When there were intruders in his city, Batman was always quick to hear word of it. The criminals in Gotham never knew how to keep their mouths shut, and he used that to his advantage on more than one occasion. So when Ra's Al Ghul appeared to have come into Gotham for personal reasons, Batman heard about it within the hour.

That's why he found himself entering Southern Gotham Cemetery, narrowing his eyes at the sight he found. Ra's was indeed there, but he also brought company. The villain stood a couple of feet behind a raven haired child, who was knelt in front of two headstones. The child, looking no older than eight, had his arms wrapped around his thin frame and had his head bowed. Batman could hear the telling sound of sniffles, and could easily deduce that he was crying. That rang a warning bell in his head; did Ra's harm him in any way?

"I do hope you don't plan on lurking in the shadows forever, detective," Ra's said quietly, though he didn't move from his spot. "It would be quite rude of you to do so."

Of course he noticed him, Ra's was the one who taught him how to melt into the shadows, after all. "Ra's," he greeted lowly, edging himself out of the shadows. His gaze fell onto the boy, who seemed unsurprised by his arrival. He only continued to stare at the headstones, shivering ever so slightly. "... Why are you in my city?"

"Personal reasons," Ra's said with a dismissive wave of the hand, looking more interested in what the boy was doing. "Child, I did tell you to bring a coat, did I not?" He frowned sternly and shrugged off his own jacket, before placing it over the boy's shoulders.

"... Thanks," the kid whispered, though he didn't face him. His movements were almost robotic as he pushed his arms through the sleeves and wrapped the coat around himself properly.

Ra's hummed in reply, and faced Batman once again. "As you can see, this is a rather bad time for a visit, detective. Perhaps we should leave Gray- Richard to mourn on his own."

Batman narrowed his eyes, but one look at the boy made him agree. If this Richard boy was visiting the dead, then Batman would allow him to do so peacefully. And Ra's would be leaving with him, so there was no reason for him to stay. So with a flutter of his cape, Batman turned on his heel and crept past the gates of the graveyard. Ra's followed closely behind, seeming unfazed by the warning glare that was fixed upon them once they were past the exit. "I thought I told you to stay out of my city."

There was a minute shrug of the shoulders. "Perhaps, but I have no desire to listen to every barked order you give me." He smiled coldly. "And besides, would you rather I deny him the opportunity to speak with those he has lost? I thought that you of all people could sympathize with him."

A low, warning growl worked its way past the hero's throat. "It doesn't matter why you're here, I want you to leave immediately."

"Now now, that's no way to speak to your elders. That butler of yours would be disappointed in you."

The subtle gibe at his civilian identity made him pause. Ra's always managed to keep the meaning of his words carefully hidden, but Batman was able to pick up on the underlying threat in his words. Either he allowed them to stay, or Ra's would do something terrible to him in return, most likely reveal his identity to someone. That was completely unexpected. "...Who is this boy?" He asked suspiciously, glancing at the kneeling figure past the gates. "You seem oddly protective of him."

Ra's inclined his head. "Perhaps I am, detective. I suppose there's no use denying it."

That earned him a blink of surprise. Not only was he protective over some kid, but he admitted it? "What is he to you?" He asked lowly, wary of what his answer would be.

Another smile. "I don't think you should be privy to my private life, Batman. That information is meant for the Shadows only."

"... Are you related?" He ignored Ra's earlier statement, trying to work through the possibilities. A sudden thought came to him, making his eyes widen slightly. "Ra's, are you training this boy?"

"That's none of your business," it was someone else who spoke this time, and Batman watched as Richard slinked out of the shadows and stopped at Ra's side. "Batman, neither of us are in the mood for your prying," he said cooly, glaring at him from under the hair in front of his eyes. Now that Batman could see his face, he realized that there really wasn't much to see. Richard had a cloth covering the bottom half of his face, from the tip of his nose down to the bottom of his chin. It was a familiar item that many Shadows wore in the field when they needed to protect their identity.

But did that mean that Richard was indeed a Shadow. "...Ra's, I want answers, now."

Ra's rose his eyebrows in amusement, putting a heavy hand on Richard's shoulder. "Richard is correct- our personal lives are of no concern to you."

Richard seemed completely exhausted by this point. "Leave us in peace, Mr. Wayne. This is not the day to get on my nerves."

Batman stiffened at the sound of his surname, and he whipped his head around to give Ra's an accusing look. "You swore that you wouldn't tell anyone who I am, even a Shadow."

"My deal with you does not extend to Richard. You are lucky it extends to anyone anymore," the false friendliness on his face evaporated, and Ra's gave him something very similar to a bat-glare. "Now, pay very close attention to my words, detective. Our deal was based on my belief that I could sway you to my side, but I have given up hope on you many moons ago. You are lucky that I refuse to stoop low enough to take you out by using your identity, but if you don't leave us alone soon I will have to resort to such tactics." His gaze hardened. "I already have plans to kill you Batman, but I don't wish to bring down your innocent loved ones along with you. Leave us, now."

Gloved hands curled into fists at his sides, but he carefully held back his angry retort. Ra's was done with him? Fine, he could live with that. But he had no idea that Ra's only kept his identity a secret because he hoped that he would join him someday. Now that Ra's moved on, his identity was in danger.

But why did Ra's abandon him in the first place? From what Batman understood, he was the only one Ra's thought was capable of being his heir.

His eyes fell onto Richard again, and that's when he realized what had changed. Ra's replaced him with a child, of all things. He was forcing a young boy to become his apprentice; a child that had his whole life ahead of him. That wasn't right. There was absolutely no justice in forcing a kid to become an assassin.

But then, the boy subconsciously leant against Ra's, relaxing as soon as he did so. Batman studied him carefully, and found that the boy seemed perfectly content by his side. Well what the hell did that mean? If he was being forced into this, wouldn't he have been absolutely terrified of Ra's?

Maybe... maybe they were related.

It was even possible that about a decade ago, Ra's found another woman who gave birth to his second child... But Richard Al Ghul didn't sound right, nor did Richard seem like a name Ra's would give to his son. There were so many things wrong with this, and he needed information.

But Ra's was unwilling to provide him with any. "Farewell, detective. Do tell the rest of the Justice League that I said hello." He then threw a smoke pellet on the ground, enveloping the area in a cloud of grey. Batman activated the heat seeking vision in his cowl immediately, but by the time he did so the two Shadows were no where near him. "Dammit!"

His earpiece suddenly came to life with sound, "Master Bruce? I have some interesting news to share with you."

"Not now, Alfred," he growled, stomping back into the graveyard. All he could do now was check the graves that Richard and Ra's visited and hope that it gave him some insight to what was going on. When he came to where Richard was previously kneeling, he halted in his tracks. "The Graysons..."

"What was that, sir?"

Batman shook his head, though he knew Alfred couldn't see him. "Nothing, Alfred. Just trying to figure something out about Ra's Al Ghul."

"I don't suppose you found anything concrete, have you? That man is a mysterious force." He cleared his throat. "I really do have information that may interest you."

Batman frowned, not really listening. Richard... Richard was the name of the youngest Grayson, the one who went missing minutes after his parents died. Everyone assumed that Anthony Zucco found him and killed him as well, but there was never any body. Was it possible that the boy lived, and was taken under Ra's wing just as Bruce had when he was lost and confused? He had no evidence besides the headstones, but he had a feeling that Richard Grayson was the boy with Ra's.

But that was all of the information he would be able to get, for now. "Yes, Alfred?" He prompted, deciding to let the subject drop for the moment. If Ra's Al Ghul really did take in Richard Grayson, then there was nothing Batman could do about it, especially if the boy willingly joined him. He was saddened by the loss of a childhood Richard would have because of his choice, but again, there was nothing he could do. Not now, at least.

"It seems as though Barry Allen has taken in a protege."

Batman found himself at a loss of words. First Ra's, and now Allen? The hell was going through everyone's skulls? "Name?"

"Wallace West, sir. He is a boy of twelve years old, turning thirteen in just a few months. He is calling himself 'Kid Flash,' and has been spotted assisting the Flash in helping civilians out of a burning building."

Oh, and Flash's protege just happened to be a kid as well. Did everyone lose their damned minds?! There was no place for a kid in their line of work, none whatsoever. "I will have to have a word with Flash."

There was a scoff. "You'll do nothing of the sort. I believe it to be a good idea, training a young child so that the y may learn to control their powers. It is also a way to ensure that the city will continue to be protected, even after Flash has passed." There was a pause. "I have no argument about having a child in the house, for that matter."

Batman rose his eyebrows at the now so subtle suggestion. "I'm not training a protege, Alfred. Not only is Gotham too dangerous for a child, but we both know that I would be an awful mentor."

"If not a protege, maybe just a child in general? Children tend to brighten lives, Master Bruce, and heaven knows yours needs illuminating."

"... Sure, Alfred, I'll just go impregnate someone right now," he said dryly as he finally exited the graveyard.

A sigh. "There are other ways, you know. There is adoption-"

"Forcing a child into my kind of life wouldn't be fair, Alfred. If I would be a terrible mentor, I would be an even worse parent. Drop the subject, now."

"... Right, then. Call me when you need me." The line went dead.

Batman felt a pang of guilt for shooting the butler down like that but honestly, what was Alfred thinking? Even if Flash was capable of training a child to work his way up to being able to fill his mentor's shoes, that didn't mean Batman should do the same.

Like he said before, Gotham City was no place for a sidekick.

xXx

"I love Gotham City," Dick murmured as he and Ra's boarded the plane that would bring them back to the mountains.

"Oh? And why's that?" Ra's asked in return, putting a hand on his shoulder to steer him to where they would be sitting. "Most people fear the city."

"I don't know. It is a little scary, but the darkness feels comforting." Dick just about collapsed in his seat, much to Ra's' amusement. "Maybe it's because we train in the dark so much. It makes Gotham seem familiar." He stared out the window, sighing deeply. "Or.. It could be because my parents are here. I always feel better after I talk to them."

"That is a reasonable explanation," Dick watched Ra's reflection, noticing the subtle change in his posture. He didn't seem very happy with him, for whatever reason. "But I have a feeling if we were to remain there any longer, Wayne would ignore my threats and would attempt to force us out." He reached over and secured Dick's seatbelt for him, before working on his own. Dick felt his lips twitch upward in a smile. It was little actions like helping him with a seatbelt that reminded him that Ra's cared about him in some way. It was nice. "Since our visit was short, perhaps you would like a dinner of your choosing? I will even allow you to eat unhealthy foods if that is your desire."

This made Dick turn around, raising his eyebrows. "So you're telling me that I'm allowed to eat bacon if I want?" Ra's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, but he nodded in consent. "Gosh, you must be in a good mood if you're going to let me eat a 'heart attack disguised as food.'"

"I believe you deserve a treat for your accomplishment, Richard. You are excelling at everything you have done thus far, and I can only expect even greater things from you in the near future."

He was talking about Armstead, Dick realized with a small frown of self disapproval. The murder Dick committed was always fresh in his mind, weighing heavily on his shoulders and making him feel like he was suffocating. Each time he looked down at his hands, he imagined there was invisible blood covering them, the blood of another man. And that red stain would remain there for the rest of his life, and that fact absolutely disgusted him. His parents would be ashamed of him, he knew, but Ra's insisted that they would want justice for their deaths, and that they would understand. After some convincing, Dick allowed himself to stop grieving, but he still felt hollow inside.

They say that taking someone else's life damages the soul. Now he knew what they meant.

Ever since yesterday, Dick felt... dirty. Like his insides were covered in unseen filth. He constantly reminded himself that he did the right thing- Armstead would have tried to kill Ra's if he didn't. And Ra's was such a good man who did everything he could to rid the world of terrible people, so Dick told himself that what he did was for the greater good.

It didn't work too well.

There would always be moments when Dick's actions would haunt him, no matter how many times he was assured that he didn't do anything wrong. His parents told him that killing was the worst thing anyone could ever do, and he felt as though he betrayed them by taking someone else's life. But on the other hand, Ra's expressed how proud he was on many occasions, and a part of Dick was pleased by it. He always liked pleasing Ra's, but he also wanted to respect his parents' beliefs...

He was so lost and confused.

"I can hardly call that an accomplishment," he muttered under his breath, though he was sure Ra's heard him. He didn't comment on it though, so Dick elected to change the subject. "So, why are you calling me Richard now? I thought you were doing that to keep my identity hidden from Wayne, but you're still using my first name."

Ra's paused, seeming like he was weighing his options. "In the old days, it was common to call people by their surname as a sign of respect. After they grew closer to certain people they would begin referring to then by their first name. I still believe in this tradition."

"...Oh." Dick beamed at him. "So calling me Richard means that you're finally opening up to me? Sweet." The use of the last word made Ra's frown sternly, and he backtracked immediately. Ra's hated improper English. "Er, I mean, excellent. Wonderful. Asterous."

Ra's shook his head. "You and your words..."

A grin. "You know you love them. It amuses you, so don't complain." His smile fell as a new thought surfaced in his mind. "Did you ever call Wayne by his first name?"

"...No," Ra's eyed him carefully. "Child, do you honestly feel challenged by Wayne's presence? As I said before, I am no longer concerned by him. You are the sole candidate for being my heir."

Dick felt his face heat up, and he averted his gaze. "I heard how you spoke to him. You might not want to admit it, but you still want him to join you." He sighed, pulling up his knees to rest his chin upon. "In your eyes, Wayne still has potential; there's something inside him that I don't have. You purposely made our presence in Gotham known so that you could show me off. You wanted a bad reaction from him, didn't you? You hoped that he would want to join you as soon as he knew he was replaced..."

Ra's remained silent.

"I thought so." He smiled tiredly, returning his gaze to the window. "I'm not mad, though. I know that Wayne is better than me, and will continue to be so for many years. It makes sense that you still want him to join you; it would be kind of stupid if you didn't. He's strong, intelligent, and can terrify anyone. He would be a perfect asset to your cause..."

"...You are partially correct," Ra's said softly. "I recognize the potential Wayne has, but I also see his flaws. He is too blinded by his parents deaths to see the error in his ways, and that makes him ill suited for a place at my side." He eyed Dick's reflection, meeting his gaze using the window. "I also recognize your potential. It may take many years of training to make you on par with Batman, but I strongly believe that it will be done."

"... Thanks," he mumbled, unsure of what to say. "But I'm not your heir yet. Wasn't it a bad move to let the criminals of Gotham and Batman know that I'm training under you?"

"No, that's precisely what needed to be done. Even if you were to chose to leave the Shadows once you have avenged your parents, you are already being seen as a force to be reckoned with. No criminal will dare lay a hand on you now that they know you have been training under me. Not only would they fear upsetting me, but they would fear getting on your bad side."

"So you're protecting me." Dick scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "I don't understand why you're going so far to keep me safe in the future when you have no idea that I will work with you."

"I don't believe you to be my enemy, Richard. Even if you left the Shadows, I wouldn't hold it against you, and it would not be my desire to find you dead in a few short years. If you do leave, we can still be allies."

"That makes some sense," Dick muttered, smiling warmly. "Okay, I understand now. Thank you, Ra's."

"Don't thank me, child. It was for my gain as much as it was for yours." He watched as Richard shrugged and closed his eyes, planning on sleeping for the rest of the flight. Ra's allowed a smirk to form on his face when he was certain that he was asleep. "Even though I care for you more than I should, there is no possibility of me allowing you to live should you wish to leave. Telling the world of your presence did not make you feared, it made you a target. And should you be alone without my aid, you will be hunted and killed by my enemies." He breathed out a quiet chuckle. "Children are so much easier to corrupt than I remember. My acts of kindness will almost guarantee that he remains by my side once his parents' killers are dealt with. I do hope that is the case; I've become particularly fond of this boy..."

He sighed as his thoughts began to contradict themselves. He cared too much to want his enemies to target Richard, but he also didn't care enough to stop his enemies from targeting him if he left. If Richard stayed, there would be hell to pay if anyone touched a single hair on his head. If Richard left, Ra's would watch the criminals tear him apart without a care in the world.

Or maybe he would care either way.

"Richard Grayson, you will be the death of me..." he mumbled, rubbing his temples. In his mind's eye he saw images of what would happen if Richard so much as came near any of his enemies, and the blood bath that Ra's would create if he was harmed in any way. That was not good. Ra's Al Ghul couldn't allow himself to care for another being like that, it was a sign of weakness.

But as he gazed down at the slumbering child besides him, he couldn't find it in himself to stop caring.

xXx

AN:

Summary of this chapter- Dick doesn't like Batman, Bruce thinks everyone lost their minds, Ra's realized that he actually has emotions, and Alfred wants grandbabies. Oh, and Wally West finally wormed his way into the story. Birdflash is slowly coming into the plot... very very slowly...

Last thing: thank you all for your reviews from last chapter! A lot of them made me laugh my ass off, and even more of them made me smile like an idiot. You guys are the best 3