook her head, snatching her hand away from Damian's grip which had gone slack. "You're telling me that before until two weeks ago you've never even seen a girl!"

Damian nodded.

"How is that even possible!?" Jade screamed, "Like half the population in the world is us! I call bullshit. There's no way you're telling the truth!"

Damian smiled, his voice dry, "When you've never been outside of these mountains, you tend to miss a lot of things… and I'm afraid my social skills regarding the fairer sex just happen to be one of the casualties."

"You're kidding." Jade gave him the look. "So, you're saying that all you've ever done since the day you were born is train. How do you pass your time?"

"If you mean what I do for my enjoyment then I read," Damian replied, "Shishou has an amazing library."

"Ugh… reading." Jade blanched, "So, you've never seen the outside world?"

"Well, I'll be moving out in few months so I will get to see it then." Replied Damian, "And it's not like I don't venture outside. I often go to the lake for a swim and hunt animals for meat in the forest. Over the years, I've learned to occupy myself."

"But there is nothing remotely resembling civilization for at least a hundred miles…" Jade spoke sounding pitiful. "I would know because it took me close to six months to find this place and I got damn lucky."

Damian ignored her look and picked up the sword which Jade used against him, "This sword is precious to you isn't it?" he asked.

"Yes, how do you know that?" Jade bit her lips, "It was my mother's."

"You always carry it with you no matter where you go," Damian handed the sword over to her, "So I just assumed it was but I still think it's not the right weapon for you."

Jade's lips thinned, "So what is?"

"Sais." Damian replied. "With them, you will be able to move faster since they don't weigh much and you can deliver precise strikes to the kill points. It's a perfect weapon for someone like you."

"I have no idea how to use a sai." Jade admitted with a blush.

"I can teach you."

"Just how many weapons can you use?"

"Everything." Damian replied. "When it comes to weapons nobody is better than me. I am the expert."

"That doesn't sound arrogant at all." Jade's lips twisted.

"It's hardly arrogance when it's simple truth." Damian smirked, "You will see, that is if you let me train you."

"Fine, let's begin then."

Damian shook his head, "Not today, we are both exhausted from our previous activities. Some relaxation and good food will do us good. Especially, after the disaster, I've seen you make in my kitchen."

"That was only one time!"

"You tried to cook some rice and some meat and ended up burning them both to crisp."

Jade blushed refusing to meet Damian's eyes, "As if you can do better…" she mumbled.

"Fortunately for you, that's another thing where none is my better."

Jade's eyes twitched, now he definitely sounded arrogant! "Well, I'll see you in the kitchen, Master Chef."

Damian sighed, as he watched Jade saunter away to the kitchen, but his eyes didn't leave the sword on her back. A look of abject shame crossed Shirou's face. When Jade was swinging her sword, he structurally grasped it. Shirou's skill, to Damian it was as natural as breathing. It was instinctual at this point.

Normally, most of the swords didn't have a history behind them but when he used his structural grasp on hers, he got to see every last memory of Jade. The number of times she felt helpless, the way she left her sister, the people she killed – everything, down to last-minute detail.

Damian saw every part of her life and some part of him just felt violated that he of all had violated someone's privacy like this when he respected his so much. She would never know – he will make sure of that, but he will never forget what he had done. His prodigious mind wouldn't allow it!