Author's Note: A lot of lines from this chapter are taken directly from the comic that influenced this fic. If you've read it or recognize where this is going, you'll know just how dark this story will get though I promise it won't end the same way as the comic. Hope you like!

Red Robin wished he'd enjoyed the few moments in which he'd thought the thug was someone low-level enforcer for a local crime boss. He'd really been looking forward to seeing some action that night. Ubu seemed in a rare non-combatant mood, standing almost relaxed on the rooftop as he waited for them to come to him. The youth tensed as they approached cautiously, mirroring his body language and demeanor to Batman's.

A foot away from the broad-shouldered man, Batman stopped still partially concealed by shadows, and Red Robin took his place a step behind him.

"I don't like being watched," the older vigilante said gruffly. Ubu didn't seem phased.

"I was not sent to fight you, detective. I bear you a message from the demon's head." Ra's al Ghul's right-hand spoke with more calm than Red Robin thought most would exude in when being stared down by the Batman. "He sends greetings and well-wishes, and desires a meeting to converse."

"About?"

"I have no idea. The demon's head keeps his own counsel. That he would share it with you is a great honor."

Behind his domino mask, Red Robin rolled his eyes and tried to hide a snort. "Sure it is."

"Where and when?" Batman asked.

"He awaits you even as we speak," Ubu replied evenly, "in your cave."

Batman's head snapped sharply in his direction, but he didn't have to give the order. Red Robin's hand was already flying to his ear. "Are you getting this, little bird?"

"I copy." There was a small amount of static in his right ear for a moment as back in the cave Tim took himself off mute. It was followed by a faint swishing noise, and he imagined the teen turning full circle in the chair to survey the cave. "Don't see anyone though."

"No, you wouldn't." Ra's was too good to allow his presence to be known before he was ready, but Red Robin had no doubt he was there. "Get yourself out of there now! Go upstairs and wait with the kid and Agent A till B and I get back."

"On it."

The line was muted again, and he sent a silent prayer of thanks that Tim wasn't like him and didn't feel the need to argue every order given. Ra's al Ghul was not in the habit of threatening the civilian inhabitants of the manor directly, and he'd explicitly told Bruce that he'd give up any claims on Damian as recommence, but Red Robin wouldn't put it past the immortal to change his mind if it suited him.

Various scenarios of what Ra's al Ghul might be after kept running through the young man's head all the way back to the manor. Ubu had disappeared somewhere along the way, but he was there by the time they reached the cave, once again at his master's side. Ra's resting in the main chair in front of the large computer screens, something that seriously annoyed Red Robin. He was used to seeing his father or Tim in that place. That annoyance was quickly replaced with curiosity, as he noted that the old man was looking noticeably more haggard than usual. There were far more lines on the immortal's face, his hair almost completely gray, and Red Robin saw a cane leaning against one of the computer consoles.

"You don't look so hot," he commented, even though it was probably out of turn. Ra's tended to only acknowledge the few he found worthy of his attention. Batman was one, but Red Robin doubted he was on that list. Out of spite, he asked. "What do you want?"

To his - and probably everyone else's - surprise, it was Batman who answered. "He wants to talk about your mother."

The immortal's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, and Jason didn't think it was possible to love his father more in that moment. Having failed to uncover the secrets of his resurrection, Ra's likely found him to be of no more value than any other random human on the planet. For Bruce to refer to Talia as his mother implied an elevation in status and association that the immortal no doubt found to be a deep insult. Not that he wanted to be related to Ra's al Ghul, but acknowledgment from his father on the matter was nice and the look of annoyance on Ra's' face was very satisfying.

"Actually," the immortal refused to note the comment, "I wish to speak of a different matter, though if you have have any knowledge on my daughter's whereabouts, I would be very much interested in that information."

"No." Batman's voice was flat, and Red Robin wondered if it meant that his father really didn't know or that he was refusing to share. Ra's didn't seem surprised either way.

"As you wish. Then perhaps what we have to discuss is best left between adults."

Red Robin bristled at the insult, but Batman turned to him and inclined his head towards the stairs that lead up to the manor. He might have even argued further but the thought of Alfred and his brothers at the end of that staircase forced his feet onward. He walked past Ra's and Ubu sending both an angry glare from behind the lenses of his domino mask. He didn't remove it until he was inside the manor.

"We have rules about uniforms in the house, Master Jason," Alfred said sternly meeting him at the top of the staircase.

"Extenuating circumstances, Al," he replied, peeling off the domino mask. "The ones that come in the form of unwanted visits from in-laws."

"So I've heard. You may wish to speak to Master Damian. He is… asking questions."

Jason knew where the his brothers were well before he reached the youngest's bedroom upstairs from the raised voices that carried down the hall. Actually it was only Damian's voice he heard. Quickly changing into a pair of jeans and t-shirt in his own room, he crossed the rest of the hall in a few long strides and opened the door without knocking. Tim was sitting at the desk, while Damian was crosslegged on the bed, but the balled fitsts in the boy's lap told Jason that he was angry and ready to bolt at any moment.

"I want to see my grandfather," he said as soon as Jason was through the door. A quick look to Tim told the eldest that it had been the main topic of argument for a while now.

"No," he told his youngest brother firmly. "You can't, and frankly, you don't really want to."

"Yes, I do!" Damian insisted.

"He's not a good guy," Tim tried, probably repeating something he'd already said several times before Jason had come in. Damian just glared at him, and Jason was struck with the thought that comments like that were very broad and abstract for a nine-year-old who had never actually met his grandfather or knew much about him.

"D," he was a little surprised that he was having a little trouble keeping his voice steady, "he's the reason Mom's not here."

The effect was instantaneous. Damian froze and stared at him, and Jason could see from the corner of his eye that Tim was doing the same though likely for different reasons. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to make whatever he told his brother as true as possible without undermining Talia's decision, wrong though he thought it.

"She would have brought us to Gotham herself," he said, "months before the fire, but he wouldn't let her. He didn't want Dad to know that I was alive or that you even existed."

Most of it was the truth, Jason figured. Damian stared at him for another few seconds, then dropped his eyes, teeth worrying his bottom lip.

"Then I hate him," the boy declared, and and Jason wasn't quite sure why but he didn't quite like that response either. He kept that to himself though.

In his first series of encounters with Ra's al Ghul, Batman had learned that a certain amount of courtesy and show of respect went a long way when dealing with the immortal. Ruthless though Ra's was, willing to sacrifice anything for his goals of an earthly utopia, it was possible to reason with him on a small scale if one were careful. In his younger years, Batman might have even said there were qualities he admired about the man.

But that was a decade ago, before Qayin, before Talia's choice had deprived him of years with his children. He knew he should have hated her above all others, but the person he hated most was the immortal. Even the pretence of respect was far more than Ra's al Ghul deserved.

"I need to do something about my security," Batman commented, more to himself than the other two men present. He'd lost the patience to humor the habit of appearing in the cave uninvited when he'd found out about Jason and Damian.

"Yes," Ra's agreed. One gnarled hand gripped the handle of the chair while the other took the cane, but still he had to look to his aide. "Ubu, help me up." Batman watched as he rose to his feet with obvious effort. Red Robin had been right: the immortal looked terrible. As if reading his mind, Ra's raised still-sharp green eyes to him, scowling. "Spare me your pity, detective. I am merely old, and my current health requires more assistance than usual, unfortunately."

"I'm sure it's only temporary," Batman replied, false sympathy dripping with every word. "What do you want?"

"Many things," the old man mused. "A pristine world, for start. An end to hunger. An end to disease. An end to crime."

Batman showed no visible reaction, but inside he shuttered. It was frightening to be reminded at times how similar their goals were. But, as in all other cases, the ends didn't justify the means, and Ra's al Ghul's means were horrific.

"I want Talia back in my life," he went on. "I want you as her husband and my heir."

I was her husband, the thought flashed through his mind. Briefly. Instead Batman clenched his jaw. "Never."

"Never is a long time." The man looked down. "I know."

"Answer the question." Batman gritted out.

"Very well." Ra's al Ghul straightened as much as his current age allowed. "I want you to stop murdering me."

Batman was still in the cave by the time the sun was well on its way to rising. Ra's and his henchman had departed an hour prior having received nothing for their troubles, but he remained in the cave in front of the computer, staring without seeing at the blank monitor. Though he'd ordered the immortal out with no indication that he intended to speak to him again, he'd been left with much to think about.

Someone was systematically destroying Lazarus pits all over the globe. He'd accused Batman of the deed, and to be fair Bruce had made his feelings about the pits abundantly clear in the past, but it didn't feel quite so simple anymore. Without the healing concoction, Ra's would have perished centuries ago, and while that in itself was far from tragic, no Ra's meant no Talia, Damian, and very likely, Jason. But, Bruce told himself, that was the past. It was the future consequence of such an action that was worth considering.

Ra's al Ghul was dying.

And as much as Bruce would have loved to say that his first thought was for the definitive safety of his sons from any of the immortal's future intentions, his most immediate thought was Talia. Talia wouldn't have to hide anymore. She'd be free to…

To what? the most cynical part of him asked. She made her choice ten years ago.

Ten years is a long time. Long time for someone to change. I'm not the same person as I was a decade ago.

He knew he could drive himself crazy with the what-ifs, and would given half the chance. Talia's choices always had been and would be her own, no matter which he considered right or wrong. Besides, the most immediate decision on his plate was whether or not he would investigate the destruction of the pits. It was Ra's' problem, but somehow Batman had a sneaking suspicion it would eventually become his.

It would have to wait though. The pits could wait a day, but the board of Wayne Enterprises would not, and Bruce had meetings to go to, news to deliver from the Metropolis office. He changed and went upstairs. The manor was mostly silent, but Jason met him just as he was passing through the kitchen. He'd just come in from the back yard with Ace.

"The others are sleeping," the young man told him while he poured some water for the dog.

"Did you sleep?" Bruce asked.

Jason shrugged and he took it as a no. "What did Ra's want?"

His instinct as a father was to say nothing that might in any way, shape, or form lead to his son being in danger. The part of him that was Batman knew better than to keep things from his partner that might affect behavior in the field.

"The Lazarus pits are being destroyed," he said, and Jason's brows shot up. "Hw thought I was responsible."

"No, but that's not a bad idea," Jason quipped. Bruce gave him a sharp look, and he relented. "Fine. Sorry. Do we know who is responsible?"

"No."

"Are we going to find out?" the youth pressed. He must have been quiet for too long, because Jason relented. "Okay, guess we'll find out eventually. What does that mean for Ra's? Is he…"

"Dying," Bruce confirmed, knowing that there was no point in lying about it. Unsurprisingly he could practically see Jason's mind racing with the implications. Before his son could even speak, Bruce held up a hand. "No, Jason."

"What do you mean 'no'?" The cell phone was already out of his pocket and on the table. "She's been running from him for almost a year now. She deserves to know."

"We don't know who's behind this, why they're doing it, or what counter moves Ra's might have," Bruce said reasonably. "For all we know, things will go back to the status quo tomorrow. To tell her anything now is premature when we have so little information ourselves."

Jason looked like he wanted to argue, but eventually the phone was dimmed. Still his jaw was tight. "I hate the status quo. And I hate it when one of you tells me not to tell the other something and expect me to obey. You know how much that sucks? Though I bet it's a whole lot better than how Damian feels."

It was probably the wrong thing to think about, but Bruce was glad Jason didn't know that he'd been seeing Talia. He didn't want to give him hope when there was little but also wished he had something other than sympathy to offer. Before he could think of anything, the phone on the table vibrated with an incoming text message. He glanced at it and frowned, suddenly distracted from their argument.

"Who's 'Hawkeye'?"