Chapter Two
Previously
"Oh Grayson, do not worry. I am forcing you into accepting this but the choice to accept what I offer truly will be yours to refuse if you so wish. My Heir must be willing or else the whole function is lost. I will give you the chance to see what I offer, to experience what I have to give, and then if you so wish you can return to your mentor as if the whole experience never happened. All I wish is for you to have the chance to broaden your horizons." Ra's said. Dick was surprised but ultimately it made sense. Leaving his empire in unwilling hands would just lead to ruin on Ra's part. And Dick saw another side of this. He could provide support for both Kaldur and Artemis, Learn more about the light, and learn more about the secretive league of shadows. Already Dick was seeing how this could work to his advantage. And when it came down to it, Ra's was going to let him leave. For everyone's safety he had to play along for now.
"I have your word that you will not reveal anything you know and that when the time comes I will be allowed to walk away risk free?" Dick asked. Ra's allowed a grin to break over his face.
"You have my word."
Present
"You have five minutes to explain the situation to your friends. Then we leave, understood?" Ra's Al Ghul said with a hint of satisfaction in his tone. Dick frowned.
"Already giving orders Ra's?" Dick said. Ra's chuckled gently.
"No orders Grayson, just suggestions that would wisely be followed." Ra's smirked and walked to the door. "Just remember they can't know the nature of our agreement. For all the world to know this is a willing venture on your part. Understood?" Ra's asked and Dick nodded before Ra's walked out the door and left it open for the others who had been waiting outside to rush in. Kid flash was the first obviously.
"Are you ok? What did he want? Why was he here? Is the plan still good? Is-" Wally asked rapid fire until Dick held up a hand stopping him.
"The plan is still on...with some changes." Dick admitted. Kaldur noticed the change in Dick's attitude.
"What did Ra's want with you?" Kaldur asked apprehensively. Dick took a few seconds to prep himself mentally. One misstep here and Ra's could destroy the entire superhero community. Dick had to handle this just right.
"He made me an offer he has been making Batman for years. I made the choice to accept." Dick stated and before anyone could respond he grabbed Wally's shoulders and met his eyes.
"Kid Flash, everyone has to know that I went willingly. Do you understand?" Dick asked.
"Hell no." Wally said getting ready to say more.
"Do you trust me?" Dick said quietly. Wally opened his mouth to speak but then closed it and looked at Dick. The two friends looked at each other for a few seconds before Wally sighed.
"Yea, I do." He muttered. Dick clapped him the shoulder and then let go.
"This meeting never happened anyways so just act as if I disappeared or something. I'm sure Ra's will send me out eventually. We have to play this by ear but as of right now the plan is still on, just stay away from Ra's whenever possible." Dick instructed. Wally stepped forward and gave Dick their special handshake before pulling him in for a quick hug.
"Take care bro." Wally said and Dick nodded. Artemis gave Dick a quick hug.
"You sure about this? The mission is not worth everything Dick." She said. Dick sighed.
"We need this mission to work. We have to little info on the light and things are just going get worse unless we can stop it." Dick said and Artemis gave him a worried look before she nodded. Dick turned to Kaldur and motioned for a private talk. Kaldur walked over and the two moved away from Kid flash and Artemis as the two took the chance to say their goodbyes. Kaldur looked expectantly at Dick.
"If things go bad you do not stick around to try to extract me. You take Artemis and evac, Kaldur you need to promise me this. Don't risk your life to try to get me out. Promise me." Dick insisted. Kaldur gave Dick a critical look before a sad look crossed his face.
"If that is truly what you wish... then I promise. But Nightwing, what does Ra's have? There is no way you are doing this willingly." Kaldur said. Dick looked around with a bit of nervousness before answering.
"Just know I made the choice Kaldur, that's all I can say." Dick stated before walking away and towards the door. He reached the door and put his hand on the knob before turning around. He saw Kid Flash and Artemis holding hands as they watched him and Kaldur half masked in shadow with the same sad look on his face. He opened the door and walked out. Ra's Al Ghul was inside a car with the door open. There was an empty seat next to him and and a slightly excited look on his face.
"Are you ready Grayson?" Ra's asked. In that moment Dick doubted everything he was doing. He didn't care that he would ruin the lives of so many superhero's he just didn't want to get in that damned car with that twice damned man. Dick remembered how every time Bruce would get back from a encounter with Ra's it would take days of Bruce silently, intensely, brooding and a few long talks with Alfred before Bruce was back to the normal brooding. This man Dick was about to attempt to fool had been able to effect the one person Dick considered incorruptible. Now that Dick knew what Ra's had offered Bruce he was suddenly struck by the thought that maybe those long nights had been spent...considering Ra's offer? What had he gotten himself into?
"Ready is relative I suppose." Dick joked with a grin to cover up the sudden doubt he was feeling. Ra's just let out a small chuckle as Dick slid in next to him and the door closed behind him. The car started to move as Ra's spoke again.
"I was pleased with the way you handled the questions asked by your friends. You did well Grayson." Ra's said. Dick raised an eyebrow.
"Am I even allowed to have friends?" Dick asked sarcastically.
"But of course! Why I consider the detective a dear friend despite his efforts against me." Ra's stated, surprising Dick. How could Ra's really consider Bruce a friend? It just proved to Dick that he was really starting from square one with how to deal with Ra's.
"Where are we going?" Dick asked. Ra's made a dismissive gesture with his hand.
"Ultimately to my home in the mountains. There we will complete your training." Ra's answered. Dick snorted disdainfully.
"Batman trained me and Batman has beaten you. What could possibly train me in?" Dick said. Ra's face grew serious.
"Weapons both classical and modern to start. Then of course the running of the league of shadows. But most importantly, Ruthlessness. The detective has trained you just shy of perfection, leading you to the pinnacle and blocking the path before you can reach it. You have been taught to injure and disable with moves that originally were meant to kill and maim. These moves have been modified by the detective to fit his style of fighting and thus he has taught it to you. I seek to correct that error and unlock the potential of what you have been taught." Ra's explained. Dick looked hard at Ra's.
"I won't kill. I will never kill." Dick said vehemently. Ra's shook his head.
"Never is so very absolute Grayson. Dealing in absolute's is never healthy." Ra's said and Dick got the sense that the conversation was over. He looked out the window and watched as the city flew by. After a while the airport came into view and the car pulled into a tucked away entrance, coming to a stop in front of a sleek, black, small jet.
"Private Jet Ra's? You shouldn't have." Dick snorted sarcastically. Ra's frowned at him a bit.
"Must you act so unpleasant? It is unbecoming of one of your ability and intelligence." Ra's said. Dick matched Ra's frown with a sneer as the door was opened and he stepped out.
"So I should be oh so very polite? Excuse my lack of tact when speaking to the man who not even an hour ago blackmailed me into serving him!" Dick yelled as he went to slam the door. Ra's hand appeared quicker then a viper and stopped the doors motion.
"So will you wallow in self-pity over your situation? Pathetic." Ra's said as he emerged from the car. Dick rounded on Ra's.
"Don't." Dick said with a hard edge in his voice. Ra's closed the door and cocked his head at Dick.
"Let it out Grayson. I can see the anger. The second Robin was alway considered the angry one, the rash one, but you were just better at hiding it. Come Grayson, maybe a friendly sparing will help." Ra's said mockingly. Dick clenched his fists.
"Shut up and lets get on the plane." and with that dick marched up the stairs and into the plane. Ra's chuckled.
"So spirited." He said before he followed Dick onto the plane. Dick took his seat in the obviously expensive plane. The seat were a dark brown leather and a solid wood table was between the two seats, the wood even looked expensive. Ra's landed in the seat opposite of Dick without a sound. He looked at Dick and Dick met his gaze. The two engaged in a staring contest for the better part of an hour before Dick sighed and moved his hands to his face. Ra's looked at him for a few more moments and then seemed to come to a decision.
"Would you care for a game of chess?" Ra's asked. Dick went to respond with a definitive no when he took a second to think about it. He could sit here on the plane doing nothing and making no progress or he could use this as a chance to let Ra's think he was making some headway. Plus he was getting bored. Dick nodded and Ra's clapped his hands and a well dressed large man brought in the board. It looked like it weighed almost a hundred pounds, the thing was composed of a mix marble and obsidian with a hint of gold outlining the squares. Then the man left and returned with the pieces setting them up. The pieces were made of the same material as the board only they were entirely marble and then entirely obsidian. The king and queen stood out as they had what seemed like crowns almost inlayed at the tops. Ra's controlled the black while Dick ended up with the white.
"You first Grayson." Ra's said and so the game began. Dick seemed like he was always in control of the game, setting the pace and taking an early lead. But as the game went on it became very clear that Dick was outclassed. Every move Ra's made set a trap to be sprung at his convenience, every piece taken was done with impunity, and every time a weakness showed it really was just hiding a devastating strength. Dick on the other hand couldn't make a move without a consequence.
"Checkmate Grayson." Ra's said calmly. Dick grunted.
"Should I be surprised? How many years of practice do you have exactly?" Dick asked. Ra's smiled a bit.
"Enough Grayson, Enough. Care for another?" Ra's responded and Dick nodded. And so the trend continued. Dick would seem to control the game out of the gate but would soon find himself losing on all fronts and being put in checkmate after checkmate. After the fifth game Ra's shook his head and sighed.
"A good showing Grayson but I still feel it...lacking. I propose a new idea." Ra's said with a knowing smile. Dick gave him a wary look before Ra's continued.
"For each piece of yours I capture someone dies. No one important, just some common criminal or someone along those lines. But if you are put in checkmate, then I kill someone you care about. Since I know many of your friends identities how hard do you think that would be? Maybe while they are running around in their costume it would be difficult, but If I but some poison in Barbara's milk while she is out on patrol? Some C4 under Roy's car? Simplicity itself." Ra's finished with a wolfish grin. Dick clenched his hands and could barley contain the rage he felt. He couldn't think of any way out of this and he had just lost five games in a row to Ra's. How could he possibly win now? When you can't stop the loss of life try to minimize it Bruce had always said, so that's what Dick would do. Dick managed to shake his head and Ra's made a small noise of approval. And so once more the game began. This time though Dick took a completely different approach to the game. He sacrificed pieces quickly but in doing so saved more in the long run and he managed to spot most of Ra's traps before it was to late. The game took on a more intense pace as both players took long turns. After an agonizing long time Dick moved his queen into position and let out a deep breath.
"Checkmate." He said in a daze. Ra's looked over the board briefly and then clapped his hands together.
"So it would seem. Well played Grayson." The man who had set up the table appeared and started to put it away. Dick had lost seven pieces during the game and he watched them get put into a case with apprehension.
"Baahir tell the pilot we can land now." Ra's said and the big man nodded as he put away the last of the pieces and carried them and the board away. Dick looked at Ra's accusingly.
"How long ago could we have landed?" He asked and Ra's made a dismissive gesture.
"Over two hours ago but we were playing chess Grayson." Ra's said as if that explained everything. Dick felt the plane land and a few minutes later the door opened. Ra's stood and made his way to the door.
"Now come Grayson and see your new home. We will discuss the importance of the lesson that particular chess game served as well." Ra's said as he strode out the door. Dick tensed at the mention of the game as he pictured the seven captured pieces, but he stood up and made his way to the door.
