~~ Old apartment around Crime Alley, Gotham ~~

"Yes this line is secure." Came the voice over the phone. "What is the status?"

"Deadshot failed to take out Nightwing as planned." The large man on the phone explained. "He allowed Batman's presence to alter his plans and that resulted in his capture."

"My plans are almost ready to be implemented." The man at the other end of the line stated. "If you cannot take care of the detective in the next five days, I will cancel the contract and assign it to another. I grow tired of waiting."

"Worry not Mr. al Ghul." The large man offered. "This is but a minor setback. I have two actions taking place simultaneously. One will hinder this Batclanfrom interfering, while the other will give me sure victory over Batman. All I need is assurance that the Justice League will not be able to intervene."

"We've already beta tested the device." Ra's stated. "It is ready to create a natural disaster that will more than take up their time."

"Be ready in two nights. Then I will strike." The large man stated.

"We are ready." Ra's said. "Do not disappoint me assassin." Ra's al Ghul disconnected the line at that point, and the large man tossed the burn phone on the hotel room bed. He had to make sure his plans were going to be successful.

~~ Batcave ~~

It had been two weeks since Diana had been to the Manor asking for help in making contact with various charitable organizations. Bruce sat off to the side of the training area deep in thought about the increasing amount of contact he'd had with Diana. While they hadn't been able to get together for the horseback riding plans as of yet, Bruce Wayne had run into Diana at two separate charity functions. She stayed busy learning the ins and outs of what it was to be involved with the workings of a charity event. She did however always set aside enough time to share at least one dance with Bruce. During the dance she was eager to share all that she'd learned, and he had always been willing to listen to her.

There was one thing that troubled Bruce about Diana though. Through the last couple of weeks she seemed to be more interested in dealing with Batman than she had at any point in the past. He'd had to put her off for training because of his healing from the gunshot wound, and that refusal to train with her after offering to beforehand had seemed to be the cause of her almost showing a suspicious inclination about Batman. Bruce had to distance his alter ego from the Princess as much as possible. He couldn't risk her finding out about his secret identity and had the feeling that she was beginning to put the pieces together.

Bruce then focused his thoughts on the young man training before him with Dick. Tim had shown an incredible amount of dedication to his training, and he was now quite the handful for Dick. Bruce knew that he would have to start training the young man himself now. There was no escaping the fact that the boy had earned it. While Tim had yet to defeat Dick in hand to hand combat, he was now taking Dick down from time to time. The best of three falls sessions were now going the full three rounds with regularity. Dick didn't have much more aside from acrobatics that he could teach Tim. He would need to learn more detective skills and patrol routes. Dick was right that there was no one more qualified to teach Tim about forensics and searching through crime scenes for evidence than Bruce. He had years of perfecting his craft to show the young man.

Bruce was watching the for the last fall of the best out of three more closely. Tim and Dick had been squaring off for almost half an hour already, and they had split in a takedown a piece. Both of them were obviously fatigued at this point, and Bruce was watching to see if Tim would keep to his training or become sloppy from exhaustion. As Dick came in with a violent shot, Tim countered by pulling out his Escrima sticks, and using them for some increased leverage, he locked one of Dick's arms into a very uncomfortable hold. Tim wasn't able to hold on for long though as his strength and energy had already been pushed to his limits. Dick was eventually able to power his way out of the hold, but the damage had been done. He was unable to use his left arm very much anymore. Instead of trying to he resorted to some leg based attacks against the young student. Tim was doing well in blocking the attacks until Dick jumped flipping over him and kicked Tim in the face before he landed. That strike was enough to knock the young man off his feet, and Dick pounced on him, pinning him to the ground with a fist raised and ready to strike. "Point for Dick." Bruce called. "That's the match."

Dick stood up and attempted to help Tim as well, but his attempt was swatted away by the frustrated young man. This was the first instance where Tim seemed to show any form of discouragement. Bruce having seen this approached the young man and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You did well today." He encouraged. "But don't let your anger at losing get the better of you."

Tim looked up defiantly at first to Bruce's face until he saw the soft smile there. He blew out a long breath to ease the disappointment he was feeling. "Sorry Bruce." He apologized. "I'll work on keeping my emotions in check more. I thought I had him this time is all."

"You may not have beaten him, but you have improved." Bruce said trying to offer comfort where he could. "In fact, I think you are ready to begin your training with me starting tomorrow."

Tim perked up at hearing those words. "Really!?" He asked.

Bruce nodded in response. "For now though, hit the showers and then get to your homework." He said. "If your school work falters, I won't permit you to train or when the time comes, patrol with me."

Tim smiled and ran off towards the showers without delay. Dick walked up beside Bruce while working on his hurting arm. "Seems like Tim is beginning to grow on you." He surmised. "If I didn't know any better, I'd start to believe you're beginning to actually look forward to taking Tim out on patrol sooner rather than later."

Bruce didn't respond, only glared at Dick for a moment before he grabbed Dick's wrist with one hand and placed the other firmly above Dick's shoulder. He gave a strong yank, and a loud pop echoed through the cave as Dick's shoulder popped back into its socket. Dick grunted trying to control the pain he felt. Fortunately it was short lived, and the resulting move gave him functionality of his arm once again. He rotated it around, checking for any limitations and finding none. "Thanks." He said.

"Back to patrolling Bludhaven with Barbara tonight?" Bruce asked while walking away towards the computers.

"Yeah." Dick answered. "Twilighting between the Haven and Gotham is fun and all, but things are still pretty crazy there. If I don't focus on her again soon, the Haven will be as bad as it was when I first moved there, if not worse."

"Understood." Bruce said. "I can handle Gotham just fine on my own. Even though it's been too quiet here lately, and I know that's never a good thing."

"Any thoughts on what's cooking up?" Dick asked. He agreed Gotham had been dormant for too long with all the top echelon of villains remaining locked up at Arkham.

"I have a couple of leads to check on." Bruce responded as he sat in front of his computer and began typing. "Some of my informants told me that they had seen some outsiders around the city lately. The way they described these outsiders makes me point toward them being from the League of Shadows, and where the League goes, Ra's al Ghul is sure to follow."

Dick leaned up against a table and blew out a frustrated puff of air. "Great." He moaned. "All we need now is that loony eco-terrorist around here with his next plot to change the world. Let me know when you confirm your findings. The Haven might have to wait if it is Ra's al Ghul."

"No." Bruce said. "Take care of your city. I can handle Ra's. And if not, you can bet it is a world altering plan he has, which means the Justice League can be pulled in if necessary."

"Alright Bruce." Dick conceded. "Just call me if you need me. I'll see you for Tim's next training session."

Dick began walking out towards the cave entrance with the intention of grabbing some food that Alfred would definitely have waiting upstairs before he had to make his leave so he could get to Bludhaven before sunset. Bruce stayed behind looking through his files on the League of Shadows and Ra's al Ghul for any ties to the latest bits of rumors he'd picked up from informants. He needed to find out their plans before it got too far along.

~~ Diana's room ~~

Diana had just finished her prayers to all her patron goddesses before her altar. She had asked Athena for guidance as she was still struggling to come to a conclusion regarding things that she began to realize about Bruce. Upon returning to the Watchtower that night two weeks ago, she questioned to herself Bruce's calling her Princess. That name sent off alarms in her head, and while she was indeed a Princess of the Amazons, he had called her that as an almost term of endearment. Only one other person referred to her that way, and that was Batman. She began thinking back to the details of her time spent with Bruce and then placed it against the time she'd spent with Batman. There were similarities between the two men aside from the pet name they called her by. Also that night, Bruce was able to slip up right next to her without her noticing it. That was no small feat for anyone to accomplish, let alone a mortal with no extra powers to utilize. Both men had a similar height and physique as well.

The more Diana thought it over the more it seemed to trouble her. How could a man such as Bruce also be Batman? Bruce was caring and thoughtful of her at all times. He was always smiling and laid back, and he actually ducked behind her at the charity gala when the unexpected guest came in before Batman had shown up to apprehend him. That caused Diana to wonder if her mind was merely playing tricks on her. In watching movies with Flash, she had heard numerous characters refer to females as princess. Perhaps Bruce just felt Diana was a princess in his view of her. Also, she was at the gala when both Bruce and Batman were there at the same time. That should have set her mind at ease, but there was still a lingering doubt. Batman shielded his secret identity like no other. Kal had even told her about how Batman's cowl was lined with lead to prevent x-ray vision from seeing who was underneath. Being so paranoid got on Diana's nerves constantly, but Batman would only tell her that his paranoia is what has kept him alive.

She then thought about Batman and how different he was from Bruce. There were just as many differences as there were similarities it seemed. Batman was cold and calculating, never showing any emotion. Bruce however showed such emotion from just being around a portrait of his slain parents. Batman would have never permitted a comforting hug from an acquaintance as he never even admitted that he had any friends. The Batman didn't have the luxury of friendship he would say. Batman was also so very arrogant and combative when it came to whom was right or wrong. Bruce meanwhile never seemed to argue, and if he was wrong, he seemed more than willing to accept that as the case. They seemed to be two completely different people regardless of any similarities Diana came up with.

She made sure to maintain her friendly status with Bruce whenever she was around him. She didn't want to ruin that blossoming friendship in the event that her suspicions turned out to be inaccurate. She eagerly accepted any opportunity to dance with him at the charity events. She wanted to set up a time to go horseback riding at the Manor, but she'd occupied the majority of her free time with meetings for the charities she had been interested in. She had six different organizations in the beginning that she'd been in contact with, but after attending the first social event, other organizers approached her as well for other causes.

She also wanted to train with Batman, but aside from the standard meeting, he remained in Gotham City and unavailable. She didn't know or understand why and had been trying to track him down anytime he was aboard the Watchtower. She also had to admit that she was actually alright with him not being available for the time being as she too was occupied and wouldn't have been able to train. Batman's patience would have surely worn thin had they set up times that Diana wouldn't have been able to make, and with his normal demeanor being ice cold as it was, if she'd have frustrated him by wastinghis time, the rest of the Justice League surely would've felt the repercussions. As she got a better handle on the charity functions and things settled back into more of a routine, she would then approach Batman about his offering of training with her. He would at least work out a schedule that they both would be able to adhere to. Until then she focused on her charitable work so that she could keep her mind off of the Bruce / Batman debate that was still lingering in her mind.

~~ Batcave before patrol ~~

"You've got to be kidding!" Tim nearly shouted in excitement. He ran over to the glass cases before a stiff hand met his chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bruce asked.

"To get the Robin suit." Tim answered.

Bruce shook his head. "I never said that you were going out as Robin." He started. "You're not going to leave the Batmobile under any circumstances unless I instruct you to do otherwise Tim. Is that understood?"

Tim's shoulders slumped as his head dropped to where he could only see the floor of the cave at his feet. "Yes sir." He muttered.

"Tim, tonight is about learning the areas of where to patrol." Bruce explained. "You still have training with me to complete before you head out to provide backup. That will come soon enough. Until then you need to remain patient and keep learning as much as you can."

Tim perked up a little bit from the thought of training with the great Batman. Bruce handed him a bullet proof vest, black pants, long sleeve shirt, and a mask to protect his identity. When Tim reached for the mask, Bruce grabbed his hand at the wrist. He knelt down in front of Tim before he spoke. "This mask is the most important thing in the world when you are out there Tim." Bruce explained. "This protects not only you, but Dick, Barbara, Alfred, and your father from any reprisal. Treasure it and respect it."

Tim nodded his head in understanding before taking the mask from Bruce's hands. He took everything and changed in the locker area. When he returned, he was covered basically head to toe in black. Bruce had slipped on the cowl while he waited and walked over to the Batmobile. Tim eagerly joined him by flipping into the car and landing perfectly on the passenger seat. Batman just shook his head as he never quite grasped the enthusiasm for going on patrol. It was just a necessary part of his mission and vow, not something he looked forward to. He actually only looked forward to a time where Batman wouldn't be needed anymore and he hoped that someday that time would come. Perhaps he would live to see it or, or perhaps not. If not then Nightwing, Batgirl, and Tim as the new Robin would be there to take over the mission. When Tim was strapped in, Batman powered on the Batmobile and sped away for patrol.

He stayed in the Batmobile more than he usually did so that he could offer more training for Tim. He also wanted to limit any opportunities for Tim to try and slip out to follow on foot. Batman still hadn't gained that level of trust with the young man to allow him to be on his own for a long length of time. It also helped that all of the worst Gotham had to offer were still behind bars. This had been the longest tenure of what could be called peace for Gotham since before Bruce was even conceived by his parents. A part of him was saddened by the fact that not even two months was thought of as a long time for peace on the streets. Although he knew that it wouldn't last, the lull in criminal activity did help to allow him more time to train with the eventual new Robin.

Batman was still able to take down a handful of attempted muggings on this night. He allowed Tim to watch utilizing cameras in the cowl as he went through capturing the would be muggers and restraining them to a nearby light pole. Each time he returned, Tim had questions for him to answer. He didn't mind the questions as they were insightful as to why he did things a specific way. Tim even grabbed a piece of rope and began practicing the method of tying knots that Batman used on the restraints. All in all, Bruce was very impressed with the young man. It was not surprising to him at all now how Tim had progressed so quickly through training. He also seemed to have an endless supply of energy that didn't require caffeine. Batman wondered just how many nights it would take before that wore off. Living a double life was extremely taxing on energy levels for anyone, and no doubt Tim would experience that issue as well.

The next stop was the crime scene of a murder. A man had been strangled to death and found in a back alley when the police were called. Batman worked alongside Commissioner Gordon as the scene was processed. Tim watched the cameras intently as Batman worked the scene looking for evidence. He made sure to be extremely thorough, which had come to be expected of the Batman over the years. There truly was no one better at collecting evidence and connecting the dots to solving a crime. Sure enough, after some time had passed, Batman was able to utilize his evidence scanner to discover that this was just a drop site and not the place where the murder had occurred. He was able to locate some tire tracks that were likely from the murderer's vehicle as well as some fibers on the body, and sent the brand and size of tire to the Commissioner's desk so that the police could sort out all of the car types that used the specific tire that had left the marks.

Patrol came to an end early as the night was slow yet again. Bruce wasn't accustomed to such inactivity, and his leads on the League of Shadows had turned out to be empty, but he knew they were up to something. He would just have to do some more digging to find out what. When they returned to the cave, he had Tim input the logs from patrol, and was again astounded by the details Tim was supplying. He didn't seem to miss a thing. Bruce watched over Tim until he finished updating the logs and left to shower before heading to bed. Bruce was actually beginning to look forward to the day when Tim would be ready to don the Robin uniform.

~~ Watchtower, in the Monitor Womb the following afternoon ~~

Batman was sitting and impatiently waiting for Flash to show up for his Monitor Duty shift. He was ten minutes late already, and each passing second only further increased Batman's ire. Even though the young man had a valid excuse in that he'd just finished dealing with Captain Boomerang, Batman still had better things to do than sit doing nothing. He wanted to input more security into that transportation room to further insure that no unwanted guests would be able to easy latch on to the signal and come aboard unexpectedly. When Flash's signal finally came through, Batman wasted no time in leaving the Monitor Womb as quickly as possible. If he were to linger there for any time, he'd likely not leave until the Flash was injured severely for taking so long. As he marched towards the transporter room, he almost ran right into Diana in the hallway. "Batman." She said greeting him.

"Diana." He responded as he began to walk around her only to see that she changed directions and was joining him. He tried his best to ignore her, but that had always been impossible and nothing about that issue had changed. "Do you need something Princess?" He asked.

"Actually, I wanted to talk about training with you." She explained. "My schedule is controlled again from all the charities I've decided to help, and I hoped we could compare schedules and see what time we could set aside."

"Send me your schedule for the next six weeks and I'll let you know what time is available." He said as he marched into the transporter room.

Diana was beginning to think that Batman was making for a quick exit, and she was hoping she could get a quick training session out of him before he returned for patrol of his city. "We haven't seen much of you lately Batman." She said. "I was beginning to think you were trying to avoid us."

"I've been busy." The standard Batman response.

"Are…you leaving already?" She asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

He stopped and looked her in the eyes. "No, I was going to add some security patches to the transporters."

"Would you think you could spare some time for a training session with me right now?" Diana asked hoping he would say yes, but knowing it was unlikely.

Batman stood there studying her motives for a few moments. Diana wasn't able to lie or hide things even if she'd wanted to. He looked at a clock and realized there were still a couple of hours before he would need to leave on patrol. He sighed as he answered her. "I suppose I can spare some time."

Diana was too excited to hide it on her face as she turned and followed Batman to the training rooms. He maintained his normal pace through the halls as she walked beside him. Before long they were inside of a training room and Batman was standing opposite Diana. "Attack me." He commanded.

Diana hesitated for a moment, but then followed through with Batman's order and attempted to strike at him with a straight right. He aptly side stepped away and stood in front of her again. "Balance is the first lesson, Princess." He said. "Always maintain your balance. Now attack again. This time actually try and hit me."

Diana glared at him for a second before she charged forward again with another attempted strike. Instead of attempting just one strike though, she continued with a roundhouse kick, followed by an uppercut, a sweeping leg kick, and a reversed elbow strike when she got in closer to him. Batman had dodged the punch, blocked the roundhouse kick, pushed the uppercut to the side, stepped over the leg sweep attempt, and caught her arm in his hands before the elbow could connect with his head. "Balance isn't just about the body Diana." He instructed. "It's about the mind as well. When you attacked just now, you let your emotions get the better of you. While anger can be useful in a battle, you have to channel it to maintain a balance so that you don't attack irrationally."

Diana stepped back for a moment and processed what Batman had told her. He was right that his jab about actually hitting him had angered her. She'd never had to rely on controlling her emotions during battle before, and if she were to ever face someone with Batman's fighting knowledge, she'd be in for the battle of her life, and for the first time, and she actually believed there was a chance that she could lose.

After a few mind clearing deep breaths, she attempted to attack again while focusing on keeping the attacks controlled. She was getting closer and closer to landing a clean blow on him as he started increasing the amount of moves to avoid her advances. Eventually he caught her in a bad position and performed a hip toss followed up by landing on top of her. She squirmed underneath him as she attempted to free herself from his grip without using her powers until she noticed him looking at her directly in her eyes. His face was only a couple inches away from hers. Her breath hitched as she felt overcome by a feeling she'd not experienced before. The closest thing she could think of to compare it to was excitement, but it was so much more intense. Batman stayed there for a few seconds thinking of how he would get out of this predicament had the roles been reversed. Then an idea came to him. "In order to escape such a hold Diana, you need to free your left hand and reach across to my left arm. From there you grab it just above the elbow, and pull it while rolling your body in the direction that you pull my arm."

Diana did as Batman instructed, and she was able to free herself from his hold. She was happy to have learned a way to escape such a precarious position, and that feeling she had been experiencing just a moment ago finally began to die down so she could focus. They spent the next twenty minutes training together, and Batman had taught Diana three specific moves that would aid her in battle, should she ever become in such a troubled position. She was truly grateful for the lesson and disappointed when the time had ended, and Batman had to return to the transporter room so that he could apply the security patches before leaving for patrol. But still, she was in a very good mood following the short training session. She'd learned a very important lesson about balance that Batman seemed to swear by. When he was in balance mentally and physically, he was quite the dangerous opponent, and through years of training he'd apparently perfected his technique on maintaining balance. Diana stayed in the training room after Batman left for a few minutes as she just soaked in the last half hour with him. She still didn't understand what had come over her when he pinned her down, and she was curious about it and why it affected her so. However, in her good mood, she decided a nice hot shower was in order, and perhaps a call to make plans with her friend Bruce. She was anxious to enjoy a nice horseback ride with him. If she could find the time to fit it in, this would be one of the best weeks she'd ever experienced while living in man's world. Also she knew that with Batman's training, her free time would likely evaporate very soon, and she didn't want to leave Bruce disappointed.