The four of them were led to a room that was lighted by a green pool that was in the middle of the area. Jason cringed when he saw the bubbling Lazarus Pit and tried to hold back the bile that was rising to his throat. The key word being tried. Dick looked at him with concern, but Jason just waved him off.
Right in front of the Pit stood Ra's and in front of him was Barbara. Barbara was in her wheelchair restrained and gagged.
"Well Detectives, I did not quite believe that you four would actually make it down here with all of my assassins still standing." Ra's said, faintly surprised.
"Well believe it Ra's! We brought Damian to you now give us Barbara!" Tim yelled at Ra's.
"Fine," he said as he raised his hand, telling his servant to release Barbara. Dick rushed over to an unconscious Barbara and pushed her back to where Tim, Jason, and Damian stood.
"Now for Damian." Ra's said.
Dick nodded to Damian. Damian started to walk cautiously over to his grandfather with two assassins following him. Dick then nodded to Tim and Jason with a slight smirk on his face.
"Damian Now!" Dick yelled as he did a back handspring into an assassin.
Damian jumped over one assassin and grabbed the assassin's katana. Ra's stood there watching as his assassins were being beaten, stabbed, or shot. One by one each assassin was taken out by their opponents. Ra's noticed that one of the Bats had disappeared in the uproar. He was a little concerned by this, but not to much to be worried by it.
As the last assassin fell, Dick quickly turned to Tim and Damian, Jason being the one to have disappeared, and told them to get Barbara out of there. They did so not even questioning why. Dick walked down to Ra's and stood face to face with the Demon's Head, glaring at him.
"You think you could do all of that and get away with it?" Dick growled.
"No, not at all. I knew I wouldn't get away with it. Like you said yourself Mr. Grayson,' Nothing is ever just simple.' This was a test for you and your three comrades." Ra's said, unfazed by the growing hatred coming from his rival.
"And what did you learn from this 'test'?"
"I learned that, while you and the Detective are similar, you are nothing like him. You are an amateur. You almost led your lambs to slaughter. You may wear the cape and cowl, but you will never fit into those boots of his. You, Mr. Grayson, are just a mere child trying to play dress up in your father's clothes."
Dick lunged at Ra's. Ra's side stepped him and launched a fist into Dick's side.
"Naive." Ra's said as he punched the wound on Dick's thigh. Dick grabbed his leg and gritted his teeth. Ra's bent down and picked up two katanas. He threw the second katana to Dick, who caught it with ease.
"You have weaknesses because of other people." Ra's said as he prepared to fight Dick.
"You care to much." His and Dick's swords clash.
"You are angered to easily." Ra's sliced at Dick's arm. Dick grabbed his arm that now had a wound that ran from his elbow to the middle of his upper arm.
"You are weak." Ra's said as he jumped over Dick. Just before he turned around, Dick felt cold metal slice across his back. Ra's kicked Dick to the floor and held the katana over Dick.
"You, dear boy, will never be good enough. You have failed him. You are a coward. You lose."
"You're wrong Ra's." Dick said, rising to his feet. "I am good enough. I may have weaknesses and be naive, but I am good enough. I may not be like him. I may be too happy to be 'The Batman'. I may care too much. But I am my own Batman. A Batman that gets the job done. And I know that Bruce is proud." Dick said. By now he was back to being face to face with Ra's.
"I am the Batman!" Dick said as he pierced Ra's abdomen with his katana.
"Now go and run to your little Pit like the coward you are." He whispered into Ra's ear as he pulled the katana out.