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Dick kept his eyes on Ra’s, standing rigid in the middle of the office as he waited for the man to speak. To explain why he had been abducted so abruptly, and why he was still being held captive.
“Bruce is difficult to deal with. You knew that, didn’t you?” Ra’s remarked.
“More than you think. I’ve lived with him for a long time.” Dick played along, waiting for answers.
“But he has raised some exceptional young men.” Ra’s turned toward him. A shiver ran through Dick as he found himself beneath that dark, unsettling gaze. “Of all the heroes I’ve seen in battle, you’re one of the most formidable, Richard.”
Dick suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Ra’s kept circling the same subject without getting anywhere.
“I understand the admiration. And the frustration with Bruce.” He crossed his arms. “What do I have to do with any of this?”
Ra’s smiled. Neither too broadly nor too subtly, yet somehow more sinister and brazen than the Joker’s.
With every step Ra’s took toward him, Dick grew tenser. He tightened his crossed arms, acutely aware of the danger closing in.
“I wanted to propose that you stay. At my side,” he said, stopping in front of him. “You’re a detective, like Batman. A very capable one. I’ve observed you long enough to know that you’re an even more capable leader than he is. And besides—” Ra’s extended a hand, letting it hover over Dick’s face without touching him. “—you possess an enchanting beauty. Far surpassing Bruce’s.”
Dick slapped his hand away, anger flaring in his chest.
“Who the hell do you think you are? Who the hell do you think I am? I’d never join you. Not under any circumstances!” His words dripped with disgust. “Bruce will come for me. He must be looking for me already. You won’t be able to keep playing lord and jailer for much longer.”
Ra’s remained unfazed by his outburst. If anything, he seemed amused.
“And will you want to leave?” Ra’s took a step back. “When they come for you, will you cling to Batman’s arms, or will you reject him and choose to stay? Here. With me.”
Dick frowned. A dreadful feeling tightened around his throat.
“I’d never stay with you. You’re insane.”
Ra’s continued backing away toward a door on the other side of the room. There were three doors, though Dick had only identified two until now: the entrance and the bathroom.
Whatever lay beyond was a mystery, and Dick had a terrible feeling he was about to find out.
With a flick of his hand, Ra’s ordered someone to open it.
One of the guards who had remained concealed in the shadows stepped forward just enough to open the door.
Another League assassin emerged. Higher-ranking, judging by the weapons he carried. Finer katanas, a mask covering his entire face, and an outfit of vivid, blood-red fabric.
“My daughter has had few successes in her life,” Ra’s began, motioning for the man to enter. “She rescued a rat from the streets of Gotham, hoping to use him to conquer an impossible love.” The man stopped beside him. “She betrayed me, immersing him in my Lazarus Pit in the hope of restoring the consciousness he had lost.”
Ra’s reached for the man’s mask and removed it without ceremony.
Dick’s breath caught at the sight of the face beneath it.
“Jason.”
“It didn’t work. Nothing she did could turn this vegetable into anything more than a puppet. A capable fighter, devoid of words or memories. But—” Ra’s traced the edge of the mask along Jason’s face, drawing no reaction from him. “Every day, he looks more and more like Bruce. It would be a waste not to make use of him.”
Dick swallowed, struggling to force the words out.
“How... how is he here? Jason is in Gotham.”
The last time he had seen Jason, he had been clean, cheerful, slowly settling back into the family.
Who—or what—was this?
“That is a clone. Another one of my daughter’s little victories. Since he couldn’t save him, he decided to create a new body and implant the memories into it. Memories this mindless creature no longer possesses.” Ra’s handed the mask back to Jason, who accepted it without hesitation.
Without so much as blinking. Without looking at Dick or showing any sign of recognition. Barely a ghost of his brother. Of the brother waiting for him in Gotham, with his family.
“You’re lying.”
“Why would I? Creating a new body is easy. Inserting memories is easy, too. But,” he said, pointing at Jason, “creating something empty that follows your orders is a fruitless endeavor. It never works.”
Dick took a trembling step forward.
“I could tell Batman. We’d get Jason back, and you—”
“I’ll kill him first.” Ra’s cut him off, his voice low and threatening. “If you manage to escape, you’ll return to Gotham with a story that sounds like a fantasy, because he’ll be dead long before you arrive. And you”—he pointed at Dick with contempt—“will have to live with the death of another brother. With having planted the knowledge of what they’ve lost in the minds of everyone you love. That the Jason they have is not the original.”
Dick had no words. His thoughts spun until he felt dizzy, every possible solution slipping out of reach.
His arms fell to his sides, the strength draining from them.
“What do you want from me?”
Ra’s smiled, wide and repulsive.
“Welcome to my humble home. Let’s have some interesting encounters from now on.”
A cold shiver ran down Dick’s spine. Every instinct urged him to fight.
And yet he remained still, unable to tear his eyes away from Jason’s emotionless face.
He didn’t know how he would do it, but he would get them both out of here.
No matter what it cost. No matter how long it took.
He promised himself that.
