AN: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews from last chapter! Enjoy!

xXx

A laugh rang out through the training room as Dick somersaulted out of the way to avoid being decapitated by Talia. Halfway through his tumble, he briefly unrolled his body and brought himself up into a handstand, feet grabbing Talia's sword by the tip while he swung back down. A split second passed and he landed in a sitting position on the floor, grabbing the blade from out of his feet while he rolled back up to a standing position. A wicked grin appeared on his face as a flash of irritation crossed Talia's, and he mockingly inspected his new weapon. "I could use this someday... Might make a nice decoration on my wall. What do you think, Tal?" His fingertips buzzed, and he ducked with a short cackle, narrowly avoiding a foot aimed at his head. "Someone isn't feeling whelmed."

"Still your tongue, gypsy child," the woman spat, eyes narrowed to slits. "The Shadows have no need for your slaughter of the English language."

"Ra's seems to find it amusing," Dick countered smugly, twirling the blade in his hands. "And as heir, I think I should add butchering words to the training requirements."

"You're not heir yet, worthless-"

"Do not finish that sentence, Talia," Ra's said shortly as he entered the training room. Dick straightened his spine out of reflex, grip tightening on the blade. His training made it so that whenever there was a new presence in his environment, he automatically tensed for battle. Months of ninjas breaking into his room in the middle of the night would be the cause for that. Ra's thought it would be a good idea... but the eight year old Dick Grayson didn't quite agree, especially since he had to train in the early hours of the day.

Now though, he could recognize those late night scuffles as a piece of valuable training.

"Ra's," he greeted, relaxing slightly. "Talia was just telling me about how much she loves my take on the English language."

"I'm sure she was," Ra's murmured, narrowing his eyes at his daughter. "Leave us. Grayson and I have much to discuss."

"Yes, father," Talia muttered angrily as she slipped out of the room, going out of her way to send Dick a glare over her shoulder before she left.

"She's never going to like me, is she? None of them do." Dick lowered his eyes, his grip on Talia's blade slackening. "Maybe I wasn't your best choice for being your second in command for your crusade."

"You have grown both physically and mentally during these past two years, and I have not yet regretted my decision in taking you in." He stepped closer to him, holding a folded up piece of paper in front of his face. "I did not come here to discuss your progress, however. I have news that I must share with you."

Dick absorbed his words, but didn't feel any sort of confidence boost. Okay, he was grateful that Ra's liked him at all, but that didn't change the fact that hardly anyone else did. The popular opinion in the League was that he was far too young to become strong leader after Ra's had passed, and even though there were a couple of assassins who believed in him, the majority still disliked him as much as Talia.

Two years with Ra's as his only welcome company... It became rather lonely.

But just like every other day, he ignored his feelings, and focused on more important subjects. "Good news, I hope," he said with a weary smile.

"You might not consider it to be, as of now." Ra's unfolded the paper and handed it to him. "I have a task for you to perform."

Dick eagerly took the paper away from him, taking in the picture in the upper right hand corner before moving on to the information below. "Kyle Armstead- one of your men?"

"A traitor," Ra's corrected shortly. "He has been an informant of one of our most troublesome enemies for quite some time. Fortunately, I discovered his intentions before he could give away any important information, such as our location, or your existence."

"Why wouldn't that be good news?" Dick asked, lowering the paper. "Was there another Shadow working with him?"

"No. Our secrets are safe, for now." He moved to his right, where a series of shelves were holding weapons and other useful items. Ra's carefully picked up a red marker and removed its cap before returning to Dick's side. "Armstead is now in our holding cells, awaiting his demise." Ra's took the slip of paper away, and slowly drew a red circle around the man's picture. "That is where you come in."

Dick's senses heightened, and he focused on the image his mentor was holding. His breath caught in his throat as the meaning of what Ra's was saying finally settled in. "You want me to-" He made a vague slicing motion in front of his throat, and Ra's nodded.

"I believe you to be ready," he murmured, inclining his head. "You have progressed faster than even I believed to be possible. Unless you don't wish to have experience before you avenge your parents, I think it would be best for you to be the one to take Armstead's life."

"I-Isn't that a job for... you know, the executioner?" Dick asked quietly, working past the dryness in his throat.

Yes, he had definitely trained for this moment. His schedule largely consisted of learning how to take a life, using his blades and other weapons against life-like dummies in preparation to go against a real, breathing human. Ra's had even brought him hunting to make the killing thing easier...

The first time he killed a deer, he cried for hours.

"As luck would have it, the executioner is being executed. I would handle it myself, but I saw the opportunity this would be for you."

The opportunity? Dick felt queasy; how could Ra's speak so casually about taking away another person's life? "I..." he bit his lip. "I-I don't think I c-can, Ra's."

Ra's looked somewhat disappointed. "I see. Then perhaps we should hold off finding your parents' killer for another year. If you cannot kill a traitor, I don't think you are fit to kill at all. Not yet." He turned away. "And we must work on your confidence some more, it seems. You have resorted to stuttering yet again- a bad habit that I hoped we had already worked our way through."

Dick's face burned as he struggled to come up with a decent reply. He had done everything he could do to make Ra's proud of him, but when the time came for him to do so, he let the man down. Ra's was all he had. Over the past two years, he had become something like a father figure to Dick, and he couldn't disappoint him.

"I'll do it." He took a step forward. "I will execute the traitor."

Ra's paused, and slowly turned around to face him once again. "You are prepared to spill the blood of another man?"

Dick swallowed hard. "Yes," he said as firmly as possible, but his voice still shook despite his efforts.

His words were met by a stern look. "Do not rush into it if you are not fully prepared. Are you certain that you are indeed ready?"

He wasn't sure, but what else could he do? If he kept cowering away from spilling blood, then he would only be proving that Talia and the others were right. Ra's would eventually grow tired of waiting for him to make his first kill, and Dick didn't want to be abandoned by the only person he had left. "I can do this, Ra's."

Ra's nodded, seeming pleased. "Then let us attend to the traitor."

Dick's stomach dropped. "Now?"

"Yes. Think about it, if you aren't feeling unsure now, me letting you dwell on it any longer will ensure your future hesitance." He put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "But when we are finished, we can partake in any activity you wish."

"...C-can you drop me off at Gotham tomorrow?" He whispered. "So that I can visit my parents?"

"If that is your wish." Ra's nodded. "I will make arrangements while you are resting in your chambers this evening. Now, I believe we have other things to attend to."

Dick nodded, ignoring the way his stomach threatened to bring up its contents. "Let's go," he said with confidence he certainly didn't have.

Ra's wasn't fooled, of course, but he didn't comment.

xXx

"Die, traitor!"

"We shall be avenged!"

"Your clothes will be stained crimson!"

"The Shadows will eliminate you, and your master!"

Dick's ears rang as he listened to the collection of insults aimed towards the traitor, trying to control his obvious shaking as he prepared to enter the Execution Chamber. Ra's had led him to a room that connected to the chamber, and had kept a reassuring hand on his protege's shoulder while he tried to regain his bearings. "A clean kill, that is all that is required," Ra's said softly. "Whatever it is you are comfortable with."

But Dick wasn't comfortable with killing at all! Why did he ever agree to this nightmare? "Ra's..."

"The first one is often the most difficult. I am certain that you'll want to get it out of the way so that when you encounter your parents' killer, you won't be as hesitant."

Dick squeezed his eyes shut tight. Ra's had a point; he had to make his first kill at some point, and it would be best if that was made before he avenged his parents. But that didn't make his current task any easier to stomach. "I-I'm not sure that I can d-do this..."

Ra's knelt down in front of him. "Grayson... If you do not wish to kill this man, I shall in your place. It is not my desire to force you to do something that you are not mentally prepared to do."

"I-"

"You threaten our master, we destroy yours!" Someone shouted, their voice cutting through whatever the boy was about to say.

Dick froze, mind focusing on that exclamation. "H-he threatened you?!"

Ra's' expression did not change. "Yes. While he was being led to his prison, he declared that he would worm his way out and end my life." He waved a hand. "While that's not remotely possible..." his eyes hardened. "he also made a comment on your health as well. As I had said before, even an empty threat towards you will be counted as a treasonous act."

With every word that his guardian spoke, Dick felt his blood go colder. Once upon a time, Haly had been threatened as well, and he didn't take it seriously either. That incident had resulted in the loss of the Flying Graysons; all three of them had left in more than one way. Even if Ra's didn't believe that he needed to worry about the threat made against him, Dick wouldn't let the past repeat itself. He couldn't lose anyone else ever again.

Without another word, Dick pulled out his new sword, a gift from Ra's himself, and moved past the curtains separating the two rooms. Immediately, the shouts died down, replaced by curious murmurs. He knew that Ra's had not informed the rest of the League that he would be the one to execute the traitor, so it must have been quite the surprise to see him entering the chamber.

His eyes immediately fell on the man he was sent to kill. The traitor had an athletic built, greasy black hair, piercing green eyes, and a tattoo of a snake on his bare chest. His wrists and ankles were shackled to the ground, giving him just enough freedom to be able to stand.

Armstead sneered at him. "The lion sent his cub to annihilate the hyena? Pitiful."

"A cub, but a lion nonetheless," Dick retorted coldly, his voice carrying to the very edge of the crowd. "You don't deserve to be in the presence of the great Ra's Al Ghul during your final breaths."

It was odd, listening to himself speak in that way. To the unsuspecting audience, he must have sounded confident, like a true second in command should be during such a time. Ra's, however, probably noticed the way his voice rose in pitch at the end of his sentences, and how his hand twitched from his built up nerves. Oh God, he was actually going to do it. There was absolutely no going back now; he would die of shame if he were to chicken out in the middle of the ceremony.

"Execute the traitor!" Someone suddenly shouted, before the rest of the group hushed them.

"Yes, do execute me." Armstead smirked. "You act so high and mighty, but we both know you're just a scared kitten at heart. Ra's must be aging quite a bit if he mistook you to be the perfect heir. You aren't even fit to polish my shoes."

The words scraped against Dick's nerves, and he suddenly brought his sword up to Armstead's shoulder, slicing into his skin and producing a small stream of blood. The crimson liquid dripped down to the man's shoes, and Dick used his own feet to smear it across the boots. "I can do much more than polish your shoes with your own blood, Armstead," he murmured, wiping his knife clean on the other man's pants. "Don't test me."

Armstead didn't even wince. "Big talk for such a small kitten." He shook his head. "If you are all that Ra's can produce, then he is certainly no match for my true master." A smug grin appeared. "Deathstroke will make your pathetic trainer drown in your blood, and with him out of the way, he will build the greatest empire the world has ever seen!"

Dick grit his teeth, not liking the images that Armstead managed to conjure up inside his mind. "Be silent, traitor," he spat, feigning confidence once again.

His words were met with a mocking laugh. "Oh, this Gypsy child is going to silence me?" He smiled at Dick's surprised look. "Oh yes, I know what you are. Certainly not the true son of the legendary Ra's Al Ghul. You're just a circus brat, as were your parents." His gaze locked with the infuriated boy's. "It shouldn't have been a surprise that they were stupid enough to-"

"Shut up," Dick snapped, tightening his grip on his blade.

He was given another condescending smile. "Did I strike a nerve? Such an easily angered child... I can't help but wonder why Ra's kept you. Perhaps he finds you to be an entertaining pet of some sorts?"

"Shut. Up!" He roared, ears burning from a mixture of embarrassment and resentment.

But what if he was right? What if Ra's only kept him around for his own amusement? He couldn't have seriously thought that a mere child could ever live up to his expectations, could he? Dick suddenly wasn't sure...

The traitor caught his crestfallen expression. "I'm correct, aren't I? " His eyes flashed mischievously. "How lonely does one have to be to take in the likes of you?" He snorted. "I would have been doing the world a favor by ridding it of an idiot like Ra's Al Ghul."

A sudden spark of pure, unadulterated rage shook Dick to his core, and he rose his sword mechanically; thoughtlessly.

Insulted you...

Insulted your parents...

Threatened to kill Ra's...

Threatened to kill...

Kill...

Kill.

Kill him.

Dick let his darkest thoughts consume him for just a second, and before he could fully process what he had done, he had already plunged his sword through Armstead's chest. Dick's eyes widened and he pulled it back out, letting the man collapse onto the cold stone floor. The crowd roared in approval all around him, but he could only hear the beating of his own heart in his ears. Nonono...

"You are all dismissed," a familiar voice called out, but Dick couldn't bring himself to respond.

The sword in his hands fell to the floor with a clatter, and he quickly joined it by collapsing onto his knees. Tears fell from his eyes as he stared at the body numbly, not caring as the crimson liquid pooled around his legs and probably stained the pants of his uniform.

"Grayson."

Dick ignored him. "I'm a murderer," he thought with a choked sob. "Mom... Dad... I'm so sorry. I failed you both."

A comforting presence joined him on the floor. "I am proud of you, child," Ra's said softly. "What you did today took the courage that no ordinary ten year old boy could ever possess."

"I don't c-care." Dick hiccupped and leaned against the man, burying his face in his shoulder as he shed more tears. "I-I killed him, R-Ra's... I'm a m-murderer."

An arm was hesitantly slung around his shoulder as his mentor carefully attempted to bring him comfort. "That man would have brought us all to our deaths should he had walked free," Ra's murmured. "You must remember that."

Dick could barely stutter out an unintelligible reply as his world continued to collapse around him. He was a murderer. The boy who used to look up to the heroes of the world became the very thing that they fought against and threw behind bars. He was no better than the man who murdered his parents... his hands were also tainted with someone else's blood, just like his...

Now there definitely was no going back.

xXx

AN: Hey guys, I have not abandoned this story, in case you were wondering. My updates are just a little slow right now. Sorry!

I hope that the time skip between this chapter and the last one didn't seem too sudden...