Here we go! Chapter two! I'm really excited that everyone seems to be enjoying this fic. It makes me so happy, you can't even believe how happy it makes me. Honestly, I was terrified of posting this story at first, but it seems that my confidence is growing.

Here we'll see Castle's next step and some 'detective skills' coming into play. And the other important tidbit of information I held back before is hinted at, towards the end of the chapter. Ok, I'm going to zip my lip (rather, stop typing... you get the picture) and let you guys read!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle or the Dark Knight.

Castle looked up at the stone building before him, squinting against the bright sun. The taxi which had dropped him off was already out of sight, and left a cloud of dust behind. It was hot, but the writer was doing a fair job of ignoring it. He was too focused on the matter at hand; the museum's curator had agreed to meet with him, in about 10 minutes, to show him around and answer any questions. And luckily for Castle, the man spoke English.

Explaining to his mother, Martha, why he would be gone was hard. Saying goodbye to his little girl, even though it was only for a week, was even harder. But Castle pushed through it and got on a plane, flying out to the Middle East. Arabia, to be exact. To where the Demon's Head originated. Tightening his hold on his backpack, Castle let out a breath.

If he was going to find Ra's al Ghul, and his 'League of Shadows', he had to start somewhere.

Climbing up the steps, Castle entered the museum, noticing with subconscious relief that there was air conditioning. He barely had a chance to begin his search for the curator's office, when he heard his name being called out. Turning around with slight surprise, Castle saw a short and stubby Arabic man walk towards him. "Mister Castle?" he repeated, his accent heavy.

"Uh, yes," Castle nodded. "You must be Mister Masih."

The man only nodded, giving Castle a welcoming smile. "Welcome to Arabia. I trust you had no trouble finding your way here?"

"No trouble at all," Castle lied, remembering the very... explicit... words, one man had for him at the airport's taxi line. He followed Mister Masih down the hall, and they began making small talk.

"I can't thank you enough for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Masih," Castle said at last, trying to steer the conversation to the subject he actually wanted to talk about. Mister Masih simply laughed.

"No trouble Mr. Castle. My wife and I are big fans of your books. To have you do research here is a big honor." Castle simply nodded. That was the reason he gave to his mother about why he was leaving. Book research. Of course, they both knew that he could simply call or find everything on the internet, but for some reason Martha wasn't being nosy. A bit uncharacteristic of her, but Castle was grateful all the same. "So what exactly did you want to know about?"

Deciding it was better to get to the point, Castle pulled out a folded piece of paper - a printed picture of the Demon's Head. And he did not miss the paleness that struck Masih's features when he saw the picture. "Your website said that the ring went missing about fifty years ago? Could you tell me about the theft?"

Masih shook his head. "All I'm sure of is that it was stolen, rather, retrieved... by its rightful owner... Ra's al Ghul." The Arabic man saw the flicker of recognition in Castle's eyes, and smiled ruefully. "You are not here to do research for a book, are you Mr. Castle?"

A few minutes later, the two men were in Masih's office, the door locked. "What is it you wish to know about Ra's al Ghul, Mr. Castle?" he questioned.

"How do I find him?" Castle asked, not at all surprised when Masih began to laugh.

"Mr. Castle, Ra's al Ghul is a myth."

"There are no records of that 'myth,'" Castle said simply, noticing Masih falter. "And didn't you just say that he took the ring?"

Masih waved a hand dismissively. "Mr. Castle, I run a museum. Encouraging myths and legends are a part of the job. It interests people and keeps them coming back."

Castle could see that the man was adamant, and did not believe that Ra's al Ghul was real. "Well... could you at least tell me how the... story, originated?"

"There is a legend," Masih began slowly, "that hundreds of years ago, a man found the secret to immortality. He died many times, but every time his followers brought him back, through his 'secret ingredient' to everlasting life. If he aged too much, he'd minister whatever it was to himself and returned to his prime once more."

"With so many years to live, and already having a brilliant mind, this man... learned many things. He created a loyal group of followers. He became feared by the criminal underworld, as he sought to bring them all to justice. But all those men... who went to learn from him... they were never the same."

"Ra's al Ghul often found followers in lost men, men without a path. There were very few who held the same interests he did before they joined him, but it was those men who, more often than not, became his most prized students. But once one started down the path Ra's al Ghul offered... they could never turn back."

Castle absorbed all this information in. "What happened to him?"

Sinking back into his chair, Masih thought for a moment, trying to recall the story as best he could. "According to the legend, Ra's al Ghul disappeared. Went underground, his group of followers dismantled. And that was it. He became a story, a legend, and that was that."

"Until the ring was stolen?" Castle guessed.

"There were those that were certain that the theft meant he had returned from the dead once more... Others believed it was done by fanatics who wished to revive the legend of his immortality," Masih explained.

"Was the ring what made him... 'immortal?''" Castle wondered. "According to the legend," he quickly added.

"No, no. The ring did not give him his immortality. But it is rumored that the stone is from wherever he received his regenerative youth."

Castle thought to Ducard for a moment. Could he be, as Masih had put it, a 'fanatic'? He obviously couldn't have stolen it, he would have been a child fifty years ago. Was his 'League of Shadows' was simply a group of more Ra's al Ghul fanatics?

'But how did he get the ring?'

"Mr. Masih... does 'ra's al ghul' translate into English? Does it mean anything?"

Masih nodded.

"It means 'demon's head.'"

Castle sat in his hotel room, thinking to himself. He tried to write before, but quickly given up. There was too much on his mind.

He thought through all that Masih had told him. The man fully believed that Ra's al Ghul was a legend. Yet, there were no records of that legend on the internet. The ring, a part of the 'legend,' was real, and Castle couldn't think why anyone would create a story like that, just for the ring. There were too many details about Ra's al Ghul, so much so that the ring became one of those details, rather than the main point of the back story.

While Castle still didn't believe in this whole 'immortal' thing, he thought maybe the name Ra's al Ghul was maybe more of a title... Passed on through generations perhaps. It would make sense, after all, how else could Ra's al Ghul be 'alive' for so long?

But then there was Ducard...

Why would he have the ring? He said he represented the man Ra's al Ghul, and yet was wearing his ring. Proof? A clue?

Or just a trick?

Ra's al Ghul meant 'demon's head'. The ring was called Demon's Head. It belonged to Ra's al Ghul, yet Ducard- Ra's al Ghul's 'representative'- had it. Something wasn't adding up. It was like a puzzle or a riddle, and Castle learned at a young age that the answer to a riddle was always the simplest thing. And the simplest thing was...

'Henri Ducard is Ra's al Ghul.'

It was a bit out there... but it made perfect sense to Castle. Why give away your identity to someone you didn't know was trustworthy? Why give people a face to go with the name 'feared by the criminal underworld'? By saying he was merely a representative, he could give orders out, and claim they had come from his superior.

The man was smart. He knew things, and could do things. He fought ten men, single-handedly, and won. He orchestrated Alexis's breakout from the high security bunker. He was able to track them down in hours, while it took the FBI days. He somehow found Castle's real name, information excluded even from the 'Richard Castle fan site.'

Castle had no doubt of Ducard's abilities.

Less than a week later, Castle was back in New York. All leads he had were dead ends, and nothing new popped. But, now that he had a guess as to who Ra's al Ghul, he refused to give up. The mystery writer in him wanted to find the resolution.

It eventually occurred to him that if Ducard had been serious in his offer, he'd do everything to accommodate Castle. With his daughter being so young, he couldn't leave her. And with public image being very, well, public - his disappearance would be noted. No, if Ducard seriously was going to train him, he'd stay close by. So Castle began searching for abandoned properties, somewhere someone could hide away in and remain completely under the radar.

And one day during his internet search, a victorious smile came onto his face.

"Bingo."

It was an old building, decrepit and rundown. Compared to all the other Hampton's' properties, this one was extremely secluded and well-hidden. It had taken Castle a few turns to find the road/driveway leading to the place. But he finally found it, found them... all he had to do was go inside.

If it were only that simple.

Castle had his reservations, as any man would, and began questioning himself. He questioned his motives, how it would affect those he loved... Whether or not it would change him, like Masih said it had to many others before him.

"I'm not safe out there Daddy..."

Taking a breath, Castle got out of his car, ready to face whatever came next. As expected the door was lock, but that was nothing Castle couldn't handle - he had researched (and practiced) lock-picking for a Derrick Storm book. As he worked, Castle couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. Normally, he could chalk it up to his overactive imagination. But when dealing with someone like Ra's and his 'League'... Castle was certain that, this time, his suspicions were spot on.

Finally unlocking the door, Castle stood from his kneeling position. He only heard the soft thud of feet touching the ground before instinct kicked in. Managing to avoid the first blow, Castle realized he was face-to-face with a freaking ninja, and remained on the defensive.

Outward block. Step back. Dodge. Block. Block.

It probably wasn't even a minute when the ninja got the upper hand and knocked Castle out. The ninja stared down at him for a moment, noticing the sharp similarities between the writer and the writer's father. Removing the mask, Henri Ducard nodded in approval at Castle.

He had found his newest student.

Wait, what?! Castle can (sort of) fight? Castle's dad?! Castle's DAD?! What does Castle's dad have to do with any of this? What is going on?!

Not really a cliffhanger, but it does leave one with questions... When I first wrote this out, those questions were the exact ones that came to mind... it amused me, considering I controlled the answers. ANYWAY, we have a bit of back story for Ra's al Ghul here, Castle suspects Henri Ducard and Ra's al Ghul are one and the same, and he has completed his search for the League. Now things should start moving along.

I'll try to update soon, but I can't make any promises - I'm having surgery this Tuesday. It's not too much of a big deal, and the recovery time should be about a week, but I'm just letting you all know in advance.

So please review!

Katrina